Going fully Wireless IEMs. Too soon? Or are we there yet?

[happyblack]

I have both and I would honestly suggets the NTP for sound quality, top end spacious staging and thump. But with so much time outdoors I'm really not confident you wont be in BT Cutout hell all day erry day.

Yep, 90% of the time I'd use them outdoors.
Granted I don't live in a heavily urbanized area, it's not a metropolis by any means, but still, I may run into some sort of radio interference. And there's nothing worse than random Bluetooth hiccups when you listen to the music..

I'd probably still pick em though if I was starting fresh without a whole bunch of other models in my collection.

Most likely I'll stick to this advice.

Thank you so much for the thorough comment.

---

The Noble Fokus Pro and Fokus Mystique have been mentioned on this thread for days, months, years. Just do a search in the upper right hand corner. Many of us, including me, are huge fans of them. Phenomenal sounding buds

Sorry. My mind must've focused on what it wanted to see and somehow I didn't notice "Noble" popping up now and then.

Thank God that you, guys, reminded me about it.

 

[tiagopinto]

My WF-1000XM4s recently started having severe battery drain issues after almost a year and a half of daily use.

So, now I'm in the market for a new pair of earbuds. First, I'm an iPhone user and use it daily for both music and business purposes, (mostly Teams/Zoom meetings) so I need something that excels in both areas. The XM4s were good, but their mics were not the greatest.

Anyway, aside from the APP2, what is the best wireless earbuds these days? Also, it's important that it has good ANC and transparency modes for when I commute in the mornings.

Thanks.

I’ve finally upgraded my TWS game. After looong deliberation, I narrowed down my choices to: TWX9, Free Byrd, MTW3 and APP2. These choices were based on a below 300$ “rule” and...

I wanted: good sound ; reliability ; good ANC ; good transparency ; and Qi if available.

So, I went from the CA MT to the... APP2.

Being in the Apple environment did not constrain my choices, but it helped my decision. The APP2 are almost flawless. And that’s what I love about them.

I’ve tried a few other TWS before but mostly for very short auditions and I haven’t owned others. So my experience is limited. But I do know what I like to hear and what I’m supposed to hear. Obviously it would be much easier if I owned 10 others and could A/B compare. Sennheiser still has my attention for the future as I’ve owned a couple of their cans over the years. But right now I’m going on memory and expectancy.

But... what I can say is, the APP2 have amazing ANC, lifelike transparency, call quality is awesome (haven’t tried Teams/Zoom but assume will be the same as calls), no BT drops, touch controls ALWAYS work, battery is ok (and has Qi) and, most impressive (having tried 1st gen. too) is the sound. These actually have awesome sound. Really, really good.

Again, I haven’t tried the EX, NTP, NFP, NFM, Pi7s2 which I believe may have better sound reproduction but which, for me, fail in one or another department. Mainly price or lack of features I craved. The closest might be the EX but 250$ vs 350$ is not even fair. Or NFM, better sound but no ANC. I guess you get my point. I really wanted to avoid trial and error.

So... I did compare the APP2 to my Advar. Not fair, I know. No contest on clarity, separation, resolution, soundstage although not miles away. Not night and day, but dusk and dawn if you get my meaning.

I listen to many genres, including Afghan funk, Cumbia, Mali blues and several others as well as all the more mainstream styles. I usually test my headphones with this:



Or

https://tidal.com/playlist/fef9464a-cb19-4a7d-814a-ab499934b364

Which is basically the same. I love Tricky, Radiohead, Pat Metheny, Kendrick Lamar, John Coltrane, Pearl Jam, Metallica and Paul Weller. But my meaning is eclecticism is paramount. And the APP2 perform very well with all of them. So, I’m happy.

I don’t hold stock in Apple and I would definitely try others if I had deeper pockets. But... for me... this is “augmenting returns”.


Small edit: I’m using Azla Crystals on the APP2 as I wanted the grip and the wax screen peace of mind. Will be getting them for the Advar too.

 

[tiagopinto]

Wow that was super easy! Even after almost 15 months, they agreed to replace them without any hassle at all.
Thanks again for the tip, @howdy ! Very much appreciated, sir!

Good service, for sure.

 

[Luke Skywalker]

If they're so good, why aren't they at Walmart? . Especially the super center, nexus of universe....

Is that where you normally go to audition high end audio gear? You probably won’t find the new Focal Utopia there either

 

[Rpogo3]

I have both and I would honestly suggets the NTP for sound quality, top end spacious staging and thump. But with so much time outdoors I'm really not confident you wont be in BT Cutout hell all day erry day. The FW5 is good too, I don't have any comfort issues with either but rarely do with any earbud, but as @erockg suggested, either of the Noble Fokus Pro or Mystique would be top-of-the-line for you.

Super comfy by most accounts, best sound quality in the business and great customer service.

Only thing to consider and this is why I haven't pulled the trigger on them yet, is that I don't know if they have a solid IPX rating. Noble are careful to not mention anything specific in this regard and just state that they will survive an occasional sweaty workout but aren't designed to be operated in the rain/sumerged in water etc. I use my tws mostly for running and sweat quite a lot so didn't want to tempt fate in that regard.

I'd probably still pick em though if I was starting fresh without a whole bunch of other models in my collection.

I wouldn't worry much about that. I use mine at the gym all the time and sweat like a pig! Lol. Mine never give me any issues. I just make sure to clean/dry them off after every use.

 

[Tomadock]

Only thing to consider and this is why I haven't pulled the trigger on them yet, is that I don't know if they have a solid IPX rating. Noble are careful to not mention anything specific in this regard and just state that they will survive an occasional sweaty workout but aren't designed to be operated in the rain/sumerged in water etc. I use my tws mostly for running and sweat quite a lot so didn't want to tempt fate in that regard.

I'd probably still pick em though if I was starting fresh without a whole bunch of other models in my collection.

This was my original worry, but I wear them while lifting and doing cardio. I sweat a ton and have had no issues in the month or so I've owned them.

 

[PixelSquish]

I have taken the Mystique on several NYC excursions using mass transit and walking around the busy streets of Manhattan. These buds do great and I don't find myself missing ANC really. The passive isolation is very good. The bass has really settled in nicely and it went from being slightly bloated to more layered and cohesive. Fit wise these continue to impress me as my most comfy TWS experience.

The negatives still are the clunky interface - lack of customization for the controls - for example a one tap on either bud cannot be customized and is always Play/Pause - which to me is silly, as I don't want two of the same control on each bud. Getting into transparency mode is frustrating, I need to use it often and holding it down for 6 seconds is a nuisance. If I could customize one of the Play/Pause one taps to something else, then I could free up a command to just turn on transparency mode. Also would be great to give the option to pause music when turning on transparency mode.

Phone calls on these are average, they do fine in quieter environments but struggle with much of any background noise. I was not expecting much from their phone call ability so I'm sad about it but not let down.

 

[Morbeas]

I’ve finally upgraded my TWS game. After looong deliberation, I narrowed down my choices to: TWX9, Free Byrd, MTW3 and APP2. These choices were based on a below 300$ “rule” and...

I wanted: good sound ; reliability ; good ANC ; good transparency ; and Qi if available.

So, I went from the CA MT to the... APP2.

Being in the Apple environment did not constrain my choices, but it helped my decision. The APP2 are almost flawless. And that’s what I love about them.

I’ve tried a few other TWS before but mostly for very short auditions and I haven’t owned others. So my experience is limited. But I do know what I like to hear and what I’m supposed to hear. Obviously it would be much easier if I owned 10 others and could A/B compare. Sennheiser still has my attention for the future as I’ve owned a couple of their cans over the years. But right now I’m going on memory and expectancy.

But... what I can say is, the APP2 have amazing ANC, lifelike transparency, call quality is awesome (haven’t tried Teams/Zoom but assume will be the same as calls), no BT drops, touch controls ALWAYS work, battery is ok (and has Qi) and, most impressive (having tried 1st gen. too) is the sound. These actually have awesome sound. Really, really good.

Again, I haven’t tried the EX, NTP, NFP, NFM, Pi7s2 which I believe may have better sound reproduction but which, for me, fail in one or another department. Mainly price or lack of features I craved. The closest might be the EX but 250$ vs 350$ is not even fair. Or NFM, better sound but no ANC. I guess you get my point. I really wanted to avoid trial and error.

So... I did compare the APP2 to my Advar. Not fair, I know. No contest on clarity, separation, resolution, soundstage although not miles away. Not night and day, but dusk and dawn if you get my meaning.

I listen to many genres, including Afghan funk, Cumbia, Mali blues and several others as well as all the more mainstream styles. I usually test my headphones with this:



Or

https://tidal.com/playlist/fef9464a-cb19-4a7d-814a-ab499934b364

Which is basically the same. I love Tricky, Radiohead, Pat Metheny, Kendrick Lamar, John Coltrane, Pearl Jam, Metallica and Paul Weller. But my meaning is eclecticism is paramount. And the APP2 perform very well with all of them. So, I’m happy.

I don’t hold stock in Apple and I would definitely try others if I had deeper pockets. But... for me... this is “augmenting returns”.


Small edit: I’m using Azla Crystals on the APP2 as I wanted the grip and the wax screen peace of mind. Will be getting them for the Advar too.

Thanks very much for your detailed response, @tiagopinto! Much appreciated!

 

[Sam L]

I’ve finally upgraded my TWS game. After looong deliberation, I narrowed down my choices to: TWX9, Free Byrd, MTW3 and APP2. These choices were based on a below 300$ “rule” and...

I wanted: good sound ; reliability ; good ANC ; good transparency ; and Qi if available.

So, I went from the CA MT to the... APP2.

Being in the Apple environment did not constrain my choices, but it helped my decision. The APP2 are almost flawless. And that’s what I love about them.

I’ve tried a few other TWS before but mostly for very short auditions and I haven’t owned others. So my experience is limited. But I do know what I like to hear and what I’m supposed to hear. Obviously it would be much easier if I owned 10 others and could A/B compare. Sennheiser still has my attention for the future as I’ve owned a couple of their cans over the years. But right now I’m going on memory and expectancy.

But... what I can say is, the APP2 have amazing ANC, lifelike transparency, call quality is awesome (haven’t tried Teams/Zoom but assume will be the same as calls), no BT drops, touch controls ALWAYS work, battery is ok (and has Qi) and, most impressive (having tried 1st gen. too) is the sound. These actually have awesome sound. Really, really good.

Again, I haven’t tried the EX, NTP, NFP, NFM, Pi7s2 which I believe may have better sound reproduction but which, for me, fail in one or another department. Mainly price or lack of features I craved. The closest might be the EX but 250$ vs 350$ is not even fair. Or NFM, better sound but no ANC. I guess you get my point. I really wanted to avoid trial and error.

So... I did compare the APP2 to my Advar. Not fair, I know. No contest on clarity, separation, resolution, soundstage although not miles away. Not night and day, but dusk and dawn if you get my meaning.

I listen to many genres, including Afghan funk, Cumbia, Mali blues and several others as well as all the more mainstream styles. I usually test my headphones with this:



Or

https://tidal.com/playlist/fef9464a-cb19-4a7d-814a-ab499934b364

Which is basically the same. I love Tricky, Radiohead, Pat Metheny, Kendrick Lamar, John Coltrane, Pearl Jam, Metallica and Paul Weller. But my meaning is eclecticism is paramount. And the APP2 perform very well with all of them. So, I’m happy.

I don’t hold stock in Apple and I would definitely try others if I had deeper pockets. But... for me... this is “augmenting returns”.


Small edit: I’m using Azla Crystals on the APP2 as I wanted the grip and the wax screen peace of mind. Will be getting them for the Advar too.

yeah, many of us keep returning to apple's offerings, even though we continue to buy whatever is the latest tws to hit the market. The APP2 are also one of the most comfortable tws' to my ear.

 

[Not so fat head]

Is that where you normally go to audition high end audio gear? You probably won’t find the new Focal Utopia there either

Totally tong in cheek.. Walmart is my fosters beer stop!!! Sometimes under 2 bucks..

 

[Morbeas]

yeah, many of us keep returning to apple's offerings, even though we continue to buy whatever is the latest tws to hit the market. The APP2 are also one of the most comfortable tws' to my ear.

How do you feel about the bass response of the APP2? Honestly, this is the only thing holding me back from getting it. See, my thing is that I'd really like to use just a single pair of TWS for music, phone calls and Teams/Zoom calls. :\

 

[Luke Skywalker]

Totally tong in cheek.. Walmart is my fosters beer stop!!! Sometimes under 2 bucks..

Ha cool you had me worried there for a minute

 

[Sam L]

There's a $50 coupon on amazon for the 1more Evo, bringing the price down to $119. Good buy?

 

[Mouseman]

How do you feel about the bass response of the APP2? Honestly, this is the only thing holding me back from getting it. See, my thing is that I'd really like to use just a single pair of TWS for music, phone calls and Teams/Zoom calls. :\

It is exceptional, totally night and day difference from Gen 1. I wasn't expecting such a difference from what I'd read was essentially a retune, but whatever magic dust they sprinkled on these improved the sound quality a ton.

 

[erockg]

There's a $50 coupon on amazon for the 1more Evo, bringing the price down to $119. Good buy?

Last year, yes. They're nice, surprisingly decent quality too. But if you have an issue, 1More only offers a replacement once. After that, you're SOL. Had an issue with one of their other buds not holding a charge. Clearly a manufacturing issue, but they denied a second replacement with the same issue. If you take a shot, make sure you add that Asurion warranty to be safe imo. Also, they do need to be EQ'd with SoundID to get some punch out of them with an iPhone. At least that's what I did and they sounded pretty pretty pretty damn good.