Hi guys,

I am about to order a set of the UE-30 but since shipping to New Zealand is relatively expensive I am wondering if I should also purchase a set of the NE-7M and some Comply T-400s?

I have long been looking for a good quality headset to go with my iPhone 3GS and have come across the Phonak PFEs and the NuForce NE-7M recently.

Obviously the Phonak is triple the price but i am more interested in sound quality than price.

I am a huge fan of the forward Grado sound, currently owning and using my Alessandro MS-1s daily I would be looking to get the headset that would have a rather bright and clear quality.

If someone with more experience could maybe recommend one and let me know why that would help tremendously.

Thanks for reading.
M.

definitely PFE

Quote:



Thanks for the recommendation.
How is their sound different to the NE-7M though? Why would you buy the PFE over the NE-7M?

Thanks again.

Depends on the source (I have recently been amazed by the NE-7 with my AMP3), but in general the PFE and NE-7 are very different. The PFE has 2 filter choices, black for a balanced sound and grey for a brigher, more revealing sound. The black filters do remove some of the fine details and have a smaller soundstage than the grey filters. The mids of the PFE shine and with the black filter, the bass is not lacking.

The NE-7 is in turn a bass/treble heavy phone as the mids are somewhat recessed. It has a very wide stage, but that stage is not very 3D. The detail is less than the PFE with the black filter. I think the PFE does better with acoustic music than the NE-7, but the NE-7 is preferred for electronic, not that the PFE did bad with that!

With my AMP3 and an impedance adapter, the NE-7 jumped up quite a bit in 3D soundstage and detail, which amazed me, and the mids became a little more forward. In that configuration it is competitive with my other, better IEMs.

The PFE does benefit from an amp also, as an amp takes them to the next level (but possibly an amp such as the E5, but you lose your mic capability). The Icon Mobile does have the ability to maintain mic function through the amp.

Thanks Joe for that very detailed reply.
I think that based on your thoughts, I am better off with the PFE. I clearly prefer mids and highs over bass and plan using them without any kind of headphone amp but rather as my 'mobile' set of 'phones, for those times I don't want to use my MS-1s, UE-30s in the street.

Thanks again.

A few things on the PFE...they current version has had some build quality issues and they will be coming out with a new version soon. Although if you get the older version (at a lower cost) and it breaks, they will quickly replace it.

And a few people find the PFE to be a little lifeless when unamped. Not the majority, but it is a possibility (just so you know).

Also, it has a low sensitivity, so the volume needs to be higher than typical for most IEMs I have tried.

But I personally think it is a great IEM for the price.

The RE0 may also be a good choice (and the RE2 at less than half the cost), as well as the Cresyn C750E.

All are very good in the mid-treble range. I do think the C750E is very smooth while being detailed, smoother than the PFE from memory, but the bass isn't as reverberant and powerful to me. I have not personally heard the RE0 or RE2, but they are both highly recommended.