[DeusInvictus7]

Hey guys, I just wanted to hear your guys' thoughts about the two of these, and would like some comparisons if anyone has heard both. The reason I ask is because I have the PFE, but recently I have been having quite a bit of problems with them (filters tearing with barely any use, cable starting to crack), so I was gonna see if I could get a refund/replacement. I was looking at other brands, and was eyeing the IE6/7, the 6 more because of the same price point in CAD as the PFE (~$200)

If any of you are going to say "do a search", I did, and all I could find was a IE7 vs. PFE thread, which stated that the IE7's have much better soundstaging and better bass than an unamped PFE. I also saw a thread of the IE6 vs IE7, and what I got from that was that the 6 has more bass quantity but not as big of a sound stage or overall clarity as the 7, is that right?

Any thoughts would be awesome.

Thanks

 

[bakhtiar]

Here are some logics...

If
bass: IE7 > unamped PFE; IE6 > IE7
Soundstage: IE7 > unamped PFE ; IE7 > IE6
Clarity : IE7 > E6

Then
Bass: IE6 > unamped PFE
Soundstage: IE6 >= unamped PFE
What kind of sound signatures or music genre do you like?

TQ

 

[DeusInvictus7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bakhtiar /img/forum/go_quote.gif Here are some logics... If bass: IE7 > unamped PFE; IE6 > IE7 IE6 (bass) > IE7 (bass) Soundstage: IE7 > unamped PFE ; IE7 > IE6 Clarity : IE7 > E6 Then Bass: IE6 > unamped PFE SoundsRQtage: IE6 >= unamped PFE What kind of sound signatures or music genre do you like? TQ

Well I listen to pretty much everything really. Mostly Alternative Rock and Metal though. I've been listening to a lot of Anberlin, Lost Prophets, Saosin, and heck, even Yellowcard

lately. Techno is high on my list too.

And yeah I kinda figured that about the IE6's, I guess I just wanted to see if anyone has actually heard both and had some opinions about them.

 

[tstarn06]

Well, I own the IE8s, which are superior to the IE6s, and the PFEs, when amped with a quality amp (in my case the iBasso T4), can compete in terms of mids, highs and clarity with the IE8. Not saying the PFEs are better, just that the are not crushed by the Senns. That's my view.

 

[DeusInvictus7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, I own the IE8s, which are superior to the IE6s, and the PFEs, when amped with a quality amp (in my case the iBasso T4), can compete in terms of mids, highs and clarity with the IE8. Not saying the PFEs are better, just that the are not crushed by the Senns. That's my view.

Yeah, I wish I could afford the IE8s, unfortunately, they are way out of my price range.

The thing is though, for some reason, every filter that I put into the left earpiece tears...I have no idea what's causing it, but randomly while I'm listening to something, after a while the volume on the left side goes very quiet, so I take out the filter, and sometimes putting it back in works and I get the volume back, but most of the time it goes right back to being quiet. So now I'm just running the PFEs without filters, I'm just using a bass boost EQ, which I hate doing, but it seems to kinda resolve the problem, and have since had 0 volume issues.

I even had Phonak send me a set of replacement black filters and most of those we ALREADY torn right out of the box. I wasn't very pleased, but I still tried them anyway, and for a while it did fix the problem, but again, the volume thing still happened.

And now the cable is starting to crack, so I'm seeing what Phonak can do for me...

 

[tstarn06]

Wow, that is very weird. I remember reading about it. Very frustrating. I would get a new pair, not new filters. Insist on it, in fact. Do you like them otherwise?

 

[DeusInvictus7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wow, that is very weird. I remember reading about it. Very frustrating. I would get a new pair, not new filters. Insist on it, in fact. Do you like them otherwise?

Yeah I emailed Bill about it but he is actually out of the office until tomorrow, so I'll see what happens then. I kinda want to get a refund, just so that I can then choose what I want to do with the money, whether it's getting another PFE, or going with something else...but that is probably unlikely, so getting a replacement is still a good thing.

But even with the problems I'm having, I still LOVE the PFE's. Granted, they don't sound as good with no filters, even with an EQ to try to balance out the sound and try to give it the black filter bass, it still isn't the same.

 

[tstarn06]

Then by all means get a new pair. Odd, but I am one of the few white owners on HF, I think. And mine have had no issues. Very strange. Also, my pair were probably among the first ones made, since I got them from the daughter of a Phonak employee (she didn't want them) via Amazon. While the black ones are cooler looking, the white ones have yet to falter. I use mine sparingly relatively speaking, since I have other IEMs, which may be why no cable issues either.

 

[DeusInvictus7]

Yeah, that's probably what I'm gonna try to do. I like being one of the few white owners, but then again, white is more my color...I love it

I use mine a lot, so that could explain the "hardening" of the cable by the earpieces, leading them to crack. However, my theory is that if you use the ear guides more, then they are less likely to crack, don't really know why, maybe less moisture getting to the actual cable, but anyway...

 

[pi3guy]

@tstarn06: does the ibassot4 increase the clarity of the already good pfe's by a large amount? or is it mainly to increase bass

 

[tstarn06]

The T4 bass boost is a nice addition, but that amp just takes them to another level in terms of fullness and overall body. Despite some other views, they are not "thin" or over analytical without an amp (I use black filters and medium silicone), but with the T4, they really just move to another level, not just added bass. It's an overall effect. Also has a gain switch, which also seems to add something to the mix. I would not sell/trade the PFEs, even with my higher end IEMs here.

 

[bakhtiar]

Even with D10 (no bass boost), PFEs do really shine. It is like F1 car with proper F1 NA-engine

.

 

[cn11]

My PFE's were thin and uninvolving unamped. Not good for the type of music genres listed by the OP, which is a lot like mine. For the Sennheisers, I can only comment on the IE8's, but when compared to the PFE's- both unamped- the difference was huge.

 

[my.self]

so bakhtiar, so referring back to ur first post on this thread, are the differences u stated about the ie6 and ie7 big differences? im not really thinking about the ie8's anymore cuz i dont have the money for them and they seem like their for bass heads which im not. i like bass tho, i like the inbetween average bass and bass head amount. i want to get rid of my x10's cuz of the microphonics and i want something with some more mids than the x10's. i love the bass on the x10's tho. the microphonics are barely or not even noticeable on the ie6 correct?

 

[DeusInvictus7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cn11 /img/forum/go_quote.gif My PFE's were thin and uninvolving unamped. Not good for the type of music genres listed by the OP, which is a lot like mine. For the Sennheisers, I can only comment on the IE8's, but when compared to the PFE's- both unamped- the difference was huge.

Hmm, I'm not too sure if I agree with that, respectfully, of course. I love how the PFEs sound with the black filters...that's why I'm so disappointed that ALL of my filters have torn...for no reason really, since they don't tear while I'm changing or taking them out.

I do run them unamped, that's why I have been looking for possibly something with a bit more bass (IE6 or 7). Not to say that the PFE didn't do well in that category, the way I'm running them now just cries for more bass...

Of course, if Phonak isn't able to give me a refund, then another IEM isn't going to be choice, at least for a while since I'm a poor college student that needs to save money...for a new TV

haha.

The only thing that worries me though is I doubt a replacement would really fix the problem...or at least I don't see how it could, but I'll see what happens.