[analogbox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by praguewatermelon /img/forum/go_quote.gif A quick question (which I asked before but wasn't answered by anyone). So quite a few people are using the olive tips with PFEs. How comfortable are the olive tips, compared to the Comply tips and the silicon tips that came with PFEs? thanks

I've not used olives with PFEs but I do have them for ER-4Ps. My opinion is that Comply tips are way more comfortable than olives. Comply tips are very soft and cushy whereas olives are more harder. I suspect olives are better at isolation but I'd choose comfort over isolation. YMMV. Silicons however are somewhere between comply tips and olives in term of comfort. I like the convenience of silicons but I get better sounds with comply tips. Some find that silicon tips offer better sound but that all depend on how your ears are shaped. So again, YMMV.

 

[skeptic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatDane /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, it didn't take very long to declare that my PFE sounds best straight from Pico. I played my SACD version(CD layer of course) of Nickel Creek on my laptop in fb2k into Pico as DAC. My chain of components is long and I know this degrades the quality if only slightly. It goes Pico>Corda Cross>Aphex 204>Central Station>WA3. I did not use the crosfeed or 204 processing. The WA3 sounded very good, better than CS at medium volume but the CS handled higher volume better...I think this is where the difficulty with low impedance shows with WA3, it sounded strained but this was at fairly high volume.My Grado's fair better with WA3. Plugging straight into the Pico, using as DAC, the sound stage blossomed and sounded flat out better all around. The Pico as USB DAC sounds extremely good. Using it as just amp from iPod is not that far behind. What a great combo!

Thanks for reporting on the results GD! While on a purely selfish level, I'm sorry to hear the Pico trumped the WA3 with respect to synergy with the pfe's, I suppose it does correspond to the bulk of the comments I've read on the topic.

Nonetheless, I'm pretty excited to hear that you like both the 325i's and 75ohm cabled ety's via the WA3. It probably boils down to a combination of how current hungry the transducers are, and the volume at which you are attempting to drive them. I've got a lot of love for the WA3. Not only is it a work of art, particularly in silver

, it really sings with good tubes. I'm always happy to hear about more headphones that pair well despite the general OTL requires high impedance rule of thumb.

 

[jon77]

When people talk about the filters breaking do they mean literally breaking or warping? I have just swapped over and back again and looking at my greys they are a bit warped on he mesh film ie they are now convex. Has anyone noticed this? Should it cause any problem?

 

[oarnura]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jon77 /img/forum/go_quote.gif When people talk about the filters breaking do they mean literally breaking or warping? I have just swapped over and back again and looking at my greys they are a bit warped on he mesh film ie they are now convex. Has anyone noticed this? Should it cause any problem?

That's normal. I think they are supposed to be that way.

 

[jon77]

Ok thanks. So people mean actually the tearing of the mesh or cracking of the casing I'm assuming? Yeah they are definitely fragile so requires some care. I am not having problems with the pop in extractor for the filters but I worry every time. Just to note the other sets of filters are pretty flat. I don't think it is a problem, but if they warp it may alter their sound signature a little.

 

[vapor]

Just got my PFEs. As my first real IEMs, it's like listening to songs for the first time! I'm using them mainly to play drums however, and they don't isolate quite as much as I'd like. How do the PFEs with Complys compare to the Westone UM2 or Shure SE530 in terms of isolation? And I guess, would anyone even think of making the switch?

 

[tstarn06]

The complys isolate better, but Shure olives are even better at iso, though they may stunt the highs a little. I also used a pair of Comply P Series thin sleeves with them, for a deeper insertion and even more iso. But for serious isolation, you need foamies in my view.

I have Westone 3s, and prefer the Phonaks.

 

[jon77]

Well the Shure SE210's with the olives isolated more than the Comply's, but they give more pressure so you know you have them in. I'm assuming they isolate the same as the SE530's (I could never get the silicones to fit as well so just stuck with olives, and isolation is amazing). Not sure about the Westone's. Only problem I had with the Shures was the olives are a bit more of a performance to fit in so it was more of a hassle taking them out to talk to someone and then replace. With the Comply's I can hear enough to leave them in and comfort is much better in my opinion, but I guess it all depends on the shape of your ears, and canal size.

 

[jon77]

I really can't decide which filter I prefer but I am thinking the greys. Feels more absorbing for my music. I just listened to an Amy Winehouse track at about a 320 bit rate and it just blows my old phones. Personally I couldn't care less if the others are marginally better. For the price gap in the UK I could get 2-3 pairs of these for a W3 and instead I can buy more music!. I'm simply blown away by the experience of listening to these tracks. I just wish I had ripped my cd's to more than 128! Now I'm going to have to re-rip them all, and delete tracks I don't listen to as I've almost run out of space. Don't assume from any of my comments that they beat SE530's, W3's, or any other high end phones as I have nothing to compare them to. I will see the comparison with my Sen 555's in a minute, but for someone who is thinking of investing in some good phones and doesn't mind paying out a bit I would definitely recommend them. Especially if you have the iphone. They have solved any issues I had with my SE210's in addition to the better sound. They won't split (I hope!), the button is tiny, and cable is much lighter than previously with the Shure mic adapter. I can also sleep with them in which is a plus in my book. The only thing I would like changed personally is to have a right angled plug (I will get an adapter), obviously it's not modular (although it does not bother me but would be nice to have options of cable lengths and easy replacement if the issue came up).

 

[jon77]

If they included a right angled adapter, and aeroplane adapter it would be a nice addition but I'm not really fussed

 

[analogbox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jon77 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I really can't decide which filter I prefer but I am thinking the greys. Feels more absorbing for my music. I just listened to an Amy Winehouse track at about a 320 bit rate and it just blows my old phones. Personally I couldn't care less if the others are marginally better. For the price gap in the UK I could get 2-3 pairs of these for a W3 and instead I can buy more music!. I'm simply blown away by the experience of listening to these tracks. I just wish I had ripped my cd's to more than 128! Now I'm going to have to re-rip them all, and delete tracks I don't listen to as I've almost run out of space. Don't assume from any of my comments that they beat SE530's, W3's, or any other high end phones as I have nothing to compare them to. I will see the comparison with my Sen 555's in a minute, but for someone who is thinking of investing in some good phones and doesn't mind paying out a bit I would definitely recommend them. Especially if you have the iphone. They have solved any issues I had with my SE210's in addition to the better sound. They won't split (I hope!), the button is tiny, and cable is much lighter than previously with the Shure mic adapter. I can also sleep with them in which is a plus in my book. The only thing I would like changed personally is to have a right angled plug (I will get an adapter), obviously it's not modular (although it does not bother me but would be nice to have options of cable lengths and easy replacement if the issue came up).

Yes, that's the first step you have to take while becoming a head-fier. With higher end phones, comes great responsibility and it is your duty to re-rip all your collections to 256K and up to really take advantages of what the world of high fidelity audio has to offer.

I also like the fact that the PFEs cable is very light but not overly so to a point where it feels fragile. I had a couple of Shure cabling issues in the past and they had thicker cables so I don't think thickness of the cables matters but only time will tell if the somewhat thin cable of the PFEs will survive the same two years of tortures shure phones underwent and failed.

 

[SOUNDinterpreter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I only use the threaded (silver) side of the tool, and I turn it enough to connect it to the end (when removing from both the case and the PFE). I guide it into the sound tube, place it there, and then use my finger (very gingerly) to hold the edge in place while I reverse the screw on motion. Sometimes the filter doesn't stick, but you can flatten it into the sound tube with your finger so it is flush. Forget the blue end of the tool, doesn't work for me at all. Same procedure removing filter and storing. I let it fall into the little gray case and just gently guide it into place. Best I can give. They are tricky and very delicate. But the threaded (silver) side will connect in a half turn or so. Just make sure it is straight on. Good luck. And once you like a filter, don't mess with it (take if from a master messer).

thanks for the advice. i think the silver side of my supplied tool is defective and dull, which is preventing it from catching the filter. i emailed phonak and now im just waiting for their response. until then, ill just sit back and enjoy the gray filters.

 

[Surrealsky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by illini /img/forum/go_quote.gif My first full day with the pfe's was very good. The Clip was the best dap for the pfe's with no eq and black filters. I was fairly impressed by the comfort and clarity. The mids are really good and the bass is very tight almost punchy. The high's are very clear with even with the black filters. One draw back i have found is the their not very loud at all. So all in all very worth while purchase. They sound great but they wont replace our beloved high end phones.

Yes they have very good clarity and details are almost on par with my er4's with warm and smooth mids. They need a good amp to drive them..they sound soft on my fuze and ipod too..pairing them now with d2 boa and i feel like im heaven right now...very good synergy between boa and PFE's

 

[Surrealsky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The complys isolate better, but Shure olives are even better at iso, though they may stunt the highs a little. I also used a pair of Comply P Series thin sleeves with them, for a deeper insertion and even more iso. But for serious isolation, you need foamies in my view. I have Westone 3s, and prefer the Phonaks.

Yep i have the w3's as well but sold them off after getting the pfe's

 

[btnh47]

I received my Phonaks Audeo's the other day and I already prefer them over both IE8's and W3's