Devialet Gemini II - True Wireless Earbuds Matte Black - Daily Music & Commute Sound - Exceptional Sound Quality - Noise Cancellation, Comfort Fit, Long Battery Life

I purchased and compared the following:Devialet Gemini II, Bowers Wilkins Pi8, and Master Dynamic MW09.The differences below were small, all three are a good buy.The MW09 were the first to get bumped. They had a comparatively small sound stage, and strident treble. The fit was good, and they look like a million bucks.The Pi8 was a little harder to bump. And if you’re not after that last 5-10% then purchase those. They had amazing fit, fantastic sound qaulity, look good, and the app was the best of all 3.The Gemini II. The best true wireless earbuds I’ve heard. The case is super small, the earbuds are also small and the most sleek of the three. The soundstage was big, the treble is detailed and refined. The mids place vocals properly, and naturally. The bass is deep, and punchy, not bloated. They get louder than I need, the noise canceling is the worst of all 3.If your after sound quality first, these are it. Price is whatever. You know who you are, that 5-10% improvement in sound quality is worth it. If you want something that nearly matches the sound quality, is more comfy, and has better anc. Get the Pi8.

There are several reviewers of these earbuds that have expressed frustration with the out-of-the-box sound quality or have generally been underwhelmed by them in comparison to the considerable price tag -- and they are not wrong: when I first tried these upon receiving them yesterday, I thought they were about as good as my AirPod Pros--which are fine for what they are, but for those, I paid less than half of what I paid for the Gemini IIs.So, it's a good thing that I kept reading/researching and eventually discovered that (a) the firmware update awaiting these is crucial to the quality of the sound, particularly the noise cancellation and (b) the dedicated Devialet Gemini app is absolutely necessary, both to completing firmware updates AND to fine-tuning the EQ. (I wish these had blown me away right out of the box, but it did take that update and an EQ adjustment to determine that, of the 30+ bluetooth earbuds I've owned over the last two decades, these pretty much tower above the rest.)I used to be an audio engineer for Dolby, so you would think that I could easily put into words what makes the Gemini IIs so impressive, but it's almost a transcendent experience; you simply have to try them yourself. I'll do my best, though: After futzing with the equalizer and ultimately determining that the Dynamic setting is best for most music, what I heard was astounding clarity and and a sound stage that is simply unrivaled. The bass-to-treble-to-mids ratio was virtually perfect, song to song. I felt enveloped by music in a way I hadn't before with anything wireless. These even rival some of the best studio over-ear monitors I've used in their ability to place the listener in the center of the performance. I got chills -- and my friend, who is not an audiophile, felt the same way when he tried them.The drawback? This is a hefty pricetag for a pair of earbuds -- and I'd never be comfortable working out using them or doing any strenuous activity during which I might sweat on them (I suspect that they aren't really built for this). So, the portability is a bit ironic because there's a limited about of places I'd be comfortable going and physical activities I'd be willing to do wearing these and not worrying about them. (All that said, they are very comfortable, relatively light, and they feel secure in my ears.)But if you are willing to make the investment and can accept that caveat -- and know, going in, that the app is necessary to enriching your experience -- these will likely blow you away. (I'm an audio snob. I think the Audeze i3s are tremendously overrated/overpriced, that the Dunu Studio SA6 MK2s just don't deliver, and that virtually every Bluetooth earbud comes up short in some fashion.) The Devialet Gemini IIs are on a very short list of audio products that have genuinely left my jaw on the floor.

I have bought many TWS earbuds and although I do not consider myself an audiophile, I have pretty extensive experience listening to headphones and IEM's. Apple fans can skip this review, none of their products are even in my top ten. There are so many others that just put them to shame.With that said, I will move on to what I think of the Devialet Gemini 2. Without listening first, I followed advice given in some of these reviews and immediately updated the software as well as upgraded the ear tips. I found them to be very underwhelming. The bass is very good but at louder volumes the sound gets very sibilant. No matter how much I screwed with the presets and the EQ, the highs are just no good. Not exactly terrible, but for the price of these things it is unacceptable. Needless to say, I am not keeping them.If anyone is willing to pay this much money on wireless earphones, let me emphatically suggest the Noble Audio Fokus Mystique. They are in the same price range and they absolutely blow the Devialets and everything similar completely out of the GD water. It's not even close. Everyone seems to love the bass on the Gemini's but the Mystique's are far better...at bass and everything else, including their appearance and fit. The companion app has an EQ that allows you to make them sound pretty muchhowever you want. I believe it's a 7 or 8 band equalizer, unlike the BS you get with brands like Sennheiser. If you are sensitive to the higher end frequencies, you should have no trouble dialing that down. They are hands down the best earbuds I have ever heard.Also, do not be discouraged that they have no ANC. You won't miss it. The sound quality is fantastic and they get LOUD!If one person reads this and takes a chance on them, writing this review will be worth it to me. I strive to find a pair of TWS's better than Noble Audio and so far I have not. I know they exist but I'm not willing to pay the cost.