Going fully Wireless IEMs. Too soon? Or are we there yet?

[BigZ12]

Fiio FW5 - first impressions.

Bought at AliExpress for $134.99 (Fiio Official Store)

Good:
- Sounds amazing with the included balanced medium tips (will do a tip roll later anyway). Really good in every aspect. By far the best TWS I've heard (but keep in my mind I stopped buying TWS after Senn' MTW3). I'm not sure I will use my newly bought Ikko OH10 and ITB03 much now
- They play loud!!
- They fit me very good. Very light and comfortable. Almost like I can't feel wearing them. (was a bit sceptical to this due to their build/form)
- No driver flex or other artifacts with the fit.
- BT range is VERY good. Extremely stable (Tested with AAC on iPhone 14 Pro Max, will test AptX Adaptive from Creative BT-W4 later)
- Codec support is great. SBC, AAC, AptX Adaptive and LHDC.
- They look cool
- There is a Fiio App with OTA firmware updates, battery info, etc
- All controls done with physical buttons. (2 on each bud). Incl volume (not the phone's volume, but the buds')
- Taken 2 calls, and both said they heard me loud and clear
- Impressive hardware. Qualcomm QCC5141 + independent AKM DAC/Amp AK4332. 1 Dynamic Driver 2 Balanced Armature.

Not so good:
- No ANC or transparent mode.
- The mentioned app doesn't have en EQ.
- The case is kind of cheaply built. Plasticky with a "flimsy" cover etc..
- No wireless charging
- The buds are also light and kind of "plasticky" in a way, but not sure if that is negative since it makes them very comfortable to wear. What I'm trying to say is that they don't feel like a premium product when holding them.
- No multipoint connection (I think)
- No in-ear detection

A set of TWS that's made for sound, looks and nothing else I guess

Any questions?

 

[MelodyMood]

And he's back. What brand did you end up getting?

Jabra Elite 3. The price was $119 but some discount + some points from my Telco so I ended up getting it at almost half price.

@MelodyMood also I guess everyone has better things to do than encourage an argument with you regarding tws. . . But not me.

I think you're discounting a lot of what is good about tws. For me this product is one of the more exciting things to collect. You're discounting first of all the convenience of having no cords, the cool designs companies come up with and all of the extra features that the buds offer along with the improvements of these aspects.

These companies are making people fool. There is no convenience in having BT Earphones. Keeping BT on all the time will drain your battery like anything. 2nd and my very basic question to all these so called innovative people, why do they think that removing headphone jack is necessary to use BT Earphones? Bluetooth was there even 5, 10 or 15, 20 years ago also in phones along with Headphone Jack. So why do they need to remove it. The reason is simple, so they can force users to buy their bull TWS for $200 and $300 price and irony is, that while they are making the consumer fool, they can still make them realise that they (consumers) are getting something best

Everything from the case to the fit to the feel make tws more fun to have with you than wired iems or over earphones.

Also some people here will disagree with me, but I think some tws are superior to some cabled iems in sound quality. I haven't purchased a $300 pair of wired iems before but I do get better sound quality and imaging from some of my TWS than I do from $150 audio Technica wired buds.

Also on a pure enjoyment basis, I enjoy using TWS for listening as much or more than my Beyerdynamic DT 770.

There is no match of any TWS (even $10000 one) with Beyerdynamic DT 770. You cannot compare it at all. It is like you are comparing some 4th world country car model (after paying $100k) with latest model of Mercedes (paying same amount) and still saying that both are good.

Plus the absolute joy of working out and running with TWS beats any over ear or wired iems for the same purpose.

Even if I'm wrong, this thread is a group of people who think this technology is exciting so subjectivise all you want with us, it won't work because we can subjectivise back harder and better.

This is only Scam and not more than that. I am sure in few years someone will unearth this scam and shut down these companies in no time.

 

[BigZ12]

Fiio FW5 - first impressions.

Forgot to mention I got a Leatherette case for the FW5 included. To my surprise there was a bag of what looks like Spinfit tips? 4 sizes, with the typical blue/green/red/dark blue colors on the stem.
So i got 10 different tips included in total.

 

[MelodyMood]

Question to test the technical understanding of you all:

How many of you actually believe that removing Headphone Jack was absolutely necessary for Bluetooth (earphones) to work and if both are present in the phone, then BT earphones will not work. If so then how does it work is many phones which has headphone jack and BT both?

 

[helmutcheese]

Bought at AliExpress for $134.99 (Fiio Official Store)

Good:
- Sounds amazing with the included balanced medium tips (will do a tip roll later anyway). Really good in every aspect. By far the best TWS I've heard (but keep in my mind I stopped buying TWS after Senn' MTW3). I'm not sure I will use my newly bought Ikko OH10 and ITB03 much now
- They play loud!!
- They fit me very good. Very light and comfortable. Almost like I can't feel wearing them. (was a bit sceptical to this due to their build/form)
- No driver flex or other artifacts with the fit.
- BT range is VERY good. Extremely stable (Tested with AAC on iPhone 14 Pro Max, will test AptX Adaptive from Creative BT-W4 later)
- Codec support is great. SBC, AAC, AptX Adaptive and LHDC.
- They look cool
- There is a Fiio App with OTA firmware updates, battery info, etc
- All controls done with physical buttons. (2 on each bud). Incl volume (not the phone's volume, but the buds')
- Taken 2 calls, and both said they heard me loud and clear
- Impressive hardware. Qualcomm QCC5141 + independent AKM DAC/Amp AK4332. 1 Dynamic Driver 2 Balanced Armature.

Not so good:
- No ANC or transparent mode.
- The mentioned app doesn't have en EQ.
- The case is kind of cheaply built. Plasticky with a "flimsy" cover etc..
- No wireless charging
- The buds are also light and kind of "plasticky" in a way, but not sure if that is negative since it makes them very comfortable to wear. What I'm trying to say is that they don't feel like a premium product when holding them.
- No multipoint connection (I think)
- No in-ear detection

A set of TWS that's made for sound, looks and nothing else I guess

Any questions?

Are you sure about AMB/Trans?

 

[BigZ12]

Are you sure about AMB/Trans?

I'm not now I will try, but will have to wait until tomorrow. (01:04 AM now, so zzzzz)
Thanks for the tip!

 

[SynaestheticA]

A set of TWS that's made for sound, looks and nothing else I guess

Any questions?

How is fit stability? Wanting to get a pair of SQ focused buds but will be using for running and gym.

 

[BigZ12]

How is fit stability? Wanting to get a pair of SQ focused buds but will be using for running and gym.

I don't think I want to recommend them for this purpose. I can see that in especially smaller ears than mine, they can move too much with exercising. And also stick out. This is soo individual.
I can "shake my head off" and they are stable, but again they have a special form that I think some can have problems with.

Edit: Hopefully others who own them can chime in on this?

 

[SynaestheticA]

Question to test the technical understanding of you all:

How many of you actually believe that removing Headphone Jack was absolutely necessary for Bluetooth (earphones) to work and if both are present in the phone, then BT earphones will not work. If so then how does it work is many phones which has headphone jack and BT both?

I dont know what you think we believe here but no one disagrees with you regarding the removal of the 3.5mm jack. That has literally nothing to do with our interest in TWS, you'd be better off finding a Catholic group on Facebook and arguing with them about atheism.

There are like 8 phone brands but 50+ tws brands so your little conspiracy might be true but is irrelevant for noble, Cambridge audio, audio technica, etc

I wouldn't be using cabled iems for my purpose regardless. And btw, you can find plenty of phones with a headphone jack, both of my phone's have them and guess who doesn't use them?

 

[SynaestheticA]

I don't think I want to recommend them for this purpose. I can see that in particularly smaller ears than mine, they can move too much with exercising. And also stick out. This is soo individual.
I can "shake my head off" and they are stable, but again they have a special form that I think some can have problems with.

Edit: Hopefully others who own them can chime on this?

Damn, so many good buds out right now that don't seem appropriate for sports. I've got a savings account ready to go for any bud that can give me top SQ focus and sports use.

I'd say I have regular sized ears, never had a problem with fit on any pair other than some Audioflys which I threw out day 1.

If I put foam tips on do you see this helping?

Thanks for the reply.

 

[MelodyMood]

I dont know what you think we believe here but no one disagrees with you regarding the removal of the 3.5mm jack. That has literally nothing to do with our interest in TWS, you'd be better off finding a Catholic group on Facebook and arguing with them about atheism.

There are like 8 phone brands but 50+ tws brands so your little conspiracy might be true but is irrelevant for noble, Cambridge audio, audio technica, etc

It's not little conspiracy. It's big scam.

I wouldn't be using cabled iems for my purpose regardless. And btw, you can find plenty of phones with a headphone jack, both of my phone's have them and guess who doesn't use them?

Do you consider them even a phone? They are joke on the name of the phones. Even 10 years older models were better than these. They are crap mediocre handset with ultra slow 480, 695 or Dimensity 700, 800, 900 or 1000 processor with 3-4 GB RAM, not even FHD Display and weight and size like a tablet or even compact laptop.

Just because someone wants to use Wired Earphones, he should compromise on quality and buy these mediocre low quality ultra-slow phones? Why?

 

[SoundChoice]

I hate that RCA stopped making phonograph record needles, so I must troll some Spotify forums.

 

[Caipirina]

Skip the Free Byrd trust me.

Why? They were my favs until the Bose QC II arrived ...

 

[regancipher]

ASUS ZenFone 9 is one of a number of their phones that has a headphone jack. Same with Sony Experia 1 & 5 IV. Plenty of ZTE phones too, all Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or above.

I wouldn't call that a massive compromise.

 

[444906]

Fiio FW5 - first impressions.

Bought at AliExpress for $134.99 (Fiio Official Store)

Good:
- Sounds amazing with the included balanced medium tips (will do a tip roll later anyway). Really good in every aspect. By far the best TWS I've heard (but keep in my mind I stopped buying TWS after Senn' MTW3). I'm not sure I will use my newly bought Ikko OH10 and ITB03 much now
- They play loud!!
- They fit me very good. Very light and comfortable. Almost like I can't feel wearing them. (was a bit sceptical to this due to their build/form)
- No driver flex or other artifacts with the fit.
- BT range is VERY good. Extremely stable (Tested with AAC on iPhone 14 Pro Max, will test AptX Adaptive from Creative BT-W4 later)
- Codec support is great. SBC, AAC, AptX Adaptive and LHDC.
- They look cool
- There is a Fiio App with OTA firmware updates, battery info, etc
- All controls done with physical buttons. (2 on each bud). Incl volume (not the phone's volume, but the buds')
- Taken 2 calls, and both said they heard me loud and clear
- Impressive hardware. Qualcomm QCC5141 + independent AKM DAC/Amp AK4332. 1 Dynamic Driver 2 Balanced Armature.

Not so good:
- No ANC or transparent mode.
- The mentioned app doesn't have en EQ.
- The case is kind of cheaply built. Plasticky with a "flimsy" cover etc..
- No wireless charging
- The buds are also light and kind of "plasticky" in a way, but not sure if that is negative since it makes them very comfortable to wear. What I'm trying to say is that they don't feel like a premium product when holding them.
- No multipoint connection (I think)
- No in-ear detection

A set of TWS that's made for sound, looks and nothing else I guess

Any questions?

Were the calls in a noisy or quiet environment?
What about passive noise isolation? Just like any normal (ie closed resin shell) IEM or slightly worse?

Also, could you try something for me? Use Fiio's or Hiby's audio player (android or ios, based on what you use) and enable the HWA option. Do you notice any improvement on the audio quality?

Are you sure about AMB/Trans?

So they heard my advice on placing transparency mode on the double-click of the primary button (or more specifically, it was a typo on their marketing material lol).