[angelom]

  They seem to be quite known in the world of professional speakers, and actually better positioned than when some of the now-well-known company started.
 
The QC probably took a nose dive due to incredibly constrained they were at the time of KS fulfillment. Err, if anything, the fact that the housing can be easily opened means that it'll be very easy to replace the cable yourself if anything happen. Of course, that also opens another cans of worm, namely the possible QC issue, but I don't think there will be any problem post-KS.

 
Hello sodesuka.
 
Yes, I see in the Flare Audio website that information you saying but that isn’t the same as reputation and history with headphones and earphones. Bowers & Wilkins and Bose are famous for speakers but their headphones aren’t famous in SQ of high quality, they’re popular for fashion maybe and design or for businessman who travel a lot but not for people who knowing very well about excellent headphones and earphones. I have Bose quietconfort Q20 iem and is very good for travelling with good sound and excellent isolation and really comfortable but isn’t excellent SQ, but quality of construction is really really excellent, and I pay 250 EUR and it’s has remote for iPhone too.
 
I’m very very surprised too that the Flare Audio iem case cost 40 pounds, maybe is handmade yes but it’s looking like iem case of 3-5 pounds I see in Amazon or eBay. (Edit. Isn't handmade but hand stitched).

 

[RedJohn456]

  A few more thoughts on the R2As.
 
The forum member who sold these to me kindly removed the metal clip/splitter where the two wires meet. If it was on at the moment it would pull the cable down towards my chest and make it much shorter. Not good.
 
For those who believe in burn in (I do for dynamic speakers but nothing else) these probably have a way to go before they really loosen up. Every time I listen they sound better though that could be the placebo affect.
 
With the Spinfits I've found that wearing the cable the over the ear makes them easier to insert and gives a better sound. I've not gone back to the Complys and am wondering if I should. The Spinfits have a narrower bore and they apply just a little pressure on my ears. The Valsalva Manouevre solves this. I'm going to get some other tips and start to experiment. I wonder what custom shells would do for this IEM?
 
Poor recordings are really exposed with these phones. Stuff my IE80 sort of glossed over doesn't cut it with the Flares.
 
One thing I meant to say on my comparo review was that these are the best headphones I have ever used for classical music. Piano music is hard to record and ever harder to reproduce. As a pianist I can say that they do a great job with well recorded piano music and also expose those that haven't been done well. There is a CD of Mitsuko Uchida playing Mozart sonatas that I thought was a bit flawed. The R2As show how badly the recording engineers did their job.
 
Finally - enjoying "Weekly Discovery" on Spotify. If the students I taught knew I was listening to this music they would shake their heads in disbelief .... but I am just enjoying the music so much....

I never really burned in. I contacted flare audio about getting replacement parts and they promptly sent me a new driver set NO questions asked. They customer service is awesome. Anyway after installing it I i was able to directly compare it. Out of the box the new drivers were noticeably bassier than the stock drivers in my R2A. Stock stet that was well used had better well controlled bass and more treble. So either burn in or variability in driver? Either way I don't think I installed it right so I sent it in to be checked out and full replaced.

 

[sodesuka]

   
Hello sodesuka.
 
Yes, I see in the Flare Audio website that information you saying but that isn’t the same as reputation and history with headphones and earphones. Bowers & Wilkins and Bose are famous for speakers but their headphones aren’t famous in SQ of high quality, they’re popular for fashion maybe and design or for businessman who travel a lot but not for people who knowing very well about excellent headphones and earphones. I have Bose quietconfort Q20 iem and is very good for travelling with good sound and excellent isolation and really comfortable but isn’t excellent SQ, but quality of construction is really really excellent, and I pay 250 EUR and it’s has remote for iPhone too.
 
I’m very very surprised too that the Flare Audio iem case cost 40 pounds, maybe is handmade yes but it’s looking like iem case of 3-5 pounds I see in Amazon or eBay. (Edit. Isn't handmade but hand stitched).

 
Well, if that's how you do things then I won't comment. I'm the type who go out of his way to buy unknown Chinese IEM from entirely Chinese-run online store by using a forwarder after all (and get rewarded for it). I care more about how my music end up than some brand name. The durability issue is a good point, but so far, among dozens of things I've owned, rarely one has problem.
 
I'm sorry for Flare to say this but I think the cheapo cases you can find on aliexpress are more functional and durable than the one that came with my R2. The may be worth it for the novelty, but I'd rather use some $5 hard case that also has a space to store tips.

 

[sgtbilko]

just ordered the R2-C03B Replacement driver cable with mic from amazon. discount worked just fine, arriving tomorrow.
 
haven't removed the millstone from my original set, so it'll be interesting to see how it feels without it

 

[james444]

  haven't removed the millstone from my original set, so it'll be interesting to see how it feels without it

 
Lighter

 
And if you still have the twist tie that came with your Flares, you can cut it in half and make a nice DIY chin slider:
 

 

[LuckyNat]

  They seem to be quite known in the world of professional speakers, and actually better positioned than when some of the now-well-known company started.
 
The QC probably took a nose dive due to incredibly constrained they were at the time of KS fulfillment. Err, if anything, the fact that the housing can be easily opened means that it'll be very easy to replace the cable yourself if anything happen. Of course, that also opens another cans of worm, namely the possible QC issue, but I don't think there will be any problem post-KS.

 
I don't see that the QC has been compromised unless there was a previous model to compare with? The design is how the design has always been as far as I'm aware and the end-cap thing part of that design - means it can be assembled by hand and means it can be repaired easily, cable swaps etc.
 
Where I think they did rush is that splitter housing - looks like they didn't think about it and then rushed to find some branding, maybe off some criticism that it didn't look blingy enough for a £400 rrp earphone? Dunno.

 

[sodesuka]

   
I don't see that the QC has been compromised unless there was a previous model to compare with? The design is how the design has always been as far as I'm aware and the end-cap thing part of that design - means it can be assembled by hand and means it can be repaired easily, cable swaps etc.
 
Where I think they did rush is that splitter housing - looks like they didn't think about it and then rushed to find some branding, maybe off some criticism that it didn't look blingy enough for a £400 rrp earphone? Dunno.

Did you not see James post where he got a pair with misaligned O-ring? And judging from some people's finding in this very thread, the issue might have happened on other people's pairs. But again, fortunately, the problem can be easily rectified as James has demonstrated. I never claim that the QC problem is with the model by the way.

 

[LuckyNat]

R2 Pro discount is open to EVERYONE !
 
No need for us Kickstarter backers to cagey with the promo code any more. It's given on the Amazon store itself:
 

 
At the bottom under "Special Offers and Production Promotions"
 
The code is: T89060HZ  or it could be T89O6OHZ  (can't see if those are zeros or letter Os)

 

[LuckyNat]

 
Did you not see James post where he got a pair with misaligned O-ring? And judging from some people's finding in this very thread, the issue might have happened on other people's pairs. But again, fortunately, the problem can be easily rectified as James has demonstrated. I never claim that the QC problem is with the model by the way.

 
I did.
 
He bought his second hand as far as I'm aware.
 
Secondly, that could have come askew as he opened up the end cap to take a look - you can't see what the o-ring is doing when it's closed, only after it's open and possibly disturbed.
 
But mainly the first point that he bought them secondhand so who knows how many times they were opened before, the drivers taken out etc.
 
I kind of meant that QC is what it is now from the beginning of the R2 range's creation, so it couldn't take a nose dive because this is it's starting level! They did make the R1 first I guess so you could compare QC to the build of that larger R1 model. Perhaps I was being pedantic..

 

[LuckyNat]

  Quote:
 
Sorry if my question was ambiguous.

  Of course compared to the R2A. You specifically addressed Kickstarter buyers, what else would they want to upgrade from?
 
 
So what about the wax guard? Wouldn't anything with acoustic impedance throw the driver off balance?

 
I was being funny, it being an upgrade "to my ears" which could imply I swapped my ears for something
 
The promo was available to kickstarter backer's friends too so I guess they could be upgrading from anything - it's now open to everyone!
 
They say they designed them with the Compys so I wonder if it is all taken into account and should strictly be used with the wax guard - you found them to need the teabag mod if you don't use the wax guard. Seems though they've added their silicone tips on Amazon as a stop-gap to help people who don't like foam as this doesn't have a wax guard so one might expect the sound to change a bit with them.

 

[angelom]

  Well, if that's how you do things then I won't comment. I'm the type who go out of his way to buy unknown Chinese IEM from entirely Chinese-run online store by using a forwarder after all (and get rewarded for it). I care more about how my music end up than some brand name. The durability issue is a good point, but so far, among dozens of things I've owned, rarely one has problem.
 
I'm sorry for Flare to say this but I think the cheapo cases you can find on aliexpress are more functional and durable than the one that came with my R2. The may be worth it for the novelty, but I'd rather use some $5 hard case that also has a space to store tips.

 
Hello again sodesuka.
 
I think how you do things isn't very normal for many people, except maybe if you speaking about cheap iems. Paying 400 pounds / 563 EUR / 626 American dollars for iem from a company without history or reputation in iems and headphones is not typical, and even half of that price is very expensive. The brand and history is important in some ways. Sennheiser, FitEar, AKG, Stax, Audeze, Sony, Wesotne, Ultimate Ears, etc. have reputation for a reason. Is similar why is common that people want to buying German or Japanese cars and not cars from other countries. Is similar in food and majority of other products.
 
If this is new company, I think competitive price is important for building history and reputation and for attracting new customers. Later this company can make more expensive iems and customers trusting you more because you have good reputation that include good control of quality. I don't saying Chinese iems or headphones are bad, but this Chinese products don't starting selling very expensive.
 
Bowers & Wilkins and Bose didn't starting with price of 400 pounds for iems, and they have to spending money in marketing and other things. Even Sennheiser 5 or 6 years ago have flagship iem (IE8 and later IE80) and this iem never cost near 400 pounds or 626 American dollars.

 

[Stuff Jones]

   
Hello again sodesuka.
 
I think how you do things isn't very normal for many people, except maybe if you speaking about cheap iems. Paying 400 pounds / 563 EUR / 626 American dollars for iem from a company without history or reputation in iems and headphones is not typical, and even half of that price is very expensive. The brand and history is important in some ways. Sennheiser, FitEar, AKG, Stax, Audeze, Sony, Wesotne, Ultimate Ears, etc. have reputation for a reason. Is similar why is common that people want to buying German or Japanese cars and not cars from other countries. Is similar in food and majority of other products.
 
If this is new company, I think competitive price is important for building history and reputation and for attracting new customers. Later this company can make more expensive iems and customers trusting you more because you have good reputation that include good control of quality. I don't saying Chinese iems or headphones are bad, but this Chinese products don't starting selling very expensive.
 
Bowers & Wilkins and Bose didn't starting with price of 400 pounds for iems, and they have to spending money in marketing and other things. Even Sennheiser 5 or 6 years ago have flagship iem (IE8 and later IE80) and this iem never cost near 400 pounds or 626 American dollars.

 
We have no idea what kind of margins they have on the Pros. They have to mill titanium extraordinary precisely which apparently is super costly. 

 

[james444]

Flare Audio R2A / R2PRO: further findings + Variable Bass Mod
 
As I mentioned earlier, I got a second R2PRO last week (bought for a friend) and an R2A yesterday. So I had 3 Flares to play with on the weekend and that's exactly what I did. I went back and forth between them for several hours with my favorite test tracks, ran frequency sweeps and ended up with a puzzling result:
 

  Subjective rating, based on overall balance and clarity:

• R2Pro #1 (endcap flush)
• R2A (endcap gap 1mm)
• R2Pro #2 (endcap gap 1mm)

 
Thing is, the R2A sounded much more similar to my first R2Pro than the second R2Pro, with leaner bass and clearer low range, whereas Pro #2 was bassier, warmer and slightly boomy in comparison to both others. On top of that, the A's upper midrange sounded smooth and linear, just like the mids on my Pro #1. Whereas Pro #2 showed a slight dip between 1kHz and 2kHz and reminded me a lot of how my first pair sounded before I screwed the endcap all the way in.
 
What?

  As has been discussed earlier, the caps and housings of both models look identical, save for material and color. So why would the A's stock sound be close to something I could only get from my Pros if I screwed the endcap flush?  I decided to take a closer look...
 
(Warning: lots of crappy pics ahead!)
 

 

 
As you can see, the Pro's slit is slightly larger than the A's, plus it is chamfered, whereas the A's is straight. It seems that the difference in bass levels comes down to a full seal on the A vs. a slightly leaky seal on the Pro, when both caps are in the same position (1mm gap). Screwing the cap further in on the Pros obviously seals those too, that's why my pair with flush cap sounded very similar to the A.
 
 
So it all boiled down to the fact that I had to screw Pro #2's cap further in, if wanted it to sound as good as my first pair. However, this pair was destined for a friend and I didn't want to risk his cable getting squashed and damaged like this:
 

 
 
No, I had to come up with a better solution. I took a look at @tgx78's brilliant mod, but didn't feel comfortable about using Blu-Tack that close to a vented driver. I was rummaging through my arsenal of IEM accessories and tips, when suddenly something caught my eye...
 
Introducing...  the Klipsch Oval Ear Tip:
 

 
... and that's how the Variable Bass Mod came into being.

 
 
Variable Bass Mod Instructions
 
All you need is one Klipsch oval tip and a small cutter:
 

 
Reverse the tip and cut two 1mm slices off the stem. These will serve as washers between the cable and the cap. They even have a tiny notch that fits into the slit.
 

 
Remove the endcap, insert one of the silicone washers and put the cap back on. Repeat on the other earpiece.
 

 
You can now tune the bass level on your Flares via adjustment of the endcap. Turning clockwise will make the silicone washer gradually decrease rear volume and airflow. Turning counter-clockwise will make it return to its original form. Before the cap even hits the cable, bass will become too muted, so the cable stays safe all the time.
 

 
(Disclaimer: I've found this mod to be safe and easily reversible. Nevertheless: try at your own risk!)
 
 
Thoughts & Conclusions
 
So I cannibalized two Klipsch oval tips and applied this mod to both the R2Pro #2 and R2A. The R1Pro #1 was to be my reference phone. I chose some test tracks and tuned both phones to match the bass level of my reference. This took about half an hour of playing short song sections on A-B repeat, going back end forth between the phones and making slight adjustments to the caps.
 
Once I had the desired bass levels, I used a tone generator to check L/R bass balance on each phone and made further fine adjustments when necessary.
 
After both the R2Pro #2 and R2A matched my #1 bass reference and their channels were in balance, I went on to holistic listening and full spectrum sine sweeps, and finally ended up with the following conclusions:

1. All 3 Flares sound top-notch now and I'd rate them as on par in sound quality.
2. Sound signature and frequency response of all 3 Flares is now 90% identical.
3. If I had more patience, I think I could get them to 95% with further cap adjustments.
4. The differences between my R2As and R2Pros were mostly caused by airflow / rear cavity volume, not by housing material.
5. With these factors eliminated and bass levels matched, the R2As and R2Pros sound pretty much the same.

 
These are my subjective impressions and conclusions. YMMV.

 

 

[nehcrow]

Man anybody got a pair of R2A they would be willing to sell for backers price? I would love one to see how it stacks up against the Aurisonics Rockets

 

[shotgunshane]

  Flare Audio R2A / R2PRO: further findings + Variable Bass Mod
 
I got a second R2PRO last week (bought for a friend)... snip

 
You are too kind, thanks!