Hi all,
Haven't posted much as I've been pretty happy with the Senn IE80s over the last couple of years. But I'm getting a bit fed up with having to replace the cable every 8-12 months. The IE80s are fantastic sound-wise, and I have custom-moulded sleeves which give a wonderful fit and great sound isolation. I was originally looking for a wireless lanyard like the Westone BT cable 78548, but unfortunately the IE80s use a custom connector, and I can't find an equivalent wireless converter that'll fit the Senns (there's some $5 ones on Alibaba, but I've no confidence that they'll have decent SQ, battery life or reliability).
I use the IEMs primarily for music/movies during my commute; it's walking and sitting, so they don't have to be exercise-proof or waterproof - although that would be good for listening sessions while I work in the garden. Battery life is reasonably important; I don't want to have to charge them every day, and if I forget to charge them once they need to last for a second commute (so at least 3hrs+ in total).
So the question is, are we at the point yet where it's feasible to go for fully-wireless IEM buds. There seem to be a lot of devices out there which very nearly cut the mustard, but all so far seem to have caveats. But there's also some interesting kit being released in the next few weeks, and I'm wondering whether anyone has experienced them and can help encourage me to take the plunge.
Current possibilities/shortlist seems to be:
- Sony WF-1000X - has a few great (p)reviews, and the noice cancellation appears to be a great extra feature. Haven't seen any reports on battery life, but stated claims of 3hrs + 9 extra from the case seem 'okay'.
- Bragi The Headphone - seem to be generally well-liked and a good feature-set. No charging case seems problematic though.
- Bragi Dash Pro - super cool, but super-expensive (and reviews on head-fi indicate that the SQ is not good).
- Zolo Liberty Plus - very promising, I'm looking forward to hearing what these sound like. I nearly pulled the trigger on a speculative punt via the Kickstarter, but missed the deadline.
- Bose SoundSport Free - again, seem like they might be good, waiting to see reviews. No UK release date as yet.
- B&O Beoplay E8 - look like they'll be good, but expensive too.
Anything else I should add to the list and consider? Are there any fully wireless IEMs with custom sleeves yet for a perfect fit?