[d3myz]

The amp would be in the final device that's producing the sound, so on the TWS only. That said, the DAC that's built in to the chipset likely doesn't need further amplification.

High quality Bluetooth receivers use separate dedicated chipset for the DAC to further improve audio quality. But that's not something you'll see on TWS.

Ok, that makes sense, so like you said, just buy a really nice pair of TWS' LOL. I joined the Advanced M5 indiegogo for $130 super early bird and i'm really hoping they sound good, so come Oct. we will see. Maybe i'm cheap, but That's about as much as i'd ever want to spend on a TWS.

 

[hifi80sman]

Hi, I'm looking for a first TWS pair in the 100-150$ range.

I was thinking to get the Galaxy Buds after the short Crinacle review, but their battery life isn't that great with the case.
What else do you recommend?
I'm looking for at least 6 hrs battery life on a charge + 2 or 3 charge with the case, great BT stability, and best SQ within the budget.

The Sony 1000xm3 look great but I don't want to spend that much on my first TWS pair.
I can get the Sennheiser MTW for €150 but their battery life is terrible and there are issues with the case that hasn't been fixed with firmware updates.

I'm pretty lost at the moment. Thanks for your help

House of Marley Liberate Air seem to meet your requirements.

- 9 hours battery life.
- Additional 2.5x charge w/ case.
- Personally, I haven't had any drop outs.
- Great SQ and bests everything I've tried in the price range.
- Good call quality.

Keep in mind there are no volume controls on the buds and no ambient mode. Since I primarily use them in the office and have my phone with me, lack of controls on the 'buds is a non-factor in my case.

 

[vstolpner]

Just... wow... this thread is a long one! Took me several days to read through it all.

Glad to see head fi'ers actively reviewing quite a few of the tws chi-fi products out there. I really appreciate it. I dropped out of my IEM hobby after trinity went belly up and have since been happy with over-ear anc (bose and sony variants). But I've always preferred earphones (glasses and sweaty ears make headphones less appealing).

I went ahead and ordered (most have come in) the following:
- mpow t5
- kissral r18 (sp?)
- tranya t3
- haylou gt1
- mifo 05
- taotronics soundliberty 53
- mifo 02
- fiio btr03 (for my wired iems)

I'm really ecstatic to see that the quality of TWS earphones are miles ahead of what it was a year or 2 ago.

Yeah it really is a long thread.... Hard to believe....

Which mifo O5 did you order?

Ok, that makes sense, so like you said, just buy a really nice pair of TWS' LOL. I joined the Advanced M5 indiegogo for $130 super early bird and i'm really hoping they sound good, so come Oct. we will see. Maybe i'm cheap, but That's about as much as i'd ever want to spend on a TWS.

Given how good the Chi-Fi units sound these days, I totally agree.
I'm waiting on a nice set of hybrid TWS before plunking down any more cash... And even then I might wait until the 2nd or 3rd generation of hybrids are out

 

[hifi80sman]

Thanks for the link.

Hope someone does a review of the Sabbat X12 Ultra too !

BTW I managed to grab the Libratone Track Air + with the QCC5121 ANC as an Amazon "refurbished" (they're backordered everywhere) - will compare to the Sony WF-1000xm3 that are excellent in SQ and ANC but pretty poor in fit, with only the Comply T-200 allowing them to be usable on the go (Silicone's are ok if you're static). Apparently the Libratone offer a great fit but/because they're "semi in-ear" so passive isolation and ANC probably won't be great, like the QC20...

Looking forward to your feedback on the Libratone Track Air+. They look a bit odd, but if they're the real deal, I may jump on them. Can you also comment on call quality?

 

[asak]

The Partron PWE-100 is very good if you like neutral, flat sound. Battery life is good, connectivity is good.

If you're looking for some sound to put some pep in your step, probably not the best. But if you're looking for something to get you through the day, certainly may fit the bill.

 

[hifi80sman]

Yeah it really is a long thread.... Hard to believe....

Which mifo O5 did you order?



Given how good the Chi-Fi units sound these days, I totally agree.
I'm waiting on a nice set of hybrid TWS before plunking down any more cash... And even then I might wait until the 2nd or 3rd generation of hybrids are out

Yes, hard to believe the thread has taken off. Interestingly, when browsing Amazon, many of the new releases are Chi-Fi, so it's not that I or most others are specifically looking for Chi-Fi, rather, the major brands just aren't able to crank them out as fast. These look interesting.

 

[d3myz]

Yes, hard to believe the thread has taken off. Interestingly, when browsing Amazon, many of the new releases are Chi-Fi, so it's not that I or most others are specifically looking for Chi-Fi, rather, the major brands just aren't able to crank them out as fast. These look interesting.

Only Stereo sound? not even 6 or 9 D. Pssshhhh.

 

[HiFlight]

I had the BB Duet's for 2 weeks and they are a great TWS' in every aspect except for sound quality. They have almost no bass and they just don't sound exciting at all. Even with Aptx, they just sounded ok. Great if all you do is listen to audio books. The MPOW T5, Tranya T3, Tranya B530, and Anbes 359, and the OFUSHU F16 all sound better and have volume control ipx 4 and above ratings and are in the same price range.

MY Duet 50 has more bass than I really need. To state the obvious, a well-fitting tip providing a solid seal is essential for bass on any IEM.

 

[hifi80sman]

Only Stereo sound? not even 6 or 9 D. Pssshhhh.

HAHA! Sorry, no Super 13D sound.

SHEEPLOW TWS
"25D Sound! So many Dimensions! Sounds like sh**!"

 

[hifi80sman]

Found these with a $10 off coupon and 15% off. 10mm driver and USB C. I have no idea how they sound, but they look promising. Someone want to take a leap?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T7J55YX/
Promo Code: 15NHPFQW

I really need to start working and stop browsing.

 

[cacio]

Have either of you had luck with getting the bottom plastic tray out of the KZ T1?

I’m trying with guitar pics, spludgers, needles, anything to get any purchase without any luck.

The only time I got anything was trying to wedge a screwdriver into the back lid hinge section, but it seemed like a was breaking the hinge instead of getting the tray out.

sorry for late reply. I've bought the MPOW M5/T5 on amazon for 50€ right after.

MPOW M5/T5 vs KZ T1

-MPOW is better in everything except the fit. M5 is really no problem for 1-2h, but after many hours like with most headphones, it starts to hurt. The KZ T1 are still more comfortable after many hours despise having larger body shell overall.

- M5 have really good resolution and background details. compares someway to my Takstar Pro 82 and ES9018KM2 DAC PC Setup quality wise.

-T1 have less background resolution and also sound limited with the AAC 256kbit BT codec. On android custom roms you can toggle SBC HD with stereo >500kbit iirc which is better than AAC256kbit. Sadly you can not toggle SBC HD if the device supports other "HD" codecs like AAC or aptX ...

- they both deliver solid full frequency experience with deep bass if the songs asks for it. but M5 goes deeper and louder.


To keep it short, I would say the M5 are 15-25% better in most cases. And the M5 are the best IEM I've aver heard. Its not perfect like my desktop DAC, but usable quality for mobile use. I think if you want better quality and wider Frequency range, you have to use active noise canceling.

Because of the T1 case and firmware tuning problems, I would advice to get the M5. Don't buy T1.

Having said that, I can't really sell the T1 because of the ripped off top case. I do still use them from time to time, cuz they are still good IEMs. Mostly when I have placed the M5 further than the T1. Depends on the task. If its for "critical" listening , I always take M5. But if I have to do other stuff while listening, the T1 do a good job.

Overall I must admit that I am more satisfied with TWS IEMs than I have expected. Such small footprint to take them with you. You have your music on more occasions with you !

EDIT:

the ultimate M5/T5 hack is to use the ear tips from KZ T1. The stock ear tips make the M5/T5 stick a little bit out of the ears. With the T1 small ear tips, they go as far in as its still comfortable. Also less wind noise if you drive bicycle

 

[d3myz]

MY Duet 50 has more bass than I really need. To state the obvious, a well-fitting tip providing a solid seal is essential for bass on any IEM.

Yea, I was really sad to return them, I used them daily for almost two weeks. tried all sorts of tips and had a good seal, but the just didn't compare to the T5 or the anbes, the Tranya b530's have been excellent as well, so far.

 

[gibletzor]

Found these with a $10 off coupon and 15% off. 10mm driver and USB C. I have no idea how they sound, but they look promising. Someone want to take a leap?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T7J55YX/
Promo Code: 15NHPFQW

I really need to start working and stop browsing.

All of the info on that sounds so vague and generic I'd be afraid to try it! lol

 

[d3myz]

sorry for late reply. I've bought the MPOW M5/T5 on amazon for 50€ right after.

MPOW M5/T5 vs KZ T1

-MPOW is better in everything except the fit. M5 is really no problem for 1-2h, but after many hours like with most headphones, it starts to hurt. The KZ T1 are still more comfortable after many hours despise having larger body shell overall.

- M5 have really good resolution and background details. compares someway to my Takstar Pro 82 and ES9018KM2 DAC PC Setup quality wise.

-T1 have less background resolution and also sound limited with the AAC 256kbit BT codec. On android custom roms you can toggle SBC HD with stereo >500kbit iirc which is better than AAC256kbit. Sadly you can not toggle SBC HD if the device supports other "HD" codecs like AAC or aptX ...

- they both deliver solid full frequency experience with deep bass if the songs asks for it. but M5 goes deeper and louder.


To keep it short, I would say the M5 are 15-25% better in most cases. And the M5 are the best IEM I've aver heard. Its not perfect like my desktop DAC, but usable quality for mobile use. I think if you want better quality and wider Frequency range, you have to use active noise canceling.

Because of the T1 case and firmware tuning problems, I would advice to get the M5. Don't buy T1.

Having said that, I can't really sell the T1 because of the ripped off top case. I do still use them from time to time, cuz they are still good IEMs. Mostly when I have placed the M5 further than the T1. Depends on the task. If its for "critical" listening , I always take M5. But if I have to do other stuff while listening, the T1 do a good job.

Overall I must admin that I am more satisfied with TWS IEMs than I have expected. Such small footprint to take them with you. You have your music on more occasions with you !

Excellent, Insight. Thank you. I find myself listening to my anbes 359's and Tranya b530's more than my T5's lately, but I always use my T5's in the shower

 

[FYLegend]

What's a good flush fitting iem? Been looking at the Sabbat E12 but see they've just released the ultra. Are there any others to consider? Can't decide whether to go TWS or something like the ME6 pro with a Bluetooth receiver.

For me at least, Sabbat E12 isn't a very flush fit in my ear and isolation is mediocre. It is flat on the outside so it doesn't protrude much though. UFO BE30 and Earfun Free have good flush fit with excellent isolation.