Phonak Audeo (PFE) Appreciation Thread

[tstarn06]

Originally Posted by DeusInvictus7

Alright, so I just received my pair, and my first initial thought when I first saw them were, "Wow! They are so small!" haha. I wasn't expecting them to be that small. I've only been listening to them for about 30 min, and messed around with the tips and filters, and came to the black filters with the small silicon tips to be my preference.

To sum everything up, I LOVE THEM! Very comfortable, I can't even feel them in my ears anymore, the only thing I can feel is the cable hitting the bottom of my ears sometimes.

Sound quality and clarity is amazing. Thanks again to everyone that has recommended these. Worth every penny.

What is your souce? Just curious. If you have an amp, give that a try too.

[DeusInvictus7]

Originally Posted by tstarn06

What is your souce? Just curious. If you have an amp, give that a try too.

Haha, I'm just using my macbook right now, and I have an iphone that I use as my main pmp. The PFEs are my first real IEMs (I don't want to count my Bose In-Ears ), so I'm just beginning to step into all of this, so no amp...for now at least.

[GreatDane]

I was thinking about starting this thread a few days ago but Team Phonak Audéo PFE was my better idea, if all who own a pair join we can see just how popular these IEMs become.

I still can't get enough of mine. Last night I couldn't even listen to them...too tired with a headache from losing too much sleep on prior nights listening! Never enough time to listen to music it seems.

[oarnura]

Originally Posted by GreatDane

I was thinking about starting this thread a few days ago but Team Phonak Audéo PFE was my better idea, if all who own a pair join we can see just how popular these IEMs become.

I still can't get enough of mine. Last night I couldn't even listen to them...too tired with a headache from losing too much sleep on prior nights listening! Never enough time to listen to music it seems.

You know you got a great pair of earphones if all you want to do is listen to more music. I am at the same point with others I kept doing comparisons like the SCL4 vs my D-jays and Super.fi 3. When I got the Phonak I did comparisons for may be 10 minutes and I haven't touched the others since.

I got out a lot of my CDs and ripped the lossless and added a boatload of music to my iPhone 3G. That's a good sign.

[moseboy]

Can we get some comparisons? How do these compare to the IE8 and the Westone 3?

[tstarn06]

Originally Posted by GreatDane

I was thinking about starting this thread a few days ago but Team Phonak Audéo PFE was my better idea, if all who own a pair join we can see just how popular these IEMs become.

I still can't get enough of mine. Last night I couldn't even listen to them...too tired with a headache from losing too much sleep on prior nights listening! Never enough time to listen to music it seems.

Wow, you've got "listen-itis"?

Seems not many of the IE8/TF10/W3/SE530 champions (the various folks who collectively believe no universals are better than those four) have really tried the PFEs. I know Headphoneaddict has, and rates them pretty highly (though not higher than the Westones), but that's about it. A lot of newer members like them, though you and I (at least judging by post counts) are among the more veteran Head-Fi'ers who have discovered the Phonaks (along with dfkt, of course). I don't mean that post counts are indicative of audiophile status, because in my case, they are not. I am just an average guy who likes good sound/music. Nothing more.

In fact, I know I have a somewhat checkered past in terms of abandoning IEMs for new models, and sometimes I'm not proud of that history (though it hasn't cost me much since I sell what I don't keep). But in this case, I am convinced that the Phonaks are really a great package/product:

Design/Form (amazing comfort, lightweight)
Durability (early still, but between the great cable and the way they are built, I don't believe its going to an issue).
Sound: Don't think anyone can dispute that the PFEs sound fantastic, balanced, delivering an excellent overall presentation with all types of music.

It's not easy to say you prefer a $135 IEM (in my case, less than $100) over a $400 IEM. In fact, psychologically, it's a very tough thing to do. But the more I move between the two phones (W3 and PFE), the more I want to return to the PFEs. I know there is the entire tip selection/ear canal/depth issue with the W3s, and sometimes, they do dazzle me with their sound. But with the PFEs, once you settle on the filter and tip, you are done. They consistently deliver great sound, no fiddling with tips, insertion depth, etc.

My only gripe, and I have said this before, is that the PFEs have a hard time delivering volume on my Sansa Clip (others don't have the problem), but that's a small issue to me.

So I am going to keep comparing the two IEMs, keep listening to the nuances that they have in similar listening situations, with the same tracks and same genres. I would like to think the $400 spread is better than the $100 spread, it's supposed to be, right? But I am becoming less and less convinced that is going to be the case. I could change my mind, of course, and eventually decide the W3s are superior on balance. I initially thought that in fact. But looking back, I wonder if it wasn't my mindset (a pre-disposition to think that if it cost $400, it must be good), not my ears doing the deciding.

Only one thing I can do: Get them both out and listen some more.

I know Martin (dfkt) doubted if it was sensible to compare the PFEs to the "big four" IEMs, since they are different animals. They are that, no doubt. But in the end, everyone sort of chooses their absolute favorite piece of gear, no? That's all I am trying to do here.

[tstarn06]

Originally Posted by moseboy

Can we get some comparisons? How do these compare to the IE8 and the Westone 3?

There are several posts with W3 comparisons in the longer PFE thread. Same with IE8.

[tstarn06]

Originally Posted by moseboy

Can we get some comparisons? How do these compare to the IE8 and the Westone 3?

Have your IE8s arrived yet? Didn't you order them like 2-3 weeks ago?

[tstarn06]

Originally Posted by moseboy

Can we get some comparisons? How do these compare to the IE8 and the Westone 3?

By the way, I also have a Tweak City Audio Gizmo. Now that is an obscure piece of gear, no? I love mine, a tremendous deal at $89!

[moseboy]

Originally Posted by tstarn06

By the way, I also have a Tweak City Audio Gizmo. Now that is an obscure piece of gear, no? I love mine, a tremendous deal at $89!

I know! It's great. I won it in a contest.

EDIT: I want to eventually try to mod it so the sub volume follows the speaker volume.

But that requires me having a sub in the first place .

[moseboy]

Originally Posted by tstarn06

There are several posts with W3 comparisons in the longer PFE thread. Same with IE8.

I'd look in there, but... it's kind of long. I feel lazy asking, but can anyone link me some good reviews if you have them handy?

[moseboy]

Originally Posted by tstarn06

Have your IE8s arrived yet? Didn't you order them like 2-3 weeks ago?

Ordering Sennheiser IE8 from AMP3.co.uk

I'm not happy.

[tstarn06]

Originally Posted by moseboy

I know! It's great. I won it in a contest.

EDIT: I want to eventually try to mod it so the sub volume follows the speaker volume.

But that requires me having a sub in the first place .

X2. I am using it in my office with a pair of ancient KLH speakers (circa 1964) and the sound from my Zune80 or CD player is heavenly. I have some PSB bookshelf speakers, but they need a sub to work (very small enclosures). The KLHs have 8-inch cones for bass, so they work better now.

Anyway, didn't mean to get off topic.

Some of those IE8 and W3 comparisons are in the last 5-6 pages of that thread. Though Headphoneaddict does check in someplace with a mini-review too.

[moseboy]

It looks like average_joe is the only one doing real-time comparisons, and I don't think HeadphoneAddict has heard the IE8 (but I may be wrong on that).

[tstarn06]

Yes, only one person I can see owns both IE8 and PFE, and likes them both. PM him and ask.