[sodesuka]

E5000 is a very sleepy IEM to me, very laid back sound sig, big bass but rather focused on mid bass (flares stuff reach lower and better defined), hall-like soundstage, rather recessed vocal regions, thick, recessed treble. They're good if you want to relax but in term of presence, it's really hard to beat flares stuff really. I've been trying a lot of stuff in the past year, and there really aren't anything quite like their line up sound wise.

Someone please make something that sound like flares with more forward vocals please. I'd probably be set for life then. Hoping Fibae Black will be my ticket, fingers crossed.

 

[jaker782]

E5000 is a very sleepy IEM to me, very laid back sound sig, big bass but rather focused on mid bass (flares stuff reach lower and better defined), hall-like soundstage, rather recessed vocal regions, thick, recessed treble. They're good if you want to relax but in term of presence, it's really hard to beat flares stuff really. I've been trying a lot of stuff in the past year, and there really aren't anything quite like their line up sound wise.

Someone please make something that sound like flares with more forward vocals please. I'd probably be set for life then. Hoping Fibae Black will be my ticket, fingers crossed.

So you think the vocals are recessed on the Golds? That isn't my impression at all. You may want to check out the Pro 2 if you haven't already because the midrange is slightly more forward on those in my opinion at the expense of a smaller perceived soundstage.

Edit: Wait, which Flare iem were you referring to in your comparison???

 

[sodesuka]

So you think the vocals are recessed on the Golds? That isn't my impression at all. You may want to check out the Pro 2 if you haven't already because the midrange is slightly more forward on those in my opinion at the expense of a smaller perceived soundstage.

I own Pro, Pro 2, and Gold (and old R2S/Pro though they're out of commission). In term of vocal forwardness it's Pro 2 > Pro 1 > Gold, but even Pro 2 is still not quite there yet, need a bit more oomph in the vocals. And it's not as much as recessed as I like my vocal forward, to be the center of the stage even if it means smaller perceived soundstage (though it's possible to have forward vocals with around your head soundstage).

And yeah, Gold does surpass Pro/Pro 2 pretty much in everything else and especially presence so if forward vocal isn't really someone's thing, investing on Gold may be a good idea though Pro and Pro 2 put up quite a good fight even at their original prices really.

 

[jaker782]

Fair enough. So what is your distinction between midrange presence and non-forward vocals then? I dislike v-shaped iems with recessed vocals and do not get that sense with any of Flares recent offerings. I get it though as I listen to mostly vocal rock music where all the emotion that pulls you into the music resides in the mids so a forward vocal is definitely a plus! I would say just stick with the Pro 2 but at the recent price drop on the Golds, they might be worth the upgrade for the extra refinement and soundstage improvements.

 

[sodesuka]

I wouldn't have known what I was missing if I didn't get this unknown Chinese IEM with single BA on a whim either lol. Vocals are just perfect on them, everything else is fairly good but not quite at Flares' level yet, so I'm torn between them though I'm gravitating more toward the Chinese IEM nowadays which is a bit of shame. This is all preference though, very subjective stuff and what you find 'just right' is most likely 'not quite enough' for me.

I don't think Flares are V-shape (or at least extremely so) but I wouldn't call them vocal forward either. I'd say something like Pinnacle P1 is more v-shaped than Flares (oh wait just recalled they're rather bass anemic so not really v-shaped, just sucked out mids).

 

[dannyking]

Does anyone know how the Pros 2 and Gold compare to the se846? Thanks

 

[Victorfabius]

My Flares Pro developed a fault on the right side some months back. Flare fixed it within a day and shipped it back nearly overnight.

Recently, my Flares Gold demonstrated a fault on the right side - different issue that could have been around for a while. Flare fixed it and again are nearly overnighting the return.

'Nearly overnighting', by the way, means shipping to the other side of the Atlantic with delivery on the next day. Well done, Flare Audio. Well done!

Also, just wanted to mention that the Flares Pro are being discontinued and have a special sale price. I have been of the opinion that the Flares Pro were undervalued at their retail cost, so if anyone was ever on the fence and wants to take a flier on an extremely interesting IEM, now's the opportunity. Mind you, the Flares Pro is for those who can tolerate or enjoy treble, it has treble in spades. I don't mind it and I repurchased the Pros last summer to be my exercise IEM. I sell a lot of stuff after experiencing it, but I'm keeping the Pros and Pros 2 because they are such good values to me.

Great company, and I really appreciate the service they've provided.

 

[awayeah]

My Flares Pro developed a fault on the right side some months back. Flare fixed it within a day and shipped it back nearly overnight.

Recently, my Flares Gold demonstrated a fault on the right side - different issue that could have been around for a while. Flare fixed it and again are nearly overnighting the return.

What kind of faults?

I couldn't resist and have ordered Flares Pro last night. I thought "what's the point when I have Golds?" but damn 135GBP is an amazing price for that package.
Though I'm hoping Flare will come up with updated bluetooth module. Better build quality and support for LDAC would be much appreciated. And that would be an easy way to improve the sound quality even further.
On the other hand I hope, there won't be Gold 2 anytime soon I've spent enough on their products.

 

[Victorfabius]

What kind of faults?

The Pro's driver just failed. Started suddenly to get warm and no sound came out.

The Golds I learned had distortion at higher volumes. As a low volume listener, I didn't notice. Not sure if it sprang up suddenly or was there the whole time. I'm just glad I learned of it while it was still in warranty.

Flare has done a great job getting these fixed and shipped out fast. I'm very pleased with their customer service, I must say.

 

[Victorfabius]

Got the Golds back, but instead of a repair, it was a brand new set with a slightly defective cable. Still, got to put them back into my ears and welcome the sound. I'd been using the RHA CL2 and IMR R1 Zenith as backups and uh yeah, I like the Golds better than either one. Since the cable had an issue, I got out my Pros 2, listened for a short short while (sounded extremely metallic this time), switched the cable went back to one of my all time favorite IEMs.

The CL2 and R1 Zenith are impressive IEMs in their own right, and I'm starting to think of Flare Audio, IMR Acoustics and RHA as Great Britain's "Great 3", given their quality offerings. Granted, RHA is in Scotland, so it's not perfect, but still. For me, I think Flare has the best of the best with the Flare Gold. I also think that anyone who says that the CL2 or the R1 Zenith are better would also be correct. They all have a lot to offer.

Flares Gold? They just fit my taste.

 

[alpha421]

My Golds on on their way back to Flare for exchange as the left mmcx had intermittent channel cuts. Having owned the Pro and Pro 2, the Gold's sonic refinement is worthy of its retail price, IMO. Being nickpicky, I do wish the cable was different between the $200 and $1K+ price tags. However, Flare's customer support is first class and I look forward to my Gold replacement - it's sound is truly first class as well as the awesome packaging that has no equal. Seriously, it could belong in a museum of fine/modern arts.

 

[LuckyNat]

I had a Flares Pro fault and had a new pair sent back to me within the week! Mine were nearly two years old I guess (from when they first came out..) but now I have a brand new pair. I only sent the actual headphones back, nothing else.

My fault was because I'd put oil in my ear the night before and the oil got into the earfoam. The oily earfoam must have meant the ear canal was completely sealed when I pushed it in my ear - I heard a click, like the driver inverting and then from then on it lacked bass. On plastic diaphram drivers, they click back but not these berillium ones!

 

[mejoshua]

Always wanted to try the Pros but cost was a deterrent. Finally jumped at the discontinuation v1 135pounds offer! Looking forward to hearing them tomorrow!

I'm quite sensitive to treble so I'm hoping the tips can be a mitigating factor...

 

[mejoshua]

Just got the Flares Pro. Most of what I've read on this thread is true. Some quick points if anyone's interested:

- Audiophile foams mitigates treble harshness/peak for me to acceptable listening levels vs everyday foams which I cannot even bear
- There is a realism and clarity conveyed that is unmatched by most earphones. These are almost like an audio microscope - laying bare any mastering issues and sound artifacts in the recordings...

Really enjoying these. I'd imagine I'd love the Flares Gold but the price is too much for me to justify.

 

[holden4th]

Try the MandarinEs with the Pros. It works for me.