When I was growing up, I often heard my daddy say, “You can’t beat another man’s trick.” So what does this old Southern expression have to do with the TWS800 True Wireless Stereo Earphone from HIFIMAN? Quite a bit actually.
HIFIMAN staked its claim as a player in the high-end audio world with its planar-magnetic headphones followed by dynamic in-ear drivers. The market responded favorably to both of these products with multiple “best-in-class” awards, proving that this company knows how music should sound. Now, taking another step forward, the TWS800 True Wireless Stereo Earphone proves the designers at HIFIMAN also know the trick to making music sound like music in a wireless stereo earphone design. In fact, I’ll bet that the sound quality of the TWS800s will surprise you.
The sound quality and the price point ($299 US) both say that this product is aiming for the premium end of the market. When the product was released in October, Dr. Fang Bian, Founder, and CEO of HIFIMAN Electronics said, “The TWS800 is the next step in the evolution of True Wireless audio. Bass response and overall harmonics are on a par with some of the best-wired in-ear monitors, in a form factor that is comfortable enough to wear all day.”
Why Wireless Earphones?
Before I go much further, I should tell you a little bit about how I listen to wireless earphones. If you spot me in the grocery store, the waiting room at a doctor’s office, or basically anywhere else. I’ve probably got my earbuds in listening to an audiobook. Likewise, if I’m cooking, cleaning, or doing any number of things around the house, I’m most likely listening to an audiobook or a podcast. To me, the audio quality wasn’t nearly as important when I got my first wireless earbuds as the freedom from the wires. The wires tended to get hung on something and yanked out of my ears. Ouch!
Portable, High-End Sound
For me, the sleek silver case and packaging were the first sign that the TWS800 True Wireless Stereo Earphone is targeting high-end buyers, but wait until you put them in your ears. There is probably no way to truly explain the quality of the sound. You just have to give them a listen.
Compared to my previous wireless earphones, it was like going from a somewhat thin, flat sound to full-bodied and rich stereo sonics as I listened to some of my favorite music. No, the TWS800s do not sound like the DeVore Fidelity gibbon Super Nines that are currently playing in our listening room, but they aren’t intended to. And, let’s face it, the DeVores aren’t exactly portable, now are they?
Listening Notes
With Qobuz and the Innuos Statement server, I can listen to just about anything in our listening room. My playlist for portable listening is also pretty extensive with the Qobuz app on my iPhone 12. And I confess that I like to listen to male singers, so I used the TWS800s to listen to my three favorite male vocalists.
First, Willie Nelson was at the microphone with his Heroes album. The grit and gravel were there as clearly as I have ever heard them. Now, that’s the secret with these wireless earphones. While I didn’t get everything I would hear with a full-blown audio system, I was more than satisfied. Willie sounded like Willie!
Next up, I listened to another favorite, Neil Diamond. Yes, I’m giving away my age here, but as far as I’m concerned, Neil is classic. His craggy bass-baritone sounded authentic on songs like “Sweet Caroline,” “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “I Am . . . I Said,” and “Song Sung Blue”. Again, the music was full, dare I say lush, which is not something you can say about most wireless earphones.
Steve Tyrell rounded out the trio. Steve is a good choice for me to do some comparative listening as we have seen him in multiple concerts throughout the years. If Steve is in town, I’m buying tickets. We once made a trip to New York to see him at the famed Cafe Carlisle, so I listened to his Live at the Cafe Carlisle album. Tyrell’s smooth jazz style coupled with a Texas drawl, and on the live album, the sound from the TWS800s was just short of being there in person.
Room for Improvement
As with all products, there’s always some room for improvement. Despite the 9 pairs of tips included with the TWS800s, I still had trouble finding a pair that fit as comfortably as I would have liked, but I do have exceptionally narrow ear canals. I also noticed that the case came open very easily when dropped. I recommend a more secure catch.
Another minor irritation I noticed was that it could take a couple of tries to get the earbuds to sync when going from a one-sided mode to a paired mode. Again, this is minor! On the whole, if you are ready to step up for better sound, these wireless earphones are definitely worth considering.
Technical Specifications
- Driver: Topology Diaphragm Dynamic
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
- Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 5.0
- Available Codecs: SBC, AAC
- Water Resistance: IPX4 (Sweatproof)
- Single Earphone Weight: 6.9g (Really light for metal construction!)
- Playtime: 4.5 + Approx. 30 Hours via Case
