Drop + NuForce MOVE Wireless IEM Review

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by purr1n, May 21, 2019.

  1. Poleepkwa

    Poleepkwa Friend

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    @james444 I would be interested in trying these.
     
  2. james444

    james444 Mad IEM modding wizard level 99

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    Sure, just pm me your address please.
     
  3. tommytakis

    tommytakis MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    Drop + NuForce MOVE Wireless Impressions

    [​IMG]


    Ever since I gave my airpods to one of my good friends, I've been craving for one since. I was hoping airpods 2 would be waterproof and comes in black, well ... that didn't happen. After I saw Marv's post regarding this iem, I thought this would be the perfect beater pair iem for my workouts and commutes.
    Useability:
    • the mic is below average/ average at best. I was on the phone with a coworker and I had to switch back to the phone mic because he had trouble hearing me
    • Volume control sucks and takes forever if you want to drastically change. It says to hold 2 seconds either left or right to adjust volume but I feel like it’s not very intuitive for volume adjustment. If I want to adjust drastically, I would have to hold for 2 seconds then release (or it’ll go to either pairing mode or turn off) then repeat this until I'm at the volume I want. I basically don’t use this feature and use either my apple watch or phone to adjust the volume.
    • Good battery life. I haven’t had to charge my charging case at all during the week of my commute. I didn’t do a strict test for measuring the actual battery life, but no issues with my daily commute. (It’s a 2 hour round trip per day in the train) **big plus for being usb-c. **
    • stupidly big and clicky buttons. At times, I accidentally pause my music whenever I want to readjust my fit because the buttons are so damn big. I wish the buttons were smaller so that I don’t have to worry about accidentally clicking all the time.
    • Once in a while the left side cuts out audio bc of lost connection even though the right side is connected and playing music. This rarely happens and they usually reconnect within a second or two (no big deal for me). They seem to have about 50-75m of range before the iems start to lose stable connection.
    • Being truly wireless is a big plus. It frees me from worrying about wires flopping around and now I can leave my phone in the gym bag instead of the pocket. This also means I can now add back jump roping to my workout.
    • The charging case feels rough like sand paper. I prefer smoother finish.
    • Isolation is okay. I take the train to work and even inside the train, it can get fairly loud. With the default tips, I found myself cranking up the volume to drown out the ambient noise. Vocals sound a bit shrill when I crank it up too much.
      • I happen to have some extra tips from Andromeda and tried swapping to see if I liked the sound. Didn’t care much for the silicone tips, but I REALLY like them with the marshmallow tips! Isolates better, bit of a pain to put on, but snug af once they’re in. I had no issue working out with them. Slight added warmth helps drown out the sound without me cranking up the volume.
    • Bass is extended but can sound slightly boomy and uncontrolled at times at least with the stock tips.
    • Like many have mentioned already, overall excellent tonal balance and works well with all genres i threw at. For the price, I think the sound is more than I can ask for. Just for this, I find this iem to be such a valued item for every day carry.
    • Sounds a bit hazy when I switch back from the Andromeda but decent clarity for the price
    • Resolv… no it’s not resolving but it’s $90 and sounds much more engaging and pleasing than a lot of wireless iems i’ve tried. Airpods honestly don’t sound that bad but many wireless iems tend to overload the bass like Beats by Dre and treble gets steeply rolled off. I’ve been carrying both (Move + Andromeda) in my pocket just in case the Move dies on me but I haven’t had to pull out the Andromeda during my commutes. (just for the convenience NOT because they're better sounding than the Andros) It won’t replace my Andromeda but I’m definitely using these for my workouts and commutes.
    Overall, despite the wonky UI and annoyingly huge, clicky buttons, this is a solid truly wireless iem for the price. I forgot convenient it is to work out or do anything without wires flopping everywhere. They do deserve the attention and hype by Marv, but buyers should be aware of the drawbacks before getting hyped and feeling disappointed.
     
  4. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    I discover the same on my end. The Marshmallow tips also gives it more sub-bass. Still, it isn't amazing level, but it's more than enough for $90. Highly recommend the marshs.
     
  5. likearake

    likearake Acquaintance

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    Does anybody else have polarity issues? My pair seem to be wired out of phase :(
     
  6. thekorsen

    thekorsen Acquaintance

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    Got and have been using mine for about a day now. I agree with the comment that they sound a bit muffled, but tonally pretty great.

    Think my biggest complaint is the case texture. For something you carry on your person all day, it feels way too rough and (to me) gross. Might vary person to person, but whenever I touch a sandpaper-y surface I feel like I need to wash my hands cause they feel dry and powdery after.

    Also did these come with marshmallow tips or was that an add on? Didn't seem to get any with mine.
     
  7. tommytakis

    tommytakis MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    They don't come with the iem. I just happen to have few extras from my Andromeda. I believe you can order them from campfire's website
     
  8. GanGreinke

    GanGreinke Friend

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    Mine are having that problem too. To confirm, I used JRiver to switch the polarity, and it fixed the problem.

    Drop is good about making things right, so I'm sure they'll fix the problem if you contact them.
     
  9. dBel84

    dBel84 Friend

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    this might explain why mine don't sound right - also experiencing a lot of drop out on the left channel . Bass on my pair rolls off rapidly - I thought I would give them time and experiment with tips ( finally had time this past weekend ) but neither time nor adjusting degree of seal has resolved the issues. If this is just me, then worth looking into.
     
  10. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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    Did the instructions include how to reset the Move? Resetting might fix the drop out issues.
     
  11. thekorsen

    thekorsen Acquaintance

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    Just a heads up, the case sands down very easily with 400 grit sandpaper, and the bottom text remains easily readable. The top black on black text is harder to read though. No more of the touch equivalent of nails on a chalkboard when I reach into my pocket.
     
  12. lac29

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    Overall I think my experience is that it is decent. I think the UI is kinda weird and do agree that the full face button is a bit much. I want to be able to adjust my fit without pressing the button.

    Also the case feels cheap as in feels like it was 3D printed. I want to be able to put it in my pocket without it scratching other things in my pocket (ie smartphone).

    I was also a bit surprised how bulky the buds are as well ... they are not small and they will stick out and be noticeable.

    Sound-wise they are fine and I almost feel like most if not all the issues are non-sound issues.
     
  13. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    After spending more time with the Move

    * I don't get the hate for the case at all. For starters, IT WORKS! The feel of the case is great when you have uber sweating hands like mines after working out. If the case was smooth with my sweating hands then I would be dropping my case more often. Don't know the hate for something that cost me $90. The case design with the IEMs dropping in them is sweet. I wonder how often people hold their cases, it gets the job done. I think the white LED lights for charging are too bright, but that's just me.

    * Eartips will change out the sound. I was using the marshmallows eartips from Campfire Audio, but now using JVC Spinal Dots Regular Mediums. Keeps the mostly neutral turning in place and it replaces the meh included eartips of the Move.

    * I gotten more used to the face buttons for the IEM control. Still prefer using my phone to adjust the volume since it's a lot faster.

    * I think I only gotten one connection issue, but I just got rid of the Bluetooth setting of my phone and repair the Move with my phone again, it works.

    * From listening to music, to conducting conference calls with the IEMs, it works great. Mic could be better but my coworkers can hear me just fine.

    * Isolation isn't the best, but it's more than enough for the gym.

    * Works as part of an IEM collection. No way this will replace my Andros, but it works for like 95% of the stuff I need. Make sure you run this via SBC and you are good to go.
     
  14. antdroid

    antdroid New

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    I've had these for a couple weeks now. I'm not impressed with them at all, especially after using the Samsung Galaxy Buds for a few months now and loving their sound, app, and comfort, and then also trying out the Sony WF-1000MX3, which sounds very nice, though not as comfortable.

    The Move, as mentioned by a couple people, sounds very hazy. I think this is due to the bump in mids followed by a recessed upper mids and another treble bump, which reduces the presence region a bit. I don't particularly like that type of tuning -- it's not as bad as say, the IO, but it's not what I prefer. I find the Andromeda also hazy, but much more clean sounding than these as it's more even across the mids and treble (with that sparkle bump later on).

    The buttons on the move feel very cheap and I don't like that it's tactile surprisingly. Not a fan of the case either. Generally, I don't really find these to be great for the price, if you can get the Galaxy Buds for the same price now.
     
  15. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    There seems to be an issue with some production units. My production pair sounds like crap compared to my pre production unit. The sound quality Delta is quite high.
     
  16. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    Seems to be a wiring/phase issue. I sent mine back; replacement should be here this week. The mildly unsettling thing was the drop rep tried to convince me to go for refund over replacement.
     
  17. likearake

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    I've also got a replacement on the way. They couldn't have wired the entire batch out of phase... Right? :confused:
     
  18. antdroid

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    Oh wow. I never checked my phase measurements, but they do look a little bit off:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  19. Poleepkwa

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    Thoughts on the Drop Move.

    Thank you @james444 for sending these out to me for evaluation.

    I have never had a true wireless setup before, but have tried the Samsungs Galaxy Buds on a few occasions. So I do not know what competitors are offering for the same price with accesories, ect.

    My daily drivers has been the Radsone ES100/ZX300 with Inear StageDivers SD5,
    For this comparison I used the Phonak PFE 112, Shure SE215 and Pinnacle PX.


    Good

    • The fit on these are really nice and snug. They stay in.
    • As good as the Galaxys, which seems to be more ergonomically shaped.
    • Isolation is pretty fair.
    • I like the functionality of the case. (On when taken out/off when back in.)
    • Battery indicator on case
    • Calls are fine. Not great, but perfectly passable when used outside.
    • Battery Life seems very solid.
    • Pairing is snappy.
    • Usable distance seems pretty good too.
    • Nice and smooth frequency response, without big peaks.
    • Included tips are ok for me.

    Ill
    • The texture on the case could be rougher or smoother.
      The texture now seems like it would get damaged from scratches easily.
    • The buttons are big and very easily pressed when adjusting fit, too easily...
    • Skicap usage might be and issue because of the controls.

    • Sound Quality: I think this pair also have the phase issues.
    • Vocals and midrange sound diffused in space without a strong centre point.
      Vocal intelligibility suffers quite a bit (sounds murky, no matter the tips used)
    • Looking at the measurements it should probably not be like that.
      I compared it to the Phonak PFE 112 with black filters, and even the SE215 and all of these sounded a lot more focused and detailed than these.
     
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2019
  20. james444

    james444 Mad IEM modding wizard level 99

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    Hmmm, must admit I've been lazy with these and only measured one channel, so I can't confirm...

    You can try this polarity check to clarify: https://www.audiocheck.net/audiotests_polaritycheck.php

    I didn't hear anything grossly off, but I mostly just used them outside the house...
     

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