Closer Examination

The charging/storage case is a critical component of the user experience when it comes to true wireless earphones and often makes a statement about the product itself. This is where you often see either the pill box form factor or vertically emphasized one. There are some, such as Shanling with the MTW300, which are weird, as is the case for the TWS800. It is the largest TWS case I have seen to date and has a bulbous design that makes it seem more like a jewelry box, especially with the silver and black color scheme. It can also look like a glasses storage box until you realize it's not large enough, and you then flip it over to see the technical information for the case and internal 3 Wh/800 mAh battery. This is quite decent battery capacity, far exceeding the typical TWS solutions seen today. The side profile better shows just how large it is, with an inset hinge that is substantial and durable enough, while also hosting the Type-C port on the back for charging the battery itself. It is only when you open the case that you realize why it has to be so large.


The hinge is also fairly resistant to opening, so much so that you need to prop it open with your hands lest it softly closes shut. This softer closure does evoke a sense of premium build quality, but all of this is forgotten when you look at the massive cavities inside to store and charge the two TWS buds. These are marked "L" and "R" to indicate the two channels, with a magnet and two pins each helping with functionality. There are even cutouts in the lid to accommodate the two halves of the TWS800, and the cavities are large enough to hold them with the larger ear tips on as well. A set of LEDs in the middle denote discharge and charging status in 25% intervals, and the surprise comes in the form of charging indicator LEDs inside each earphone rather than somewhere on the case!

We know the case has an 800 mAh battery, and charging time is rated for two hours. While indicative of USB 2.0 at the 500 mA maximum, two hours is quite reasonable for the provided battery capacity. The earphones themselves are rated for 4.5 hours of battery life with an additional 27 hours from the case, which in turn translates to six charging cycles. From a conservative point of view, I would estimate that the case theoretically holds ~7 charge cycles worth of capacity. Thus, I would postulate that each earphone has a ~60 mAh battery inside. Regardless, charging the case for two hours to provide 27 hours for the earphones is very good. But one hour to charge the earphones every 4.5 hours is unfortunately found wanting by comparison.


At this point, it should be no secret that the large cavities in the large case are there because the true wireless earphones are huge. In fact, these might be the largest set of earphones I have had to date, wired or otherwise. These are impressive to behold and hold, with a metal shell that HIFIMAN notes was chosen for "better frequency response and lower THD." This makes the TWS800 share some DNA with the HIFIMAN RE800 and RE2000 premium in-ear wired earphones, too. What will also surprise you is how lightweight these are compared to the bulk volume, coming in at just under 7 g each. This is right in wired IEM territory, which, given the internals and metal shell construction, all adds up despite still being heavier than your average TWS bud and certainly larger, too. A look from the side reveals the housing is only partly metallic, with plastic on the side also used to help with the wireless connectivity options one of the reasons it is lower in density. It is also here that we find out there are two separate LEDs aboard each bud; blue and red, these act as indicator lights for various operating states of the TWS800, including charging and pairing mode.


The face plate, if you will, is indeed metallic and houses a truncated HIFIMAN logo in black for contrast against the silver backdrop. As with the case, we see more of the matte finish, but sandblasted in look and feel alike. The design does to an extent keep ergonomics in mind, but more with the goal to follow the natural contours of the concha since these are so large they will struggle to be inside at all times. The side view in particular reminds me more of a muscular animal with defined curves that will not adapt much to what they go into. A small notch cut at the corner in the face plate is where the integrated microphones aboard the TWS800 pick up your voice. I do like the matching silver and black aesthetic with the case, but it can be a bit much on top of the attention-grabbing size. There is another metallic component further back, which is where we see L/R markings to denote the channels. There are two matching metal pins that touch corresponding ones in the case, and we see the use of a traditional IEM-style nozzle with a stubby retaining notch to hold the ear tips in place. Completing the wired IEM comparison is the use of filters on the outlet to prevent contaminants from entering the acoustic chamber.


Fitting the ear tips is not too hard, especially with the single-flanged tips seen above. The nozzle diameter is just under the bore of the tips, especially with the notch considered, so you may have to stretch the silicone bores slightly to fit them over the nozzle. The multi-flanged tips follow more of a push and twist process, with enough room left to account for in-ear canal shapes and insertion angles. The four different types of tips, let alone the different sizes, make for a different seal and fit of the outlet to the ears. So do try them all and see what is best for you; give some third-party memory foam tips a go too if those are to your liking.