[453183]

Any suggestions for what I should be considering in this range?

I currently have 1more triple drivers, which I like a lot, but the cable is now frayed in many places after a year of use. Also use a pair of Jaybirds X3 on occasion.

I’ve been looking at the 1more quad drivers and Pioneer SE-CH9T. Also interested in trying one of the Zero Audio models, but the apparent lack of an in-line mic is a deal breaker. Musical tastes are eclectic...

 

[Colors]

What kind of sound signature are you looking for? Emphasis of bass, mid-range and treble.

 

[buke9]

The 1More Quads are worth a look a solid earphone. Quality bass with a bit of forward mids and good detail without being overly bright.

 

[yong_shun]

I found quad drivers to be a little v-shaped with recessed mid. If you want something close to triple driver, you can consider CH-9T. The presentation is spacious. Personally, I find the details and separation presented by CH-9T is better than Triple Driver but some people find the treble is fatigue making.

 

[serman005]

You might look into an iBasso IT01. Maybe read about it and see what you think. It is a bit v-shaped with slightly recessed mids, but bass and treble are fantastic. Extremely detailed. Punches way, way above its price-point in performance. Worth a look-see, for sure.

 

[kinonik90]

Maybe the RHA 750?

 

[453183]

After a few weeks of browsing, I decided to blow past my budget and treat myself to the Flares Pro (at GBP349 by direct purchase) after reading some positive reviews and liking the idea of wireless optionality with the separate bluetooth unit. Having received them today, I am filled with regret. While they provide a clear and detailed sound, I find the treble a little harsh. Certain tracks sound very good - classical music especially (which I rarely listen to), but others sound tinny to me. Perhaps I am not a cultured audiophile and will eventuall grow into appreciating this sound profile. As of now, I find my old 1More triple drivers far more enjoyable. This makes me wonder, how much should I have spent and what should I have purchased to obtain significantly better earphones of a similar profile?

Even worse, the Flares Pro have very thin rubbery cables that annoyingly curve up towards my chin when the bluetooth unit is clipped to my shirt. The accompanying box seems to be of much higher quality and higher cost than the actual earphones. And worst of all, they have reduced the price by a whopping GBP150 while my order was being delivered. Makes you wonder about the size of their margins.

 

[serman005]

Staying away from wireless helps a lot IM personal O. But that is just my personal take. In your price range, I like the Campfire Orion a whole darn lot, FWIW. Very sorry you had this experience... ---( Just curious--did anyone here on Head-fi recommend the Flares Pro or was it outside reviews you relied upon?

 

[13gsc13]

If you like the 1More triple driver - why not buy them again?
I have them and they are fun to listen to

 

[surfgeorge]

After a few weeks of browsing, I decided to blow past my budget and treat myself to the Flares Pro (at GBP349 by direct purchase) after reading some positive reviews and liking the idea of wireless optionality with the separate bluetooth unit. Having received them today, I am filled with regret. While they provide a clear and detailed sound, I find the treble a little harsh. Certain tracks sound very good - classical music especially (which I rarely listen to), but others sound tinny to me. Perhaps I am not a cultured audiophile and will eventuall grow into appreciating this sound profile. As of now, I find my old 1More triple drivers far more enjoyable. This makes me wonder, how much should I have spent and what should I have purchased to obtain significantly better earphones of a similar profile?

Even worse, the Flares Pro have very thin rubbery cables that annoyingly curve up towards my chin when the bluetooth unit is clipped to my shirt. The accompanying box seems to be of much higher quality and higher cost than the actual earphones. And worst of all, they have reduced the price by a whopping GBP150 while my order was being delivered. Makes you wonder about the size of their margins.

Sorry to hear you don't like the new ones!
I have read only good things about the Flares Pro and was actually looking for them but couldn't find them, so I got the 1More Triple.
Those have a lot of bass, that might explain why the Flares sound "tinny" if they are more neutral.

Couple of things you could try:
Are the Flares sealing properly? That might have an impact.
What are you using as source? The 1More Triple are IMHO not very revealing of source quality, they don't show much difference between the PC out and my Chord Mojo DAC/Amp.
If you have a chance to listen to the Flares on a high quality source (good DAP or DAC/amp) try that.
And give your brain some time to adjust, it might need time to adapt to the signature.

Good luck!

 

[453183]

Sorry to hear you don't like the new ones!
I have read only good things about the Flares Pro and was actually looking for them but couldn't find them, so I got the 1More Triple.
Those have a lot of bass, that might explain why the Flares sound "tinny" if they are more neutral.

Couple of things you could try:
Are the Flares sealing properly? That might have an impact.
What are you using as source? The 1More Triple are IMHO not very revealing of source quality, they don't show much difference between the PC out and my Chord Mojo DAC/Amp.
If you have a chance to listen to the Flares on a high quality source (good DAP or DAC/amp) try that.
And give your brain some time to adjust, it might need time to adapt to the signature.

Good luck!

If you really want them, they are now available at a big discount directly from Flare Audio. Unusual for a company to drop prices so sharply from one day to the next...certainly makes customers who have just purchased feel like crap! I typically use my iPad as the source, streaming Spotify at extreme quality. They are not bad at all and perhaps I’m not used to the sound profile. But I’ve been alternating between them and the 1Mores, trying to convince myself that they are as good or better...at the end of the day, it doesn’t make me feel good about having purchased them at 5x the price.
Anyway, I can’t fault them for the sound since I took a gamble on the merits of reviews, but the quality of the cables is very poor for a product at this price point. It becomes absurd when the company has spared no expense for the elaborate box. I wouldn’t pocket them without a case, as I sometimes do with other earphones (which means that I won’t use them as much due to the inconvenience). The other thing is that the mic on the Bluetooth unit is positioned downwards if you clip it inside a shirt pocket. I suppose they intend for people to clip it on the outside of their shirt, but I don’t want to go around with some conspicuous item on my clothing.