[FlyPenFly]

Regarding triple driver vs single, I bet a lot of it has to do with technology generations which can happen in the months scale.

Getting the first sorta viable triple driver was probably an engineering and manufacturing challenge.

Single drivers have been evolving for a long time and I bet the PFE is using a newer and unique process hinted at by the fact they're the only earphones we know of coming from Vietnam.

I don't mean to overblow the tech aspect though. From the brief auditioning period I had with the PFE, the details are very good and the bass accurate ... overall, I'm not sure they exceeded my Shure E4C in the midrange satisfaction factor. The E4C/SCL4 is an ancient design.

 

[dfkt]

The PFE also use Pulse (formerly known as Sonion) armatures, while most other manufacturers seem to use Knowles armatures. They're certainly a different "flavor".

Indeed, single armatures have come a long way since Henry Egerton's patent in 1918.

 

[faranka]

Well I got my PFE's about 2 weeks ago and they are sounding great. At first i didn't heard that much difference between my old IEM (AKG K324p's) and the PFE's. Then when I switched back to the AKG's I really heard what I was missing all this time and quickly switched back.

Someone mentioned the opened box from the German website. I got mine in an opened box as well but apart from that there was nothing wrong with it (the phones weren't taken out before i think, the paper was still like new).

I am really pleased with them!

p.s. Can someone tell me how I can join the team?

Cheers!

 

[analogbox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by faranka /img/forum/go_quote.gif p.s. Can someone tell me how I can join the team?

Click here and then click join. Welcome to the team!

 

[Merlin-PT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cassiohui /img/forum/go_quote.gif to uk? 5-6 days

To Portugal, but it should be +- the same delivery time.

 

[lowlevelowl]

Has anyone used the PFEs with a small portable amp, like the Nuforce Icon Mobile or iBasso T4? I've got a SendStation PocketDock on the way, and will eventually buy a portable amp for my nano. The amp would mostly be for driving full size headphones, but I was curious if anyone had noticed any enhancement with the PFEs.

 

[tstarn06]

The PFEs loved to be hooked up to an amp. Even the E5 works well with them, in my view. I almost always use an amp with them, just because they are that much better to me. With the much higher end Minibox and LOD/Touch, fantastic.

I didn't care much for the IconMobile via HP out or even via LOD. It's a brighter amp, and seemed to not really play well with the PFEs, but someone else may feel differently. I know Average_Joe said didn't care much for the combo using HP out either. Via USB/DAC, I think, is the Nuforce's true comfort zone. I never use my PCs for music, so I had no use for it and sold it off.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif This is an an excellent post, in terms of outlining why someone chooses a particular IEM, and I am pretty much in the same boat (which makes it resonate even more for me). I nearly pulled the trigger on the IE8s last night for $223. I had even sold off some gear to finance them. But then, as I looked over my current collection, I realized I had to put on the brakes. For one, I only own the Westone 3s cause I got them as a gift. To me, they are not the perfect IEM, but I am keeping them. I love the SQ from both the PFEs and the Yuin PK3s (and use them for different reasons, of course). The Image X10s fill a comfort use role, albeit a small one, for when I am on the go in a hurry and don't want to fuss with over the ear (plus, my wife likes them for when we travel cause they have those teeny ear gels). And finally, now I have the Monster Turbines as a review model (through the Monster program), and after a 15 hours of burn-in, they are sounding very, very good (and like the IE8s, they are a dynamic phone, with more bass emphasis and wide soundstage). So now I need the IE8s? Nope. I can understand if you use IEMs all day long and only have 1-2 pair, the Senns make sense. But for me, with so much to choose from, it's silly to stay on some "must get the best" path. Last night, I got out the Westones, the PFEs and the Turbines, took turns listening to some revealing, high-bitrate tracks on the Touch via LOD and through the Minibox, and realized, "This is some great sound, across the board." Almost forgot, when I am sitting at my desk at home, I have the Grados as well, which allow me to hear the phone, the doorbell, etc. So no real need for isolation when sitting in the office. Plus, with the Class D amp and excellent vintage speakers I have, music sounds pretty good in my office the old-fashioned way too. So warehouse, while my decision to skip the IE8 and stick with the PFE is somewhat different from yours, I know exactly where you are coming from.

I appreciate your posts - only when you start to say the Monster Turbines sound better than the Westone 3 will I stop reading your posts.

 

[robm321]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif I appreciate your posts - only when you start to say the Monster Turbines sound better than the Westone 3 will I stop reading your posts.

LOL

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 So now I need the IE8s? Nope. I can understand if you use IEMs all day long and only have 1-2 pair, the Senns make sense. But for me, with so much to choose from, it's silly to stay on some "must get the best" path.

Actually, if you listened mostly to IEMs and only had 1 or 2 IEMs, I think the UE11 would be the way to go. And maybe the Westone customs that just came out.

The IE8s seem to be the popular mid level IEM (even though some prefer W3s and PFEs over them), but they don't seem to be the end of the line at all and are clearly more colored than the PFEs.

 

[GreatDane]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowlevelowl /img/forum/go_quote.gif Has anyone used the PFEs with a small portable amp, like the Nuforce Icon Mobile or iBasso T4? I've got a SendStation PocketDock on the way, and will eventually buy a portable amp for my nano. The amp would mostly be for driving full size headphones, but I was curious if anyone had noticed any enhancement with the PFEs.

The T4 is a great little amp and as mentioned many times, the PFE improve with an amp...but not a must. I'm holding my sons Green 4G Nano with my T4 and see that both are the same width, T4 being a bit thicker...they would make a good pair visually. I haven't actually docked them together yet for testing SQ but I think it would work well.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatDane /img/forum/go_quote.gif The T4 is a great little amp and as mentioned many times, the PFE improve with an amp...but not a must. I'm holding my sons Green 4G Nano with my T4 and see that both are the same width, T4 being a bit thicker...they would make a good pair visually. I haven't actually docked them together yet for testing SQ but I think it would work well.

Been there, done that, it works well.

I tried to do a photo before leaving for a few hours, and my dang iPhone just couldn't seem to email the pic I snapped.

 

[tstarn06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif I appreciate your posts - only when you start to say the Monster Turbines sound better than the Westone 3 will I stop reading your posts.

Funny, why would that a problem? Just curious. Is it because there is no way a dynamic phone made by a company like Monster can best a phone made by Westone? As you know, I slightly favor the PFEs over the W3s, and don't have any problems posting that (and I am not alone, as you also know, as Chi2, for one, agrees). Has anyone else who owns both the PFEs and the W3s come out and said hands down the W3s are the far superior IEM? I mean, apart from you? Haven't seen that yet, but I might have missed it.

There is no doubt early on I was under the W3 spell (much anticipated, high-priced IEM), but the more I listen and fiddle with sleeves, the more I think they are way overpriced, even at the $260 I paid. I just don't find myself compelled to pick them up and listen, not as much as I do with the PFEs. Just my unsophisticated ears, I guess.

But I can only surmise that your post is a dig/humor thing. If you read over the Turbine thread, and my guess is you have, you'll see a couple of posters (Dobber65, pdpiano, Shigzeo) who think pretty highly of the Monster phones. Same with Steve Guttenberg, on CNET, who is not one of those lousy "pro" reviewers that normally work for those types of sites.

In fact, Dobber65 compares them favorably with SE530s and TF10s, which is pretty good praise. He doesn't own the W3s or the IE8s.

So no, I didn't say they were better than the W3s, but in the end, whatever my ears tell me sounds best, I will listen to. If the W3s are not the primary place my ears tell me to go, I am not gonna sweat it.

 

[GreatDane]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif Been there, done that, it works well. I tried to do a photo before leaving for a few hours, and my dang iPhone just couldn't seem to email the pic I snapped.

Too slow

A couple quickies

 

[cassiohui]

Quote:

Originally Posted by faranka /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well I got my PFE's about 2 weeks ago and they are sounding great. At first i didn't heard that much difference between my old IEM (AKG K324p's) and the PFE's. Then when I switched back to the AKG's I really heard what I was missing all this time and quickly switched back. Someone mentioned the opened box from the German website. I got mine in an opened box as well but apart from that there was nothing wrong with it (the phones weren't taken out before i think, the paper was still like new). I am really pleased with them! p.s. Can someone tell me how I can join the team? Cheers!

well same here

i'm the one that had an opened box, but everything else do look new.

pity about the malfunctioning connector

spent the whole day keeping the pfe's in my ears as much as possible (not easy since i was working on a group project most of the day lol)

and they are awesome

 

[robm321]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you read over the Turbine thread, and my guess is you have, you'll see a couple of posters (Dobber65, pdpiano, Shigzeo) who think pretty highly of the Monster phones. Same with Steve Guttenberg, on CNET, who is not one of those lousy "pro" reviewers that normally work for those types of sites. In fact, Dobber65 compares them favorably with SE530s and TF10s, which is pretty good praise. He doesn't own the W3s or the IE8s. So no, I didn't say they were better than the W3s, but in the end, whatever my ears tell me sounds best, I will listen to. If the W3s are not the primary place my ears tell me to go, I am not gonna sweat it.

That's interesting. Monster's design team brought a prototype IEM to a meet a couple of years back and had some of us test it out. It sounded pretty bad at the time, but we suggested areas that they could improve on. Looks like they did a good job if some have given them that high praise.