True Wireless (TWS) Earphones

Drop x Grell. Reviewed this a while ago but here’s a copy pasta

Axel Grell is a prominent name in the headphones world as he was previously involved with the creation of some of the most beloved headphones from Sennheiser. This collection includes the HD580, 600, 650 and HD800 series, among others that are widely revered amongst the audiophile community. He left Sennheiser a few years ago, and now has started his own brand, simply called Grell. The first product introduced in this new company is a true wireless earphone called the Grell TWS1.

Popular online storefront, Drop, came in and partnered with Grell and created an exclusive Drop version of the unit called the TWSX/1, which is also priced at the same $199 price tag as the Grell version. As far as I can tell, the only differences between the two versions is the removal of the Grell branding on the Drop outer shell, and the addition of the Drop blue-colored ear wings for improved fitment on some ears. I do use these when wearing these IEMs personally.

As a disclaimer, this review unit was shipped to me directly by Drop. I have a Drop Affiliate account, however, I normally don’t ever use it, so that’s my spiel. The item can be purchased directly from Drop.com as this is an exclusive item to their store.

User Controls & Experience

Before I begin too far into this, I do want to point out that there have been a significant amount of user disdain and negativity around this TWS IEM’s controls and overall experience. And for the most part, its all true to me, especially when I received the first unit, which was not only pretty messed up from a touch interface standpoint, but also a sound stand point. I ended up getting a new set from Drop that clearly worked a lot better and did not come from that original batch.

That said, the original firmware it ships with is quite problematic, from touch buttons being mapped incorrectly, to random changes in playback, and other anomalies. To fix this, you’ll need to get the SonarWorks Sound ID app to pair with the TWS1/X and upgrade its firmware, which isn’t as simple as you’d think it would be. But after, a couple attempts, I was able to successfully upgrade the firmware, and most of the incorrect mappings were resolved.

Most of…

I no longer have the experience of the left and right controls only working, in harmony (or chaos) on only the left side, which has been resolved and the proper playback buttons are now mapped on the right side and noise canceling/transparency and “Noise Annoyances Reduction” modes are on the left side.

That said though, I still have some issues with either extreme sensitivity in some cases where ANC turns on quickly, or Transparency does, or off, or both turn on at the same time?! OR, the touch controls don’t respond at all, even after taps or long presses. It’s still a bit scatter-brained in its touch effectiveness, and leaves me quite frustrated and leaves a lot to be desired.

The transparency mode is typically my go-to though, as I really enjoy using this mode on my Samsung Galaxy Buds series of TWS. The Grell version seems to have much higher sensitivity than the Galaxy Buds and it can be so amped up that you get a lot more background noise than I’d like, giving off a kind of white hiss sound thats quite audible. It’s not really a problem during music playback however, but when music is off, that noise can be an annoyance.

The ANC and NAR modes are average compared to other noise cancelings I’ve tried and is about on par with the Galaxy Buds. I really don’t know if theres a major difference between the ANC and NAR modes to be honest, and so I’d probably need to test it in a louder setting (which is hard to do during Pandemic Times).

Sound Impressions

The Grell TWS1/X has a bass-leaning tuning with a warmish mid-range and a decent and extend treble range. It’s an overall warm tuning, but has some big bass bumps occasionally that I find sometimes overly dramatic and a little muddy, but it’s pleasant enough for most music as well.

The biggest and most noticeable sound quality is definitely the bass range. That is, because to me, the general frequency response is in-line with what I consider neutral for the most part, but the bass has a life that hits around 150Hz and its quite audible and heavy in many tracks that demand a big bass boost.

While add a bass shelf around 150Hz typically leaves a clean bass line with just an emphasis on sub-bass rumble and slam, the way this shelf is done leaves it more with a strange “not really punch, not really slam” sound that is more or less muddy and lacking definition. It feels like its midbass bloat, but its not necessarily mid-bass that’s bloated. I can’t really describe it, but this aggressive low end tuning makes this IEM generally sounding a bit blunted and un-refined.

The mid-range and treble tuning are solid in quantity and delivery. I don’t have much really to say other than there’s nothing wrong with how its tuned in this area. It gives off a pleasant enough range that I’d say it works across many genres well.

Now comes the other issues with my sound impressions of the Grell/Drop collaboration. The tuning is generally fine. It’s not wholly different than say the Sony WF-1000XM3 nor my current favorite and daily driver Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro. In fact, they probably share more similarities in tuning than not. If one wanted to make the bass similarly, a simple toggle in the app can make them slightly more bassy.

I find the Grell TWS1/X to really lack good quality technical capability. It just lacks definition and any sort of dynamics. Everything sounds like its masked in some sort of mushy, soft glaze and when a proper acoustic string instruments wants a delicate detail presented, it’s either missing or rounded and glossed over.

This IEM has the technical capabilities of something much, much less expensive, but tuning of something that is probably on-par with other TWS of its price range.

Overall Thoughts

The Grell IEM came with a lot of hype, a lot of hope, and a lot of excitement, but after my 2 months of using this through several trials and tribulations, anger and frustration, and generally “meh” listening experiences, I am a bit disappointed in the package completely.

From the strange looks, the poor controls and sensitivity, the mediocre noise features, and generally mediocre quality sound, it has left me wanting more. A lot more. Even the generally decent tuning can’t save it from its own self-destruction. Maybe future firmware updates will resolve some of the UX issues, but I don’t think simple DSP fixes can resolve some of the issues with the limitations of its hardware.

(And yes, I did try to EQ it)

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The new Beyerdynamic Free BYRD

Pretty soon I will be posting my full review/impressions! With that, I have some initial impressions for anyone interested in these.

First of all - do you like bass…or sub-bass? If the answer is YES, then read on. If the answer is NO, then I just saved you from a 249.00 purchase :slight_smile:

So these extend under 20hz in the bass region which is crazy good if you like that. I have found that this emphasis on bass seems to go on up to the lower midrange. Kick drums and bass guitar lovers rejoice here.

The mids get a bit lost on these earbuds however. They stick around till somewhere around 1k from what I am hearing and I can definitely tell this with vocalists. A bit…thin sounding at times depending on the track of course. However they do pick back up in the 4k region it seems and you get some edginess with them.

As for highs, thankfully being a Beyerdynamic, I didn’t pick up sibilance unless the track naturally had some of it. I didn’t get piercing from these. I did hear a nice splash from cymbals which was nice since the bass could get so heavy. I would not call these the most detailed of earbuds…but from my experience I haven’t had an earbud with a ton of detail.

Guitars are a mixed bag here but I found typically enjoying rock music with these.

I truly believe these were made for the use case of an Earbud (I’m generalizing here of course) and that is to be on the move. To be engaged. To get some energy from the music to make you move. I want to try these with gaming because other than some possible muddiness, I could see these sounding fantastic with games.

I’m not sure if I will be keeping them or not…too soon for that. I love the build of them. The battery life has been great. They synced up immediately on my S22 Ultra. The app you download is nifty though possibly not needed. The case is nice and you get a great assortment of eartips. Oh and I need to try out the foal eartips just to see if it gets better/worse on the bass.

Here are a couple of pictures for now as well. Please ask away if you have any questions. I would have made a separate topic for this but didn’t see anywhere I could do so.



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Nice first impressions. Good to see newer members contributing like this. I’m glad I read this because I’d assumed being Beyers that they’d skew in the other direction. The forum’s bass track (See old reviews by @Torq, current reviews by @SenyorC and sporadic comments by everyone else is

The sub-bass kicks in just before the half-minute mark. If you reference this track, pretty much everybody here knows what it can and should - or somehow doesn’t - sound like.

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Holy hell. Yes, at exactly :31 I could hear that sub-bass…or should I say feel that sub-bass. I’m sure there are many others out there that can do this, just first time I’ve heard an Earbud do it well. It softened at about 2min mark and then picked right back up at 2:10. Easy to tell on these Beyers. Highs poked through in this one.

I’m typing as this is playing to capture it exactly. Lots of distortion sounds but not from the earbud, I’m assuming the track is this way. I’ll have to take a listen on the Radiance. Ah, just hit the 5:50min mark, energy time…that sound…almost like the sound of marbles smacking together. No idea why that came to mind just a describer.

Well, what I heard anyway, that was interesting. I’ve now built myself a playlist for MIdrange, Bass and Treble. Plan to add one for Image and Stage too. So much fun to listen this way.

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Ok, more time spent with the BYRD. I found the sibilance lol. It had to show up eventually right?

So to give some quick background I was asked to listen to some Metal tracks from someone interested in these. Now I actually was able to listen to quite a few tracks without much issue other then Metal fatigues me over time either way when listening in my ear such as an IEM/Earbud. I can tolerate and appreciate it much better on speakers.
Anyway, I found a Slipknot song where Corey Taylor’s voice was just too much for it. That led me to look into it further.

I remembered when I used to listen on my TYGR 300 that I was at the time watching quite a few BadSeedTech videos (still do by the way). Well Brian from BadSeed can be pretty sibilant on the right or wrong headphone. Yep, he definitely is on the Free BYRD too.

I think the positive thing here is they aren’t sibilant all the time. Some of the Beyers I know can be. Probably also because of the upper mids being recessed a bit and pushing the vocalist back could be what also lowers the pierce factor. Still, it is there depending on the track. I’m also going to gather that also will depend on each persons ear and listening frequency range.

I’m actually digging this Earbud though. I’m torn on keeping it or not since I don’t listen to my Galaxy Buds much…but these are fun…and I’m rambling…gotta save something for my video next week ha!

Impressions: AirPods Pro

I recently acquired these guys, and have a few comments.

There are plenty of reviews out on this aging product, so I leave it to others to go into the details.

Fit: Good in my ears with the largest tips, but one side doesn’t stabilize easily. I’ve found that pushing the little tail near my cheek does the trick. My other/older IEMs often fit better, to include my Sony WF-XB700 above in this thread.

Ear Tips: Apple uses a weird oval “Tupperware” snap on ring for the silicone tips. These create a much larger opening than a standard cylindrical IEM tube, but are quirky. When I swapped the factory M tips for L tips, one side came off easily. The other side required a lot of tugging, and I thought I’d tear the silicone. The proprietary design also prevents the use of my other tips.

Sound quality: “Good” and “typical” of Bluetooth products. They are clean and smooth, but suffer from common characteristics in this genre: not much high range, no feeling of space or openness, and excessive bass. I was surprised that the tone was pretty similar to my much cheaper Sony WF-XB700, not that different from my boomy over-ear Sony noise cancelling headphones, nor my very old BeatsX neck collar IEMs. Many manufacturers seem to be aiming for a mainstream, people pleasing, warm and thick, easy on the ears profile.

Noise Cancelling: WOWOWOW! These are really good versus my old generation Bose and Sony over ear airplane headphones. My older products do a good job with droning background noises, such as airplane hiss and train rumble, but not with isolated and distinct sounds. In contrast, these AirPods Pro do a decent job with voices…err…making my wife silent when speaking to me…err… The button on each tail toggles between noise cancelling and ‘transparent’ mode, which is useful when interacting with other people or when needing to hear oncoming traffic.

Apple Ecosystem: WOWOWOW! These pair with my MacBook Pro, iPhone, and Watch. It’s trivially easy to shift between devices, sometimes with no drop outs or just a second of silence. I’d never considered using IEMs with my MacBook before, but these make sense sometimes. [Apple Music is sometimes bonkers, but that’s another story.]

Charging Case: Good battery life and has wireless charging, but the rounded bottom makes them tricky to use. I want lay them down and stick in the IEMs…the case snaps shut on me. The round bottom doesn’t stand up and the flip top gets closed by a table/desk. Bad, obviously bad.

Overall: Good product for Apple users, and often on sale for <$175 now. There are rumors of a new edition coming out this fall, so do not pay full $250 retail.

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Wow, this completely echos my recent experience with them, down to the slight fit issues and all (right ear had trouble sealing securely). The only difference is that, while the Pros paired easily with the phone (iPhone 13) and iPad Air, they sometimes wouldn’t produce sound when playing through Amazon Music HD or YouTube after switching between devices; I’d have to toggle Bluetooth off and on, then they’d work. Odd.

Ultimately, I sent them back even though they provided better ANC than my Galaxy Bud Pros; the pairing oddities and less-than secure fit/seal were deal breakers for me. Bummer.

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You and @generic can fix those minor fit issues with Apple’s ear tip lubricant:

image

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My approach is this:

image

Body modification to match the Apple Tupperware IEM tip connector. Just snap 'em onto my ears, no tips needed any more.

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Nooooowwww you tell me!?!? :grinning:

Done. Set for life!

Here is my full review of the Beyerdynamics Free BYRD!

Have you noticed any active noise canceling pressure?

Anyone got the Pixel Bud Pros yet?

Not really…though it could be I’m not sensitive to it. I’ve used the transparent mode (used this while at work to be able to hear people easily enough) and around the house I either use ANC or just have it off. I enjoy the musicality of the earbuds no matter what option is on.

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We got the Pixel Buds Pro in: https://store.google.com/product/pixel_buds_pro?hl=en-US&pli=1

Here are the measurements:

It has a feature where it recognizes when it’s in-use, and when not in-use the ANC turns off. This makes it difficult to measure ANC mode on it, but there’s a sensor near the spout that I was able to cover with my finger to trick it into “in-use mode” to get the ANC measurement. Otherwise it would automatically shut off the ANC mode and default to ambient.

So if you see other measurements of this one out there, keep this in mind.

Regardless… This one is particularly difficult for me to listen to, and I struggle to recommend it. It’s a shame because all the rest of the device feels great to use. The case is nice, it has very quick no-nonsense usability where your phone recognizes it right away. Very apple-esque in a sense… it’s just too bad the sound quality isn’t there the way it is on the Airpods Pro.

Here it is against a reference IEM:

Compensated

It sounds both harsh and compressed at the same time, as a result of the treble roll-off and lower treble boost. Not for me.

Tin Hifi T3 Buds


The Tin T3 Buds were sent to me by Linsoul for me to share my opinions and publish this review. They have not made any specific requests and therefore, as usual, I will be as unbiased and honest as possible.

You can find a (non-affiliate) link to the T3 Buds via Linsoul by visiting the version of this review published on my blog (link at the end of this review).


Intro…

I don’t think anyone can deny that Bluetooth has come a long way recently and that it is going to continue to improve, becoming the main audio solution for the general public. Yes, there are still going to be the audiophiles who focus on improving things and getting performance that only cables can bring (at this moment in time), along with those who simply prefer cables (me being one of them), but the majority of people will be more than happy to opt for bluetooth solutions.

It’s also true that IEMs have come a long way in recent times, getting better by the day (or so it seems) at prices that are getting cheaper and cheaper. That is bringing us to start seeing wireless IEMs in the “middle ranges” from companies who have focused mainly on wired options until now. By “middle ranges”, I am not referring to prices, it is more in reference to products from companies that are quite a step above the usual no-name TWS options on Amazon but way below some of the higher end (and more known) options like Apple, Samsung, etc.

Tin Hifi are one of those companies, bringing in the T3 Buds at a price of just under 90€. As Tin Hifi have had some good success with some of their wired IEMs (and some not so good), it is interesting to see what they can offer in this TWS world.


Presentation…

The box that the T3 Buds arrive in is fairly simple, just a black box (although the box does have a nice finish to it) inside a white sleeve with the brand and model on the exterior.

Inside the box we get the TWS IEMs inside their charging case, 4 sets of silicone tips, a USB to USB-C charging cable and the user manual/documentation.

That is the extent of the contents but except for maybe a few more kinds of tips, not much else that can really be asked for.


Build and aesthetics…

The charging case is round and rather compact, although I do find that the shape makes it a little more uncomfortable to carry than the oval or rectangular models from other companies. It is a very nice looking case though, in a dark metallic blue finish with a nice texture to the outside.

It may just be me but I did find it was a little more difficult to get them out of the case than with other models but that also means that they sit well in their charging ports, avoiding them moving and not charging correctly (something that I have experienced with other TWS IEMs).

The Buds are very similar to the T3+ in looks and shape, although these are slightly smaller with a little change to the ergonomics. They feel the same in the ears, except for the lack of cable over the ear of course, which means that I do find them comfortable. They are obviously a little heavier than the T3+, which is to be expected as they have the electronics inside them, but are not overly heavy and I find they can be worn for longer periods without fatigue.

Overall I like the aesthetics of the T3 Buds, as I did the T3+, giving them a bit of a premium look. They also seem to be well built, although that is something that will need more time to confirm.


Functionality…

The functionality is similar to many other models, using a combination of short or longer presses on the faceplate of the IEM.

A single press on either of the IEMs is for play/pause, a double press is for next/last track (right side for next and vice versa) and a triple press summons the assistant. To raise or lower the volume, it is a long press on the right (up) or left (down) but not too long, as too long will turn the Buds off.

While I applaud the fact that volume can be controlled from the IEMs, something that many brands miss and I feel should be obligatory, the choice of a long press to do so isn’t the best option. It makes changing volume a rather long task, especially if you want to raise or lower by more than a step or two, at which point it is quicker to just grab the phone.

I also find that the response to the touches is not great, taking various attempts on occasions for them to recognize the press. It could just be the fact that I haven’t got the hang of it but it did get a little irritating at times.

The connectivity is decent, letting me roam around my office or home with the phone on my desk, so no complaints there. They also connect very quickly, both on first connection and when reconnecting.

Audio from the mic is not the greatest but it is decent enough for short calls. I wouldn’t recommend them (or, to be honest, any TWS that I have tried) for conference calls and regular online meetings etc.


Sound…

I had already been listening to the T3 Buds for a while before I saw someone post a graph of the frequency response. When I saw the graph, I was surprised as it looked far more exaggerated than what I was listening to. I measured it myself and got the same results, which still look far more exaggerated than what I hear personally.

Here is the graph in comparison to my personal preference target:

While on the subject of graphs, let’s get isolation out of the way also. As you may already know, you can view any of my isolation (or FR) measurements and compare them by following the link at the end of the review. Here is the graph of the T3 Buds isolation in comparison to zero isolation (grey dotted line):

Ok, now let’s get on with my subjective opinions on the sound, which do sort of resemble the graph but at a reduced level.

Starting at the lowest frequencies, down in the subbass area, the performance of the T3 Buds is actually fairly decent. It may not give the rumble that more subbass focused sets give but there is enough for these frequencies to be appreciated and not suffer from a large amount of roll off. I found myself enjoying music with plenty of content in the lowest of lows, without really feeling too much was missing, and while “Chameleon” may not vibrate the inside of your head, it does still sound full in the subbass areas.

In the midbass, there is a little extra presence there, giving some warmth to the low end of instruments such as guitars and basses, yet it is not too overdone. I would say that the extra presence of the midbass is about too much as subbass is too little. Noticeable but not terrible, making a lot of music enjoyable, especially things like classic rock that benefit from that extra bit of warmth.

In the midrange, there is a bit of a scoop going on that can make certain vocals seem to be missing a bit of presence in their lower to mid ranges. I find that vocals like Dua Lipa in “Don’t Start Now” seem to lose a little fullness in the lower vocal ranges yet they are still very present due to the boosted higher end of the mids.

In fact, the higher end of the mids is the point that my ear most disagrees with the graph of these IEMs. I said above that the graph seems to be more exaggerated than what I actually here and these ranges are exactly what I am referring to. Yes there is a little bit too much in the higher mids, which brings vocals forwards but at the same time can make the sound a little thin, especially in the case of acapella or vocal centric tracks, such as “I Concentrate on You”.

However, although the extra bit of “thinness” is noticeable when coming from other sets, it is not something that really jumps out too much and I found that my ears adjusted to it pretty quickly. Luckily this extra boost does fall away before hitting the 5kHz mark, meaning that I can tolerate it much better, but of you are someone who is sensitive to the 3 or 4kHz range, then this will probably be much more of an issue for you.

The higher frequencies do seem to extend fairly well, without any exaggerated roll off in these ranges, giving a nice touch of air and clarity. I can’t say they are amazing up at the top but I do find them to be similar to the regular T3 Plus in these areas, with sibilance being kept in check fairly well, only appearing on tracks that already have a large sibilance presence in the recording.

Details I also find to be similar to the T3 Plus, in other words, they are not the strong point of the T3 Buds yet there are enough to enjoy music without getting the feeling that things are missing. You certainly aren’t going to get suprised by details you have never heard before but you won’t have to search for things you have heard a thousand times either.

Soundstage I find to be decent, as is image placement, maybe not groundbreaking but enough to get a good sensation of openness and feel that the music is not just on a single plane.


Conclusion…

There is one major issue with the T3 Buds that I haven’t mentioned yet but is something that needs to be considered. I was going to mention it under functionality, then under sound, but I guess late is better than never.

The issue I am referring to is the background noise of these IEMs. There is a background hiss that is quite prominent on the T3 Buds and is very noticeable both in silent parts and on quieter passages of songs. It is not the worst background hiss I have heard on a TWS but it is something that is very apparent.

In addition to that, there is the isolation, which is not great in general but even worse in the lower ranges. I would say that the main use for TWS IEMs is while out and about, due to the commodity of not having a cable, yet the lack of isolation in the lower ranges can make it difficult to appreciate the deeper notes, putting more emphasis on that boosted high mid range.

In general the tuning is ok, far better than I think it looks on paper, but those two issues do take away from the overall user sensation in my opinion. If you are mostly listening to busy music, in other words, songs that don’t have quieter passages or silent parts, then these are probably not going to be as apparent to you or be much of an issue.

As usual, this review is also available in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on www.youtube.com/achoreviews

All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link

All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation

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My impressions of these earbuds! Enjoy, and have a great weekend, friends.

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LATER NOTE:
This is a reply to @MRHifiReviews
And 16 days out, not a single recommendation


OK, this gets very tempting. I have some lower end TWS - Hifiman TWS600 and the IE Fits which are sort of nice.

Like you I’m heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem. Unlike you, I don’t work out and it shows. So my use case is different. Maybe mowing the lawn (electric mower). I’ve not been impressed with any ANC - so far if I want to shut out the world, it’s the wired Etymotic ER4XR with double flange ouch tips.

And if I don’t have to shut out the world, I’ve got the cable in between style Audeze LCDi3 and i4

But I think that for calls - when I’m not using the Koss Porta-Pros, maybe mabye…
What do you ALL reccomend?

  1. Apple Airpod Pro gen 2
  2. Senn Momemtum TWS 3
  3. None of these, you don’t need it, you’re already spoiled.
    LATER EDIT
  4. What about the Campfire Orbit TWS? Maybe not, no ANC.

Someone please tell me what to do. My better half is away and I’m lacking instruction.

If you are in the Apple ecosystem…I begrudgingly admit that Airpods have a serious edge. My Gen 1 is seamless and syncs between notebook, phone, tablet, and watch. I use them in situations where I’d previously switch between random little speakers and IEMs. Overall, I get better average and continuing sound quality than in the past. Elegant.

They also have the best noise canceling tech that I’ve ever owned – they tackle random sounds far above and beyond the airplane rumbles of old school Bose or Sony systems. “I see your lips moving but I don’t hear anything you say.” :face_with_spiral_eyes:

Sadly, the sound quality is roughly equal to my cheapy cheapy Sony Extra Bass, and their comfort is inferior. I don’t think micro Bluetooth amps have much potential, so there are tradeoffs per use case.

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Yes, increasingly in the Apple ecosystem. Although I have an old Windows high end laptop also, I’m slowly transitioning from it to the MacBook Pro running Parallels when I really need Windows. My wife has a windows laptop, but lives on her iPhone.

I’ve toyed with picking up a Samsung tablet when the next release of Android is out, but that’s just toying. I tend to repurpose old machines to some version of Linux before they finally get thrown out. Even used ChromeOS for that.

But I have an iPhone, and an iPad Air 1st Gen (obsolete, but useful as a ROON endpoint) an iPad Pro 12 1st Gen (mostly retired, but nice screen), and a smaller M1 iPad Pro used mostly at work, and which is generally streaming for my speakers. So yeah, I’m just a bit too into the Apple Ecosytem.

It seemed from some of the reviews that the Senn Momentum’s are fairly closed to the AirPods.