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

[hifi80sman]

Are they delayed? I think they said early 2020?

Yeah, that's the "delay" I was referring to. Sony announced, then shipped shortly thereafter. Bose announced, a couple of seasons pass, then they ship.

 

[Caipirina]

Agreed. After the lackluster feedback on the WF-1000XM3, the new Bose ANC 700 Earbuds (or whatever they're called) are my next major buy. For now, content sifting thru Chi-Fi offerings for gems.

Will also try to hold on to my wallet until those Bose 700 ANC .. i really have enough horses in my stable

but then again ... 11.11 is coming up ... and then there's xmas ... whaaaa

 

[SilverEars]

I'm not a research engineer, but I would imaging sticking with a 6mm driver will inherently affect the "oomph" the ANC can produce, versus using a 10mm driver. Obviously battery life would be an issue, meaning you'd have to use a higher density battery in order to maintain the size, although it'd be a bit heavier and cost more. They had a target and could only include so much to hit that target whilst still maintaining margins.

That's one area where I think Bose will swing for the fences. They have a loyal following, great name recognition with the masses, and the ANC experience to make magic happen. It's possible the delay is not just production related, but also some testing to iron out any kinks.

What do you mean by "oomp" an ANC can produce? If you said "oomph" in regards to bass, that would have made more sense to me.

As far as driver diameter size, the amping and thus batter life will be affected. I do see correlation of dynamic driver performance with the larger diameter drivers, but not sure if it's always the case. Larger drivers would be problematic for TW for obvious reasons in terms of performance.

I think somebody mentioned driver size and ANC performance, and I wish somebody can provide details on why that is? Because QC20 is an iem and performs ANC duties very well.

 

[AtariPrime]

Agreed. After the lackluster feedback on the WF-1000XM3, the new Bose ANC 700 Earbuds (or whatever they're called) are my next major buy. For now, content sifting thru Chi-Fi offerings for gems.

Bose does not make a true IEM. Instead theirs sit at the entry to the ear. As such, isolation is impossible. That’s a dealbreaker for me.

 

[Luchyres]

I want to get some quick thoughts out while they're fresh.

I currently have in my posession:
Nuarl NT01AX Metallic Black ($160ish)
Mpow T5 ($45ish)
Anbes 359 (I forget)
Syllable S101

and I appreciate them in that order. The Nuarl are special - I even like that they don't have magnets and physically push the buds into the charging pins - and the sound is engaging, full, detailed - with sub-bass and bass that does not cloud the detail of voices.. I admit I did have to play around with EQ to get the sound I really wanted - but they are comfortable and are very.... simple. They do have some connection hiccups - which may be why I send them back - but otherwise they are the best I've tried for sound (MTW were better, but turned off by bugs/issues and I sent it back) and the Nuarl do quite well for phone calls for me as well. The case is mall enough to put in my pocket.

Mpow T5 - Fun sound, very bassy, quite good - though I did not find it as engaging. It is as though the sound was a little more contained and lacked the ability to hit the low-end to give you a send of space below the bassier notes. It's "punchy" - and I have yet to try it for calls - but the IP rating is very interesting to me.

The Anbes are really just solid - and I'd say the Mpow have more bass - but everyone here knows what a solid, portable, simple set these are.

Syllable S101 - I like these - but I would have returned them if I could have. My main issue with them is persistent driver flex when putting on/adjusting. The sound is good, if not distinctive. I mainly use them as my "work" TWS to listen to white noise while working or for video calls.

I have tried and returned:
Sabbat E12, Tranya T3, Sony WF-1000Xm3, MTW, Mavin Air-X,

Anyway, interested to see what comes next, and will keep evaluating the current stable.

 

[Caipirina]

Bose does not make a true IEM. Instead theirs sit at the entry to the ear. As such, isolation is impossible. That’s a dealbreaker for me.

I was exactly where you are now. I strongly believed that proper, tight seal is everything ... but then, 2 summers ago I got into earbuds, which emulate the open back style of over ears and I found some really great ones there with sound I could not believe coming from an 'earbud' (something I had always considered a throw-away freebie coming with cheap players) and vast sound stages.

As such I approached the Bose offerings again from a different angle and now love the QC20 as well as the SSF ... both having their own Bose house signature SQ, which I like for working out ... I like the fit .. and I am always surprised how the QC20 superbly do ANC, even without a tight fit.

To each their own, just sharing how my perspective changed once I opened my mind (and my brass ears)

Coming back to TWS, I do believe the next Bose (700 ANC or whatever the final name will be) will have the exact same 'stay hear' tips, which I like quite some

 

[rafaelroxalot]

I just want to love the KZ T1 so, so much. But I can’t. It’s sound quality only.

How about the bass of kz t1 compared to tranya t3?

 

[dhc0329]

I have been using Tranya T3 for over 2 month on a single charge and led on the case still shows 3 bar.
When is this thing gonna die? Its ridiculous how long this thing can hold the charges. Of course, I have not
been using it every day but around 2.5 hours/2 days per week at gym so about 12 days in two month.

 

[AtariPrime]

I was exactly where you are now. I strongly believed that proper, tight seal is everything ... but then, 2 summers ago I got into earbuds, which emulate the open back style of over ears and I found some really great ones there with sound I could not believe coming from an 'earbud' (something I had always considered a throw-away freebie coming with cheap players) and vast sound stages.

As such I approached the Bose offerings again from a different angle and now love the QC20 as well as the SSF ... both having their own Bose house signature SQ, which I like for working out ... I like the fit .. and I am always surprised how the QC20 superbly do ANC, even without a tight fit.

To each their own, just sharing how my perspective changed once I opened my mind (and my brass ears)

Coming back to TWS, I do believe the next Bose (700 ANC or whatever the final name will be) will have the exact same 'stay hear' tips, which I like quite some

For me the journey was kinda the opposite. I had my first Bose product as a teenager. I trusted that their products were as good as their reputation. But as time went on I listened and learned. Two decades later I understand now that Bose makes an inferior product. Always has. The sound is decent but there are offerings that cost half as much that sound much better. And Bose is constantly trying to tell the consumer what they want. It is a product for people who don’t know how to make decisions for themselves and trust their own ears. I have no interest in passive listening tech or paying too much for a subpar product.

 

[hifi80sman]

Bose does not make a true IEM. Instead theirs sit at the entry to the ear. As such, isolation is impossible. That’s a dealbreaker for me.

These are what @clerkpalmer and I are talking about and looking forward to testing.
https://gearpatrol.com/2019/05/30/bose-noise-cancelling-earbuds-700/

 

[Bartig]

OMG, it never occurred to me that Mifo stands for 'make it fully optimal' ... thanks for opening my eyes!

I need to double check on that volume step issue that so many others are reporting ... I have the same ONLY when I control from the bud... when I control from iPhone 7 Plus, I get all the steps I need ... will double check (checked, and I get it now, only every 3rd click on phone volume button actually changes volume .. )

Thanks for the awesome (as usual) review

Oh, and may I ask where you got the IPX4 from? I could not find any indication of any kind of water / sweat proofing.

Still loving that SQ though

Oof, where did I find that IP4 rating. I honestly don't know anymore.

How about the bass of kz t1 compared to tranya t3?

The bass of the T3 is way heavier. Digs deeper too.

 

[gibletzor]

Are there any buds that do the ambient or transparent mode well? I really wanted the Galaxy Buds before I read some reviews that the sound was meh and the ambient mode was unpleasant to use. The Jabras seem to be so-so overall. @FYLegend didn't have very kind things to say about the Firefly Pro. Is it just immature tech at this point?

 

[Newrookie1]

Help me to choose is there any better than 1more stylish for that price range?

 

[hifi80sman]

Are there any buds that do the ambient or transparent mode well? I really wanted the Galaxy Buds before I read some reviews that the sound was meh and the ambient mode was unpleasant to use. The Jabras seem to be so-so overall. @FYLegend didn't have very kind things to say about the Firefly Pro. Is it just immature tech at this point?

IMO, the Jabra 65t has the best ambient mode, however, it's still not "natural", which it sounds like you're not a fan of. That being said, the ambient mode on the Bose 700 Over-Ear Headphones is quite good and surprising natural, so if that's any indication, the Truly Wireless In-Ear 700 model with ANC (release date sometime in 2020) could be a compelling option. Right now, for ambient mode, the Jabras are likely the best option while still having at least "good" SQ.

 

[CardigdanWalk]

I just want to love the KZ T1 so, so much. But I can’t. It’s sound quality only.

Hmm, I just the KZ T1, and quite impressed as my first foray into TWS (even if it does have what feels like 7 different volume settings - I find it sounds best 2nd from max)

But I did just read your review and mentioning the MPow 5 having a better sound?

It’s on sale with 7% off on amazon, but is it really that much of an upgrade over the KZ T1’s?