[miserybeforethemusic]

No luck with receiving the Senns today. Ended up ordering a set of Earfun Free Pro as an impulse buy. Considering there's a 10% coupon on Amazon (and a 20% one for their site, I guess), seemed like a no-brainer on price alone, though I know I'm going to wish it had an app. Should arrive tomorrow.

 

[543293]

FIIL users should give this preset more of a listen—pretty classy bass and works for any kind of track.

 

[Canabuc]

Well it didn't take long to see why the complaint about the WF-1000XM3 not being secure. The included tips just don't work great. The foam ones are neat but make them insecure and the other tips are NOT Sony's hybrid tips and have similar slipping issues. Fortunately I have several pairs of real hybrid tips from other Sony headphones. I don't understand why Sony keeps trying to go away from these tips. They are one of their best product designs as they are super comfy and the grip in the ear often getting pulled inside out when being removed.

With the large Sony hybrid tips these just stay in place and are super comfy. I may buy a cheap pair of wire buds just to get a new pack of tips or hunt down a new pack of actually Sony tips if I can find some.

Setting the tips issue aside I do like how these sound. It's a great tuning out of the box. They are slightly warmer than the AZ70 and have a very easy to listen signature. Strangely enough I think the AZ70 goes deeper into the sub bass region but this may be more about the slightly elevated midbass masking the sub bass. For several genres that added midbass is nice though. Some rock and jazz sound better with the added warmth for example. They are not as bass heavy as the XB700 though which for me is a good thing as I found it a bit to bass heavy for my tastes. I also appreciate they are not as dark sounding as the WH-1000XM3 which was just a bit to dark sounding for me.

I like the Sony app as well, how the EQ options work a bit stronger than the AZ70 apps EQ which is very mild in comparison even when you crank the values manually. The sliders also work easily and reliably. I did turn off the adaptive feature though as I found it very distracting. I am also not sure I hear anything different using DSEE HX so may turn it off.

i will see how I feel after a few more days but so far I am enjoying the sound quality and feel like I have solved the comfort issue secure feeling issue.

Mine came in and oddly enough with all the buds testing I have done, they seem more comfortable and secure then I remember the first go. I amusing the stock tips with large on one side and medium the other.
Wouldn't use them to work out but for everyday listening or going where I need ANC or ambient these are really good!
The EQ really delivers sonic changes unlike the Sennheiser or the Technics which made little change for me.

These and the buds pro have the best treble of any tws I have heard.



This track about a minute in you hear cymbals hit for about 30 seconds. With Samsung and Sony it crisp detailed and resonant.
Every other earbud seems to lose the definition including the MTW2.
The bass is very good but Jabra and Fiil do have better sub bass.

I am still figuring out the EQ settings as to what I like best.

JBL have very nice sound too and with EQ can sound very much like Sony bit with better sub bass but that upper treble detail not as good.
Controls are identical to the sony but with ipx4 and wireless charging though the case doesn't love my charger.
Given the price of these I think I will end up keeping 1 and if I still love the Sennheiser sound will return the MTW2 for the CX00 BT.
This way for the price of the MTW2 I can get Sony and the Sennheiser. Best of both worlds.

 

[Canabuc]

FIIL users should give this preset more of a listen—pretty classy bass and works for any kind of track.

I actually prefer the new age though it is cutoff and just says new. Or I have my own custom EQ changes too.

 

[Monkeytofu]

Edifier GM5 gaming buds with LL...

I bought the GM5s because I wanted to try and see if they work as PC gaming earbuds.

They come with a special gaming mode (which makes a difference while gaming) and compared to most wireless earbuds they're good. I wouldn't say they're audiophile quality. Unfortunately, the main thing I wanted them for was to use them for gaming on my laptop, but they don't have the FastStream Codec, so while they work perfectly for mobile gaming and provide good positional audio and an amazing microphone, you can't use the nice microphone while PC gaming.

They don't provide much audio sealing, but they're comfortable and have some active noise cancelling you can turn off and on. I actually like that I can hear, I find myself yelling wearing big headphones.

If you own a separate mic that's good, but if you wanted a no wires set up, which this kind of headset would be for, it's not optimal. Really unfortunate, I've talked to some of the edifier people on Aliexpress about it. Hopefully, they'll use fast stream with the next iteration for PC gamers, but for mobile gamers, I think this is the best you can get when it comes to wireless, no delay audio.

Creative sells some in-ear monitors with FastStream but my ear canal cannot handle even the smallest of silicone/IEM type earbuds.

 

[Canabuc]

Any JBL club pro plus users have some EQ settings to share?

 

[turbobb]

Been looking for an all-in-one solution to have decent quality music and mic for Zoom calls on PC. However, PC creates the separate profiles with Headphone/Headset forcing one to use the latter when mic is on and kicking it into mono. Apparently the FastStream codec is the solution and while I have Avantree's DG60 adapter, I'm not aware of any TWS that supports this. Just curious if anyone facing similar issue found a solution? For now, I've resorted to using my Comica wireless mic in conjunction w/whatever TWS I'm using.

EDIT: @Monkeytofu - meant to reply to your post - looks like we're after the same thing but not sure it exists atm.

 

[darveniza]

Have spent the past week with a set of TWS

Grado GT200
Sennheiser Momentum 2
Ultimate Ear Fits
Cambridge Audio Melomania
Noble Audio Falcon Pro
Sony WF 1000XM3*
Master Dynamics TW07 Plus*
(*Had to stop using due to fit issues)

Have other TWS like Samsung Buds Pro, Pixel, Huawei Freebuds 3 Pro but consider these more for work and have a little of other non music related features

Just to share

Sound Ranking

1- Grado
2- Cambridge Audio (Latest FW)
3-UE Fits (latest FW)
4- MTW2
5- Noble
6-MD
7 Sony

Just created a a Playlist with mixture of music from different Genres, including from the 70's heavy in guitars to Hip Hop. Placed it on shuffle play as I wanted to avoid bias and was looking for no doubt instruments, punch but also not having to use eq or adjust sound. Use at 50% and stock Tuning (no eq). Noble was bass was strong but was present in all tunes so it became a bit much, but with 2 BAs it did well with Highs and mids

Comfort and Stability

1- Cambridge
2- UE Fits
3-MTW2 and Grado
4- Noble
5- MD
6-Sony

Walking, normal jog , jumping and mat type exercises

App

1-Cambridge
2-MTW2
3- Noble
4- UE
5-Sony
Grado has no app

Ease of use, features, eq and some other basics like FW updates

Best Battery Performance and Connection Speed to Phone

1- Cambridge (beast)
2- Grado ( no app allows for reduce battery consumption)
3-MTW2
4-UE Fits
5-Sony and MD
6- Noble (painful)

How quick it connected after taking out of case and how long It took me to get 50% and 25%

Controls TWS

1-Cambridge
2-Grado
3- MTW2
4-UE Fits
5-Noble
6-MD
7-Sony

I was looking at accuracy for changing songs,, pause /play,play, while walking. Some TWS like UE Fits is limited on controls.Cambridge was best as I think they used a larger sensor and TWS surface could not be missed even if jogging


Price vs Performance

1-Cambridge
2- Grado
3- MTW2
4-UE Fits
5- MD
6-Sony
7- Noble


The biggest discovery for me during the evaluation was the Cambridge Audio Melomania, wow!!!!!

 

[soullinker20]

haven't updated my UE Fits yet. does the latest firmware update have changes is sound quality?

 

[Monkeytofu]

Been looking for an all-in-one solution to have decent quality music and mic for Zoom calls on PC. However, PC creates the separate profiles with Headphone/Headset forcing one to use the latter when mic is on and kicking it into mono. Apparently the FastStream codec is the solution and while I have Avantree's DG60 adapter, I'm not aware of any TWS that supports this. Just curious if anyone facing similar issue found a solution? For now, I've resorted to using my Comica wireless mic in conjunction w/whatever TWS I'm using.

EDIT: @Monkeytofu - meant to reply to your post - looks like we're after the same thing but not sure it exists atm.

There are some solutions, but like faststream, they're all kind of cobbled together... Jabra has this dongle they sell that allows you to use their TWS earbuds during zoom calls and I've heard good things. But even the dongle has versions that are"optimized" for Skype or Microsoft Teams. Jabra earbuds also use the IEM style tips, which unfortunately for me is a no-go.

According to this list the KZ wireless earbuds you see on Aliexpress also have faststream. However, they don't support AptxLL, which makes them a bit useless for gaming, but may work for your situation?

You'd think with almost 2 decades of Bluetooth, this wouldn't be an issue. However, I think this more of an issue with Windows/MacOS and how they handle Bluetooth because it doesn't seem to be an issue at all when it comes to IOS and Android from my tests. People were actually surprised how clear my mic was on games.

Edit: This Jabra TWS set seems to be "the" solution but you're looking at 180-200 USD from what I can see on Amazon in the states. about 428 CAD for me. Reviews are mixed too.

 

[TK33]

Been looking for an all-in-one solution to have decent quality music and mic for Zoom calls on PC. However, PC creates the separate profiles with Headphone/Headset forcing one to use the latter when mic is on and kicking it into mono. Apparently the FastStream codec is the solution and while I have Avantree's DG60 adapter, I'm not aware of any TWS that supports this. Just curious if anyone facing similar issue found a solution? For now, I've resorted to using my Comica wireless mic in conjunction w/whatever TWS I'm using.

EDIT: @Monkeytofu - meant to reply to your post - looks like we're after the same thing but not sure it exists atm.

I use my phone + Galaxy Buds Live for the "call" part of a "Zoom call". If there is an actual dialin, you can enter the participant ID or the code they give you in the audio section while also logged in on uh our computer and they will link up your phone (audio) and computer (video). It is pretty easy to switch between computer audio and phone audio. It will mute computer audio when you do this and just use your phone so you dont get that awful feedback. I noticed recently that you can usually do the same with WebEx.

Probably not the solution you were looking for but I usually find phone audio to just work better for these calls anyway.

 

[dj24]

Been looking for an all-in-one solution to have decent quality music and mic for Zoom calls on PC. However, PC creates the separate profiles with Headphone/Headset forcing one to use the latter when mic is on and kicking it into mono. Apparently the FastStream codec is the solution and while I have Avantree's DG60 adapter, I'm not aware of any TWS that supports this. Just curious if anyone facing similar issue found a solution? For now, I've resorted to using my Comica wireless mic in conjunction w/whatever TWS I'm using.

EDIT: @Monkeytofu - meant to reply to your post - looks like we're after the same thing but not sure it exists atm.

There are some solutions, but like faststream, they're all kind of cobbled together... Jabra has this dongle they sell that allows you to use their TWS earbuds during zoom calls and I've heard good things. But even the dongle has versions that are"optimized" for Skype or Microsoft Teams. Jabra earbuds also use the IEM style tips, which unfortunately for me is a no-go.

According to this list the KZ wireless earbuds you see on Aliexpress also have faststream. However, they don't support AptxLL, which makes them a bit useless for gaming, but may work for your situation?

You'd think with almost 2 decades of Bluetooth, this wouldn't be an issue. However, I think this more of an issue with Windows/MacOS and how they handle Bluetooth because it doesn't seem to be an issue at all when it comes to IOS and Android from my tests. People were actually surprised how clear my mic was on games.

Edit: This Jabra TWS set seems to be "the" solution but you're looking at 180-200 USD from what I can see on Amazon in the states. about 428 CAD for me. Reviews are mixed too.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Jabra/comments/f6jrpa/using_jabra_elite_75t_as_bluetooth_headset_on/

I went ahead with the Jabra Link 380 USB-C and haven't looked back since then. Works great with all my VOIP work calls and most TWS except Samsung. Unfortunately this the best we can do until APTX Voice which was announced in CES 2020 starts appearing in future TWS devices.

 

[dweaver]

Mine came in and oddly enough with all the buds testing I have done, they seem more comfortable and secure then I remember the first go. I amusing the stock tips with large on one side and medium the other.
Wouldn't use them to work out but for everyday listening or going where I need ANC or ambient these are really good!
The EQ really delivers sonic changes unlike the Sennheiser or the Technics which made little change for me.

These and the buds pro have the best treble of any tws I have heard.



This track about a minute in you hear cymbals hit for about 30 seconds. With Samsung and Sony it crisp detailed and resonant.
Every other earbud seems to lose the definition including the MTW2.
The bass is very good but Jabra and Fiil do have better sub bass.

I am still figuring out the EQ settings as to what I like best.

JBL have very nice sound too and with EQ can sound very much like Sony bit with better sub bass but that upper treble detail not as good.
Controls are identical to the sony but with ipx4 and wireless charging though the case doesn't love my charger.
Given the price of these I think I will end up keeping 1 and if I still love the Sennheiser sound will return the MTW2 for the CX00 BT.
This way for the price of the MTW2 I can get Sony and the Sennheiser. Best of both worlds.

Neat song, I actually hear that cymbal more clearly on the AZ70 but I know what you mean regarding the 1000XM3 as it also has great clarity while having more warmth. The contrast is interesting because the 1000XM3 is more lush with thee piano sounding darker and the vocals being more rich, everything a bit more intimate. The AZ70 on the other hand has a brighter piano and more airy sound with vocals slightly higher pitched and detailed. They are both distinctly different and yet both sound cohesive and whole to my ears.

The AZ70 represent the best of a mid treble centric signature with tight but deep bass and the 1000XM3 represents the best of a bass mid centric sound with excellent treble extension. Both avoiding the the pitfalls of those signatures. Ie the AZ70 avoids sibilance and the 1000XM3 avoids being overly dark and losing detail.

But given only one choice for the song I prefer the 1000XM3 because the piano just has that extra decay and vitality plus the vocals have a bit more authority.

 

[Peddler]

I'm beginning to think that I'm the only one who consistently gets a good fit with the Sony WF1000XM3's. I absolutely love these headphones - and still feel that they're amongst the best TWS of there.

I also have the Apollo Bold's, Lypertek Tevi, Mavin Air-X and the iBasso CF01/IT00 combo (which sound utterly superb by the way).

The anc on the Sony's works brilliantly when it comes to filtering out the traffic noise outside my window and doesn't have any significant effect on the sound quality.

For late night listening at very low volume levels I use the Apollo's as they're excellent for low volume listening (anc turned off as it introduces additional noise). I personally think that these are the best sounding headphones I've ever heard when it comes to listening at very low volume levels.

I also have the WH1000XM2 full size headphones which I also love their sound quality and character - I guess I'm a Sony fanboy.

 

[FYLegend]

My final review of the Earfun Free Pro: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/earfun-free-pro.24971/reviews#review-25340