[NEWS / DISCUSSION / IMPRESSION] Phonak Audéo PFE232 - Page 45

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeyRusso 

Yeah Rip, I hear them the same way and agree with your description.  I gave up the fight, ordered the 232's and I couldn't be happier.  The only IEM that I've owned that come close to the 232's was the W4, but the more I listen to these, the less I remember about the W4..   Heck, I like the 112's more than the ASG's, but that's a story for another day. 

 

With the 232s vs W4s, I feel like I'm stuck in a lows vs mids battle (for my tastes in sound)...  It's a really tough decision too, but 232s always take that slight edge (even though the W4s are technically better) :)

^I wonder what would happen when your ASG1 arrives

Quote:

Originally Posted by dogears 

^I wonder what would happen when your ASG1 arrives

I have no idea what to expect right now.  I'm excited to try them though :) 

I almost pulled the trigger on the PFE232 but there was an ACS T15 review that mentioned the mids are """better""" (just to make sure everyone will notice the quotes) than the PFE 232 (T15>232 ie). So I said, I'll wait for more reviews.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dogears 

I almost pulled the trigger on the PFE232 but there was an ACS T15 review that mentioned the mids are """better""" (just to make sure everyone will notice the quotes) than the PFE 232 (T15>232 ie). So I said, I'll wait for more reviews.

T15 mids are basically Etymotic mids...  They are more detailed, clear, and energetic than the ones on the PFE. T15s = Etymotic HF5 + bass body - treble harshness.

And what about T15 vs PFE232 for you?

Quote:

Originally Posted by dogears 

And what about T15 vs PFE232 for you?

I'm down (how did I guess this was coming?):

• Bass: PFE 232 offers the full, thicker bass that has much more presence and impact than the T15.  The texture is beautiful on both, as is the body.  However, the T15 really doesn't have the punch (impact-wise I'm looking for).  It has everything else I'm looking for in regards to bass, it has good depth (goes as deep as the 232) and texture.  The PFE does win this one though due to the better impact and overall presentation.  In the low-end of the T15, it really isn't as euphoric as the 232s present it.
• Mids: While the 232s offer ample energy and detailing, the clarity may not be there.  The timbre is still top notch, and something I see it slightly beating the T15s at.  However, regardless of what energy the 232s give, the T15s destroy them.  The detailing and clarity in the T15 is really stunning and a level ahead of the 232s; especially in terms of clarity.  Unlike the Etymotic sound, however, it doesn't feel like the details are thrown in your face.  Separation and sound stage is good with the T15, but Phonak really does a great job here besting the T15's soundstage. 
• Highs: I felt that the T15s sort of smeared the high end a little.  It had sparkle, but not the type of sparkle that Etymotic gives, nor the sparkle the 232s give.  For some odd reason, the energy in the highs didn't match that of the mids in the T15.  The detailing and clarity were great though, although smeered.  The 232s beat out the T15 in many aspects here including clarity, separation, and energy.  However, the actual details are a wash.  Phonak wins this round.

Great. Thanks much for those impressions.

Now just waiting for the ASG1 vs PFE232 bout

Quote:

Originally Posted by dogears 

Great. Thanks much for those impressions.

Now just waiting for the ASG1 vs PFE232 bout

LOL, that'll go in the ASG-1 thread, along with comparisons to the 4R :) 

Quote:

Originally Posted by dogears 

Great. Thanks much for those impressions.

Now just waiting for the ASG1 vs PFE232 bout

     Quote:

Originally Posted by tinyman392 

LOL, that'll go in the ASG-1 thread, along with comparisons to the 4R :) 

I'm biting my tongue on this one.. I'll let Tiny have a shot at the ASG-1's before I chime in.
 

Took a long break with IE80. Glad to come back to 232.

Been testing with no filter which as a contrast accentuates the differences the filters make more apparent. Am leaning towards the grey filter currently but would like to do more listening employing alternative tips (currently using Comply TX100)

Quote:

Originally Posted by LFC_SL 

Been testing with no filter which as a contrast accentuates the differences the filters make more apparent. Am leaning towards the grey filter currently but would like to do more listening employing alternative tips (currently using Comply TX100)

I've tried them without the filter as well.  It takes the edge off of any sibilance (brought out by poor recordings) and makes them sound even fuller.  The 232's certainly don't need any help up top.

Time for the big reveal: http://www.flickr.com/photos/steven2509/sets/72157629247400438/

Recently had 4 days with which to plug the PFE 232 into Invicta Dac and Audiolab M-Dac. From that limited testing: these IEM do scale up that well.

Got a question for y'all who have experience with the 232 as well as the older 121 version of the PFE. :)

Over the past few months or so I've sold off all my IEM's (including the SE530 which I really loved) due to ongoing comfort issues I have with IEM's, and repurchased the 121's... as thus far they have been the ONLY IEM's that I can tolerate in my ears, when worn with grey silicone tips. It seems like my sensitive inner ear canals can no longer deal with the any sort of foam tips (as they put pressure into my canals when they expand), and silicone tips such as Shure's are also way too hard on these sensitive pair of ears... 

Anyways, so the PFE 121's are the only IEM's that I can wear comfortably, and luckily I do like its overall sound signature. But as the 232's are now available, I'm thinking of a possible upgrade to it. So two questions for you guys:

1) Is the comfort factor of the 232 exactly the same as the 121's with the grey tips? Are the tips of the same size and softness? Unfortunately I don't think I can make any compromises here in comfort.. 

2) I love the overall sound of the 121's with the grey filters and the silicone tips, especially the crystal clear and well balanced mids. The only reason why I'm even considering the upgrade is because I can admittingly do with bit more bass. Will 232's with the grey filters and the silicone tips give me roughly the same sound as the 121's with better quality and quantity bass (not looking for overly more, just slightly more)?

Thanks in advance for any advice.