[clerkpalmer]

Falcon max on eBay for 499. Tell me not to do that. Any place online that will ship them to the us for a reasonable price?

 

[helmutcheese]

You know you are going to go for it !

 

[clerkpalmer]

You know you are going to go for it !

Not at 499. That’s 2x the price. Presumably there has to be a better way. I’d pay a reasonable upcharge but I think that goes too far even for me.

 

[helmutcheese]

What the official price in $ and £ (I thought they would be that high TBH but then again its not the FoKus range)?

 

[clerkpalmer]

What the official price in $ and £ (I thought they would be that high but then again not the Fokus range)?

$270 USD I believe was the advertised price.

 

[newworld666]

Portable DAPS are horribly behind any significant codec TWS use case. I feel there is a market for a pure wireless tws DAP but manufacturers insist on putting in 2020 Bluetooth 5.0 and poor codecs.

But, DAPs are, by a huge margin, far better than any of my TWS when they are set as BT LDAC 990Kbps BT receiver mode (even BT4.2 for Sony) connected my Z Fold5 to most of the decent IEMs I own, like IER-Z1R of course, but even a M9, IE600 or a Kiwi Ears Quintet.. at least AZ80 and 1000XM5 have still a long way to go for sound quality improvement, though comfort and versatility are real advantages when walking in the street for TWS... maybe one day TWS will reach a good DAP+IEM sound quality, but now I would say TWS tiny compact drivers & electronics just produce a tiny sound quality.

 

[TK33]

There is something about the sound stage and spatial qualities I just really like on the Elite 10. The Svanar come close to it in this regard but have to soft a bass response. The MTW3 sound good but lack in this area compared to the Elite 10 and Svanar.

Aside from this one area of sound the Svanar do have the most balanced sound of the 3 with most detail. But if you want more bass they can't easily be adjusted and they really do suffer to many issues using LDAC and if you switch to AAC the detail level drops closer to the Elite 10.

I have never owned a phone that could take full advantage of the MTW3 so it is possible they could be as good for detail. I also think my pair is defective at the moment as it suddenly developed major differences in sound when using ANC and had a period where it did a weird pinging thing. I have not sent it off for repair yet. But regardless of its current state I was never wowed by its Spatial prowess. But if you set aside that one area I love, it is a dynamic powerhouse.

To be clear, when I talk about spatial qualities I am not talking about the Spatial setting for the Elite 10. I actually don't like that setting. I am referring to these in stereo mode listening to the music's own spatial sound.

I agree with you on Jabra Elite 10s vs MTW3s. I have both but rarely use MTW3s anymore and find myself using the Jabra Elite 10s the most among my TWS. As an overall package for music, calls, ANC (good enough for commuting to NYC and not far behind MTW3 in my opinion), small size, comfot, etc they are great. I do have a LG V60, which is capable of aptX adaptive, but I mostly just use both fhe MTW3 and Elite 10 with my Samsung Galaxy Fold 5. While the MTW3 SQ may sound technically better when I really really try to listen for details, the Jabra Elite 10s still do a great job in terms of sound (I can EQ to my preferences easily) and spatial presentation/soundstage in excellent for TWS (I also do NOT use the Spatial sound setting, which I personally dont like much). I don't really feel like I am missing anything when I use the Jabra Elite 10s.

My MTW3s have also had some QC issues. Replaced under warranty because buds made random popping noises and then eventually died (not sure if the two were related but they refused to hold a charge after 13 months). My replacement pair has started making random popping noises in my ear as well. May just give up and stick with the Jabra Elite 10s at this point.

 

[dweaver]

We are talking two very different things when discussing DAPS versus phones and TWS. Of course a dedicated DAP will sound leaps and bounds above a phone especially one just using BT. So if your willing to use wired, a great DAP is going to give the best sound.

But for portability and freedom a phone and TWS is the better option, especially since DAP makers are not willing to spend a lot of money on BT functionality as it just nerfs their main aim which is sound quality.

 

[erockg]

The shell is bigger but how about the nozzle and over all fit? My problem with the Nobles is they always seem to work themselves out of my ears.

The nozzle seems the same from memory, but this time I'm using Moondrop Spring tips and not having an issue. The tip bore is thinner so it fits better.

 

[erockg]

Not at 499. That’s 2x the price. Presumably there has to be a better way. I’d pay a reasonable upcharge but I think that goes too far even for me.

Just wait for Amazon Prime Japan. Patience, Padwan.

 

[cresny]

I agree with you on Jabra Elite 10s vs MTW3s. I have both but rarely use MTW3s anymore and find myself using the Jabra Elite 10s the most among my TWS. As an overall package for music, calls, ANC (good enough for commuting to NYC and not far behind MTW3 in my opinion), small size, comfot, etc they are great. I do have a LG V60, which is capable of aptX adaptive, but I mostly just use both fhe MTW3 and Elite 10 with my Samsung Galaxy Fold 5. While the MTW3 SQ may sound technically better when I really really try to listen for details, the Jabra Elite 10s still do a great job in terms of sound (I can EQ to my preferences easily) and spatial presentation/soundstage in excellent for TWS (I also do NOT use the Spatial sound setting, which I personally dont like much). I don't really feel like I am missing anything when I use the Jabra Elite 10s.

My MTW3s have also had some QC issues. Replaced under warranty because buds made random popping noises and then eventually died (not sure if the two were related but they refused to hold a charge after 13 months). My replacement pair has started making random popping noises in my ear as well. May just give up and stick with the Jabra Elite 10s at this point.

I'm pretty firmly in the Jabra Elite 10 camp. I find their comfort, secure fit and big click-button controls (winter gloves no problem) and very good outside noise control keep them squarely in the mix. That they always just work in and out of office, switching between devices, conversing with a near-deaf uncle without having to remove them, etc. also keeps them in the mix. But on top of all that, I actually prefer their sound over others for most of the music I listen to, to the point that I don't really bother with much else at home. At this point something will have to be pretty darned good sounding (in all conditions) to knock them off. And also, I actually like the Dolby Atmos , on the bike and with movies.

 

[Not so fat head]

Not at 499. That’s 2x the price. Presumably there has to be a better way. I’d pay a reasonable upcharge but I think that goes too far even for me.

Ask this.. What can these msrp $279.00 TWS give you that your $500 Svanars can’t??
Now the Noble performance at its msrp price might be good value…. It’s my understanding the Nobles are more about sound than features, and you’ve got that covered…. But new toys are always fun..

 

[Donut]

Did you get your pair yet? Curious what you think of them.

Should have done a search in this thread. @nekonhime posted on them a couple times back in January last year. His comments are concerning. Hopefully he just had a defective pair.

I did this Amazon order a bit differently. I chose an Amazon locker as the delivery location instead of having it shipped directly to me. I was curious. Irony of ironies, even though it arrived to my pickup location today, I wasn't able to get to the location before it closed. So it'll have to wait until Tuesday for me to pick it up.

 

[dweaver]

Look forward to your impressions. Mine won't even be processed until next Tuesday or Wednesday so it will be January 5-10 before they arrive I suspect.

I hope they don't have the issues @nekonhime mentioned. The few reviews and odd customer review on websites sure make them sound like they will sound good.

 

[stacey]

At the moment, even the most expensive DAPs are WAY behind on BT technology.
I think it's mostly because the manufacturers are trying to save money by using older chips, so they're usually buying chips that are
a few years old, plus maybe they don't think that the demand for wireless HIFI audio is a big enough thing yet.

Not quite.
Qualcomm prioritizes people who can order in volume, not necessarily price. Therefore companies like A&K, Cayin, L&P can’t buy enough chips to get access to the latest technology.

The only one that could make it happen is Sony and they don’t update their DAPs frequently.