Just an update on my comparison impressions for the recent buds I wound up keeping for anyone interested (AZ80, XM5, QC Ultra, Elite 10, and APP2 in no particular order). I planned on getting them all in, testing them, then keeping the one I liked most. Well, that didn’t happen. I did return the B&O’s and B&W’s, as both were considerably more money for less features, connectivity issues, and sound quality that wasn’t mind blowing. I also retuned the Beats Studio Pro+’s as they were less than stellar in every aspect.
For me, the AZ80’s still take the top spot for best sound quality, easy of use, and functionality. Their connectivity is also only rivaled by the AirPod Pro 2’s, and that’s saying something since they’re a part of the Apple ecosystem. The app is just right. It has just enough features to be comprehensive, but not enough to be convoluted or cumbersome (like the Sony app). I like them quite a bit. I still find myself getting lost in them from time to time.
If ANC is something that you use frequently, I put the AZ80’s in 3rd place. They’re out done by a fair margin by the APP2’s and QC Ultras. I find the AZ80’s ANC to be just a little better than the Sony’s and Jabra’s. The AZ80’s ANC is more than acceptable for my purposes, but I mention it because if you’re directly comparing them to the APP2’s or QC Ultra’s there is enough of a difference to be noticeable. When you put the APP2’s or Ultra’s in, the surrounding world just about disappears even at low volume levels. So, if ANC is your biggest box to check and you predominantly use Apple products, go with the APP2’s. If you use an iPhone but don’t necessarily need to melt into the Apple ecosystem and also appreciate other device brands, go with the QC Ultra. With an iPhone, the APP2’s have a nicer ANC than the QC Ultra’s, but the Ultra’s are nicer across more devices (and are ridiculously comfortable).
The Jabra Elite 10’s are a workhorse in the bud market. Functionality and reliability is top on their list. Never a connection issue, and they seamlessly connect to whatever two devices they were last connected to every time. Sound wise, they’re acceptable, but they don’t do anything very well, or poorly, they’re just meh (for lack of a better term). To make up for that, you can mold them with their EQ any way that you like and get more than acceptable sound quality from them. The app facilitates this well since you can save as many custom EQ settings as you like. The app is also simple, but powerful. ANC is acceptable, but causes a bit of internal white noise. The spatial sound feature is terrible (at least on my set). It colors the sound terribly, and adds a whole lot of noise to the signal. I just leave it off completely. I feel like I could beat the crap out of the Elite 10’s and get years of use out of them. I had a set of Elite 3’s for four years (and they still work), so I’m sure that would be true. That’s said, they get used the least.
I’m super surprised with the Bose QC Ultra’s. I held off on buying them for a long time. They actually didn’t even make the list at all, but I finally decided to get a set since I had heard everything else out there. I’ve never been very impressed with the sound signature of Bose in-ears, so I fully planned on skipping them. I’m very glad I didn’t. They are fun, and they are COMFORTABLE!! Once you dial in the ear tip and “wing” they feel excellent. The ANC is also excellent, only outdone by the APP2’s. However, the overall sound quality is a bit better than the APP2’s. This is the first time I’ve actually enjoyed a Bose in-ear product. They sound great for movies and shows; big bass, musical mids, and sparkly highs (the highs are subdued just a bit and the overall EQ is a bit scooped). Again, they’re fun to listen to. They’re a great overall, everyday choice for the casual audio/video consumer. A few areas that they miss the mark for me are the case size, ease of removing from the case, all the case light signals, vague update procedure, and glitchy connectivity. If you do anything too quickly with them, they tend to get confused. For me, they’re a great “nightstand” bud.
The XM5’s …I had the highest expectations for these, and still do actually. Every time I put them in, it’s like I’m giving them another chance to redeem themselves haha! I really like the sound signature. I couldn’t get rid of them because I felt like I’d be missing something if I did. That is total consumer BS, but I kept them nonetheless. Their sound quality is great, they’re also fun to listen to. They have an easy going and relaxed sound that makes them very easy to listen to. Once EQ’d, they do have magical moments. The AZ80’s beat them out because of consistently better sound quality and a wider range of adjustment. But, there’s enough of a difference to make me keep giving them a chance. However, If I could only keep just one set, the XM5’s wouldn’t be it. They are cumbersome in just about every way to use. They’re hard to get out of the case, the stock ear tips are hard to get in your ear, the app is convoluted, overloaded, and vague all at the same time, and the operation of the touch pads is the least tactile of the bunch. There are quite a few instances where I’ve tapped a pad and didn’t know if I actually did anything. Quite a few times still that I’ve accidentally tapped a pad and it has done something that I didn’t want it to. They are the least functional of the bunch and I almost always use them when I know I’m going to be stationary for awhile. I guess I’m just a glutton for punishment.
Another outlier that I didn’t put too much thought into was the AirPod Pro 2’s. They pleasantly surprised me much like the QC Ultra’s. I’ve never liked any of the versions of AirPod in the past, these sure ain’t them. The ANC is fantastic. That’s a lot coming from me because I didn’t normally care that much to use ANC. The APP2’s make me want to use it. You can’t even tell it’s on and it just blocks out everything. There is no pink noise in the background, outside sound is just gone. A little TMI, but here goes anyway …I was in the bathroom the other day and I had the vent fan on. Not thinking of or paying attention to anything in particular I put in the APP2’s. I thought the fan burnt out while I was sitting there. Since I wasn’t paying attention to the sound of the fan and was occupied with other tasks, that background noise just went away and I thought the fan died. I got up, checked the switch, still nothing …until I realized that I put the APP2’s in, took an ear out and there was the fan haha. Definitely a forehead slap moment, but I was impressed to say the least haha! The sound quality is good (better than the Jabra Elite 10’s) and just about on par with the QC Ultra’s. The sound is much better when EQ’d, but unfortunately you have to EQ them with an external app as they can’t be EQ’d from the settings in your phone (no custom settings at least). They’re supposed to auto EQ based on your ear, but I don’t know how well they’re doing. They sound good, but I would tweak them differently than the “auto” EQ has. Connectivity is as solid as it gets. Spatial Audio is the best of the bunch. With a better EQ they could be great, but they do start to actually distort at the highest of volumes with certain genres (none of the other brands do that). They integrate into the Apple ecosystem exceptionally well and just become a part of life on the go. They are an excellent choice for just about everyone on the planet. I can see why they’re so popular. If you aren’t an audio freak, APP2’s would be more than adequate for almost every circumstance.
So, for my personal ranking (which is so preferential and only relative to my list of needs)
AZ80
APP2 / QC Ultra (very close tie)
XM5
Elite 10
Don’t waste the time or money on the B&O, B&W, or Beats Studio Pro +. I don’t see any scenario that any of those three excel over the few mentioned above.
That ranking list may seem skewed because the XM5’s are under the APP2’s and QC Ultra’s, but for me, the overall terrible user experience of the XM5 is not redeemed by its sound quality. This is one reason I don’t carry around a mobile amp and IEM’s anymore. It’s just too cumbersome and intentional. Personally, I want the experience to incorporate itself into my life, not the need to accommodate the product.
Either way, I hope I didn’t muddy the waters even further and have helped in some small way.
