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Post by SpiralScratch on Nov 10, 2022 13:00:44 GMT
Bought the Pixel Buds Pro when they released. Love the size and how they look in your ear. I mostly bought them because I really wanted a nice pair of earbuds with multipoint connection and while that has worked great on the connection side, I've been massively letdown by the lag when using them on my laptop. I hadn't realised that they didn't support the types of codec necessary to get a lag free as possible so if I'm watching any kind of video now they're pretty much useless. Shame as well because as I mentioned, I do really like them. I've had no problems with mine watching Netflix, Amazon Prime and Sky Go on my tablet but Youtube app sound is so massively laggy it's unusable. Don't know enough about codecs to know what's going on there... |
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Post by Dougs on Nov 10, 2022 13:06:14 GMT
Got some Sonicfoam buds. Stuck em on my XM4s. Instantly feel less intrusive. Jabra buds definitely a nicer shape still but this is a lot better than supplied tips. Real test will be going for a run, but promising signs. Thanks chaps. As mentioned in another thread, I sent my 3s back due to charging issues and bought the 4s as a replacement, costing me nowt extra. I think I preferred the shape of the 3s but these do sound better. Only slight quibble is the case seems to discharge more quickly. It is a smaller case though and presumably has a smaller battery. It is also more accurate, the 3s used to be more of an approximation (100-70-50-30). Overall, delighted to have upgraded for bugger all. |
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Tomo
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Post by Tomo on Nov 10, 2022 17:38:35 GMT
I've stuck with mine. There is definitely room for improvement with the next generation of these buds.
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Post by One_Vurfed_Gwrx on Nov 10, 2022 17:56:49 GMT
Is this the thread to ask for advice for wired earbuds, ideally with minimal noise leakage without costing a bomb, mainly for handheld console gaming? My last pair were whatever B&O came with my LG V20 phone. Got some wireless Huawei ones with my old Mate 20 Pro but no good for what I would normally use them for.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2022 7:25:09 GMT
Is this the thread to ask for advice for wired earbuds, ideally with minimal noise leakage without costing a bomb, mainly for handheld console gaming? My last pair were whatever B&O came with my LG V20 phone. Got some wireless Huawei ones with my old Mate 20 Pro but no good for what I would normally use them for. I like Sennheiser's Momentum range. I've got the wired overear cans and the wireless buds; both sound great. So I can only imagine these would, too. amzn.eu/5352WHL |
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Bongo Heracles
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Post by Bongo Heracles on Nov 11, 2022 7:38:44 GMT
KZ are good for the price of you want to try some IEMs. I’ve got some KZ ZS10 and they are pretty much unbeatable for the price
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Post by Dougs on Nov 11, 2022 8:18:54 GMT
I got me some of those for work but lost them in the house somewhere. They are indeed excellent.
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Lizard
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Post by Lizard on Dec 2, 2022 1:50:08 GMT
Right, Sony WH-1000XM4 vs XM5.
Obviously the big difference is price, the XM4s around $415 (£215), XM5s around $545 (£280).
From the reviews I've read the XM5s are great, but not that much of an improvement, with some reviews saying that the XM4s actually demonstrate superior ANC in some situations.
I also like that the XM4s fold down a wee bit more.
Anyway, anyone have an informed opinion? Are the XM5s worth the extra $130?
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Post by dfunked on Dec 2, 2022 8:21:04 GMT
I've just moved from XM3 to XM4, as the left side of the band snapped on mine on holiday. They're compact when folded, but don't just throw them in a fully packed backpack like an idiot...
XM4 are lovely, but I don't really have a comparison point to the XM5 apart from the huge price difference over here and not really liking the new design, so the XM4 felt like a no-brainer. Ended up risking a like new Amazon warehouse deal for £170.
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Tomo
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Post by Tomo on Dec 2, 2022 8:23:52 GMT
I have XM3s. A friend has the XM5s. I tried his on - they were nice to wear but can't really comment on sound quality as didn't have long with them. My take away was that I don't need to upgrade. Will wait and see what XM6s bring.
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Post by darkling on Dec 2, 2022 11:22:35 GMT
I have the XM3s and the other day, just out of curiosity, I was wondering what the XM4/XM5s were like in comparison. I watched a few comparisons of the XM3 vs XM4 vs XM5 on the YouTubes, and this was the most in-depth. Yes, it's quite long, but the devil's in the detail, and I think it's worth a watch if you're considering any of these headphones:
They all have their advantages and disadvantages, but the bottom line is the XM4s are probably the pick of the bunch, but if you already own the XM3s or XM4s, an upgrade isn't worth the time, effort and cost.
According to the video, the XM5s seem like they could be uncomfortable on ear cartilage, have less bass response (smaller drivers), have a poorly-implemented ambient mode, have issues with wind noise, are less portable (poor foldability + massive case) and are of course more expensive.
The XM4s have a few advantages over the XM3, namely wear detection which automatically stops the music when you take them off, and also being able to connect to 2 devices simultaneously.
However, you can only connect the XM4s to 2 devices simultaneously if you're not using Sony's high-quality LDAC codec, which blows all other codecs out of the water. All these headphones use LDAC when connected to an Android phone (the only devices that support it) so if you connected the XM4s to a phone and a laptop simultaneously the LDAC codec will no longer be used.
Also, the XM3s support the aptX/aptx HD codecs, but the XM4s don't, which is another high-quality audio codec that may be used when LDAC isn't available.
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Lizard
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Post by Lizard on Dec 2, 2022 12:44:26 GMT
Thank for the thoughts guys. I will watch that video darkling posted, but it sounds like the XM4s are the sweet spot. Price is great now the XM5s are out. I live in the windiest city in the world, so wind noise is an issue. Plus I don't like the look of the XM5s for some reason.
I'm upgrading from some 3+ year old Sennheiser PXC550s, so I expect whatever I get will blow my lugs off.
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Bongo Heracles
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Post by Bongo Heracles on Dec 2, 2022 13:01:07 GMT
Have a think about the B&W too if you’re in that price range
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Vortex
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Post by Vortex on Dec 2, 2022 13:22:46 GMT
Ooh those B&W PX7's look niiiice.
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Post by dfunked on Dec 2, 2022 21:35:45 GMT
I take back what I said about the XM4 being a good choice... Lack of aptx really is a deal breaker for me now that I've settled down to watch a film with them on. The slight audio delay means I'd only ever realistically use them for music.
Think I'll end up sending them back now, which is a shame as they're lovely otherwise.
I'll soldier on with the falling apart XM3 for now. Only a matter of time until I have to reach for the duct tape.
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kal
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Post by kal on Dec 3, 2022 8:30:24 GMT
Nice little comparison of the top end ANC headphones here. The PX8 get absolutely slaughtered. Doubt the PX7 is an improvement. youtu.be/-pRUVj3KRYw |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2022 9:09:55 GMT
Must have left the car unlocked the other day and someone had a rummythroigh my car and pocketed the Samsung pros I got with my phone. What's the goto wireless earbud at the minute, still Sony XMs? Don't really want to spend more than 150.
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benno
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Post by benno on Dec 3, 2022 9:32:06 GMT
I bought the Sony WF-1000XM4's recently, upgrading from the XM3's that I'd had for 2-3 years. They're spot on, cant fault them really. They're a huge upgrade on the XM3's in terms of fit and form.
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Post by Dougs on Dec 3, 2022 10:03:49 GMT
Yup, did the same, agree completely. Amazon had them for £150 in the Black Friday sales but there are also Amazon Warehouse ones for £140 now.
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Post by dfunked on Dec 3, 2022 10:11:17 GMT
I felt a bit icky getting a pair of cans from Amazon warehouse, but ones that you have to shove right into your ear canal?! Horp
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2022 10:14:40 GMT
Yeah they're 20 quid more new. Definitely worth it to not have someone else's ear cum all over them.
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Post by Dougs on Dec 3, 2022 10:29:46 GMT
I felt a bit icky getting a pair of cans from Amazon warehouse, but ones that you have to shove right into your ear canal?! Horp They don't come with the buds... |
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Bongo Heracles
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Post by Bongo Heracles on Dec 3, 2022 10:57:01 GMT
I’ve been really impressed with the girls Anker Soundcore, tbh. AirPods clones but the ANC is decent and they actually sound pretty good.
I’ve got a few quid in Amazon vouchers from work and have been thinking about getting myself a set to replace the old XM3
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Post by darkling on Dec 3, 2022 11:18:13 GMT
I take back what I said about the XM4 being a good choice... Lack of aptx really is a deal breaker for me now that I've settled down to watch a film with them on. The slight audio delay means I'd only ever realistically use them for music. Think I'll end up sending them back now, which is a shame as they're lovely otherwise. I'll soldier on with the falling apart XM3 for now. Only a matter of time until I have to reach for the duct tape. I'm not quite following. Are you saying the XM4s have an inherent audio delay, or the lack of aptX is causing an audio delay, now you're having to default to the standard SBC codec? Also, out of interest, what devices do you have that offer aptX? I used to have aptX enabled on both my Macs, but since the Mojave update and beyond, the Bluetooth Explorer app is no longer capable of enabling aptX on Mac, and it doesn't seem possible to enable it using any other methods. The consensus on the Internet is that Apple have quietly dropped aptX support on Mac. |
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kal
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Post by kal on Dec 3, 2022 11:39:33 GMT
I bought the Sony WF-1000XM4's recently, upgrading from the XM3's that I'd had for 2-3 years. They're spot on, cant fault them really. They're a huge upgrade on the XM3's in terms of fit and form. Personally found the 4s a worse fit to the 3s. The extra weight makes them not sit as well for as long, and they’re also worryingly difficult to take out the case. Makes me nervous doing it when I’m on the train platform in case I fumble them onto the tracks. Not sure about ‘huge upgrade’ full stop to be honest. They are better for sure but it’s pretty incremental. If you don’t have 3s then the 4s are the ones to go for but I kind of regret upgrading. |
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Bongo Heracles
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Post by Bongo Heracles on Dec 3, 2022 12:14:42 GMT
I’ve reached a fairly zen state with earbuds that fine is fine and the UX is probably more important. The XF3s sound good and the ANC is decent but they are massive, the case is massive, the app is a bit shit and they can be a bit fussy when trying to pair them with things.
The anker are, obviously, slightly worse performers in the former categories but ahead in the latter. Their general usability means I would probably grab them ahead of the Sonys.
In truth, I would grab the wife’s AirPods Pro ahead of anything. They are honestly perfect.
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Post by dfunked on Dec 3, 2022 12:15:00 GMT
darkling It might not necessarily be aptx, but there's perceivable audio delay on any video content when I tried pairing with a shield TV, a couple of tablets and my TV. (most if not all of which support aptx) No such issues with the XM3, so the lack of a low latency mode seems like the obvious culprit.
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Bongo Heracles
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Post by Bongo Heracles on Dec 3, 2022 12:16:09 GMT
Oh, and if I am going to be on a journey, I tend to go IEMs and FiiO Bluetooth amp. The passive noise cancellation is inherently fine and they sound better.
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Post by 😎 on Dec 3, 2022 15:40:53 GMT
I retired my XM3s forAirPod Max t’other day. I like ‘em. Though mostly because of the Apple wizardry that makes them just work regardless of the device I’m on.
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Lizard
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Post by Lizard on Dec 4, 2022 1:06:16 GMT
So it seems that B&W products are widely unavailable in NZ, which makes it easier. As for Sony, I only ever use my headphones for music/podcasts and meetings, so the codec issue isn't going to affect me a whole lot. So XM4s are the one, I think.
Also the more I look at the XM5s the uglier I think they are. But I can't work out what it is I don't like about them.
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