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Flare Audio – FLARES® – (R2.x successor) KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN
Aug 23, 2016 at 3:42 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 544
Jobbing

Jobbing

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Flare Audio – FLARES® – (R2.x successor) KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN

 
 
Intro
After the successful introduction of the R2.x with the 2015 Kickstarter campaign Flare Audio - the UK based company already being well known for manufacturing high-end and well regarded professional audio hardware - has entered the market for in ear monitors and looks like they’re here to stay.
 
The ISOLATE® Kickstarter project is the company’s second successful campaign, another British manufactured product, a sound blocking earplug. This seems to be a little side-step though as Flare Audio Team has already announced their new upcoming Kickstarter project for a new line of in-ear monitors.
 
The new line has been introduced at CanJam London (13+14 August 2016). Talked to sales manager @Paul Pabs who’s a very kind and humorous guy and was very willing to give me an introduction to the upcoming new IEMs. I could tell Paul is very passionate about Flare Audio, their products and the craftsmanship that comes with it. Refreshingly Paul did not try to convince me of the product or sell me anything, just being very helpful.
 
On display was one out of three future models of what appears to be
a R2.x second generation. On closer look the new series is in fact far more than that.
 
 
So…What was good/kept?
  1. Solid housing
  2. Fixed driver concept
  3. Flare Audio detailed sound
  4. Nozzle dimensions for compatibility with preferred tips
 
So… What’s new?
  1. Vented back (HD & HD PRO)
  2. Brand new custom beryllium driver
  3. Better build quality
  4. Different tuning
  5. Different tips
  6. New jack and strain relief design
  7. Light weight molded plastic Y-splitter
  8. Detachable Y-splitter for balanced and Bluetooth aptX mode (PRO version feature only)
  9. Slightly different dimensions of the barrel for better fit
 
 
 
 
FLARES® – simplified
The Flare Audio R2.x (R2A, R2S and R2Pro notations) are commonly known and referred to as being “Flares” (hey, have you seen my Flares?) hence the reason why the company (still “Flare Audio”) has decided the naming of the new product being “FLARES” followed by a version indication. It could be a recipe for confusion and potential mix up in my opinion, especially when comparing the PRO versions.
 
Three versions 
The FLARES® series in-ear monitor line-up basically consists of three versions, each having the same
  1. driver type (single beryllium dynamic driver,)
  2. dimensions (tbc)
  3. nozzle (tbc)
  4. type and number of tips: EARFOAMS®, black color (not blue as seen on prototype)
  5. cable materials: TPE coated and braided cable with Kevlar® reinforcement
  6. standard Single Ended 3.5mm jack output
  7. fixed cable at the barrel (see below for different terminations on the Y-splitter available on the PRO-version
  8. cable strain relief
     
Differences between them
  1. Aluminium or Titanium housing
  2. Detachable Y-splitter on the PRO-version only enabling Balanced, Bluetooth® aptX® or single ended
  3. Colours (Aluminium only)
 

FLARES®
Like the R2A.x series FLARES will be available in aluminum
  1. Fixed and non-detachable cable
  2. Colours, various
  3. Closed back
 
 
FLARES® HD
The FLARES® HD is the titanium version (same housing material as the R2Pro of the predecessor series)
  1. Fixed and non-detachable cable
  2. Open back
 
 
FLARES® HD PRO
  1. Titanium (same as FLARES® HD)
  2. Fixed cable with detachable piece at the cables’ Y-splitter enabling different modes
    1. Single ended 3.5mm jack
    2. Balanced
    3. Bluetooth® aptX®
 

Tips
Flare Audio recommends using their new own branded EARFOAMS® tips, which are a natural extension of the FLARES® and have been specifically designed with flared opening. Flare have explained that EARFOAMS are more durable than other leading memory foam tips. However, the nozzle will take your preferred standard tip material. If you like you can order customised tips of the ‘sleeve’ type by Snugs later.
 
 
Pictures of PROTOTYPE
As the FLARES® are still in prototype stage Flare Audio has not taken any photos of them yet. [color=rgb(0, 102, 204)]@Paul Pabs[/color] was kind enough to let me take a few snapshots of the prototype version of their new IEM at CanJam London, in this case the FLARES[size=x-small]®[/size] HD titanium based version, being the 'middle' of the three different versions available at the Kickstarter launch scheduled for the end of September. 

New series do not use the same tips as R2.x If you want a custom tip I'd recommend to wait as the dimensions are slightly different. Other tips like SpinFits do fit the new nozzle as well (see below).
 
 
       (image missing)
Prototype FLARES® HD (Titanium), grey colored Earfoam tips, production color for the tips will be black
 
The position of the cable coming out of the barrel will be changed to an angeled position out of the barrel (not being the end cap) to ensure an easier over-the-ear wearing position, so please bear that in mind when looking at the pictures of the FLARES® HD prototype 
 
        
Prototype FLARES® HD snapshots                     FLARES® HD, prototype (L) and R2Pro (R)         SpinFit size M - fits like a glove
 
 
 
Availability & Prices
The FLARES® series’ launch on Kickstarter is scheduled for the end of September 2016, expected delivery early 2017. Prices are said to be somewhat comparable to the ones quoted for the 2015 R2.x campaign, see below:
 
2016                         material             Kickstarter price             2015     material               Kickstarter price (regular)
FLARES®                    aluminum             £ tbc                                 R2A      aluminium              £  119
N/A                            stainless steel      N/A                                   R2S       stainless steel        £ 150
FLARES® HD               titanium               £ tbc                                 R2Pro    titanium                £ 225
FLARES® HD PRO        titanium               £ tbc                                 N/A         -                         £ -
 
The indicated regular Kickstarter pledge level will be discounted off the expected MRSP. In addition, a limited number of FLARES® pairs (of all three versions) - commonly known as “Early Bird” rewards - will be made available at a special discount to those backing the project first, as a gesture of appreciation of the involvement of the Kickstarter and Head-Fi community.
 
This write-up is aimed to be an introduction of the new Flare Audio line-up, a new thread for those interested and anticipating the next Kickstarter campaign. As said these IEMs can and will be subject to change. This post will be updated as soon as new information will become available.
  
 
Flare Audio®, FLARES®, ISOLATE® and EARFOAMS® are Flare Audio Ltd. registered trademarks
Kevlar® is a DuPont™ trademark, Bluetooth® is a Bluetooth SIG registered trademark, aptX™ is a Qualcomm® trademark
 
Aug 23, 2016 at 3:43 PM Post #2 of 544
First Impressions
 
The Flare Audio’s upcoming new IEM series was on my shortlist when I came over to CanJam London. I was so curious about the new IEMs I could hardly wait to hear and compare them. Was hoping to see Naomi but unfortunately see couldn’t be there. @Paul Pabst gave me a short introduction and as the seats on both sides were taken I decided to have a good listen to the pair in front of me: the FLARES HD which happen to be the titanium ‘equivalent’ of the R2Pro’s, one of the IEMs I had with me. Tested with FiiO X5, powerful VorzAmp Duo and my usual test tracks in 24-192.
 
Build Quality
Already impressed by Flare Audio’s first attempt to hit the IEM market, I had high hopes the recent bone conducting tech (as seen on the ISOLATE) would have made its way to the new IEM. That obviously wasn’t the case and for a moment I was a little disappointed. For a moment………
 
When I took a closer look at the pair in front of me it was very clear this is not a ‘revised’ version of the R2Pro. Apart from the stylish engraved logo, the barrel/housing looks quite similar to the Pro’s. The cable and Y-splitter though are completely different. The PE and Kevlar reinforced cable (twisted) made a very good impression, thin but not prone to tangling, Y splitter made of very lightweight dual color plastic (could be ABS, did not have a chin slider). Kind of distracted by the temporarily ‘mounted’ connector on the side of the barrel, I must have forgotten to ask about the type of connection and strain relief used inside the barrel. The production version will have the cable coming out of the barrel from the side in a 90° angle to enable both down and over-the-ear wearing (thank heaven not at the end like with the Aurisonics Rockets). There were no L/R markings on the cable yet, differences on the prototype were in the colour of the twisted cables.
 
The driver and cables will no longer be ‘user’ replaceable but if needed Flare Audio and their retail partners will still be able to repair them in the event of user damage (hence the ‘fixed cable concept’ mentioned earlier). They fully expect the new cable and jack to be extremely durable and have undertaken a whole series of tests to ensure that that the materials and design mean that they are.
 
Unlike some others at the show I had no problem getting a perfect seal with the provided Earfoams. As with the R2Pros don’t be afraid to shove them in, the special designed Earfoams will allow you to in a comfortable way. Once inserted they do not expand as much as the Comply tips tend to do, couldn’t feel any pressure coming from the tips. With the R2Pro I use the Antiloops (Aurisonics) to keep the tiny barrel in place and fixed. Although just a tad bigger than the R2 series, the FLARES sit better. Like the R2 series this concept version did not have a mesh filter of some sort, expected to see that on the FLARES, moreover because it’s using an open type of foam tip.
 
Sound Quality
There wasn’t really anything the R2Pro’s could do wrong for me, and I didn’t think the very limited space inside that little barrel would allow for much improvement. The FLARES sound quality however got me impressed by its full-range sound, especially the layers and finesses in the bass department and lower mids. In those ranges the new FLARES may not sound as overwhelming (quantity) as on the R2Pro’s, it does sound (even) more matured, tighter and controlled now than they already were on the R2Pro, very much to my liking and reminds me of the musicality of the Dita The Answer.
 
Listening to the mids and highs was like listening to a pair of precise tuned multi driver BA IEM and in that regard could compete with the 64Audio U6 ADEL I had with me. FLARES HD is very smooth with well extended and fuller highs. I have to admit though that I did miss some of the sparkles and airiness in the upper highs, but it was more relaxing to listen to the FLARES HD bringing even more natural musicality to the table than the R2Pro.
 
FYI, as said, I haven’t listened to the aluminum FLARES (non HD) but had a talk with @ClassicalViola later that day who did find the treble on that particular aluminum FLARES more on the bright side than R2Pro….
 
Like with the R2Pro the soundstage is out of the head, forward with great imaging and instrument positioning. It did sound to me though as if they made a sacrifice to the 3D imaging and airiness.  
 
Because of the CanJam show ‘side effects’ I did not have the time to do extensive comparisons and some of my perceptions may not be as accurate I want them to be. Being in queue for getting a review sample once they are ready for beta testing, these impressions may be subject to change.
 
So……what next?
Sharing with you my personal dilemma, overall I prefer the more refined sound quality of the FLARES HD over the R2Pro. I didn’t expect a tiny single driver unit like the R2.x could be improved to…….an even better tiny single unit driver like this FLARES HD while maintaining its natural sound signature, detail retrieval yet quite forgiving character to enjoy its musicality. Is it worth buying an extra pair of titanium HD as an upgrade next to the R2Pro’s? Not to me personally, however the sound improvement of the HD over the R2Pro makes it very tempting to go for the versatile titanium big brother: FLARES PRO. Unfortunately the FLARES PRO with its modular cable with different modes – single ended+balanced+BlueTooth aptX - wasn’t on display. I like the MacGyver aspect of this and I trust Flare Audio to implement the concept in perfection, yet my real hopes are for the balanced cable module. Assuming Flare Audio will be manufacturing that module with the option of different terminations, the FLARES can be made compatible with any source and a real winner. 
 
Already owning wonderful pairs of Flare Audio R2x series and not having experienced any problems with the build quality myself, theoretically I would not need another pair. Without a doubt I can tell you the FLARES are much better built than their predecessor. I dare say they are built like a tank and the overall sound quality is also better. Flare Audio have obviously listened to their new customer base and acted accordingly, bringing a highly enjoyable ‘Leatherman-like’ audiophile product to the market, starting with the platform the company’s success in the consumer market all began with.
 
For those who haven't backed the first Kickstarter campaign I highly recommend the new FLARES IEMs. If I hadn't gotten my R2Pro’s last year I would certainly do so now. Would I trade/upgrade my pair for a pair of FLARES HD? Absolutely! Upgrading to FLARES PRO? Definitely!
 
 
 
A note from Naomi at Flare...
Today Naomi sent me a message with new information, I’ll share it with you now and will incorporate it in the introduction post later
 
1) We are still making improvements on the FLARES before launch. The version at canjam was v20 prototype - the final version (v23) is even more improved!
 
2) FLARES PRO HD will include an audiophile quality Bluetooth module with aptX and dual connectors. This module has a high quality DAC that allows the Bluetooth audio to be of the same audio quality as cabled.
 
3) All the FLARES earphones will include a special new 5.4mm Beryllium driver that has been developed specifically for the new technology.
 
4) The EarFoams at CanJam were prototype versions, there will be large, medium and small included with all Flares and our own silicon versions of this unique design of tip.
 
5) The un-boxing of the FLARES will be an experience in itself! We have been working very hard on producing a box that is truly unique and exciting.

 
Aug 23, 2016 at 11:13 PM Post #12 of 544
These look promising. A little worried about the beryllium driver and new tuning. I like the tuning of my R2Pro. Not sure about the ported ear piece. Just want balanced capability for the PonoPlayer. May have to put the R2Pro under the knife.

Can't wait to read more. Subbed.
 
Aug 24, 2016 at 9:33 AM Post #13 of 544
Exciting stuff from Flare!  Also been waiting for the balanced version for my Pono Player.  Love my R2A and R2S!  If they have improved the overall sound, I will be stoked!  Cant wait to hear your impressions, @Jobbing.
 
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