[Arysyn]

Flares Pro just sounds like that. You don't have a faulty unit. I've had two Flares Pro (and send one for check-up). Some people (many actually) just don't pay attention to some things in sound and don't listen closely enough.
First of all - I've tried many different sources and the truth is nothing sounded as good as their bluetooth module. Of course, bass was tightier and more impactful on some of them, etc. but as a whole the bluetooth module is best I've heard.
Second, choosing the right tips is extremely important. Comply's are best to eliminate your problem but at the same time, they take away a bit of clarity, texture and make soundstage smaller... INAirs are a quite good compromise - somewhat smoothing the harshness (not completely though), without taking anything away that much.

Same goes with Flares Gold. Unfortunately "the tizz/fizz" is still there - it's the same driver after all but it's better to some degree. Fortunately, with Comply's it's completely gone and this time without the downsides like with Flares Pro.
I don't have many sources right now to test Flares Gold wired but with Shozy Alien+ (class A amp section) and Sabaj DA3 (cheap but great DAC/amp - I like it better than Mojo or Oppo HA-2) it sounds worse than with bluetooth module. Same goes with Sony WM1A or Galaxy S8+.

For long sessions I still prefer R2pro's. I think they're the best IEMs from Flare and my favourite IEMs on the market (sadly no longer on the market). Not as good technically as PROs and GOLDs but still great and much more musical and natural sounding.

Good post, awayeah, but one thing I differ from your assesment of the FlaresGold is the fizz/tizz noise, at least on wired. When I listened through the Bluetooth recently, which was quite a bit after I wrote my review as I didn't want confusion between my opinions regarding wired vs wireless quality, I noticed some of the noise returning, but the Bluetooth was also a bit boomier in terms of bass. However, I don't think the problem is associated with the same issue as with what happens on the FlaresPro. Wired FlaresGold completely eliminates that issue from wired FlaresPro.

However, that doesn't mean that the treble on the FlaresGold is completely different than the FlaresPro. The tuning is still to create a live sound environment, but what I suspect has been done differently is the upper treble bump lowered, while Flare may have increased the middle treble and lower treble slightly to compensate. I won't know this though for sure without seeing a frequency response measurement for it. Also, I didn't get a thorough listen to the FlaresPro treble to determine whether it has the 3d spacing atmosphere to it the FlaresGold has, because of the static I believe is caused by the upper treble hump.

Regarding the latest discussion of sources and recordings, while I'm not sure what majo is listening to in getting the fizz, all the recordings I listened to were from uncompressed Flac, some also both that and on Tidal Hi-Fi, where I listened to both versions. I used a few different sources when testing the FlaresPro. All produced the same results. The FlaresGold I only listened to on the Meridian Explorer2 and recently the included Bluetooth module. I noticed several differences with Bluetooth, which was far worse than using wired through the ME2. I simply cannot recommend Bluetooth.

 

[majo123]

Regarding the latest discussion of sources and recordings, while I'm not sure what majo is listening to in getting the fizz, all the recordings I listened to were from uncompressed Flac,

I don't stream , I only ever listen to uncompressed flac or the odd 24 bit or dsd download from a card.

 

[Arysyn]

I don't stream , I only ever listen to uncompressed flac or the odd 24 bit or dsd download from a card.

In that case, you definitely are not hearing the fizz from anything other than from the FlaresPro, majo.

 

[majo123]

In that case, you definitely are not hearing the fizz from anything other than from the FlaresPro, majo.

I was never in any doubt it wasn't the pros, as I said in previous post I have various sources and iems and I'm a purest as in I never use bluetooth or streaming services want my music to sound the best i can get it for my budget.
I am sad to let the pros go though because they do so much right but I'm a very mids/vocals guy It for me is the main piece of the puzzle , I can live with lows being a tad much for my taste or treble not having a bit of sparkle etc etc but if vocals/mids are not right then for me it's spoiling the whole show and unfortunately the tizz fizz on the mids was too much.

 

[Arysyn]

I was never in any doubt it wasn't the pros, as I said in previous post I have various sources and iems and I'm a purest as in I never use bluetooth or streaming services want my music to sound the best i can get it for my budget.
I am sad to let the pros go though because they do so much right but I'm a very mids/vocals guy It for me is the main piece of the puzzle , I can live with lows being a tad much for my taste or treble not having a bit of sparkle etc etc but if vocals/mids are not right then for me it's spoiling the whole show and unfortunately the tizz fizz on the mids was too much.

I wrote an email to Flare today, asking them to review the recent threads where we've been discussing the issue the FlaresPro has, and how its absent in the FlaresGold, also asking for them to do some comparative listening tests and again for frequency response measurements of the FlaresGold. I'll update here when I hear back from them.

I know the FlaresGold is a bit expensive, majo and with your concerns about damaging them. If I had those same concerns with my situation, I'd be extremely frustrated at the portable audio industry because there simply are no mid/vocal centric-forward dynamic driver-based iems at $500-$600 or less. There are more choices with balanced armature driver-based iems, but those just do not have the emotional richness to the music dynamic drivers produce.

 

[majo123]

I wrote an email to Flare today, asking them to review the recent threads where we've been discussing the issue the FlaresPro has, and how its absent in the FlaresGold, also asking for them to do some comparative listening tests and again for frequency response measurements of the FlaresGold. I'll update here when I hear back from them.

I know the FlaresGold is a bit expensive, majo and with your concerns about damaging them. If I had those same concerns with my situation, I'd be extremely frustrated at the portable audio industry because there simply are no mid/vocal centric-forward dynamic driver-based iems at $500-$600 or less. There are more choices with balanced armature driver-based iems, but those just do not have the emotional richness to the music dynamic drivers produce.

I agree there's not much out there at all , I will say I am adaptable I do lean towards a more neutral sig but if something is done right then I can handle slightly more low end or not enough grunt , treble rolled off a bit or a bit too shimmery etc etc mids are where it counts for me.
I have re600v2 these are definitely not everyone's cup of tea , not much low-end and treble rolls off but mids are fantastic and imaging is probably the best i have heard.
The pros are great truly but they need to fix that fizz/tizz as its ruining an otherwise fantastic iem.
Anyway that's just my take /opinion others may differ I will keep an eye on the thread from time to time see what gives

 

[Arysyn]

I agree there's not much out there at all , I will say I am adaptable I do lean towards a more neutral sig but if something is done right then I can handle slightly more low end or not enough grunt , treble rolled off a bit or a bit too shimmery etc etc mids are where it counts for me.
I have re600v2 these are definitely not everyone's cup of tea , not much low-end and treble rolls off but mids are fantastic and imaging is probably the best i have heard.
The pros are great truly but they need to fix that fizz/tizz as its ruining an otherwise fantastic iem.
Anyway that's just my take /opinion others may differ I will keep an eye on the thread from time to time see what gives

One idea for you majo might be the HiFiman RE800. Its slightly more recessed in the mids/vocals than the FlaresPro, but not massively V-shaped by any means. The bass is hevier than the Flares too, but again not by any significant amount. However, the treble is much better on the RE800 than on the FlaresPro, being that HiFiMan focused more in the lower treble than the upper treble. Still its nothing compared to how great the FlaresGold is, but the RE800 certainly is more affordable.

 

[awayeah]

Arysyn, I can't agree with you - Flares Pro issues are still there in Flares Gold but to a lesser degree. And completely gone with the right tips.
Flares Pro after a lot of burn-in were a bit better in upper midrange/treble section, making them very close to what Flares Gold sound.
Meridian Explorer2 is no great source - it's just an average DAC/amp. I've not listen to it on Flares Pro / Gold, so maybe there's some magic synergy between the two.
I still think bluetooth module is better than most other sources - and so does Flare Audio, and so did the guys reviewing Flares Pro on Headfonia and Headfonics....

I think that foam tips play more important role than source. Today I switched from Flare's audiophile foam tips to other foams (don't know which brand because I've mixed them all together) and suddenly they sound much better wired than they did before. Actually, now they sound great with Shozy Alien+ (which in my opinion is one of the best DAPs available - soundwise, regardless the price - it would be the best if not the average soundstage). With audiophile foam tips, Flares Gold sounded harsh on Alien+, with the same issues you've had with Flares Pro.

I've sold my Flares Pro to a friend recently (and he loves their sound - no suprise there) but I did a thorough comparison between them and Golds after burn-in. Difference between them is really small.

Getting back to "the fizz". I think "the fizz" is present with some songs, the problem is that most of the headphones hides it, while Flares Pro emphasize it. I discover it with some Frank Sinatra songs, don't remember which - but after I've heard it, I tried it with R2pro's and other IEMs and "the fizz" was there too, but in a way that don't bother the ears as much as with Flares Pro (and Flares Gold).

Anyhow... I think there might be some magic synergy between Flares Gold and ALO Dual Mono Continental but I can't check it. Maybe someone here have both, Flares Gold and Dual Mono?

 

[McCol]

I agree there's not much out there at all , I will say I am adaptable I do lean towards a more neutral sig but if something is done right then I can handle slightly more low end or not enough grunt , treble rolled off a bit or a bit too shimmery etc etc mids are where it counts for me.
I have re600v2 these are definitely not everyone's cup of tea , not much low-end and treble rolls off but mids are fantastic and imaging is probably the best i have heard.
The pros are great truly but they need to fix that fizz/tizz as its ruining an otherwise fantastic iem.
Anyway that's just my take /opinion others may differ I will keep an eye on the thread from time to time see what gives

Here’s my take on it.
Here in the UK the Golds are £1000 and the AKG N5005 are £800, you can get a 10% newsletter discount from AKG and Flare always have a Facebook discount of 10% knocking around as well.
The Golden discount on Flare seems to have expired now. I managed to get that discount and at £650 the golds are amazing value for money however at full price they are still a great earphone but face stiffer competition.

The AKG N5005 are an absolute cracking earphone that are in rotation for me with the Golds, they have a different signature in terms of the bass response. The bass is there, it has a depth and a kick when needed but doesn’t quite have the warmth of the Golds bass. The mids and highs however for me are more detailed and are separated from the bass better than the golds, there is a real pace and sharp response that the golds can’t quite match.

Both are astounding earphones, if you can trial the N5005 then they are worth considering as a cheaper alternative to the golds.
Also bear in mind that the N5005 come with filters which allow the ability to add to the bass or treble though to be honest I haven’t really tried them, I’ve been more than happy with the reference filters.

 

[majo123]

Getting back to "the fizz". I think "the fizz" is present with some songs, the problem is that most of the headphones hides it, while Flares Pro emphasize it. I discover it with some Frank Sinatra songs, don't remember which - but after I've heard it, I tried it with R2pro's and other IEMs and "the fizz" was there too, but in a way that don't bother the ears as much as with Flares Pro (and Flares Gold

I actually agree with this, I too a/b ing between iems felt that it was present at times with other iems but as you pointed out it seems to show more with the pros to an unsatisfactory level. I admittedly was clutching at straws in the end with the pros as to why it was happening as I didn't want to give up on them.

 

[majo123]

if you can trial the N5005 then they are worth considering as a cheaper alternative to the golds.

Thanks I will check them out, I have my eye on a few replacements at the moment but totally different take on things and sigs.

 

[Arysyn]

Arysyn, I can't agree with you - Flares Pro issues are still there in Flares Gold but to a lesser degree. And completely gone with the right tips.
Flares Pro after a lot of burn-in were a bit better in upper midrange/treble section, making them very close to what Flares Gold sound.
Meridian Explorer2 is no great source - it's just an average DAC/amp. I've not listen to it on Flares Pro / Gold, so maybe there's some magic synergy between the two.
I still think bluetooth module is better than most other sources - and so does Flare Audio, and so did the guys reviewing Flares Pro on Headfonia and Headfonics....

I think that foam tips play more important role than source. Today I switched from Flare's audiophile foam tips to other foams (don't know which brand because I've mixed them all together) and suddenly they sound much better wired than they did before. Actually, now they sound great with Shozy Alien+ (which in my opinion is one of the best DAPs available - soundwise, regardless the price - it would be the best if not the average soundstage). With audiophile foam tips, Flares Gold sounded harsh on Alien+, with the same issues you've had with Flares Pro.

I've sold my Flares Pro to a friend recently (and he loves their sound - no suprise there) but I did a thorough comparison between them and Golds after burn-in. Difference between them is really small.

Getting back to "the fizz". I think "the fizz" is present with some songs, the problem is that most of the headphones hides it, while Flares Pro emphasize it. I discover it with some Frank Sinatra songs, don't remember which - but after I've heard it, I tried it with R2pro's and other IEMs and "the fizz" was there too, but in a way that don't bother the ears as much as with Flares Pro (and Flares Gold).

Anyhow... I think there might be some magic synergy between Flares Gold and ALO Dual Mono Continental but I can't check it. Maybe someone here have both, Flares Gold and Dual Mono?

The problem you're hearing could be source and tip related not in how the source is processing the sound, but how its interacting with the Flare signature made worse by the foam tips.

Prior to my purchasing the FlaresGold, several people here told me the FlaresGold resolved the issue of the noise. I still was skeptical, but I went ahead and bought them. Sure enough they were right. Still, I'm not saying the noise can't happen, because as I've admitted to hearing, the treble emphasis still is there and its pushed to the boundaries. However, the line is not crossed with the Meridian Explorer2 dac and the Spinfit Twinblade CP240L eartips.

I know the ME2 isn't necessarily the greatest dac, and I'm still waiting on a dedicated solution using the new 32-bit Cirrus Logic chipset. But the ME2 at least is keeping the FlaresGold sounding good, where the FlaresPro did not.

Although I'm getting curious about the N5005 being mentioned here, especially if the bass is less and the mids/vocals are more forward.

 

[Arysyn]

I just took a look online for the AKG N5005, and noticed its mostly balanced armature driven, but with one dynamic driver that likely is tuned for bass... which would mean the mids and treble are balanced armature driven. To me, that isn't good and really isn't a fair comparison to the FlaresGold, in my opinion. On a personal preference level its fair to say which one likes better, but technically not a fair comparison. I see plenty of reviews that do compare between the different drivers, but its not something I believe is the proper thing to do, because they are so different, the sound is very different, etc. Balanced Armature drivers provide a clearer, more raw detailed sound, whereas dynamic drivers bring a full, rich emotional sound. Huge difference and the type of music that is best played on them differs from one another.

Anyways, the appearence of the fit was something I immediately like better about the FlaresGold, so of course that was another thing I noticed. But thats as far as I'll go comparing the two.

 

[awayeah]

The problem you're hearing could be source and tip related not in how the source is processing the sound, but how its interacting with the Flare signature made worse by the foam tips.

Yeah, that's basically what I've wrote But it's the driver character, that's at the source of the problem.
Anyway, why are you looking for a source with "new 32-bit Cirrus Logic"? That's just a DAC like any other DAC, depending on the implementation it can sound awful or great or mediocre... You should never look for gear, based on the specification - that what years of experience in audio have taught me. To choose the right source you need to try it, there's no way around that. To a limited degree you can rely on others opinions, but there's too many hypes and it's very hard to filter opinions.

I agree with you about the N5005. Good armature drivers will always give more wow effect in midrage, but in the long run I always prefer dynamic driver characteristics - it's more subtle and elegant presentation of sound.

 

[Jonathan Dunham]

Flares Pro just sound like that. You don't have a faulty unit. I've had two Flares Pro (and send one for check-up). Some people (many actually) just don't pay attention to some things in sound and don't listen closely enough.
First of all - I've tried many different sources and the truth is nothing sounded as good as their bluetooth module. Of course, bass was tightier and more impactful on some of them, etc. but as a whole the bluetooth module is best I've heard.
Second, choosing the right tips is extremely important. Comply's are best to eliminate your problem but at the same time, they take away a bit of clarity, texture and make soundstage smaller... INAirs are a quite good compromise - somewhat smoothing the harshness (not completely though), without taking anything away that much.

Same goes with Flares Gold. Unfortunately "the tizz/fizz" is still there - it's the same driver after all but it's better to some degree. Fortunately, with Comply's it's completely gone and this time without the downsides like with Flares Pro.
I don't have many sources right now to test Flares Gold wired but with Shozy Alien+ (class A amp section) and Sabaj DA3 (cheap but great DAC/amp - I like it better than Mojo or Oppo HA-2) it sounds worse than with bluetooth module. Same goes with Sony WM1A or Galaxy S8+.

For long sessions I still prefer R2pro's. I think they're the best IEMs from Flare and my favourite IEMs on the market (sadly no longer on the market). Not as good technically as PROs and GOLDs but still great and much more musical and natural sounding.

You mean for you, and your experience, the Flares Pro sound like that. It's such a generalisation to say they all sound like that unless you've tried a number of samples of each type and found the tizz with them all and with various sources! Was the replacement Pro you had from Flare themselves or another source? I'd like to see what Flare have said about your situation.

There's definitely something going with your set-up or the way you use the Flares if you're hearing a tizz consistently. You are pretty well alone in hearing that apart from when Arsyn was hearing a harshness on certain songs. But I was never convinced that wasn't just a poor recording or source anyway.

A tizzy sound can be caused by a poorly fitting tip, I've had that myself hearing a distortion until the tip is repositioned. You've already said that using Comply's with the Gold there's no tizz so maybe tips are your problem. Sure you may find that using other IEM's with the same tips are ok, but the shape of the IEM body, insertion depth etc etc will all make a large difference.

And the fact that you're preferring the Bluetooth module to any other source is also indicative of something strange going on. Because whilst that Bluetooth module is pretty competent and great for mobile use, its easily improved by many other wired sources (for me my Chord Mojo and my various desktop set-ups for example). You say that you've used many sources, what were they, and are they consistently clean sounding on your other IEM's? Any decent desktop set-up's being used (i.e. not from a phone) as a source?