u/PatientMajestic7256

I have lots of professional audio gear that I know well and can make sound decent in a semi treated home studio, but eventually most of us listen to music wirelessly.

I work in the music industry for 20 odd years, dont know if it makes me into an audiophile but I obviously care a lot about sound, and have very specific preferences. At the same, being very familiar with the music making process, I know how many aspects come into play to determine what music hits a nerve with a listener, and a lot of it doesnt necessarily got to do with the Xs & Os.

I have been on a search for the perfect casual listening wireless set up and funny enough at the moment I enjoy most the APP3 for their wide 3D soundstage & imaging, emphesis on sub bass over mid bass in the lows, clean natural vocals and overall balanced, even if digitally processed sound. The ANC is amazing so it's a no brainer to have such a small form factor for walks, flights etc, but I am looking for the a better sound for home listening, something with a wow factor and that could have that emotional impact like a years favourite first good hifi that you love, works for all music and just fits the way you love listening to music.

My main love language in sound similar to what I mention above is:

Sub over mid bass- love bass in general but definitely not a bass head in the sense of just want to crank it up over the rest of the spectrum. Would love a sub bass deep enough to feel and I do enjoy it more that thick mid bass focus products (most wireless I tried are like that), in an ideal world I could have that and still have the warmth of mid and upper bass frequencies, but that's not a deal breaker if I had to favour the sub over the mids.
Vocals can't be tiny, plasticy, unnatural or too buried behind high and lows and I feel like most models I tried lately can get it right (Pi8, Amiron 300). Its kind of a baseline for sure but I realised that its only a baseline, if the rest of the tuning is lacking you are left with something that get the basic right but there's nothing exciting about going back to it. I also tried and returned the H3 for this reason- amazing bass and nice 3D imaging in terms of hight and depth, but unnatural, kinda boxy vocals no matter what EQ I tried, they made me dance in the house but I listen to a lot of vocal music, and after an hour I would rather go back to the APP3 because of the vocals...
Soundstage & 3D imaging: lets face it, as much as that how a lot of us mostly listen to music, wireless is inherently an unnatural form of hearing in general, either something surrounding your or stuck in your ears is just a physical compromise, and until they invent music being projected straight into your brain via telepathic waves or something, there will always be a bit of a claustrophobic compromise in that regard. I never considered the AirPods Pro till I got the 3 as a bd present, but they changed the way I look at this aspect now. They have their issues, but they are wide, the DSP does incredibly well in tricking you to feel like sound is natural and you get used to the whole listening experience, and most importantly they found a way to present music in 3D which compensate the in-the-head feeling I always found. Only problem is, its not a favourite hi-fi experience in any way, just good and functional, not something you would listen to and blow you away when high at midnight looking to fall in love with an album.
Air! Im addicted to the high frequencies, specially that very top above 12khz or 15-20khz. I see so many manufactures just rolling those off to play it safe and improve the illusion of treble clarity, and I understand, but there's so much magic in that range. Great producers, and mixing & mastering engineers know to boost the right elements with those frequencies in order to open up the whole freq range, increase imaging, widening the soundstage. There's also psychoacoustic aspects that live in that range, I won't get into it but simplify it say things there a like a voodoo spell that plays strings of emotion and perception in living beings that is needed, not to mention it just technically balances the low end.

I tried the B&W Pi8 today for a lil' while and as good I think they could be if I get used to them, in terms of space they felt noticeably narrower. They had what I perceived to be a good and full freq response but all kind of forward and in your head, which I feel like I can't go back to unfortunately... They also focus on mid bass or at the very least roll off noticeably below 50-60hz, and I know I will always miss that sub range. Although the APP3 missing other things, at least they have that, and they feel more airy and open - it might not be the case at all technically but I aint trying to listen to specs and 1&0s, its a feeling at the end of the day.

I came from years of using Jabras (75s, 7, 8s) to trying the Soundcores, Amiron 300, Pi8, H3s, nothing really hits the sweet spot. I now consider going back to wireless headphones which I always hated for ears getting heated and noises from materials like plastic and hinges. I had the JBL Tour One which was useless for those reasons, but tried the Bose Ultra & Px8 in store and for the few minutes I listened it sounded quite good and full, though it wasn't enough time to consider how would it fair in terms of the points above.

If anyone has something to contribute in terms of codecs, tuning or EQing something like the Pi8 which I could still consider, or other models I never tried like the AZ100 or Status Pro X- pls lmk. In terms of headphones- I never liked it as mentioned but can get the PX8, PX7 S3, H95 for decent deals second hand so dont mind trying again. I always felt like the ones I did try, beyond the physical discomfort which is subjective, sounded a bit linear and my head, mid bass focused and never too airy... Im about to throw money and then get stuck with the trolls of the internet reselling so any advice will be appreciated... Just thinking there must be something out there for me :)

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