At $600, the Audéo PFE 232 sits squarely in the middle of triple driver In-Ear-monitor (IEM) territory, yet “only” offers dual-balanced armature drivers. At first I was scratching my head when I checked the MSRP and noticed that it offered 2 drivers  on each side, which is less than similarly priced IEM. The decision to go with 2 drivers didn’t happen by accident, of course. The idea apparently was to: “emit the clearest sound quality without requiring additional drivers,” basically giving the performance of triple or quad units, without going beyond 2. And while the 232 does include some unique extras, can its performance sway you away from the competition? Are 3 drivers really better than 2?

Unboxing

Specifications

· Latest innovation from the world’s leading manufacturer of hearing instruments

· Highest sound quality with dual-balanced armature drivers

· Maximum comfort with three sizes of ear tips in both silicone and Comply Foam™

· Individual sound signature with three sets of acoustic filters

· 100% compatibility with Apple products

· Light-weight design (just 16g)

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

The Audéo PFE 232

The Audéo PFE 232 is Phonak Sound’s flagship In-Ear-Monitor (IEM) and is part of their Platinum series. PFE stands for Perfect Fit Earphones and refers to the wearing comfort or ‘perfect-fit’ the company is known for with their various hearing and audio related products. The PFE 232 has dual-balanced armature drivers on each side, which is quite a departure from triple or quad designs you’d find at this price point. Usually, more drivers means the better the sound, but it’s definitely not a rule. The PFE 232 is priced at $599 but includes a free pair of the Audéo PFE 022 if bought at www.audeoworld.com. The 022 is a mid-end IEM which separately would cost $119, making it a pretty sweet deal. This pretty much sets the tone when it comes to the meaning of value for the folks at Phonak: clearly they like fully equipped “kits” as the package not only includes some nice extras we usually don’t find standard on other IEM, but they even include a $119 IEM! While we do like the idea of an additional earphone and love the extra accessories that come with the package, we certainly think we could do without the former. Dropping the extra IEM, would in theory bring the price down to $480 which would make the 232 an extremely good value considering its performance. Don’t get us wrong, we would still love to see the extra PFE 022, but in a more expensive “gift pack” or “limited edition” separate from a basic and cheaper version that only includes the 232. Creating two separate packages giving the consumer more options is something that Phonak should consider.

Like I mentioned above, the package includes some niceties we usually don’t find in competing products and includes:

§ Audéo PFE 232 with remote and microphone § Audéo PFE 022 § Three sets of acoustic filters § Additional cable without microphone § Silicone ear tips in three sizes (S,M,L) § Comply Foam tips in three sizes (S,M,L) § Cleaning tool § Perfect Fit silicone ear guides § Carrying case

Noteworthy is the additional cable and three sets of acoustic filters. While the extra cable is meant for those that don’t require the remote, it does come in handy in case the original cable breaks, which basically comes down to easily removing the damaged cable and attaching the new one. No need to purchase a new cable and waiting for it to arrive. A very nice touch.

The inclusion of the acoustic filters (which do dramatically affect the sound) is a major plus and unique selling point for the 232. It’s also a feature I haven’t seen before on other IEM. It not only allows the consumer to tailor the 232 to their specific audio tastes, but it also allows Phonak to target the 232 to a broader range of consumers. Audiophiles for example usually prefer a more neutral audio performance, while the younger “Beats generation” prefer lots and lots of bass. This usually meant making separate products, but in this case it’s just a matter of changing the filter giving you a totally different perceived listening experience. The 232 comes with four pairs: the Grey filter is for enhanced perception of mid-frequencies, Black for enhanced bass and treble and Green for extra bass. Phonak clearly sees the Grey filter as the main and preferred filter as the package includes 2 pairs of these: the first pair comes already installed while an extra pair brings the total pair of filters to 4.

Phonak generously included 3 sizes of both silicone and foam tips, but we’d also like to see triple flange tips included in future versions. Considering the price we would have also expected an airplane adapter. The carrying case is very handy and has plenty of space to take all the included accessories along with you. We just wish it was a bit stylish. Phonak seems to have a played it a bit safe with the  design of the case. At this price range  we would have expected something a bit more stylish. A rounded case that matches the round grilles creating some matching theme would definitely go along way.  

Design

The PFE 232 eschews the usual organic bulbous shape that’s seems to be the norm for high-end universal fit IEM and goes for a modern flat and thin design where smooth straight surfaces dominate the front, while a more organic ear-hugging shape can be found on the back. The 232 is available in what Phonak calls “Black,” but it’s actually a two-tone color that consists of a glossy Black finish on the inside and a beautiful Platinum color on the outside. The combo looks modern, stylish and definitely makes the 232 stand out. A very prominent design feature of the 232 are the non-functioning round port holes with matching grille that add a bit of edginess to the overall design, while still managing to match the overall theme.

At first sight, the PFE 232 doesn’t look like the most comfortable earphone to wear, especially due to the lack of a more curvaceous design that seems necessary to comfortably fit the outer ear. I was totally wrong. The outer design is all about flat surfaces with sharp lines, giving the impression of not being very comfortable to wear. On the other hand, the inner part of the 232, the part that actually touches your ear is perfectly molded to fit the outer ear. Add the fact that the 232 is extremely light, the result is one of the most comfortable IEM I’ve ever used. Many triple driver IEM tend to be relatively large and wide, resting on a large part of the outer ear. The 232 in turn has a more “skinny” design and as result touches a small portion of the outer ear. The resulting effect is that it almost “floats,” making you almost forget that these are even there. I’m guessing this thinner design is in part due to the use of dual drivers, as triple or quad drivers designs tend to be wider and larger.

The lower portion of the cable is thick enough to withstand daily usage and shouldn’t easily break or get damaged. In case it does, the earpieces can easily be removed from the cable and attached to a new one. This is a huge plus. If this wasn’t the case, a broken cable usually means sending the IEM to the manufacturer for repair. Having replaceable cables means a longer product life, something we’d expect from a $599 product. Phonak has smartly chosen to go for a thinner package for the upper part of the cable that’s connected to the earpieces. It’s thick enough for it not to be fragile, but are flexible enough to easily go around the ear or in the silicone guides. Many IEM manufacturers tend to priorities cable thickness making for a cable that’s too thick, heavy and unable to maintain the right position around the ear. Phonak seems to have found the right balance between flexibility and durability. While I like the inclusion of the silicone ear guides, I found them a bit uncomfortable and not as easy to use. Most users should be quite happy using the 232 without the ear guides. But it’s stil a nice touch to have these included as I’m sure some users will prefer them.

One area that seems like an afterthought is the remote. It simply doesn’t do justice to the style and quality PFE 232 and feel cheap and flimsy. It does work as advertised, but we would have loved a more solid and better looking remote. The placement however is just about right.

Performance

Considering its driver configuration, I expected an exemplary performance, but on a level you’d expect from a dual driver setup. This usually is just a step below triple driver designs. This time I really  was proven wrong and pleasantly surprised with a performance that’s on par and in some cases surpasses triple driver designs! What stood out was the level of detail and effortless performance the PFE 232 was capable of. The Shure SE535/530 has long been a benchmark for me when it comes to high end IEM and I was surprised by the added level of detail and smoothness the 232 where capable of delivering, making the Shure sound a bit harsh at times. An IEM that in some cases makes the Shure SE535 sound harsh? We definitely have a winner here! The Shure’s are capable of delivering audio on a grand scale with its deep base, most probably aided by its dual woofers. The 232 on the other hand takes a different approach, going for detail and finesse, as if caressing every sweet tune before it effortlessly pushes them to your ears. The 232 simply shines when it comes to the high frequencies, producing probably the best performance I’ve heard in among all the earphones I’ve tested, besting even the Etymotic ER•4 series which has long been a favorite of mine when comes to the higher frequencies. A negative side to the 232’s perfect highs and outstanding detail is that low quality audio will sound horrible and and will reveal a “hiss” that’s typical to audio ripped at a low bitrate. But give it 320kbps audio or Wav files and you’ll be treated with an amazing performance.

Mids are done in an equally amazing fashion, on par with the Shure SE535. The Shure goes for a more dramatic presentation the mids, while 232s prefer a more laid back approach. Again here it’s all about details and more details, making the PFE 232 one of the most fun IEM I’ve had the pleasure of testing. What also stands out is the 232 ability to tie all these frequencies together in what seems like perfectly uniform sound. In the case of triple or quad design there sometimes seems be a slight gap between the mids and either the high or lows.

The lows are where the Shure SE535 pulls ahead, clearly performing better due to it’s ability to dig  deeper and doing this with authority. We’re not talking about a night and day difference, but the 232 simply can’t go as deep as the Shure. It’s  pretty close though. Considering the fact this is done with two drivers I’m very impressed. I’m starting to wonder what those folks at Phonak could accomplish if they were given three to four drivers. The 232 clearly shows that amount of drivers isn’t necessarily indicative of performance.

One area of concern are the filters when it comes to performance. When I first started listening to the 232 it didn’t sound quite as impressive. It was only when I decided to swap the preinstalled Grey filters with the ones in included in box did I notice a huge increase in performance. Bottom line: the filters can get damaged  or have microscopic dirt in them that can have a dramatic effect on performance. I would recommend testing your filters to make sure everything is working correctly. This is not a fault on Phonak’s side as these simply are quite fragile parts.

Conclusion

The Audéo PFE 232 is one amazing IEM, performing on par and in some cases surpassing triple driver competitors when it comes to the mids and highs. Only when the lows are concerned does it fall behind, but just barely. It looks modern and stylish and is probably one of the most comfortable IEM I’ve used. When value is concerned things get a bit more complicated. At $600 you do get what you pay for: a high-end IEM, a $119 mid-end PFE 022, extra cable and the acoustic filters. In my opinion Phonak should drop the PFE 022 and  bring the price down to $480 which would make the 232 an extremely good value. Don’t get us wrong, we would still love to see the extra PFE 022, but in a more expensive “gift pack” or “limited edition” separate from a basic and cheaper version that only includes the 232. The PFE 232  is able to play in the big leagues with just to drivers, imagine what they could do with 3. Phonak should definitely consider this for its follow-up. The Audéo PFE 232 gets an 8.3 out 10.

Cons

Price should be lower

Remote control feels cheap

Can’t quite go as deep as triple driver designs.

No included triple flange or airplane adapter

Pros

Overall performance close to or equals triple driver designs

One of the most comfortable IEM to wear

Very Lightweight

Extremely detailed and impressive high end.

Extremely detailed and smooth sound

Package includes nice extras

Earpieces can be removed from cable: cables can easily be replaced

Filters effectively modify the sound and are included

Extra cable is included

Remote control is handy

****Picture with included accesories****

Engadget has released their Windows Phone 7.5 app and  has been updated to support the new features in Windows Phone 7.5 like multitasking, landscape mode and Live Tile support . This allows you to use the built-in Podcasting feature to play podcasts in the background and some fancy new Live Tile goodness.

There are also some social features to share posts using Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Evernote, Instapaper and Read it Later.

You can find the app right here, or just look for it in the Marketplace.

Sports Tracker is now offering their Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor for €59.90, down from the usual €69.90. The Bluetooth module will wireless connect to the N9 (and soon and Lumia 800) and provide real time heart rate measurement for one of my favorite apps: Sports Tracker.

The offer is for orders made before the 10th of December.

Mark at The Nokia Blog found a new hidden diagnostic tool that allows you to test different function on the Lumia and can be used for troubleshooting potential issues. These tests include:

• Accelerometer
• ALS
• Audio Loopback
• Bluetooth
• Camera
• Battery Status
• DTMF
• Hardware Buttons
• Headset Detection
• LCD White
• Lights
• Magnetometer
• Power Source
• Proximity
• Speaker
• Touch
• Vibra

The tool can be activated by opening the phone dialer and pressing:

##634#

 

Via: The Nokia Blog

With the recent move to Windows Phone, we like to follow Windows Phone Podcast. One of my main uses for my phones is always listening to Podcasts. In a previous post I mentioned Windows Weekly and the official  Windows phone podcast: Windows Phone Radio.

Now here’s another podcast to your growing list of Windows Phone related content: All About Windows Phone Insight or AAWP Insight for short. Our friends over at Allaboutsymbian.com now have a new site focusing on Windows Phone and of course there’s an accompanying podcast to go along with the site. You can subscribe to the Podcast using this RSS feed.

In light of recent power issues affecting the Lumia 800, here are a few tips to help get extra juice out of the battery:

1.Use a dark theme: A darker theme obviously emits less lights and requires less power. On a black Lumia it even adds to the effect of the UI just floating on top of the phone. Go to: Settings>System>Theme>Background and set it to Dark.

2.Turn off Wi-Fi network searching: Wi-Fi already eats a bit of the juice, but having to constantly look for Wi-Fi networks unnecessarily eats more power. Go to: Settings>System>Wi-Fi>Uncheck “Notify me when new networks are found”

3.Close unused programs: Apps running in the background eat more CPU cycles and in the process more power. Instead of pressing the Windows key, press the back key, which completely closes an app.

4.Control brightness: The screen is almost always the part that eats the largest chunk out of a battery. The Lumia 800 already does a good job with default it’s auto-brightness setting, but you can manually set it to “Low” conserving even more power by going to: Settings>Systems>Brightness>Turn Auto adjust Off and set level to Low.

5.Screen time out: This option is pretty much self-explanatory. I recommend setting it to 30 seconds for some extra power. Can be found in: Settings>System>Lock+Wallpaper

6.Extreme power control: I was surprised  to find this option, but it’s for those that really want to take this to the next level. You can find it in: Settings>System>Battery Saver.

Now I would always check the options to turn Battery Saver when battery is low, but you can go the extra mile by always turning battery saver on (the second option). This basically turns off all background processes until you recharge. Not very practical for daily use, but it’s nice to have the option.

7.Email Sync frequency: Lastly,downloading emails as they come or every 15 minutes can have a toll on the battery. You can set it to hourly or even manually. This setting can be found in Settings>System>Email+Accounts> Choose your email and set the “Download New Content”.

8.Camera: When done using the camera, ALWAYS use the back button instead of the Windows button to exit the camera app and shutdown the camera.

Know any good power saving trick, let me know!

Yesterday when I connected my Lumia 800 to charge after getting a low battery warning I left it for a few hours, only to come back and find that it didn’t charge at all. In fact, it lost more power to the point that it completely turned off and didn’t want to turn on. Disconnecting it and reconnecting the charger only showed a large empty battery icon, but still no progress in charging. After the 2 hours I left it to charge, it should have been full, but it wasn’t. To make a long story short, after holding the power button several times for 10 seconds, it turned back on, but still with very little power left. Afterwards I was able to fully charge the Lumia 800 and all is well.

It seems a small percentage of Lumia 800 are affected, having problems charging the device or battery draining a bit too fast. Luckily this is not a hardware problem, but software issue and Nokia has responded stating that a fix is in the works:

“ We understand that some people have expressed concerns about battery life on the Nokia Lumia 800.  Early investigations show that the majority of people are enjoying the full Nokia Lumia experience without any problems.  A software update in early December will include improvements to power efficiency, while a second update in early January introduces further enhancements to battery life and battery charging.  Both are planned updates and will be made available via Zune.  We recommend that anyone who still has concerns contact local Nokia care representatives at their earliest convenience.”

 

Until then, I recommend that you avoid draining the batteries completely and just charge as soon as you get a low battery warning. Also try charging with the device turned on. As for the battery draining too fast, you might want to look at yesterday’s tip of the day, which shows you how to fully close background apps.

Has your Lumia 800 been affected by this issue?

Image: gadget.pdamu.com

The back key on Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) isn’t just to go back.

It also activates multi-tasking. A single press goes back, but holding the button in opens a list of open apps.

 

Some of you might have also noticed that when you press the home button or switch apps, the other application stay in some sort of suspended animation. If you multi-task you’ll notice that the app is still there. Here’s a neat trick on how close an app:

From the home screen open the application you want. Now press the “Back button” once which takes you to the home screen. The app is now fully closed.

This trick doesn’t work on the browser as Windows Phone always saves the last page you were on. (Credit: Phonebuff)

A few days ago, Stefan Pannenbecker, Vice President Industrial Design at Nokia was a guest here in the Netherlands giving a behind the scenes look at how the Lumia 800 was created. Interestingly the story begins way back around November 2009, which should give the user an idea as to how long it can actually take for a mobile device to go from idea to ready-to-ship.

He details how the lead designer for both the N9 and Lumia 800, Anton Fahlgren showed an early model of what was to become the N9 during their monthly “Creative Review,” basically a monthly meeting that oversees all current projects that are going on. Axel Meyer, known for the N97design, was also part of the team.

When asked  how they were able to deliver the Lumia 800 that fast, Pannenbecker mentions several reasons: Doing less things, but execute them better, focusing on the right things, to deliver faster and they build on something “somewhat mature, not finished” referring to the N9. This also means that Nokia does consider the Lumia 800 as a “version 2.0” if you will of the N9 and not just an N9 with a new operating system as many seem to suggest. He mentions 4 principles that would define the N9 and the Lumia 800: Clear, Refined, Human and Advanced.

Digging deeper into the specifics, it was all about making decisions about what is important in a product and bring that experience to the foreground and the rest to background. In other words, the hardware should disappear into the background when you use the UI. I’d say they pretty much achieved that with the curved screen, which creates an illusion of the software almost floating in the air. This  pretty much sums up Nokia’s principle of “Clear.” He also talked about “less elements,” referring to less buttons as well as less design details. I also found it interesting that because Windows Phone is mostly about  portrait use, they decided to make the sides “soft and nice to use.” Another interesting detail is that they wanted  the 3.5mm headphone jack to be perfectly parallel to the sides. From a design point of view, that’s the place it should be, but due to the components underneath, this posed a challenge. That’s why they decided to use modified components, all in the name of design.

Nokia has been talking a lot about how both the N9 and the Lumia 800 fuse software and the hardware. I tend to agree with this. On previous Symbian devices for example, software always somehow managed to lag behind the solid Nokia hardware. In this case he mentions how the Metro UI’s square tiles and soft internal match the rectangular footprint of the Lumia 800. Perhaps this also affected Nokia’s reason not to go Android? Perhaps it wasn’t just about differentiation, but also the fact they were pushing “hardware should match software” and Windows Phone clearly does that.

The two products were also about refinement in the sense that they wanted to improve antenna performance, which he says is kind of a black magic, never a sure thing and very difficult to do. That’s why they decided to use Polycarbonate, basically a type of plastic and one allows for great reception. Even if it’s plastic, they also decide to do things differently, treating  it as if it was a premium material and precision milling the speaker grille for example. The final product and I think you will agree, doesn’t look and feel like plastic at all. One could almost be fooled into thinking that it’s some kind of brushed aluminum.

As some of you might know, the Lumia 800 lines doesn’t have painted on color, but the Plastic itself is this color, making the device environmentally friendly but also scratch proof. This is what Pannenbecker called the human touch. Give people color choices and a curved glasses that facilititates the UI is also part of this human touch.

Lastly, he called the 800 advanced in the sense that it’s beyond trends, a new level of reduction and softness.

The Lumia 800 is indeed a departure from the previous Nseries and the design story really shows that. While the Nseries was all about technical achievements, the 800 focuses on design and the human aspects, almost blending the Nseries with Nokia’s premium 8000 series. The video above pretty much covers the entire presentation.

It doesn’t come as a surprise that Appscelerator devs are now showing more interest for Windows Phone, giving Nokia’s recent push towards Windows Phone as the primary reason. The increased interest for Windows Phone also seems to have come at the expense of RIM, which fell by 7%.

This is good news for Nokia’, but we still have take into account that there wasn’t much development going on for RIM devices, meaning that even if this is a step ahead, it’s a very small step. However I do expect interest to grow as Nokia starts pushing the sales Windows Phone upwards and starts releasing even more interesting models like the rumored 900 device.

Nokia and Microsoft still have A LOT of work to do, but this definitely is a step in the right direction.

Also worth noting that we aren’t talking about the entire dev community, but just Appscelerator devs, but it seems to accurately represent the industry as a whole.

Source: Appcelerator

Source: Engadget Mobile