[ma2k5]

Yeah, the e8 appears to be more of an "executive audiophile" kind of thing. I don't think the Sony WF-1000X are sweatproof either. I don't wish they didn't do noise-cancellation. Just make them seal well enough, because I swear ANC just makes stuff sound weird.

The Jabra are winning to my ears. That hiss is annoying but I do think it's just a firmware quirk that can be solved. They sound great, you can EQ them directly, the "hearthrough" feature is amazing, they're ridiculously comfortable and secure in the ears. Yeah, the Bose sounded better, but they didn't seal to speak of, felt wobbly, and for some reason calls are designed to come through one ear only.

EDIT: I looked up the Sony WF-700n. I might pick up a pair of those today to test. Will update.

I was looking at the WF-700n but a bit disappointed by the 3 hour battery life.

Btw if you could advise, I can order the 65t active at £169, or get the normal version for £139. Is the £30 difference worth it? Is the fit really more secure in the active, or is there any indication you can see that they are better made (for longevity?).

 

[SomeGuyDude]

I was looking at the WF-700n but a bit disappointed by the 3 hour battery life.

Btw if you could advise, I can order the 65t active at £169, or get the normal version for £139. Is the £30 difference worth it? Is the fit really more secure in the active, or is there any indication you can see that they are better made (for longevity?).

The battery life does kinda suck, but they're really made just for workouts, and I think as long as you aren't doing marathons you should be fine. I'll see how they sound in a little bit.

Far as I can tell the only difference between the elite and active is the active has extra protection from moisture. They do feel a bit sturdier, but that's all.

 

[david8613]

The 65t active also has a very simple step counter in the app, the 65t active buds have motion sensors the regular 65t version does not have. I believe they will do more with those sensors in the future via the app.

 

[ma2k5]

The 65t active also has a very simple step counter in the app, the 65t active buds have motion sensors the regular 65t version does not have. I believe they will do more with those sensors in the future via the app.

I got an Apple watch for that I guess - plus having extra sensors makes me weary of buggy software and battery life. Either way not too interested in counters, never found them useful even on my watch.

 

[albau]

If anybody interested, in E8 thread I've put a rather long comparo of Beoplay E8 and Jabra Elite 65t which I both still have. It's here at the end of page 22.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

First thing with the Sony: rock solid fit, perfect connection, easy app.

Second thing: boy these have a different sound. The bass is boosted (hence that XTRA BASS on the box), and you can't custom EQ, only use presets, but I found the "Mellow" preset has the Clear Bass at a -3 which helps. While I was listening to them, I kept thinking that the sp700n sounds too boomy, but then I went to the 65t and thought they sounded lifeless. So we're talking six of one and half a dozen of the other here. The lack of volume controls on the device is weird, but the noise cancellation is good and the ambient sound mode works incredibly well. It does that stupid "calls are in one earpiece" thing that I'm not enamoured with, though.

I'm not sure which I'm keeping yet. The Sony is the frontrunner because I think the extra bass will help during workouts (and since I listen to rap while I exercise for the steady rhythm), but not 100% yet.

 

[david8613]

Just to be clear the 65t active its not just more moisture resistant its sweat resistant and sweat has salt and salt is very bad for electronics, I sweat a lot and work out a lot so this feature was very important to me. on a separate note the Jabra elite sport got a firmware update, it seemed pretty big a took a while to load up, it does sound a little better, I am going to test more to be sure, and check for any added features in app.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

As an update: The "relaxed" sound profile for the Sony, which looks like this:

Sounds about as good as they can get. And yes, that's a massive minus NINE on their "Clear Bass" scale. It's far more balanced and hip hop still sounds crazy punchy. I think I like them quite a bit more than the Jabra, but I'm taking a week or so to A/B them and see which makes me want to put on the other.

 

[albau]

If anybody interested, in E8 thread I've put a rather long comparo of Beoplay E8 and Jabra Elite 65t which I both still have. It's here at the end of page 22.

The more I listen to E8 the more I appreciate their sound vs 65t. E8 are so much more spacious and detailed. Yesterday's FW update slightly improved Jabras but they still sound congested in comparison. But except for the sound and charging case 65t are better than E8 in most other respects (value, app, controls, mics, pairing). Both are comparable in terms of size/weight, fit/isolation and connection reliability. All those are decent, much better than I expected form pure wireless.

 

[ma2k5]

Just to be clear the 65t active its not just more moisture resistant its sweat resistant and sweat has salt and salt is very bad for electronics, I sweat a lot and work out a lot so this feature was very important to me. on a separate note the Jabra elite got a firmware update, it seemed pretty big a took a while to load up, it does sound a little better, I am going to test more to be sure, and check for any added features in app.

The non-active are IP55 and the active are IP56.

Both are sweat and even water resistant. The difference is that IP56 can handle high pressure water jet, while the IP55 can handle low pressure water jet.

Source: http://www.dsmt.com/resources/ip-rating-chart/

So both you can probably take to the shower even, although the IP56 you’d be more safe to with. I don’t think sweat is an issue with either of these.

Jabra advertise the Non-active versions as water and dust resistant and even provide 2 year warranty against such damage.

Which begs the question, why then make an active version? Maybe the different sporty look, the step counter and marketing spiel ? Apparently the active is more grippier too although I haven’t tested.

As it stands, even if you’re a heavy gym goer and sweat like a pig - IP55 is still more than you should ever need.

 

[ma2k5]

As an update: The "relaxed" sound profile for the Sony, which looks like this:

Sounds about as good as they can get. And yes, that's a massive minus NINE on their "Clear Bass" scale. It's far more balanced and hip hop still sounds crazy punchy. I think I like them quite a bit more than the Jabra, but I'm taking a week or so to A/B them and see which makes me want to put on the other.

Interesting. Do you find the sound being good enough to make up for the lack of controls and a lower battery life?

 

[clerkpalmer]

Interesting. Do you find the sound being good enough to make up for the lack of controls and a lower battery life?

I do. I have been using the Sony's exclusively for a week now and my impressions have improved. First and foremost, I really enjoy the sound. It took some getting used to as they are very bass heavy and that was an adjustment from the Bose which also do not lack in the bass department. I agree with ma2k5 that the bass needs to be dialed down since it is overpowering. Once you do that, the brightness improves and you have a very full sounding heading definitely tuned for "fun". While I love the SQ and profile of the Bose, the Sony is nearly as good just in a different way. Second, they are very comfortable. They are in ears but they do not require you to jam them in there like the Elite Sports or Gear Icons. They fit snuggly and offer good isolation without being painful or giving you a clogged head. Some ambient sound comes in. The ANC feature is really nice. It definitely makes a difference. For example, I use a fan in my basement when working out and the ANC kills all sound of the fan. This allows me to listen at much lower volume levels than the Bose. I rarely workout for more than say 75 minutes so battery life likely isn't an issue for me. Finally, I have had no noticeable dropouts and the range seems fine. The case is still a cheap disaster but it does it's job. These are a very good option if you don't mind the form factor.

 

[albau]

Obviously your experience so can’t be argued, but what you describe about the E8 is so far from my experience that either all the others must be absolutely stellar out of this world or your experience is totally useless (at least for me).

Agree. I also hear E8 totally different - very lively and spacious. Granted among listed wireless IEMs I tried only IconX (to me sound notch below E8). I also have Elite 65t (two notches down). Of course none of them can approach my beloved Westone 4 but E8 is the closest.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

Interesting. Do you find the sound being good enough to make up for the lack of controls and a lower battery life?

Not sure yet. I only got them today but I'll say this: the "which headphone do I miss" challenge was won handily by the Sony over the Jabra. The Sony are charging now and damn I really want to throw them in again. Three hours is definitely... uninspiring... but I'm not sure how much of that involves the ANC being on versus if I leave that off. That sound profile makes them sound MUCH more natural. Gotta put the volume a tad higher but the bass isn't sounding so boomy. I cannot imagine who's listening to these with the bass boost on.

The Bose just couldn't compete, unfortunately. Yeah they sounded great, but everything else was just ehhhh. Also I have never had any portable device take that long to update. It was a solid hour.

 

[bruddah]

Not sure yet. I only got them today but I'll say this: the "which headphone do I miss" challenge was won handily by the Sony over the Jabra. The Sony are charging now and damn I really want to throw them in again. Three hours is definitely... uninspiring... but I'm not sure how much of that involves the ANC being on versus if I leave that off. That sound profile makes them sound MUCH more natural. Gotta put the volume a tad higher but the bass isn't sounding so boomy. I cannot imagine who's listening to these with the bass boost on.

The Bose just couldn't compete, unfortunately. Yeah they sounded great, but everything else was just ehhhh. Also I have never had any portable device take that long to update. It was a solid hour.

Question: Which ones go into the ears deeper, the Jabra Elite 65t (or active) or the Sony?