[xoxiax]

   
When I returned from Can Jam I have put my notes in a document with the intention to post that here. On a second thought I concluded that it would be better for all involved to open a new and fresh Flare Audio Thread dedicated to the new IEM series, giving potential backers and buyers the right information from the start. Look at it as a pre-Kickstarter warm-up and opportunity to get momentum early by sharing consistent information. So I have been in contact with Flare Audio and made that suggestion to @Paul Pabs, then shot him an email with the link to my concept version last Tuesday. Paul said he would forward that concept to the FA Team and get back to me. Waiting for his reply and additional information/pictures he said he would be happy to share if the team agrees. As soon as Flare Audio give their approval I will open a thread and post the information. Hope this helps.       

 
Thanks, we'll be waiting for your news!

 

[Jobbing]

Just opened a new thread and posted the introduction to the new Flare Audio IEM line-up called FLARES^® here:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/818032/flare-audio-flares-r2-x-successor-kickstarter-campaign#post_12809897
 
Welcome to join the discussion on the upcoming products there! 

 

[LuckyNat]

  I also find interesting your experiments,@myemaildw. In fact i don't find it so confusing, i suppose that i trust a little bit more on the headfiers capacity to discern between Clark Kent and Superman when he takes out the glasses. From my point of view, it's unnecessary that you leave the thread. ¿Who puts the limits on what is a simple, acceptable mod and what a DIY transformation that steals the soul of the product? The brand? The owner?  Should, for example, @james444 leave the forum because of his excellent teabag or endcap mods?. And me and some others for replicating it?. Some mods have solved  different flaws from the different original products discussed on the different threads of this forum. In fact i find this active and questioning attitude one of the primary reasons of existence for these customer's forums. With it we grow together! 
 
I don't share this strong copyright spirit cutting the creativity of the customers although i understand the need to discuss it and the different positions expressed. I think that it's long ago that the relation between producers and customers stopped being monologic. Now we touch, modify and transform most of the things we buy, closing the cycle when some of the improvements (after being spread, for example, in this kind of buyers forums) are adopted by the producers on their next products. I understand, however, the worries from Flare Audio about not spreading confusing statements about a DIY IEM that only maintains the driver from their original product,  specially thinking about the newbies on the forum that haven't read before about the strong modding process that you are developing,  but i think that it could be easily solved being strict about clarifying always in your messages that your model is radically changed. From that basis each headfier can decide (and with it avoid annoying) wether he/she wants to read or not the progress of your Dr. Frankenstein's emulations with our beloved R2.
 
Of course the DIY new thread could be an option, but i hope that you don't find your self expelled from the thread because of your eccentric, but also legitimate, experiments with pieces of your own. They fairly share something, at least a little something, with the product that the others have here. But i suppose that's the point of the discussion, and, obviously, this is just my personal opinion about it, of course, as the rest of personal opinions we've read before.

 
I seriously don't think there is any official Flare Audio influence on whether these DIY iems using Flare parts should be included in this thread or not - anything Paul might have said appears to have been his own personal opinion. Nothing to do with copyright either before people start introducing other hang-ups into the situation.
 
Head-Fi has very tight thread drift rules and I've had what I thought was a good discussion removed from this thread simply because it talked about the FR of Flare's R1 model. The iems this guy made have nothing to do with the R2s and we've no evidence that they sound like the R2s at all either.
 
What turned it though in my opinion, is that these DIY iems were being discussed by @myemaildw, hyped by @myemaildw and then @myemaildw attempted to sell them here for €200 or something daft claiming that they were better sonically than Flare's own product (whilst quite honestly, in my opinion, looking like the dog's dinner).  Those sale posts were deleted thankfully.
 
Anyway, back to the more interesting new Flares over in the other thread!

 

[xoxiax]

   
I seriously don't think there is any official Flare Audio influence on whether these DIY iems using Flare parts should be included in this thread or not - anything Paul might have said appears to have been his own personal opinion. Nothing to do with copyright either before people start introducing other hang-ups into the situation.
 
Head-Fi has very tight thread drift rules and I've had what I thought was a good discussion removed from this thread simply because it talked about the FR of Flare's R1 model. The iems this guy made have nothing to do with the R2s and we've no evidence that they sound like the R2s at all either.
 
What turned it though in my opinion, is that these DIY iems were being discussed by @myemaildw, hyped by @myemaildw and then @myemaildw attempted to sell them here for €200 or something daft claiming that they were better sonically than Flare's own product (whilst quite honestly, in my opinion, looking like the dog's dinner).  Those sale posts were deleted thankfully.
 
Anyway, back to the more interesting new Flares over in the other thread!

 
Well, I've never affirmed (or never wanted to) that Flare Audio had an "influence" in the public scorn of @myemaild, which was my principal personal motivation to open this discussion. I didn't like the way a user was being expelled from the thread and i expressed my opinion about it. However, re reading my dissertation, talking about copyright, "buyers" and "sellers", i can admit that it could induce partly your interpretation. My mistake, it wasn't the point for me.
 
Considering that primary position, i don't share the way you read Flare Audio's sales manager's messages as free personal opinions. As you say, Head-Fi has very tight thread drift rules, and that's why the sellers, in this case Paul Pabs, have special conditions to express their personal opinion about their products. In fact, he has to speak, and he makes it clear, as a Flare Audio's sales manager, a role perfectly respectable and potentially enricher for the thread and for the brand, by the way.
 
And that said, i agree, let's go to the other forum, we want more personal and official opinions and facts about the new Flares!!

 

[sgtbilko]

Just thought I'd share some customer service feedback.
 
Since getting my R2A's last year, I have been plagued (like many) with poor cable quality. A few weeks back my 3rd cable broke down by the 3.5mm connector and I was all but about to give up the ghost when I decided to send the Flare team one last email about better replacement cables.
 
To my relief (and pleasure) I was sent a returns slip and duly sent off all 3 broken units. 48 hours later (YES! that fast) I had 3 brand new reinforced cables.
 
I have to say that Flare has definitely stepped up the service levels, and I'm so glad too - these IEMs are one of my favourites for so many reasons.
 
With my re-instated faith, I'm looking forward to joining the new Kickstarter program to see how they can make an amazing headphone sound even better and last even longer.

 

[tarhana]

recently bought the r2a and it satisfied me. i was concerned about mixed reviews but this little monsters can keep up with my beloved hd650's. and their sound signature really similar too!
 
 
probably will back the new flare iem's on kickstarter too.

 

[artofmanliness]

This is quite interesting. Any of you guys owned one of these? Please give me details about it and it's performance.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDpYX_aaUCg&noredirect=1

 

[artofmanliness]

This is quite interesting. Have any of you guys one one of these? If so, please do tell the details about it and how it performs. Search it on the Youtube the title is down below. Unfortunately, I can't post URLS or any links because I'm still a newbie.
 
Flare Audio Isolate - Titanium In-Ear Protectors Review (4K)

 

[holden4th]

My sport is pistol shooting and I use electronic noise cancelling earmuffs for this to protect my hearing. Would the Isolates be god enough for this job?

 

[sabloke]

Got mine the other day and I'm yet to test them out. Look the part though.
 

 

[holden4th]

My reshelled R2As have been delivered but I'm in Perth at the moment so can't get them until at least Tuesday. They now reach around the second bend so hopefully they'll sound as good as yours do.

Let me know how well the Isolates work as they could be a good alternative to ear muffs for shooting. My ears get hot and sweaty after a while wearing them.

 

[LuckyNat]

I've used mine for protection from hammering truss pins and such - very good attenuation and much less bass coming through - sound is not just one big muffly sound like you kind of get with normal foam ear plugs.
 
The best bit about them for me, for work, is that they are easy to take out and put back in. That doesn't work so well with foam in-ear plugs and so over-ear ones are normally chosen with their problem of being a bit cumbersome .
 
I've yet to test them in an environment where I actually want to hear what's going on i.e. music, to see how they're FR response is in that regard, or their claimed bone conduction properties. I'm guessing the bone conduction might only happen at higher noise levels.
 
Over all though, I think they are great as in-ear replacements for a good pair of over-ear protectors and much more practical and better protection than disposable foam ones. For £26 I think that's good.

 

[LuckyNat]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a bare balanced cable with a wire thin enough to use on the R2s? For Pono ..  I could solder the plugs on too but I hate soldering plugs.
 
I've finally got around to replacing the drivers on my R2As to one with a mic and so I may as well have a go at soldering a balanced cable to the now spare drivers!
 
Just looking for a something thin enough and pure enough copper, somewhere above 5N copper, and with balanced 3.5mm jacks for left and right..

 

[holden4th]

My reshelled R2As have been delivered but I'm in Perth at the moment so can't get them until at least Tuesday. They now reach around the second bend so hopefully they'll sound as good as yours do.

Let me know how well the Isolates work as they could be a good alternative to ear muffs for shooting. My ears get hot and sweaty after a while wearing them.

 
Have got the shelled R2As in my ears now. OMG, I thought that these were great iems but custom shells just take them to another level. The depth and punch of the bass, without any bloat is amazing and the there is an increase in both width and depth of soundstage.
 
My ears are going to have to get used to them as there is just a little discomfort at the moment but that will fade with time.

 

[sabloke]

   
Have got the shelled R2As in my ears now. OMG, I thought that these were great iems but custom shells just take them to another level. The depth and punch of the bass, without any bloat is amazing and the there is an increase in both width and depth of soundstage.
 
My ears are going to have to get used to them as there is just a little discomfort at the moment but that will fade with time.

I told you so
 
The Titanium Isolators a fantastic as well, Can't go wrong with Flare so far. All those raving reviews are true and I've got nothing to add.