Can I join the club or theese don’t count?
HEYDAY went bye. Kept the PR1 PRO and traded for the Xenns Mangird UP.
Custom shell UP.
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Looks dope, congrats on your new shiny!
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Gorgeous set you’ve got there!
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Oof - love the opal look of the faceplates, congrats!
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Nymz I think you did nail the review of the UP perfectly describing it. But I would have never considered the treble dark before.
I am on a strange new journey of self discovery. I have been in the audio industry for a very long time. I was pretty sure I nailed down my preference. I didn’t think I would like the Xenns UP, truthfully as lots of people comments on its dark signature.
The UP is truly wonderful.
I always steered away from dark sound signatures from my last one that was called dark the Penon Globe. I sold that one because of lack of high frequency, but remember why I liked it so much the smooth dreamy vocals but the top end was too tame for me.
I just got the TANGZU Zietan Wu Heyday and on first listen I hated it never had that happen before to me, as I always try find the best of whatever I am listening to.
I realized flat “neutral tuning” is just … boring for me and the Heyday tuning or combo of the planar. The UP’s sound signature sounds to my ears correct tonality and what I realize is my version of neutral is in fact elevated bass and mid bass with extended treble extension but not bright or to forward.
The UP still has wicked treble for me and great extension the Sonion EST I am sure to thank here.
Still trying to figure this out. Off to Disneyland tonight but when I get back I will do a comparison between my +3db Sub Boosted Resin EJ07M’S
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Alrighty, been a long time since I made a detailed comparison post, so here we go! Today I’m sharing my thoughts on my journey with TWS ANC IEMs (and, as always, YMMV).
The contenders
- Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro (called Air 2 Pro from now; discontinued; RRP £110)
- SoundPEATS mini pro HS (called mini pro from now; RRP £63)
- AKG N400NC (called AKG from now; between 48 - 150 USD).
Btw, all 3 IEMs have been reviewed by more knowledgeable folks than me, so check out YouTube as well.
Before I begin, I want to give a big shoutout to @nymz for his Santa gift - AKG N400NC. They were almost brand new, all accessories included, in perfect condition. Thanks again for your generosity, amigo - you da best 
Ok, so here we go with the IEM comparison!
Usability (fit, comfort, app support, ANC, connectivity, touch controls)
I think usability is one of the important criterion when assessing TWS. I use TWS when I’m cooking, cleaning, commuting, travelling, or walking. I’m willing to compromise some sound quality for going wireless and getting ANC. So, rankings in this section:
- mini pro
- Air 2 Pro
- AKG
Overall, I found mini pro the most comfortable and easy to use. They fit my ears perfectly, they are light, and the case is the perfect pocket-size. I’ve worn them for >3hrs and did not have any pain. They connect via BT in a couple seconds at max, and haven’t had any lost connections. ANC is average: sufficient to dull out the kitchen fan noise or a 2-hr flight, but it was clearly inferior to ANC and Air 2 Pro. Touch controls work ok, on par with Air 2 Pro. Unfortunately, mini pro doesn’t pause music when one shell is removed, and its app is pretty basic.
I had issues getting Air 2 Pro to connect from time to time, which required a “reboot” via the case. It also took the longest to connect to my Android phone. I also found it uncomfortable to wear for more than 1-2 hrs at a time. Air 2 Pro app was the best, however, offering preset and custom EQ, custom ANC, different ANC modes.
AKG is a mixed bag: it feels the most premium out of the three by a long mile. The case has a nice weight, and the unboxing experience was A-class. It was also pretty quick to connect to my phone. But… it has the worst app ever. It forces you to turn on location support, and even then, it can fail to find the earphones. Also, it offers the best ANC, but its touch controls are finnicky as hell so turning it off on the go to hear something quickly is non-trivial, and the shells are big and heavy compared to the other two. Also, AKG is the only one to not offer LDAC.
Sound quality
This is a pretty easy exercise:
- AKG
- mini pro
- Air 2 Pro
There are squig graphs available for AKG N400NC (e.g. Squiglink - IEM frequency response database by IEM World) and mini pro (Squiglink - IEM frequency response database by Paul Wasabii), but not for Air 2 Pro. I’m pretty sure I can tell you what that graph will look like though - a big ass V. Air 2 Pro is sibilant, and bass is boomy. It can rumble, yes, but a bit too much bleed. I had to EQ the treble right down to stomach some YouTubers and podcasts. Overall though, I used Air 2 Pro because it was my first TWS IEM, but once I had other options, I barely touched it. And yes, you can probably EQ it to sound better, so if that’s your thing, then maybe it’ll sound ok with some work.
The first time I listened to the AKG, however, I could tell this had a polished tuning. However, I was really surprised at how bassy it was - AKG is tuned to the Harmon target, but apparently that’s really bassy to my ears! Lots of nice rumble and good noteweight, but it did bleed into the mids. Mids sounded pretty good, and instruments have the best timbre of the three (although not on par with nice wired single DD IEMs; saxophone and trumpet sound a bit unnatural). The treble sounded a bit recessed to my ears. e.g., cymbals sounded recessed at times. Stage has decent width but not much depth or height.
Interestingly, if you look at mini pro FR graph, you might think it’s super bassy, and that’s true, but it has nice texture (I believe they use a biofibre DD), and by applying some DSP magic, it doesn’t bleed into the mids much. The treble can get a bit hot (e.g., Adele’s Crazy for You), but nowhere near as bad as in Air 2 Pro. The noteweight is a tad thin compared to AKG, but better than Air 2 Pro. Mini pro has the best stage (for a TWS - not as good as Olina, for example).
Conclusion
I know that AKG is the premium earbud - it has the most “polished” tuning, excellent build, best ANC, and the “Crin approval,” and yet, I don’t reach for it when I’m on the go. Instead, I use the SoundPEATS mini pro HS 75% of the time due to the usability factor. I’m still trying to work the AKG into my daily routine, but if I can’t, then I’m pretty sure @nymz will be more than happy for that item to find a new home 
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Mangird Tea 2 update (after 30+ days) -
after the honey moon period over i started notice something about them,
every time i go over cerain amount of volume the song started to be harsh and somewhat distorted, perching feeling. every song i tested had his own “volume limit” i shall not pass or my ears bleed.
the problame is that that limit is not high at all, i really wanted to increase volume cause i didn’t feel like i enjoy these as i should have.
with this problem i could not listen to the tea’s at all, i was really disappointed and thought that my set might be bad or something,
i tried switch sources from my L30+E30 combo to my phone to my old SMSL M3 combo and all of them acted the same.
as last resort i turned to eq and i found that the problem was the 3.5-4khz area.
without eq this set is unlistenable for me (yes, it was that bad) but after reducing around 5-8 db from the 3.5khz area i finely was able to listen to them.
sure, it does make vocals sound a bit like underwater but and a big fat but, i could increase the volume to it compensate for it big time and vocals sound absolutely great now.
another thing i found out was the the E30+L30 combo was warmer them my old SMSL M3 and honestly i think a more colder analytical combo would be better for my taste for the tea’s . unfourtountaly my SMSL M3 is old and cheap and really distorted compared to my topping combo so if you guys have any suggestion for an analytical , cold and unflavored cheap combo (around 100$, maybe more if it really worth it) it will be great , thanks !
if you have the tea’s 2 and expirienced the same thing, this is one of the song of which i could notice the harshness like no other on “high” volume.
i used Peace equalizer and this is what i ended up with (for now lol )
the only thing that is necessary is the 3.5khz deep , everything else is just a bit more for my taste but nothing tremendous.
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Did you try tip rolling? Changing the insertion depth and the tip could help alleviate what seems to be a resonance issue.
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i did but only with the stock ones, ill try now with some foam tips and not silicon , thanks for the suggestion
update - still the same 
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I heard this track from YouTube, Spotify and Qobuz using my Tea 2 + Qudelix 5k (also Tea 2 + iBasso DC03 Pro).
No harshness at all. I’m using the stock black tips (L size) and stock cable.
I’m not a believer of Hi-Res, MQA and this kind of stuff… But this track in specific sounds a little bit congested on Spotify compared to Qobuz.
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I listen loud (old ears) to the Tea2 on various DAPs and DACs and hear no harshness just great clarity I listen to many different genres Inc heavy metal, classic rock, hip hop and synth rock from Daft Punk to Lorde to iron maiden to Gorgo Bordello.
Could be bad synergy with your DACs
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You know what, I think tea2 aren’t made for you. Don’t worry it’s ok: it can happen to anybody with any iem.
You know what, I’m in a good mood today. I want to help you. I’m willing to help you get rid of it, and I’ll even pay 100$ for it. That should cover the freight and the psychological inconvenience you felt with disappointement. Don’t thank me, I just like to help people.
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thanks for the help mate 
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tried different sources and still the same, i must say i am sensitive to this area so almost every iem i tried i had to eq down this region, on the tea 2 it was just more prominent
Oh, I’m awake 
Lets run it down
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Tangzu x HBB Wu Zetian (Heyday Edition)
Frequency Response Graph:
Hold the phone…
ring-ring
Operator: “911, how can I help you?”
nymz: “Hello, I’d like to report a murder.”
Operator: “Wait, who died?!”
nymz: “The MC!”
Operator: “Listen young man, are you kidding me? Who the f*** is MC?”
nymz: “The Motherf*cking Competition.”
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That’s not a very hot take. I’m going to need you to do better
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Hey Days miss on Techno for me, Timeless is still king of 909’s. Beginning to think I need to go find my dynamic for all things Electronic, but I will def miss that resolution.
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I can see that. For 909, I’d probably still pick Timeless AE.
But let me run down my quick thoughts loud:
- Hits my HRTF like I hit my credit card everytime I see the word 50% off. I get 3D like I haven’t got since Tea2
- Build quality is outstanding
- Sub-bass is good. Mid is leaner due to the slow glide into the mid-range. Tuning is actually spot on but you won’t ge the kicks in your face, just the enough amount
- There’s actually mids - which I can’t say for most planars out there
- The checkmate is the treble. What do you mean by no mid-treble peak and actual extension? Gimme some of that
- Technicalities fall under the same tree as the other planar top dogs, from the top of my head, which is a plus given all the above
- The Audacity dynamics are spot on for a set under 500. You add all that love to the planar speed and you got a killer combo
I dropped this track and it just… correctly replayed it. No harsh cymbals - neither too fast cut. In fact, drums sound amazing. Sure, the kicks could be more physical, but I’ve yet to tip roll this bad boy.
Point being that mid-treble isn’t murdering me without sacrificing all the rest, makes it the best planar I’ve heard for my library so far.
I’m not a fan of sharing this much without a proper extended listening, as it could easily bite my ass. But I don’t see much to fault for the Heyday.
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