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

[erockg]

I was in Best Buy returning mine and noticed they were $224

Thanks to you, Best Buy just priced matched mine and I got $27+ back!

 

[clerkpalmer]

My original Bose QC's have been having connection issues. I've finally given up and put in for an RMA exchange. It can take me multiple resets, reboots and fussing around to get them connected only to have to repeat the process. Seems like a known issue. They didn't even make me troubleshoot. Just processed the exchange. Am I correct that the new versions are exactly the same size as the old?

 

[TK33]

Thanks to you, Best Buy just priced matched mine and I got $27+ back!

I just did the same. Thanks @subguy812 !

 

[erockg]

My original Bose QC's have been having connection issues. I've finally given up and put in for an RMA exchange. It can take me multiple resets, reboots and fussing around to get them connected only to have to repeat the process. Seems like a known issue. They didn't even make me troubleshoot. Just processed the exchange. Am I correct that the new versions are exactly the same size as the old?

From what I can tell they are the same size. I’ve been using them last night and this morning. It could be just psychosomatic, but I feel like the tuning might have been tweaked a little bit. I was using them to watch Invasion last night on Apple TV+ with immersive mode. Sounded decent, but nothing earth shattering. But I’m not the biggest fan when it comes to the spatial audio and Dolby Atmos earbuds.

 

[clerkpalmer]

From what I can tell they are the same size. I’ve been using them last night and this morning. It could be just psychosomatic, but I feel like the tuning might have been tweaked a little bit. I was using them to watch Invasion last night on Apple TV+ with immersive mode. Sounded decent, but nothing earth shattering. But I’m not the biggest fan when it comes to the spatial audio and Dolby Atmos earbuds.

Thanks. Yeah maybe I'll sell my brand new replacements and upgrade if I can get a decent price for them.

 

[cresny]

I just did the same. Thanks @subguy812 !

Me as well, from Jabra.

 

[WesennTony]

Just got my Bose QC Ultra's this morning.
Packaging is entirely cardboard.
Comes with 3 sizes of wings/fins (more available on Bose site i believe) plus the usual selection of tips. Very oval shaped with the inner stem being much closer to plastic than silicone (so they're kinda stiff).
Found none work with my ears (my issue more than anything) so immediately on with the 1025 spinfits and large fins (go on and off easily)

Setup is flawless in the Bose app, does the pairing/setup and everything through a nice little guided tour.
The buds support "Find my Device" on android through google.

Pros
The ANC on these is in a different league to the Senn MTW3. In my office (fan + pc's fans) it's like i'm sat in silence. Only noise i can hear with the music off is my own head. The white noise is GONE 99%+ With my senny there's a little noise leakage + i feel the buds themselves introduce a little hiss. The BQCU are god-tier ANC for white noise. Putting my fan on top speed which makes it NOISY still is ZERO sound in the buds. It's eerie. The sound is clean and you can lower volume accordingly and really enjoy the music.
When you put the buds in, they play a short tone, tell you the battery percentage and then the ANC activates and you just hear the world disappears.

The sound profile is less bassy out of the box than the senny's. Much less so than the DPP's. But i feel it's more balanced overall than skewed. Defintiely better details and tighter bass than the DPP/MTW3 but trades away a little bass rumble. It's not that the bass is lacking but it's feeling like it doesn't push the sub-bass as much.
Will tweak the EQ a bit and see what's possible. Ok -- bass is available but it's not going to come close to DPP levels but it is much tighter / cleaner than both DPP/MTW3.
Treble is there and even boosting it in EQ doesn't introduce any sibilence for me at all.
Fit / comfort is there. It's taking me a little time to get used to the feel because it's almost like they're not fitted right but i know they are. They look stylish enough. The silver grey is subtle. They feel solid. The charging case is clean, and magnetised lid
Plenty of overhead on the volume slider -- i'm probably comfortably listening to these at around 65-75% and pushing to 90% is uncomfortably loud for me.
The immersion option does open up the sound. The track below "bubbles" feels wide open.
These do feel much tighter and more revealing the the MTW3's both in the RatM/Dire Straits feels so clean and alive. But similarly the rumble of the timpani in the StarWars track is missing it's boom. So they have bass but do not extend out as far into sub-bass as others.

Cons
Obviously they lack multi-point and wireless charging (not that i really use either of those so not an issue for me)
Seems you cannot customise the buttons in the App (i guess this may come). Only thing you can tweak is the main "hold" shortcut. But not the 1, 2, 3 taps.
Tapping the buds for the commands has no audio feedback (beep) to confirm -- and they don't register the tap for maybe 200ms so you aren't sure if you actually did it. They need to add a little beep feedback on this i feel.
Nowhere near the customisable sound profile as MTW3 -- their audio test + sound personalisation is top-tier. These just literally have 3 sliders for Bass/Mid/Treb

Initial issues:
1. The Immersive audio feels a little buggy -- every few minutes for a split second the audio jumps around and settles again.
2. Can't do the "fit test" either as it's saying the buds are busy. Ok -- seemed this was resolved by a quick restart of the app/buds. Doesn't do much other than play a short chord through the buds to ensure seal.
3. Having the immersive audio on motion (so the sound stays with your head) lags about 1/2 second. So if you move your head suddenly the audio kinda follows you after a quick moment.

Test Tracks:
Besame Mucho - Chantal Chamberland (accoustic with a lovely double-bass)
Evey Reborn - Dario Marianelli
Royals - Lorde
Bubbles - Yosi Horikawa (for soundstage)
Ninth Wave - Trifonic
Take the Power Back - Rage Against The Machine
Six Blade Knife - Dire Straits
Droid Invasion & Appearance of Darth Maul - Phantom Meanace OST

Thanks for the detailed review. Could you confirm that the Ultra don't have the hissing sound with music off? Also do you experience Bluetooth connection issues?

 

[highlightshadow]

Thanks for the detailed review. Could you confirm that the Ultra don't have the hissing sound with music off? Also do you experience Bluetooth connection issues?

There's a very mild noise when everything is off. Deeper than white noise but very feint. The MTW3 have more hiss when quiet.
No connection issues at all so far.

 

[helmutcheese]

If I pop in my QCII and there is no White Noise the ANC is average, I need to keep putting them back in the case again to get them to work fully (my record was 24-26 times and battery dropped to 90%).

When the White Noise is there the ANC is the best I have used even with a poor passive seal with my ears.

My MTW3 do not have White Noise in ANC Mode but do in AMB Mode.

SQ/Batt life not so great and many of the same bugs as the big thread on reddit.

 

[SynaestheticA]

$999 - oof

I was expecting it be about $700 AUD. But a grand is a bit

 

[SynaestheticA]

$999 - oof



I was expecting it be about $700 AUD. But a grand is a bit

Damn they look good tho.

AUD btw not USD

 

[Ghisy]

I tried a bunch of TWS yesterday at e-earphone in Osaka but their volume was so low (except for the XM5). I even tried using Wavelet (I have a Pixel 7 Pro) but nope. Do you guys only listen at low volume? I did install the app for each TWS but it didn't do much.

 

[Tomadock]

I tried a bunch of TWS yesterday at e-earphone in Osaka but their volume was so low (except for the XM5). I even tried using Wavelet (I have a Pixel 7 Pro) but nope. Do you guys only listen at low volume? I did install the app for each TWS but it didn't do much.

The Noble FoKus Mystique are the loudest TWS I've used by a longshot. I usually listen at fairly high volumes, but it hurts my ears to max these out. Currently testing Sony WF-1000XM5 and they are plenty loud for my needs as well. Can't say the same for a number of others I've tried.

 

[Not so fat head]

$999 - oof



I was expecting it be about $700 AUD. But a grand is a bit

I’m hearing so many great sounding TWS in the $250 and lower range, that these make zero sense to me. Meh…

 

[helmutcheese]