InEar are relatively unknown\unpublicized\not acknowledged German company compared to likes of Sennheiser and Beyerdynamic .They are specialized in InEar monitoring systems. With Prophile8 they have now joined the likes of Sennheiser and Beyerdynamic in creating a German engineering masterpiece both in terms of technical and sound perspective. Prophile 8 which is a universal in-ear with a 4-way crossover and 8 balanced armature drivers per side is tuned to achieve a studio reference.
Background:
I met Marco Rämisch from InEar at headphone event in 2014 & 2016. In 2014 I auditioned the Stage series SD2 & SD3. InEar has designed a unique universal shape based on hundreds or scanned ears and I was impressed by the fit of SD2, they felt like customs and fit like a glove. I was impressed by huge soundstage SD2 produced but in general I thought that the SD2 had a bit laidback presentation.
In 2016 event Marco introduced the pre-production version on Prophile8. Being a engineer myself we had a long discussion about the digital and manufacturing process. We also discussed technical qualities of Prophile8 and during this conversation Marco asked me if I was a headphone reviewer or ran a blog. I explained that I was not a professional reviewer nor had a blog but was a head-fi member for last eight years. Later in November I asked Marco by email if I can have a demo unit and he politely answered that they were short on demo units and had just two which he needed for exhibitions. So this year after seeing positive reviews I asked Marco again and he was happy to send one without any questions. As you read the review the iems are already back with Marco.
Build:
Build really is top notch, they feel really solid. They are 3d printed and finished with matt look. With the balanced armature drivers I was told that each driver is checked for FR and Left and right pairs are perfectly matched. They have also incorporated two small switches for tuning which are on part which goes in Cymba-concha area and hence not visible when they are worn. To incorporate 8drivers and switches the shells are bit larger and can be a problem for people with small ears. Previously I mentioned the fit of SD2, I can’t say same about Prophile8. I would like to see a smaller version of it may be without switches. Feature I liked about InEar is they have incorporated a cerumen filter and they do provide a tool and replacement filters. They are also color coded for left and right markings, It’s well thought design.
Packaging:
I was sent a demo unit so without outer packaging. So it came with Pelican case, Prophile8, Standard silicon tips, comply tips, Spin-fit tips, Cerumen filter set, drying capsule, and manual.
Fit:
I should mention here that though I got good seal and fit with medium tips which I use normally, I needed one size small tips to get the right insertion depth. This might be due to the custom type design of these inears. I guess this was also notice by other head-fi user @ mimouille
Sound:
On listening for first time you immediately get wowed by the tonal balance, clarity, transparency and expansive presentation. My preconception of analytical disappeared quickly, because Prophile8 is clear , transparent , detailed without sounding thin or cold.
- Soundstage – InEar are master of tuning their iems to create a realistic soundstage. You can also notice same house sound in Stagedriver series which also have a large stage. With Prophile8 you immediately notice that one of its trait is large soundstage which is also precise. Its not only wide but has also good depth and height.
- Imaging – Imaging is precise and truly studio reference quality and does justice to all the work done by studio/sound engineers while mixing and creating the tracks.
- Tuning – Prophile8 is tuned to produce a flat neutral response. I would describe it as more natural. It is very resolving iem and brings out small details in music, they are truly transparent. Larger stage does help every instrument to have its own space in the mix.
- Bass: - Bass is bit north of neutral with a right decay. Bass lines are very clear and does bring out details in bass. Sub bass digs deep, there is no mid bass hump. Bass has nice weight and dynamics. I found bass to be chameleon based on track you are listening too. So it works well for all genres including EDM and metal.
- Mids:- Best part of this iem, they are quiet life like, realistic and conveying the emotions of the song & vocals. Lower mids have bit of warmth from the bass and are liquid. Mids and upper mids on some track felt a bit dry & airy but on other track were natural. Vocals are not too intimate or distant. They have excellent clarity and convey the raw emotions of singer. Listening to some of the female singer was delight and can run shivers if you get drowned in the music. Also listening to live music albums with multiple guitar players on stage was delight. Again I would like to point that the resolution you get from these iems are top notch.
- Treble:- Treble as you can see from frequency response is slightly low in level relative to the midrange baseline but is very delicately done and can be lifted a bit by treble switch. For me the default setting was perfect, It never sounds artificial or tizzy as some of the other BA based IEMS.
Frequency Response:
Default:
Bass boost (Red)
Treble boost (Blue)
Bass & Treble boost (Pink)
Left & Right matching:
Comparison: Other TOTL iems I have heard have been at events except Harmony8.2 which I had a chance to demo at home, but I wouldn’t want to compare based on memory.
Summary: Prophile8 does live to its marketing title “Studio Reference Signature”
