The Package

Phonak ships the Audéo PFE232s in a cardboard box packed with all kinds of stuff.


The bundle for the PFE232s+mic is incredibly nice. You get the following: three sets of silicone and foam tips, three sets of acoustic filters and installation, ear hangers, cable with microphone and one without!


The tips that Phonak are using are very well made and seem a bit thicker in the sound tube portion than the generic tips out there. The Comply foam tips supplied with the earphones are very good, but not quite as good as the Shure Olive foam tips.

Closer Examination

Phonak's design is pretty anonymous, both when it comes to color choice and shape. The fact that these in-ears are among the smallest on the market makes them quite hard to spot once inserted. The feel of the earpieces is incredible, even though they are lighter and smaller than your usual high-end in-ears these feel very sturdy and very well put together.


Compared to the Westone 4R in-ears the Phonak's are definitely more elegantly designed. All of the details are more refined. Size wise the Phonak Audéo PFE232s are roughly half the volume of the Westone 4Rs, even though the Westone 4Rs are quite compact for a set of quad-driver in-ears.


Great engineering from top to bottom is probably the best way to describe the Phonak Audéo PFE232s. The filter installation and removal procedure is a straight forward process and Phonak include all the tools needed for the job. The blue removal/installation tool functions great. In order to remove a set of filters all you do is screw in the threaded section and pull gently and the filter pops right out of the in-ears. The filter can then be unscrewed with your fingers and placed on the other end which features a clip mechanism that releases the filters once it is hooked onto the tabs in the filter case or in-ears.


Phonak manages to make every little thing feel delicate and well made. The cable, remote, and plug assembly feels very durable and works good on the go. The cable handles microphonics very well, and is almost on pair with the Epic cable on Westone in-ears. Due to the fact that it is not braided, the cable does not make any unwanted noises when run over collars and other clothing items.


The PFE232's sound tube angle allows for a good fit even for people with small ears.


The shape of the PFE232s is quite hard to describe. It is very organic and does a good job at keeping out of the way of the ear. The PFE232s are so small and shaped in a way that they do not rub against the insides of one's ears.