[myemaildw]

i have both r2a and trinity delta, and delta has more bass but r2a has less bass but better quality bass and more resolution. if you want more detail and less bass its r2a if you want better bass and 30 percent less resolution then trinity delta.

 

[Midgetguy]

  Hello Head-Fi'ers,
 
I will be purchasing my first pair of $100+ IEM's soon and I have been researching the Flare R2A and Trinity Delta models specifically. I am wondering if some of you who have listened to both pairs to some extent could give a quick rundown of the two and comparison, as well as a recommendation. I mainly listen to electronic music and appreciate quality bass. I have the option to purchase the Flare R2A ORG anodized orange aluminum pair from Amazon for $150 and the Trinity Delta V2 from Trinity's website for a $100 pre-order payment. At these prices, which pair has the best price per quality? If you believe that there are better options than these, I would love to hear about them and why you believe they are better. I would like to spend $100-$150, but I am willing to spend up to $200 or possibly a little more if there is a pair that is thought to be truly exceptional. 
 
Thanks

,
Brandon 

This post is kinda long so I have a TL;DR at the bottom

 
You've posed a tough problem there buddy

. Because I find both to be quite good for EDM. In terms of bass quality, the R2A does better in my opinion. It goes a little bit lower and has better texture and control to it. That said, the Delta is no slouch either; it's frankly at a disadvantage in this comparison because I happen to think the R2A has some of the best bass reproduction I've heard in an IEM. However, to my ears, the Delta wins overall in the mids and treble, even though I'd pick the R2A to have a little bit more clarity. The Delta has a little more musicality to it.
 
Keeping in mind that I do consider the R2A to have some of the best bass I've heard from an IEM, I'd recommend the Delta in an overall battle. The Delta sounds more suited to multiple genres to my ears than the R2A and EDM is realistically a melting pot of far more genres than you'd initially think. It also wins my overall vote against the R2A because it's built better too. The shells are still milled aluminum, but the cable entry into the housing is properly relieved and so is the jack itself, which uses a spring-loaded relief (which if it's gonna be a straight jack, it might as well be my favorite relief type). The cable itself is also a very nice quad-braid cable, not to mention the fact that I think the V2 might use detachable MMCX connectors (you'll have to fact check this since I could very well be talking about the other Trinity Audio models). I also don't know about the production R2A accessories, but my Kickstarter one literally came with a cloth bag (far too big considering how small the R2A is) and 1 set of Comply tips. The Delta, on the other hand, came with 5 sets of silicone tips, 2 sets of foam tips, and a case that is appropriately sized (along with the 3 tuning filters for V1, I believe V2 has 4 or 5 filters).
 
Sounds like I'm really touting the Delta doesn't it?

 
Here's a TL;DR:
If you want the IEM with the better bass quality and slightly better sound stage with a touch more clarity at the cost of having an abysmal accessory package and a comparatively worse (but not exactly terrible) cable, then pick up the R2A. If you want something that can perform better as an all-rounder with only slightly less bass quality and treble clarity, but better midrange and overall musicality as well as a better cable and accessory package, then get the Delta. As noted earlier, the Delta also comes with some different tuning filters to play around with that one might like better than the stock filter.
Both are great IEMs, I just feel the Delta is a better overall package, so that is my pick and recommendation.

 

[Midgetguy]

i have both r2a and trinity delta, and delta has more bass but r2a has less bass but better quality bass and more resolution. if you want more detail and less bass its r2a if you want better bass and 30 percent less resolution then trinity delta.

It would be good to note that there are filters that lower the amount of bass out of the Delta, but it obviously doesn't change my verdict (and yours) on the bass quality; the R2A has better quality bass than the Delta, whether or not we compare based on the amount of bass present.

 

[biggysmalls]

In my opinion, ACS Evoke, the single BA driver universal is a good alternative to the r2pro.
So if r2pro is supposed to be better than r2ss, it might be a possible contender.
But that's just me

Thanks for the input that's in the UK and as I was hoping to keep it in US (my brother is there for a few months from SA)

 

[myemaildw]

i like both trinity delta and r2a, if you can buy buy both but if you need to buy one the buy trinity delta, r2a has more detail and better bass. but both good, if you need to buy one probably get trinity delta. r2a is good too, if you dont mind less bass

 

[Jobbing]

@branman22

If you're into EDM *only* then I'd agree with the statements above (especially with @midgetguy ) but I wouldn't give up my R2Pro for my Deltas regardless its (better?) build quality and versatility due to separate filters (for what that's worth)

To me R2Pro (and R2A) outperform Deltas in terms of presentation, imaging and natural sound. If EDM is the only genre you listen to, get the Deltas. If you want a better all round iem get the R2 - better, buy a used pair of (unmodded!) R2Pro and do any modding yourself if you feel it needs any -. Please note that Deltas are easier to drive while R2Pro benefit from amping.

Good luck contemplating

 

[Fizban]

Thanks for the input that's in the UK and as I was hoping to keep it in US (my brother is there for a few months from SA)

It's available in the US as well!
I bought mine from there

 

[Stuff Jones]

Do the r2As sound good driven by an iphone? Thinking about buying them as a gift for a non-audiophile, but don't want them to be wasted by an inappropriate source.

 

[qsk78]

  Do the r2As sound good driven by an iphone? Thinking about buying them as a gift for a non-audiophile, but don't want them to be wasted by an inappropriate source.

I drive my R2Pro by Vantam at high gain (80 mW per channel), they are power hungry. 
 
But I think you can also drive them by an iphone since Flare Audio sell replacement driver cable assembly with microphones http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flare-Audio-Replacement-assembly-standard/dp/B012Y6DBBW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1452598157&sr=8-3&keywords=flare+audio+replacement

 

[branman22]

Thanks for the input everyone, I am very grateful. I believe that I can make my decision with confidence now. 
 
Thanks all

,
Brandon

 

[Midgetguy]

  Do the r2As sound good driven by an iphone? Thinking about buying them as a gift for a non-audiophile, but don't want them to be wasted by an inappropriate source.

They sound fine to me. The do require more juice than other IEMs at this impedance, but they still sound good just out of my iPod Touch 5G, which is basically an iPhone 5 without the phone bit

 

[xoxiax]

I have both (thanks to all the generous support i found in this forum) (well, maybe my wallet is not so thankful), so i'll give you some of my personal facts: I suscribe 95% of  what midgetguy said and i cant' express myself better, so i'll simply share some ideas from my personal experience (i had this debt with the forum since i bought them):
 
1) About the Bass: I listen to lots of electronic music. Definitely the Delta's have more impact on it. All the kicking mid basses punch stronger on the trinity's, and they provoke something i could call more "pressure". As i don't know how to explain that concept i will use an example. In this footwork song by Jlin there's a very strong pulsation which the Delta's translate in a vibration all over my skull while the R2A, in spite of expressing also that frequencies, doesn't transmit all that physicality of the sound. But at the same time i find it's bass richer, with better texture, and i've almost never missed quantity on their performance. In fact, using an amp and turning up the bass extracts some extra juice from the R2A's that makes them much closer in impact to the Delta's. So the Delta's arrive there without extra power while the r2a's, much more demanding guys, are waiting you to ask them with the correct tools to extract all their power. In other words, bass is a strong point in both models, one rumbles and the other roars, but if that things i call impact and pressure is more important to you Delta's are the answer.
 
2) Best one for EDM? I'm not sure as Edm is really bass dependant but not uniquely. Clarity, separation, detail and soundstage are for me equally important.

I’ve recommended three times, mainly because of the price difference, the Delta’s, and the three friends that bought it are extremely happy. But when my friend the ex sound engineer and edm lover asked me i recommended him the flares. He is impressed, enough to harass me with constant messages, everyday, about his experiences rediscovering his private discotheque. Every headphone has it's own soundroom with it's own resonance, separation, timbre... I prefer to be seated at the Flare's room when listening my music with the only exception, precisely, of the techno music.. The most recent house or techno or some hip hop productions find a more dancing, toe tapping way out on the Delta's. Autechre, the ambient stuff or technodub things sound much better on the Flare's, more capable to my ears of reproducing the scenarios created for each song. 

 

Big, full, expansive, airy, precise and dark sound. Listening to these song from Rhythm & Sound, built over a modulated  trippy white noise hiss, a deep submarine bass and a spatially travelling voice inside a echo camera i find a magical experience with the Flare's that the Delta's, great sounding but flatter and simpler for my ears, don't give me. Depends on your tastes. I prefer overall the sound of the R2A's, but the Delta's are really close.

 

3) Some random ideas:

 

The bang for the buck prize is undoubtedly for

 the Delta's considering are 2/3 the price of the Flares discounted (normal price for them is £175.00 vs the
£65 of the Trinity's). Having stated that i give the edge to the R2A in terms of SQ, i don't find it easy to justify the price difference between them, bigger than the gap in sound terms.
 
I've found the flare to be really power hungry and that has been a big problem for me, don't forget ir or you will regret yourself. With my sony a15 they sounded lifeless and depressed. Smartphones move them better (well, and anything that gives signal audio, because the sony seems designed to tell secrets) but in my opinion they don't activate all the dynamics these little beasts hide.  My ibasso dx50 solved it to me and, when not connected to it, i did it with the fiio e6 mini amp which, by the way, can give a cheap and powerful solution to increase the bass response if needed. But remember that if your source is not powerful  you will notice it. In that case, no doubt, go for the delta's.
 
Haw many daily hours and and where are you thinking to use them? Flare's have the incredible virtue of almost not producing ear fatigue. As i have a tinnitus for me the choice is easy. Their slightly recessed sound (everything sounds to me further than normal) gives the smoother experience i've ever had with headphones, standing with the iems in my ears for periods of 8 to 10 hours which i never even dreamed about other headphones i've had. You can put them louder too. If you're thinking about using them on a daily basis at work or in quiet environments they are the best choice. Due to that mids recession if you're thinking about using them more in noisy environments the delta's sound, for non intensive use, will be better solution. Both isolate well anyway, but the more in your face sound of the deltas gives them slight advantage for public transport. 
 
Flares are apparently weak, cable looks sad and hungry, their rear cap is really problematic for me because it unscrews without touching it and i'm really afraid i will lose it anytime. They are more tip dependant...Normal, quotidian experience is more fluid for me with the stronger, better consumer oriented Delta's. Flare are, by their part, far more comfortable, incredibly small and not eye catchers, which for me is a good point.
 
Final thought. I share Midgetuy's conclusion: Delta's are the best overall package. But i must say that at the end of the day i look for my r2a's because of that wonderful, realistic and truthful soundroom they create. Anyway, to my ears, both are very good for edm, both are excellent all rounders, and both are great choices. 
 
Hope it helps!!!
 
 

 
 

 

 

 

 

[qsk78]

Extension of my Flare Audio collection - R2S
 

 

[Stuff Jones]

  Extension of my Flare Audio collection - R2S
 

 
Impressions and comparisons soon please!

 

[qsk78]

   
Impressions and comparisons soon please!

The thing is that the R2Pro are not in a working condition today. I 'm waiting for a replacement driver kit which is also coming.

But one difference I could hear from the first minutes: R2S has less sub-bass extension and a little bit more trebble extension than the Pro. it sounds a bit brighter.
On the other hand I always thought that R2Pro has a little bit too much of sub-bass for being neutral.
 
R2S requiers a burn-in but I like what I hear right from the box.