Topic: headphone (earbud) review: Phonak Audéo PFE

[MattD]

After essentially destroying my Etymotic ER6 earbuds from years of needing to tug on the cables to get them out of my ears, I went looking for something more substantial and found the Phonak Audéo PFE. I have been using them for three weeks and thought I'd share my findings.

The earbuds come with a ~ 1m cord that terminates in a 1/8" stereo jack. Also in the box was a soft case with two zippered pockets, 3 sizes of silicone tips and one pair of foam tips. There was a pair of slit silicone tubes for use as ear guides. There was also a filter kit, changing tool, and cleaning tool. The packaging was well-designed and nice to look at.

I am using the middle size of the rubber tips and the default filters. The earbuds are a little less comfortable than the Etymotics due to their shape. It also takes a little more work to get them seated correctly. The first time I used them, I had trouble figuring out exactly how they were supposed to fit. In that sense, they are definitely less user-friendly. They also do not seal as well as the multi-flanged tips of the Etymotics. I should have kept my extra Etymotic tips, because I'd be willing to bet they are interchangeable. Oh well.

To me, the PFEs sound more neutral and balanced than the ER6s. By this I mean there was not a specific frequency range that stood out when listening to music. On the other hand, the detail is all still there. Because it takes some work to get a good seal, you might notice background noise bleeding in, which could be a problem on an airplane, for example.

Removal is as easy as it gets. I had so much trouble pinching the ER6s and twisting them out that if this were the only reason to get the PFEs, I'd be okay with that. Cleaning and changing tips is also easier as the PFEs have a solid body, not that silicone-sleeved gluey mess that the ER6s are. Because they're bigger and easier to hold, I got the feeling that I didn't have to handle the earbuds as if they might break from a tug on the tips. Also, the cord is well out of the way of the hand-hold area, so there are no worries about pulling on the cord either.
It's nice to see another player in the market with a quality offering. I think I'll be more enthusiastic about these once I figure out how to consistently get a good seal.

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

Thanks for the review. I just killed my ER6i's. I need me some new buds.

I tried Shure's first and they just didn't fit in my ears. I loved the Ety's, they fit my ears perfectly. Sounded great and are a pretty good deal.

I might upgrade to something a bit nicer in the Ety line. The ER6i 1/8 jack doesn't fit through the case on my iPhone. Looks like the next level up is designed to work better with iPhone cases.