[voicemaster]

Fit is much better with the Auvio tips on my T1X. Pretty good sound for a $40 set but bass can sound boomy at times. I’ll have to keep testing but I swear they sound better using my IPhone than my IPod.

The bass will tighten up as you continue using it.

 

[chinmie]

so i finally found a (highly unorthodox ) way to fit the GGMM T1 securely to my ears without the occasional slipping, and also no thump when running. also surprisingly it adds airy-ness to the sound without thinning out the mids at all.

it looks uncomfortable, but surprisingly it's the contrary

i might perfect it later by snipping and rounding off the edges, but even like this it's fine. bonus is, they still fit nicely on the case

i suspect i would need this type of solution everytime I'm encounter this Powerbeats Pro-like form factor TWS

 

[tracyca]

I think they just sound ok, at least for my music (rock/metal) but they are perfect in almost any other way, but in the end SQ is the most imporant feature so I sold them :/

Not the best sounding but not bad for the size. The liberty pro 2 are still my favorite.

 

[Caipirina]

Don't know whether this is the right place, but this thread is the only one I regularly visit...

I was gifted the APP as a birthday present and I’ve used them on several flights since then, as well as using them daily for dog walks. My go to aircraft headphones are either WH-1000XM3s or Bose 700s, so I thought you’d like a comparison, especially as all are roughly the same price.

TL;DR: I was surprised how good the APPs are…. they just need better battery life to beat the over-ears for flying. They are easily the best headphone for dog walks of all the TWS and over ears I have.

1. Sound Quality. The WH-1000XM3s, with EQ or better True-Fi, are the best to listen to almost all types of music and video I listen to. The APPs, surprisingly for me, come in second, with the Bose 700s last. Let’s be clear that none match the Etymotic ER-4XR for music listening to my old ears, but you’re on a plane so music fidelity is inevitably compromised.
2. Comfort. I have glasses so in-ears are always going to beat over-ears for me, however, the APPs are easily the most comfortable in-ears/TWS I have whereas the ER-4XR are at the other end of the spectrum. I prefer the XM3s over the 700s by a significant margin: firstly I can’t sleep in the 700s because they stick out so you can’t sleep resting with your head on the window, secondly the XM3s have a more comfortable headband and ear-cups. Having said that I’ve worn the Bose for many hours without annoyance.. The APPs just fade away when I sleep and don’t fall out. A big win for the APP for me.
3. Microphone/Call quality. The XM3s have unacceptable call quality for conference calls, the Etymotics don’t even have a microphone (and don’t even mention the one with the ES100 BT adapter) which is why I got the 700s to try to get a single headphone for flights and conference calls… which was the holy grail for me. The 700s have indeed got an amazing microphone that is easily the best of any Bluetooth headphone, however, the APP is the first TWS which has an acceptable microphone (and this my 5th TWS). I was shocked how good the APP’s microphone is.
4. Video and Sound latency. I’m incredibly sensitive to latency where sound and lip movement diverge in videos. The XM3 is the worst, to the point that though the sound is great, I cannot watch some Netflix on an iPad with the XM3. The 700 is better than the XM3 but the APP is significantly better than either, and tests prove it ([AirPods Pro Bluetooth Latency - stephencoyle.net](https://stephencoyle.net/airpods-pro). The APP is the only one I can have keyboard clicks turn on and not get too upset. However, the APP isn’t good enough to do video or audio editing, or the like so don’t get your hopes up too much. (Oh, and LDAP on an Android is not that much better BTW for the XM3s to my eyes)
5. Transparency mode. I think all are good enough, however, I’ve noticed that the XM3 and the others differ: The XM3 blocks out loud sounds such as sirens whereas the others let them through. I like the XM3 for doing that and think it is a big benefit.
6. Bugs. All of these headphones have bugs that annoy but the best, most sorted one, is easily the APP. For example, when you’re taking off the noise cancelling doesn’t go bananas like the other two. Don’t get me started on the 700 which shouldn’t have been released with the bugs it had, and still has bugs like transparency mode suddenly reverting back after a few seconds, or mute doesn’t work properly in some standard conferencing systems e.g. MS Teams. The XM3 ones are well documented.
7. Battery life. The APP is a pain on the 11-15 hour flights I typically take, since at best they last 5 hours, and at worst only 3.5 hours. The latter is because the one thing that kills battery life is the use of the microphone on a conference or phone call, yet it is my most often use in the departure or arrivals areas. The Sony has battery life you forget about, the Bose is just OK. Even with the knowledge that the battery life is too low, I still ended up using the APPs on the flight when I could because of comfort, then refilling them, and using them again.
8. Noise Cancelling. This is dependent on where you’re sitting and the type of plane/engines/ age so I can’t give you a scientific answer. However, I’ve travelled with the XM3 and 700 for over 25k air miles and can say the XM3 are slightly better than the 700. After about 10K air miles with the APP and 700s together, I think the 700s are better in the air, whereas on the ground I think the APP is about equal, since it seems to cut traffic noise better. I didn’t expect the APP to be even close to the 700 or XM3 but it can be in some circumstances. It is almost as if the APP is tuned for City noise and the others for aircraft cabin noise. Oh, and the best noise deadening solution remains the XM3s on the outside and the ER-4XRs on the inside….
9. Walk thump. I walk a lot with headphones whether it be with dogs or luggage around an airport. I have little to no thump at all with the APPs and am delighted but surprised. I get some thump with every other TWS, and let’s not talk about the Etymotics.. Yes, I do get thump if I run, but I don’t run much, so that isn’t a problem for me.

i agree that the APP are indeed THAT good. This is my first trip I left my Bose QC35 behind, more space in my carry-on (instead i brought the very pocketable QC20, for wired connection). Yes, more battery life would be nice, but that’s pretty much the only downside.

 

[LostnAmerica]

Same here, two improvements announced in the release notes :
- Improved AAC Playback
- Improved compatibility with Google Chrome Books

Nothing about hiss sadly, let's see what the sound is like now...

EDIT - wow, the hiss actually sounds LOUDER on my v2s...

You are saying that the update made the hissing worse? Dang...

 

[chinmie]

i agree that the APP are indeed THAT good. This is my first trip I left my Bose QC35 behind, more space in my carry-on (instead i brought the very pocketable QC20, for wired connection). Yes, more battery life would be nice, but that’s pretty much the only downside.

how's the ANC of the APP fares up to the QC20?

 

[Caipirina]

how's the ANC of the APP fares up to the QC20?

I wish I had paid more attention to that, will try on return flight.
Needless to say, the fact that I do not even recall them feeling vastly different is a good sign that indeed, they must be very close in the ANC department.

 

[webvan]

so i finally found a (highly unorthodox ) way to fit the GGMM T1 securely to my ears without the occasional slipping, and also no thump when running. also surprisingly it adds airy-ness to the sound without thinning out the mids at all.

it looks uncomfortable, but surprisingly it's the contrary

i might perfect it later by snipping and rounding off the edges, but even like this it's fine. bonus is, they still fit nicely on the case

i suspect i would need this type of solution everytime I'm encounter this Powerbeats Pro-like form factor TWS

That looks weird indeed ! These are complys right ? So do you squish them at all ? @Caipirina found that the PBS (with the stock tips?) produced no "runner's thud" which is unheard of for an IEM that seals the ear canal. They're a bit expensive just to try though, the GGMM T1 not so much.

 

[Caipirina]

That looks weird indeed ! These are complys right ? So do you squish them at all ? @Caipirina found that the PBS (with the stock tips?) produced no "runner's thud" which is unheard of for an IEM that seals the ear canal. They're a bit expensive just to try though, the GGMM T1 not so much.

i have to check again (maybe I was delirious from too much running) but I am pretty certain there was no thud and I was really surprised.

in other news, there is another earhook style TWS that I suspect to be thudless, as it is semi open style. As an added ‘weird’ bonus it has a funky case that opens on both sides.


Will report on those after winter break. At that price point I am not expecting any sonic wonders. When I ordered it I did not know yet I would get the PBPro.

 

[chinmie]

That looks weird indeed ! These are complys right ? So do you squish them at all ? @Caipirina found that the PBS (with the stock tips?) produced no "runner's thud" which is unheard of for an IEM that seals the ear canal. They're a bit expensive just to try though, the GGMM T1 not so much.

it's "New Bee" brand foam tips, much cheaper than comply as it's about less than 5 usd per pack (6 pairs)

i think the PB pro would have the same problem with my ears, but i probably won't try it anyway, because one earhook type for sport in my arsenal is enough for now, and I'm really liking the sound of this GGMM, it's really warm and full, much closer to a full headphone

 

[webvan]

Thanks, found the "New Bee" on Amazon, they seem to have two types, one that looks like Comply and one that seems "harder/shinier" that reminds me of those that came with the Jabra Sport Elite and that I quite liked. I've tried the Complys several times and while they do isolate well I don't like how they muffle the sound and are a general pain to squish and insert.
I've added the GGMM to my list, they have them on Amazon so I might give them a try even if I'm not sure the X12 can be bettered for running

 

[Leeco]

Hi Guys!

I haven’t seen any mention of SoundPeats TrueAir here, so with that being said ...
This is my first "review", so be gentle, OK?

These are “open” style earphones, designed so you can hear your surroundings while listening to music or spoken word. If you need isolation – these are NOT for you! If you need earphones for commuting – these are NOT for you! Shopping in a big mall or taking a dog for a walk on the busy city streets – these are NOT for you.

But... if you are at home, a quiet office, or taking a walk in the nature, these are GREAT.
Also, if you don’t like the feeling of plugged-in ears, like IEMs or most TWSs give you, these are for you.

Are TrueAir TWS perfect? No!
Are they better then Apple Airpods (1st or 2nd gen)? Yes.

Sound: ★★★★★ (5 stars)

Clear, detailed and spacious. Similar to Apple Airpods, but more 3D and more spacious. When wearing Airpods I hear the sound coming directly from left and right. When I wear TrueAirs, the sound seems to come from all around my head. The clarity and separation is like going from SD (Standard Definition on Airpods) to true HD (high definition).

I hear people saying “No way, man! These can’t be better than Senn TWS or B&O, or [inset your favorite TWS here]!”

Well.... if you consider that I found them for less than $30 US for a pair (on Amazon) ...
And I am not comparing them to Senns or B&O or Sonies here... just OG Airpods.

You see, TWS main advantage is convenience. And that is why Apple Airpods became the most popular TWS in the history (plus a lot of Apple marketing and removal of 3.5mm audio jack...)

While I do use Airpods for watching/listening to YouTube videos, I always switched to “real” earbuds when listening to music on the go (Fiio BTR1k + Sony MH755).

I think most people here on Head-Fi would consider TrueAir to be slightly on the bright side. To me, they remind me of my old Etymotic Er6: clear, detailed, but unlike the Etys ... also “open” sounding. I can’t make a direct comparison because my Er6 broke last year...

So, not for the bassheads, but the clarity is sooo ...... my SSK BT03 have a lovely bass, but do sound “muddy” in direct A-B comparison and SSKs do sound closed.
TrueAirs sound "open"...
How many good “open” TWS do you know?

- 14.2 mm driver in a TWS? (MF-1000XM3 has a 6mm driver & L2P has 11mm)

- biological diaphragm? (is it “biocellulose diaphragm”. Maybe.... maybe NOT. But I wanted to hear it!)

Build: ★★★★☆ (4 stars)

The case is about 50% thicker than Airpods case, and rounder. You can open the lid with one finger, just like Airpods case. Unlike Airpods case that stays open, TrueAir can close by itself if you hold it at a specific angle. And while it is slightly bigger that the Airpods case, it’s smaller than most other TWS cases. (Yes, TrueAirs do fit is that small jeans pocket.)

The design of the TrueAir earbuds is slightly bulkier than Airpods. Where Airpods are round and “streamlined”, TrueAirs have oval stem and rounded corners. Their build feels slightly cheaper and flimsier that the OG Airpods.

On the other side, TrueAir buds are very easy to take out: put a finger anywhere behind them and pull towards you. The Airpods are much trickier to get out: you need two fingers to do a “pinch”, or a single finger with a lot of force in a specific area. If you give Airpods to anybody who has never used them before, watch them struggle as they try to get them out. TrueAirs don’t have this problem.

Connection: ★★★☆☆ (3 stars)

At home I had no connection problems with TrueAirs when the phone was in my pocket. Why only 3 stars? Well, the range of the Bluetooth is a few meters shorter than the other TWS I have. On TrueAirs I can get about 7 or 8 meters from my Pixel 3A (which uses Bluetooth 5 and AptX). In comparison, I would give original Airpods 4 stars (out of 5) – I can get 10 to 12 meters without interruptions.

The TrueAirs can give you a problem outside though. When I took my dog for a walk and was in a big open space, they skipped a few times. I am right handed, so I keep my phone in the right pocket most of the time. But while TrueAirs do make two Bluetooth connections when you pair them for the first time, when you take them out, the Left one becomes a master. And while I never had any skips or interruptions inside my house no matter what pocket my phone was in, outside – in open areas, they had trouble keeping stable connection from my right pocket to the Left [master] bud.

So, are they unusable outside? No, I do use them quite a lot actually - when I walk my dog. I just make sure to put my phone in the LEFT pocket. I never had any skips since. Would I use them at the station? No, they let all the surround noises in. The shopping mall? Too noisy. For places like that I use TWS with rubber tips that “seal” the ears.

Edit:
I did experience problems when I went for a run with my old “small” iPhone 5s. It didn’t matter what pocket I used - it had trouble in open areas to keep perfect connection. But iPhone 5s uses “old” Bluetooth 4.0 (!) standard. So if you have an old phone these are probably not recommended.

Ease of Use: ★★★★★ (5 stars)

Well, they are very similar to original Airpods... but with better controls. Single tap increases the volume on the right and decreases on the left. Double tap stops and starts the music. Long press skips to the next song on the right earbud and goes to the previous song on the left. And finally triple tap starts Voice Assistant. The taps register almost perfectly all the time, unless I touch in the wrong spot. My original Airpods can only register double taps, and they work 90% of the time. TrueAirs do feel more reliable (99%?) and give me all the controls I need.

Customer Service: ★★★★★ (5 stars)

I bought SoundPeats TrueAir TWS at the end of the November on Amazon for a very good price of $30 US. I thought I would use them as a backup to my first gen Airpods. I was interested to see how qcc3020 chip and AptX codec would perform in Airpods-style “open” type of TWS. I was so impressed that I decided to buy a second pair. It was a steal at the price they were selling it for on Amazon. When Cyber Monday came, I bought another pair for one of my kids as a Christmas present.

The third pair had a problem though... The left earbud [the master] had a noticeable (white?) noise. It was easily audible when the volume was very low or in between the songs. I tried to reset the buds and “forget” them from my phone, but it didn’t work. The next day, December 26th (the 2nd Christmas Day) I contacted the seller (SoundPeats Japan) through Amazon AND found SoundPeats page on Facebook and send a private message describing the problem. Not expecting much, because it was Christmas, I thought it would be nice if I got a reply in a few days. But the very next day I got a message from SoundPeats Facebook asking me for more info and to try different things. I did, but nothing helped. So I send a reply back. The next day I got a message saying that they will prepare a new unit as soon as I receive a confirmation email from them in a few days. I few days and a few emails later I got a mail saying that they are sending a new unit to me and I don’t even have to send the old (noisy) unit back. How great is that?

Today, December 30th, I received the new unit and it is perfect.

What about my original Airpods? I stopped using them.

So, are TrueAirs better than original Airpods? Yes!
Are they perfect for every situation? No! But nothing is perfect for every situation.

They are perfect for what I use them for and they feel like an upgrade from my old Airpods.

 

[jasaero]

Who all has tried these? Does $30 make them a unique value?

https://bgr.com/2019/12/30/amazon-price-mistake-airpods-rivals-from-anker/

 

[Rob E.]

Who all has tried these? Does $30 make them a unique value?

https://bgr.com/2019/12/30/amazon-price-mistake-airpods-rivals-from-anker/

Good marketing. An end-of-year push to clear out older technology inventory. Short 3.5 hr playtime battery and Bluetooth 4.2. Maybe a good deal for some. Nothing unique.
Edit: Btw,... the word 'unique' means one of a kind. Literally. It doesn't mean something is special or exceptional or good or novel. Fwiw.

 

[jlo mein]

Can you get hold of the Bomaker SiFi? They do charge via Micro USB, but have a small case, IPX 7, and honestly sound Efing amazing! They have volume control, track navigation, access to your assistent, are very small and comfortable to wear, can't find my manual or the specs online from bomakers site, for battery life anyway, other than a general estimate of 25-30 hours according to the product info section of amazon US. Haven't tested this yet, but from those specs i'd say 6 hours of use from them is likely possible. Most i've worn them for was 2 hours tonight and 2.5 hours a couple days ago, and they were almost at 90% the other day, forgot to check today before i plugged them back in. These are a great all arounder but if i point one thing out about the sound sig, it's that theres some sloppy sub bass at times, but doesn't drown anything out but point it out because that's the biggest flaw i've noticed. generally, as much as a TWS can have a soundstage of any kind, and a couple manage to, these do pretty well in that regard as well. I had a pair of QCY T1C, and if they hadn't been stolen i'd still have them. But the Bomakers have fuller mids, and across the board; are smoother and mor controled by a sizeable amount. the MSRP is $50. one could do far worse for $50, but on Amazon U.S. theres a $15 off coupon, and Bomaker is offering at minimum on their site 10% off. Yes there are better TWEs out there, but most of them, cost 2, 3 times or mor than these. At $35, they are a noBrainer if any of the use cases i mentioned meet what you're looking for. oh a couple other important things, they support APTX, AAC and can be paired and used in mono..

Have to say after a tip upgrade, my Bomaker are my absolute favourite. Fit and comfort were acceptable with the stock black midsize tips for me, but now I'm using Spinfit CP360 Small tips that I DIY stuffed with cut foam earplugs. The Spinfit silicone is much more soft and pliable, and having them stuffed with foam increases isolation. The Bomaker design and sound really benefit from very deep insertion. I normally wear medium tips on other IEMs but use Small with these for deeper fit.

I personally find them bass heavy and lacking some treble. EQing corrects the highs but they're still slightly metallic sounding. Many here seem to think they lack bass which is interesting.