Introduction

Phonak's newest in-ear offering in the Audéo line of products is the PFE232. These in-ears feature a dual driver setup and a lot of customization options. Phonak continues using their unique filter system that allows you to control the frequency response of the in-ears easily and with surprising precision. The PFE232s is a true two way design with two drivers per earpiece hooked up to a two way cross-over.
In a world filled with three and four way universal in-ears it seems slightly odd to find a set of über high-end in-ears with just two drivers, however, there are quite a few advantages to this more minimalistic approach.
For one it is easier to phase align two drivers, and the complexity of the cross-over is also reduced significantly, both of these things theoretically help the sound quality. A side effect of this simpler approach is that the earphones' internals take up much less space; this allows the earphone's shell size to be very small. The Phonak Audéo PFE232s are approximately half the volume of its similarly priced competitor the recently reviewed Westone 4Rs.

Specifications

• Driver: Dual balanced armature
• Frequency response: 5 Hz–17 kHz
• Sensitivity: Gray filter 109 dBSPL/mW, Black filter 107 dBSPL/mW, Green filter 104 dBSPL/mW @ 1k Hz
• Nominal impedance: 47 ohm
• Weight: 16 g, 0.5oz
• Plug: 3.5 mm 4 pole jack
• Cable length: 120 cm, 3.9 ft

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.