ChaChaRealSmooth
100+ Head-Fier
**Before I start the impressions, it should be duly noted that I'm typically NOT an IEM listener. I typically don't use IEMs because I don't like the feeling of having something in my ear, so thus I usually stick to circumaural (over-ear) headphones, and have a folding supra-aural (on-ear) set for portable use.**
I think it is safe to say that by now, many are familiar with the benefits of convenience of going with true wireless IEMs. Portability, the absence of any wires, noise cancellation, usually come with a case that functions as a charger, and most have some water resistance for exercise use. The target audience and intended market is clearly different from the gear made for the last word in audio fidelity.
In comes the QCY T2C, a more budget-oriented true wireless IEM. The packaging was secure, and honestly, setup was a breeze. The included instructions aren't the most detailed thing, but it doesn't need to be and I didn't run into any problems. After popping them in, I'm not going to lie; I was disappointed. But in the beginning, I was being quite unfair to them; after all, how in the world are they supposed to compare to a dedicated desktop headphone rig?
Packaging/Quality
As stated before, it's secure enough. It's a similar package to what you'd expect to get if you ran down to a local electronics store and bought some IEMs off the shelf. Nothing spectacular, but not bad either.
The included cable is REALLY short; its length is more suitably measured in inches. That being said, since the cable just charges the case, I don't think this is necessarily terrible, but in my living situation this makes things quite hard. However, it's a micro-USB, and thankfully I have other micro-USB cables around of longer length.
The charging case itself is of smooth texture, and the review unit I received is white. I don't quite have a problem with this, but when your hands are sweaty in the gym it's not the easiest thing to hold on to. The Drop MOVE, with its rough texture, is much better in this regard. Also, the white case makes dirt and other things very apparent. I'd recommend getting the black one unless you really insist on having the white ones.
The IEMs themselves are plastic and feel like what you'd expect from a product in the sub-$50 price range. The buttons are nicely clicky and easy to operate; both sides do essentially the same thing. I quite like this since it's easy and not gimmicky like the MOVE. Stock ear tips are silicone and match the IEM color. They fit nicely in my ears and don't feel too uncomfortable (again I feel I should state that I don't typically like IEMs).
It's worth noting here that the sizes between the stock tips don't seem to vary much (i.e. the small isn't that much smaller than medium). If you know you have somewhat outlier ears you'll need to get your own tips.
User Experience
I've said it before, but it really was painless to setup. Make sure everything is all charged up, take the IEMs out, and go connect it via Bluetooth on your preferred device. Viola, paired! Super easy and I didn't experience any hiccups.
They worked pretty well out and about, as expected of this type of product. For me personally, the stock tips did a decent job isolating me from the outside world. They also stayed secure during various exercise, including HIIT circuits and running. For this use, they definitely fit the bill.
I can't speak too much about mic quality, but no one on the other end had trouble understanding what I was saying. However, due to some aspects of the sound, it can be a little hard to understand what the other person is saying, as some enunciations get a bit indistinct. But not bad for this use.
I'm also not a good person to talk about battery life since I just can't stand IEMs for hours on end; however, when using the outside or in the gym, I never had a problem with the battery life. The case does seem to hold quite a bit of charge.
Sound
The overall signature of this IEM is somewhat U-shaped with a dip somewhere in the presence region in the mids. This makes vocals sound a bit distant and does make some female vocals sound a bit pinched. I do notice that in rock songs, guitars seem to lack some crunch and bite. This translates to most instruments and vocals actually; the tone is a bit over-smooth and lacks nuance. However, layering in the mids is not too bad, especially given the price (this is actually a bit surprising and the best part of the mids).
The bass is a mixed bag. On one hand, it has decent impact and rumble, but it lacks pitch differentiation to the point it almost becomes one-note. This is fine when watching videos or Michael Bay films, but in some dance music it's not easy to tell the pitches apart.
Treble is kind of Hifiman-like (it reminds me a lot of my HE-560 V1). It's slightly elevated and does have similarities to the Hifiman timbre. Slightly splashy and lacks some resolution and resolve, but it never was annoying.
Transient performance was slightly mushy, especially in the lows. It just isn't that agile and light on its feet, but given its sound signature it actually kind of works out.
I found the best sonic performance came from a slightly shallower insertion. Deeper insertion brought the bass levels too far up. Remarkably, they still stayed secure despite this fit.
Conclusion
A lot of what I said about the sound might come off as negative, but honestly, I recommend the QCY T2C. It's actually quite good for its price and if you're someone who wants to give the true wireless stuff a try without plunking down a decent chunk of change, this is a pretty good choice.
That being said, if you are willing to spend more, there are much better sounding true wireless IEMs out there. The Drop MOVE is particularly good and is on par with the Klipsch T5, but obviously suffers from the same problem every Drop product suffers from (availability). The Klipsch ones are great, but require quite a deep insertion that I found particularly bothersome, especially with my aversion to IEMs.
**pics to be uploaded later**
I think it is safe to say that by now, many are familiar with the benefits of convenience of going with true wireless IEMs. Portability, the absence of any wires, noise cancellation, usually come with a case that functions as a charger, and most have some water resistance for exercise use. The target audience and intended market is clearly different from the gear made for the last word in audio fidelity.
In comes the QCY T2C, a more budget-oriented true wireless IEM. The packaging was secure, and honestly, setup was a breeze. The included instructions aren't the most detailed thing, but it doesn't need to be and I didn't run into any problems. After popping them in, I'm not going to lie; I was disappointed. But in the beginning, I was being quite unfair to them; after all, how in the world are they supposed to compare to a dedicated desktop headphone rig?
Packaging/Quality
As stated before, it's secure enough. It's a similar package to what you'd expect to get if you ran down to a local electronics store and bought some IEMs off the shelf. Nothing spectacular, but not bad either.
The included cable is REALLY short; its length is more suitably measured in inches. That being said, since the cable just charges the case, I don't think this is necessarily terrible, but in my living situation this makes things quite hard. However, it's a micro-USB, and thankfully I have other micro-USB cables around of longer length.
The charging case itself is of smooth texture, and the review unit I received is white. I don't quite have a problem with this, but when your hands are sweaty in the gym it's not the easiest thing to hold on to. The Drop MOVE, with its rough texture, is much better in this regard. Also, the white case makes dirt and other things very apparent. I'd recommend getting the black one unless you really insist on having the white ones.
The IEMs themselves are plastic and feel like what you'd expect from a product in the sub-$50 price range. The buttons are nicely clicky and easy to operate; both sides do essentially the same thing. I quite like this since it's easy and not gimmicky like the MOVE. Stock ear tips are silicone and match the IEM color. They fit nicely in my ears and don't feel too uncomfortable (again I feel I should state that I don't typically like IEMs).
It's worth noting here that the sizes between the stock tips don't seem to vary much (i.e. the small isn't that much smaller than medium). If you know you have somewhat outlier ears you'll need to get your own tips.
User Experience
I've said it before, but it really was painless to setup. Make sure everything is all charged up, take the IEMs out, and go connect it via Bluetooth on your preferred device. Viola, paired! Super easy and I didn't experience any hiccups.
They worked pretty well out and about, as expected of this type of product. For me personally, the stock tips did a decent job isolating me from the outside world. They also stayed secure during various exercise, including HIIT circuits and running. For this use, they definitely fit the bill.
I can't speak too much about mic quality, but no one on the other end had trouble understanding what I was saying. However, due to some aspects of the sound, it can be a little hard to understand what the other person is saying, as some enunciations get a bit indistinct. But not bad for this use.
I'm also not a good person to talk about battery life since I just can't stand IEMs for hours on end; however, when using the outside or in the gym, I never had a problem with the battery life. The case does seem to hold quite a bit of charge.
Sound
The overall signature of this IEM is somewhat U-shaped with a dip somewhere in the presence region in the mids. This makes vocals sound a bit distant and does make some female vocals sound a bit pinched. I do notice that in rock songs, guitars seem to lack some crunch and bite. This translates to most instruments and vocals actually; the tone is a bit over-smooth and lacks nuance. However, layering in the mids is not too bad, especially given the price (this is actually a bit surprising and the best part of the mids).
The bass is a mixed bag. On one hand, it has decent impact and rumble, but it lacks pitch differentiation to the point it almost becomes one-note. This is fine when watching videos or Michael Bay films, but in some dance music it's not easy to tell the pitches apart.
Treble is kind of Hifiman-like (it reminds me a lot of my HE-560 V1). It's slightly elevated and does have similarities to the Hifiman timbre. Slightly splashy and lacks some resolution and resolve, but it never was annoying.
Transient performance was slightly mushy, especially in the lows. It just isn't that agile and light on its feet, but given its sound signature it actually kind of works out.
I found the best sonic performance came from a slightly shallower insertion. Deeper insertion brought the bass levels too far up. Remarkably, they still stayed secure despite this fit.
Conclusion
A lot of what I said about the sound might come off as negative, but honestly, I recommend the QCY T2C. It's actually quite good for its price and if you're someone who wants to give the true wireless stuff a try without plunking down a decent chunk of change, this is a pretty good choice.
That being said, if you are willing to spend more, there are much better sounding true wireless IEMs out there. The Drop MOVE is particularly good and is on par with the Klipsch T5, but obviously suffers from the same problem every Drop product suffers from (availability). The Klipsch ones are great, but require quite a deep insertion that I found particularly bothersome, especially with my aversion to IEMs.
**pics to be uploaded later**
