[james444]

James444 if you were faced with 300 to spend, would you go tm2 with included iems or bt20s plus the best iems money can buy for 250? One comment would be I assume the tm2 iem is water resistant whereas most iems may not be so that would be a factor. Thanks!

I don't have the BT20S yet, so this particular comparison will have to wait.

The included TM2 IEMs compete very well with the best I've heard. I have a selection of 35 test tracks to detect flaws in IEMs. The TM2 score a 32/35 right out of the box and a 35/35 with a minor damping mod, which is excellent.

Whether to go for the TM2 is imho less a question of sound quality than of intended use. For instance, they don't fit as tight and securely around my ears as the BT20, so I'm not sure I'd pick these for intense outdoor activity. For walking and hiking, I find them ok though.

Another aspect is nighttime / in-bed listening. I can comfortably do this with the BT20 and small IEMs, no problem. The TM2 would be low profile enough to be comfy in bed too. However, if you lie on the side with it, the touchpad may press against your ear and engage cue-play, which can be very annoying.

So, what I'm trying to say is, while I don't think you could do much better in terms of sound quality with the BT20S + $250 IEMs, you may probably be able to cover a wider range of use cases than with the TM2.

To follow up on the question "Fostex TM2 or BT20S plus the best $250 IEMs": I recently got my BT20S and a pre-production unit of the upcoming $250 JVC FDX1:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/drop-jvc-ha-fdx1-dual-carbon-iem-available-in-the-us.912737/

These aren't water resistant, of course. But the FDX1 are among the best DD IEMs I know. And the BT20S + FDX1 combo sounds better than the stock TM2 imo. Not head and shoulders superior, but noticeably. Actually, it's the best sounding TWS configuration I have tried so far.

 

[Caipirina]

I'm willing to bet money the Mpow T5 and KZ T1 will be towards the top if you're just judging sound quality

What he said

I don't expect any big new surprises (like the UiiSii showing up there), the KZ T1 might kick one of these off your current top 5
1. Mpow T5 - 2. Tranya T3 - 3. Tranya T1-Pro - 4. QCY T3 - 5. Mifo O5

(I think I have to take another look at the QCY T3, though I am kinda done with stem-based TWS)

 

[Soreniglio]

I think I'm probably gonna buy QCY T3 today, I'm willing to spend 35 € and I'll receive them in roughly 3 days (Amazon wonders), while I would have to wait 20 days for the Lenovo HT10.

 

[Bartig]

Haha, nice bets so far.

Before writing the top 5, I wrote my first review surpassing 1000 words. The UiiSii TWS60 are something else in this price range!

 

[chinmie]

Haha, nice bets so far.

Before writing the top 5, I wrote my first review surpassing 1000 words. The UiiSii TWS60 are something else in this price range!

"The UiiSii TWS60 may be the only truly wireless earphone under $50 attempting an audiophile tuning where the bass is purely functional."

you really should consider reviewing the Nillkin Go next then to compare it, because that in my opinion also went for that kind of tuning. that one got the bass just enough (midbass the same level as mids and treble), but manage to give a low subbass rumble, although not skull shaking intensity.. more like mild massage

 

[actorlife]

What he said

I don't expect any big new surprises (like the UiiSii showing up there), the KZ T1 might kick one of these off your current top 5
1. Mpow T5 - 2. Tranya T3 - 3. Tranya T1-Pro - 4. QCY T3 - 5. Mifo O5

(I think I have to take another look at the QCY T3, though I am kinda done with stem-based TWS)

3 or 4 should be the 359. Too bad they are not available anymore.

 

[Caipirina]

3 or 4 should be the 359. Too bad they are not available anymore.

Fun fact: That was the first TWS I had ordered after I came out of headfi hibernation back in May and started reading along here and getting all seduced to throw my money in China's general direction ;D

And while I am still not totally blown away by that one (though it has many reasons to be liked), I am happy I got it!

I.E. I am somewhat exqually excited about the Blitzwolf FYE5, what a cute blue case! And today I tried the KZ T1's pacifier grade tips on ... and now I like 'em even more

 

[willyk]

Just missed the lighting sale yesterday at Amazon for the MPOW's.

Looking for affordable true wireless earbuds that will stay in while running with 5+ hours of continuous battery life. There are lots of choices - hard to decide.
Reading more of this thread now to do a little learning.

Good thread! Thanks!!

 

[Bartig]

Man, I'm so ready for my vacation now.

Here's my top 5 of best sounding true wireless earphones under $50.

 

[actorlife]

Man, I'm so ready for my vacation now.

Here's my top 5 of best sounding true wireless earphones under $50.

No 359 eh. That's right u got fake ones. Happy vacation.

 

[Caipirina]

Man, I'm so ready for my vacation now.

Here's my top 5 of best sounding true wireless earphones under $50.

Thanks for that.

Good that I know now that I don't need the UiiSii I can see the appeal for some, but for what I use my TWS most, probably not my cup of tea.

Your previous list made me look more into the QCY T3 and it really seems to be hit / miss if you get a proper seal ... one guy on YT seems to hate 'em

Happy Vacation!

 

[chinmie]

Man, I'm so ready for my vacation now.

Here's my top 5 of best sounding true wireless earphones under $50.

nice review! have a great vacation

 

[d3myz]

Man, I'm so ready for my vacation now.

Here's my top 5 of best sounding true wireless earphones under $50.

Great Reviews, Thank you! enjoy your vacay!

 

[CocaCola15]

The M2 have been among the best TWs I've heard. Sadly they had that channel imbalance fw-bug back when I tried them, but apart from that I've been pretty impressed. Thought about re-ordering them several times, but looks like they're gone for good.

I've ordered the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 instead now, will report back when I get them...

What do you think of the Melomania 1?

 

[james444]

What do you think of the Melomania 1?

Great, if you're looking for a warm, relaxed, forgiving sound signature and listen mostly at low to medium volume. IMO less suited for commuting and high volume listening.

Tried the new Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 true wireless IEMs.

On the plus side, these are small, almost as tiny as the Earin M-2. Moreover, the charging case is also small, making them easily pocketable / portable. Despite their diminutive size, the earpieces are said to last up to 9 hours from a single charge, which is impressive.

On the minus side, all 4 included pairs of tips are rather small too. So, if your usual tip size is "large", you'll probably need L-sized third-party tips to achieve a seal. Problem is, many of these tips don't fit on the nozzle and / or into the charging case. The only ones I've found to fit both are these:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/6-Sennheis...Headset-Earphones-Gel-Tips-Large/220874421343

Bluetooth range and reliability is top notch. Supported codecs are aptX, AAC and SBC.

Soundwise, the Melomania 1 remind me of what has been marketed as "British speaker sound" decades ago. Warm and somewhat (lower) mid-centric, unobtrusive and non-fatiguing, with clearly laid-back upper mids / lower treble range. Highs extension and high treble presence, however, are both very good, making these a rare case of IEMs that sound dark-ish and airy at the same time. Detail resolution is pretty decent overall and prevents the Melomania 1 from sounding muddy.

Frequency Response (grey = raw, blue = DF-compensated):

IMHO, this kind of sound signature works well for rather low-volume listening in quiet to moderately noisy surroundings, but not so much for commuting. On top of that, isolation is just average with the Melomania 1.

Bottom line: recommended for home / office listening, if you like warm / non-fatiguing / forgiving sound that still offers decent detail. Not recommended for commuting in noisy environment or high volume listening in general.