[Saraguie]

For further information about the Triumph, other than the Cowell driver, it is completely different from the Falcon Max.

The Triumph and the XM1 are built from scratch. Due to that, one should expect the Triumph and the XM1 to perform differently from the Falcon Max and any other TWS being built utilizing the module offered by Xmems.

Besides being built from scratch, what are the other important details? What Bluetooth codecs will it have? ANC, will it be Adaptive? Auracast equipped? Anyplace we can read about them?
I think the folks who are waiting for the Sennheiser Momentum 4s, like myself, would like to know in case we need to pause.

 

[FullCircle]

Besides being built from scratch, what are the other important details? What Bluetooth codecs will it have? ANC, will it be Adaptive? Auracast equipped? Anyplace we can read about them?
I think the folks who are waiting for the Sennheiser Momentum 4s, like myself, would like to know in case we need to pause.

That would be a Jim question, I do know some of that type of information, but it is a work in progress and if those details do not fall in place... then I would have spoken too soon.

 

[cresny]

Good take. To be clear, I like both Samsung and Apple. However, if Samsung is going to start walling off the garden, I really see no use for them. That was one of the main reasons to choose Samsung over Apple. Open source, more control, customization etc. Apple still produces a better more polished product from my perspective. So if Samsung is going to take away the things that made Samsung great, then I personally wouldn't choose a Samsung over an Apple. Customer service, by way of one example, is light years ahead with Apple. Phone breaks? It's replaced same day. Samsung - lol, good luck. Who is the new Samsung? Google? OnePlus?

I'm pretty sure the reason Samsung does not use etc is because those are Qualcomm-specific hardware features and, for some reason, it uses Exynos for the same phones in other geographic regions. Of course it also does not support LDAC and I have no idea why.

Soon, they are in semi product phase at the moment = the internals are being soldered together.

For further information about the Triumph, other than the Cowell driver, it is completely different from the Falcon Max.

The Max is a modular "one size fits all" modular sollution built by a Korean company for Xmems & sold by Xmems.

The Triumph and the XM1 are built from scratch. Due to that, one should expect the Triumph and the XM1 to perform differently from the Falcon Max and any other TWS being built utilizing the module offered by Xmems.

Awesome, this is what I supposed when I read the size of the driver, different from the Cowell module's. Do you know if there is any other hardware, e.g. amp, that is different?

 

[dweaver]

Samsung absolutely supports LDAC! Use it all the time...

 

[cresny]

Samsung absolutely supports LDAC! Use it all the time...

Ok then it's simple. They won't support hardware-specific stuff. Not what we'd like but an understandable position.

 

[TK33]

Someone likes Samsung, I would not touch them for a phone if they do not include the main Codecs in 2024 as I have no need for their earbuds so pushing their own codec on me is pointless.

I have always had Moto (from back when it was Moto) and they have the most pure version of Android, the yanks get Version/Verizon (not sure of name) Droid model which was even more so again, if I had to buy now it would be Moto or Asus but knowing Asus theirs would be a lot of bloatware.

As @PixelSquish Was saying, it is nice to have choices so we can each get what works for us (and nothing ever seems to please everyone).

Had some great Motorola phones but the last one I personally owned was the Motorola Droid (it was built like a tank and I loved that phone). Then I went Samsung for a while from S3, Note 4, S5 - S10 and traded in my Samsung phones in protest of them limiting codecs in favor of Scalable/SSC (even though I did buy most of their TWS). In a 3 year period, I got the LG V60 (BOGO), 2x OnePlus 8ts, Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 Pro only to come back to the S22+, which I traded in for the Fold 5. In that period, I had some serious connectivity issues with the OnePlus phones and the Pixel 6 lasted maybe 6 months before I got fed up with it. One of my LG V60s developed a bad USB jack and so I am now left with the Fold 5, Pixel 7 Pro and a V60 that just sits at home and the phone I use the most is my Fold 5 (despite lacking in the audio codec department). Contrary to what seems to be the popular opinion here, the Fold 5 is probably the first phone I have had in a long time that I can say I am happy with. May not work for everyone but, for me, most of my extended family uses Samsung Galaxy phones and it just works (and works well) for what I do (mostly phone calls (yes people still do this), texting/messaging, work emails, music and browsing sites like head-fi). I do prefer my Pixel 7 Pro for photos (rarely carry my Sony a6000 mirrorless anymore). V60 just feels like a brick now and I mostly use bluetooth headphones, TWS and my Qudelix 5K anyway. All this is just to illustrate that, while Samsung may not work for you, I only managed to stay away for a few years at best. I do have the Watch4 and Tab S4 and S7 FE, both of which are still working well. To each their own I guess.

Of course it also does not support LDAC and I have no idea why.

As @dweaver said Samsung does have LDAC and it is not anything new on their phones. Works well with my Qudelix 5K and Shure Aonic 50s.

 

[TK33]

Ok then it's simple. They won't support hardware-specific stuff. Not what we'd like but an understandable position.

Is aptX HD hardware specific? Perhaps @helmutcheese knows?

My Samsung phone does not support aptX HD but my Pixel 6 did as does my Pixel 7 Pro and Intel NUC 11, and Dell laptop, none of which have Qualcomm chips. AptX adaptive does not work on any of them. As others have said, I think Samsung disables aptX HD intentionally in favor of SSC. Not happy about it but I have given up on chasing bluetooth codecs. Perhaps I will change my mind once lossless audio over bluetooth becomes more widespread and readily available.

 

[PixelSquish]

Is aptX HD hardware specific? Perhaps @helmutcheese knows?

My Samsung phone does not support aptX HD but my Pixel 6 did as does my Pixel 7 Pro and Intel NUC 11, and Dell laptop, none of which have Qualcomm chips. AptX adaptive does not work on any of them. As others have said, I think Samsung disables aptX HD intentionally in favor of SSC. Not happy about it but I have given up on chasing bluetooth codecs. Perhaps I will change my mind once lossless audio over bluetooth becomes more widespread and readily available.

I like having aptX hd as an option and use it on my pixel 8 pro with my anything that works with it, like my go blu.

If the pixel 6,7 and 8 have supported aptX HD with a non Qualcomm chipset, they're is absolutely no way it can't work on a Samsung with an actual Qualcomm chipset.

That's just Samsung being shady

 

[helmutcheese]

Not sure if aptX Codec family need a certain Chipset to get support even if it was software based as really old chipsets may not work or work well with them.

I would guess its a bit of both as it (aptX HD) was added by the 3rd party A2DP Driver in Windows but AFAIK again newer BT chips and newer Windows version may be needed.

 

[cresny]

Is aptX HD hardware specific? Perhaps @helmutcheese knows?

My Samsung phone does not support aptX HD but my Pixel 6 did as does my Pixel 7 Pro and Intel NUC 11, and Dell laptop, none of which have Qualcomm chips. AptX adaptive does not work on any of them. As others have said, I think Samsung disables aptX HD intentionally in favor of SSC. Not happy about it but I have given up on chasing bluetooth codecs. Perhaps I will change my mind once lossless audio over bluetooth becomes more widespread and readily available.

I missed that one. No, AptX HD is not hardware specific, bit it's pretty much exclusive to full-size cans. No reason why Samsung shouldn't include it though.

 

[Burns11]

I picked up a pair of the Mackies off Amazon used - like new for $74 and the box was opened, but the earbuds still had the charge contact stickers still on them.

Do they connect to phone while they are in the case like mine do?

I haven't noticed mine doing this, they disconnect when I put them in the case and seemingly haven't connected again this far.

I keep getting that stupid thing with the Mackies where the sound starts crackling all to hell in the left earbud now as soon as you go over 60% volume.
I can't sort it out what it is because it seems to be an intermittent issue, and despite feeling like a hardware issue I swear that when it does this for awhile it's after noticing that the sound overall became slightly wonky for a bit.
Because I mean it has happened several times now, but then it usually goes away by itself.

Not sure, what do you guys think? Like ear wax or a hair on/inside the drivers, just overall the drivers **** the bed or something caused by something software-related?

I have noticed this, it crackles and then sounds off for a few seconds before it recovers. Last night it did it particularly bad in a song I was listening to, I rewound the song and listened to that spot again and it did the same exact thing. So I turned anc off and listened again and it didn't do it, turned it back on and it did the same crackling again in that same spot. Seems like a defect in the anc, like maybe a mic is picking up sound from the buds if it's loud enough (maybe a specific frequency?) and feeding back into itself.

They do sound fantastic though, quite a bit rough around the edges software wise, but I can definitely live with that for the sound quality. I want to see what they sound like with comply style foam, I'll have to see if any I have will fit.

 

[mikp]

well, that speak to on the xm5 is useless on a hike. Like being a student in the library, one little noise and "beep"

 

[dweaver]

I am down to 2 TWS 90% of the time now. Fairly evenly split between the two. JABRA Elite 10, Mackie MP-20TWS.

The Jabra is a great all rounder with a nice wide 3D sound stage and features that work well for all my use cases. They are also super comfy for me. The latest FW update resolved almost every compliant I had with them, almost all around wind and how it's handled...

The Mackie offers the most audiophile type sound I have heard in a TWS for a crazy good price. They also have good wind protection, OK ANC and Ambient modes, and a great OFF mode for best sound.

Interestingly neither supports "hires" codecs and as much as I want to slam them for this omission honestly they both prove that drivers and tuning still Trump the codecs and I don't have to chase tweaking settings to find the balance between pushing the envelope for that extra 5-10% sound versus stability.

 

[LDude]

I picked up a pair of the Mackies off Amazon used

Could you tell me? Do they turn off when you put them in the case and close the lid? And they don’t turn on again after a few seconds inside? Mine turned on again.

 

[clerkpalmer]

Pretty slow around here. @Noble Audio, how much longer do we have to wait for those Triumphs?