FlaresPro/FlaresGold by Flare Audio
Sep 12, 2017 at 6:53 PM Post #211 of 1,354
Sorry I'm a bit late in responding today. I just woke up recently and checked my email from Flare. They are absolutely great responding to emails and I was writing back to them for a bit before visiting Head-Fi. I also slept late today from having a bad "chill attack" last night where my nerves freeze up and I have to spend a few hours in the bathtub in whirlpool-like temperatures. I may need to get one of those walk in tubs that have more space and have some sort of nice audio setup to keep me calm during these, as they've been happening more lately. I've tried going into water with one of those waterproof bluetooth earphones, but they sound terrible to me with bass that is really muddy sounding.

Anyways, I'd be interested in trading the ME2 for the R2A. You could pm to me if you decide for it. I've never used the other ME2 I have, so its basically brand new. It definitely does Tidal MQA, though personally I'm not too fond of that feature, as I read its a lossy format. Ever since I got involved in HiFi audio, I've always kept to lossless, mostly Flac.
Sorry I'm a bit late in responding today. I just woke up recently and checked my email from Flare. They are absolutely great responding to emails and I was writing back to them for a bit before visiting Head-Fi. I also slept late today from having a bad "chill attack" last night where my nerves freeze up and I have to spend a few hours in the bathtub in whirlpool-like temperatures. I may need to get one of those walk in tubs that have more space and have some sort of nice audio setup to keep me calm during these, as they've been happening more lately. I've tried going into water with one of those waterproof bluetooth earphones, but they sound terrible to me with bass that is really muddy sounding.

Anyways, I'd be interested in trading the ME2 for the R2A. You could pm to me if you decide for it. I've never used the other ME2 I have, so its basically brand new. It definitely does Tidal MQA, though personally I'm not too fond of that feature, as I read its a lossy format. Ever since I got involved in HiFi audio, I've always kept to lossless, mostly Flac.


I just sent you a PM.
 
Sep 13, 2017 at 9:01 AM Post #213 of 1,354
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This is the most beautiful box I ever had. How do I open it lol
 
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Sep 13, 2017 at 8:17 PM Post #214 of 1,354
I like the sound of this offer - has anyone taken Flare up on it yet?
I did, should receive mine tomorrow. They shipped it out quickly, I didn't expect such fast shipping since I live in the US but I ordered on the 11th and it's almost already here. I loved my R2a and R2s so I'll be sending the R2a back and keeping the R2s.
 
Sep 15, 2017 at 1:23 AM Post #216 of 1,354
Just got my pair in and I find them pretty good if not a little bass heavy. How the experiences with burn in been for people, how do you find the sound to change over time?

Different tips will change bass character and quantity. Try other types.
 
Sep 15, 2017 at 1:26 PM Post #217 of 1,354
Just got my pair in and I find them pretty good if not a little bass heavy. How the experiences with burn in been for people, how do you find the sound to change over time?

As reported definitely experiment with tips and in my experience don't insert too deeply as results in more bass.
I have had mine a while now and don't think they change much over time.
 
Sep 15, 2017 at 1:32 PM Post #218 of 1,354
As reported definitely experiment with tips and in my experience don't insert too deeply as results in more bass.
I have had mine a while now and don't think they change much over time.
I'm currently experimenting with all different kinds of tips except the audiophile tips being to afraid to break them. I guess I must someday though.
 
Sep 15, 2017 at 1:37 PM Post #219 of 1,354
I'm currently experimenting with all different kinds of tips except the audiophile tips being to afraid to break them. I guess I must someday though.

I think overall there pretty damn good , realy shine with good recordings and good source, I recently acquired some oriveti new primacy and the flarespro are much better and both in a similar price range, once you have found your preference for tip and fit then I feel there pretty neutral and live up to the statement of being very live sounding.
 
Sep 18, 2017 at 12:31 AM Post #221 of 1,354
So far these have me scratching my head, I want to love them but they don't seem to be doing it for me. First the bass on these just seem to much for me. Second the mids on these just seem to recessed as well as just to thin, I was hoping the bass would calm down a bit and even these out but I'm not sure if that's going to happen. If I do happen to return these is there someone that can point me in the right direction in terms of what I'm looking for? I really love my R2S's because I guess they seem more flat than these with very tame bass as well as resolving and spacious so these don't seem like an upgrade to me. I have been to rolling like a mad man but to no avail so maybe these aren't for me?
 
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Sep 18, 2017 at 7:23 AM Post #222 of 1,354
So far these have me scratching my head, I want to love them but they don't seem to be doing it for me. First the bass on these just seem to much for me. Second the mids on these just seem to recessed as well as just to thin, I was hoping the bass would calm down a bit and even these out but I'm not sure if that's going to happen. If I do happen to return these is there someone that can point me in the right direction in terms of what I'm looking for? I really love my R2S's because I guess they seem more flat than these with very tame bass as well as resolving and spacious so these don't seem like an upgrade to me. I have been to rolling like a mad man but to no avail so maybe these aren't for me?

Maybe give the 64Audio stuff a go, especially the U3 for your tonal preferences, plus they have a b-stock sale going on.
 
Sep 18, 2017 at 2:21 PM Post #223 of 1,354
So far these have me scratching my head, I want to love them but they don't seem to be doing it for me. First the bass on these just seem to much for me. Second the mids on these just seem to recessed as well as just to thin, I was hoping the bass would calm down a bit and even these out but I'm not sure if that's going to happen. If I do happen to return these is there someone that can point me in the right direction in terms of what I'm looking for? I really love my R2S's because I guess they seem more flat than these with very tame bass as well as resolving and spacious so these don't seem like an upgrade to me. I have been to rolling like a mad man but to no avail so maybe these aren't for me?

Wow again!

As dannyking and I are trading, he's getting my spare Meridian Explorer2 while I'm getting his Flare R2A. It seems the consensus is the R2A has less bass and more forward mids/vocals than the FlaresPro does. This was not an issue for me with the FlaresPro, as I thought the bass was just fine, since I'm one of the most bass-hating people on the planet, and I equally dislike recessed vocals. Getting the bass and the vocals just right, is more important to me than the treble., so long as the upper treble isn't bright.

I'm still in communication with Flare Audio, and I'm thinking there's got to be some variation in the tuning, something that isn't right which is happening in the sound. I've been testing the Massdrop HifiMan RE-00 I got from goodvibes a few weeks ago. In comparison with the FlaresPro, there is less bass by default, though there are vents that can be adjusted by the use of specially modified toothpicks, something I forgot to mention to Flare about possibly looking into bass adjustment on the venting in the back. The design of the FlaresPro offers a great way that could be implemented, maybe better the one on the RE-00.

After listening to the RE-00, I don't understand why HiFiMan didn't stick to that tuning, and just work on upgrading the design through more expensive models. Its the only earphone I've seen from hundreds of FR graphs that has a below neutral bass that goes upwards to the mids/vocals, deliberately moving the mids/vocals more forward than the bass.

Note, it does not have a negative effect on stage. This is where the FlaresPro does something wrong and I can see why some people may think the FlaresPro sounds recessed. While to my hearing, the FlaresPro tunes the mids/vocals just right, those who listen for a higher area of lower treble may deem them recessed.
That is because for some reason, Flare Audio tuned to enhance the upper treble, not the lower treble. I don't see this often, and its one thing I actually do like about V-Shaped sound, being the treble side of the V, rather than the bass side. Then to make sure that the mids/vocals are not recessed. Even plenty of V-Shaped sound signatures tune out the upper treble.

To me and possibly of good number of others, though it can depend on the type of music listened to, that the FlaresPro sadly will ruin many of our listening sessions. Music that takes alot of use in the treble range, particularly upper treble, will find their music sounding as if within a particular track, that song will have layers of its music sounding as if its competing against each other, rather than playing in cohesion.

I finally realized that was an underlying issue to what brought up the area in the music taking advantage of the upper treble region, forcing itself to be more forward than the other areas of the music playing a part in the treble range, sounding as they were "losing out", to that one area most prominent in the treble, causing the metallic tinge that can sound fizzy/hissy like its spitting at you like a snake proclaiming its victory against you as you realize you've been bitten badly by it, and now its deadly snake venom making its way through you, as you are left feeling shameful for being seduced by the alluring bass, mids/vocals on the FlaresPro that left you feeling tricked into that ravenous upper treble range that led you to the snake pit of slithering doom.

Well, that may be a bit too dramatic, but it gets the point across. The upper treble range is something I've found in my experience with the FlaresPro is something better left to tame that beast, and rather focus on enhancing the beauty of sound which lower treble audio can provide. I don't even blame Flare Audio for doing this mistaken focus on the upper range treble. They wanted the FlaresPro to be different, they took that risk, but they obviously understand that not everyone is going to like the results.

For me, I mostly love the results of the FlaresPro, except for the upper treble. If they were to reduce that and take on an even 5dB (max) increase in the upper mids/lower treble, stopping at around 5k then dropping down to neutral/flat for the remainder of the presentation, I believe the treble would sound just fine, with that upper mid/lower treble beauty firmly in place.

I'm going to have another redesign of my ideal sound signature FR graph done soon to reflect this. I think it will show the best representation of my thoughts on audio to date.The RE-00 gets very close to this, especially in the way the mids are above the bass line and the enhanced presence in the lower treble. It also does not put the layers of sound in the treble at odds with each other. Everything is cohesive and clear, sounding wonderfully.

I'm looking forward to receiving the R2A and writing a thorough comparative impression here between the R2A and the FlaresPro, adding along the RE-00 to the mix.
 
Sep 19, 2017 at 3:39 PM Post #225 of 1,354
Anyone that has these able to do a proper comparison against the R2 Pro and also out of interest to the IBasso IT03? On the fence whether to trade in my pro's, they don't get much use these days but there's something special about them which is why I've never let them go.
 

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