Drop + Grell TWS1X Wireless Review (2) – Another Country Heard From
I’m not crazy about the design of the Grell TWS1X—they’re big and bulky, and the short nozzles prevent deep seal and make fit challenging (until switching to Comply foams they kept falling out of my ears), though long-term comfort is pretty good. As others have commented, the touch panels are unreliable–overly sensitive at times, and non-responsive at others.
Soundwise, the Grell TWS1X present a slightly warm, mostly balanced signature with some emphasis on the midrange. With ANC off, these were a little underwhelming—bass was a tad mushy and, as with the Sennheiser MTW/CX400, presentation is fairly reserved and requires high volume for visceral impact. Curiously, however, activating ANC (which from a noise-cancelling perspective is only average) really enlivens these, with much tighter bass and crisper treble, although they trail competitors like Klipsch and Lypertek in terms of high-end detail and extension. Note: The NAR mode didn’t sound much different than the ANC.
The Grell TWS1X excel in several respects. First and foremost, as with its Senn forebearers, tonality is organic and free from the digital artifacts and/or compressed quality of most TWS. Drums and percussion, in particular, are very analog-sounding.
Second, soundstage is unusually expansive and deep for a TWS—these more closely resemble full-sized closed-back cans in terms of instrument placement and stereo spread. Finally, despite the wide stage, overall coherence between drivers is seamless. Of all the TWS I’ve heard, these and the Cambridge Melomania come closest to the ideal of Bluetooth which doesn’t sound like Bluetooth.
That is not to say that the Grell TWScan compete with good, comparably priced wired sets—the 7Hz Timeless or Aune Jasper, for example, are significantly more revealing—but sonically, at least, these hold up very credibly to the mainstream TWS players.
Kudos to Grell who, instead of following the typical template for establishing a new brand through sponsor links and trumped-up Amazon reviews, is doing the hard work of interacting with hardcore audiophiles, soliciting constructive feedback and attending the audio shows.
Because of their ergonomic and UI quirks, I would probably wait for the next iteration before I purchase, but purely from the standpoint of tonality and and technicalities, the Grell TWS1X are very well-realized.
Disclaimer: Borrowed from Durwood. Get it direct from DROP.
Specifications Drop + Grell TWS1X
| 10.1mm high precision custom dynamic drivers Dynamic transducers (tolerance +/- 1 db) Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) Qualcomm® cVc™ Noise Cancellation Axel Grell Noise Annoyance Reduction (NAR) Transparency Mode Max Sound Pressure Level 105 dB SPL 1 kHz in some countries Frequency Range 4Hz – 22 kHz Low-noise, match-paired microphones SoundID app Splash Proof (IPX4) Bluetooth 5.2 with Qualcomm 5141 chipset Bluetooth range over 50 meters (164 feet) Compatible with iOS and Android, as well as tablets and laptops. Audio Codecs: SBC, AAC, Qualcomm® aptX™, Qualcomm® aptX™ adaptive, LHDC Up to 30 hours of listening time with ANC ON (6 hours in earbuds and over 4 full charges in the charging case) Up to 40 hours of listening time with ANC OFF (Over 8 hours in earbuds and over 4 full charges) USB-C charge connector Wireless charging compatible Glass touch field for gesture commands on each earbud Built in voice-assistant |
