Phonak is an established Swiss manufacturer of audio products and especially for his hearing aids known.
With Audéo series Phonak InEars brings to the market that use the technology of hearing aids.
Yes, you read that right.
Like most higher-value and -preisigen InEars use the Audéo product line called Balanced Armature, hereinafter referred to as BA, transducers, which have to be very stable levels, so should have the property of reproducing high SPL with low distortion, and should thereby have a high detail resolution.
Those requirements apply to hearing aids, but also for Ear monitoring on stage (eg. Concerts), as well as many HiFi fans will appreciate these attributes.
In more expensive BA BA InEars then several miniature loudspeaker are housed, since BA drivers have the negative property, only to have a limited range.
In InEars with only one driver (as is the Phonak is) therefore a possible broadband transducer is used (as with loudspeaker chassis there is a wide variation of BA drivers) and often worked additionally with acoustic filters.
To provide clarity about the different versions of the Audéo InEars, I have created the following list:
0xx attenuated delivery; with green acoustic filters (-> bass emphasized)
1xx complete delivery with gray (neutral) and black (pronounced root and emphasized heights) acoustic filters
x1x normal cable without remote control or microphone
x2x one-button remote with microphone
x3x Three-Button Remote with microphone
xx1 black housing
xx2 white housing
So has a 112 a regular cable and black casing, a 131 accordingly a dreiknöpfige wired remote control with microphone and a white casing.
The scope of supply includes the InEars, a storage bag with two compartments and zippers (a hard case would have been better), earloop, a cleaning tool, a tool to change the filter, and in addition to the various essays nor replacement filters.
The build quality is fine, although I would have liked a proper strain relief at all transitions on rather thin and fragile-looking cable.
The comfort is good, the silicone articles are soft and comfortable.
I use the Audéo with ear hooks, because the feel with me in this way improved (which is probably because of the "bridge", from which emerges the cable is quite long).
I use when listening to the gray, ie neutral filters, which are based on my sound impressions. The black filter I have not tested and feel no desire for it.
Sonically the Phonak is kept very neutral, except a moderate accentuation to the upper heights of Audéo plays practically non-staining. The emphasis shines a little in the upper mid-range and can thus voices sound minimal brighter.
Apart from the frequency response is flat.
The range is good and the Audéo can play back low frequencies without falling off here. However, in more than 10kHz Superhochton he then falls, luckily not too steep flank. The "sparkle" in Superhochton him thus missing something. This is a typical spot for InEars with only a BA drivers, but masters of the Phonak "discipline" range quite confidently.
The resolution is very high, details are reproduced beautifully. For two-way InEars is there not much and only in the high range a bit more resolution you wish for (by the "moderate" (although it is good) high frequency resolution and the emphasis in the lower levels of this range can sound ever uncomfortable).
The bass is typical for BA InEars, dry, precise, fast and hard. Only in the deep bass of Audéo is slightly spongy.
The stage presentation / space is good, both width and depth can convey the Phonak.
A (very) flat frequency response, good reproduction characteristics plus a good comfort - what more could you want?
That is more sonically possible is clear - but for the price and a single BA performs the ear Audéo his job very confident and you have to go in the area more than 200 (and more drivers BAs) to outperform the Phonal.