[cassiohui]

colour?

111 = white, 112 = black

 

[Lenni]

thanks for the clarification, I order the 112's + some extra tips. I made it to the end of the order form but could not find any form of payment, lol, the status says: open. I emailed them, we'll see what they say

 

[mierenneuker]

damn, think they are broken.
sounds very muffled, left side has a lower volume and it distorts when I put it on a normal listening volume

 

[Ricey20]

could it be the filter? try checking it. Someone mentioned in a earlier post that one side sounded off and it was the filter not installed correctly or something.

 

[mierenneuker]

well, it couldn't be the filter I think, right side sounded distorted and was less loud than normal and left side was pretty hard to hear something.
but it's normal again..
don't know how but I didn't touched it.

 

[Jazz9]

I've been wanting to get a high quality iem for some time now and I'm trying to find the right one for me.
Do you think the PFE would be suitable for someone who listens primarily to indie/pop/rock with some different genres on the side (instrumental OST, motown sound...)?
I want something that I can listen to for long sessions and that can be fun at the same time too. Detailed highs while not aggressive with smooth mids.
Concerning the bass, I'm not a bass head by any means (I have some ep-630s and that's too much bass for me while the bass on my SoundMagic PL30 is fine) , I do like some but I want it to be punchy with some weight without it being bloated and intruding.
I live in France and I don't have many options for my budget (I don't want to buy them online from the US because of taxes).
Basically it's either the PFE, Senns ie7 or Q-jays (respectively around 120, 140 and 130€).
They would be used with a Sansa Fuze and a Zero Dac/amp (opa627/LT1364).
Thanks for your help!

 

[Confispect]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazz9 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've been wanting to get a high quality iem for some time now and I'm trying to find the right one for me. Do you think the PFE would be suitable for someone who listens primarily to indie/pop/rock with some different genres on the side (instrumental OST, motown sound...)? I want something that I can listen to for long sessions and that can be fun at the same time too. Detailed highs while not aggressive with smooth mids. Concerning the bass, I'm not a bass head by any means (I have some ep-630s and that's too much bass for me while the bass on my SoundMagic PL30 is fine) , I do like some but I want it to be punchy with some weight without it being bloated and intruding. I live in France and I don't have many options for my budget (I don't want to buy them online from the US because of taxes). Basically it's either the PFE, Senns ie7 or Q-jays (respectively around 120, 140 and 130€). They would be used with a Sansa Fuze and a Zero Dac/amp (opa627/LT1364). Thanks for your help!

Yes I would suggest the Phonaks for what you’re looking for in a phone. I also would recommend them over the Q-jays seeing as they took the Q-jays spot for editor’s award over at anythingbutipod.com. The Phonak's are extremely clear in-ear to the point of making out vocals that was unclear before. The highs are well extended without being sibilant at all. The mids voice wise never fail to surprise or disappoint. These are very neutral phones depending on what filter you they can sway to side or the other.

Grey for mids and black for a 'impact' low wise and a wider frequency in the highs. No sound over powers the other.........Bass this is subjective to argument by many, what you find in this department is 'accurate' bass with NO mid-bass hump. Some may say these aren't designed for the fun factor. I agree, these are accurate phones not fun warm phones. The bass goes the lowest that I've ever experienced from a IEM. No IEM I’ve owned or heard goes this low, it packs a nice quality. Quantity wise is also subjective as the mids and the highs; whatever you might here is the truth...


Meaning if the song has bass you will hear it, anything you song has or does not have you will hear and feel it. (SIDENOTE) For some odd reason these phones sound EXTRA.....clear with classical, jazz, acoustic, and trance,. Rock it depends who it is as will all other genres the sound is EXTRA clear for example Nickelback, Photograph sounds great, the guitar strings twang in your ear, as you hear whoever's playing fingers slide from note to note.


I would call these phones Perfect Clear Perfection. I will quote someone, when I say this I don't know who I want to use the way he put this. The Phonaks are like a hospital with all the lights on. Letting you view every major/minor detail, whether is the annoying nurses face, or the way her glasses somehow rest on the end of her nose.


You smell every smell; see every flicker from a 'need to be changed light'. These reveal, everything vs. The Shure530 which to me is like a night-club with low lights....warm...these are neutral. I think I'm rambling so I'm going to stop now.



(EDIT: Listening to Lux Aeterna......nice quality but needs more bass, this is the main reason the filters are so useful........The filters make this phone into two phones in one. Gotta love it.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Confispect /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would call these phones Perfect Clear Perfection. I will quote someone, when I say this I don't know who I want to use the way he put this. The Phonaks are like a hospital with all the lights on. Letting you view every major/minor detail, whether is the annoying nurses face, or the way her glasses somehow rest on the end of her nose. You smell every smell; see every flicker from a 'need to be changed light'. These reveal, everything vs. The Shure530 which to me is like a night-club with low lights....warm...these are neutral. I think I'm rambling so I'm going to stop now.

Do two positives make a negative?

How about perfectly clear presentation?

To be fair, the bright hospital vs favorite nightclub story was originally about a UE-10 Pro vs ES3X, but I can see how the Phonaks vs SE530 (or Phonak vs W3 for that matter) would fit that simile too.

 

[bixby]

I have only had my PFEs for a week or so and only plan to use with my Zen Vision M and 99% of the time with the Ray Samuels SR-71. Here are my impressions. All files played are wave from the Zen dock via Cardas mini to SR-71 the PFEs sound much better than though Zen HP out. I don't believe the HP out is that great on the Zen, it seems to be a bit flat dynamically and with less instrument detail even at higher levels. It has to be turned about up to 23 or so (25 is the max ) to get acceptable detail.

Not the same with the Ray Samuels amp and dock line out. Details and instrument separation as well as dynamics at lower volume levels improves immensely. Bass is clearer and easier to follow but not as big a difference as one might expect. I don't ever use EQ since I have yet to find a device that doesn't mess up the sound noticebly even with the EQ set flat. With the amp the phones just seem to come to life and breathe.

As for filters and tips. I started with the gray filters and small silicon tips. Detailed but in an slightly unatural way, kind of like someone was playing with the EQ. Or like listening to old school Infinity Emit tweeters in 1979 with a bright phono cartridge, but I digress. I can see the appeal of the gray filters especially with any compressed source. It gives some life and air back to the track if listening to mp3 compressed files. But to me it is a bit unnatural. On many tracks the upper range of female vocals had a bit too much emphasis. Not sibilance, not distortion, not crunchy, just an emphasis. And the upper highs for me were a slight bit tipped up again, not grating but enough for me to notice.

Add the Comply medium T-130 tips that come with the PFEs. A bit large for my smallish canals but workable. Smoother vocals and a slightly less forward upper mids. And the bass became a bit more distinct and ever so slightly fuller.

Now on to the black filters and the Complys. Aha! The mids now seemed much more natural. Set back slightly and much smoother in the upper area especially with female vocalists. Kind of like hearing a recording that was using a very good natural tube mike and some spacing versus close miked perspective with a cheaper electret mike. And of course these described differences make it sound like they are huge differences. They are not, but they are noticeable. Yes, you still get detail in the highs, fingers sliding on acoustic guitar neck and good space and soundstage with the black filter. Just no added emphasis on the upper treble. Some may feel the mids are a slight bit veiled but I feel the mids just have some space now.

Well, I know I am in the minority with my preference for the black filters, but that is the nice thing about the phones, use what your ears like.

 

[tstarn06]

Excellent mini reivew, and that's why the PFEs are so interesting, the filters really render them as two different phones, for the price of one. I went back and forth with the filters myself, and still like black. With the T4, I can turn on the bass boost and the gray filters, with the Complys, also sound excellent. Oddly, if I have to go ampless, I prefer the black filters. But with the T4, I switch to gray. I haven't even tried the black filters with the T4, but may give it a shot.

 

[charlie0904]

got my T4 also. 1st amp, sounds great wth PFE.. yeah...

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

I'm sticking with grey filters, Comply large, and iBasso T4 as a good combo. With my IE8 at 111 hours the Phonak and Westone 3 are still better.

 

[robm321]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bixby /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have only had my PFEs for a week or so and only plan to use with my Zen Vision M and 99% of the time with the Ray Samuels SR-71. Here are my impressions. All files played are wave from the Zen dock via Cardas mini to SR-71 the PFEs sound much better than though Zen HP out. I don't believe the HP out is that great on the Zen, it seems to be a bit flat dynamically and with less instrument detail even at higher levels. It has to be turned about up to 23 or so (25 is the max ) to get acceptable detail. Not the same with the Ray Samuels amp and dock line out. Details and instrument separation as well as dynamics at lower volume levels improves immensely. Bass is clearer and easier to follow but not as big a difference as one might expect. I don't ever use EQ since I have yet to find a device that doesn't mess up the sound noticebly even with the EQ set flat. With the amp the phones just seem to come to life and breathe. As for filters and tips. I started with the gray filters and small silicon tips. Detailed but in an slightly unatural way, kind of like someone was playing with the EQ. Or like listening to old school Infinity Emit tweeters in 1979 with a bright phono cartridge, but I digress. I can see the appeal of the gray filters especially with any compressed source. It gives some life and air back to the track if listening to mp3 compressed files. But to me it is a bit unnatural. On many tracks the upper range of female vocals had a bit too much emphasis. Not sibilance, not distortion, not crunchy, just an emphasis. And the upper highs for me were a slight bit tipped up again, not grating but enough for me to notice. Add the Comply medium T-130 tips that come with the PFEs. A bit large for my smallish canals but workable. Smoother vocals and a slightly less forward upper mids. And the bass became a bit more distinct and ever so slightly fuller. Now on to the black filters and the Complys. Aha! The mids now seemed much more natural. Set back slightly and much smoother in the upper area especially with female vocalists. Kind of like hearing a recording that was using a very good natural tube mike and some spacing versus close miked perspective with a cheaper electret mike. And of course these described differences make it sound like they are huge differences. They are not, but they are noticeable. Yes, you still get detail in the highs, fingers sliding on acoustic guitar neck and good space and soundstage with the black filter. Just no added emphasis on the upper treble. Some may feel the mids are a slight bit veiled but I feel the mids just have some space now. Well, I know I am in the minority with my preference for the black filters, but that is the nice thing about the phones, use what your ears like.

Excellent review!!

You make a strong case for black filters. I've really only tried them once and really liked the bass. I didn't really give them any real time since the grays were working just fine.

I'll have to give them another listen.

 

[Bullseye]

Headphoneaddict, by having the phonak PFE, and from your last comment here, would you say that 1 driver can be good enough to compete against 3 drivers?

 

[cassiohui]

i may sound naive, but i really don't think the number of drivers matter that much

for example the Custom-3's that i had are dual drivers i believe, and while it doesn't sound the same as pfe's (duh), i think it's more of a matter of the tuning of the sound signature, rather than having one more driver.

and i've never bought any earphones based on the number of drivers...