[Not so fat head]

So what do we think?...

Maybe 25-30% smaller

 

[clerkpalmer]

This is becoming one of the best honest threads on Head Fi. Keep it up guys!!

Becoming?

 

[Not so fat head]

I bought the 2000 series TWS from Philips for $16 at TJ Max... Look, I usually really like Philips, but these are the worst sounding things I've ever heard... Not even going to take them back, for fear they might try to resell them to some poor kid..

 

[clerkpalmer]

Hearing HelmutCheese praise the MTW3. These are on sale on Amazon for $189. Is this a contender in 2023 SQ wise?

 

[dweaver]

So what do we think?...

Cool way to show the difference in size!

So, a lot smaller and not sure what the original round brass colored thing was but it looks like the new model has used a brass colored grill cover for the outside MIC creating a similar look. but much more streamlined and in in this case, understated.

I am very curious what these will entail. Based on the size alone I will assume at most, the same size a driver and configuration as the XM4 as I can't see them stuffing a hybrid configuration into such a small TWS shell. I will be worried if the driver ends up being smaller especially if it 5mm as it might be a derivative of the Linkbuds S driver which seemed to be limited in regard to customizability via EQ.

 

[dweaver]

Hearing HelmutCheese praise the MTW3. These are on sale on Amazon for $189. Is this a contender in 2023 SQ wise?

when I initially got my pair I was a bit underwhelmed and ready to flip them. Then Sennheiser released a new FW that was game changing. Their sound test feature was suddenly amazing, and they became my one of my favorite TWS. I currently use them more that the Sony XM4 which I also like. I also like how they fit, for me they are super comfy, even though some find them to be a bit too small.

My only pet peeve is the touch panels work after I take them out of my ear so they accidentally change the volume. When it goes low its annoying... when they turn up, it can be deafening and damn near heart attack inducing!!!

Its actually why I have been unwilling to pull the trigger on the AZ80 quite yet. I am concerned I might just find it a complete side grade and possibly disappointing because I do like the MTW3 so much. But I am still leaning toward trying them as I have a feeling I might like their signature. @VICosPhi mentioned how they sound and that really does sound similar to how the AZ70 were, when I had them. If they are too much like the AZ70 though it will be a feeling of déjà vu regardless of the added features, so hopefully not exactly the same. But I would be lying if I didn't say the fact they are the same size a driver that I am not worried they have just used the same one as the AZ70...

 

[fusionramjet]

when I initially got my pair I wqs a bit underwhelmed and ready to flip them. Then Sennheiser released a new FW that was game changing. Their sound test feature was suddenly amazing, and they became my one of my favorite TWS. I currently use them more that the Sony XM4 which I also like. I also like how they fit, for me they are super comfy, even though some find them to be a bit too small.

My only pet peeve is the touch panels work after I take them out of my ear so they accidentally change the volume. When it goes low its annoying... when they turn up, it can be deafening and damn near heart attack inducing!!!

Its actually why I have been unwilling to pull the trigger on the AZ80 quite yet. I am concerned I might just find it a complete side grade and possibly disappointing because I do like the MTW3 so much. But I am still leaning toward trying them as I have a feeling I might like their signature. @VICosPhi mentioned how they sound and that really does sound similar to how the AZ70 were, when I had them. If they are too much like the AZ70 though it will be a feeling of déjà vu regardless of the added features, so hopefully not exactly the same. But I would be lying if I didn't say the fact they are the same size a driver that I am not worried they have just used the same one as the AZ70...

Supposedly, the AZ70 has grapheme coated drivers and the AZ80 has aluminum.
Dunno what difference if any that in and of itself would make though

 

[dweaver]

Right, I forgot they were coated differently so hopefully they offer a different sound regardless of being the same size...

 

[VICosPhi]

when I initially got my pair I was a bit underwhelmed and ready to flip them. Then Sennheiser released a new FW that was game changing. Their sound test feature was suddenly amazing, and they became my one of my favorite TWS. I currently use them more that the Sony XM4 which I also like. I also like how they fit, for me they are super comfy, even though some find them to be a bit too small.

My only pet peeve is the touch panels work after I take them out of my ear so they accidentally change the volume. When it goes low its annoying... when they turn up, it can be deafening and damn near heart attack inducing!!!

Its actually why I have been unwilling to pull the trigger on the AZ80 quite yet. I am concerned I might just find it a complete side grade and possibly disappointing because I do like the MTW3 so much. But I am still leaning toward trying them as I have a feeling I might like their signature. @VICosPhi mentioned how they sound and that really does sound similar to how the AZ70 were, when I had them. If they are too much like the AZ70 though it will be a feeling of déjà vu regardless of the added features, so hopefully not exactly the same. But I would be lying if I didn't say the fact they are the same size a driver that I am not worried they have just used the same one as the AZ70...

Wow that's interesting that Senny fixed the audio quality with a firmware update! I remember getting MTW3 and was underwhelmed with the "crude" sound and bloated bass. AZ60 sounded a lot better in comparison so I returned MTW3. I loved MTW2 btw, those were the best of that generation.

I haven't listened to AZ70 but I do like the AZ80 sound signature so far. Everything is clear, sounds full and well separated. Needed a second pair of TWS in addition to Buds2Pro which are really really good SQ wise and the phone calls sound great on Buds2Pro (other party's voice is very full, probably due to SSC as I have a Samsung phone).

As for AZ80 drivers, these are 10mm aluminium drivers which supposedly help with reducing resonance. AZ70 had 10mm PEEEK drivers that were graphene coated. The AZ60 had "Bio cellulose" driver which was 8mm.

 

[subguy812]

But what horrible things would one have to do to even be put IN an empty barrel?

I defer to @Helmetcheese on this as he appears to have firsthand knowledge.

It is possible one could be placed in an empty barrel for the crime of having too much cheese around their helmet

 

[dweaver]

The Senns bass is still prominent so might not be your cup of tea. From memory though I thought the AZ60 was but thicker sounding, I was not a fan of their midbass hump.

The AZ70 was criticized for the lack of midbass which sounds like some of the impressions on the AZ80. Again if they lie somewhere between the AZ60 and AZ70 they might be right where I would love them.

OK, question for any AZ80 owner. How do they handle wind when listening to music? With and without ANC enabled. The MTW3 have a wind feature when in ANC and darn if it's really good!!! For me this is a big feature as I live in a very wind prone area so need good wind protection.

 

[subguy812]

Hopefully, I will have some time at some point today to post some thoughts on the AZ80 and its sound.

Fit---->Excellent
Build----->Great, nice build, exudes quality. Case is okay, aluminum cover is nice touch
ANC---->Good(Great?) need to test more
Feature Set ---->Excellent
App---->Great
Value---->Moderate

The sound quality of the AZ80 came off a little flat and dry last night, it lacked that dynamic quality of the 3ANC. In essence, I think the tribrid configuration with the snappy Dynamic Driver has more excitement and dynamism.

I spent last night with the AZ80 and tweaked settings and listened, tweaked a little more and listened. Wash, rinse and repeat. By the time I fell asleep, I was frustrated and had requested a return from Amazon.

This morning it was like a tale of two different TWS. The sound appeared to open up and I breathed a deep sigh. I set the ANC on and utilized the dynamic setting. The signature is different than the 3ANC, or the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, which also have a lively, dynamic signature when using the S23 Ultra and the codec designed for them.

The AZ80 have a more refined, mature signature. The bass won't rumble you and it isnt as layered as a DD, but it has its own texture and quality. The staging is really good, and the details come through, not in your face, but they are all present. With the various preset sounds there is probably one you can find that will work for you.

As I write this, I am listening to some old school Heart and it is an impressive listen. The treble is relatively smooth and inoffensive, and the stereo separation is well displayed. The mid range delivers solid vocal range and doesn't create an overly full sound.

I could go on, but I will spare you. The AZ80 do nothing really wrong. I feel they are a complete package that would be a steal at the B&H Photo price.

 

[dweaver]

I get an even better price from Bay Bloor when the B&H price is converted to Canadian dollars so really am tempted. Don't think I will get a better sale price on them this year as they are $100 off, which is a 25% discount.

Well as I typed this I made my decision and ordered them...

$314CAD which works out to $234 which is cheaper after factoring in duty fees.

I decided Sony will not really be available for a while especially in Canada and will not have any deals to start anyway. Whereas the AZ80 at this price is already as good as they will get for a good while. I can also flip them without to much loss if unhappy.

One thing is for sure. I have to many top end TWS, so something will be getting flipped or my wife is going to flip me... LOL

 

[TK33]

Wow that's interesting that Senny fixed the audio quality with a firmware update! I remember getting MTW3 and was underwhelmed with the "crude" sound and bloated bass. AZ60 sounded a lot better in comparison so I returned MTW3. I loved MTW2 btw, those were the best of that generation.

I haven't listened to AZ70 but I do like the AZ80 sound signature so far. Everything is clear, sounds full and well separated. Needed a second pair of TWS in addition to Buds2Pro which are really really good SQ wise and the phone calls sound great on Buds2Pro (other party's voice is very full, probably due to SSC as I have a Samsung phone).

As for AZ80 drivers, these are 10mm aluminium drivers which supposedly help with reducing resonance. AZ70 had 10mm PEEEK drivers that were graphene coated. The AZ60 had "Bio cellulose" driver which was 8mm.

I wouldn't say it was really "audio quality" improvements as much as improvements to their EQ functionality. MTW3 now has a 5 band EQ and the MTW3 EQ pretty well in my opinion, especially compared to something like the Samsung offerings. They also added a mode that helps you EQ by adjusting strings, bass and drums to your personal preference, which seems pretty cool to me.

In the end, I think what you are describing is more preferred sound signature than audio quality. I have almost every Samsung TWS since the original Galaxy Buds stuffed away in a box somewhere and have never really liked their tuning for music (I also find the Harman curve to be a bit bright for my personal taste). I have a Galaxy S22+ and Tab S7 FE and actually preferred the MTW3 using regular aptX classic for music over my Galaxy Buds2 Pro even before the firmware update (although I continue to use them for their functionality within the Samsung ecosystem and basically use them for watching Netflix, Youtube TV, etc.). I do find the MTW3 bass to be too much for me but EQ stored on the earbuds themselves quickly and effectively solves that for me. Just my personal preference, which sounds like it may be very different from yours.

All the AZ80 talk has me checking my B&H order status multiple times a day even though I know it is probably not coming anytime soon...

 

[dweaver]

BAY Bloor was expecting inventory this week. Of so I might get mine soon