[jant71]

Ebay for 69

To be totally accurate they are the same $99 new on ebay. The $69 are refurbs.

 

[SynaestheticA]

If you mean the presets you can regardless. Just easier, supposedly, with the app than cycling through

Ah ok nice. If the R bud only cycles through the presets then that's enough for me as Yea, I'm a set and forget user. Still would be nice to know which preset I'm on.

Hoping the manual has some english to it.

Btw do you read Japanese?

 

[BooleanBones]

I'm not too familiar with TWS iems and I'm looking for a gift for my teenage nephew, a budding audiophile.

Can anyone recommend something under $100?

Thanks.

I think the AKGN400 NCs are really good deal for the price they sell them for. Right now they list them on their site for 150, but they were selling them last holidays for 50$.

 

[jant71]

Ah ok nice. If the R bud only cycles through the presets then that's enough for me as Yea, I'm a set and forget user. Still would be nice to know which preset I'm on.

Hoping the manual has some english to it.

Btw do you read Japanese?

Should be an english instruction section. I don't read Japanese but maybe I just already know what you want to know about. The buds should tell you what preset you are on. I'm sure it will say "bass", "clear" etc. as it is changed. Like the FX100T it will speak in english. Had the same lady with asian accent talk to me in most all the JVC/Victor/Kenwood buds and others. She is Chinese and talks to me in my Hiby WU1 and BQeyz Z3.

 

[jant71]

New Creative...
https://us.creative.com/p/headphones-headsets/creative-sensemore-air

Supposed to be their smallest and lightest. Sensemore is amplified hearing. Not just ambient so you can choose in the app to use either Ambient->ANC->Off or Sensemore->ANC->Off and the levels of all three can be adjusted higher and lower in the app. Hopefully the ANC on high at least is a decent amount by now. I like the idea of the Sensemore just needs to be implemented well. If you want to tout that people with minor hearing loss can use it effectively it needs to be clear and well done as far as pulling in voices.

 

[go0gle]

Just got the apple pro 2 yesterday... SQ is good enough to where if you own an iPhone the extra features and integration you get outweigh any potential better sound quality you might get from another pair.

They are also very comfortable.

I'll still keep my liberty 3 pro because I love the sound, but they won't get much use now.

 

[dweaver]

Hi fellas and ladies, it's nice to make your acquaintance. I currently own a pair of Sony WFC500 wireless earbuds, whilst I think they are decent, there would be considerable improvements if I spent a bit more. I've been playing guitar for 40 years and I love listening to and playing from the blues up to 80s heavy rock /metal.Wall flattening bass isn't something I'm particularly hung up on, for me it's about accurate midrange and present top end without ear fatigue. I had been looking at the Sony WF1000XM4 earbuds, but they are really bulky and I have comfort concerns about them. The Jabra 85T gets plenty of good comments, but I am still unsure. I have 0% interest in current music and given my tastes, I would be grateful for recommendations

I would suggest the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and avoid the WF-1000XM4. The GB2P has an AKG voiced signature that is mid centric brighter without becoming to fatiguing. The Sony is going to be very dark sounding which is not good for guitars.

 

[Phaethon]

I would suggest the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and avoid the WF-1000XM4. The GB2P has an AKG voiced signature that is mid centric brighter without becoming to fatiguing. The Sony is going to be very dark sounding which is not good for guitars.

With the caveat regarding the iPhone. There is no iOS app but if you have a relative or a friend with an android phone, you can update them and set them up just the way you want them using that. I really enjoy their sound and the ANC is just fine for me.

 

[dweaver]

Good point about the iphone I forgot about that.

 

[Mick McMack]

I would suggest the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and avoid the WF-1000XM4. The GB2P has an AKG voiced signature that is mid centric brighter without becoming to fatiguing. The Sony is going to be very dark sounding which is not good for guitars.

What are your thoughts on the jabra 85t units and sony linkbuds S ?

 

[Phaethon]

What are your thoughts on the jabra 85t units and sony linkbuds S ?

The Jabra models are all fine, but their sound signature has never done anything for me. The Linkbuds S have a lot less darkness than the xm4 but it seems to lack some separation of details to me.
The Noble Fokus Pro is the best sounding TWS I have. The AKG n400 have the distinction of a wonderful sound that has no noticeable coloration. The Lyperteks all have the best sound quality bang for buck.
These are all at least as big as the xmr4’s though. TWS is all about trade-offs and there is really no unicorn

 

[dweaver]

What are your thoughts on the jabra 85t units and sony linkbuds S ?

I have not heard the Jabra 85T so can not speak about that specific model. But I have owned the Elite 3 and Elite 7 Pro and I sold the Elite 3 and returned the Elite 7 Pro. I was not a huge fan of the buttons system because they hurt my ears. I don't mind buttons but only if they don't push into my ears. Sonically speaking both sets sounded almost exactly the same. The sound on those models was nicely balanced with slightly to polite bass (I believe the 85T has more bass) that made most music sound good. My issue was they were like a good low res TV. They sounded good until you compared them beside a good TWS that had higher detail and resolution. I unfortunately have bought to many products as part of my passion for headphone audio as a hobby so once I could tell the difference I found it just to hard to ignore.

The other reasons I went away from the Jabra's was because I was not super enamored with their Microphone quality. The Elite 7 Pro surprised me in that I was not super happy with this area as that supposed to their biggest strength. I also like good ambient mode which I found to subdued for my liking. Similarly ANC was on only just OK.

I actually own the Sony Linkbuds S and as of the writing have 495+ hours of use on them. So I definitely like them. These, unlike the WF-1000XM3 and by extension the WF-1000XM4 are not as dark or warm sounding. They have an excellent midrange tonality. But the dialed back bass also impacts the sub-bass a bit more than I like. The treble is very Sony like in that is a bit on the polite side so lacks sparkle and detail, so if you like lots of drumkit details like cymbals etc, you might find them lacking in that area. Sound stage wise they are on the small side and sound a bit cramped and don't offer much in the way of 3D presentation.

To the microphone on the Linkbuds S is also really good in almost any situation I have used them in including walking outside in the wind. They also have one of the best ambient implementations I have ever used. ANC is on par withe the WF-1000XM3 to my ears so near the top.

So what are their down sides?

The Linkbuds S really skimped on battery life so using any of their sound improvements such as DSEE or LDAC will net you less tan 4hrs battery per use. If you turn those setting off and just use AAC and do not use ANC constantly you can get around 6hrs of use before recharging.

I made a conscious decision to train myself and the AI in the Sony app for this headphone using ALL of it's adaptive sound functionality. I quickly set my home a location and set it to NOT use ANC, I repeatedly turned off ANC when I went for runs so it learned I did not want ANC in when running (to much wind interference with mics). Conversely I also ensured ANC was in when on trains and walking downtown. The cool thing is the headphone app learned my preferences and consequently I only occasionally have to set the mode to something other than what it thinks I will like.

One thing about ANC is this can be addictive in its own right and MANY ANC products only sound their BEST in ANC mode. The Linkbuds S broke me from my reliance on ANC and are designed to be used in ANC, Ambient, and off modes equally and automatically. If your interested in that sort of flexibility and willing to train yourself and the AI to manage it for you, the Linkbuds S offer a unique feature set no nother TWS I have tried can fully offer.

So why did I recommend the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro first (still)...

First and foremost it would be audio quality. They GB2P have bass that extends deep into the sub-bass region without making the mid-bass bloated so are not muddy or dark, even in comparison the Linkbuds S. The midrange is a bit more detailed and less lush sounding giving electric guitars a bit more crunch and bite and accoustic guitars more pluck. The treble for my 58 year ears is more hightened allowing me to hears drumkits with more clarity. But this is one area that some might HATE if sensitive to treble fatigue. Personally these do not cross the line for me but you might feel differently. Finally these have a nice open sounding sound stage with decent 3D presentation which I love.

So much like the Jabra's ultimately getting dropped because I found them lacking in comparison to better products I found the LInkbuds S lacking in comparison to the GB2P.

BUT and it is a big BUT. I also own a Galaxy S20 phone that can utilize EVERY feature of the GB2P so I get LDAC like audio potential from them at all times automatically. This functionally does not exist for any other phone line other than the latest and greatest from Samsung. Other Android phones can use the Samsung app but that's about it. Speaking of the app, it has VERY limited functionality with only a few preset EQ's so you have to LOVE the default sound or one of those EQ's or rely on a 3rd party EQ solution if you don't.

Battery life on the GB2P is about the same as the Linkbuds S at around 6 hours but I can get that 6hrs using ANC all the time. They have just about as good ambient mode as the Linkbuds S as well. Mic quality is a bit below the Linkbuds S but is close to as good in most situations.

So while the Samsung reach nervana like sound for me, they won't for everyone and they have drawbacks that have to be considered carefully.

My music preferences are pretty eclectic but focus on older rock music ranging from Fleetwood Mac to Led Zeppelin to Pink Floyd. I like accoustic music, Celtic, Classical including choral, and listen to a lot of Jazz these days, ranging from Patricia Barber to Mile Davis.

 

[helmutcheese]

SoundPeats Mini Pro HS review: Hi-Res Audio Wireless certified with LDAC codec​

SoundPeats Mini Pro HS specs and features:​

• LDAC/AAC/SBC audio codec
• Hi-Res audio wireless certification
• 10mm bio-diaphragm dynamic driver
• 6-8 hours playback of per charge (ANC ON/OFF)
• 40dB double-fed active noise cancellation
• 70ms game low latency

https://www.qucox.com/soundpeats-mini-pro-hs-review/

 

[Caipirina]

SoundPeats Mini Pro HS review: Hi-Res Audio Wireless certified with LDAC codec​

SoundPeats Mini Pro HS specs and features:​

• LDAC/AAC/SBC audio codec
• Hi-Res audio wireless certification
• 10mm bio-diaphragm dynamic driver
• 6-8 hours playback of per charge (ANC ON/OFF)
• 40dB double-fed active noise cancellation
• 70ms game low latency

https://www.qucox.com/soundpeats-mini-pro-hs-review/

They are cramping LDAC now into everything …

 

[Caipirina]

Just updated Linkbuds. Now have multipoint, which is great. Update took a few minutes (maybe 5?) And seems to be working fine. Just got a call while I was testing and writing this. Not sure if the firmware update is out for other models yet but figured I would let the group know.

EDIT: just tried testing with my Samsung Galaxy S22+ and Dell XPS laptop. Linkbuds connect immediately to both devices (didnt even need to go into Bluetooth Settings on my Windows laptop, which was nice) and when a call came in while I was listening to something on my laptop, the audio switched right over to my phone and I could hear my ringtone on my Linkbuds. Switching audio between the two devices while listening to Amazon Music on both required pausing on the first device in order to get audio from the other. However, the audio did switch right away once paused on the first device. Glad to see multipoint becoming more prevalent in TWS (my main TWS rotation includes the Linkbuds and MTW3, both of which are spoiling me with multipoint now).

I am trying here and I am stumped / confused… there is this screen with the lady saying to download the ‘app’ (what app?) and when I click that link I get ‘not for you, nyaa nya nya’ . what gives?