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Question about SA6's built quality

post #1 of 12
10/30/08 at 7:38am
Thread Starter 
I am planning to get the SA6, and after hearing it in my local store the sound ticks everything I want. However, the recent complains about the built quality has me concern, so I'll like to ask: just how bad is the SA6's built quality? I do not seek an IEM which I can use forever, and if it's minor issues like the chrome falling off (which doesn't affect the sound at all) I can certainly live with it. Even if the cable breaks after a few months I can always buy a new one. But I certainly don't want the whole earpiece falling apart after a few months.
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post #2 of 12
10/30/08 at 7:54am
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f99/sn...5/#post4924197

nuff said
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post #3 of 12
10/30/08 at 7:58am
The thing is: if you read carefully all the post on every earphone you will eventually find issue with all of them, I've seen UE break at the cable attachment, issue with Shure westone sony's etc.
So It really comes down to how effective the customer service and what parts can be changed when the warranties wears of.


that said with the SA6 you have parts to play with, so murphy's Law applies more than on other earphone
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post #4 of 12
10/30/08 at 8:14am
im still confident in the warranty/customer service from sleek, and hoping this was just a freak accident.

so far UEs have been v strong for me!
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post #5 of 12
10/30/08 at 8:45am
FeedMeTrance: I assume you like trance music?

How are the SA6s for trance? How far beneath the TF10s would you rate them in terms of SQ?
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post #6 of 12
10/30/08 at 8:58am
To the OP: You will always find more complains than prises about build quality issue. It is just how a forum works - people tend to come here when they have a problem and hope to find a solution. I have a chrome issue with my SA6 and Jason @ Sleek Audio replaced it with just one round of PM (not even emails are required). We all know SA6's build quality isn't the best in the business, but Sleek Audio has stood by their product with great warranty and customer service, that much we also know. If you are not the care taking or the gambling type of user, than perhaps there will be something out there more suitable for your need. However, even if you did take care of things, something they will still break apart. Well, sh*t happens in life.
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post #7 of 12
10/30/08 at 9:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ClieOS View Post
To the OP: You will always find more complains than prises about build quality issue. It is just how a forum works - people tend to come here when they have a problem and hope to find a solution. I have a chrome issue with my SA6 and Jason @ Sleek Audio replaced it with just one round of PM (not even emails are required). We all know SA6's build quality isn't the best in the business, but Sleek Audio has stood by their product with great warranty and customer service, that much we also know. If you are not the care taking or the gambling type of user, than perhaps there will be something out there more suitable for your need. However, even if you did take care of things, something they will still break apart. Well, sh*t happens in life.
Well put. I also agree with |Freds comment that the possibility of build quality faliures is naturally increased with the SA6 due to their multiple, interchangeable component set-up. That just logically makes sense.

In line from Clieo's comments, you have to understand that Sleek Audio are a new company in this business- the SA6 being their first IEM produced and released- and they are likely gona encounter unforseen niggles in build quality etc that they will need to address as they become aware of them. So far, they have shown great commitment to this process, to the development, modification and evolution of their product.
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post #8 of 12
10/31/08 at 1:42am
the sa6 are excellent for trance: not bloated but have a great bass and they retain speed. im not sure they are as good as my ck-10 for trance but they are a second best for sure. prior to the ck10 the er4s were my favs for speed and transience but their fit, terrible microphonics and other fiddly parts drove me to be rid of them.

the sa6 are not the best fits (stick out quite far for me) but they do well to block outside noise and are not too sensitive despite their spec of 110db so i hear less hiss than with my ck10 which are 107db or so.

for armatures: a type of earphone i have not always liked much at all, the sa6 are very good just not very well built.
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post #9 of 12
10/31/08 at 2:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ClieOS View Post
However, even if you did take care of things, something they will still break apart. Well, sh*t happens in life.
And that is fine as for as you can get the thing fixed. Unfortunately I'm one of those users that even taking care of the product has experienced a fault that I can't get fixed (maybe because I'm in Australia) and I had to fork out money for a spare part that should not fail in the first 3 months of light use.
As I said in another post it's a real shame as I like the sound of the SA6 but now I need to find a different brand that offers a good after sale service everywhere, just in case.
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post #10 of 12
10/31/08 at 3:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by gerbi View Post
And that is fine as for as you can get the thing fixed. Unfortunately I'm one of those users that even taking care of the product has experienced a fault that I can't get fixed (maybe because I'm in Australia) and I had to fork out money for a spare part that should not fail in the first 3 months of light use.
As I said in another post it's a real shame as I like the sound of the SA6 but now I need to find a different brand that offers a good after sale service everywhere, just in case.
Why not? It isn't like Australia is more remote than my current location, which is more than 100 miles North of Singapore, in another country and a town so small that i can't find a clear picture on google map. Yet I am still not far enough to get in touch w/ Jason, ask him to send the replacement to Singapore which I pick it up myself later. I used to live in Australia two years ago, and I don't think you are that remote compare to us in the third world. If there is a will, there is a way, mate.
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post #11 of 12
10/31/08 at 3:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ClieOS View Post
Why not? It isn't like Australia is more remote than my current location, which is more than 100 miles North of Singapore, in another country and a town so small that i can't find a clear picture on google map. Yet I am still not far enough to get in touch w/ Jason, ask him to send the replacement to Singapore which I pick it up myself later. I used to live in Australia two years ago, and I don't think you are that remote compare to us in the third world. If there is a will, there is a way, mate.
Well, you see, I did send an email...and a private message...and another email, without counting all the correspondance I had with the retailer who sold them to me and now is not interested in getting a replacement part. So I have tried all the channels and, to be honest, having to wait and not being able to use a $300 pair of earphones is really getting annoying.
I'm happy that you were able to get yours fixed but I think that we should get to hear the all the experiences, good and bad, and mine unfortunately is the latter one.
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post #12 of 12
10/31/08 at 5:13am
Well, I'll tell you straight up, the only problems I have had with my SA6's were self-inflicted and only one by pure accident. I was always one to wrap my IEM's around my mp3 player when not listening to them, can't do that with SA6's, lost two cables that way. And actually, I did have one thing go bad that I didn't cause, the cable that came with them was messed up to the left channel and Jason sent me 2 replacement cables free of any charges. The only other thing that has happened to mine, is the day I got them, I had the bright idea to change bass ports in the dark, and didn't feel around the bass port and started to put it in backwards >.< but I noticed that pretty quick, so the chrome part on that earpiece wiggles, but it's no big deal. As long as you take care of them, they will last.
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