[LoryWiv]

New Aviot Flagship ZX1(1 Dynamic, 1 Planar, and 3 BA) coming in January... https://aviot-jp.translate.goog/news/te-zx1/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Per the link, supports LDAC, AAC, SBC but no AptX. Tthe lack of any form of AptX is a negative for me but yes, this sure looks interesting.

 

[nekonhime]

Btw, there is a refurbished px8 black and tan for 350 on the offical site.
https://www.bowerswilkins.com/en-us/product/px8/301000-01-00-308B.html

 

[Jacii]

Here's the thing – the convenience of wireless IEMs is unbeatable. No cables, no tangles, just pop them in and you're good to go. Great for workouts, commutes, or just moving around the house. And the tech has come a long way, with better battery life, more stable connections, and even some solid noise-cancellation features.

But, as an audiophile, sound quality is always king, right? Wireless IEMs have made huge strides, but if you're super picky about your audio, you might still find the wired ones have the edge, especially in terms of detail and depth. It's like, wireless is catching up, but there's still a bit of a gap.

 

[Juturna]

Honestly, Bose has no business making earbuds that are as laggy as theirs are. Not only is the app now refusing to connect to the earbuds, the first couple of pairings I did it connected to the "LE-Bose QC Buds Ultra" rather than the "QC Buds Ultra" and I swear they sounded worse and was more laggy when that was the case. The app worked fine for a bit though, but now? Nope, it's refusing to connect to the buds even after me putting in and taking the buds out of the case again multiple times and restarting the app several times.

Damn annoying for this price. Almost no other buds are this laggy even for half the price. Such a shame really because I like Bose's products otherwise.

 

[newworld666]

Per the link, supports LDAC, AAC, SBC but no AptX. Tthe lack of any form of AptX is a negative for me but yes, this sure looks interesting.

I don't know exactly ... but when 3 codecs are available I often switch between AAC to increase battery playing time or LDAC to get best available sound quality for busy music tracks.. and I never APTX...
Anly when LDAC is missing then Aptx is useful to increase SQ over AAC.

All my BT receivers and sources can handle LDAC rather perfectly. I am thinking only TWS are avoiding LDAC transmission protocol, as it seems to be rather difficult for engineers to keep a decent battery playing time for their device with such protocol (though Sony can do it almost perfectly).

 

[Jacii]

I don't know exactly ... but when 3 codecs are available I often switch between AAC to increase battery playing time or LDAC to get best available sound quality for busy music tracks.. and I never APTX...
Anly when LDAC is missing then Aptx is useful to increase SQ over AAC.

All my BT receivers and sources can handle LDAC rather perfectly. I am thinking only TWS are avoiding LDAC transmission protocol, as it seems to be rather difficult for engineers to keep a decent battery playing time for their device with such protocol (though Sony can do it almost perfectly).

I hear you on avoiding APTX. It's kind of in a weird middle ground. LDAC definitely takes the crown for sound quality when available. It's interesting how APTX only really comes into play when LDAC isn't an option. It's like a backup plan to get a bit more out of your music than AAC offers.

It's awesome that all your BT receivers and sources handle LDAC well. That's not always a given, so you've got a sweet setup there. As for TWS avoiding LDAC, you're spot on. It's a tough balance for engineers to strike – getting that high-quality LDAC transmission without draining the battery too quickly. Sony seems to have a bit of an edge in this department, but hopefully, we'll see more advancements in TWS tech soon. It's all about finding that perfect balance between sound quality and practicality, isn't it?

 

[newworld666]

I hear you on avoiding APTX. It's kind of in a weird middle ground. LDAC definitely takes the crown for sound quality when available. It's interesting how APTX only really comes into play when LDAC isn't an option. It's like a backup plan to get a bit more out of your music than AAC offers.

It's awesome that all your BT receivers and sources handle LDAC well. That's not always a given, so you've got a sweet setup there. As for TWS avoiding LDAC, you're spot on. It's a tough balance for engineers to strike – getting that high-quality LDAC transmission without draining the battery too quickly. Sony seems to have a bit of an edge in this department, but hopefully, we'll see more advancements in TWS tech soon. It's all about finding that perfect balance between sound quality and practicality, isn't it?

With some good BT LDAC dongle and decent IEM (IER-Z1R, IER-M9, XBA-N3, Quintet) ... for CD quality at 1411 kbps there is a significant sound quality gap from any of my LDAC TWS .. BT dongles are really near regarding SQ (if not same), with same iEM directly wired to the portable source.

Based on this facts, there is clearly room for nearly all TWS to some improvements .. but I am not sure that LDAC transmission codec is the bottleneck..

 

[Luis Mad]

Here a big Etymotic fan. My favourite item is the Evo. I also like and have the Er4xr, er3xr and Er2xr. With deep insertion they are not to everyone’s liking.
I have tried some tw. The Jabra 65t, Aipod 2nd gen, AirPod Pro 1st gen and Sony WH1000xm3. I do not like noise canceling and much prefer noise isolation and the tuning of the Etymotic.

For two years I had an Etymotic Er2xr with the Etymotic Bluetooth cable. I was reasonably happy with it but it broke a few weeks ago.

After much reading here and elsewhere I bought the Shure TW2. It came in a bundle with the Se215. I must say I like very much the product as a whole. Perfect connection with my IPhone and SR25. The ambient mode is perfect to me. Sound quality very good to my ears and the Se215 better than I expected. I considered buying another better Shure iem like the Se535 but I have several (loved) Etymotics lying round.

Now I have just received a 6 cms adapter from AliExpress, mmcx to Etymotic. I am now using it with the Shure TW2. I have to say I’m in my personal sonic heaven! Perfect isolation and tuning. That combined with the ambient mode and Shure’s other features, I’m really happy with the result. Just wore them for two hours, very comfortable too.

 

[Tommy C]

Here a big Etymotic fan. My favourite item is the Evo. I also like and have the Er4xr, er3xr and Er2xr. With deep insertion they are not to everyone’s liking.
I have tried some tw. The Jabra 65t, Aipod 2nd gen, AirPod Pro 1st gen and Sony WH1000xm3. I do not like noise canceling and much prefer noise isolation and the tuning of the Etymotic.

For two years I had an Etymotic Er2xr with the Etymotic Bluetooth cable. I was reasonably happy with it but it broke a few weeks ago.

After much reading here and elsewhere I bought the Shure TW2. It came in a bundle with the Se215. I must say I like very much the product as a whole. Perfect connection with my IPhone and SR25. The ambient mode is perfect to me. Sound quality very good to my ears and the Se215 better than I expected. I considered buying another better Shure iem like the Se535 but I have several (loved) Etymotics lying round.

Now I have just received a 6 cms adapter from AliExpress, mmcx to Etymotic. I am now using it with the Shure TW2. I have to say I’m in my personal sonic heaven! Perfect isolation and tuning. That combined with the ambient mode and Shure’s other features, I’m really happy with the result. Just wore them for two hours, very comfortable too.

Glad to hear you’re enjoying the TW2. Would you mind sharing the photos of the adapters with the ety setup?
I always appreciated Etymotic and will consider the EVO or one of the ER variations.

 

[clerkpalmer]

Btw, there is a refurbished px8 black and tan for 350 on the offical site.
https://www.bowerswilkins.com/en-us/product/px8/301000-01-00-308B.html

That’s a nice deal for someone.

 

[subguy812]

I have had an evening and morning with the JL Labs and I have some thoughts:

Pack-Ins - Nice charging cable, ample foam tips and silicone tips, I got a good seal with XL(no need for after-market), tip rolling for comfort and sq
Case - very well built, metal, classy looks, dongle mounts inside, lights easily read, one nice feature is a non-skid bottom
Build - just okay, faceplate feels cheap, not premium feeling(but not premium price either) I paid 150
App - It has features, EQ is funky and very sensitive to control when set to a level(needs improvement), I am good with the "signature" preset so no big deal to me
Connection - a very solid LDAC connection - my sample rate is 96000Hz at 32bits(Android) AAC for iPhone, LE Audio support on compatible devices. The Epic Lab Edition earbuds are compatible with the new LC3 codec
Touch Controls - somewhat customizable, but I am still trying to master and remember the settings(my bad).

Some notes - most of my listening has been to Qobuz(mix of Hi-Res and CD quality) I found the Spinfit Omni to balance out the sound(my go to at this point, but happy with stock as well).

The driver configuration is a two-driver hybrid, one Dynamic for Bass and a BA Knowles driver. Out of the gate, the sound is full, forward and very bass focused. As is my experience with DD, I am giving them a little settle in time, and then will tip roll again.

The Bass has gobs of quantity, both mid bass and sub. These DD can really bring the slam and the rumble. I wish the decay was a little faster so that the notes didn't linger as long, but that is a wish. I have noticed the bass is very genre dependent. For example, the bass quality is more apparent in instrumental jazz. When the music is modern rock and involved, that is where the decay should be a little shorter. When the track is not bass heavy it really sounds excellent. I loved how GnR, Perhaps, rocked my ears.

The mid range is well done and forward. The slight decay bleed occurs into the mids but it also creates the fullness, these are very full sounding. The upper mids which can be harsh in many modern tunings is smooth for long listening. Sade is very smooth and her vocals are at stage. Male vocals sound a row away from the stage

Treble could use a bit more sparkle, I am not sure if I can EQ because I do not like the EQ in the app as mentioned above(firmware could improve). This is going to sound contradictory, while I love the "Signature" preset, the Bass preset gives the treble a touch more sparkle, to my ears. Overall, the treble is smooth and non-offensive. Not bad, just needs more extension.

Staging is very good. Great stereo separation. Also, while the sound is full you can more certainly distinguish the instruments as there is enough air. The tonality and timbre of the instruments is okay. Overall, the staging is good.

I no longer have the AZ80, 3ANC, Samsung Buds 2 Pro or Jabre Elite 10 or any of the others that I see questions about. I don't feel it is proper to ever recall and comment on recollection alone. I will say these and the 3ANC would be the best comparison, based on price and performance. If I remember the 3ANC were tuned less bassy and had a little more clarity. Do not take that as the JL Labs isn't clear because it has ample clarity. The 3ANC were one of the buds I held on to the longest.

In closing, at 150 a complete steal at their 200 list and excellent buy, especially for those Android users, because of the Codecs. I do not have iPhone so someone else can chime in. For most folks I feel these are a keeper, for me I am enamored with the EX. If the Svanar had the solid, stable connection of the JL Labs it would be King.

I haven't walked outside or made calls. I will be happy to update once I do that. ANC as well

 

[jant71]

Thanks! Actually I just tried the Spiral Dot++ and these help with taming the intense bass and squeezing out max treble from these. Liking the sound signature better now, at least until JLAB makes the EQ more effective...

For that the TRI Clarion would be a very good choice... https://www.amazon.com/Keephifi-Com...07&mcid=73737d4f365c30da8af8d372a648dc9e&th=1

 

[jant71]

I don't know exactly ... but when 3 codecs are available I often switch between AAC to increase battery playing time or LDAC to get best available sound quality for busy music tracks.. and I never APTX...
Anly when LDAC is missing then Aptx is useful to increase SQ over AAC.

All my BT receivers and sources can handle LDAC rather perfectly. I am thinking only TWS are avoiding LDAC transmission protocol, as it seems to be rather difficult for engineers to keep a decent battery playing time for their device with such protocol (though Sony can do it almost perfectly).

Think another week at Potafest we will find out things like battery life. With 5 drivers and LDAC it will be interesting to see the numbers.

 

[Luis Mad]

Glad to hear you’re enjoying the TW2. Would you mind sharing the photos of the adapters with the ety setup?
I always appreciated Etymotic and will consider the EVO or one of the ER variations.

Looks a bit weird but it is actually comfortable, provided you can deal with deep insertion. This would be exactly the same for all the Er series. The Evo has another different connector.

 

[howdy]

Honestly, Bose has no business making earbuds that are as laggy as theirs are. Not only is the app now refusing to connect to the earbuds, the first couple of pairings I did it connected to the "LE-Bose QC Buds Ultra" rather than the "QC Buds Ultra" and I swear they sounded worse and was more laggy when that was the case. The app worked fine for a bit though, but now? Nope, it's refusing to connect to the buds even after me putting in and taking the buds out of the case again multiple times and restarting the app several times.

Damn annoying for this price. Almost no other buds are this laggy even for half the price. Such a shame really because I like Bose's products otherwise.

You should definitely return them. Mine have no connection issues and always conect to the app as well. Both Ultras and QC2.