Hifiman TWS800 Review – Dark Horse

Sound –

Testing Methodology: Measured using Arta via IEC 711 coupler to Startech external sound card. 7-9KHz peaks may be artefacts/emphasised due to my measurement setup, less so with deep fit. Measurements besides channel balance are volume matched at 1KHz. Fit depth normalised to my best abilities to reduce coupler resonance. Still, due to these factors, my measurements may not accurately reflect the earphone or measurements taken by others. I gave the TWS800 100hrs burn-in to ensure maximum performance prior to subjective breakdown.

Tonality –

Immediately, the TWS800 sounds far more balanced and robust than the rather mid-focused TWS600. It has a warm, rich voicing with a push through the upper-midrange and lower-treble aiding balance and redeeming clarity. The timbre remains just slightly off but is a respectable performer in the TWS space. Perhaps due to codec limitation, treble rolls off quite quickly, granting a dark, clean background. There remains good space and a detailed sound below.

Bass –

It’s not quite as good as a wired in-ear, but easily among the top handful in the TWS space. The TWS800 has genuinely impressive depth, dynamics and control. The tuning is a little unconventional though extension is excellent with ample sub-bass pressure and a tight slam at the very bottom. However, don’t expect huge slam and weight here as sub-bass is laid-back. Emphasis lies rather through the mid and upper-bass instigating a full and warm note presentation. It isn’t excessive nor muffled but notes are a little rounder and a touch tubby on some tracks. In turn, separation is not a high point, though bass is very well-controlled, especially for a wireless product.

Accordingly, the mid-bass remains very well-defined which aids a well-detailed presentation free of drone or bloat. The low-end has convincing dynamics too with quick, hard-hitting attack and natural decay producing a slightly more aggressive presentation without sacrificing texture. Timing is also quite good and the earphone keeps pace with quicker songs if not quite deconstructing them like a good wired in-ear. Those disappointed by the TWS600 will find a very different beast here. Hifiman’s discrete amplifier surely isn’t pulling its punches, as the TWS800 has power, depth and definition that you might not think possible from traditional micro-circuitry.

Mids –

Where the TWS600 offered a strange midrange voicing, the TWS800 swings in quite the opposite direction. With its robust bass, the midrange is warm, rich and full-bodied albeit with a rapid rise through the upper-midrange that helps to retain clarity and definition. In turn, I found the midrange not to be especially high-definition but to retain a good sense of openness and extension. There was no muffle or veil, but a nice, powerful voicing. Still, the upper-bass bump and high-contrast tuning means this earphone does not have the most accurate timbre, so its voicing can vary quite significantly between tracks of different mastering style.

For instance, warmer R&B tracks could sound a little dry and smoothed over while brighter Asian vocals could come across as diminished and a little strained. Still, I would consider the colouration at play to be well-considered in totality, my main gripe is the lack of vocal size on some tracks due to the sharp upper-midrange emphasis. The added warmth and body also mean that, despite having a sharper articulation in the lower-treble, vocals never sound hollow or raspy while benefitting from great openness and clarity. This is a technically accomplished sound and one that is highly enjoyable on well-mastered tracks albeit, this is a double-edged sword as a more linear tuning would be more widely flattering.

Highs –

I found the top-end to much redeem the fallibilities of the midrange. With a small 5k peak, the presentation is slightly warmer in tone, crisp and just slightly detail-forward relative to the midrange. Still, as there isn’t much emphasis above, the presentation isn’t sharp nor overly thinned out. There’s a clean transient response with a sharp note attack granting impressive fine detail retrieval in the foreground alongside a relatively natural decay with minimal truncation despite evident roll-off. Percussion is especially well-detailed while instruments such as cymbals have ample texture and body without any tizziness or glare.

Detail retrieval is a strong performer here, but don’t expect too much information above with minimal micro-detail or sparkle. This is mostly due to treble falling off quickly into the middle-treble instigating a pitch black background. Layers aren’t hyper defined as there isn’t much background detail here, but there is decent headroom and space here for some contrast between background and foreground. The TWS800 is no doubt a well-detailed and very focused in-ear somewhat held back either by its tuning or limited codec support.

Soundstage –

Despite this, the TWS800 benefits from a well above average soundstage in class. It has good width albeit a more intimate depth, though this does help retain a focused centre vocal image. Imaging is quite good as directional cues are sharp and well-defined, the sound well-controlled as a whole. The earphone has an admirable ability to localise not only laterally but also front to back to some degree, quite impressive for a TWS earphone. As aforementioned, there’s a strong centre image and a nice lateral spread of instruments. Foreground and background layers are apparent albeit, the background isn’t as well-defined as some competitors, favouring a more intimate and cohesive style of sound over a separated and meticulously organised one. Separation is good in the bass and treble but lower in the midrange due to the added warmth and body.

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