HIFIMAN TWS600 True Wireless IEM.

In the first of many true wireless reviews to come I have a look at the HIFIMAN TWS600.
Said to be the ” Most audiophile true wireless IEM on the market “.
Read on to get my view on the TWS600.

Disclaimer:
Mark at HIFIMAN has been a good egg and sent these my way for review.
HIFIMAN have not paid or sponsored me for this review.
These are my own unbiased views.

The HIFIMAN TWS600 retail at $199 at the time of this review.

You can find the TWS600 on HIFIMANs website here:
https://hifiman.com/products/detail/299

Review equipment and software:
HIFIMAN TWS600 true wireless IEM.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+.
HIFIMAN app.
Qobuz Studio Premier.

Music:
https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/3785941
https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/3784071

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What’s in the box:
2x HIFIMAN TWS600 IEMs.
8x ear-tips.
1x charging and carry case.
1x USB type C charging cable.

Spec:

Battery life:
The battery life is bang on the money here at 5 and a half hours of play time plus 33 hours of charge in the case.
Charge time is as HIFIMAN state.

Build and finish:
The case is very well made and feels robust. It has a rubber base which I find useful when sitting them down somewhere.
USB type C is a great addition, however yet again wireless charging is not to be found here.
It really surprises me that more True Wireless IEMs, especially in the higher end are still being rolled out without wireless charging.
One of the greatest flaws is the magnetic hold on the IEMs inside the case. I carry out the upside down shaky shaky test as most reviewers do and alas the TWS600s fall out at a mere flick of the wrist. I asked my son to gently nudge my elbow when opening them upside down and they fell out every time. I would not want to accidentally open these upside down on public transport, out and about or in the dark!
You will also find that any ear tip you decide to use apart from the smaller tips will not allow the IEMs to sit in the case properly and as such will not charge.
The charge LEDs are inside the case so you can have a glance at what the battery state is, however there are no indicators on the outside of the case.
The design is ok if you’re a gamer with a “torn” design on the face of the TWS600s through which the LEDs shine.
They have a good profile and don’t stick out of the ears too far and are quite light weight compared to other TWs I have reviewed.
The case is pocketable but it’s not one of the smaller cases on the market.

Setup:
Bluetooth pairing was straight forward and the connection once paired is stable with no drop offs. They do sport a very good connection range, in fact I would go as far to say it’s the best so far against other True Wireless IEMs that I have tested, by a lot.
App: HIFIMAN have an app that is available on iOS & Android, however I could not get it to see or recognise the TWS600. I tried numerous times on both operating systems with no success.
The app also has a built in player, but it redirects from streaming services you already use which seems rather pointless in my opinion. HIFIMAN really need to get their app developers on to this so the TWS600 is seen by the app and thus enable finer control over the IEMs and if required, any firmware updates.

Comfort:
HIFIMAN have made a lightweight pair of True Wireless IEMs that stay in your ear canals with ease. They withstood the head shake and bump test with flying colours so I would definitely rate them as a go to sports in ear.
All of the ear tips are easy to fit and feel comfortable in the ear.
Unfortunately the TWS600s have physical buttons on each side to control media controls and voice assistant. They work well but do not add up to a nice experience when pushed in. I have sensitive ears as it is and if I use the controls more than the absolute minimum my ears are left sore and uncomfortable. I hope in their next iteration of True Wireless IEMs, HIFIMAN swap this out for touch controls instead.

Sound:
After burning the TWS600s in for 12 hours re HIFIMANs advise I found they opened up in the soundstage department. The soundstage is one of the widest I’ve experienced so far in a True Wireless. The sound is extremely spacious and is amazing when listening to live recordings or big band music.
I would say that the sound signature of these IEMs is one that is very neutral with emphasis in the upper mid to high frequencies. With the midrange being aggressively forward and the highs having lots of sparkle and speed.
Bass is very recessed making these IEMs not suited to electronic, dance or urban music.
With a lot of eq tweaking you can bring the bass into play, however it sounds processed and lacks accuracy.
To sum up the TWS600, They are fantastic at reproducing vocals and acoustic music. Classic guitar or orchestral suites sound amazing and very clear.
However they are not for bass heads or fans of any form of EDM or urban music.

Summary:
I believe that HIFIMAN have created an IEM with great potential.
Have the IEMs sit securely in the case with room for larger ear tips, tune them for a fuller bodied sound signature with better bass extension and ease off the mids and highs a touch and you would be onto a winner in my eyes.
Maybe have a look at making a True Wireless with similar drivers to the RE400 with a working app with the ability to create custom EQ presets. And please swap those buttons out for touch controls.
The case itself is a really nice design and the IEMs although sporting that gamer style, do look rather cool. ( Good job I’m a gamer. )
At $199 I find them lacking in a few areas but if you’re looking for a very neutral spacious sounding IEM then these may well be for you.

Pros:
Spacious soundstage.
Neutral sound signature well suited to classical, opera and classical guitar.
Great delivery of vocals.
Superb battery life.
Stable and far reaching connection.
Stylish case and a cool gamer style design.
USB type C charging.

Cons:
Uncomfortable due to physical buttons.
Fatiguing due to specific sound signature ( To my hearing anyway. )
Lack of bass.
Aggressive midrange.
No wireless charging.
Case does not hold the IEMs in place securely.
No external charge indicator.