2021 Annual Headphone Shootout Part 2: The IEM's

Now it’s time for the second part of our annual Headphone Shootout – the In-Ear Monitors. Due to their increase in popularity, this year we are focusing on just True Wireless models. Due to the pandemic, it has been a crazy year. Some are doing well, but others are devastated. Due to the financial struggle for many, we thought we would do things a little differently and start with a more entry level model, and see how performance goes up from there as prices increase. Models this year start with JBuds Air at $49 MSRP, followed by Creative Outlier Air V2 $79 MSRP, 1More Color Buds Ture Wireless $99 MSRP, JBL Club PRO+TWS $199 MSRP and Master and Dynamic MW08 $299 MSRP. And as sometimes happens with March Madness, let’s see if we have any surprises.

 

Many of us, especially with the economy this last year, are having to count pennies, and justify all spending. So we thought we would start off with a true entry level model with the JLab JBuds Air. JLab is known for being a brand that provides products for those on a tight budget. They have many budget minded models to choose from. The JBuds Air is only $49 and provides that great value many are looking for.

Features and specs:

AUDIO

Speaker: Φ8mm Dynamic, Neodymium Magnet, 20Hz-20kHz, 32 Ω

Output: 103±3db

Microphone: Right ear only, MEMS, - 38dB ±3dB

BATTERY

Battery Life: 6 hours in each earbud, 18+ hours in charging case

Input Power: DC 5V, 50mA

Earbud Battery: 60mAh lithium polymer

Earbud Charge Time: 1.5 Hours

Rapid Charge: 15 min charging = 1 hour playtime

Charging Case Battery: 500mAh lithium polymer rechargeable

Case Charge Time: 2 Hours

BLUETOOTH

Version: Bluetooth 5

Range: 30+ ft.

GENERAL

Weight: 5g per earbud, 50g charging case

IP Rating: IP55

Warranty: 2 year warranty

The JBuds Air came in a nice colored printed box with photos and specs of the IEM. Opening the box revealed a well-protected IEM, held in place in custom molded plastic. Materials used in the construction was plastic with silicone tips. Quality of materials used was good, as was the fit and finish. It was as expected for their price point. Also included were 3 sets of gel ear tips and 2 cush fins.

The design of the JLab JBuds Air is rather simple. You get the IEM’s, some different sized tips for a good fit, and the charging case. The case has an attached charging cable. There’s also a built-in mic for making calls and a simple three setting EQ. You don’t get a whole lot, but you aren’t’ paying a lot either. Let’s see how they sound.

Toto: Africa – Kick drums had ok impact and depth. Congas had good impact on the pad. Cowbell had good tone. Vocals were sufficiently smooth with good texture of the timbre. Cymbals didn’t have the crisp dynamics expected. Recorder had decent air. Piano sounded shrill, like a toy piano.

Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody - Vocals sounded natural, with ok texture of the timbre. Piano sounded a bit more natural. Cymbal sounded flat. Drums sounded deep but also flat without much energy.

3-     The HU: Sugaan Essana – Lightning at the beginning didn’t sound as life like. The sound of the Lute was there, but sounded a bit flat. Vocals were sufficiently smooth and sounded natural. Bass had good low-end extension, but was a bit muddy.

 

Next up is the Creative Outlier Air V2. It is another budget True Wireless IEM. Creative is known for its award-winning Super X-Fi software. And even at their low bargain price, they are Super X-Fi ready. Let’s see what we get.

Features and specs:

Interface: USB-C (Charging)

Product Type: True Wireless Headphones

Weight: Charging Case: 60g, Earbuds: 2 x 6g

Color: Metallic Blue

Frequency Response: 20–20,000 Hz

Driver: 5.6 mm graphene-coated driver diaphragm

Battery Type and Life

Battery in Charging Case: 1 x Rechargeable Lithium Polymer Battery 450 mAh, Battery in Earbuds: 1 X Rechargeable Lithium-ion Polymer Battery 80 mAh in each earbud

Charging Time: 1–2 hours

Connector Type: Bluetooth 5.0 (Class 1 device)

Bluetooth Profiles

HFP (Hands-Free Profile), A2DP (Wireless Stereo Bluetooth), AVRCP (Bluetooth Remote Control)

Bluetooth Operating Frequency: 2.4 GHz

Audio Codec: aptX, AAC, SBC

Operating Range: Up to 10m / 33 ft

Wearing Style: In-ear, True Wireless

Microphone: Frequency Response: 100–10,000 Hz

Type: Omni-directional x 2

Sensitivity: - 42 dBV / Pa

Weather-proof Resistant: IPX5

Operating Temperature: 0–45°C

Built in microphone: Yes

Music playback and calls control: Yes

Controls: Touch controls (Volume and Playback controls)

 

The Creative Outlier Air V2 came in a nice color printed box with photos and specs of the IEM. Opening the box revealed a well-protected IEM held in place by custom molded plastic. Materials used in the construction was mostly plastic, with some metal. Quality of construction, as well as the fit and finish was good. Also included was the charging cable, extra ear tips and owner’s manual.

 

The design of the Creative Outlier Air V2 is a simple one. You get the charging case, extra ear tips to get a good fit, and a detachable charging cable. While you don’t get whole lot of extras, it does have some great features. It works with both Siri and Google Assistant, you can use for calls, and even has touch controls. And being Super X-Fi ready is killer, just download the app. Bang for the buck is huge. Now let’s see how they sound.

 

1-     Toto: Africa -Kick drum had very good low-end extension with good authority and impact. Congas had good resolution of the pad and good impact. Cowbell sounded natural with good tone. Vocals were smooth with good texture of the timbre. Drums had good dynamics and extension. Cymbals were crisp and clean. Recorder was smooth with good air. Piano sounded natural.

2-     Queen:  Bohemian Rhapsody - Vocals were pleasantly smooth with good texture of the timbre. Piano sounded natural. Cymbals were crisp and clean. Drums had good depth and dynamics. Kick drum played deep and with good authority.

3-     The HU: Sugaan Essana – The thunder at the intro sounded very natural and showed a wide soundstage. The lute had very good resolution of the bow across the strings. Vocals were nice and raw with very good resolution of the texture of the timbre. Bass was not only really deep, it was clean and played with good authority.

 

1More does not have a long history, but they are still taking the industry by storm. They provide a great sounding product at a huge value. Up for review today is their ColorBuds. They are a True Wireless model that comes in some fun colors. We were provided the pink version.

 

Features and specs:

Model： ESS6001T

Single Earbud Weight: 4.1 g

Case Weight: 32.1 g

Gross Weight: 40.3 g

 

Earbud Battery Capacity (Single): 55 mAh

Case Battery Capacity: 410 mAh

Earbud Charging Time: 70 Mins

Case Charging Time: 85 Mins

 

Earbud Dimensions： 27 × 21 × 20 mm

Case Dimensions: 60 × 30 × 38 mm

Speaker Impedance: 22 Ω

Bluetooth Range: 10 m

 

Playtime

* Earbuds Fully Charged

Call: 6 Hours

Music Playtime : 6 Hours

 

Audio Format: aptX / AAC / SBC

Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.0

Bluetooth Protocol: HFP / A2DP / AVRCP

Input: 5V 1A

 

* Earbuds and Case Fully Charged

Phone Call: 22 Hours

Music Playtime: 22 Hours

The 1More Color Buds came in a nice-looking color printed box, with photos and specs of the IEMs. Opening the box revealed a well-protected IEM held in place in the charging case. The charging case was securely held in place by custom molded paper. Materials used in construction was mostly plastic.  Quality of the materials used, as well as the fit and finish was good. It was a little better than expected for its price point. Also included was charging cable, extra ear tips, and owner’s manual.

I liked the design of the 1More Color Buds. They actually apply balanced armatures for high quality sound. They also use dual mics for a good quality calls. It’s an aggressive price point to employ a balanced armature.  The different colors available are also fun.

 

1-     Toto: Africa – Kick drum had good impact and low-end extension. Congas had very good resolution of the pad. Cowbell had good resolution and tone from the impact. Vocals were very smooth with very good texture of the timbre. Recorder had very good air with great smoothness. Drums were dynamic, with good depth and impact. Cymbals were crisp and clean. Piano sounded very natural.

2-     Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody – Vocals were very smooth with very good texture of the timbre. Cymbals were very crisp and clean. Piano sounded very natural with very good harmonics. Drums were dynamic with nice depth. Kick drum had good low-end extension and played with authority.

3-     The HU: Sugaan Essana – The thunder at the intro was very life like and showed a wide soundstage. The lute had very good resolution across the strings that was not only clean, it had good energy. Drums were dynamic, played deep, and had good output.

 

Next up is the JBL Club PRO+ TWS. They are designed for performance. JBL has been providing quality products for decades. Buy a JBL, and you know you’ll get a quality product. The JBL Club PRO+ TWS is a true wireless IEM, but you also get ANC cancelling as well. There’s even an app that works the ANC features and also tailors the sound to you.

 

Features and specs

General Specifications

Bluetooth version: 5.1

Driver size (mm): 6.8

Audio Specifications

Driver sensitivity at 1kHz/1mW (dB): 102

Dynamic frequency response range (Hz): 10 Hz – 20 kHz

Impedance (ohms): 16

Dimensions

Weight (g): 13.7

Weight (oz): .48

Control and Connection Specifications

Bluetooth profiles: A2DP V1.3, AVRCP V1.6, HFP V1.7

Bluetooth frequency: 2400 - 2483.5 MHz

Bluetooth transmitted modulation: GFSK, _x001F_/4 DQPSK, 8DPSK

Bluetooth transmitter power: < 9.5 dBm (EIRP)

Battery

Battery Type: 3.7 V, 55 mAh

Charging time (hours from empty): 2

Maximum music play time with ANC off (hours): 8

Maximum music play time with ANC on (hours): 6

 

The JBL Club PRO+ TWS came in a nice-looking color printed box with photos and specs. Opening the box revealed a well-protected IEM held in place in custom molded plastic. Materials used in the construction was mostly plastic with some metal. Quality of materials used as well as the fit and finish was very good. Also included were some extra ear tips, charging cable, and owner’s manual.

 

I loved the design of the JBL Club PRO+TWS. The IEM use a great design with 3 mics for good quality calls. They are also water resistant, use Bluetooth 5.1 for a quality connection, and work with both Alexa and Google Assistant. The JBL app lets you custom tailor the sound, and also using the Adaptive Noise Canceling. It has some great features, now let’s see how they sound.

 

1-     Toto: Africa – Kick drum had very good impact, depth and played with very good authority. Congas had very good resolution of the impact on the pad. Cowbell had very good resolution of the tone which wasn’t tinnie. Vocals were silky smooth with very good texture of the timbre and really showed the harmonics. Cymbals were really crisp and clean. Drums were very dynamic and showed great impact. Recorder had very good air, and very smooth. Piano sounded very natural.

2-     Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody - Vocals were silky smooth with a resolution that revealed nuances of the texture of the timbre. Cymbals were very crisp and clean with a lot of energy. Drums were very dynamic with good low-end extension. Kick drum was very deep and played with very good authority. Imaging was also very good and shown through the wide soundstage.

3-     The HU: Sugaan Essana – The thunder at the intro sounded extremely life like, being extremely dynamic as well as deep, throwing a really wide soundstage. Drums were also dynamic, deep, with good authority. Vocals sounded nice and raw, with very good harmonics of the texture of the timbre. The lute had very good resolution of the bow going across the strings, that was not only really clean, but also provided for some good imaging as well.

 

Last but not least is the Master and Dynamic MW08. While Master and Dynamic does not have the lengthy history of some manufacturers, they have been providing quality headphones throughout their entire history. Now they have a brand new True wireless model, the MW08.  You can now get ANC, with their new MW08 true wireless IEM. And it comes with the quality build, sound, and styling that Master and Dynamic has come to be known for.  There is even an app as well.

Features and specs:

DIMENSIONS:  21.19mm x 20.22mm x 25.08mm

DRIVERS: 11mm Beryllium

WEIGHT: 9.0g each

MATERIALS: Ceramic

WATERPROOF LEVEL: Wireless earphones feature an IPX5 water resistance rating

EARPHONE BATTERY LIFE: Up to 12 hours playtime / 10 hours with ANC

EARPHONE CHARGE TIME: 50% charge in 15 minutes, 100% charge in 45 minutes

MICROPHONE TYPE: 6-microphone talk solution - 3 microphones in each earphone

ACTIVE NOISE-CANCELLING: Hybrid ANC with All Day ANC and ANC Max modes

AMBIENT LISTENING MODES: Awareness Mode, Voice Mode

The Master and Dynamic came in a nice-looking color printed box with photos and specs of the IEM. Opening the box revealed a well-protected IEM held securely in its charging case. And the charging case was held securely in place by custom molded cardboard. Materials used in the construction was almost entirely of metal and ceramic. Quality of materials used was excellent, as well as the fit and finish. These are top of the line EIMs and it showed. Also included was the USB adapter, charging cable, polished stainless steel charging case, several sets of ear tips, a soft carry bag, and owner’s manual.

 

I love the design of the Master and Dynamic MS08. You get premium features, such as Bluetooth 5.2, six mics for premium call experience, and a protected external antenna. You also get extended durability for extended longevity. And then there is the Master and Dynamic styling and premium look, with the polished stainless steel, and use of ceramic coatings. Master and Dynamic has a history of products not only looking phenomenal, but also sounding as good as they look. Let’s see if that trend continues.

 

1-     Toto: Africa – Extremely tight, deep base that played with excellent authority. Congos had very good resolution of the pad and its impact. Cowbell had very good resolution of the tone without any tinniness. Vocals were smooth like honey with very good harmonics and texture of the timbre. Recorder had very good smoothness and air. Drums were extremely dynamic with good impact. Cymbals were crisp and clean. Piano sounded very natural.

2-     Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody – Vocals were smoother than silk, with excellent resolution of the texture of the timbre, giving pleasant details of the nuances. And the harmonics of the vocals were nothing short of aural nectar for my ears, revealing great imaging and a wide soundstage. Cymbals were extremely crisp and clean with a lot of energy. Drums were dynamic, tight and good low-end extension.  Kick drum was deep, punchy, and played with a lot of authority. Piano sounded very natural, more than it should at this price point.

3-     The HU: Sugaan Essana – The thunder at the intro was extremely life like. Not only was it extremely dynamic, crisp and clean, it was also very deep with great authority, yielding a soundstage that was surprisingly equally as life like, being both very wide and also deep. Drums were also very dynamic, deep, really full, and played with great output. Vocals were nice and raw, providing very good definition of the texture of the timbre, giving excellent harmonics. The bow of the lute as it went across the strings was also crisp and clean with very good resolution and provided good imaging as the player dances across the middle of the stage.

      The sound of the JLab JBuds Air was a bit more warm over all. The highs were there, but was not as crisp or detailed and tended to sound a bit flat. The Creative Outlier Air V2 had a more neutral sound that was maybe just a hair on the warm side. The 1More ColorBuds was also more neutral in sound, with a bit on the bright side. And while they had great low-end extension, they were a bit more restrained on the bass output, as was expected from a single balanced armature. The JBL Club PRO+TWS was neutral in sound, being maybe a hair on the bright side. Yet the low-end extension was extremely deep, and had the ability to hit like a sledgehammer. They also provided a wide and deep soundstage that took the sound up to a whole new level. The Master and Dynamic MW08 were right neutral in sound. And they took the whole sound up a level even further. Resolution, size of soundstage, fullness of bass, I almost felt like I was with the band in the recording studio.

      Now let’s see how they did for Bluetooth performance.  To test Bluetooth performance, I set my LG V40 phone in my reference theater room in one corner of my basement, and walk around the basement testing for any drops.  I then walk up the stairs to the main floor, walk around the main floor, and then walk up to the 2^nd floor and walk around the second floor.  Lastly, I take my phone onto my front porch and walk down the street to test distances.  This Bluetooth performance test is extreme, and designed to find out the limits of the IEM’s Bluetooth performance, which is well far over what the manufacturer rates them at. 

      The JLabs JBuds Air had no problems on the same floor, was a little glitchy on the main floor, and got really glitchy and not useable on the 2^nd floor.  Outside they reached 250ft without much problem. The Creative Outlier Air V2 had some of the best Bluetooth performance I have heard in a headphone.  It had zero problems on the same floor, zero problems on the main floor, and no problems on the 2^nd floor either.  Outside was the same result with no problems out to 250ft.  The 1More ColorBuds had zero problems on the same floor, had a few glitches on the main floor, and was really glitchy being not really useable on the 2^nd floor.  Outside they managed to have no problems going out to the 250ft.  For the JBL Club PRO+TWS, they had zero glitches on the same floor, a single glitch on the main floor, and an additional glitch on the 2^nd floor.  Outside they went the 250ft with no problems.  Lastly, the Master & Dynamic had zero glitches on the same floor, two glitches on the main floor, and played but was really glitchy on the 2^nd floor.  Outside they had no problems out to the 250ft. 

      A couple of the models also had ANC.  The JBL Club PRO+TWS provided Adaptive ANC, and Master & Dynamic had an adaptive ANC that they called a hybrid ANC.  The JBL Club PRO+TWS has its ANC mode controlled thru its app.  It has options of off, on and ambient mode.  Having the IEM’s in naturally blocks a good amount of outside noise.  Turning on the ambient mode brings all that sound around you in.  Off, just takes the attenuation of having the IEM’s in your ears into effect.  Turning on the ANC, silences the noise around you.  It does not silence all frequencies, just the low frequencies.  They are designed for commuting, to silence the fatiguing sound of the engine rumble of a buss or train or plane.  And the ANC worked extremely well, blocking out around 90% of the noise. For the Master & Dynamic MW08, the ANC was also controlled thru the app and also had ambient listening modes that worked extremely well.  The ANC also worked extremely well, blocking out around 90% of the low noise.

      This years IEM’s all performed well.  The JLab JBuds Air lacked energy and sounded a little flat for the highs, but still did well for its price point.  Bumping up to the Creative Outlier Air V2 gave a big improvement, as well as moving up to the 1More ColorBuds.  Moving up to the JBL PRO+ TWS gave another big performance in sound quality, and going up to the Master & Dynamic MW08 took things up a level further.  There were no real surprises in a model performing better than another at a higher price point.  They all performed well at their price points.  Based on their design, features, quality, and performance, the Creative Outlier Air V2 has earned our Value Award.  The 1More ColorBuds has earned our Recommended Award, the JBL Club PRO+ TWS has earned our Highly Recommended Award, and the Master & Dynamic MW08 has earned our Editor’s Choice Award.  For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.us1more.com www.us.creative.com, www.jbl.com, www.jlabs.com, www.masterdynamic.com.