[ckhirnigs113]

Mine PFE112 are still my go to IEM after 10 years. Mine are holding up pretty well (knock on wood!) even after all this time. I also use the gray filters and much prefer them to the black filters.

As for cleaning the filters, I recommend soaking them in hydrogen peroxide for about an hour then laying them out on a paper towel to dry for a bit. Good as new after that.

 

[mobbaddict]

Have you paired your PFE012 with the grey filters and Comply foam? My PFE012 with this pairing sounds way better than my RE400.

I don't have Comply tips but I still have the Shure olives. I never really liked the grey filters, they're too bright for my taste, but I gave the Shure olives another try and you're right, the foam does improve a lot the midrange and brings it to the RE400 level, maybe above, with a more open sound. The stock tips really give a V-shaped presentation in comparison. The issue I have with these Shure is that the bass is really lacking, resulting in a brighter presentation. But I can totally see how you may like the Phonaks better if you're into brighter signatures. Plus the effortlessness of these drivers is really something.

 

[Francisk]

I don't have Comply tips but I still have the Shure olives. I never really liked the grey filters, they're too bright for my taste, but I gave the Shure olives another try and you're right, the foam does improve a lot the midrange and brings it to the RE400 level, maybe above, with a more open sound. The stock tips really give a V-shaped presentation in comparison. The issue I have with these Shure is that the bass is really lacking, resulting in a brighter presentation. But I can totally see how you may like the Phonaks better if you're into brighter signatures. Plus the effortlessness of these drivers is really something.

I've tried both Shure Olives and Comply T130 foam tips. I like the Comply T130 much better because the Shure Olives seems to have a strange peak at the higher frequency range. Btw the Comply T130 foam tips are really made to pair very nicely with the Phonak Audeo's PFE series if you prefer smooth higher frequencies. As for bass frequencies, you're not missing anything compared to the RE400. The PFE012 and RE400 both are tuned with leaner bass but I find PFE012's transient response way faster. The Phonak PFE series are awesome sounding IEMs, considering the age...it still hold it's own with the current Big Boys out there. It's a real shame that Phonak Audeo discontinued it.

 

[mobbaddict]

I've tried both Shure Olives and Comply T130 foam tips. I like the Comply T130 much better because the Shure Olives seems to have a strange peak at the higher frequency range. Btw the Comply T130 foam tips are really made to pair very nicely with the Phonak Audeo's PFE series if you prefer smooth higher frequencies. As for bass frequencies, you're not missing anything compared to the RE400. The PFE012 and RE400 both are tuned with leaner bass but I find PFE012's transient response way faster. The Phonak PFE series are awesome sounding IEMs, considering the age...it still hold it's own with the current Big Boys out there. It's a real shame that Phonak Audeo discontinued it.

That's good to know, thanks! At this point I might buy the Comply out of curiosity but my Phonaks are barely usable outside because of their age. I still want to keep them somewhere safe for further comparisons.

As for transient response I'm puzzled. It's true that good armature drivers like those of the Phonaks have an inherent advantage but I'm feeling the RE400 are getting really close (maybe the break-in effect?), which I didn't expect honestly. To me the biggest difference between the two is the boxed-in effect of the RE400 (which I kind of like at the same time from a bass standpoint).

But like you said, the Phonaks totally support the comparison with newer and pricier IEMs. IMO $1000+ universal IEMs don't provide a very substantial advantage from a technical standpoint. Planar (lcd4i) and electrostats (sr003) are a different story of course.

 

[musicinmymind]

My PFE 232 is working perfect, but both cables are almost worn off. Any suggestions where can I buy replacements please.

 

[Francisk]

My PFE 232 is working perfect, but both cables are almost worn off. Any suggestions where can I buy replacements please.

Please do let me know if you manage to find one, especially one of those 80 core custom made ones with 2.5mm balanced plugs. I'd like to use my PFE232 with my soon to arrive Eastudio ES100 in balanced mode

 

[BRCMRGN]

I bought a second PFE232 as a backup. It's still a favorite. I would be very interested in a 3rd party replacement cable, especially balanced 2.5mm.

 

[pacman46]

I bought a second PFE232 as a backup. It's still a favorite. I would be very interested in a 3rd party replacement cable, especially balanced 2.5mm.

Hey you have an impressive Inventory. Would you rank your 232’s up among your elite ?

 

[pacman46]

Mine are pretty much new I was wondering if there was anything I could treat the cable,cables with to keep them from drying out? Thanks in advance.

 

[Francisk]

Mine are pretty much new I was wondering if there was anything I could treat the cable,cables with to keep them from drying out? Thanks in advance.

Avoid long term exposure to heat especially leaving it on the seat of your car under the hot sun for hours.

 

[pardo]

Does anyone know how to make a replacement cable? I have a stock cable for reference but one side is starting to fall apart. :/

 

[Mr Trev]

Does anyone know how to make a replacement cable? I have a stock cable for reference but one side is starting to fall apart. :/

Cables are a bit tricky because there's a couple of resistors sealed in the splitter. Apparently the PFE sound kind of lousy without them. Not to mention the size of the drivers you need to solder to. Those things a freakin tiny. I was planning on doing a recable on my old pair, but because of the above mentioned points I realized it was way outside my skill set. IIRC some folks here have done recables so maybe do a back search of the thread and hopefully you can find some helpful info.

 

[pardo]

Cables are a bit tricky because there's a couple of resistors sealed in the splitter. Apparently the PFE sound kind of lousy without them. Not to mention the size of the drivers you need to solder to. Those things a freakin tiny. I was planning on doing a recable on my old pair, but because of the above mentioned points I realized it was way outside my skill set. IIRC some folks here have done recables so maybe do a back search of the thread and hopefully you can find some helpful info.

I'm a complete novice with no soldering experience, so it looks like I'm screwed. Man, I'm so sad that my favorite iem is going to soon be unusable simply because there are no more replacement cables. I was really hoping that someone may have invented a quick DIY solution. I'll try reading past posts to see if I can I figure out what other people did

This is what's happening to mine: https://ibb.co/ZgQY6yx

 

[HAMS]

I'm a complete novice with no soldering experience, so it looks like I'm screwed. Man, I'm so sad that my favorite iem is going to soon be unusable simply because there are no more replacement cables. I was really hoping that someone may have invented a quick DIY solution. I'll try reading past posts to see if I can I figure out what other people did

This is what's happening to mine: https://ibb.co/ZgQY6yx

How about super glue that part and cover it with thick earguide.

 

[Vesperaudio]

It will hardly survive a week.
We have recabling options for 1xx or even mmcx detachability option but 232 is a mess. We still can make cable (with stock cable as the source of earphone pins) but it looks not very attractive at joint points.