Why You Can Trust CNET Phonak Audeo PFE 132 review: Phonak Audeo PFE 132
Phonak Audeo PFE 132
Headphone manufacturers are hip to the fact that most people prefer headphones with pumped-up bass, so they rarely make truly accurate-sounding headphones. But what if you could buy a pair that gives you accuracy and extra bass when you want it? The Phonak Audeo PFE 132 is such a headphone.
Phonak Audeo PFE 132
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
How does it do that? The PFE 132 features proprietary Acoustic Filters that change the sound. The PFE 132's strong suit is clarity and an exceptionally open, not stuck-inside-your-head sound; it's well ahead of the similarly priced in-ear headphone competition in those two areas. In that sense, it's a true audiophile headphone.
Phonak is one of the world's largest hearing aid manufacturers, so the company knows more about sound than your average startup or celebrity-endorsed manufacturer that's just now dipping toes into the lucrative headphone market.
The $239.99 Audeo PFE 132 earphones are exceptionally comfortable, and the sound quality is right up there with the very best universal-fit, in-ear models.
Design
The PFE 132 doesn't look like anything special -- it's just an understated, small black and gray plastic in-ear headphone. As for the "Perfect Fit" aspect of the design, the PFE 132 comes with three sizes of silicone tips and one medium size Comply foam tip. I've seen similar tips with many other in-ear headphones, so there's nothing unique or special about the fit, and the company hasn't made a breakthrough in that area.
The thin and very flexible earphone cables are designed to loop back behind your ears, and Audeo supplies curved silicone "ear guides" that slip onto the cables to help secure the earpieces in place. The ear guides helped, but there were times when the earpieces lost the seal required to produce the best possible sound quality and I'd have to re-establish the seal.
On a more positive note, the earpieces are very light and comfortable to wear for hours on end, although the tiny "L" and "R" markings on the inside lobe of the earpieces aren't legible in low-light situations.
Features
When you open the PFE 132 box, you'll see that the headphone doesn't come with any ear tips installed -- you'll need to pick out a set from the selection of tips. Try them all and see which creates the best seal. That's standard stuff, but here's where it gets interesting: Audeo headphones use proprietary acoustic filters that change the sound of the headphones (the filters are tiny discs that fit in the nozzle of each earpiece).
The standard gray filter doesn't "push" any frequency range, but the PFE 132 also comes with a set of black filters that boost the bass and highs. The filters are packed in a small travel case, which comes with a special tool used to install and remove the filters in the earphones. Few headphones allow the owners to tune the sound to taste, so I'm pleased to see Audeo include this feature.
The PFE 132 has a 48-inch-long, tangle-resistant cable with a microphone and volume control compatible with iPods, iPads, iPhones, and most smartphones with a four-pole 3.5mm jack.
The earphone is a proprietary balanced armature design (most headphone manufacturers using balanced armature drivers buy them from outside suppliers). This type of driver produces more-accurate sound than standard in-ear headphone drivers, that are, in essence tiny speaker drivers, and they also come with an impressive two-year warranty.
Accessories are pretty minimal, but you do get a small zippered vinyl carry case.
Audeo's PFE 012 ($119) is exactly the same earphone as the twice as expensive PFE 132, but the PFE 012 comes with fewer accessories and is sold with green filters installed that emphasize bass frequencies. These filters are not included with the PFE 132.
Performance
The PFE 132's sound is remarkably clear and clean. The earphone shined with virtuoso guitar instrumentalists Rodrigo y Gabriela, and I could just about feel their fingers flying over the strings.
Switching over from the gray to the black filters pumped up the bass at the unfortunate cost of sound detail, but the clarity is addicting with either filter installed. The much pricier
Listening to jazz pianist Milcho Leviev's "Man From Plovdiv" album, the PFE 132s captured even the most subtle soft-to-loud dynamics of the instrument. I could also hear the piano filling the space at the recording venue, and the PFE 132 even let me hear the quieter parts of the recording with clarity and precision.
The drums on Steven Bernstein's Sly and the Family Stone jazz tribute album "MTO Plays Sly" were vividly presented by the PFE 132s as well. The shimmer of the cymbals was considerably more lifelike than what I heard from the
Sure, those two have a lot more bass oomph than the PFE 132 (with either filter set installed), but the PFE 132's bass definition is far ahead of the competition. You might prefer the PFE 132's neutrality if you listen to all kinds of music, but not if you only crave maximum bass impact and power.
Lastly, the PFE 132 didn't meet my expectations in terms of blocking noise down in the New York City subway and unfortunately, these earphones aren't ideal for blocking loud neighbors or drowning engine hum in an airplane. On a more positive note, it won't "leak" the sound of your music to anyone near you.
Conclusion
Though some may be put off by the no-frills styling and lack of design flair for the money, the PFE 132 is surely designed for those who prize sonic neutrality over everything else. The Audeo PFE 132 is truly an audiophile-oriented design, and well worth the $240 price.