[barondla]

barondla,

I ordered the ifi iematch you mentioned. It should arrive on Sunday. I'm going to see if that helps. If it does, expect a glowing review from me soon, as I do love everything else about the FlaresPro, just not the occasional hiss.

Hope it works for you. Besides EQ there isn't a whole lot else to try - short of changing equipment. Don't think my voltage divider changes the overall sound frequency response much. It does change the sound slightly. It is similar to loading a moving coil cartridge. There is a slightly more controlled sound.

 

[rickhawk22]

Hi rickhawk,

I've listened to the song through my Flac file f it I've had for a while now, and also on Tidal. I've listened to both when I tried the HiFiMan RE800, which despite its flaws that happily the FlaresPro corrected, I never heard any hiss nor sibilance on the Enigma music, nor on Moment of Peace by Gregorian.

Most of the music I listen to is the ambient/ethereal kind like Enigma, Delerium, Schiller, Sleepthief, ConjureOne, Amethystium, etc, along with Epic Trailer Orchestra music like Two Steps From Hell, Thomas Bergersen, and so on... Music where while there isn't always vocals present, when they are - you really want to be able to hear them over all the mystical soundscape surrounding it.

Having any hiss involved is a big problem. Thing is, FlaresPro sounds great in every other way, hits everything so perfectly and flawlessly to exactly what I want, except for where the hiss is present. It isn't in the more bassier Curtains (Myst4 Version) by Peter Gabriel, I surprisingly don't hear it during the more trebly Veni Redemptor Gentium by Paul Schwartz, which that song absolutely requires more bass, in order to get the emotion of the song correct.

Yet, when I get to MOP by Gregorian and ROB by Enigma, there begins the hiss for me. It definitely is present in the cymbal/tambourine-sounding parts to it. That is what I want minimized, which is why I tested with the graphics equalizer. Truly I wasn't trying to color the sound, but to find a way to reduce the loss in quality of certain details and spacing from reducing the upper range in trying to eliminate the hiss. I found I can only get it down halfway with the equalizer, before really seriously changing the sound for the worse.

When I think of a hiss, I think of the tape hiss, that is a constant background white noise type of sound. is it like a sharp tsss tss sound your hearing? I can hear that in the recording, and its like a reverb sharpening the cymbal sound. definitely part of the production of that song. I think the revealing nature of the Flare's "unearth" that part of the recording. Kind of like how people acknowledge a head phone that reveals things in songs they know well, that they didn't notice before. It seems part of the of the driving beat and its repeatable, though not every measure, seems to be every other measure. and its not noticed during the earlier part of that movement. I really notice it during the woodwind instrument portion as well, both leading and sometimes ending that instrument. I pick it up on my Adam A3X monitors on my desk here as well.

 

[Arysyn]

I think you guys misunderstood eachother - @Arysyn speaks of hissing as in sibilance / harshness in upper midrange/treble while @barondla speaks of hissing as in background noise.
Flares Pro are very unsensitive to hissing of source/amp (background noise) - just like the old Flares, so the background is usually silent/hiss-free but Flares Pro are prone to sibilance and this can be dealt with by choosing the right source/amp and tips (of course to a degree).

When I think of a hiss, I think of the tape hiss, that is a constant background white noise type of sound. is it like a sharp tsss tss sound your hearing? I can hear that in the recording, and its like a reverb sharpening the cymbal sound. definitely part of the production of that song. I think the revealing nature of the Flare's "unearth" that part of the recording. Kind of like how people acknowledge a head phone that reveals things in songs they know well, that they didn't notice before. It seems part of the of the driving beat and its repeatable, though not every measure, seems to be every other measure. I pick it up on my Adam A3X monitors on my desk here as well.

At the moment, I'm going to wait until Sunday when I get the ifi voltage device barondla suggested and see if it helps in any way to reduce the hiss I'm hearing in certain songs using the FlaresPro. Even if it doesn't, it might help in other ways, and its probably good device to use in general. At $50, it really isn't a bad deal overall.

Now regarding the hiss sound specifically, I'll try to describe it the best I can for now, at least until I get the ifi unit and test it with that. I'll explain it here, among writing about other sound aspects.

I'm not hearing the hiss sound on all music, only certain type of songs which I believe are taking advantage of the upper treble bump of the FlaresPro. The tuning of the FlaresPro is really unique in regard to allowing songs to take advantage of different frequencies in a way I haven't heard so much with other iems.

For example, Curtains is a bassier song, yet the bass is so well controlled on it that unlike other iems that make the song sound too bassy, the FlaresPro gets it exactly right. In that regard, I'd worry about less bassy songs that need a bit of push for extra bass, such as Veni Redemptor Gentium, to sound very lacking of emotion. Yet, the FlaresPro sounds like its providing just the right amount of bass for that song too, boosting it where it needs for the emotional impact to be heard and felt.

The treble is where the concern is, an area I never thought boosted treble would be a problem. Odd thing is, with the HiFiMan RE800 which has a much more narrow treble bump/spike than the FlaresPro, while many have complained about it over on the RE800 thread, I never heard the issues described there about it. My only complaints about the RE800 was the bass boost that was always present in all music I listened to, along with its slightly recessed vocals.

From my opinion, the upper treble bump of the FlaresPro likely is causing the hiss in the songs which are tuned to take advantage of this frequency range. I'm using the Meridian Explorer2, which from all my research studying the various portable dacs on the market, is one of the best lesser bass-focused, more mid-forward, treble detailed portable dacs. This is thrwe type of sound I generally prefer, but now I know its the lower treble I like better, while having a decrease in upper treble, or at least neutral.

I figure for the time being, it is best I describe my preference being a flat/neutral bass, with a lean towards having a sub/low-bass reduction below neutral. The mids being where the process of raising towards the treble occurs, while also pushing the vocals more forward a bit above the bassline.

This is done by placing the 5dB increase throughout the low-mids and having the secondary flat/neutral line throughout the middle to upper mids, and the low to middle treble regions, to reduce beginning at 10KHz. I am open to suggestion whether or not my treble preference may still induce sibilance, which perhaps my preference would be better avoiding that by beginning the treble reduction earlier in the tuning.

I only mention my preference along with the FlaresPro because the FlaresPro deserves credit from helping me learn more about sound than I knew before. It has completely solidified my bass and mids preference, while changing my mind a bit on my treble outlook. Even the issue with the hiss has been a valuable learning experience for me, which is to say I'm trying to look at the positive from a negative situation, even while I fully appreciate the excellent qualities the FlaresPro does have.

Plus, I really like the "springy" cable. I usually don't concern myself so much about aesthetics, so long as the build isn't made from a cheap plastic and the earphones fit me well. The FlaresPro catches my attention with its great design though, something I'll write more about if I get this hiss fixed so that I can write a proper review for it.

Edit Note, I did get a bit caught up in discussing the other sound elements, I forgot to confirm again that the hiss is primarily during the cymbal/tambourine instrument sound structure during songs, which seems to activate that upper treble region of the FlaresPro. When that happens, is the time I hear the staticky hiss sound. It is more of an instrumental and a bit of foreground hiss, I think. It isn't so much the same type of sibilance from the "sss" endings in vocals.

 

[rickhawk22]

At the moment, I'm going to wait until Sunday when I get the ifi voltage device barondla suggested and see if it helps in any way to reduce the hiss I'm hearing in certain songs using the FlaresPro. Even if it doesn't, it might help in other ways, and its probably good device to use in general. At $50, it really isn't a bad deal overall.

Now regarding the hiss sound specifically, I'll try to describe it the best I can for now, at least until I get the ifi unit and test it with that. I'll explain it here, among writing about other sound aspects.

I'm not hearing the hiss sound on all music, only certain type of songs which I believe are taking advantage of the upper treble bump of the FlaresPro. The tuning of the FlaresPro is really unique in regard to allowing songs to take advantage of different frequencies in a way I haven't heard so much with other iems.

For example, Curtains is a bassier song, yet the bass is so well controlled on it that unlike other iems that make the song sound too bassy, the FlaresPro gets it exactly right. In that regard, I'd worry about less bassy songs that need a bit of push for extra bass, such as Veni Redemptor Gentium, to sound very lacking of emotion. Yet, the FlaresPro sounds like its providing just the right amount of bass for that song too, boosting it where it needs for the emotional impact to be heard and felt.

The treble is where the concern is, an area I never thought boosted treble would be a problem. Odd thing is, with the HiFiMan RE800 which has a much more narrow treble bump/spike than the FlaresPro, while many have complained about it over on the RE800 thread, I never heard the issues described there about it. My only complaints about the RE800 was the bass boost that was always present in all music I listened to, along with its slightly recessed vocals.

From my opinion, the upper treble bump of the FlaresPro likely is causing the hiss in the songs which are tuned to take advantage of this frequency range. I'm using the Meridian Explorer2, which from all my research studying the various portable dacs on the market, is one of the best lesser bass-focused, more mid-forward, treble detailed portable dacs. This is thrwe type of sound I generally prefer, but now I know its the lower treble I like better, while having a decrease in upper treble, or at least neutral.

I figure for the time being, it is best I describe my preference being a flat/neutral bass, with a lean towards having a sub/low-bass reduction below neutral. The mids being where the process of raising towards the treble occurs, while also pushing the vocals more forward a bit above the bassline.

This is done by placing the 5dB increase throughout the low-mids and having the secondary flat/neutral line throughout the middle to upper mids, and the low to middle treble regions, to reduce beginning at 10KHz. I am open to suggestion whether or not my treble preference may still induce sibilance, which perhaps my preference would be better avoiding that by beginning the treble reduction earlier in the tuning.

I only mention my preference along with the FlaresPro because the FlaresPro deserves credit from helping me learn more about sound than I knew before. It has completely solidified my bass and mids preference, while changing my mind a bit on my treble outlook. Even the issue with the hiss has been a valuable learning experience for me, which is to say I'm trying to look at the positive from a negative situation, even while I fully appreciate the excellent qualities the FlaresPro does have.

Plus, I really like the "springy" cable. I usually don't concern myself so much about aesthetics, so long as the build isn't made from a cheap plastic and the earphones fit me well. The FlaresPro catches my attention with its great design though, something I'll write more about if I get this hiss fixed so that I can write a proper review for it.

Edit Note, I did get a bit caught up in discussing the other sound elements, I forgot to confirm again that the hiss is primarily during the cymbal/tambourine instrument sound structure during songs, which seems to activate that upper treble region of the FlaresPro. When that happens, is the time I hear the staticky hiss sound. It is more of an instrumental and a bit of foreground hiss, I think. It isn't so much the same type of sibilance from the "sss" endings in vocals.

Ya, you really didn't clearify the hiss your hearing, in a descriptive way. Just repeating your preferences. In the specific song I'm describing, what part is bothering you about it?

Maybe your ears are formed in such a way, that it emphasizes certain frequencies that is bothersome to you, but not to others.

 

[Arysyn]

Ya, you really didn't clearify the hiss your hearing, in a descriptive way. Just repeating your preferences. In the specific song I'm describing, what part is bothering you about it?

Maybe your ears are formed in such a way, that it emphasizes certain frequencies that is bothersome to you, but not to others.

Its difficult for me to describe it beyond that, which is why I'm focused more on figuring out what is causing it and forming an opinion on what to look out for in general when seeing an fr graph.

Again, its really just a staticky hiss that is in the forefround during instruments using sounds in the specific upper treble frequency the FlaresPro has the bump in. I'm fairly certain that is the issue, though further testing ought to help more, such as when I get the fi device.

I described the situation with the HiFiMan RE800 before, hoping that would answer any ideas others might have suggesting the possibility its my hearing. I'm really not treble sensitive, or at least not anywhere near treble sensitive as many are on the RE800 thread, where there are plenty of complaints regarding the treble spike that iem has. I surprisingly never noticed the cymbal reverberation and sibilance with that.

If I were treble sensitive, I think I'd notice that. Besides, I don't have sibilance issues when listening to the Grado GR10e nor the GR8e most of the time, both utilizing Moving Armature drivers. However, I do notice sibilance from the Ortofon E-Q8. Although, that is not the same staticky hiss-like sibilance I'm hearing on the FlaresPro, but rather a reverberation from the "sss" sounds in vocals.

I may be more sensitive to upper treble if its extended more than say, the HiFiMan Re800, or any other iems, but not so much of a problem with lower treble. Again, I'm not too sure about this, other than from what I wrote about it, along with the supporting ideas I've mentioned alongside the specifics of the hiss in the best detail I really can provide for now.

If I do happen to have any sound sensitivities that I definitely do know of, it is the bass sensitivities. It may seem that I go out of my way to describe that quite often here, but part of it is so that others here don't suggest I try adding more bass from some source that increases bass output somehow.

 

[rickhawk22]

Its difficult for me to describe it beyond that, which is why I'm focused more on figuring out what is causing it and forming an opinion on what to look out for in general when seeing an fr graph.

Again, its really just a staticky hiss that is in the forefround during instruments using sounds in the specific upper treble frequency the FlaresPro has the bump in. I'm fairly certain that is the issue, though further testing ought to help more, such as when I get the fi device.

I described the situation with the HiFiMan RE800 before, hoping that would answer any ideas others might have suggesting the possibility its my hearing. I'm really not treble sensitive, or at least not anywhere near treble sensitive as many are on the RE800 thread, where there are plenty of complaints regarding the treble spike that iem has. I surprisingly never noticed the cymbal reverberation and sibilance with that.

If I were treble sensitive, I think I'd notice that. Besides, I don't have sibilance issues when listening to the Grado GR10e nor the GR8e most of the time, both utilizing Moving Armature drivers. However, I do notice sibilance from the Ortofon E-Q8. Although, that is not the same staticky hiss-like sibilance I'm hearing on the FlaresPro, but rather a reverberation from the "sss" sounds in vocals.

I may be more sensitive to upper treble if its extended more than say, the HiFiMan Re800, or any other iems, but not so much of a problem with lower treble. Again, I'm not too sure about this, other than from what I wrote about it, along with the supporting ideas I've mentioned alongside the specifics of the hiss in the best detail I really can provide for now.

If I do happen to have any sound sensitivities that I definitely do know of, it is the bass sensitivities. It may seem that I go out of my way to describe that quite often here, but part of it is so that others here don't suggest I try adding more bass from some source that increases bass output somehow.

I definitely do not hear what your describing. I would try a whole different setup for your playback. What app are you using for the playback? Laptop? Desktop? Mac or Windows? Do you have a friend who has a High resolution audio player you can try? Being in IT, I'm wondering if there is something in your audio chain with a hanging voltage distortion going on?

 

[Arysyn]

I definitely do not hear what your describing. I would try a whole different setup for your playback. What app are you using for the playback? Laptop? Desktop? Mac or Windows? Do you have a friend who has a High resolution audio player you can try? Being in IT, I'm wondering if there is something in your audio chain with a hanging voltage distortion going on?

Well, I am getting the voltage device from ifi in a few days, which barondla recommended to me. If that doesn't help, I'll contact Flare Audio.

This seems to be a unique situation, as some here have said they've heard the issue, while others say they haven't. If it isn't heard by most people here, then that tells me perhaps its less of an issue with the treble, and may either be a voltage issue, which if so I'll find out about on Sunday. Otherwise, it may be a faulty unit that others here have.

I'm hoping its a voltage issue and that it'll get fixed by the ifi device. If not, then that is going to lead this into a larger mystery, as others here have said they've heard it and then that leads into wondering what exactly is the thing thats activating this problem for some, but not others, even from the same song.

 

[rickhawk22]

Well, I am getting the voltage device from ifi in a few days, which barondla recommended to me. If that doesn't help, I'll contact Flare Audio.

This seems to be a unique situation, as some here have said they've heard the issue, while others say they haven't. If it isn't heard by most people here, then that tells me perhaps its less of an issue with the treble, and may either be a voltage issue, which if so I'll find out about on Sunday. Otherwise, it may be a faulty unit that others here have.

I'm hoping its a voltage issue and that it'll get fixed by the ifi device. If not, then that is going to lead this into a larger mystery, as others here have said they've heard it and then that leads into wondering what exactly is the thing thats activating this problem for some, but not others, even from the same song.

I think trying the Flares on a different audio player/setup will help in the diagnosis of this issue for you.

 

[Arysyn]

I think trying the Flares on a different audio player/setup will help in the diagnosis of this issue for you.

rickhawk,

I sent a pm to you regarding your earlier assistance and some added detail about the song and hopefully help describe where specifically to listen to for what I'm describing here.

 

[HiFlight]

Well, I am getting the voltage device from ifi in a few days, which barondla recommended to me. If that doesn't help, I'll contact Flare Audio.

This seems to be a unique situation, as some here have said they've heard the issue, while others say they haven't. If it isn't heard by most people here, then that tells me perhaps its less of an issue with the treble, and may either be a voltage issue, which if so I'll find out about on Sunday. Otherwise, it may be a faulty unit that others here have.

I'm hoping its a voltage issue and that it'll get fixed by the ifi device. If not, then that is going to lead this into a larger mystery, as others here have said they've heard it and then that leads into wondering what exactly is the thing thats activating this problem for some, but not others, even from the same song.

Have you by chance tried the same music file with the bluetooth module or different DAP or perhaps streaming from Tidal?

 

[Arysyn]

Have you by chance tried the same music file with the bluetooth module or different DAP or perhaps streaming from Tidal?

I haven't tried the Bluetooth module, because I'm really not going to be using it at all. As I mentioned in my comments to the Headfonia article, I plan only to use Bluetooth on a Bluetooth 5.0 capable iem paired with the Bluetooth 5.0 receiver in the LG V30 or the Google Pixel XL2, whichever of the two smartphones I end up buying. I have no need to ever use Bluetooth 4.1 or anything older than Bluetooth 5.0, which ought to make a major improvement in sound, especially with AptX.

I did however try the Zorloo Zuperdac, which I posted about several posts ago. The Zuperdac makes the bass much stronger in comparison to the Meridian Explorer2 I'm using, but still has the same staticky hiss in the foreground during certain instrumentals which seem to be playing in the upper treble region where the FlaresPro has a treble bump in, the sibilance zone.

I've tested with two other iems I know not to have sibilance in general, but with the songs I'm hearing this on the FlaresPro. They are the Ocharaku Donguri Silver Moon and the Grado GR10e. Neither display sibilance nor this particular noise I'm describing hearing from the FlaresPro.

Another way to describe this is by listening to Rivers of Belief by Enigma during the latter parts of the song not during the vocal areas, but rather the upbeat parts where it sounds like handheld cymbals or tambourines are shaking in a slow-ish sequence. Not like a fast pace shaking, but a slower, rhythmic pattern. During this, the playing of these instruments sound particularly strong in the foreground in contrast with the synth music that is placed more in the background with the FlaresPro.

In contrast with the other iems I've heard the song playing, on those, this sequence sounds more neutral, sort of like they are both equal, the synths and the cymbal-like instrumentals. Whereas the Flares Pro sounds as if its playing favorites significantly with the cymbal instrumentals as if they are positioned near your face, and you hear the staticky hissy reverberate from it, rather than a more natural toned down approach to these instrumentals, which is where my suspicion of the upper treble tuning may be a problem on the FlaresPro.

Again, I will be testing this with the ifi voltage device on Sunday and ought to have a better idea about this then. By the way, I've listened to three version locations of this song so far. One on Tidal and two different FLAC files of it.

 

[holden4th]

I think you guys misunderstood eachother - @Arysyn speaks of hissing as in sibilance / harshness in upper midrange/treble while @barondla speaks of hissing as in background noise.
Flares Pro are very unsensitive to hissing of source/amp (background noise) - just like the old Flares, so the background is usually silent/hiss-free but Flares Pro are prone to sibilance and this can be dealt with by choosing the right source/amp and tips (of course to a degree).

I've generally found that the biggest culprit for sibilance in iems is the tips. For example, when I got my R2As I initially used Spinfits but being someone who likes to experiment I purchased some JVC Spiral Dots. While they raised the bass they introduced a sibilance in vocals that hadn't been there before so I couldn't use them. I suspect that the larger bore is what caused the issue. However the SDs worked beautifully on my IE80s.

 

[Arysyn]

I've generally found that the biggest culprit for sibilance in iems is the tips. For example, when I got my R2As I initially used Spinfits but being someone who likes to experiment I purchased some JVC Spiral Dots. While they raised the bass they introduced a sibilance in vocals that hadn't been there before so I couldn't use them. I suspect that the larger bore is what caused the issue. However the SDs worked beautifully on my IE80s.

Just in case anyone is wondering which eartips I'm using, its the Spinfit TwinBlade CP240 Large model, which fits quite snugly and securely. It may not be as bassy as using Comply, but it isn't as loose fitting as a regular silicone eartip, and is much more secure fitting than regular single-flange Spinfit eartips.

 

[dannyking]

Hi everyone,
My flares pro sometimes makes some crackling/static noise when using the Bluetooth module on my macbook air and iphone (not as much). Does anyone else have this problem and did you find a way to fix it? Thanks

 

[HiFlight]

Hi everyone,
My flares pro sometimes makes some crackling/static noise when using the Bluetooth module on my macbook air and iphone (not as much). Does anyone else have this problem and did you find a way to fix it? Thanks

My Shanling M1 and HTC10 make no static or other artifacts when using the bluetooth, but my Samsung Plus Chromebook has poor bluetooth performance with the module, but also with other devices so it is the fault of the Plus rather than the module. I have only tried these 3 sources so far. IMO, I am hearing CD quality with the M1 and HTC10.