In this feature, Louis reviews the Flare Audio Definition, a carefully crafted set of 3D-printed ear inserts designed to reduce distortion during playback. They are priced at £39.95.
Disclaimer: This sample was sent to me in exchange for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or partnerships. I thank the team at Flare Audio for their support.
Click here to read more about the Flare Audio products previously reviewed on Headfonics.
This article follows our current scoring guidelines, which you can read in more detail here.
Today, I have something a little different: a tiny device called Definition. This is a unique concept from Flare Audio designed to enhance our listening experience with headphones, HiFi, or just everyday auditory experiences.
I had the honor and privilege of meeting Naomi and Davies from Flare Audio, and we had a delightful hour-long conversation regarding the merits of Definition and how it differed from their previous Calmer and ISOLATE products.
At £39.95, it doesn’t cost much given today’s hyper-inflated gear prices, and has a relatively unassuming look and design. And yet, the claim that it can improve poor sounding devices I found to be true in many cases, though not all.
Since Definition has application value well beyond the world of headphones, this review will also cast a wider net on what it can do.
Concept
Naomi and Davies from Flare Audio discovered that most of the sound we perceive as distortion is caused by ear crevices and bends that cause chaotic reflections before sound enters the ear canal.
There must be a dozen companies that, in some form or another, are tackling refractions. Companies like HIFIMAN, Audeze, and Focal, just to name a few, have their patented designs attempting to minimize refractions, but Flare Audio is tackling this issue at the source.
The human ear shape has been known to have its imperfections. The fact alone that audiophiles can interpret what a particular headphone sounds like in a different light and have different opinions is a telltale fact.
What was Flare Audio’s solution? Ear inserts that correctly direct sound into the ear canal and improve HRTF or head-related transfer function. It’s a simple solution, one which, surprisingly, has not been attempted yet in a commercial venue as far as I know.
Applications
Flare Audio lists ten uses, which I call scenarios, but I bet some of you are creative enough to come up with some other unlisted uses for the Definition inserts.
I used the Definition inserts in a live outdoor event that used PA speakers. I consider PA speakers close to unlistenable, especially up close, and it’s due to their peaky midrange area and piercing, shrieky highs.
These types of speakers tend to scream at you, and they can get piercing, to say the least. These are designed to improve your sonic experience.
Another scenario I used the Definition inserts with was with a few sets of well-known inexpensive headphones and one unknown model. I’ll go into details later, but in this scenario, my results were mixed, and I didn’t obtain such a good result as with the first scenario.
People can use these in noisy environments since they tend to soften up the rough edges of bad sound while simultaneously keeping the listener fully aware of the surrounding sounds since they remain audible, but with a smear of attenuation in general.
Design
These Definition devices are small, advanced 3D-printed ear inserts that slip into the ears just like a set of IEMs. Once inserted, they simply supply an efficient pathway for sound waves to reach the ears with a minimum amount of refraction.
The material Flare Audio used to 3D print these inserts appears to be a medical-grade resin. Their complexity is noted in the way they channel sound through the intricate canal and into your ear. Try saying that three times fast.
After consulting a couple of friends who are savvy with 3D printers, they told me that to print these little guys, you need advanced gear and a boatload of patience, repetitious trial, and error, plus a crap load of gear tweaking. And even after that, I bet the reject bin was always full.
Even the Flare name on the shells would prove difficult to pull off, and I bet collapsed in production more times than you can count.
I’m guessing that these Definition inserts must be printed painstakingly slowly, very slowly. I have to hand it to Flare Audio because they’re showcasing their manufacturing proficiency here with this one, unique, small, and intricate piece.
Comfort
The definition ear inserts are, well, the most comfortable IEMs you will ever wear. I know they’re not IEMs, but they similarly insert into the ear canal. They weigh almost nothing.
I used a certified scale to weigh these little inserts and obtained some interesting numbers. Each insert hit a whopping 0.79 grams. With the small tips on, the scale went up to 1.09 grams. These individual measurements were pretty consistent in the pair I was sent with a variation of 0.01 grams.
Just imagine an IEM that weighs that small amount and has a small stature to boot. The inserts are thin and don’t even protrude much. But for them to work properly, you must obtain a good ear seal, just like most IEMs on the market.
Ear Tips
Three sizes of the same type of tips are included, but you can use tips from your collection as well. These tips look like hybrid tips, but they’re not.
They’re made from rubber or even silicon inside out and look as if they will last a long time, which is important since these tips work best with these inserts.
The inner portion of the tips is green in color. The orifice sizes look the same on every tip regardless of their size, and what determines their size seems to be the black, outer portion of the tip.
I used some conventional black rubber tips with the Definition inserts, which always work well for me, but I obtained some mixed sonic results. These inserts are more than likely tuned to sound their best with these included stock tips or a similar type.
You can do some experimentation and do some tip rolling, but the portion that wraps around the tip of the output nozzle of the inserts must be at the edge of the rear part of the tip because the ports are short.
Packaging & Accessories
The Flare Audio Definition ear inserts come inside a flat drawer-type box that measures 4 ¾ x 4 ¾ by almost an inch thick. The slide-out section reveals a slot inside where you’ll find the black pouch with all the contents.
Inside the pouch, you’ll find the two inserts and three different-sized ear tips inside a mysterious-looking black envelope with the “Long Live Ears” embossed logotype.
The box can be reused over and over. You can store the Definition product contents back inside the box since it’s reusable and smartly designed to be useful.
Performance Impressions
To complete my assessment of the Flare Audio Definition performance, I sketched out all the effects and observations I obtained in four different scenarios.
Headphones Performance
I have some fifteen-dollar Amazonian Jungle gaming headphones here that sound muffled and lifeless. You know the type. The kind you buy at a local drugstore endcap.
With the Definition inserts, the mid frequencies gained definition, and the high frequencies seemed more present. The soundstage was surprisingly improved over all other aspects, and that was the best trait I got from the Definition inserts in this scenario.
My desktop gaming rig’s headphones are the Philips SHP9500 with a V-MODA BoomPro mic version 1. It’s a decent, cheap alternative gaming setup. This combination is a good one for gaming but not so much for listening to music since the SHP9500 produces a few irritating peaks.
I’ll put it to you this way: the Definition inserts improve sonics, but they are not miracle workers. A tone sweep revealed that the high 5k peak the SHP9500 are notorious for was still there.
However, the 7k peak was quelled to acceptable levels. The most negative factor was that there was a hollowing effect on the vocals.
On my well-broken-in veteran HIFIMAN Sundara, the overall sonic experience was too bland, and the dynamic range was suppressed by around 5 dB or more. Again, I popped in some NIN, and the distortion was reduced, but so was the punchy presentation, and the high frequencies took a sharp dip.
I also got similar results with the HE400se from HIFIMAN. The vocals became hollow, and the high frequencies were rolled off. However, in a positive light, the soundstage slightly improved, although the overall size was reduced.
Overall, the Definition inserts work best with closed-back cans versus open-back variants. For example, I obtained better results using the HIFIMAN Audivina over the Arya Unveiled or the Stealth variant.
Loudspeaker Effects
I took the Flare Audio Definition inserts to a couple of local live events that were using large loudspeakers. Yes, they were the type that screamed at you, as stated before.
The overall effect I obtained from the Definition inserts is that there was an attenuation of some of those excessive peaks that loudspeakers produce. They did become more pleasant to listen to.
But best of all, the soundstage precision was increased, and I could distinguish with an increased alertness where everything was.
PC speakers
I used some inexpensive Logitech 2.1 PC speakers that are valued at around $120. I used the built-in amplification and was surprised at the results.
Prior, something like Nine Inch Nails’ Wish track would sound like a total mess on the purposely distorted guitar riffs, but with the inserts on, I heard distinction and good separation.
The stage was not grandiosely large, but it gained a lot of precision. I was being shown what was behind most of the distortion. The cheap speakers seemed more revealing.
However, if you’re using something like a set of Totem Acoustic Arro speakers in white, then you will not benefit from using the inserts. On the other hand, dynamics were suppressed, and certain mid-band frequencies varied from what’s called true tonality.
I also ran a tone sweep on these with the Definition inserts, and I also noticed that all the frequencies were now produced evenly and all the nasty peaks were gone.
Outdoor Environment
It was an enjoyable experience to walk around noisy urban environments with the Flare Audio Definition inserts because of the amusing staging that was being perceived.
Somehow, I had a better sense of the environment around me, and sounds would distinctly be produced in a correct perceivable position to where the sound came from.
There was a reduction in the overall decibel perception, but awareness was not hindered. These would suit someone who works in a noisy environment as it will help them understand close-up speech while simultaneously muting noises that are further from the listener.
Volume & Dynamics Overall
When in use, there is a small perceived loss of total volume, and overall, one loses a few decibels from the source. That’s the only price you pay for the benefits and effects of the Definition inserts.
Dynamics are also affected, but not as much as the total perceived volume. Most of this perception seems to come from the drop in high-frequency intensity and the calming effect the inserts have on frequencies that come across as intense, mostly in the mid-to-high-midrange area.
Select Comparison
Flare Audio Calmer
Purpose
The Flare Audio Calmer ear inserts were conceived before the Definition, which took a step forward in correcting sonics before entering the ear canal. But Flare Audio decided to continue the research.
The Calmer inserts were designed to remove edgy peaks and to soften things up, you could say. They’re a good alternative for people who are frequency-sensitive and in frequent noisy areas.
They make a different claim over the Definition, which makes a bolder statement in that it can correct even some high-end model headphones. The Calmer makes a simple claim. They take high sound pressure levels to tolerable levels and calm irritating frequencies.
Design
The Calmers are made for a different purpose but work under the same principle. They’re inserts that channel sound into your ear canal in a controlled manner.
The differences in their design lie in the fact that the Calmer is a one-piece ear insert that is made of soft rubber, contrary to the Definition, which is more like an IEM in that it has an interchangeable tip system.
I prefer the Definition in this aspect of the design because the Calmer is a one-size-fits-all conception and that could leave out some potential users due to poor fit. The Calmers are also tricky to insert, not the Definition.
I did find that the Calmers were more comfortable because they feel like you just inserted a tip, and you don’t feel the bulk of the Definition inside the ear.
Performance
Sonically, there are some differences. The Calmer warms things up and produces a sonic signature that is soft-spoken, as I call it. Calmer is the proper name for these inserts.
The Definition does allow more of the highs to reach the ear. But that’s the reason that the Calmers are best for people with tinnitus and for those who are sensitive to ultra-high frequency pitched sounds.
Sonically, the Definition does more and sounds better. It gives the user a similar calming effect, but they don’t kill off most of the enjoyment by removing too much of the source.
I also consider them more comfortable for some reason. To be honest, I often forgot that I had them on, and that goes for both ear insert models. However, the Definition once again edges out the Calmer in that respect, plus the top rolling sure helps.
My Verdict
The Flare Audio Definition ear inserts do what they claim to do and, in many scenarios, can improve sonic perception.
What do I like the most about them? They improve bad-sounding devices and often pull out soundstage from where there is none.
They’re not the cure for all things since I found some good-sounding headphones to be non-progressive while using the Definition inserts, and they provide little to no benefits.
The Flare Audio Definition inserts could well be an early look into the future in that with technology, we could improve our hearing with a simple, comfortable, inexpensive insert that you don’t have to permanently implanted. This is something we should cheer on and support.
Flare Audio Definition Specifications.
- Uses include:
- Listening to music
- Conversations
- Watching TV
- Under headphones
- Music Recording
- Cinema
- Gigs and Concerts
- Theatre
- Restaurants / Bars / Noisy places
- Includes 1 pair of Definition inserts, 1 Flare Audio pouch, 3 pairs of reusable Flare Tips
