[Heir Apparent]

Best TWS for metal? Money no object.

...and go!

Loving the CA Melomania Touch. Haven't heard the MW07 Plus mentioned above but I did see those on sale for $110 recently.

 

[monsieurfromag3]

Loving the CA Melomania Touch. Haven't heard the MW07 Plus mentioned above but I did see those on sale for $110 recently.

Man those look interesting. Tell me more

 

[Kal El]

I've read about the Melomania Touch.... They are very interesting tws. I have the Lyperteki Tevi and they sound good, maybe a bit too linear, but the battery life is horrible compared to basic version of Apple Airpods that I use almost everyday for work. Airpods are the best for phone calls, but don't listen to music with them!

 

[Kal El]

I know that using a bt dac like Fiio BTR5 is not a true wirelees solution but, I'm really enjoying it with clip cover and a short version of Fiio 2.5mm balanced cable.

Today I swapped the KZ AS10, that I usually use when I go out for a walk or with my bike (I use them because are cheap and good sounding, and I don't care if they would fall, also they have very stable fit), with UM 3DT and they sound great.

They are not true wireless and also the combo is more expensive than $300 tws IEMs, but I like this way because it allows me to change IEMs whenever I want.

 

[NZtechfreak]

I know that using a bt dac like Fiio BTR5 is not a true wirelees solution but, I'm really enjoying it with clip cover and a short version of Fiio 2.5mm balanced cable.

Today I swapped the KZ AS10, that I usually use when I go out for a walk or with my bike (I use them because are cheap and good sounding, and I don't care if they would fall, also they have very stable fit), with UM 3DT and they sound great.

They are not true wireless and also the combo is more expensive than $300 tws IEMs, but I like this way because it allows me to change IEMs whenever I want.

I'm using for exercise, so wouldn't want to use my good IEMs with this, but certainly considering this or their earhook BT adapter for non-exercise use.

Anyways, I got the Senn TWS M2 because it was on sale for about $150 off, and unlike the other options is something I can walk into a store and get. Given exercise use case the sound is absolutely fine, although when I can actually find sources for the Master and Dynamic MW08/Melomania 1 Plus/B&W P17 I'll likely look to try them out too.

 

[LepakVT]

I am on the fence between the 3DT and Blessing 2 Dusk. Most of my music listening leans towards metal and hard rock, but I've been on a big bluesy kick recently and was recommended to try posting in this thread.

Anyone with these out there willing to do a quick listen to this song as a point of reference and help me decide between the 3DT or B2? :

 

[sebek]

I am on the fence between the 3DT and Blessing 2 Dusk. Most of my music listening leans towards metal and hard rock, but I've been on a big bluesy kick recently and was recommended to try posting in this thread.

Anyone with these out there willing to do a quick listen to this song as a point of reference and help me decide between the 3DT or B2? :

I have neither, but I would choose B2 because it already has an established status as the best choice under € 300, while for 3DT there is a risk that it could simply be the new sensation of the month and be completely forgotten in a few months, as it happens to many IEMs.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

I have neither, but I would choose B2 because it already has an established status as the best choice under € 300, while for 3DT there is a risk that it could simply be the new sensation of the month and be completely forgotten in a few months, as it happens to many IEMs.

The Fiio FD5 would like a word.

 

[NZtechfreak]

M&D MW07 Plus.

I found a source for these that'll ship here, they arrive in a couple of days. Look better suited for my use case (exercise) with a higher IPX rating that the Senns, and a more secure fit. From what I can gather I will like their sound better too, so win all around. Although the newer MW08 looks like it is a better product, the changes in sound sig, while no doubt appreciated by many with the smoother treble, will very likely be worse for me (I have this thing called high frequency hearing loss from too much playing in bands and attending metal gigs, the extra treble energy in the MW07 Plus will be appreciated).

 

[NZtechfreak]

Well, DHL can't follow directions, that isn't particularly news, however it is good news for me as they delivered today instead of Thursday when I'd requested delivery (I don't work Thursday, just lucky someone happened to be at home today). Initial impressions favourable, the M&D MW07+ are much more dynamic and clean than the Senns. The bass a bit lacking, but that was seal related as I wanted to bang them in my ears ASAP and didn't change fins or tips and there wasn't a good seal at all. Once kids to bed I will have a bit more of a play and get the fit right and see.

UPDATE: Fit sorted, bass is there now. These are banging. Easy recommendation over the Senns (which are not bad in themselves either) for rock/metal if you're in the market for TWS buds. Bass is tighter with better slam, bass guitars and drums sound better, distorted guitars have proper presence and bite. If you prefer a bit more relaxed treble then the MW08 probably a good shout.

 

[Leviathant]

Richer Sounds in the UK allow demos of Campfire IEMs now so I thought I’d give Andromeda 2020 a whirl with metal. I’ll try and summarise my thoughts following the demo for anyone that’s interested.

Just quickly about my preferences. Whilst I like DD bass timbre, I cannot stand IEMs that can’t keep up with fast bass as I listen to all sorts of fast grindcore type metal. Thus I’m not against BA bass in general (until more beryllium-like DD sets come out at least!). I also disliked the OG Andro as it was too bright for my tastes when I owned them previously.

Highlights of the Andromeda 2020 for me were:

- lovely tonal balance overall and musical, including lovely mid-bass warmth but not muddying the overall crisp and clean sound. Treble was never glaring or sibilant, but sweet and satisfying without feeling like I was missing too much (slightly rolled off is good for me as I’m treble sensitive)
- Staging was really excellent for me, deep and wide without becoming too distant and un-engaging, with great layering.
-Very quick transients that kept up with the fast metal
- Bass was very good in general extension and nicely textured, albeit not necessarily having a huge amount of quantity or slam/impact (which for me is probably an acceptable trade off giving the other plus points, maybe).
- High level of resolution that plays with the big boys.

Overall, I perceived so little flaws with the presentation that I was able to enjoy anything that I threw at them. This is a big plus for me as I’m sick of having on IEMs being excellent for one album and not so great for another album (even within the metal sphere). Whether it was Anaal Nathrakh’s Submission Is for the Week, Wormrot’s Blockhead screw Off (my main test track for fast grindcore) or Deafheaven’s new track Great Mass of Color (more shoegaze than metal).

Yes, there could be more bass quantity and slam, but I’m not sure it wouldn’t mess with the overall tonal balance if that was added. That said, over time I’m wondering whether I’d find this lacking and bothersome long term. Hmm..

They are much better for metal than me VE8 (despite having very similar FR) universal as the VE8 have a thicker/meatier sound that is too suffocating and everything seems smooshed together and on top itself most of the time (lack of any real separation and layering). VE8 is just too relaxed to really make metal engaging most of the time.

So, to conclude, as I’m getting a bit sick of constantly searching for a hyper fast IEM for metal that has too many drawbacks I am considering picking up the Andromeda 2020 at least until something else comes along that ticks as many of my boxes for metal. Still wondering whether I should try and compare to U12t or new Anole v14 or something like that though, but sometimes I worry they will be too bright/analytical and therefore distracting for my tastes for metal. Would love to try the Nio also but I’m always worried the DD won’t keep up down low. Anybody else compared these for fast metal?

edit: Oh I was using my Shanling M8 as source and no hiss whatsoever!

 

[Garney]

Richer Sounds in the UK allow demos of Campfire IEMs now so I thought I’d give Andromeda 2020 a whirl with metal. I’ll try and summarise my thoughts following the demo for anyone that’s interested.

Just quickly about my preferences. Whilst I like DD bass timbre, I cannot stand IEMs that can’t keep up with fast bass as I listen to all sorts of fast grindcore type metal. Thus I’m not against BA bass in general (until more beryllium-like DD sets come out at least!). I also disliked the OG Andro as it was too bright for my tastes when I owned them previously.

Highlights of the Andromeda 2020 for me were:

- lovely tonal balance overall and musical, including lovely mid-bass warmth but not muddying the overall crisp and clean sound. Treble was never glaring or sibilant, but sweet and satisfying without feeling like I was missing too much (slightly rolled off is good for me as I’m treble sensitive)
- Staging was really excellent for me, deep and wide without becoming too distant and un-engaging, with great layering.
-Very quick transients that kept up with the fast metal
- Bass was very good in general extension and nicely textured, albeit not necessarily having a huge amount of quantity or slam/impact (which for me is probably an acceptable trade off giving the other plus points, maybe).
- High level of resolution that plays with the big boys.

Overall, I perceived so little flaws with the presentation that I was able to enjoy anything that I threw at them. This is a big plus for me as I’m sick of having on IEMs being excellent for one album and not so great for another album (even within the metal sphere). Whether it was Anaal Nathrakh’s Submission Is for the Week, Wormrot’s Blockhead screw Off (my main test track for fast grindcore) or Deafheaven’s new track Great Mass of Color (more shoegaze than metal).

Yes, there could be more bass quantity and slam, but I’m not sure it wouldn’t mess with the overall tonal balance if that was added. That said, over time I’m wondering whether I’d find this lacking and bothersome. Hmm..

They are much better for metal than me VE8 (despite having very similar FR) universal as the VE8 have a thicker/meatier sound that is too suffocating and everything seems smooshed together and on top itself most of the time (lack of any real separation and layering). VE8 is just too relaxed to really make metal engaging most of the time.

So, to conclude, as I’m getting a bit sick of constantly searching for a hyper fast IEM for metal that has too many drawbacks I am considering picking up the Andromeda 2020 at least until something else comes along that ticks as many of my boxes for metal. Still wondering whether I should try and compare to U12t or new Anole v14 or something like that though, but sometimes I worry they will be too bright/analytical and therefore distracting for my tastes for metal. Would love to try the Nio also but I’m always worried the DD won’t keep up down low. Anybody else compared these for fast metal?

edit: Oh I was using my Shanling M8 as source and no hiss whatsoever!

Thanks for sharing these impressions! I really want to audition some CA IEMs. Namely the Andro 2020, Solaris 2020 and Dorado 2020. The Andro 2020 sounds like an excellent all arounder.

I can't comment on the Andro versus the Nio (or U12t and v14 for that matter) but I do have an all BA IEM in the DUNU SA6. My guess is that it falls a ways behind the Andro in terms of sheer technical ability and resolution but it's still quite good for metal (and other genres) with a generally agreeable tonality and "safe" FR.

My current daily setup is iBasso DX300 -> 64 Audio Nio. I'm not a big grindcore listener but just played that Wormrot track you mentioned and the Nio DD bass does seem to keep up just fine. I'll need to A/B with the SA6 as it's BA bass is really competent when it comes to fast passages, on occasion besting the Nio for outright speed and decay. The Nio's bass (I strictly use the M15 module) has plenty of quantity, slam and impact. It's about as much as I want with metal (I typically stick to black and death metal) and is much more visceral than the bass of the SA6 even though they're within a few dB of each other FR-wise from 20 Hz to 200 Hz. I'm still pretty green in this hobby and have a hard time describing what I hear competently but to me the SA6 has more of a "snap" or sharp edge with bass notes / kick drums whereas with the Nio it's deeper and fuller sounding. Essentially the Nio's DD sounds more "real" to my ears, like listening to fast double kick bass live in person. But it can at times be a bit much depending on how the album is mixed (for example, Malediction of Agony's title album with it's bass heavy mix can be slightly overwhelming.)

Any "plasticky" nature to the BA bass of the Andro 2020? I never quite understood what folks meant when they said this about BA bass prior to owning the Nio. The Nio has essentially "sold" me on hybrid configurations where a DD is implemented for the bass region. I really enjoy the tuning of the SA6, but the BA bass just can't quite match the realism of DD bass, especially when it comes to metal.

 

[MatW]

The Nio has essentially "sold" me on hybrid configurations where a DD is implemented for the bass region. I really enjoy the tuning of the SA6, but the BA bass just can't quite match the realism of DD bass, especially when it comes to metal.

Well said, I fully agree.

 

[blotmouse]

An Andromeda with DD bass is a Solaris.

 

[Leviathant]

I can't comment on the Andro versus the Nio (or U12t and v14 for that matter) but I do have an all BA IEM in the DUNU SA6. My guess is that it falls a ways behind the Andro in terms of sheer technical ability and resolution but it's still quite good for metal (and other genres) with a generally agreeable tonality and "safe" FR.

Funnily enough I've just got the SA6 in as I wanted to see how it did for my metal tastes. I guess they came in at a bad time, right after my Andromeda demo. I basically agree with your statement here. The obvious caveat here is the Andromeda is twice the price (but also the fact I've not had much time with the SA6 yet). However, to me Andro is well worth the extra money. Andromeda's bass is tighter, more controlled, has a really nice lower mid-range warmth that I love for metal guitars (a preference thing?) and enough note weight so as to not be too thin. Andro has much higher resolution (not at summit-fi levels perhaps, but good enough for metal in my eyes) with fast transients that really keep pace with the music, and offer this really musical performance. I'm finding that, in comparison, SA6 does an ok job at keeping up with fast paced metal, but it's lesser technical abilities leave it sounding a bit slurred and hazy across all frequencies when pushed to the limit. SA6 also has a much more closed in stage where things feel very much in your head, whilst Andromeda puts things much more in front and to the side of you. Finally, whilst definitely not being a dynamic IEM compared to other IEMs on the market (like a Nio, etc.), the Andromeda does feel quite a bit more dynamic than SA6, blending an effortless laid back tendency with musical energy at the same time.

Not meaning to slate the SA6 as for it's price I think it's really good and, as you say, very pleasant tonality and safe without doing too much wrong with metal music.

My current daily setup is iBasso DX300 -> 64 Audio Nio. I'm not a big grindcore listener but just played that Wormrot track you mentioned and the Nio DD bass does seem to keep up just fine. I'll need to A/B with the SA6 as it's BA bass is really competent when it comes to fast passages, on occasion besting the Nio for outright speed and decay. The Nio's bass (I strictly use the M15 module) has plenty of quantity, slam and impact. It's about as much as I want with metal (I typically stick to black and death metal) and is much more visceral than the bass of the SA6 even though they're within a few dB of each other FR-wise from 20 Hz to 200 Hz. I'm still pretty green in this hobby and have a hard time describing what I hear competently but to me the SA6 has more of a "snap" or sharp edge with bass notes / kick drums whereas with the Nio it's deeper and fuller sounding. Essentially the Nio's DD sounds more "real" to my ears, like listening to fast double kick bass live in person. But it can at times be a bit much depending on how the album is mixed (for example, Malediction of Agony's title album with it's bass heavy mix can be slightly overwhelming.)

I tried the N8 demo a couple of years ago, and it's supposed to be really close to the Nio. I really liked it. I think I ultimately I can see myself selling the VE8, & having both the Andromeda and Nio to compliment each other.

Any "plasticky" nature to the BA bass of the Andro 2020? I never quite understood what folks meant when they said this about BA bass prior to owning the Nio. The Nio has essentially "sold" me on hybrid configurations where a DD is implemented for the bass region. I really enjoy the tuning of the SA6, but the BA bass just can't quite match the realism of DD bass, especially when it comes to metal.

Honestly, I guess I hear it more on the SA6 over the Andromeda, but as it doesn't bother me I don't really notice it too much. There's no perfect IEM and all that.