[Firevortex]

It all depends on whether you're willing (and able) to apply a fair amount of EQ. There are a lot of cheap earphones that are actually quite good, but have been tuned to produce overwhelming bass because that's what the market wants. The Syllable S101 I reviewed is one example. Take the bass out and it really shines (and shines even more if you make some other EQ tweaks). But the upper end of the market is no exception. I haven't had a chance to hear them, but looking at the FR graphs for the Sennheiser I doubt I'd be happy without giving them a lot of EQ as well, though the Sony seems better.

EQing is not an issue for me with IEMs. i find that i don't need to EQ as much for the sennheiser (my EQ looks almost flat) compared to the sony. Sony seems to need a boost up the treble and lower the bass for my liking. main difference is the clarity, sound stage, call quality and comfort of the sennheiser beating the Sony (not by a large margin). i'm not expecting a sub $100 chi-fi twe to beat out those two heavyweights but would come close in one of the attributes such as sound stage. would be curious to see how close they've come.

 

[webvan]

1) that review channel is one of China's more popular indepth tech review channels. did you watch it ?
2) there is heaps of blogs and in depth reviews on forums and blogs in china that mentioned the major microphonics issue with the Air+ when there isn't any reviews in English.
https://www.zhihu.com/question/334886900
https://post.smzdm.com/p/awxqn06k/

all in chinese but every single one even the forums mentioned the microphonics issue.

Very odd, haven't noticed anything different than with any other "sealing" IEM and the English (or German) reviews on YT either : https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=libratone+track+air+
This one here (he also has the Sonys) is particularly interested :

So yes the ANC might be a bit weaker than on the WF-1000xm3, it's not night and day either and there's more of a difference between say the QC25 and the WF-1000MX3 than between the WF-1000MX3 and the Track Air+. It remains quite effective in any case and helps a great deal during commuting or flying (simulated so far by blasting this video ) and they can be worn for hours with no discomfort whatsoever.

Since you are oddly so strongly opinionated about how inferior the Track Air + compared to the WF-1000MX3 that you already own, you should really do yourself a favor and check them out for yourself.

 

[rhsauer]

Very odd, haven't noticed anything different than with any other "sealing" IEM and the English (or German) reviews on YT either : https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=libratone+track+air+
This one here (he also has the Sonys) is particularly interested :

So yes the ANC might be a bit weaker than on the WF-1000xm3, it's not night and day either and there's more of a difference between say the QC25 and the WF-1000MX3 than between the WF-1000MX3 and the Track Air+. It remains quite effective in any case and helps a great deal during commuting or flying (simulated so far by blasting this video ) and they can be worn for hours with no discomfort whatsoever.

Since you are oddly so strongly opinionated about how inferior the Track Air + compared to the WF-1000MX3 that you already own, you should really do yourself a favor and check them out for yourself.

Is it true that (as I’ve read elsewhere) the Libratone Track Air+ do NOT have AAC? If so, have you observed an impact on sound quality on iPhones?

EDIT: I just listened through the entire video review above and the reviewer is explicit that there is no AAC support. It’s surprising to me that Libratone would omit the AAC codec, particularly on a relatively high end earphone, I’m really interested in whether the SBC codec implementation is good enough to make up for this omission.

 

[webvan]

I just checked with my Nokia 8 running Android 9 and yes, only SBC and APTX are available, AAC can be forced but does not "stick" which means it's not supported by the buds. Now I did some side-by-side listening and the differences between SBC and APTX are (at best) "subtle", maybe a slightly larger soundstage ? So I doubt they would be any larger between SBC and AAC.

 

[Spamateur]

I was traveling this weekend and had some time to kill in the airport, so I hit up an InMotion store to audition some TW models:

House of Marley Liberate Air: These sounded really nice and were quite comfortable and light to wear. The sound is maybe a bit too bass-heavy for my taste, but they offered great clarity and soundstage for a TW model. I'd seriously consider purchasing these once we see how reliable they are. It doesn't seem like they're getting a ton of traction in the marketplace with how few reviews there are both from Amazon customers and "pro" reviewers.

Klipsch T5: These were disappointing as they sounded muffled, thick and indistinct. After listening to the Marleys directly beforehand I was unimpressed with the Klipsch. They're not "bad" per se, but they aren't best in class, especially for the price. They are comfortable and build quality seems excellent. The case on these also feels like a lead weight, however. It's very sturdy but also surprisingly heavy.

Master and Dynamic MW07: This was my second audition of these in the past year and they sounded like I remembered. I know the MW07 is quite popular around these parts, but to my ears they sound thick, hazy and undefined in the bass and lower mids, similar to the Klipsch but with less recessed vocals. In a word, they sound veiled to me. Call me crazy but I think these are solidly mid-pack when it comes to the TW offerings available right now when it comes to sound quality. We all hear differently, but I'd take the Marleys over the MW07 in a heartbeat.

 

[AtariPrime]

Very odd, haven't noticed anything different than with any other "sealing" IEM and the English (or German) reviews on YT either : https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=libratone+track+air+
This one here (he also has the Sonys) is particularly interested :

So yes the ANC might be a bit weaker than on the WF-1000xm3, it's not night and day either and there's more of a difference between say the QC25 and the WF-1000MX3 than between the WF-1000MX3 and the Track Air+. It remains quite effective in any case and helps a great deal during commuting or flying (simulated so far by blasting this video ) and they can be worn for hours with no discomfort whatsoever.

Since you are oddly so strongly opinionated about how inferior the Track Air + compared to the WF-1000MX3 that you already own, you should really do yourself a favor and check them out for yourself.

The Sony WF-1000MX3 has no (as in zero) water/sweat/moisture resistance. This makes them effectively useless for use in the gym or on a rainy day of any kind. As a result, while the Sony WF-1000MX3 may have great sound, they are effectively useless for my purposes. The Libratone Track Air+ on the other hand is very moisture resistant and is a lot smaller than the Sony WF-1000MX3, making them more practical in most applications. As a result, the Libratone easily wins for me.

 

[VTman]

Wow! May I applaud your intricate detective skills? That's quite a find! Proprietary mold and only 5 models. No wonder kids are happy with that shape! already tried a picture search on AliX, alas .. ah well, may my 359 just hold forever.

Those buds should be around for a while. Even found a teardown site (in Chinese) showing what's inside of an older BT4.2 version with BES2000 chip.
http://www.zsdxzk.com/content/190328234858942.html

Hope this will give you more ideas and good luck with your search!

 

[hifi80sman]

I was traveling this weekend and had some time to kill in the airport, so I hit up an InMotion store to audition some TW models:

House of Marley Liberate Air: These sounded really nice and were quite comfortable and light to wear. The sound is maybe a bit too bass-heavy for my taste, but they offered great clarity and soundstage for a TW model. I'd seriously consider purchasing these once we see how reliable they are. It doesn't seem like they're getting a ton of traction in the marketplace with how few reviews there are both from Amazon customers and "pro" reviewers.

Klipsch T5: These were disappointing as they sounded muffled, thick and indistinct. After listening to the Marleys directly beforehand I was unimpressed with the Klipsch. They're not "bad" per se, but they aren't best in class, especially for the price. They are comfortable and build quality seems excellent. The case on these also feels like a lead weight, however. It's very sturdy but also surprisingly heavy.

Master and Dynamic MW07: This was my second audition of these in the past year and they sounded like I remembered. I know the MW07 is quite popular around these parts, but to my ears they sound thick, hazy and undefined in the bass and lower mids, similar to the Klipsch but with less recessed vocals. In a word, they sound veiled to me. Call me crazy but I think these are solidly mid-pack when it comes to the TW offerings available right now when it comes to sound quality. We all hear differently, but I'd take the Marleys over the MW07 in a heartbeat.

Nice. I usually arrive at the airport far earlier than I need to and I also spend time at InMotion. They even offer to open something up if they don't have a test unit available. LOL!

House of Marley Liberate Air - 100% agree with your assessment. They are great in general and arguably best in their price class. Only con are the lack of volume control on the earbuds, but other than that, beat my expectations, especially considering the are House of Marley (not necessarily the name that comes to mind when you think "great audio").

Klipsch T5 - Haven't listened to them yet, but good feedback. Your impressions mirror mine as far as my experience with the Klipsch R5 Neckband.

Master and Dynamic MW07 - I have to get off the train with you on this one. I have almost an opposite experience with the MW07. I've tried probably 6+ pairs and aside from differing battery life between several units/colors (seems Matte Black and Steel Blue have the worst battery life) they are exceptionally clear, transparent, and have great imaging. There is a little bass rumble, but it's certainly not in the realm of thick mid-to-upper bass. That being said, we all absolutely hear things differently, while the MW07 can also be a bit of a tricky fit.

 

[Spamateur]

Nice. I usually arrive at the airport far earlier than I need to and I also spend time at InMotion. They even offer to open something up if they don't have a test unit available. LOL!

House of Marley Liberate Air - 100% agree with your assessment. They are great in general and arguably best in their price class. Only con are the lack of volume control on the earbuds, but other than that, beat my expectations, especially considering the are House of Marley (not necessarily the name that comes to mind when you think "great audio").

Klipsch T5 - Haven't listened to them yet, but good feedback. Your impressions mirror mine as far as my experience with the Klipsch R5 Neckband.

Master and Dynamic MW07 - I have to get off the train with you on this one. I have almost an opposite experience with the MW07. I've tried probably 6+ pairs and aside from differing battery life between several units/colors (seems Matte Black and Steel Blue have the worst battery life) they are exceptionally clear, transparent, and have great imaging. There is a little bass rumble, but it's certainly not in the realm of thick mid-to-upper bass. That being said, we all absolutely hear things differently, while the MW07 can also be a bit of a tricky fit.

Yeah I honestly don't know what's going on with my impressions of the MW07. I've tried them twice now and both times had the same experience, but it might just be that whatever is going on with the sound signature just isn't to my personal taste. The treble also bothers me on the MW07. It seems a bit peaky. Snare drum hits sound a little thin and "clicky" as opposed to a good "thwack" tonality I was hoping for. I see why people like these, but for whatever reason they just aren't to my taste. No judgement from me, however, as we all hear differently and like different sound signatures. I also seem to be one of the few that loves the Mavin Air-X with a passion, so take my impressions with a grain of salt.

If you like the MW07 you might like the Klipsch, but I think the MW07 did a better job with vocals. I used to own some Klipsch wired IEMs years ago and always thought they were pretty crappy for the price, so that might also have colored my opinion. Let me know if you happen to try them.

The Marleys really shocked me as they sounded pretty darn good. I'm tempted to pick up a pair after returning my Nuarls a few weeks ago due to disconnections. Have you had any issues with the Marleys? I see you're one of only 2 reviews on Amazon, and the other review mentions some disconnection problems.

 

[Caipirina]

Those buds should be around for a while. Even found a teardown site (in Chinese) showing what's inside of an older BT4.2 version with BES2000 chip.
http://www.zsdxzk.com/content/190328234858942.html

Hope this will give you more ideas and good luck with your search!

Wow again. This was quite educational!

Seeing the buds layer bare like that... looks like the actual audio component was just an afterthought

Think I found it on AliX
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/40nuOzfE

 

[hifi80sman]

Yeah I honestly don't know what's going on with my impressions of the MW07. I've tried them twice now and both times had the same experience, but it might just be that whatever is going on with the sound signature just isn't to my personal taste. The treble also bothers me on the MW07. It seems a bit peaky. Snare drum hits sound a little thin and "clicky" as opposed to a good "thwack" tonality I was hoping for. I see why people like these, but for whatever reason they just aren't to my taste. No judgement from me, however, as we all hear differently and like different sound signatures. I also seem to be one of the few that loves the Mavin Air-X with a passion, so take my impressions with a grain of salt.

If you like the MW07 you might like the Klipsch, but I think the MW07 did a better job with vocals. I used to own some Klipsch wired IEMs years ago and always thought they were pretty crappy for the price, so that might also have colored my opinion. Let me know if you happen to try them.

The Marleys really shocked me as they sounded pretty darn good. I'm tempted to pick up a pair after returning my Nuarls a few weeks ago due to disconnections. Have you had any issues with the Marleys? I see you're one of only 2 reviews on Amazon, and the other review mentions some disconnection problems.

I actually had a couple of weird connection issues recently, but it's not ongoing. Basically, the right earbud just dropped out, and I had to put them back in the case, then take them out, but it worked fine after that. This happened to me 2x, but nothing since and no spotty connection issues. I use them mainly in the office (they work well for calls) and at the gym. I have not tried to use them for travel yet, but I probably wouldn't anyway, since I just roll with the 1000XM3 headphones.

 

[clerkpalmer]

https://www.soundguys.com/apple-airpods-review-11072/

The review itself isn't interesting to me but the section that discusses how AAC performs poorly over android versus iOS is. For those of us using AAC over Android, it's clearly a step down and problem in my view if SoundGuys are right (I have no reason to think otherwise). I wish I understood WHY.

 

[vstolpner]

https://www.soundguys.com/apple-airpods-review-11072/

The review itself isn't interesting to me but the section that discusses how AAC performs poorly over android versus iOS is. For those of us using AAC over Android, it's clearly a step down and problem in my view if SoundGuys are right (I have no reason to think otherwise). I wish I understood WHY.

Because Apple wants it's AirPods customers to also be it's iPhone customers. Creating one more barrier to keep you in the Apple ecosystem.

AAC sounds great on Android with just about every other pair of TWS I've tried. So the only possibility is how Apple configured it's AirPods for Android

 

[clerkpalmer]

Because Apple wants it's AirPods customers to also be it's iPhone customers. Creating one more barrier to keep you in the Apple ecosystem.

AAC sounds great on Android with just about every other pair of TWS I've tried. So the only possibility is how Apple configured it's AirPods for Android

Hmmm. I have read similar articles from SoundGuys saying that it's not limited to Airpods. Basically ALL AAC sounds better over ios for some reason.

 

[hifi80sman]

https://www.soundguys.com/apple-airpods-review-11072/

The review itself isn't interesting to me but the section that discusses how AAC performs poorly over android versus iOS is. For those of us using AAC over Android, it's clearly a step down and problem in my view if SoundGuys are right (I have no reason to think otherwise). I wish I understood WHY.

I believe Apple has their own proprietary AAC encoder/decoder (codec), while Android uses an off-the-shelf open source version. Additionally, because AAC is processing heavy, I'd venture to guess Apple's own processor can flawlessly handle their own propriety version of the AAC codec, just as most apps generally run better on an iPhone (everyone has to play in their sandbox). For gaming, I never use my Android devices, as the iPhone is light years smoother and simply provides better gameplay.