It’s been a crazy March Madness. That means it’s also time
for our annual Headphone Shootout. With March Madness, you sometimes get
surprises with teams performing over their seeding. The same can sometimes
happen with our Headphone Shootout, with some headphones preforming better than
their pricing. We separate the headphones into two parts: In-ear and
Over-the-ear. We’ll start with the In-Ear models. Included are Creative Aurvana
Ace Mimi, 1More Penta Driver, Beyerdynamic Amiron 300 True wireless, Technics
EAH-AZ100 Reference Class TWS, and JBL Tour Pro 3.
First up is the Creative Aurvana Ace Mimi. Creative first
got popular with their sound blaster sound cards for computers. They have since
expanded into many other products using their technology. The Aurevana Ace Mimi
is a True Wireless In-Ear monitor. And they are known for providing a big bang
for the buck. MSRP is only $129.99.
Features and specs:
Wearing Style: In-ear
Product Type: True
Wireless
Connectivity: Bluetooth®
5.3
Water Resistance (IP Rating): IPX5
Operating Temperature:
0–45°C
Recommended Usage: On-the-move,
Work & Study, Movie & Music
Dimensions
(Per Earbud) 34.0 x 23.3 x 25.8 mm / 1.33 x 0.92 x 1.02
inches, (Charging Case) 64.7 x 49.1 x 26.9 mm / 2.55 x 1.93 x 1.06 inches
Weight: (Per earbud):
4.7g (0.17 oz), Charging Case: 37.2g (1.31 oz)
Battery Life*: Up to 7 hours per charge (ANC off), Up to 28
hours of total playtime (ANC off)
*Based on moderate volume level. Actual battery life will
vary with usage settings and environmental conditions.
Battery Type
(Per earbud) Rechargeable Lithium-ion Button Battery x 1 –
52 mAh, (Charging case) Rechargeable Lithium-ion Polymer Battery x 1 – 470 mAh
Microphone: Sensitivity
@ 1 kHz: - 38 dBV / Pa
Voice Assistant: Siri, Google Assistant
Type: Omni-directional MEMS x 3 (per earbud)
Driver
Frequency Response: 5–40,000 Hz
Type: xMEMS Solid-state x 2
Type: Dynamic x 2
Size: 10 mm (Dynamic Driver)
Bluetooth® Version: 5.3
Profiles
(HFP) Hands-free Profile, (A2DP) Advanced Audio Distribution
Profile, (AVRCP) Audio / Video Remote Control Profile, HSP (Headset Profile),
TMAP, PBP
Operating Frequency: 2402–2480
MHz
Operating Range
Up to 10m / 33 ft*, *Measured in open space. Walls and
structures may affect range of device.
Controls
Playback: Yes
Volume: Yes
Call: Yes
Voice Assistant: Yes
Power: Yes
Noise Control: Yes
Type: Touch Control
Color: Midnight Blue
The Creative Aurvana Ace Mimi came color printed box with
photos and specs of the IEM. Opening the box revealed a well-protected product,
held in place with custom molded paper. Materials used in the construction was
mostly plastic with some metal and rubber. Quality of materials used as well as
fit and finish was very good. Also included was the manual, charging cable,
additional ear tips, and carry bag.
I like the design of the Creative Aurvana Ace Mimi. They are
a traditional True Wireless design with a ton of features. There’s Bluetooth
5.3 LE Audio, Hybrid Adaptive ANC, LDAC, and xMEMS drivers. They even come with
MIMI sound Personalization thru the app, so you can tailor the sound to you. The
app also includes other sound customizations.
All of this is a huge bang for the buck with MSRP only $129. Let’s see
how they sound.
Adele: Rolling In The Deep-
Acoustic guitar was crisp with really good resolution of the fingers
plucking the strings. Hi-hat and cymbal
was really crisp and clean. Bass drum was dynamic with good low-end extension
and authority. Piano also sounded natural. Vocals were silky smooth with good
texture of the timbre.
Next up is the 1More Penta Driver. Unlike the other products
they are a corded headphone. 1More is a budget headphone brand known for
providing a big bang for the buck. And the 1More Penta Driver is an excellent
example of this, providing an IEM with 5 drivers. MSRP is only $169.
Features and specs:
Headphones weight 21g
Cable Length 1.25m
MEMS Mic Control Available
Wire Material Silver
Plated OFC Wire
Plug 3.5mm Gold
Plated
Frequency Range 20
Hz - 40 kHz
Impedance 32 Ω
Sensitivity 105dB
Rated Power 5mW
The 1More came in an excellent color printed box with phots
and specs of the IEM. Opening the box revealing a well-protected product held
in place by custom molded paper. And I was surprised with the packaging: it
looked like a product at 3x it’s price! Materials used in the construction was
mostly plastic with some metal and rubber. Quality of materials used, as well
as fit and finish, is very good. Also included is the audio adapter, additional
ear tips, carry bag, and manual.
I really like the design of the 1More Penta Driver. It uses
four planar diaphragm drivers, and a dynamic driver, for a hybrid design. The
planar drivers provide great mids and highs, while the dynamic driver provides
better bass performance. The silver plated OFC wire helps provide a cleaner
sound, with the in-line remote is for hands free calls. And if a short ever
develops in the cord, it’s detachable for easy replacement. All of this seems
to be a recipe for great sound. Let’s see how they sound.
Adele: Rolling In The Deep-
Hi-hat, cymbal, and tambourine were all really crisp and clean, with
really good resolution to resolve them. Claps were dynamic. Piano sounded
natural with good harmonics. Acoustic guitar had good resolution of the strings
being plucked. Vocals were really smooth with good texture of the timbre.
Now it’s time for the Beyerdynamic Amiron 300. Beyerdynamic
is a German company that is known for hi-end headphones. Many of them are
audiophile studio monitors. Beyerdynamic has taken from their audio heritage to
develop the Amiron 300. They Beyerdynamic Amiron 300 is an IEM true wireless
mode. MSRP is $279.
Features and specs:
Closed design
• Active noise
cancellation (ANC) and transparency mode
• Six microphones for
best speech quality
• Multi-point
Bluetooth® 5.3. for simultaneous connection of multiple Bluetooth® devices
• Wearing detection
(automatic playback / top when inserting
/ removing the earphones)
• Customised settings
via the beyerdynamic app
• Total battery life
up to 38 hours
• Qi-compatible
charging case for wireless charging and fast charging
• Splash-proof according to IP54 certification and sweat
resistant
Transducer type Dynamic
Acoustic design
Closed
Frequency response 20
- 40,000 Hz
Impedance 32 Ω
Max. Sound Pressure
level 95 dB
Total Harmonic
Distortion < 0.2% @ 100 Hz, < 1.5%
@ 500 Hz, < 0.3% @ 1 kHz
Background noise
Ambient: < 19 dB SPL, ANC ON: < 15
dB SPL, ANC OFF: < 1.5 dB SPL
Bluetooth® frequency
range 2,400 - 2,483.5 MHz
Bluetooth® version
5.3
Supported Bluetooth® profiles: HFP, A2DP, AVRCP, HSP
Supported audio
codecs SBC, AAC, LDAC
Firmware update
possible via app
Transmitting power
8.49 dBm
Range 15 m
Operating temperature
range-10 to +60 °C
Charging temperature
range 0 to +45 °C
Battery runtime up to
10 hours, additional 28 hours when recharging in the charging case
Charging case
dimensions 29 x 51 x 61 mm
Charging case weight
51.3 g
Charging time approx.
2 hours
Charging port type
USB-C
Type of charging
cable USB-A to USB-C
Microphone type MEMS,
omnidirectional
Weight 4.4 g per
earphone
The Beyerdynamic Amiron 300 came in a nice-looking color
printed box with photos and specs of the product. Opening the box, I see a well-protected
IEM held in place by custom molded paper. Materials used in the construction
was mostly plastic with some metal and rubber. Quality of materials used, as
well as fit and finish, was very good. Included was the charging case, ear tips,
charging cable, and manual.
I really like the design of the Beyerdynamic Amiron 300.
It’s a true wireless design. It also has ANC through the app, where you can
control the ANC and transparency mode. Through the app you can also personalize
the sound to you. I also like a bit more bass, so the EQ in the app also helps
me to tailor the sound. It’s a combination of features for a great product. Let’s
see how it sounds.
Adele: Roling In The Deep-
Hi-hat, cymbal, and tambourine were really crisp and clean with really
good resolution. Claps were really dynamic. Piano sounded really natural with
good resolution of the strings and very good harmonics. Acoustic guitar
provided very good resolution of the plucking of the strings. Kick drum was
really dynamic with very good low-end extension, and played with very good
authority. Vocals were silky smooth with excellent texture of the timbre.
Next in line is the Technics EAH-AZ100. Over the decades of
history, Technics has made some excellent products. This history appears to
continue with the EAH-AZ100. Technics markets them as a reference class Hi-Fi
product. They are designed for Hi-Res audio, and optimized for Dolby Atmos. MSRP is $299.
Features and specs:
Magnetic Fluid Driver for low distortion, accurate bass and
high resolution.
Adaptive Noise Cancelling Technology adjusts in real-time to
block ambient noise and maintains optimal ANC at all times.
Voice Focus AI technology brings advanced noise reduction
not only during speaking but also listening.
Spatial audio optimized for Dolby Atmos® and Dolby Head
Tracking.
Multipoint connection to 3 devices with seamless switching
(e.g. PC, smartphone & tablet).
Noise Cancelling Full
Adaptive Digital Hybrid
Water Resistance IPX4
Equivalent (Earbuds only)
Driver Unit 10
mm (3/8 in)
Mic Monaural,
MEMS Mic
Earbud Standby Time Approx.
8 hours (NC ON), Approx. 15 hours (NC OFF, Auto power off does not work)
Supplied Accessory USB
charging cord: Approx. 0.2 m (0.66 ft) (Input Plug : USB Type-C Shape, Output
Plug : USB Type-C Shape), Earpieces set : XS, S, M, ML, L (M attached)
Bluetooth Wireless Technology
Version 5.3
Codec SBC, AAC, LDAC,
LC3
Operating Distance Up
to 10 m (33 ft)
Multi-point Connect
up to 3 devices at a time
Multi-pairing Connect
up to 10 devices
Charging Time
Earbuds Approx.
2.0 hours
Charging case / USB Approx.
2.5 hours
Charging case / Qi *With certified Qi charger Approx. 3.5 hours
Earbuds with Charging case / USB Approx. 3.0 hours
Playbacktimeaacbattery
Earbuds Approx.
10.0 hours (NC ON) Approx. 12.0 hours (NC OFF)
Earbuds with Charging case Approx.
28 hours (NC ON) Approx. 29 hours (NC OFF)
Playbacktimeldacbattery
Earbuds Approx.
7.0 hours (NC ON) Approx. 8.0 hours (NC OFF)
Earbuds with Charging case Approx.
18 hours (NC ON) Approx. 19 hours (NC OFF)
Weight: Earbuds (one
side only: L and R are the same) Approx.
5.9 g (0.21 oz)
Charging case Approx.
42 g (1.5 oz)
The Technics EAH-AZ100 came in a nice-looking color printed
box with photos and specs of the product. Opening the box revealed a well-protected
product held in place by custom molded paper. Materials used in the
construction was mostly plastic, with some metal and rubber. Quality of
materials used, as well as fit and finish, was very good. Also included was the
charging case, charging cable, extra ear tips, and manual.
I love the design of the Technics EAH-AZ100. They are a
traditional looking true wireless IEM, but they use driver technology used in
their reference class EAH-TZ700 wired in-ear monitors. It’s a 10 mm magnetic
fluid driver. There’s also Adaptive Noise Cancelling, as well as an app to
customize the sound to you, utilize the ANC, as well as additional features.
And the spatial audio optimized for Dolby Atmos, is really cool! It sounds like
an excellent product, let’s see you they sound.
Adele: Rolling In The Deep-
Hi-hat, cymbal, and tambourine were so crisp and clean, with so much
resolution. Claps were dynamic. Piano sounded really natural with excellent
harmonics. Acoustic guitar had really good resolution of the strings being
plucked. Kick drum was really dynamic with really good depth and output. Vocals
were silky smooth with very good texture of the timbre.
Last, but not least, is the JBL Tour Pro 3. JBL has been
providing great product for almost 80 years, and they have a long history of
providing headphones with their JBL sound. They also don’t rest on their name.
JBL continues to develop new products of excellent quality. This is evident
with their JBL Tour Pro 3. MSRP is $299.
Features and spec:
Driver size (mm): 10.2 mm/ 0.402" Dynamic Driver + 5.1
mm x 2.8 mm Balanced Armature
Number of Microphones: 6
Audio Specifications
Driver sensitivity at 1kHz/1mW (dB): 104
Dynamic frequency response range (Hz): 20 Hz - 40 kHz
Dimensions
Charging Case Weight (g):
71.8
Charging Case Weight (oz):
2.5
Earpiece Weight (g): 5.6
Weight (g): 83
Weight (oz): 2.9
Control and Connection Specifications
Bluetooth profiles: A2DP
V1.4, AVRCP V1.6.2, HFP V1.8
Bluetooth frequency: 2.4
GHz – 2.4835 GHz
Bluetooth transmitter power:
<13 dBm (EIRP)
Bluetooth version: 5.3
Battery
Speed Charging time (hours):
3
Charging case battery life (max hours): 33
Charging time (hours from empty): 2
Maximum music play time with ANC off (hours): 11
Maximum music play time with ANC on (hours): 7
Maximum play time (hours):
44
Features
Smart case: Yes
JBL Original Pro Sound:
Yes
Bluetooth: Yes
Charging cable: Yes
Built-in Microphone: Yes
Charging case: Yes
JBL Headphone App: Yes
Rechargable battery: Yes
Spatial Sound: Yes
Touch Control: Yes
True Wireless: Yes
Water Resistant: Yes
Wireless: Yes
IP Code: 55
True Adaptive Noise Cancelling: Yes
The JBL Tour Pro 3 came in a great looking color printed
box, with photos and specs of the product. 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 and rubber. Quality of materials used, as
well as fit and finish, was very good. Also included was the charging case,
charging cable, audio cable, additional ear tips, and manual.
I love the design of the JBL Tour Pro 3. They are a true
wireless IEM, with a boatload of features. You get Adaptive Noise Cancelling.
JBL Spatial 360 with head tracking, and a smart charging case. Not to take away
from the legendary JBL sound, but the smart case is a game changer. Leave your
phone in your pocket. The case has a color screen to manage settings, as well
as see songs, and even texts! It’s a plethora of features. Let’s see how it sounds.
Adele: Rolling In The Deep-
Hi-hat, cymbal, and tambourine were really crisp and clean with
excellent resolution. Claps were crisp and dynamic. Piano also sounded really
natural with excellent resolution and harmonics. Acoustic guitar had excellent
resolution of the plucking of the strings. Kick drum was also really dynamic
with excellent impact, low end extension, and authority. Vocals were silky
smooth with excellent texture of the timbre.
To test Bluetooth performance, we go way above and beyond
rated specs. We want to see the breaking
point. My home has a basement, main
floor, and 2nd floor, for 3 floors.
Paired with my phone kept in my basement, I test how for it will go
between walls, and much more…between multiple floors, to check its usable
range. And then what its range is out in
the open.
Creative Aurvana Ace Mimi:
no glitches in basement and main floor, and even glitch free on 2nd
floor. Out in the open it was glitch
free for over 200 feet. Amazing Bluetooth performance!
Beyerdynamic Amiron 300:
no glitches in basement or main floor, small glitch on 2nd floor
but easily usable, and one minor glitch at 175ft, usable over 200ft. Excellent performance.
Technics EAH-AZ100: no glitches in bas
ement, main floor, or even 2nd floor. And no glitches out to over 200ft. Amazing Bluetooth performance!
JBL Tour 3 Pro: no
glitches in basement, 1 minor glitch on main floor, and no glitches on 2nd
floor. And no glitches out to over 200ft. Excellent performance.
I also tested the ANC.
Both ANC with and without ambient mode. Here are the findings:
Creative Aurvana Ace Mimi:
the ambient mode worked extremely well, allowing all of the ambient
environment in. For ANC, it removed
around 70%.
Beyerdynamic Amiron 300:
The ambient mode was similar, allowing all of the ambient environment
in. For ANC, it was amazing, removing
around 95%!
Technics EAH-AZ100:
again the ambient mode was similar with all of the ambient environment
coming in. ANC was around 90-95%, for
very good performance.
JBL Tour 3 Pro: the similar ambient mode performance
continues, with all of the ambient environment coming in. ANC was around 95%,
for excellent performance.
For overall sound, the Creative was just a hair on the
bright side for sound signature, with great resolution and bass output. But
while just slightly, it did have a slightly lower bass output from the
rest. The 1more had slightly better bass
output, and better bass dynamics and resolution, and with 5 drivers had
excellent resolution and smooth sound with a wide and deep soundstage. It also benefited from all of the cost going
towards the drivers and not the wireless components and charging case. It had a
sound signature that was slightly on the warm side. Beyerdynamics had a neutral sound signature,
really wide and deep soundstage with excellent imaging and resolution, and tied
with JBL for the most bass output.
Technics was just a tad warm with the sound signature, with thanks to
their special driver had resolution that was just a tad better on the highs
than it was on the midbass. And while it had excellent bass output, it was jus
a tad less than Beyerdynamic and JBL. JBL had a neutral soundstage, excellent
resolution, and a soundstage that was both wide and deep.
When it comes to headphones, everyone has a preference to
the sound they prefer. Depending on your
preferred sound signature could determine which IEM is the best fit for you. The Creative Aurvana Ace Mimi provides a huge
bang for the buck based on their price, and is just under the rest in overall
sound quality, but has some excellent features.
If you can handle wired, the 1More Penta could be for you. It just doesn’t
have the wireless features that most are looking for. Beyerdynamic managed to
get their well known studio sound into their Amiron 300. And with JBL you get both excellent sound,
tons of features, and the best charging case that also includes a color
touchscreen display for additional features.
Based on their design, features, quality, and performance, the Creative
Aurvana Ace Mimi and 1More Penta have earned our Value Award, and the Technics
EAH-AZ100 has earned our Highly Recommended Award, and the Beyerdynamic Amiron
300 and JBL Tour Pro 3 have earned our Editor’s Choice Award. For more info and complete specs, check out
their website at www.creative.com, www.1more.com, www.technics.com,
www.beyerdynamic.com, and www.jbl.com.
