Phonak Audéo PFE 232

SUCH PERFECTION!!! WITH ONLY TWO DRIVERS!?
 
i know it's kinda late to write this... since this gem is discontinued already..
but lemme tell yaa.. great things are everlasting.. even with many more competitors with more drivers
phonak pfe series still hold their own league and uniqueness 
 
ergonomics:
oh boy..... they are comfortable.. and i mean... extremely comfortable, i could say they have the best comfort for universal iem
and i've tried brands that are known for their comfort such as shure, westone, and even inear stage diver, and i could say that phonak's comfort totally hit the sweet spot
it's a perfect housing
 
the cable itself is also good and feels durable.. but sometimes i could hear a little microphonics.. 
oh yeah and it is detachable but with their own connector, so it's kinda hard to find a replacement, but you got 2 cables inside the package 1 with mic, and 1 without
 
sound quality:
i've tried all of it's filters but love the gray one much more that the others, black filter add more warmth to the mid and the green one give more warmth than enough.. it's too warm and too bassy with green filter
 
this review is gray filter based only
phonak 232 take a different approach from it's lower level such as 012,112,and 132
with it's dual Balanced Armature drivers, it provides more bass and sounds more v shaped than other phonak series but still maintain a clear vocal
 
bass : reach quite low, as a dynamic driver lover.. i found this phonak's bass is really acceptable and even exceeded my expectation for dual Balanced Armature
really..really great with punch but with soft texture, the bass is truly remarkable
 
mid : really clear but smooth, non fatiguing... such high quality mids, but if you're a vocal lover maybe you should try the 112 or 132 i think their vocal is clearer but less smooth
 
treble : how could i describe this??? smooth, non fatiguing with the best timbre i've ever heard!!! damn phonak!! great jobb!!! it's really rare to hear such treble even with higher price iems
a treble perfection for me, the timbre is just spot on argghh i'm at loss for words
 
soundstage, imaging, and separation : 
i should say that this iem is airy but it's width is it's weak spot if you're craving for soundstage width, but luckily the depth is there!! and it's good! gives a subtle 3d feelings to the music.
imaging and separation is also great and definitely high-class, sometimes it's quite revealing, when you hear a badly recorded lossy files, you won't get the separation, but play a good quality instead
you can pinpoint where the instruments are...
 
with only two drivers... phonak... you rock!!!
easily one of the best iem i've ever heard!!

Being out of production for a few years, I had to hunt this pair down for a few months before I could get my hands on it. And boy was it amazing.
 
Everything sounds fantastic out of this set of IEMs, but put on a track with strings (violins, cello) and feel the hairs on your head tingle. Overall warm & bright signature. Instruments are vivid & accurate. Treble extension is amazing. 
 
Con is if you're a basshead you'll find these slightly disappointing. Also, there is a lack of aftermarket parts (the cable while detachable, is not easily replaceable as it's a custom made)
 
If you manage to see one of these lying around, please grab immediately (regardless of price) - it is worth it. 

These iem's are amongst the best universals I've heard.  Their sound signature (tunable with filters) is mostly v-shaped but remains very pleasant and detailed.  They're quite expensive but their scalability and amazing highs extension only justify the asked price for me.  I think they deserve a very good source and amplification otherwise they're not much better than other cheaper offerings.  Another strength of these in ears are their comfort which is very hard to find elsewhere (they're very light and small so it's easy to get a good fit).  Overall, I'm very happy to own them.

Basically a great all rounder, works well with all genres and should appeal to anyone due to their balanced, slightly bassy sound sig. Bass is never muddy and details are pronounced. It`s a great sounding iem, but not suited for travel due to poor isolation. Works great for home listening and extremely comfy, almost as comfy as my Klipsch X10`s! The soundstage is expansive and has great width and good depth, but don`t lose the phonak tips; they contribute heavily to the nice highs and airy, open sound, I lost one tip and tried using fitting some sony hyrbid tips and found that they sounded no where near as good. Adding fuel to the fire, new phonak tips were only available at one website costing $35 a pair!!.

 
 

Well, its simply perfect sound, and I mean PERFECT. I tried to find better, and I couldnt, it tried with:
 
Custom builds: JH16, AlienEars (12 monitors)
Tried LCD2 Audeze
Sure 535
Westone 4R
Senheisers (lame, all!)
 
Did I mention comfort? That you forget you wear earphones? Yes - they are that much fit!
 
Dont waste you money to wear LCD2 that makes your head sniffing sugar from the table or another double price customs - 400 quid with audeo will make you pleased forever.
 
What sources used?
 
HM901 (what the funk that software is??? the software on HM901 needs another story... I beg somebody... make the rockbox for hm901, people will pay for it!)
Ibasso DX100 (same software story, thought HM901 will be better... what a dissapointment, in fact if you think of buying one of them - go for ibasso, they have less noise too than HM-901)
Myst 1974 (enchanced, 4xOPA627, ad8620 filter and enchanced buffers...)
Leckerton MKII
RSA Intruder
Custom build : Double Buf634+ opa627 + Sabre 9023 AMP/DAC (guess what, it sounds maybe better than all mentioned before all run at +-15V)
 
I read plenty of reviews from headfonia (they talk a lot but can ever make up their mind whats the best... ) ) and everywhere else. I spent fortune just to realise that higest price doesnt mean best quality and yes, I have a bat ears, I used to have recessed some stuff in my ears and after some process only doctor can say I have extra "fragile" ears so I can heard damn well sound differences.
 
Practical winner is the Phonak 232, its quite surprising even for myself but its just what I hear. LCD2 could be better but its just hard to wear.
I think these guys from audeo are some sound doctors as from I checked they normally produce iems for deaf people
 
I know im cruel c*nt judging so easy - but its truth what I say.

Just enjoy it!

Audeo Phonak PFE232
 
Let's start with comfort.  I have an ear that doesn't work perfectly with the pfe232.  This may be rare, but I get a lot of forward treble that is almost sibilant, but more "in your face" with instruments like cymbals.  This is not normal, as I can tell it is too far unbalanced to be intended.  The cymbals are so far forward I can't listen to the song comfortably.  Any song with cymbals and like frequency instruments.
 
However, if I push them further into my ears this goes away completely.  100%.  Everything sounds "correct" and natural with great balance between everything.  Unfortunately, this takes away from the amazing comfort they normally have.  I know this also, because I have used the pfe112, which had no problem in the standard fit position for me, and they were amazing in terms of comfort.  I'm assuming it is the shape of my ear canal, but nonetheless the problem occurs for me.  I've also read half and half reports of too much sibilance and zero sibilance.  I wonder if the people experiencing the sibilance have the same fit/ear issue I have?
 
Anyhow, assuming most people won't experience this issue, when sitting in the ear in the intended position, these are the most comfortable earphone ever designed that I have tried so far.  They are very ergonomically molded and extremely light with all rounded edges.  This makes them fit smoothly and comfortably in the ear, and you forget they are even there.  Literally.  The ear guides are soft and flexible and the cables going over the ear don't interfere at all as well.  The cable is reasonably light as well.  All together excellent design.
 
The accessories are good as well.  Some filters to adjust the frequencies to you optimum ear interaction.  Basically, each successive filter lowers the mid range a bit.  These changes are noticeable but not extremely drastic.  They are also smooth in nature.  There are no harsh cuts or boosts between filters.
 
You get a standard array of S/M/L silicone tips and foam tips.  The case is mediocre.  I like that it has two pockets to store "all" of the accessories.  That is a nice touch.  However, I find that the case is too small to easily and comfortably fit the headphones.  Most headphone failures occur when a cable is damaged, usually at the connector or earpiece entry.  As such, I am cautious to wind a set of earphone very tightly to squeeze them in a case.  It also doesn't provide a lot of protection as it is fairly soft.  Luckily, they have included a spare cable.
 
The main cable has an iphone/ipod control, but the spare is a basic cable.  They easily disconnect at the armature casing.  The cable is very "normal" between the earpiece and split section.  However, where it splits it becomes very durable feeling and also has a nice level of rigidity and flexibility.  This allows the cable to "spring" out of tangles very nicely.  I would consider it very tangle-free for a cable.
 
As for the sound quality, when the fit is proper these things are pretty impressive.  They offer the best treble extension I've heard.  The treble sounds very natural and fairly smooth.  It is bright, but never fatiguing or sibilant when fit properly.  The bass is also very good for an IEM.  Probably close to the perfect "level" for me.  It has enough punch and sub extension and overall "bassiness" to really allow you to be involved in the music.  But it never sounds like it is veering to far from a neutral bass.  The bass never ever drowns out the rest of the music.  It is well controlled and sounds very precise.  The entire spectrum sound the most precise I've heard.  The instruments sound fast and realistic.
 
If there was one area I had to take points away, it would be the mids.  Let me explain.  The mids don't sound "recessed" in the fact that you can always hear everything reproduced.  However, they are a bit thinner in "body" than I would consider neutral.  But keep in mind that these are a slightly V-shaped signature.  With that said, the mids are excellent.  But if you want to hear sweet thick mids, these aren't probably the phones for you.  They respond very well to EQ, so you can sweeten the mids a bit and it sounds great, but don't expect it out of the box.
 
Overall, I would say the sound quality is excellent.  There are no noticeable flaws.  No missing frequencies in the spectrum (pretty rare).  It seems to cover everything from the lowest sub bass to the high highs.  It does this in a way that "accentuates" the low/high end creating the slight V shape.  However, it maintains a very natural sound and everything flows smoothly together with no apparent humps in the frequency range.
 
I would say these are pretty expensive, but if you want some of the best music listening you can get these are going to be hard to beat for a universal.  Definitely up there with the best of the best universal IEMs.
 
Check out my video reviews for a look at the pfe232:
Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg7p1fMf2X4
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIgmf2avVfk

 
[size=x-large]Introduction[/size]
[size=medium]When PFE 232 was announced back in February, there was plenty of interest, at least until the price tag was revealed. At £400 ($600), Phonak’s new flagship IEM is the most expensive dual-BA universals, even beating some triple-driver IEM’s in price. Phonak’s Audeo PFE series have been known as great bang for the buck IEM’s, so let’s see if the PFE 232’s are worth their £400 price tag.[/size]
 
 
[size=x-large]Manufacturer Specs[/size]
[size=medium]Drivers: Dual Balanced Armature[/size]
[size=medium]Color: Black / White[/size]
[size=medium]Weight: 16g, 0.5oz[/size]
[size=medium]Plug: 3.5mm[/size]
[size=medium]Cable Length: 120cm, 3.8 ft Apple iPhone / iPod's mic supported[/size]
[size=medium]Three different types of acoustic filter[/size]
 
[size=x-large]Package[/size]
[size=medium]The PFE 232 came in a nicely packaged box with a good assortment of accessories. Even the box itself seems well designed, with a magnetic cover that opens to reveal a circular window, showing off the IEMs themselves. Upon opening the box, I found 6 instruction manuals, each in a different language. Out of the package the 232’s have an iphone remote cable installed. Included with the headphones is an additional cable without a remote. The remote works perfectly with the iphone as well as my Samsung galaxy S2. The earpiece connectors on the cables are colour-coded black and white to denote sides instead of the more common red and blue. The white plug connects to the white earpiece and black with black. Beneath the IEMs was a soft sided carry case with two zippered compartments and a belt loop. Within the case are 3 pairs of silicone tips (SML), 3 pairs of Comply foam tips (SML), 3 sets of acoustic filters, a cleaning tool, and silicone ear guides.[/size]
 
 
[size=x-large]Build quality[/size]
[size=medium]Upon picking up the PFE 232’s the first thing I noticed was how light they were. However, this in no way translates to a cheap build. The 232’s housing is plastic, but it feels sturdier than most IEMs I have used. On the front is a grey metal plate with a nonfunctional port with a black grill embedded. One thing to note here is that they are not made of titanium, as many early reviews had said. They are totally plastic. Overall the earpieces have a very solid feel to them while being extremely lightweight. Think of the 232’s lightweight as a sign of a well designed product, to rival the work put into emitting pristine sound. The cable seems to be designed for comfort rather than just to be durable. They have a “springy” feel to it when they are bent, which makes extremely tangle-resistant and gives it almost no memory effect. There are no microphonics while in use due to the cable’s texture, which is rubbery, but smooth, it makes for one of the better cables I have come across, again adding to the good value for money eve at such high prices. I have no complaints about the cable while in use, but there are two issues that could affect its durability. The bottom half of the cable has an adequate thickness of ~2.5mm, but the top halves above the Y-split are on the thin side at ~1.5mm per cable. The thinness on the top half reduces the weight of the cable, but I personally would prefer it to be thicker. A thin upper cable, along with no strain reliefs, leads me to worry about the durability of the cables. I am told that phonak will be selling spare cables on their site.[/size]
 
 
[size=x-large]Comfort[/size]
[size=medium]After wearing them, I think the 232’s live up to their name as Perfect Fit Earphones. As expected from a world class hearing aid company, the comfort of the PFE 232’s are top notch. The shape of the IEM’s fit perfectly against the ears and they’re light enough for me to forget they’re even there. I especially like the fit with their included tips, which Phonak spent as much time developing as the IEM’s themselves to provide synergy between the two. Usually I have a hard time getting a good seal with even the smallest sized tips, but I achieved perfect fit on the first try with both the small comply foam and silicone tips that came with the PFE 232’s. There is a slight difference in sound signature between the two types, but I prefer the included tips over other popular choices such as Monster Supertips or Sony Hybrids.[/size]
 
[size=x-large]Sound[/size]
[size=medium]At a price of £400 the success almost solely depends on the sound quality out of the 232’s. One of the most notable parts of the PFE 232’s is the use of filter tips. In their own words they are made to;[/size]
 
[size=medium]"provide you with the best quality. Hearing differs significantly from one person to another, and unlike standard earphones, Audéo PFE allows you to select the filter that works best for you. When wearing Audéo PFE the ear canal is blocked and the function of the ear is changed. The amplification of the pinna disappears.”[/size]
 

 
 
 
[size=medium]Now I must say purely from reading this, it sounds like a little gimmick to drawn in the punters with a few fancy words, rather than a serious reason to buy the earphones, however, this is not the case at all. After testing it is obvious that a serious amount of time has gone into creating these filters. The scientists at phonak go on to say;[/size]
 
[size=medium]“The natural resonance of the ear canal disappears. That has to be compensated by the earphone, so the target curve is theoretically the open ear transfer function, which corresponds to a flat curve in the free field and diffuse field: The earphones must recreate these phenomena for the user to perceive a natural sound. Since each person has a different ear, the compensation curves should be different from one person to the other. Standard earphones do not take these factors into account, which makes Audéo PFE unique. Internal studies at Phonak have shown that most people are not comfortable with a sound from an earphone that reproduces exactly the curve of a standard open ear. The curves of Audéo PFE are a compromise between a frequency response that includes the full open ear gain compensation as well as one that has bass and treble predominance.”[/size]
 
[size=medium]You may wonder why I am spending so long talking about filters, however, I really can’t stress how significant they are. The 3 different filters change the sound so much you could be fooled into thinking they are 3 different earphones entirely. It gives the earphones 3 distinct sound signatures. The filters come in 3 different colours, Grey, Black and Green. The grey ones come preinstalled and the other 2 are inside a kit made to swap them out for other ones.[/size]
 
[size=medium](Please note that Phonak themselves have said the perception of each filter is particular to each individual and the following is only my opinion, which whilst hopefully giving an insight into the differences, are still based on my personal preferences)[/size]
 
[size=medium]The Grey Filter (Preinstalled) – The grey filters from what I can tell where made to be used with the less demanding records. They hold back the sound a little and keep back the extra brightness poor quality seems to bring. They hold back the highs, and bring forward the lows a little keep the midrange slightly restrained also. This makes average recordings sound better than usual. On the downside they do feel a little constrained and in my opinion hold the earphones back a bit in the high ends taking away some of the sparkle and making it a tad dull. They have brought the best out of poorer quality sources from what I have heard. This makes it ideal for people using them with their mobile phones for convenience as well as quality.[/size]
 
[size=medium]The Black Filters – My favourite of the three is the black filter. This in my opinion is the clearest of the three giving the mot accurate presentation on well-recorded clips. Naturally the 232’s are already very revealing. These filters bring this characteristic out to its fullest, clearing out the low ends and bringing out the detail in the highs. However, one thing to be noted is that the revealing nature of these filters may make some recordings feel too bass heavy for those who like the lows taking a back seat. These are probably best for those who want the most clear and unchanged sound from a track, using a decent source as well. Personally this sound is as close to perfect as I have gotten from an IEM.[/size]
 
[size=medium]The Green Filters – These are said to offer the most bass of the three. Rather than anything else I think leaving the lows unfiltered and rolling off the mids and highs achieve this. They are particularly good when you either want to bring out the bass of a song more or hold back excessive highs. These filters really seem too bass heavy for me, aimed at those who would claim to be “bass-heads”. That being said, if the low ends is what you want most then these are the filters for you. They will definitely be a hit with those who enjoy RnB, Hip-Hop and other bass-inclined genres.[/size]
 
[size=medium]The filters, as you can see, are a very important part of the PFE 232’s selling point. They are the basis for the amazingly clear, descriptive and even seductive sound you get out of these earphones. The sound signature is similar to its predecessor the PFE 122 with obvious major improvements. One thing to note would be the source you use with the PFE 232. Whilst they are optimised to use with IPods, if the sole reason you get these is for use with an apple I-device, I would recommend sticking to the 122. You really do need to be carrying a fairly good portable amplifier to pair up with these amazing earphones. Using the ALO Rx Mk2 gave a level of detail I had not experienced prior to getting these earphones. Paired with other pieces of top equipment and high quality recordings, these give the opportunity to listen to the inner details of music and really appreciate the excellence of whatever you are listening to.[/size]
 
[size=medium]The question most people pose is weather or not the PFE 232’s are worth the extra approximate £300 over the 112’s. The answer to this really depends on how you look at it. If you are hoping to the 232’s to be three times “as good” then stop right there and forget about getting these. This is not in any way because the 232’s are no good, its is because of the amazing value for money the 112’s are coupled with the diminishing returns you get in products like this. In the same way that a £2 million diamond wont be twice as big and shiny as a £1 million one, but still beautiful beyond belief, the PFE 232’s are purely amazing, rivalling even some of the top custom models available at the moment. Personally I think this is as good a universal fit earphones can get. Without going custom, at leas[/size][size=medium]t sound wise, there is nothing more the good people at Phonak can do. Which, therefore, justifies the seemingly massive price tag. [/size]
 
 
[size=x-large]Conclusion[/size]
[size=medium]So what’s the final verdict on the PFE 232’s? Are they worth their asking price? It depends. While 232’s sound quality is the best I’ve heard, it has to be paired with other top end components to really make them not only worth the money but perhaps even a bargain. However if you are looking for one top tier to meet your headphone needs, which even anticipate a drastic change in your preference in music, these seriously will not be bested, at least not by anything available today. Probably the best universal IEM ever, even at £399, Phonak still manages to offer bang for your buck.[/size]
 
 
[size=x-large]Ratings (out of 10):[/size]
[size=medium]Bass* – 9/9/10[/size]
[size=medium]Mids* – 9/10/9[/size]
[size=medium]Highs* – 10/10/9[/size]
[size=medium]Comfort – 10[/size]
[size=medium]Sensitivity – 8.5[/size]
[size=medium]Balance – 10[/size]
[size=medium]Clarity – 10[/size]
[size=medium]Value** – 9[/size]
[size=medium]Overall – 9.5[/size]
*Filters Grey/Black/Green
** The only reason for this not being a perfect 10 is the price tag being higher than any other universal IEM on the market.
 
 
THIS REVIEW IS COPIED OVER FROM OUR REVIEW SITE audiophilicreviews.tk
 

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I've written a review about it here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/605222/review-phonak-pfe-232-vs-shure-se535