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It's years past now, so no reason to get excited over a review, or an 'old product', right? I borrowed the eQ5 from Musica Acoustics back in like February or March. It's dangerous game. I borrowed the Grado GR10 from someone else and now have the GR8. That's a lot of money to throw around. I'm done with this borrowing game! Haha.
This is a liberal summary of the full eQ5 review at TouchMyApps.
Anyway, the eQ5 is now about two years old, and has been forgotten by headfi, I'm quite sure. Thank god for tardiness. I'm so glad I wasn't lent this earphone after I reviewed the eQ7. Why? Because I was a little upset that any earphone besides Final Audio could cost so much and be so silly for portable use.
It seems Ortofon thought along similar lines.
The eQ5 is a complete re-think of the eQ7, and blimey, I swear it sounds better. If I'm wrong about the last part, it is probably down to fit. I couldn't get a good fit with the eQ7. The eQ5 slides right in like a bullet to the brain pan. Lovely. The silicon and comply tips are the same, and the accessory package is still bereft of anything useful for a day out. There's no carrying case, too few ear tips, and no real way to organise filters.
Oh well.
Complaining is done.
Apart from that, this earphone is the finest money can buy at its price range. Construction quality is top notch, even the lack of rubber strain relief isn't strange. The cable sticks out and doesn't touch the face, so it won't pick up nasty face grease and sweat. The cable is made well, but still, less grease isn't a bad thing at all.
The plug, as you know by now, has a nice stress relief that is supple and resistant to breakage.
And the entire cable is thick and exudes quality. Well, after the y-split, the two trailing left/right cables are a little flimsy, but I expect them to last till I have to pass this earphone back. I'll be honest here, I've not been too careful with it. The eQ5 I borrowed has got some knicks and scratches here and there. I listen to earphones, not baby them.
But what everyone cares about is sound. And the eQ5 does sound very good. It has a powerful, but rather flat low end that is reminiscent of a bass-biased dynamic driver that still manages a neutral frequency response. Make no mistakes: the eQ5 isn't a bass boom headphone, but it drives the frequency spectrum harder and with more poise than the midrange or treble does.
The other two frequencies are simply stunning, though, with good space, but more intimacy, perhaps down to a slight smear or decay in upper bass response that hangs on for the last millisecond. I'm game. Ah hell, I'm ready to pay the referees as I want this earphone.
This is of course just an off-kilter and poor summary of what I've written at TouchMyApps. Head there for the full review of the eQ5.