The TWS adapter world doesnt have a lot of options sadly. Its basically either the more budget ones from KZ, CCA, TRN or go straight for the UTWS5…
yeah…I got a taste of the forbidden fruit and now Its hard to go back to wire when you are out…
2 Likes
Guess I will have to wait for utws5 to have stock again. Only mmcx atm according to fiio.
HBB is almost moving a Mountain so I get one asap. Massive respect as he will do it on his own.
5 Likes
This is a major problem. Everytime I touch my neobuds pro I always wanna stick to it. So much freedoom. The only iems my gf stole from me or even dared to touch 
3 Likes
How about the Tin Buds 3?
1 Like
Major no.
I had 4 tws iems in the past (besides budget gifts), and all at the same time so I could compare:
- Samsung Buds Pro
- Sony XM4
- AKG N400
- Edifier Neobuds Pro
Only kept the Neobuds Pro. I still have N400 but I cant fit them properly so.
have seen Zreview video on it? he says its better to get mmcx + adapter this way it’ll have better angle for 2pin IEMs and have better comfort…!
For BT solution I love my HiBy WU1 LDAC UAT codecs and most outstanding range. The sound is very good.
Ha I don’t know I never had a listening session where I ran out of battery sorry!
Longest 3-4 hours so far.
Kickes ass for SQ with the mic on calls or Teams much better than my Qudelix 5K
1 Like
I have the 3 and have had zero SQ problems. Noise floor was never an issue with both my buds and IEMs.
My only complaint is from the bt side of things. Range is great but multipoint isn’t. You have to disconnect from one device before you can connect the other if both are in range or you have to completely unpair and re-pair
They really shine for mobility though which is why I use them at the gym.
Imo they operate in a weird area which is why I think they don’t get a lot of love. They aren’t as mobile and feature rich as true TWS buds and their SQ isn’t as good as other BT adapters so they are really only good if you favor SQ over BT features but still need the TWS experience
1 Like
basically in between TWS and BT adapters like the Qudelix 5k.
1 Like
Yeah exactly. That is why I went with the Q5K during work and general at home listening and keep the UTWS3 for the gym now.
I will say I tried quite a few TWS buds and am personally much happier with the UTWS3 and bud combo. It’s nice being able to have TWS and switch what you are listening to as it suits you
2 Likes
yeah, TWS adapter seem like a better way to get better sound than just chasing regular TWS.
But hey, when there is a sweet deal as this.
Kinda hard to not pull the trigger on it.
4 Likes
Sony XBA-N3: The masterclass
Driver Setup: 1DD + 1BA
Price: $300 (discontinued)
Purchase link and info: Sony
Included in the box:
- Sony XBA-N3
- Standard MMCX cable with a 3.5mm termination. (The stock cable is designed to be able to be used down, meaning no ear hooks applied. It has a microphone included);
- 4 Pair of Sony silicone tips (EP-EX11);
- A leather carrying pouch;
- A cleaning tool.
Comfort, fit and isolation: Bullet style fit which is not the most secure, but despite that, isolation and comfort are very good. Hands down the best bullet style fit I have tried so far.
Sources used: Topping E30 + L30 stack, Singxer SA-1, Qudelix 5k.
Tips used: AZLA Xelastic.
Test playlist with some of the songs used: Tidal
Tonality
After just several minutes of listening to the XBA-N3 (N3) there was no doubt in my mind where Sony got the inspiration for the legendary IER-Z1R. The unmistakable house sound runs in the veins of the N3, which won’t appeal to everyone, but so is everything in life.
Depending on your definition of neutral, the N3 can be considered as a bass boosted neutral or a mild V-Shape but one sure thing, despite it matching your preferences or not, is that the tonal balance of the N3 is terrific on the fields they play on.
The bass is boosted and that is the reason to provide anyone’s first impression once they hear these: they are very warm. Just by looking at the graph, it’s pretty clear that the bass was carefully raised in all its spectrum to achieve this sense of warmth and not to be just sub-bass boosted. Speaking of sub-bass, while doing a sine sweep to test these out the extension was sublime, reaching as low as 15 hertz and partly explaining its great performance on “Why So Serious?”, representing very well the sense of claustrophobia you can get once the 3:26 min drops.
The mid-bass was made to be gliding and very authoritative, and has an above average sense of taticality to it on its replay of Radiohead’s “Pckt Like Sardines in Crshd Tin Box” or “Shrill Notes” by Ghost-Note.
The amount of added warmth and the late bass flattening has the obvious impacts in the mid-range, making it fuller and heavier (Hania Rani - Glass). Being a mid-range fan myself, I would love to see a little less warmth presence in this region, but since it is so tastefully done, I can let it slide without moaning much - and also attenuated by the (very) well done pinna gain compensation where nothing what-so-ever gets in the range of shoutiness when replaying vocals - which isn’t the best suit for N3, but in my books the female portion (Nina Simone) sounds very involving and better than the male’s (Michael Bublé), as heard in the musical classic Feeling Good.
If I commended the upper-mids, I can’t get past how tastefully done the treble region is. Despite its warmth, the N3 still pours out details, air and extension by a brilliantly done custom balanced armature, counting as the cherry on top for how balanced the overall tuning is. The most impressive thing is doing all this without ever crossing any line, sounding sibilant or fatiding you (David Carroll - Hell’s Bells).
Technical chops
N3 technicalities is where it falls short compared to its stellar performance in the frequency response. Other than the bass impact, the dynamics of the monitor are average at best, leaving no sense of volume spikes on most transitions.
The imaging chops on the N3 are nothing to write home about given its lack of stage width and average instrumental position, combined into a sense of blunted transients and lack of detail, which overall makes the technical performance probably below average for the current price bracket.
I left the best for the end and, following suit its younger brother Z1R, N3 puts out a masterclass on coherency and timbre that will completely mesmerize you, to a point I had to recall myself this isn’t a single dynamic driver but a hybrid.
Comparisons
I have mentioned IER-Z1R a couple of times by now so it would be not fair to not give the perspective on these siblings compared to each other. It is very fair to assume that the Z1R is a terrific upgrade to the N3 on pretty much all aspects, especially the technical ones.
On tonality, I prefer Z1R due to its more tamed bass shelf, freeing up the other frequencies and paired with a more prominent treble response. This treble is a toss for me and I might tilt towards preferring the N3 one on paper, but it’s very hard to pick one as the Z1R has the technical performance to back it up better. Still in the tonality note, I prefer the pinna gain of the N3 as well, turning the mids closer to the listener and closer to my preferences, even though this effect is slightly canceled by its bass elevation.
To end on an objective note, both sets share the same DNA and don’t let the price tag fool you, as you will get the same pedigree, not the same performance but not by the price multiplier as some would expect. And don’t forget the cursed fit - as an IEM is only as good as if you can use it.
Now that we have seen the direct upgrade from the N3, it is time to mention who are these fit for and Blon BL-03 comes to mind. If you really love everything about the BL-03, look no further, as it maintains the coherency and timbre of the former, but elevates itself everywhere else, coming out as more refined.
The verdict
Released in 2016 but still holding its place in the food chain, the Sony XBA-N3 leaves me no other option but to recommend it, despite my preferences. Despite its weaknesses, Sony shows once more that the sound delivery matters more than the sum of its parts and frequency response graphs. It truly does something special to my library and after listening to it and Z1R, guess I am now also a sony cult member.
Again, this set ain’t your average analytical sounding one, but there’s enough offers for those out there and this is about giving credit where it is due.
Value ranking: 5/5. Personal rank: B+.
Thanks for reading!
11 Likes
Thanks Nymz, for the intriguing review. When I look at the design I don’t think there is any way with my ears to wear them. When I look at the graph it looks like EXACTLY what I am looking for!!! IF you come across a pair of iems that can be custom with that kind of graph, PLEASE tell me.
Thanks, God Bless,
Wayne
2 Likes
have you considered custom tips? Or maybe even reshelling services?
2 Likes
Rikudou Goku, thanks, no I have never heard of custom tips, look ungainly, but will check them out. Reshelling is something I also need to consider, thanks for the tip, pun intended.
God Bless,
Wayne
3 Likes
