May 3, 2025 at 1:04 PM Post #69,886 of 69,912
Beoplay where a but uninspiring ... Ir flat, Not excelling in anything
.b&o house sound might not be my taste .
Aviot te-zx1 are way more refined for some sound aspects ( separation, position, speed )

Pi8 had a more decent bass and decay , they are musical but sound way less precise or less hi-end then Aviot te-zx1..
Nice big stage and timber but less detailed and way less precise .
We like different sound signatures, and I'm not a big bass fan. Despite my snippy comment, maybe the Gemini 2s might work for you. Lots of people like them ( to much base for me) , so just read some reviews. Here is a vibe map that might help you figure out what might work for you.


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May 3, 2025 at 1:08 PM Post #69,887 of 69,912
**I think they left just as Phonak did (Audeo)** & Starkey. (All hearing aid companies)

"Difficult space to be in"

A) a lot of the brands that are essentially unheard of are actually the manufacturers participating in the market. They are typically low cost products & have a poor performance record. (Think "Night Market" table sales)

B) another difficulty, the fact new chipsets are released every 6 months or so, making the need to move product as fast as possible, before it becomes obsolete (think bread sales)

C) batteries have a shelf life = better sell the tws as quick as possible to insure the batteries are at their peak performance

To mitigate point B & C, a company has to sell as fast as possible, which usually means operating at low margins. I often say TWS is a game of inches, not miles.

"Entrance must be low" - I guess that really depends what the definition of "low is." It may be low to Harman International, but very high to a small boutique audio company. Considering a common minimum order requirement is 5,000 sets, for me, the cost of entrance is daunting for a company like Noble.

"Jabra" exiting:

These comments are strictly an opinion.
Jabra is owned by GnResound, a huge hearing aid company. The hearing aid industry is not a game of inches & miles. My guess is Gn decided to use their resources in areas they have a proven success rate and in some sense a captured market. (Basically decided to use their capital in a more effective manner)

I doubt they left because they couldn't compete. While I have never owned or heard a Jabra, their build quality appeared to be top drawer & they certainly didn't lack for experience or team expertise. **I think they left just as Phonak did (Audeo)** & Starkey. (All hearing aid companies) They dipped their toes in & decided the juice wasn't worth the squeeze and would rather operate in proven markets.

That's just my guess

And again, I apologize for the long winded post
Hi John, I didn't know Phonak (owned by Sonova) had dipped their toes into the TWS market? Is there anyplace I can read about that?
 
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May 3, 2025 at 1:16 PM Post #69,888 of 69,912
Pi8s are on sale for 318 on Amazon. I bought mine at BB for full retail, so I went to BB today and they are going to refund the difference. Now I like them even more.
My only issue with the Pi8 so far is it keeps switching off of Truesound on its own. I prefer the TrueSound signature and wish it would stay. Anyone else have that issue?
 
May 3, 2025 at 3:48 PM Post #69,891 of 69,912
Good question...the list you have tried is fairly comprehensive. Maybe the AZ100? I do feel you need other tips than the stock tips to get the best from them. Looking for better sq than the Aviot. I think the Rex5 is better sq wise but there are caveats. B&O would have been the first suggestion.
AZ100 don't work in the gym for me anyway, they just feel too 'stuffy', although the transparency is excellent.
I use Nothing Ear 2024, don't need totl audio while exercising personally, just something that stays put throughout and has decent enough audio . Run in them, done plyometrics, calisthenics, compound exercises, stays put and doesn't budge. All checkboxes ticked for me and if I lose them, no big deal, cheap enough to replace.

I would think the new Sony 1000XM6 will be out in the next couple of months, and tariffs on electronics from China are 20%, so you think Sony's price will be higher. I'm thinking $339
I expect them to be priced the same in the UK as their predecessor (£259) in order to compete with the AZ100 (also £259). They're going to have to pull something special out the bag, as the AZ100 are quite a bit better than the wf-1000xm5 imo.
 
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May 3, 2025 at 6:54 PM Post #69,893 of 69,912
I expect them to be priced the same in the UK as their predecessor (£259) in order to compete with the AZ100 (also £259). They're going to have to pull something special out the bag, as the AZ100 are quite a bit better than the wf-1000xm5 imo.
I find the Sony's pretty weak and think they need to come up with something good. The Technics are much better, but that big brand will drive sales. I was thinking about the pricing. I think they will need to raise prices in the US. Margins are low for both the manufacturers and the retailers for electronics.
 
May 3, 2025 at 7:13 PM Post #69,894 of 69,912
Hi John, I didn't know Phonak (owned by Sonova) had dipped their toes into the TWS market? Is there anyplace I can read about that?
To clarify, they dipped their toes in the portable audio market with a wired product called the Audeo. Oddly enough, Phonak also offered a hearing aid called the Audeo as well.

I never heard the Audeo, but the reviews I read, seemed to be positive.
 
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May 4, 2025 at 11:21 AM Post #69,897 of 69,912
I had another go with beyerdynamic amiron 300. Previous had sounds distortion issue, this one keeps connecting to devices even while in closed case. Beyer should keep their build in house in Germany
I've never had either a distortion issue or that kind of connection problem. Or the volume issues others have reported; I just set the Amiron volume to max and use the source to adjust the volume. And these are incredibly comfortable, perhaps due to the small size and beyerdynamic's oval shape of the stem and tips (same design used on the Xelento).
 
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May 4, 2025 at 11:40 AM Post #69,898 of 69,912
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May 4, 2025 at 11:49 AM Post #69,899 of 69,912
I wonder if they're releasing at the same time as the WH-1000xm6... will be interested in a pair as the Sonys have proved to be superb on flights.

Also, just got hold of the new Bowers PX7 S3, they're very good, they sound like a headphone version of the Pi8 to my ears. Definitely more v-shaped compared to the PX8, great clarity up top and a very nice hard hitting low end, very comfy on head. Slightly more enjoyable to my ears than the PX8, definitely a keeper these.
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