Comparisons
Grell TWS 1
Introduction:
Axel Grell made the bold decision to venture into the sphere of consumer electronics as he departed his cherished role at Sennheiser, a position in which he pioneered some of the industry’s best premium headphones like the revered HD650. The eponymously named Grell TWS 1 earmarks its first foray into the TWS segment of the market, the biggest differentiator being Axel’s breadth of expertise in R&D.
Priced at USD 199, we’re pitting two fan-favourite brands whose repertoires mainly lie in wired earphones, less so TWS ones.
Design:
German minimalism teethers on the edges of form and function, free from superfluous elements that throw off the design language of a product. The Grell TWS 1 bears the same trademark austerity, with a satin-finished space-grey aluminium frame coming in at just 7.3g on each channel.
Case-finishing is essentially the same, save for an odd design quirk. The L-channel earpiece is stored on the right side of the case, and the R-channel earpiece is stored on the left side. It takes a bit of “brain” reprogramming to get used to.
The earpiece nozzles are rather girthy, less so length-wise, which may limit how well it seal in larger or smaller ear-canals. In theory, the touch controls on the Grell TWS 1 appear to be well-thought-out. The right earpiece contains the bulk of basic commands, allowing users to control the volume (swipe up/down), play/pause music (tap once), and activate a voice assistant (double tap). Conversely, the left-hand side allows users to skip forward or back (swipe left or right), switch to transparency mode (single tap), and switch to ANC or NAR ala Noise Annoyance Reduction mode (long press for 3 seconds and seconds respectively).
Right off the bat, these agglomeration features aren’t all that well implemented. Firstly, the connection quality between the source and TWS1 is susceptible to drop-outs and constant extraneous interference. Secondly, the TWS1 struggles to register the more complex gestures and commands, triggering incorrect responses.
And thirdly, the Grell TWS 1 suffers a similar fate as the Svanar Wireless. Each “mode” is ineffectual at filtering noise in/out. Additionally, the NAR mode doesn’t seem all that useful, providing an awkward cross-section between ANC and standard listening modes.
Sound Quality:
To be clear, the price differential between both products makes this a partial contest. The Grell TWS-1 has a V-shaped frequency response, with a sizeable scoop in the lower-mids and mid-bass. On their own merits, the bass and upper mids are expressive, with the classic “Axel-Grell” veil that suppresses unruly peaks. Long-term enjoyment and musicality are priorities numero uno on the TWS 1. Treble exhibits solid qualities, with a fair amount of porousness and airiness that we’ve come to expect.
Unsurprisingly, the Svanar Wireless is the master in most regards. Both IEMs feature a boomy bass response that could be described as cavernous. However, the TWS 1’s low end is miles back in terms of bass texture, microdetail and control. Timbral reproduction is an organic affair on the Svanar Wireless, with life-like mids and a lusher tonality to the treble. Indexing for soundstage depth-of-field and imaging proficiency is the same affair, with the Svanar Wireless being two steps ahead in raw performance.
But of course, this leap in performance comes with a leap in price. I have to give credit where credit is due. The TWS1 fared bravely and commendably, given the sizeable valley in price.
Conclusive Remarks
The Svanar Wireless is (probably) the king of the hill in the marketplace for flagship-level sonic performance. From a musical but analytical sound signature and its ability to span beyond the ears, the Svanar Wireless is a worthy little brother to the Svanar wired.
While there is room for improvement in its set of features, the Svanar Wireless is still the top pick if outright sonic virtuosity takes precedence over all other functions.
