Grell Audio is the new brand of an old friend. Behind it is none other than Axel Grell, the man who made Sennheiser in the headphone sector what the company is today. Among other things, Grell developed the HD 800, which was the reference among high-end headphones for a long time. He was technically responsible for the best – and most expensive – headphones in the world, the HE 1. A few years ago, Grell suddenly left Sennheiser, and now he’s back as an entrepreneur. The fact that he of all people, who has always developed open, circumaural, wired headphones, is now presenting a “True Wireless” as the first product from Grell Audio, i.e. a wireless in-ear with noise canceling, is initially irritating.
Compared to large headphones, these products are always a compromise in terms of sound. But they still sell like crazy – precisely because they are so small and practical. The secret of good sound lies in the arrangement of the frequency response in the digital signal processor (DSP). Housing, converter, chip and other components are only the necessary requirements. Because the sound can be influenced so well in this way, Grell even offers its customers the SoundID app from Sonarworks, which can be used to personalize the sound of the TWS/1.
First you choose one of the few suggested songs that you like and play through the listening test with it. In five steps, the app asks whether you like sound A or B better. Finally, she stores the frequency response that results from the test in the DSP. The adjusted sound can then be saved on the in-ear so that the user no longer needs the app when listening. In contrast to an equalizer, in which amateurs can move frequencies back and forth as they wish, the professionals at SoundID guarantee that the change makes sound sense.
Now you can switch back and forth in the app between the glaring sound and the sound customized for the user. We actually like the personalized one a little better. The sound has gotten brighter. Grell didn’t want to drop its high-end claims for these in-ear headphones. It can’t quite live up to it – which no manufacturer of True Wireless has been able to do so far, but it’s not far away either and plays at the forefront in terms of sound.
In addition to Apple’s Airpods Pro, we really like the WF-1000XM4 from Sony in this product category. The TWS/1 from Grell Audio sound a bit slimmer, finer, more detailed and more neutral than our other two favourites, which is also due to the wider stage. Although there is a lack of warmth, the soundscape never seems oppressive, tight or sticky. So Grell has remained true to himself.
Button-like design
As far as equipment and operation are concerned, he cannot do magic and has to rely on what is available on the market. Nevertheless, the TWS/1 also set itself apart from the competition thanks to its button-like design. The pin that protrudes downwards from the housing is striking. That’s where the microphones are located, which ensure good speech intelligibility and little noise, for example from wind, when you’re on the phone with them. Unfortunately, the shape of the TWS/1 means that the charging case is a bit large, causing it to bulge in your pocket.
The in-ears can be controlled via the touch-sensitive surface on the housing within the silver-colored circle. With the usual tap and swipe gestures you can pause and skip to the next song, start the voice assistant, answer or reject calls. The noise canceling can also be switched on or off in this way.
First work with favorite status
The latter works quite well, but cannot quite keep up with Sony or Apple. What annoys us a bit about the TWS/1 and many other models is the fiddly tap and swipe operation. It is not uncommon for the voice assistant to be triggered even though you only wanted to turn it up louder. This type of operation is a weak point of most in-ear headphones. It’s better to use your smartphone to control it. Otherwise, Grell starts with his debut work with favorite status. With a price of 200 euros, it even undercuts most of its competitors.
#InEar #TWS1 #test #adaptable