[hifi80sman]

Brief impressions on the JBL Tour Pro+.

Really digging these things.

CASE
A little larger, but feels and looks slightly more premium, but similar overall.

BUDS
The JBL Tour Pro+ are about the same size, but a little different shape. They fit me well and have a more secure fit than the JBL Club Pro+, which tends to slip a little at the gym.

ANC
About the same. They do a good job with fans, AC units, etc., but kids yapping will cut right through.

SOUND
I tested these out on the same iPhone 12 Pro, Apple Music, same songs, and all using the same EQ options (Bass Boost and no EQ). While they sound very similar, the Tour Pro+ actually sound a little cleaner and dig a little deeper. Imaging is a bit better. Overall, the sound extends better across the frequency range. They're close, but I think the Tour Pro+ are a worthwhile improvement. I wouldn't necessarily say that those with the Club Pro+ should upgrade, but if you no longer have those, I would absolutely recommend these.

OVERALL
If I were to recommend something to the Average Joe off the street, I'd probably recommend these. Good universal fit, good feature set, respectable ANC for low frequency noise, pretty great EQ (see below), and excellent overall sound across genres. If you like bass, which my simplistic self does, these will numb your teeth.

 

[Thesonofkrypton]

Enjoying the XM4s. Sony got to be commended for the wind noise reduction feature, was a bit blustery yesterday when out and turned them on and was really impressed having been disappointed with the XM3 for that very reason. Wanted to keep the feature on permanently but apparently drains battery, so a little annoyance having to turn it on from the app but not a big deal.

Those experiencing bugs with the xm4 are you on android? Using iPhone and zero issues. Had zero issues with the XM3 too, so I imagine it must be.

 

[bizkid]

I have the Jabra Elite 65t for a week now and really like them. Hoowever i wish they had more clarity and detail overall. Don't get me wrong for the price you pay for them right now they are fantastic but i'm a little spoiled so i'm looking for something with a similar tuning, maybe better/more mids and more detail, more clarity and better instrument seperation. Any recommendations? Thanks alot.

 

[snapandslide]

On the XM4? No, Spinfits.

Which spinfits are these? I'm currently using the silicone that came with the XM3s, which is working out ok. Not a fan of the foams, but will give them another try in a few days.

 

[Devodonaldson]

Enjoying the XM4s. Sony got to be commended for the wind noise reduction feature, was a bit blustery yesterday when out and turned them on and was really impressed having been disappointed with the XM3 for that very reason. Wanted to keep the feature on permanently but apparently drains battery, so a little annoyance having to turn it on from the app but not a big deal.

Those experiencing bugs with the xm4 are you on android? Using iPhone and zero issues. Had zero issues with the XM3 too, so I imagine it must be.

Not a (because you're on Android) use the XM4 with 4 different Android devices without issue. It's an issue, but not a typical one

 

[X-Nemesis]

Hi, I'm unable to find a retailer for the UE Fits in Canada, can anyone here drop a link if you know of one?

 

[tiagopinto]

Regarding Flossy Carter reviews, he's funny and does give good impressions. I don't always agree with his sonic preferences but understand them well enough to know which products he reviews will work for me.

In the case of the XM4 I have a few reservations though. He appeared to be using the setting for stability versus sound quality when testing, this would not allow the XM4 to be at its best sonically speaking so may have affecting his musical ranking and account for why he thought the sound quality was very similar to the XM3.

I like his reviews and I agree with you when I take my own considerations based on his impressions.

A couple of things I never agree on are: he tests most stuff pushing the bass in the EQ to the max (this might be his biggest mistake. IMO it’s not a question of taste but of fidelity and accuracy), he gets ridiculously nervous when trying to open ANY box, he does not seem to respect whatever any manufacturer includes as accessories or literature.

The rest is his personal style, some things I like, others I don’t. But overall he does a good job.

I wish there was a more audiophile kind of reviewer out there trying this type of stuff out, like John Darko, Hans Beekhuyzen or even ASR.

I used to like Jimmy Luong too.

 

[tiagopinto]

No word on either front so far. 85t Actives could be pretty sweet if done well.

And weekly maintenance calls. Tired enough that I confused this with my morning coffee at least once already:

Just a little Dawn soap and hot water. We used to call this "hot soapy" and is the universal cleaner onboard submarines.

Might seem like a lot of work, but it's still less compared to an ear infection.

Hot soapy?! I love this guy.

 

[Tommy C]

Hi, I'm unable to find a retailer for the UE Fits in Canada, can anyone here drop a link if you know of one?

Was looking for a Canadian retailer as well. No luck and eventually gave up.

 

[samandhi]

Gonna give them a run tonight. The M5 generated a lot of wind noise for me. I’ll start with stock tips and go from there. Fingers crossed.

I don't bike, or run much, but do a lot of walking, and outside. I have found that the wind noise is amplified when in "hear-through" mode, but otherwise I don't hear much of anything else. With a good seal these seem pretty good at passive noise isolation IMO.

 

[tiagopinto]

So I should wait for next generation TWS if I already have the MT? I don't really care about ANC, couple extra features, etc. I mainly care about sq and comfort, which MT does great already. Aptx to LDAC is probably negligible. I'm getting the MT rma'd sometime this month due to the volume issue it has & charging issue. Hopefully, that will solve those 2 issues.

@PixelSquish @jsmiller58

I’ve been giving the Rai Solo ALL the attention lately so haven’t been able to dedicate any time to the MT and analyze if any issues persist. Mind you, I’m in my second pair (after the left bud capitulated). I love their sound and that’s the main argument for keeping them. I guess I should further test them and check if they’re “ok to proceed”. If not, I’ll probably return them and not get a third pair. We’ll see.

(btw, the latest Greta Van Fleet sounds awesome on the Solo, as everything usually does! Gonna switch to the MT and hope for the best)

 

[clerkpalmer]

I don't bike, or run much, but do a lot of walking, and outside. I have found that the wind noise is amplified when in "hear-through" mode, but otherwise I don't hear much of anything else. With a good seal these seem pretty good at passive noise isolation IMO.

They passed the biking test with flying colors. Very little wind noise - best I’ve had so far. Transparency off but that’s a given. Really like these. Probably gonna cancel my beats preorder - hard to think they could be better.

 

[tiagopinto]

I have not heard the MT but it sounds like I should.

I believe you should.

I really liked the sound of the MT. I can't wait until they come out with a successor and I will try that. They were just too glitchy for me and a bit unpolished, including the touch controls being way too sensitive. Plus I do want good ANC for some scenarios. I did think the MT were a notch above the MTW2 in SQ for me. It wasn't a dramatic increase of SQ, but enough to feel these are slightly better and I enjoy them a touch more when I use them. For now I feel the MTW2 and XM4 are similar in SQ for me, even though they sound slightly different, they both make me happy the same amount.

If you don't care about ANC and the battery life, stick with the MT and save the money, spend that 300 on something else nice. I will be looking forward to Cambridge Audio's next TWS buds.

Agreed. I haven’t tried the XM4. But compared to the MTW2 I prefer the MT. XM3 were unquestionably worse, for me.

I think (in the end after many FW updates and re-tuning) the MT are one of those rare gems that punch in higher than their price tag IMO. Are they perfect? No! Are they accurately tuned? Heck no! But, do they have some really good technicalities in their single DD driver? Oh yes! Hopefully CA has learned a thing or two and the next gen will be better. I know I will be tempted (at least) to check them out. In the end, I am glad I bought them!

I disagree with your “Heck no” about the tuning. I believe after the last firmware they’re right there...

I guess with PI7 and the MT standing out SQ-wise, proper amplification may be more important than initially assumed in this space. Looking forward to more actual HiFi companies stepping into this space. Could Focal be next?

Amplification is definitely of the utmost importance imo. For me it’s more about the components’ synergy and their implementation than the decoding chip by itself or the available codecs.

I dig the Melomania Touch. It’s a very decent sounding tws for the money but frustrated me with the connection issues. I look forward to the next iteration 100% if they keep or improve on the sound quality but work on improving the overall experience.

I haven’t had many of those issues lately. We’ve been comparing them to buds that are at least double the price. Imo, there’s no contest at 130€.

As Samandhi said “are they perfect?” No, they’re not. Maybe the PI7 with more battery or the Gemini with no issues, but are they worth three pairs of MT’s? Never imo.

 

[clerkpalmer]

I believe you should.



Agreed. I haven’t tried the XM4. But compared to the MTW2 I prefer the MT. XM3 were unquestionably worse, for me.



I disagree with your “Heck no” about the tuning. I believe after the last firmware they’re right there...



Amplification is definitely of the utmost importance imo. For me it’s more about the components’ synergy and their implementation than the decoding chip by itself or the available codecs.



I haven’t had many of those issues lately. We’ve been comparing them to buds that are at least double the price. Imo, there’s no contest at 130€.

As Samandhi said “are they perfect?” No, they’re not. Maybe the PI7 with more battery or the Gemini with no issues, but are they worth three pairs of MT’s? Never imo.

In defense of the Gemini it’s only 2.25 pairs. If you don’t need ANC it’s debatable. Actually the tuning on both of them is similar. The Gemini have tighter bass which is probably the one area the CA could be improved. The bass is a little loose.

 

[samandhi]

I disagree with your “Heck no” about the tuning. I believe after the last firmware they’re right there...

I only meant it in the sense that they still have very boosted bass, and the mids are still a bit recessed, though the treble has improved immensely. So, they are not tuned to be accurate, but to be fun IMO...