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

[Bartig]

thanks, as a matter of fact I've just read them after i post my previous question, so you kind of answered me before i asked
so if I'm not mistaken, in pure SQ wise the T1C is still comparable to the T3 and 1more? being the difference only in better build quality and functionality on the latter two (and of course the EQ tuning)?

No, the Tranya T3 offers lot more bass and better instrument placement. Mids and highs are more natural instead of pushed forward, as they are on the QCY. The T3 offers more detail than the 1more too - which sounds full and smooth, but can also sound a little congested.

 

[sanakimpro]

I'm just a hobbyist and have tried some other TWEs but there seems to be so much heat on the Senn MTWs. I don't quite get it. It's my fourth day of owning it and I find the sound to be top notch what I'd expect for $300, no battery issues so far (4hrs on max volume, AptX), bluetooth to be great (some dropouts but not too bothered because it resolved itself). Smart control app does require you to turn it on, let it detect the MTW, close it and then turn it on a second time. After that it works flawlessly.

Granted my use case is I charge it every night along with my smartphone, I turn on bluetooth before taking the right earbud out of the charging case, I only put the buds back in the case when it's around 20% remaining battery.

All in all, there is some small bugs here and there but I can accept it given the sound quality. The MTW's sound so clean from the bass to treble. Bass is well controlled and non-flabby. I prefer more mid/upper-bass boom to make it more engaging, but it is what it is. Mids are smooth without obvious peaks nor sibilance. Treble is great, but not IE800 quality in terms of extension, clarity, detail and resolution, but it's more than great for $300.

Well, if you want to clarify and questions or doubts, let me know and I'll try to help. I don't work for Sennheiser or any audio company so I'll just do my best. Kindness before headphones (borrowed from Denae & Andrew)

 

[TYATYA]

E8 ver2. No claim more but aptx and more foward mids

 

[nc8000]

E8 ver2. No claim more but aptx and more foward mids

They should be identical to V1 except for the charging case

 

[actorlife]

I apoligjze as I am a noob in the area of the tws world. These are my first tws, so a bit hard to compare to other models, but the amazon listing photos and the a6 airtwins do match, so it's possible it does have the graphene diaphram. (it does not list this in the included manual) SQ is bassy when tips are fully inserted..almost too much for my ears..highs are drowned out because of this. However, when the tips are not fully inserted all the way, it's more neutral signature. (less bass, clear highs and mids.) It took a lot of eq'ing for me to get a signature I was happy with. The Soundstage and imaging are good. Volume is ok. I have to turn it up to 75% to achieve a loud level.

Also of note they come with the small size tips already on, but the medium is what fit my ears and allowed for deeper insertion. I think new or custom/3rd party tips would highly benefit the sound. So far I have pushed out only 3 hrs of battery time via music listening, so a bit outdated compared to the newer models with longer battery life. There is also an annoying voice that activates when either the battery is low and when they connect for the first time. The language is in chinese. (I think) I'm glad I only spent $19.99 as I'm still a bit skeptical of tws. This is a good starter to upgrade to a better model in the future though.

I would be very interested in your thoughts when you get a chance to test these out and what models they compare to.

Thanks for the overview. No way only 3 hrs battery? I might have to return them. I should be able to listen later on today and see if the sound sig is to my liking and post some thoughts. I use medium tips as well. Hopefully they will sound better than the Syllable S101. The only good thing about those are the 8hr battery at 50-60 percent volume. No clear sparkly highs, no soundstage and bass is good.

 

[Aeneas]

I think I might have finally found a TWE that I am happy with in every way. I didn't think this day would come for anything made by Beats, but I think the Powerbeats Pro are the best sports (possibly also general purpose) TWEs on the market overall.

The soundstage is better than most if not all that I have owned, and they are not as bass-heavy or muddy as Sony SP-WF700N. It is hard to compare to Momentum TW and B&O E8 because it has been a few months, but I am not disappointed.

The case is bigger than most, but if you are used to CIEM cases, it is not as bad as I was led to believe.

No connection issues at all so far. I can't say that about any other TWE.

Superb battery life. Very comfortable. I would prefer better isolation, but I wonder if that also causes fatigue. I think 2-flange tips help a bit with this. They are fine anywhere except on subways.


In the last couple of months I've also tried:

Sony WF-SP700N: very good but the worst battery life of around 2 hours, making them essentially unusable, and also a bit too bassy. The battery case is a little awkward because of the fins and curved shape. A bit fiddly.
I got the occasional connection issue, but this was interference than full-on drop-out. With better battery life and other tweaks, the next Sony TWE should be excellent.

Creative Outlier Air: the worst connection of any Bluetooth device I've had, poor fit, and washed out sound.
I read some extremely positive reviews (not here) and I am deeply suspicious of them and most reviews sites now.

I saw this thread a few weeks ago while I was weighing up whether to buy Beoplay E8 2.0.

I’ve owned several wireless earbuds now, so here are a few thoughts. Unfortunately I haven’t really compared any side-by-side, so this is from memory.

Wireless earbuds were/are for the gym (including a long walk to/from) and running.

Here are some thoughts. I always use the most recent iPhone and iOS with Extreme Spotify or HQ Apple Music, so the source isn’t a variable.

B&O Beoplay E8 2.0

• Fit: Good. No problems running. No risk of falling out. But I have to occasionally reposition for optimal fit (more for perceived fit than actual sound/seal).
• Comfort: Very good. Slightly bulkier and heavier that MTW, but no fatigue after the first day.
• Isolation: Good (silicone). No wind noise unless ambient sound is turned on.
• Sound: Better at detail than MTW. Slightly better all round to my ears. Best I’ve heard (but not as good as even my backup wired Sony XBA-H3 from about 5 years ago).
• Connection: Solid in general. Occasional crackling and distortion that seems to be caused by interference rather than distance. I tried to re-pair but it it didn’t help. If it continues to annoy me I will reconsider because it’s unacceptable for the price.
• Controls: Good. No phantom button presses. But on one occasion button presses didn’t register at all.

Issues/comments:

• Case build quality seems more premium (leather) but probably isn’t as durable as a plastic one for scuffs.
• Wireless charging (also USB-C) is a bigger upgrade than you would think.
• For better or worse, they must be turned on manually each time, and they seem to turn off automatically after a time if removed and kept at a desk or in your pocket.
• If the crackling persists I will have to reconsider.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless

• Fit: Very good. No problem running. Didn’t fall out.
• Comfort: Excellent. Very light, so no fatigue.
• Isolation: Medium. A little disappointing. I think a few extra millimetres on the stem would be better for me.
• Sound: Among the best of any true wireless earbud I’ve owned, but not at all impressive either compared to wired. Not remotely close to IE800, but it has been about 5 years since I sold mine.
• Connection: Generally reliable. Some cutouts to the slave earbud in particular gym locations (minimal distances, approx: 5ft). Single device connection. Awkwardly connected to the wrong device when turned on sometimes.
• Controls: Easy and not painful when tapped. Occasionally failed to detect taps. Touch controls are not good with a tightened hood (running in the rain). Also see issues.

Issues/comments:

• Very limited EQ options in app.
• Transparent hearing never worked.
• Case build quality was poor. I had a loose hinge and the Sennheiser logo was not straight.
• After a couple of weeks one earbud kept registering phantom touches that reduced the volume so I returned it. Re-pairing and resetting didn’t help.
• Ultimately on a par with ACS Encore as the most disappointing headphones I’ve ever owned—I waited months after they were announced and was among the first to pre-order and receive them.

Jabra Elite 65T

• Fit: Decent but not as good as MTW or E8.
• Comfort: Decent but not as good as MTW or E8.
• Isolation: Good. Slightly better than MTW.
• Sound: Okay. Not very detailed.
• Connection: Terrible. Slave earbud would cut out anywhere that had many devices, from gyms to train stations. It would cut out all the time and was unusable.
• Controls: Easy, but button presses were painful to my ears.

Issues/comments:
Terrible connection reliability for slave earbud was terrible so I returned it.

Jabra Elite Pro

• Fit: Seemed okay in terms of playback but not secure. I almost lost an earbud several times and that’s never happened with the others.
• Comfort: Poor. Felt heavy substantial because of HR reader. Fatigue significant.
• Isolation: Good. Slightly better than MTW.
• Sound: Okay. Not very detailed.
• Connection: Quite poor. Cut out at busy places.
• Controls: Easy but buttons were painful to my ears.

Issues/comments:

• HR did not track reliably.
• Terrible app and firmware update process.
• Poor connection reliability.
• Gave it away when I got an Apple Watch (HR).

PowerBeats3
I got these for free with an Apple purchase.
They didn’t fit my ears so I gave them to a friend who says the reliability and ease of connection is amazing.

Bose SoundSport Wireless
The fins were awkward to me and they lacked isolation, so I returned immediately.
Also too much sound leakage for my taste. I know I would only be at the gym or running outside, but it still annoyed me.

Denon Wireless AH-C160W

• Fit: Poor. Earhooks were awkwardly shaped.
• Comfort: Poor. Earhooks did not curve round my ear naturally, so the cable drop was as at a bad angle.
• Isolation: Ok, but always ruined by fit.
• Sound: Okay. Not very detailed. But didn’t use much.
• Connection: The worst. Cut out all the time. Outside while walking or running, and at busy places.
• Controls: Did not really use.

Issues/comments:

• Bad fit and terrible connection.

 

[Caipirina]

Hey guys those t8s are not that impressive at all to me, they sound too mid foward and boxy/cupped, they are clear though, I will keep at work as spares. In my rotation right now is sennheiser momentum tw, anbes 359, Jabra 65t, and like them in that order for different reasons. Now I wanna know is there another budget tw headset that is at the level of the anbes 359 sound quality at that same price level. Need a new toy to play with, I like bass as long as it clear, juicy and not muddy. Dont like piercing highs atc all either. Let me know.

By chance I spent some time with my new Blitzwolf FYE 5 today and I like them quite some, might be an interesting addition ... not sure how to describe the sound .. somewhat neutral maybe?

Already fear the day my T8 arrive .. what idiot brought them up here? Oh, wait, that might have been me ...

There are also the Anomoibuds Capsule which I got curious about since (i think) Bartig mentioned them in some list up ... and those are similar to those Blitzwolf, but with better eartips, which fit in the case ... drives me nuts with the BW that when I put other tips on, they don't fit in the case anymore ...

just something to think about \

oh, and here another lemming impulse: I might later blindly order these ... also just to have something new to play with



And semi related, as I am scouring around for more reviews on the above ... anyone know what that music player app for iOS is that I see in so many Chinese review videos? I wonder if it is something like China's spotify, and I can't find it in my stores ... #D015

 

[senorbroom]

Seems like the successor to the WF-1000X, the WF-1000XM3, are about to drop at any time: http://thewalkmanblog.blogspot.com/2019/06/sony-wf-1000xm3-leaked-by-retailer.html

Hopefully this will have fixed the faults with the original model, but the tepid reviews on the 700 and 900 models have me worried. I owned the WI-1000X (neckbud model) for about a week but found the style cumbersome and the sound wasn't *quite* hi-fi. If the new model sounds anywhere near as good as that model it will be the best true wireless on the market.

 

[nc8000]

Seems like the successor to the WF-1000X, the WF-1000XM3, are about to drop at any time: http://thewalkmanblog.blogspot.com/2019/06/sony-wf-1000xm3-leaked-by-retailer.html

Hopefully this will have fixed the faults with the original model, but the tepid reviews on the 700 and 900 models have me worried. I owned the WI-1000X (neckbud model) for about a week but found the style cumbersome and the sound wasn't *quite* hi-fi. If the new model sounds anywhere near as good as that model it will be the best true wireless on the market.

Will be interesting to see if they get LDAC

 

[clerkpalmer]

Will be interesting to see if they get LDAC

Look pretty awesome. Better be for 249 euros.

 

[david8613]

More info here. If siny bring these to the states I will buy!!! The first generation sounded so good, small, light, the only thing that held it back was battery life, and connectivity out doors. Noise cancelling worked great, not Bose level but it worked for such a tiny thing.

http://thewalkmanblog.blogspot.com/2019/04/sony-will-be-releasing-updated-wf.html?m=1

 

[vladzakhar]

I received the Tranya T1 Pro today. Compare to T3 the sound is thiner, less bass. And they don't fit as good as T3's. Great buds nevertheless. Going to be the great present to my son.

 

[hifi80sman]

More info here. If siny bring these to the states I will buy!!! The first generation sounded so good, small, light, the only thing that held it back was battery life, and connectivity out doors. Noise cancelling worked great, not Bose level but it worked for such a tiny thing.

http://thewalkmanblog.blogspot. You com/2019/04/sony-will-be-releasing-updated-wf.html?m=1

I want those sooo bad. Gimmie! I actually like touch controls, so hopefully they’ll have that as well.

It’s getting interesting...

 

[Bartig]

By chance I spent some time with my new Blitzwolf FYE 5 today and I like them quite some, might be an interesting addition ... not sure how to describe the sound .. somewhat neutral maybe?

Already fear the day my T8 arrive .. what idiot brought them up here? Oh, wait, that might have been me ...

There are also the Anomoibuds Capsule which I got curious about since (i think) Bartig mentioned them in some list up ... and those are similar to those Blitzwolf, but with better eartips, which fit in the case ... drives me nuts with the BW that when I put other tips on, they don't fit in the case anymore ...

just something to think about \

oh, and here another lemming impulse: I might later blindly order these ... also just to have something new to play with



And semi related, as I am scouring around for more reviews on the above ... anyone know what that music player app for iOS is that I see in so many Chinese review videos? I wonder if it is something like China's spotify, and I can't find it in my stores ... #D015

Don't get too hyped up about your impulse. Bought them under the ‘Nishen’ brand. Plugging the charging cable in the case is a bit problematic on mine, but worse: the sound is a bit dull, lacking detail and highs.

 

[senorbroom]

I want those sooo bad. Gimmie! I actually like touch controls, so hopefully they’ll have that as well.

It’s getting interesting...

Noooooo, I love the Jabra physical controls. I’d want:

• up/down clicker for volume + skip on the left earbud
• tap to play/pause on the right, double-tap to enable/disable ANC, touch+hold to pause + enable sound pass through (similar to the over-ear model)

Leave all the different sound tuning and ANC levels to the app.