[erockg]

ive heard they have a very different signature to the PI7 suprisingly (majorhifi review)

In my unprofessional opinion the sound signatures are not drastically different. I also do not find the PI5 bass heavy at all. Not to my ears. Maybe I had a defective unit with the PI7s, but on the PI7 I listened to a certain track that they couldn't handle. There was static every time it hit a certain note, yet all my other tws didn't have this issue. I just played that same track on the PI5 and they held up perfect. Very strange. All that said, if these drop out while on a walk today, it'll be very disappointing.

 

[erockg]

Not just iOS, happens for me on Android, too. It has improved somewhat after a hard reset on the PI7s.

Same, it was okay for a bit and then came back. I'm on the PI5s today. We'll see...

 

[erockg]

I don't know. If the ANC had been poor I would have drawn the same conclusion. But this is so bad I just can't believe anyone would have sold the product this way - and it is inconceivable to me that anyone reviewing a pair like the way mine are currently operating wouldn't notice how poor the ANC is.

Will be interesting to see - because they are definitely a keeper based on the sound - and for me the fit.

See, I'm only having BT issues. ANC is great in my environment. No, not over-the-ear headphones great, but definitely solid. All my fans and air filters are gone, and any traffic noise outside my window is gone. I've had way too many TWS buds and the ANC has performed just as well as the APP, MTW2 etc.

 

[miserybeforethemusic]

Been testing it a bit now - and in front of the TV listening to "normal sounds" I can't tell if the ANC is on or not - it is that bad. So for now I'm just going to assume the pair I got are not working as they should. I didn't expect all that much from the ANC, but this is ridiculous.

Sound quality is thankfully a lot better than the ANC. First TWS in-ear that have impressed me. But I bought them partly for flights so got to get this ANC sorted.

Hopefully they just need to adjust some algos and push a firmware update to improve that, but sounds very similar in "quality" to the ANC from the JBL Club Pro+ and Earfun Free Pro.

Does Bowers know about the ANC issue? Can it be fixed through firmware?

Paradoxical question. Kinda like how I wonder if we'd ever have gotten the updates we did on the MT if I hadn't nagged their CEO via the email included in that box. Better to just be a squeaky wheel to B&W if owners want any hope of seeing this stuff improve.

There was static every time it hit a certain note, yet all my other tws didn't have this issue. I just played that same track on the PI5 and they held up perfect. Very strange. All that said, if these drop out while on a walk today, it'll be very disappointing.

Was this on the iPhone? Sounds like the same kind of artifacting I was hearing on the NFP in aptX Adaptive. May be an issue of signal bandwidth or the internal amplifiers on the PI7 need some serious adjustment.

EPro horns are working out great on the WH3. Not quite as pillow-soft as the Final TWS were, but they do provide for a very secure fit that I can achieve single-handedly and without having to tug on my ear during insertion. These seem very dependent on fit, like most earbuds tend to be. If you decide to take the plunge on these, keep in mind that you may spend a while figuring out the best positioning for comfort and SQ; both are affected by misalignment pretty drastically here.

Also tried Symbio W Hybrids on them. Not a fan. Super comfy, but sucks out all the midrange. I think the secret to the WH3 is finding tips that are as short as possible, yet still seal well in the ear. Spiral Dots also cause a pretty drastic shift in FR, though my ears seem to adjust quicker to the change than I had with the Symbio. Neither will fit in the case, though, so I don't see much practicality with either pair; just stick with the EPro TW00.

 

[erockg]

Hopefully they just need to adjust some algos and push a firmware update to improve that, but sounds very similar in "quality" to the ANC from the JBL Club Pro+ and Earfun Free Pro.

Paradoxical question. Kinda like how I wonder if we'd ever have gotten the updates we did on the MT if I hadn't nagged their CEO via the email included in that box. Better to just be a squeaky wheel to B&W if owners want any hope of seeing this stuff improve.

Was this on the iPhone? Sounds like the same kind of artifacting I was hearing on the NFP in aptX Adaptive. May be an issue of signal bandwidth or the internal amplifiers on the PI7 need some serious adjustment.

EPro horns are working out great on the WH3. Not quite as pillow-soft as the Final TWS were, but they do provide for a very secure fit that I can achieve single-handedly and without having to tug on my ear during insertion. These seem very dependent on fit, like most earbuds tend to be. If you decide to take the plunge on these, keep in mind that you may spend a while figuring out the best positioning for comfort and SQ; both are affected by misalignment pretty drastically here.

Also tried Symbio W Hybrids on them. Not a fan. Super comfy, but sucks out all the midrange. I think the secret to the WH3 is finding tips that are as short as possible, yet still seal well in the ear. Spiral Dots also cause a pretty drastic shift in FR, though my ears seem to adjust quicker to the change than I had with the Symbio. Neither will fit in the case, though, so I don't see much practicality with either pair; just stick with the EPro TW00.

Yeah, iPhone 12 and another person on here said it's happening with his Android. Sooo... who knows.

I'm using Spinfits on my NFPs. But I get this strange issue with my right bud that if I don't have a certain seal, the volume cuts out. Very strange. May do a reset.

 

[miserybeforethemusic]

Yeah, iPhone 12 and another person on here said it's happening with his Android. Sooo... who knows.

I'm using Spinfits on my NFPs. But I get this strange issue with my right bud that if I don't have a certain seal, the volume cuts out. Very strange. May do a reset.

That is strange. Fingers crossed a reset helps. Could also try forgetting the device in your BT list and re-pair them. Don't quote me on this, but I think they automatically revert to pairing mode if they lose their primary connection. If not, resetting isn't too tough. Good luck!

Also just received the following update from Status:

At least there's a definite window. I'll live with that, even if the response does sound a little canned. I imagine this is only the 5 millionth "where are my TWS" messages they've received, so I do have to commend them on maintaining their sanity.

 

[assassin10000]

Ideally I would just use foamies except I can't find a foamie fit for the MT. Plus, while foamie isolation, fit, and bass enhancement is nice, the sound is too congested and muddied for good listening. I use Comply 600 foamies on my M1s in the gym for the isolation but I don't enjoy the resulting treble attenuation. The never ending quest for the perfect ear tip...

Not sure what size ear tips you use but perhaps using the Tennmak tips would work? They have a 'skin' that doesn't attenuate treble like open cell foamies like the others do. You may have to cut them shorter to close the case, depending on the TWS/case. 4.5mm or 5.0mm bore available iirc.
https://www.amazon.com/TENNMAK-Earphone-Mushroom-Earphones-4-5mm-Small/dp/B0828XP9RM/

Not my pic, from Amazon cust:

There's also the ikko iplanet or misodiko TWS pro style tips that fit more TWS cases. Also has a 'skin' over the foam. Their small are more of a medium small for Ikko (11.5mm) and medium for misodiko (12.0mm) when I measured them.

The generic air pods pro tips can be used if the plastic app adapters are removed from them. My 2nd favorite foam tip for TWS. Also skinned.

And my favorite tips for comfort are generic 'ball' style ts400 tips from AliExpress. They have 4.5mm (t200 size) and 5.0mm (t400) sizes, these have standard open cell foam. Fortunately with the rounded tip they don't block/attenuate the highs as much as the standard style tips (imo).

 

[MaccaUK]

Not sure what size ear tips you use but perhaps using the Tennmak tips would work? They have a 'skin' that doesn't attenuate treble like open cell foamies like the others do. You may have to cut them shorter to close the case, depending on the TWS/case. 4.5mm or 5.0mm bore available iirc.
https://www.amazon.com/TENNMAK-Earphone-Mushroom-Earphones-4-5mm-Small/dp/B0828XP9RM/

Not my pic, from Amazon cust:


There's also the ikko iplanet or misodiko TWS pro style tips that fit more TWS cases. Also has a 'skin' over the foam. Their small are more of a medium small for Ikko (11.5mm) and medium for misodiko (12.0mm) when I measured them.



The generic air pods pro tips can be used if the plastic app adapters are removed from them. My 2nd favorite foam tip for TWS. Also skinned.





And my favorite tips for comfort are generic 'ball' style ts400 tips from AliExpress. They have 4.5mm (t200 size) and 5.0mm (t400) sizes, these have standard open cell foam. Fortunately with the rounded tip they don't block/attenuate the highs as much as the standard style tips (imo).

I bought the Ikko iplanet for the MT to see if they’d fit in the temperamental case. Alas, the MT’s went back due to all the other issues I was having with them before they turned up. Fit well on the AKG N400 and B&W Pi7’s and sound decent without bloating the bass too much. Have since settled on some Sony Triple Comfort buds for both which are more comfortable and sounds even better to my ears.

I also seem to be one of the only ones on this thread that's completely happy with the Pi7's. I've experienced none of the Bluetooth issues reported and certainly for my ears the ANC is comparable with my AKG's and only slightly less effective than the Sony’s. I’m not commuting currently so the ANC is off most of the time which is also helping with battery life. I’ve had them almost 2 weeks now and have had ample opportunity to do some b2b listening with a variety of other IEM’s, TWS & Over Ears, and honestly I’m liking these as much as most. All are paired to my Hiby R6 2020 so delivering a source sound signature that’s the same which makes comparison relatively straightforward. I’m sure firmware can fix any glitches including the only gripe I’ve got in that the app chops of the battery level display in half so can’t really see how much juice is left unless I use standard Bluetooth settings on android...........

 

[tma6]

I have been out of this thread for a little while as I have started to dip my toes in the ear monitor world. I have come to love the Moondrop Arias and perhaps at one point I will consider buying true wireless adaptors for them.

that said a couple things sort of surprise me. There was buzz couple months ago with a leaked image of the new Sony‘s and here we are now in May and there has been no further news. When I come to think about it they really started the shift towards adding quality active noise cancelling to an earbud with premium sound. The XM threes nearly 2 years later are still rated among the best for noise cancelling and sound quality and where they to have wireless charging and we’re less bulky would probably be still among the best.

kind of disappointing that the latest offering from master and dynamic does not sound as good and that the noise cancelling give the price is not great. Also disappointing we’re all the issues I had with my Melomania touch. And now from the sounds of it while Bower and Wilkins have really put out an interesting product that has some unique functionality, the connectivity issues in battery life are real disappointments.

As I have now started to really enjoy the sound of an I EM, I kind of feel like using a true wireless earbud is only worthwhile now when I am on the goal I hear exercising or perhaps when using a microphone for a zoom call or some thing else. Because of that the things that are more important to me our comfort and fit the ability to not get ruined from sweat good sound and battery life.

I just don’t think with the current offerings I could justify the expense of three or $400 for something that is not gonna get use that often for me. I think once Bluetooth low energy becomes the new adopted standard and that the transmission quality improves both in connectivity as well as data transmission, I can then revisit improved through wireless earbuds that can give me in ear monitor sound while still being wireless.

I.. found this out the hard way and now I’m deep down the IEM rabbit hole. Ended up w the U12Ts as my end game for now, but things definitely got out of hand lol. You can PM me too if you want any recs.

Kinda why I settled on the Jabra 85ts for my tws. They do everything pretty well - solid sq, good battery life, good call quality, excellent anc and transparency, controls for everything, and nice compact case and size of buds. Nothing spectacular in the sound dept except for nice bass impact and texture, and above-average staging and imaging, but they make the fewest compromises w the best executed features out of anything else I’ve tried so far.

 

[miserybeforethemusic]

I bought the Ikko iplanet for the MT to see if they’d fit in the temperamental case. Alas, the MT’s went back due to all the other issues I was having with them before they turned up. Fit well on the AKG N400 and B&W Pi7’s and sound decent without bloating the bass too much. Have since settled on some Sony Triple Comfort buds for both which are more comfortable and sounds even better to my ears.

I also seem to be one of the only ones on this thread that's completely happy with the Pi7's. I've experienced none of the Bluetooth issues reported and certainly for my ears the ANC is comparable with my AKG's and only slightly less effective than the Sony’s. I’m not commuting currently so the ANC is off most of the time which is also helping with battery life. I’ve had them almost 2 weeks now and have had ample opportunity to do some b2b listening with a variety of other IEM’s, TWS & Over Ears, and honestly I’m liking these as much as most. All are paired to my Hiby R6 2020 so delivering a source sound signature that’s the same which makes comparison relatively straightforward. I’m sure firmware can fix any glitches including the only gripe I’ve got in that the app chops of the battery level display in half so can’t really see how much juice is left unless I use standard Bluetooth settings on android...........

The good thing about personal preferences is it's okay if they're not the same as everybody else's. If the PI7 rock your socks off, awesome! The R6 2020's certainly spec'd fantastically and it sounds like you've got a nice, stable connection.

I.. found this out the hard way and now I’m deep down the IEM rabbit hole. Ended up w the U12Ts as my end game for now, but things definitely got out of hand lol. You can PM me too if you want any recs.

Kinda why I settled on the Jabra 85ts for my tws. They do everything pretty well - solid sq, good battery life, good call quality, excellent anc, nice compact case and size of buds. Nothing spectacular in the sound dept except for above average staging and imaging, but they make the fewest compromises w the best executed features out of anything else I’ve tried so far.

I have drawers full of budget-fi stuff and have merely made it into midrange territory. Not ready to go into the kilobuck pairs yet, though I finally feel like I have sources that would be capable of doing them justice. U12t are definitely on the "win the lotto" short list, as are the FIBAE 7, MEST MkII, Spiral Ear SE5 Ultimate/SE6 Edge, and EE Odin. Add those together, and you could take the same amount of money and buy a new car with it.

This can be a really expensive hobby without a little restraint

 

[Mr.Toad]

This seriously makes me doubt pro reviews lol, expert reviews say the anc is brilliant. Yet nobody here agrees, hmmm

The ANC is about on a par with competitors - in ear. Which is to say, not bad for casual use but not great for flying. I would take the wh-1000xm4 for that.

 

[tracyrick]

erockg - Ref. SpinFit, you are not crazy, I had the same issue. I had sound cut-out and just strange fit issues overall. I only tried on two runs so far, so I'm waiting to try a few more times before being sure what the problem is. Definitely having more problems than with the MT stock ear tips, when I thought the SpinFit would actually work better. Ugh. My guess is the pivot feature of the SpinFit is creating its own issue by blocking sound as it pivots? I need to experiment more.

assassin - Thanks for the tips, pun intended. Now I'm worried that to try all the ear tips out there I'll end up spending more than the cost of the earphones! I think I'll try Misery's ePro recommendation first and go from there.

Ref. charging case fit - I learned right away with the Melomania 1s not to worry about trying to fit my earbuds back into the charging case with my Comply tips (I ordered Comply's within 5 mins. of trying the stock silicone tips). I just take the foamies off and on each time I put them back in the case. It's easiest with a shirt vs. using your fingers. I also tried NOT putting them back in the case every time I use them, but this created connection/confusion issues for the earbuds so I gave up on that idea. So I'm not worried about any tips I try on MT not fitting in the case.

 

[miserybeforethemusic]

erockg - Ref. SpinFit, you are not crazy, I had the same issue. I had sound cut-out and just strange fit issues overall. I only tried on two runs so far, so I'm waiting to try a few more times before being sure what the problem is. Definitely having more problems than with the MT stock ear tips, when I thought the SpinFit would actually work better. Ugh. My guess is the pivot feature of the SpinFit is creating its own issue by blocking sound as it pivots? I need to experiment more.

assassin - Thanks for the tips, pun intended. Now I'm worried that to try all the ear tips out there I'll end up spending more than the cost of the earphones! I think I'll try Misery's ePro recommendation first and go from there.

Ref. charging case fit - I learned right away with the Melomania 1s not to worry about trying to fit my earbuds back into the charging case with my Comply tips (I ordered Comply's within 5 mins. of trying the stock silicone tips). I just take the foamies off and on each time I put them back in the case. It's easiest with a shirt vs. using your fingers. I also tried NOT putting them back in the case every time I use them, but this created connection/confusion issues for the earbuds so I gave up on that idea. So I'm not worried about any tips I try on MT not fitting in the case.

Sounds like the stem is folding in on itself somehow. Can happen when you're trying to use a larger tip than you should be. Some of the fancier brands have in-between sizes (like SS, SM, ML, and LL) for this exact reason. Looks like you're already on track to give the TW00 a shot; ordered a couple pairs myself today since I needed printer ink anyway.

Good news is there's enough height in that MT case to sit a spare pair of tips as long as they're short enough:

Apologies for the white balance issues. Probably too much dynamic range for my phone's camera.

 

[Havre]

The ANC is about on a par with competitors - in ear. Which is to say, not bad for casual use but not great for flying. I would take the wh-1000xm4 for that.

Would you say you without a doubt notice when it is turned on?

I just had another funny issue with mine. So I have used it with my S10+ phone and the connection is fine. Some small hiccups, but that has been me leaving the phone in the sofa walking over to the kitchen etc. Then I tested it on my Fiio X5 3rd and the signal is absolutely useless. Impossible to listen to. I know from before that using the X5 3rd with bluetooth isn't perfect, but I have never experienced anything like this. I used it with my Jabra 75t and I would occasionally lose the signal for half a second every now and then. When I connect it to my Denon receiver I will also occasionally have issues with the signal. So I'm starting to wonder if there is something more wrong in general with my set.

Sent B&W a question through their homepage. To see if this is something (the ANC) which is a known problem for them or not.

 

[Mr.Toad]

Would you say you without a doubt notice when it is turned on?

I just had another funny issue with mine. So I have used it with my S10+ phone and the connection is fine. Some small hiccups, but that has been me leaving the phone in the sofa walking over to the kitchen etc. Then I tested it on my Fiio X5 3rd and the signal is absolutely useless. Impossible to listen to. I know from before that using the X5 3rd with bluetooth isn't perfect, but I have never experienced anything like this. I used it with my Jabra 75t and I would occasionally lose the signal for half a second every now and then. When I connect it to my Denon receiver I will also occasionally have issues with the signal. So I'm starting to wonder if there is something more wrong in general with my set.

Sent B&W a question through their homepage. To see if this is something (the ANC) which is a known problem for them or not.

Yes, I can definitely tell a difference between ANC on or off. More on lower frequencies, though, particularly low droning sounds.