I just posted this on average joe's nt-6 pro thread:
"So, average joe's review of the nt-6 pro is EXACTLY how i would describe my pfe-232 in comparison to my jh16's. To me that is pretty incredible in regards to the phonak's performance. In many regards i hold it in higher regard to my jh16's but not all.
I think the largest area's that the nt-6 pro sounds similar to my pfe is the bass boost, being more subtle than the jh16, but with great speed and texture with the ability to adjust to the track vs being always on with the jh16s.
The midrange of the 232s might be a bit more recessed than the nt-6 pro, but the pfe's have less mid bass, increasing clarity and allowing more details to filter in. I think this also adds to the pfe's being more bright and a bit more thin (but not too thin) than the jh16s.
Treble is brighter on the pfe232, but is still very smooth and has a little less sibilance than the jh16. With a brighter treble, i also feel that there are a few more details revealed with the pfe232 than the jh16.
Jh16's in my mind are also more intimate and close than the pfe's, another parallel to nt-6 pro. This can lead the jh16's to reveal more details in some aspects, but the pfe's also have better dynamics and aren't quite as in your face as the jh16s. By this i mean that jh16's present everything at a similar, loud volume compared to the pfe's which allow for more difference in volume between instruments.
Again, havent heard the nt-6 pro's but am very suprised in how average joe described them and their similarities to the nt-6 pro. Makes me want to hear them, and also increases how impressed i am with my pfe's. Again, this is interpretation from what i am hearing and based on my ability to accurately imagine the description of the nt-6 pro."
This is not to say that the nt-6 is better than my jh16's, but I would not necessarily call my jh16's better. If I HAD to chose which one was better, it might be the 16's but by a hair. This would be because of the more forward (and thereby neutral) midrange, and more bass quanitity. My jh16's are also the most forgiving iem's i have owned. By that i mean that they sound good out of any source i have, while many other iem's i have owned are more picky.
Another note about midrange. In my mind, midrange has two dimensions. .
The first is volume which determines whether the midrange is recessed, neutral, or forward. The jh16's i would call neutral, and their increased mid-bass makes them warm. The pfe-232's have less midbass, which increases clarity by a small margin but makes them thinner, and very slightly recessed in comparison to bass and treble.
The second dimension is coloration. Many mid-forward iems are slightly colored in addiiton to being forward. Their is a "tone" or "house sound" that is audible on all tracks when listened to with certain headphones. This isn't a bad thing, but takes away from transparency. I found this to be the case with my shure's and my dream earz. Both the jh16's and pfe's are very transparent, despite their differences in mid-presence.
