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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    I was going to ask you if you have managed to do phase measurements before you sent it to me.
    This pair has some phase issue (confirmed with phasetest from my own test samples and also that link you provided). I hope that this is not a wide spread issue. However from all the complaints around the internet I fear it might be.
    I am not sure if it really is related to phase or if there is some slight lag between the channels. I doubt this is something you would notice when using these out and about.
     
  2. antdroid

    antdroid New

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    Massdrop CS confirmed issue and is going to refund me. They said a replacement likely will have same issue.
     
  3. randytsuch

    randytsuch Friend

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    Thanks for the link to audiocheck.net

    I was having a little trouble trying to decide if the 75 hz tone was louder, and the rumble had more bass. So I just listened for placement. Both were definitely center placed for the out of phase tones, and diffuse for in phase, which is opposite of what it should be.

    So I just sent a request to drop to resolve.

    EDIT At least I found out that I really liked true wireless IEMs. I have some now that have the wires connecting left and right, and these are more convenient to use for my evening walks. The charging case is nifty too.
    So I have to go look for a replacement now.

    Randy
     
  4. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    So at what point do we need to issue a blanket statement that Drop screwed something up with all units?

    My replacements are supposed to be here Saturday; if they're reverse-phased, I'm out. You'd think some simple QC/QA would keep this from being an issue. Should I just demand HA-FDX1? I should just demand HA-FDX1.</s>
     
  5. likearake

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    Just received my replacement pair. After quickly doing the polarity tests (at work) they seem as if they might be ok.

    Can't do measurements but will have a closer listen later to confirm. Certainly the first pair sounded very obviously wrong with the same tests.
     
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2019
  6. dBel84

    dBel84 Friend

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    Mine are out of phase too. I suspect this impacts the entire production run. Pity as I thought they would replace my wired iems but I will use them for garden work and exercise where I can live with quirky.
     
  7. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    I didn't notice mine out of phase. Then again, I couldn't tell. Still happy with mine.
     
  8. lac29

    lac29 Acquaintance

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    Mine are out of phase according to the website test. It can be hard to tell if you just listen to your music normally.
     
  9. randytsuch

    randytsuch Friend

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    I feel the same way. I thought my pair was fine until I tried the website test.
     
  10. likearake

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    My replacement pair are definitely in phase according to the tests, unlike my original pair (which I still have and just compared to / tested as well). I wonder if it is just a lucky dip...
     
  11. Phantaminum

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    I think I'm also experiencing the out of phase issue with my pair. I hear music left and right but not really centered per say. I tried the test link and the out of phase has a centered image compared to the in phase samples. Now I know why I kept going back to the Apple earbuds.
     
  12. Overkill Red

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    Just got a pair and mine are also out of phase, d'oh. Unfortunately I bought mine on Reddit, so no luck getting a refund I guess.
     
  13. randytsuch

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    I sent a message to drop a couple days ago about my problem, and received an response drop this morning, said they are working on a group solution, and asked if I was willing to wait. No actual timeframe was given.

    I also have a problem with my macbook, for some reason it decides to change from bluetooth to the mac speaker at random times, but still shows as connected on bluetooth. Never happens with my other bluetooth audio devices and this macbook. I would probably not have returned for it, but between this and the phase problem I think I'll be asking for a refund and leaving the MOVE club.

    I used them for my walk yesterday evening, and they don't sound as good now that I know that have a problem lol.

    Randy
     
  14. yotacowboy

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    Well, my replacements showed up today and are in proper phase.

    #crapshoot
     
  15. dormantsheep

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    I have been putting my pair through its paces the past week and never noticed any weirdness in my music during my daily commute. The shock I had when reports of units not being wired correctly started showing up.

    Testing with the audiocheck samples, placement of the sound was in perfect order. Similar to what some have observed, listening for placement (centered for in-phase or from-behind for out-of-phase) was much easier than the somewhat vague pointers audiocheck gives. Though through my JBL 305s I can understand where audiocheck is coming from with their pointers.

    Perhaps I was lucky in this drop and received a pair that was wired correctly. Or worse, my hearing is absolutely borked and I can’t tell the difference for nuts. Being in Singapore, it would have been a real PITA to have to deal with returning a defective pair. I might have even treated it as a loss if mine turned out defective.

    Leaving the production issue aside, I have been thoroughly enjoying the MOVE. Switched to a pair of Acoustune tips I had lying around (I believe they are the AET07) because the stock tips are frankly not good. Nothing stands out as objectionable in terms of sound. Others in this thread have described the sound much better than I could ever do, and my impressions are fairly aligned. If I were to nitpick, the midrange can sound slightly hazy on certain tracks (more noticeable with female vocals). However, this is very much a non-issue for purposes of commuting, and at this price point, nothing to complain about.

    The biggest perk of the MOVE (and this extends to all true-wireless earbuds) is usability/convenience. Having absolutely nothing dangling around your neck is a really liberating experience, though I have grown accustomed to my Sony neckband setup. While the MOVE won’t replace this, not being forced to charge mid-week is definitely a plus point. Additionally, the neckband solution is admittedly cumbersome compared to the small pill case. Just take those earphones out of its case, let it automatically connect to your device, and off you go. Quick and seamless.

    However, it must be said that it’s kind of annoying that the entire faceplate is a button (which I’ve gotten around by simply grabbing the body instead when I adjust the earphones). This design choice got the MOVE a straight nope from a friend of mine despite him being agreeable with the sound. Further to this, the controls are just a pain to learn and didn't quite hit the mark from time to time, at least in my experience. I eventually gave up and just used my phone to control the volume and/or switch tracks.

    All in all, notwithstanding the problems with that button and the controls, the MOVE has been a great addition to my stable, particularly as a daily commuting pair. The sound quality is nothing mind-blowing, but at least it doesn’t do anything gravely wrong, and is perfectly acceptable at its price. IMO, much will come down to whether you gel with the usability and ergonomics to warrant the purchase.
     
  16. thekorsen

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    Just a heads up, these seem to have another possible QC issue. I just got a pair back after having them replaced due to the out of phase issues, and now the left ear piece no longer seems to connect to the right earpiece. I noticed this pair would cut out a lot more than my original pair did before this happened, and after wearing them on a flight yesterday the left ear piece stopped working entirely. Someone else posted about the exact same issue in the drop comments, the left earpiece will flash white when taken out of the charger then stay solid orange as if charging.

    Probably a more rare issue, but if your pair starts getting a choppy connection it might be on it's way to crapping out like mine did.

    Image of what it looks like (white light flashes normally): https://imgur.com/a/3GOJ10k

    Edit: Had to look for it in the drop comments, but found a troubleshooting guide that said how to do a hard reset. After doing this, they are working normally again. https://docs.drop.com/NuForce_Move-Troubleshooting_Guide.pdf
     
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2019
  17. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    Bump time, after putting these IEM pairs away for awhile (thanks to the Sony WF-1000XM3), I decided to try them on again. No NR but still has a great turning that kind of goes with everything. Too bad QC issues might had killed this wireless IEM.
     

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