[darveniza]

If anyone is interested, selling a TWS bundle at a very good price

Posted on Classifieds ear monitors

 

[DDDYKI]

I mentioned in the dedicated thread for them that I bit the bullet on the MTW 3 last week and think I'm satisfied. It was between them and the LinkBuds S but I went Momentum based on battery life (and a slight regret at missing the MTW 2 in favor of the B&O E8 a few years ago). The stock eartips were just OK so I went from them to Sedna TWS to SpinFit 360 to 1025, and the 1025 give me the best fit. Much better fit than the AZ60 as I can get these seated properly and not have to fiddle around to mitigate ear pain. I'll try stock again at some point because I really like the idea of the filter protecting the drivers from wax.
I will miss LDAC (most of my files are ripped FLACs). Touch and wear sensors are nice and fast. Noise cancellation does a serviceable job; as some have said, sometimes you don't notice a difference when switching it. And the signal is just fine in a few trouble spots in midtown Manhattan.

 

[jant71]

I've tried everything but I just can't make the CRA sound good. I do wonder what I'm doing wrong.... It's not like I don't own around 100 sets of TWS/IEM's so I'd have expected to have eeked something out by now. I've tried tips to constrain the trebles, I've tried Wavelet. I've even tried going cold turkey from music for a while and going back to them. Maybe they just aren't for me. I bought two CCA sets at the same time - CRA and NRA - and have just confined both to the bottom of my iem basket. Even at that price far better tuned options IMO

Ears and gears do differ plus they seem quite sensitive to these things like tips and outputs. I don't like them at all when you start to give them just a decent amount of power. The bass go south and gets smeared. So there are plenty of reports of them going wrong in both directions and people needing to change the screens to tame them at 5K. I mostly use them with my Cowon which has matured over the years from a more digital sound and too much treble to smoother and more natural so I usually add treble to most things. NRA is a slightly cheaper magnetostat which even the pricier one needs work so that is probably out. I know they are toning down the highs in each newer models like the EDX Ultra and ESX.

 

[Juturna]

They aren't exactly Harman curve, I'd say it's somewhere between xm3 and xm4. You can use the app to EQ the buds to your liking.

I was thinking about the Linkbuds S but I don't think I will enjoy them more than finding them "okay". I had both the XM3's and the XM4's, and I thought they were only okay for the most part with some annoyances that were just too much for me with the XM4's, some that have been fixed from what I've heard.
I couldn't deal with the fact that the XM4's changed the characteristics of the sound by an extreme amount as soon as you hit the 50% volume mark, I needed to change the EQ settings several times a day because of that lol.
Overall think all Sony TWS i've tried have had way too narrow of a soundstage and somewhat poor imaging in my opinion, leaving it sounding very "mushy" and "in-my-head" even with their app EQ.

To be fair I haven't tried their earbuds with Wavelet or anything and I could probably get them to sound better if I did... but that would be if the XM4's weren't made in a way that my ears did not agree with. My ear canals are pretty big, but I guess my outer ears weren't made for the Sony's, because they never sat flush in my ears no matter what I tried, just jutting out completely from my ears if I positioned them for the best audio possible.

I've tried everything but I just can't make the CRA sound good. I do wonder what I'm doing wrong.... It's not like I don't own around 100 sets of TWS/IEM's so I'd have expected to have eeked something out by now. I've tried tips to constrain the trebles, I've tried Wavelet. I've even tried going cold turkey from music for a while and going back to them. Maybe they just aren't for me. I bought two CCA sets at the same time - CRA and NRA - and have just confined both to the bottom of my iem basket. Even at that price far better tuned options IMO

I agree. They sound acceptable to me, but I don't see any reason why I would listen to them over my TWS's, even the cheaper ones that I don't really use much anymore.
For me I think it's a bit of a fit issue and also just... sure I can EQ them, but it doesn't sound like they... WANT to sound that way lol, it strikes me as sounding unnatural.
They're not for me anyway, we'll see if I try any other KZ/CCA earbuds again, I'm afraid that the CCA BTX just makes earbuds sit super weird in my ears because the hooks are kinda too short... and I'm not a fan of wires.

 

[jant71]

If you ask me my $40 JVC TWS beats with aptX the CRA wired(with a better cable even). Over BT I don't think the EX could beat the CRA. I think the N6 pro 2 and Yamaha don't embarrass themselves but the WU1/CRA is a clear winner. Anyone can read the reviews and there is both big praise and not big praise at times. I have experienced both with the same pair.


edit: Was out today and swapped back to the CRA from the Smabat M Pro. Damn if these drivers are not impressive for something so cheap. Don't blame the these are $200 good people even if some hyperbole. The extension both ways is legit good and the thin drivers are capable of great dynamics and pulling a lot out of recordings. Emotion from instruments, awesome separation and resolution is impressive. Just a whole nother level there than so many up to $100 IEMS and $200 TWS can do. Tuning not the best it could be. Perhaps not the most accurate timbre on bass and cymbals you will hear. But silly for $10 what they can pull out. A big window to stick your head out and cleanly hear so much. I won't knock them for that price that they needed more tuning work and they don't like power and and can go wrong from source to source. You don't get that level of fine tuning and work on the stability to perform consistent across various outputs at this price. If they work for you, you get more ability than you should expect.

 

[Not so fat head]

I think....I've been reading this thread for over an hour now and scouring the whole of head-fi for a bit longer looking for the best IEMs for myself . I don't think I've been more confused about a headphone market in my life LOL. I recently have been convinced to bite the bullet on the TWS route to upgrade over my Soundcore Q20, which to be honest? Sounds terrible. I'm really looking for a more neutral sound but I wouldn't mind something more lively or musical if it didn't sound muffled or bloated. I thought increasing my budget up to $300 would solve the issue but it seems to have made it worse @___@. The WM4, Momentum, MW07, and others....I just can't seem to find something that seems worth taking a dip. Don't really care about features really...as long as its closed and doesn't hurt my ears (obviously hard to gauge) then I'm good. This headphone market seems rough....

Hi B-Dock20
Anything over $150 with a reputable vendor will, in my opinion, sound good.
I’ve yet to find anything $99 and under with standout audio quality. Others will most likely disagree here, but I’m talking really good audio…
All of my cheaper TWS headphones are in bags or some drawer…
Like discarded toys from Toy Story..
Mostly you get what you pay for.

 

[Fleeple]

I mentioned in the dedicated thread for them that I bit the bullet on the MTW 3 last week and think I'm satisfied. It was between them and the LinkBuds S but I went Momentum based on battery life (and a slight regret at missing the MTW 2 in favor of the B&O E8 a few years ago). The stock eartips were just OK so I went from them to Sedna TWS to SpinFit 360 to 1025, and the 1025 give me the best fit. Much better fit than the AZ60 as I can get these seated properly and not have to fiddle around to mitigate ear pain. I'll try stock again at some point because I really like the idea of the filter protecting the drivers from wax.
I will miss LDAC (most of my files are ripped FLACs). Touch and wear sensors are nice and fast. Noise cancellation does a serviceable job; as some have said, sometimes you don't notice a difference when switching it. And the signal is just fine in a few trouble spots in midtown Manhattan.

How would you rate the comfort? I just got the belkin soundform immerse and they definitely stay in, but the earhooks wear on my ear rather quickly....

 

[B-Dawk20]

Hi B-Dock20
Anything over $150 with a reputable vendor will, in my opinion, sound good.
I’ve yet to find anything $99 and under with standout audio quality. Others will most likely disagree here, but I’m talking really good audio…
All of my cheaper TWS headphones are in bags or some drawer…
Like discarded toys from Toy Story..
Mostly you get what you pay for.

This has been my experience so far lol. I think I owned a few from Anker and some JVC stuff just because I needed something at the time and they all sounded....like I wasted my money <_<

 

[DigDub]

I was thinking about the Linkbuds S but I don't think I will enjoy them more than finding them "okay". I had both the XM3's and the XM4's, and I thought they were only okay for the most part with some annoyances that were just too much for me with the XM4's, some that have been fixed from what I've heard.
I couldn't deal with the fact that the XM4's changed the characteristics of the sound by an extreme amount as soon as you hit the 50% volume mark, I needed to change the EQ settings several times a day because of that lol.
Overall think all Sony TWS i've tried have had way too narrow of a soundstage and somewhat poor imaging in my opinion, leaving it sounding very "mushy" and "in-my-head" even with their app EQ.

To be fair I haven't tried their earbuds with Wavelet or anything and I could probably get them to sound better if I did... but that would be if the XM4's weren't made in a way that my ears did not agree with. My ear canals are pretty big, but I guess my outer ears weren't made for the Sony's, because they never sat flush in my ears no matter what I tried, just jutting out completely from my ears if I positioned them for the best audio possible.


I agree. They sound acceptable to me, but I don't see any reason why I would listen to them over my TWS's, even the cheaper ones that I don't really use much anymore.
For me I think it's a bit of a fit issue and also just... sure I can EQ them, but it doesn't sound like they... WANT to sound that way lol, it strikes me as sounding unnatural.
They're not for me anyway, we'll see if I try any other KZ/CCA earbuds again, I'm afraid that the CCA BTX just makes earbuds sit super weird in my ears because the hooks are kinda too short... and I'm not a fan of wires.

My experience with the xm4 and the Linkbuds S are actually quite different from yours. I don't notice any changes on sound when the battery runs low. The soundstage is also one of the most spacious I've heard in a tws. Maybe it's because of the tips you are using with the xm4?

 

[DDDYKI]

How would you rate the comfort? I just got the belkin soundform immerse and they definitely stay in, but the earhooks wear on my ear rather quickly....

A little better now with the CP1025. I did not expect to like the shallower tips compared to the fuller CP360 or the stock tips. I do fidget with the pieces occasionally, but that's also partly up to nerves. The fins on the Immerse look slightly more pronounced than the MTW3. I'm not sure I've found much of a purpose for the fins on MTW3 and that's another part of why I do fidget with them occasionally. My next experiment is to take the fins off and see how the pieces hold in my ear walking around indoors. I put the large fins on last week so I could try to get the curve to hook into my ear, but I don't think it makes much of a difference.

 

[jant71]

Not that they are world beater's but I might try my first Mifo since I have a gift card so no real cost anyhow. The HiFi Air have been getting solid reviews anyhow even though most are just the two sentence type customer type. https://www.qucox.com/mifo-fiitii-hifiair-review/
Turns out they are a hybrid...

I like how the fit seems quite good as well. Also like the control scheme with volume being one press and ANC modes being a long press. Though I don't like that there is no real off mode just ambient, mild ANC and strong ANC but I do like that ANC strength is on board so it is still adjustable for DAPs that can't do apps. Might take a shot from Amazon when they drop on the 16th.

Still like to play in the budget area. Lavabeans were/are a winner, Aviot for $40 was cool style but just okay overall. $40 JVC HA-A11T has aptX, good sound and fit and usable ambient. No complaints outside of a boxy case. Simgot still the best range and really nice looks and fit just too thick of a sound. not sure I paid that much for them. Think I came across at like $25 sale and took a shot. Would love to open them up and swap in a better driver. Lavabeans sound with MTW5 range would be a nice combo.

 

[Fleeple]

A little better now with the CP1025. I did not expect to like the shallower tips compared to the fuller CP360 or the stock tips. I do fidget with the pieces occasionally, but that's also partly up to nerves. The fins on the Immerse look slightly more pronounced than the MTW3. I'm not sure I've found much of a purpose for the fins on MTW3 and that's another part of why I do fidget with them occasionally. My next experiment is to take the fins off and see how the pieces hold in my ear walking around indoors. I put the large fins on last week so I could try to get the curve to hook into my ear, but I don't think it makes much of a difference.

Thank you very kindly that helps immensely

 

[DHLA]

Been using the FiiO UTSW3 and, while the sound was generally okay (a bit much noise floor depending on model), I found the fit just didn't work well for me, and the mics weren't great. Just upped to Shure Aonic TW2 adapters and love the fit and feel - but trying to optimize for the IEMs I normally use here, which are:

Campfire Audio Andromeda (2019)
Campfire Audio Mammoth
Campfire Audio Honeydew
Shure SE215 (old pair)

Obviously for the SE215 I know which model to select, but I'm definitely hearing some not-great things done to the Andromeda sound that I like when selecting a model from the ShurePlus Play app. Ideally I'd love to just have a control to optimize for impedance and leave any other changes to the EQ. In the mean time, can anyone recommend which of the Play app models might be the best fit for the Andromeda?

 

[FYLegend]

Do you have any experience with the Technics AZ60? Would love to hear a comparison between the AZ60 and the Liberty 3 Pro, not at their default tuning but... at their respective best. I'm not a huge U/V-shape fans so I think I would be bothered by the treble of the Liberty 3 Pro, but they seem good otherwise!

(Because I've used the Technics and thought they were pretty good, but I've been curious but cautious regarding the Liberty 3 Pro because they seem to get very mixed reviews due to mostly the treble and sibilance and weird "metallic-ness" to the vocals I think)

Unfortunately I don't, I was deciding between either earbud but settled on the L3P as it was on sale for a lower price and I read some reviews saying the Technics were on the warm side sometimes sounding wooly. I am considering picking up the Technics if they do go on sale though. (Lately they sometimes drop to 199$ CAD but I recall they were down to 169$ on Boxing Day last year)

I usually don't mind bright/lean sounds (like ATH-MSR7 or Samsung Galaxy Buds+) but I do find the L3P particularly hot in the highs, though not too excessive to be a huge issue for me. I have toned it down but the bass sounds a bit more boomy as a result. The bass rumbles and extends fairly deep but there's a sense of it being detached from the rest of the sound signature. If you want a smoother sound I'd suggest looking elsewhere.

Usually the transparency mode is constant but I had noticed with my fan turned on that sometimes the audio would whirl around and transparency would dip or stop working in one ear, even if I turned off wind reduction.

Also, these L3P doesn't downmix your audio to mono when using a single earbud. This may be a good thing in some cases if you just want to hear one side but it does get annoying if you're listening to music with one ear and you're missing things (Who Needs You by Queen for example)

I've also seen a few complaints of thumping or clicking as I previously described which some say is due to a defective mic that is overly sensitive, but I've also read reports the WF-1000XM4 also has the same problem. I noticed it on the 1More Dual Driver ANC but this may have been more to do with the housing having a slightly loose seam that creaks when squeezed. Another thing is that when I wear them for long periods of time and there is sweat/air pockets this adds to the thumping and clicking when I move my facial muscles.

As for battery life it has lasted me about 3 days. The case seems to retain charge so that it can power the earbuds on and off.

I think I just encountered a new problem - out of the box the earbuds did remember my ANC settings each time I reset the earbuds, but starting from today they always default to ANC off! It seems to have started after I fully drained one of the earbuds this morning and re-charged them.

 

[darkgod5]

This post is mostly for my own posterity but for anyone who is rocking the XM4 and is able to use EQ settings they can give these a shot. These, for my ears, and my tips (which are the SpinFit CP100) gives the most balanced sound without being too "shouty":