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

[vstolpner]

Hi everybody, so I see talk about our new TWS MTW100 showed up in this thread already.

Firstly, regarding difference between Shanling MTW100 and O4:

We added more controls, so while O4 can only play/pause, we added previous and next track.
O4 faceplate is metal, we opted for lighter plastic, that should also in theory assure better BT connection.
We have completely different drivers and sound tuning.
We offer version with Balanced armature, that also has slightly better battery life.

If you have any questions about Shanling MTW100, like some details about modes, parings, etc, just @ me and I will do my best to reply to you.



Thanks for repost.



Inside is Realtek.

We plan first release on Chinese market during august. If everything goes alright, international release will follow during September.




Both MTW100 will be slightly under 100USD, Balanced version about 10 USD more expensive than DD. But they will also come with two very different sound tuning.

Thanks for the updates!!
I've seen mentions of Knowles BA driver - can you confirm which driver its going to be?
And regarding controls - touch controls? And volume control?

 

[igorneumann]

Is your MIFO BA or DD?

I have the BA version (TFZ X1) and would like to know if thats the one you compared.

Class one:
Mpow T5
Tranya T3
anbes 359
ZagZog A7 (or G07?) (use the image on Amazon to search for them on AliX, saw them under name 'BlueWow' ... they do NOT have a 3000mAh charging case as the amazon description says, it's 400mAh .. they were mixing listings again... of course, no guarantee that the ones on AliX are the same or have the same SQ)
Mifo O5

(please don't ask about classes 4&5 ... but the Havit G1 i.e. is in 4 together with the Redmi Airdots )

 

[FYLegend]

Decided to bite the bullet on the Jabees Firefly Pro. If all goes will it will mean byebye to the Jabra 65t and Galaxy Buds (which I was considering until I saw that 200$ CAD price and the lack if discounts since launch)...

I don't foresee Audio-Technica releasing USB C any time soon. Even their latest products feature Micro USB. It seems like they are aware it's a market impact, so they go out of their way to simply state "USB charging cable".

The typical tagline is cost, but given many dirt cheap Chi-Fi units already have USB C, it may be more along the lines of already purchased, or obligated to purchase, Micro USB stock.

Sony, however, has moved over, it seems completely, to USB C. Gotta give them credit.

Those Chi-Fi units aren't fully USB-C, they just use the Type C connector and only charge through a Type A connection. It only costs a bit more to implement but the smaller OEMs may be unwilling to invest. Add this to the fact that Chi-Fi brands are getting their shells and cases pre-made and likely won't invest in redesigning them. A true Type C to Type C connection that supports PD costs considerably more and I'm not sure who has implemented this aside from bigger companies like Sony. It makes all the difference if you are using a Macbook or Google Pixel (though I personally don't fall under either of these categories).

As pointed out by others AT did announce that new True Wireless recently, but my quip is that it's branded as a bass-tuned product and we'll probably need to wait another year or two for more products. I hate to say it but AT is like the Nintendo or Canon of headphones - they have some innovative ideas but fall short due to some old-school conservative or proprietary decision. Sony on the other hand tends to be cutting edge but their QC and materials isn't always up to par with their tech (AT is notorious for creaking hinges, but outside of IM70 I find the QC of their drivers quite reliable).

 

[FYLegend]

Will Knowles BA driver still have deep bass? I was surprised how deep Astrotec S60 BA drivers sounded.

 

[igorneumann]

Except this thread is for the ones without wires in the setup... there are dozens of other threads for the other types.

Isn't fair at all to trow a setup with wires to the mix as a 30$ hybrid unit of those ones (ZSN with APTX adapter) would crush pretty much anything without that wire, making any comparison meaningless.

Dont get me wrong, I truly LOVE those and use them way more than the TWS ones, but isn't what we are looking for in this thread.

Well my criteria for these toys focuses mostly on transport alone.
They're IEM-ish and Bluetooth with no wired connection to the source, so that's "wireless IEM" enough to me. Is there a wire in the setup? Yes, definitely not the same as Airpods or Galaxy Buds, etc.

Does it matter if you're focusing on "Wireless IEMs"? Not really, because they're IEM's and there's a wireless connection to the source.

But I see your point tho, if one wants fully separate "buds" with no pairing wires, then it's not a match. But there are quite a few interesting "wireless" setups with a L-R loop.
Those come with a few disadvantages and also a few pros (no L/R lag/synch issues being one of the most obvious). It will all depend on the use cases - full wire avoidance might be a drawback for some scenarios, but advantageous in others. Sure is nice to pocket those fully separate buds sometimes. Hmm.

TL;DR: The "wireless" concept is getting a bit too restrictive.

 

[Shanling]

Thanks for the updates!!
I've seen mentions of Knowles BA driver - can you confirm which driver its going to be?
And regarding controls - touch controls? And volume control?

Don't have it's product number right now, will check with engineer.

Yes, touch controls.
No volume control.

 

[vstolpner]

Will Knowles BA driver still have deep bass? I was surprised how deep Astrotec S60 BA drivers sounded.

Knowles typically has better dynamic range than other brand BA units, but there's a cost premium. of course it depends on which Knowles driver they're using (they have full range drivers, dedicated high/low/mid drivers, etc)


Edit: the S60 is a Knowles BA driver

 

[vstolpner]

Don't have it's product number right now, will check with engineer.

Yes, touch controls.
No volume control.

Darn, was going for the reverse on both of those

Look forward to hearing which driver it is... Knowles BA TWS is at the top of my list right now, so I'm very interested

 

[Shanling]

Knowles typically has better dynamic range than other brand BA units, but there's a cost premium. of course it depends on which Knowles driver they're using (they have full range drivers, dedicated high/low/mid drivers, etc)

As it's single driver construction, we are using dedicated fullrange driver.

If you are looking for best deep bass, I would say go with the DD version.

 

[Soreniglio]

I wonder why the Edifier TWS5 cost more than the TWS1 with smaller drivers? Is smaller better than larger? Or is it because of the updated Qualcomm chip?

I'm curios about the same thing, maybe someone can help us through

 

[hifi80sman]

Of the tier 1a which has the best sq?

They're all close, but I find myself reaching for the MPOW T5 the most. It's the most balanced and plays well with both Android (aptX) and iPhone (AAC).

 

[hifi80sman]

Tier 1A - Can Play with the Big Boys
MPOW T5
Astrotec S80
Anbes 359
AUKEY T10

I'm looking at the 359. I think any of the 1A list would be great for anyone right?

For anyone? Well, I'd say all of them except for the Astrotec S80. They are brighter than typical consumer tuning, however, they have the best clarity. They also seem to be hit or miss when it comes to fit, although they fit me great. They are harder to recommend to the masses, but they are great earbuds.

Can't go wrong with the other 3.

 

[vstolpner]

As it's single driver construction, we are using dedicated fullrange driver.

If you are looking for best deep bass, I would say go with the DD version.

Thanks, just looking for "deep for a BA". I prefer the clarity of BA drivers over the deep base of dynamics

 

[FYLegend]

For anyone? Well, I'd say all of them except for the Astrotec S80. They are brighter than typical consumer tuning, however, they have the best clarity. They also seem to be hit or miss when it comes to fit, although they fit me great. They are harder to recommend to the masses, but they are great earbuds.

Can't go wrong with the other 3.

How do the T10 sound vs 359 and Sabbat E12?

 

[Dcell7]

As it's single driver construction, we are using dedicated fullrange driver.

If you are looking for best deep bass, I would say go with the DD version.

Will there be an ambient mode ?