When I read the term "endgame" here on Head-Fi, I'm assuming this means when a person has found the iem or headphone that has matched all of the qualities they are looking for in regard to their sound signature preference. Is this correct?
If so, the FlaresGold almost is this for me, and so long as someone isn't looking for a V-Shaped sound, but rather more neutral or having the perfect balance needed in an iem where forward mids/vocals and an enhanced, yet non-harsh, non-fatiguing treble, then the FlaresGold is very likely an "endgame" product. I cannot imagine an iem, at least a dynamic driver iem with this sound signature, being better than the FlaresGold. It absolutely is worth the cost.
The only exception to this "endgame" definition, that is if I am understanding it correctly, would be a planar magnetic or electrostatic iem with this tuning. The reason I say this, is I've read that planar magnetic and electrostatic drivers can offer a more precise tuning, is this right? If so, then its strange how many complaints I've read on Head-Fi from people complaining about having to EQ their planar magnetic iems.
Prior to the FlaresGold being released while I was still in the process of locating the R2Pro that I later ended up needing to return after I received it due to the issues I wrote about here at the time, I had contemplated purchasing the Unique Melody ME1 planar magnetic iem, which apparently has a similar tuning to the FlaresGold, with the exception of a major flaw which kept me from buying it. According to what some people on Head-Fi wrote about it, the ME1 has a dip in the lower treble tuning at a very crucial point in the region that a poor tuning can negatively impact the detail level.
Looking at two frequency response graph of the ME1, which one compares it with the Campfire Jupiter, while the other one compares it with the HiFiMan RE800 (It would be great for a frequency response graph of the FlaresGold. I was told by my contact at Flare Audio that they are in the process of upgrading their testing equipment for better accuracy, and they'll give more information to me when they have more to tell me about it). Anyways, here are the Unique Melody ME1 frequency response graphs. I'll continue with my commentary afterwards :
From looking at that, there is a dip around 3k, then while it rises back up, sharply dips again around 4k. This being the lower treble, is unacceptable to me, and to read from people here that this has affected detail negatively, is very disappointing to me, especially based on reading how planar magnetic drivers are capable of more precise tuning. If so, then its odd how the ME1 has this issue, causing people to need EQ. Apparently its not only the ME1 planar magnetic driver iem that needs EQ, as I've read the same about these iems from Audeze.
The notion that iems with more precise tuning capabilities could end up with these issues, while Flare Audio is capable of such excellent tuning on an iem featuring more difficult-to-tune dynamic drivers, is quite a complexity to wonder about. While I don't have the FlaresGold frequency response graph, I do still have the FlaresPro frequency response graph. Despite the harsher upper treble on the Pro than the Gold, its still interesting to see how much smoother and stable most of the tuning is, when compared with the Unique Melody ME1. Here is the FlaresPro frequency response graph :
Now those of you who've been reading my posts quite likely can see why I'd be interested in the Unique Melody ME1. There is less lower bass/sub bass than the FlaresPro, while the other areas of the bass are similar - mostly neutral. However, after some time of listening to the FlaresGold and remembering more about the FlaresPro, at least to my hearing, the FlaresGold sounds quite a bit less bassy (not to say the FlaresPro was bassy, but definitely more than the FlaresGold. Any opinions/thoughts about this, different hearing perspectives welcome?
Still, this is from my hearing, I understand others might hear differently, but the more I listen to the FlaresGold, the more I'm remembering the FlaresPro, and its my opinion - followed up with what I said in a post I wrote here a few days ago describing the FlaresPro - the more I listen/remember, the more I think the FlaresPro had a light V-Shape sound, but one that didn't necessarily recess the mids/vocals, as Flare Audio seems to be trying to provide a more forward sound, in general.
So, rather than recessing the mids/vocals to give weight to the bass/treble on the FlaresPro, Flare Audio kept most of the bass and treble near neutral, in order to not make the mids/vocals recessed-sounding. Instead, Flare enhanced the lower bass/sub bass and also the upper treble, whereas most audio companies trying to produce a V-Shape recess the mids/vocals by lifting the mid bass/upper bass, along with the lower treble/mid treble. The only part of the V-Shaped sound I don't mind and actually do like, is the enhanced lower treble. Yet certainly not at the expense of the mids/vocals.
Prior to my having purchased the FlaresPro, I conversed through email with a representative at Flare Audio. I requested a frequency response graph of the FlaresPro, which I received not long afterwards, though I did receive an apology for the perceived delay in providing it to me, which was part of the overall excellent nature in which Flare Audio took great care in communicating towards me. After my inital viewing of the frequency response graph, I relayed my concerns to Flare Audio regarding the enhanced sub bass/lower bass, to which they replied how the graph expressed the quantity based on the capabilities of the FlaresPro, rather than a standard sound signature output for every song.
Perhaps this is the case. After all, my listening to the FlaresPro was not overly thorough, not even the least a complete testing of all the various sound attributes and capabilities of the FlaresPro, because of my sudden noticing of the incompatibility the FlaresPro has with certain songs that delivers the harsh treble during playback of certain moments in music featuring prominant cymbal and tambourine instrumentals. This made the continuation of listening to the FlaresPro unbearable for me. Yet, I now regret I didn't try listening to more music for the sake of testing analysis. While I did get some perception of the graph's showing the capabilities of the FlaresPro, rather than as a standard sound signature output for every song - after all, not every song had the harsh treble to it - I didn't get a full analysis of this in regards to the bass.
Due to the limitation of my bass testing of the FlaresPro , I cannot be certain of my comparisons, but from what I do remember, the bass on the FlaresPro was more bassy than the FlaresGold, while the FlaresGold has a bass quantity more similar to that of the R2A, despite the bass quality of the FlaresGold being more refined than the R2A. Also, while I won't judge the FlaresPro to the extent of saying that the bass bleeds into the mids/vocals, the limited memories of the FlaresPro brought forth by listening to the FlaresGold makes me remember the bass sounding prominent enough where at times it did stand out among the mids/vocals, but not necessarily where the bass bled into the mids/vocals, nor did the bass make the mids/vocals sound recessed.
As I mentioned a few paragraphs earlier in this post, there is a way in which Flare Audio went for its own type of a V-Shaped sound in the FlaresPro that differs from the normal V-Shape sound signature. Its actually more like a wide "w" without the middle diagonal lines, and not a capital "W", but rather a lowercase "w". Whereas the FlaresGold is much more neutral, like the R2A, but with the treble detail of the FlaresPro, except without the harshness of the FlaresPro. The mids/vocals on both are forward, though because the bass is not so prominent on the FlaresGold in a sometimes overshadowing way, the FlaresGold can sound like putting the middle diagonal lines back into the lowercase "w", though the second line inwards doesn't dip, it stays at least flat. Although I'd suggest, based on what I've read about upper bass being what can "bleed into" the mids/vocals if extended, there ought to be a dip around there, while the earlier bass remain neutral. At least this is how the FlaresGold sounds to me.
I'll write a post in a few days discussing planar magnetic drivers more in relation to Flare Audio, and discuss more about issues regarding lower and upper treble. One thing for certain though, it sure sounds Flare Audio got them both right in the tuning of the FlaresGold.
