Flare Audio is the brand which was launched in the year 2007 by only 3 members and later got big and now it’s a growing audio brand among the competitors. Their product named Calmer which is designed to improve the sleep of an individual got a good attention among the consumers and to continue that attraction of the consumers they started to develop Audio gears in the name JET series and in this review let’s discuss about the latest offering from the Flare Audio named FLARE JET 3.
Table of Contents
SPECIFICATIONS:
Driver: 10mm
Frequency Response: 5-20KHz
Mic: Present
Connector: 3.5mm gold plated jack
Sensitivity: 93dB/1mV
DESIGN AND FIT:
They have designed it very aesthetically and crafty. They are completely made out of precision turned grade 5 titanium. The build is top notch and built like a tank. They provide nice heft in the hand while holding it and have a nice brushed metal finish. The faceplate has the Flare brand image and the rest of the earpiece is minimalistic.
The nozzle area is very interesting where they are designed differently when compared to usual earphones. The nozzle area is very much longer and due to this when the ear tips are seated the nozzle end seems to be literally protruding out of the ear tip even though they are not. This just makes the fit horrible unless you won’t find a good fit with it. I used the aftermarket tips to get a good seal with it. Overall the build is solid and sturdy.
The cable is non detachable which is quite disappointing cause at this price point most of the earphones comes with the detachable cable which increases the lifespan of the earphone usage. The cable is however quite nice with rubber coating over the wire with some star patterns. The cable also includes the mic and an inline control for attending and end calls also to play and pause the music. The cable is however quite sticky and tangle prone hence some cable management needs to be done before stashing it into your bag.
The other interesting thing I noticed here is that there is no nozzle filter or mesh. It just appears open and the drivers can be easily seen via the nozzle. I don’t know how this is going to prevent the entry of ear wax and dust but as for now they sound fine and only time will tell how they are going to last.
SOUND:
The sound of the jet 3 is more of a warm slight v shaped sound signature. During my initial listening I cannot immediately identify its sound signature because of its mixed sound output. The bass is emphasized a lot here with noticeable bass boost especially in both the mid bass and the sub bass region. I personally like its fun sound signature yet very relaxing overall. Let’s dive into the sound signature in detail.
BASS:
If you are a bass head, close your eyes and get this earphone. Both the mid bass and the mid bass are elevated to the taste of a bass head. The bass will definitely satisfy you with that nice rumble and the mid bass presence which gives that nice body to the ids and the overall sound.
- JETLAG CORPORATION – AES DANA
This is an electronic track and is a good track to test the sub bass presence.At 0:30 the sub bass drop hits and in this earphone it’s very satisfying to listen. The sub bass just extends as deep as possible and literally makes the skull rattle. The bass has a nice overall texture and doesn’t feel lacking in resolution.
The bass is slower and thus provides the reverb kind of effect and this helps in producing the excellent rumble in the low end. You need to find a good fit to expertise this awesome bass and without that nice seal it will be very bland to you.
- SYMETRIC LIFES – H.U.V.A NETWORK
The slower bass helped to reveal the nice layering effect in the background of this track and especially the low end drops are very satisfying to hear. It’s very pleasing to hear and the control of the bass is excellent. There is no sense of loose bass or going out of control. The bass has nice resolution and the separation of the instruments in the low end is done great too.
- OPEN ROAD – HANS ZIMMER
From the start of the track it provides your ears the treat of bass! The low end drops are very nice and very satisfying to the ears. At 1:07 when the instruments get busy the separation is out of control and sounds slightly muffled. The separation of the instruments is not handled well in this track
Overall the bass is slower, under controlled(some times) and has average resolution. The texture is average and sometimes bleeds into the mid frequency but it is done in a good way where it provides a fullness to the mid frequency. When the track gets busy with a lot of background instruments the bass frequency struggles to deliver a well separated sound instead the instruments sound crowded and overall the sound gets muffled but this occurs only when the tracks get very busy especially in the tracks like Hans Zimmer.
Due to this boosted bass in busier and complex tracks, the overall sound feels very dark and intimate but this may be preferred by some people. This earphone is however a boon for people who need that skull rattling rumble and the sub bass extension. When the track is not a complex one then this earphone just shines in the low end, period.
MID FREQUENCY:
The mids are recessed noticeably in this earphone. The instruments and the vocals are pushed backwards and provide a nice laid back listening. The mid frequency recession is not done in a bad way whereas this is excellent for relaxing sessions. The fun accompanied with the laid back sound gives a nice sense of expansive soundstage.
- SUFFER – THE SMASHING PUMPKINS
The guitar strings strike beautifully and as naturally as possible. However the instruments and the vocals are pushed noticeably backward. This may not be a good pick for people who like a mid forward sound but it’s a nice pick for people who need a nice laid back yet providing some fun. The imaging is also depicted well in this track where the drums nicely sweeps from side to side.
- WAY YOU MOVE – SLIGHTLY STOOPID
The electric guitar at the start of the track on both sides strikes very nice. The instruments however sound very nice but the vocals are pushed very backward thus the aggressive factor is lacking. The instruments are well separated. The low end drops provide a nice warmth to the mid section and fullness to the mid section. The trumpets sound very nice.
- NEW RULES – DUA LIPA
The female vocals are pushed forward when compared to the male vocals. In this track especially the low end drops accompanied with the vocals is a very pleasant experience to listen to. The instruments sound very well separated and the vocals are spot on. This earphone handles the female vocals much better than the male vocals. The female vocal had no hint of harshness or sibilance which is very nice since this is a very relaxing earphone.
Overall the mid frequency is laid back with slightly forward instruments and above average separation of the instruments. The mid sections sound fuller, rounded, warmer and relaxing with no timbre issues. No harshness or peaks are observed during my listening. The tonality is surprisingly natural with a slight hint of warmth. However for the most part the midsection sounds dark and seems scooped out hence people who prefer mid centric sound need to give this a try before purchasing.
TREBLE:
The treble extension is average and there is a considerable roll off in the upper end. They don’t sound detailed at all and it’s definitely not a bright earphone. The treble section sounds very dark and for classicals they are not good at all.
The darkness in the treble section makes the whole listening experience dull but very relaxing and never fatigues. No brilliance, no sparkle in the high end. People who don’t worry about the highs extension and details then this is a nice pair to listen to. This considerable roll off in the high end makes this earphone very relaxing and suitable for people who are sensitive to sibilance to harshness.
- GRAFFITI – CHVRCHES
Very pleasant to hear since they don’t even have a hint of sibilance. They sound very relaxing. A very good earphone for listening during bed time where no harshness has been experienced here. When the high hats strike they sound very smooth and nice.
- SANTERIA – SUBLIME
The guitar sounds very smooth and nice. As said before no harshness or sibilance is observed during my listening. The strings sound very natural and sound precise. The tonality is neutral with a hint of warmth.
Overall the treble section is very relaxing to hear due to that roll off and dark sound signature. It’s both boon and bane depending on the type of listener’s preference.
TECHNICALITIES:
SOUNDSTAGE AND IMAGING: The soundstage is surprisingly wide and deep considering the price. Due to that slower bass and the laid back mid section the soundstage feels very expanse in the width and also in the depth
Track Used: HIDEAWAY – JACOB COLLIER
The imaging is very nice and sweeps nicely from one side to the other with no stutter. The tracks from Yosi Horikawa sounded very nice in this earphone showing its imaging qualities.
VERDICT:
Flare Jet 3, one of the latest offerings from the Flare company, is a very pleasing one for general consumers. They have a nice relaxing sound with no harshness or sibilance and are suitable for bedtime listening and for casual fun listening. The bass is nicely boosted to the point where the rumble can be felt evidently and the relaxed treble is very suitable for people who don’t like bright sound signatures.
For the asking price of RS.5300 this is not my preferred sound signature but as I said this is a big boon for people who like a very relaxing sound with boosted bass. The mids are pushed much backwards and the treble sounds very relaxed for my liking, however the soundstage and the imaging are very good in this earphone and are above average for the price. The fit is also slightly hit or miss to me. I would consider this as an option if your sound signature is pretty relaxing and fun.
PROS AND CONS:
PROS:
- EXCELLENT SUB BASS EXTENSION AND MID BASS PERFORMANCE
- VERY RELAXING SOUND WITH NO HARSHNESS
- EXCELLENT BUILD
CONS:
- TOO RELAXED TREBLE
- VERY LAID BACK MID SECTION
- NON DETACHABLE WIRE
- BASS GETS MUDDIER IN BUSY TRACKS
This Review is Written By KATHIRAVAN.C
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I’m Kathiravan from Tamilnadu. A budding audiophile here with high love towards music and audio equipment. My first experience of enjoying the hifi audio came when I started to use budget chi-fi gears and now it came all along the way of reviewing the gears with high end stuffs. I love reviewing audio products.
Shubham
Shubham Garg (Editor Shubz.in) is an engineer with a specialization in Mechanical Engineering from AKTU, Uttar Pradesh. Being a mechanical engineer he has always loved to learn the inner working of various machines and consumer electronics. He regularly tests various audio, home appliances, and daily use products, to provide the best advice to readers. He is a wizard that can make your shopping easy, saving you time and stress of figuring out what to buy.
