[Gilroypro]

Disagree I have ex, nuratrue pro, and fokus pro. Fokus pro sounds the best

If you mean by how loud and fun their V-shape sound. For pure clean sound quality, the Fokus does not beat those two

 

[clerkpalmer]

If you mean by how loud and fun their V-shape sound. For pure clean sound quality, the Fokus does not beat those two

At least they way my Nura is dialed in, I’d say they are very fun and v shaped. I would not describe the Mystique in the same way and the eq can tune to preference in any event. I would describe them as loud.

 

[erockg]

Has there been any word from CA on Orbit updates? curious if they plan on adding a noise or voice confirmation when connected/disconnected and if the touch issues fixed.

Haven't heard. After two pairs with touch sensor issues, I won't be revisiting them for a while. Sad because the soundstage on them is incredible.

 

[erockg]

Ha nice. I have a piece of junk windows laptop so I’m jealous. A coworker plugged his phone into charge one time and the info security people came running over

That's nuts. Maybe the phone tried to sync or something. Oof.

 

[TK33]

Ha nice. I have a piece of junk windows laptop so I’m jealous. A coworker plugged his phone into charge one time and the info security people came running over

My company is like that too...everything is blocked including Gmail, head-fi, bluetooth, USB drives, etc. Interestingly, the Creative BT-W4 has been working fine for me. Use it with my Senn MTW3 and B&W Px7 S2 (no app of course since that is also blocked but works fine without the Windows app).

 

[Canabuc]

I just got the s23 ultra too. Do you find the sound output to be flat and a bit bright compared to other phones?

Coming from s22 ultra if anything found my AZ60 had wider soundstage or I am imagining it.
I also found I could play 990kns LDAC finally without stutter on them.

 

[o0genesis0o]

Hi folks, my review of Fiio FW5 is online. You can find my review on head-fi as well as my blog.

Is there much life left in the portable “audiophile” market? For fans like me and you, we would love to respond with a resounding “YES.”

However, many manufacturers see the writings on the wall.

If you have read the R&D stories of Fiio FW5, you can sense anxiety and pessimism. In some senses, Fiio’s worries are not totally unfounded from the perspective of a consumer product. The lack of LDAC is a contention point to some listeners (Though my A/B tests in this article show that even the inferior AAC codec did not have any issue). There were some reports of spotty Bluetooth connection. There are some usability hiccups, such as the insensitive volume buttons. The case could be thinner for improved pocketability.

However, looking at FW5 from an “audiophile” perspective shows a much more positive picture. Simply put, these are good-sounding IEMs. Tonality, though it could be further polished, is balanced and correct. The bass is taut and lively without overwhelming. The resolution is good. Soundstage imaging is top-notch. The value proposition of FW5 further heightens if we consider that this product replaces not just a pair of IEMs but also the dual-AKM DAC and amplifier sitting between your phones and the IEMs. If you are in situations where you can’t bring your DAP and wired IEM but want to keep the sweet, sweet head-fi sound quality, these FW5 are worth consideration.

Pros:

• Large, open, 3D soundstage
• Punchy but controlled bass and percussions
• Excellent instrument separation
• Tonally correct
• Stable connection
• Parametric EQ

Cons:

• Thick case
• Volume buttons borderline unusable
• Micro details are merely good
• Somewhat generic tuning due to the twin peaks at 2kHz and 5kHz
• No LDAC support (yet)

 

[takeshi74]

Off topic, sound bar shopping. Any recommendations? I seem some decent stuff from Vizio. Is the Sonos/Bose worth the extra money?

Very late to this and considering you went with Beam + Sub this is way beyond your budget but I really like our Ambeo. In our situation we needed an all-in-one unit as there just wasn't space even for a small sub or rears. Probably spent too much for what we're getting but it works for the space.

How would you run standard cable TV through the HomePods?

It can be done if you have an Apple TV 4K 2nd gen or newer and a TV with ARC or eARC.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207117

 

[newworld666]

It's a few days I am using for hours the HA-FW1000T .. and comparing with the Galaxy Buds2 pro ...
1) Comfort whith the proper tips (I use Xelento 2 tips) is really on par with Galaxy Buds2 pro, even for sleeping with the head on the side (it's a surprise as I was thinking they were too thick, but not that much).

2) User interface with the touch pad of the HA-FW1000T is a real pain for volume adjustments !!! amazing !!!

3) High mids and high frequencies is a bit low (on the dark side, but as no frequencies are really missing, with some little PEQ adjustments, sound quality is not harsh or fatiguing at all, so it's definitely really enjoyable for very long sessions (8 hours or more on a single charge)..

but .. WOW !!!!! the most impressive feature of the HA-FW1000T is in APTX mode with ANC mode on !!! is :
=> 4) as the sub bass level reached is so near very good IEM like Sony my XBR-N3AP/Z1R IE900 and it is still rather clear/ not so muddy for low frequencies (better when ANC is on) and with also real impacts feeling => I can clearly say that, regarding low/ultra-low frequencies, all my TWS are clearly behind the JVC HA-FW1000T by a significant margin (this include my Galaxy Live, Buds2 pro, Jabra Elite 7 pro, Airpod 2 pro, Cambridge Melonia 1, B&O E8 v2).. I have no idea if the woody DD of the FW1000T is the main reason of such type sound quality (not really bass head as it's no really rumbling & muddy, just a proper clean extension in ultra lows).

Of course, there is still some margin in SQ for my preferred IEMs even when they are used in a wireless setup, but they are all far more expensive between (500€ to 1400€ with iFi Go Blu, BTR7 or Shanling UP4 2022) and really less convinient to be use outdoor ..


I just got some announcement from Drop in my mail box, announcing that in 2 months they will deliver some HA-FW1000T for 150$, which should be worth to be considered by some in this thread as a very good deal.. (I just bought mine as used for 180€ at amazon.co.jp)

 

[clerkpalmer]

Interesting: https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-...bit-lossless-audio-airplay-2/?mibextid=unz460

 

[clerkpalmer]

Very late to this and considering you went with Beam + Sub this is way beyond your budget but I really like our Ambeo. In our situation we needed an all-in-one unit as there just wasn't space even for a small sub or rears. Probably spent too much for what we're getting but it works for the space.

It can be done if you have an Apple TV 4K 2nd gen or newer and a TV with ARC or eARC.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207117

Thanks. Actually my Sonos order got cancelled inexplicably so I tried a Vizio. It’s boxed up and going back. The rear speakers weren’t wireless (a point I missed) which just makes them useless to me. So back to the drawing board. Gonna see what BB has to offer.

 

[BooleanBones]

Thanks. Actually my Sonos order got cancelled inexplicably so I tried a Vizio. It’s boxed up and going back. The rear speakers weren’t wireless (a point I missed) which just makes them useless to me. So back to the drawing board. Gonna see what BB has to offer.

Might give the Denon home series a listen if they have Magnolia setup. I don’t have it, but the 150 out of that series stunned me a bit.

 

[erockg]

Thanks. Actually my Sonos order got cancelled inexplicably so I tried a Vizio. It’s boxed up and going back. The rear speakers weren’t wireless (a point I missed) which just makes them useless to me. So back to the drawing board. Gonna see what BB has to offer.

https://www.costco.com/Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Soundbar Bundle.product.1671993.html?sh=true&nf=true

https://www.costco.com/Sonos One SL Wi-Fi Speaker, Shadow Edition, 2-pack.product.1371992.html?sh=true&nf=true

BB price matches but looks to be comparable except for the extras Costco offers.

 

[jant71]

Haven't heard. After two pairs with touch sensor issues, I won't be revisiting them for a while. Sad because the soundstage on them is incredible.

I just lucked into a pair with great sound and soundstage and no issues with touch sensors. I got a pair of Monster DNA Fit for $55 slightly used. Built like a beast but they did eff up the sound. Too boomy warm and wooly and no app yet to try and salvage. EQ doesn't really help the little bit of trying I did. Though I was really interested in an open pair so I put a pair of L JVC open TWS tips on them and I luckily fell into a great open pair of TWS lol! Transparency mode no longer needed and ANC kinda becomes a bass boost mode if I want. The massive voluminous warmth is just right when converted to open instead of lacking it has some feel and bass punch and the mids come out in front and the stage became larger and more open but not thin. They do have dedicated volume/track control buttons and a multi-function button which is only really play/pause now.

Big case but makes the Kenwood case seem plasticky and the in-ear detection is quite good. Very quick to play and pause and no fading or cutting off words of podcasts. A heck of an effort on the build quality and how they function. Even the little guitar strum sound for power and connection are nice touches. Just totally botched the sound unless you want a bunch of warmth and bass with pushed back vocals. Not sure why they are catering to that crowd. Can't recommend unless the app comes or a FW update to fix them. Or if you want to convert to and open pair that is top notch instead of the Oladance or other route and even save some $$.

 

[clerkpalmer]

https://www.costco.com/Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Soundbar Bundle.product.1671993.html?sh=true&nf=true

https://www.costco.com/Sonos One SL Wi-Fi Speaker, Shadow Edition, 2-pack.product.1371992.html?sh=true&nf=true

BB price matches but looks to be comparable except for the extras Costco offers.

Sometimes you just want something now. Well I ended up at BB and picked the Bose 600 over the Beam 2. In store the Bose sounded much better. Grabbed the bass module 500 and off I went. Sadly, at home in a fairly open loving room, it sounds worse than the Vizio. I wonder how many times BB will let me return/exchange before putting me on the naughty list.