[BobFiggins]

1964 A4 Review (very subjective)​

I may be editing this heavily, so quoting is not recommended.​

 

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Not going to go into exhausting detail and warm my thesaurus up. Going to keep this simple, just the way I like it.​

 
Build and Comfort 
Being my first CIEM, I spent a solid 30 seconds trying to figure out how to get them into my ears. Takes a bit of a twist motion and they sort of get sucked into the void of your ear canal. At first they were a bit uncomfortable, but over time (about two straight days of listening) they have grown on me. I still like the cold feeling of them going in your ears, and also the feeling of taking them off, and your ear venting heat. Reminds me of putting on socks fresh from the laundry, just one of those fun experiences every time.
 
Eating while listening to music with a standard IEM used to bother me because I would hear my jaw make a clicking sound. Also hearing my own breathing was quite loud. These manage to stop that considerably, which is nice.
 
The isolation is intense. When music is playing, it's very unlikely I will hear you even if you are yelling. Even without music playing it's quite good. If I ever went on a long plane ride I could see these being used to help me take a nap.
 
The build quality is very smooth and polished. No rough edges anywhere. These are much lighter than I figured they would be, they weigh nothing! The Ash/Purple Heart wood I used look exactly like the pictures, which is awesome! I saw in older photos the Purple Heart wood was a bit too light, but on mine it came out very dark and bold!
 

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Listening Hardware
Work > Chrome OS > Google Play Music/Soundcloud > Schiit Fulla/Fiio E6 > A4
Home > Windows 7 > Google Play Music/Soundcloud/Foobar2000 (FLAC) > PC/Schiit Fulla/Fiio E6 > A4
 

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Treble
At low volumes, smooth and textured. At high volumes, seems to sound crispy, and slightly distorted. This may just be how BA drivers handle high volume, especially with me compensating for the extremely bloated bass. When compensating to be able to hear the mids I end up turning the volume up a large amount, which causes this distortion.
 
Midrange
Slightly recessed, and heavily covered by the bass which extends far into the mids. The U shape of the FR seems apparent when trying to hear vocals, especially deeper voices like a baritone. They seem to be more distant, and boomy.
 
Bass
You could describe the A4 as bass-cannon. Not so much punchy bass, more of a deep expansive bass. It's quite lovely, but explosive enough to reach the treble in some songs. You really get a sense of the dual drivers in the bass, because part of it is textured and soothing, and the other part of it is just an explosion of warmth covering everything.
 
Soundstage
Very expansive! The music comes from around my ears, and sometimes can surprise me by sounding much further away! Very similar to full-size headphones. This is where the Adel technology really stands out. This is what drew me to 1964, having a full-size headphone in a CIEM package!
 

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Summary (opinionated)
Personally not too thrilled with the FR on the A4. I guess it's my fault for not getting a good seal with the U4 at the Seattle Head-Fi meet, because those sounded so much better there. The seal is just too good on the A4 that the bass gets locked in and bloats everything. The treble becomes extra crispy at high volumes, to the point of it seeming like vocals are crinkled and distorted.
 
Will attempt to pay more and upgrade to an A6 to help remedy the issues I have with the FR. 1964 did a wonderful job making these, and delivering what they promised. Any issues I have is just the combination of meet conditions, and a poor seal when demoing the U4.
 
If you are a basshead, and want to get a CIEM that can remain clear and detailed while still having a deep expansive explosive bass, these are a good choice!
 

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Pros

1. Excellent build quality, fit, and feel. It's a beautiful looking device.
2. Makes listening to music at night awesome, tunes everything and everyone out, and stays comfortable even when you roll over!
3. Sounds excellent at low and medium volume.

 
Cons

1. I don't feel the FR listed for the A4 on the website is accurate. The bass is so intense and expansive it covers the mids, and hits the treble. Personally not a fan of this sound, but I can still appreciate the quality of what it is and who it was designed for.
2. At high volumes the treble distorts, can get rough and crispy.

 

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[eldss]

 

 

[veindoc]

Break in for 100 hours is usually an outstanding first step for any speaker or Ciem. Don't bail on A4 or any other A series till u let them burn in. If still unhappy it still costs nothing but time and patience.

 

[BobFiggins]

Break in for 100 hours is usually an outstanding first step for any speaker or Ciem. Don't bail on A4 or any other A series till u let them burn in. If still unhappy it still costs nothing but time and patience.

 
No amount of break-in will solve it being a FR issue. I'm still very impressed with the A series and look forward to upgrading to a FR I like more. I remember the U6 sounding quite good, it's probably what I'll end up getting. I found the bass to be missing, and the highs a bit too extended for me, which was probably a seal issue. Similar to the U4 also having a seal issue (I used the same tips on the U4 when testing). However, combined with the ultra seal of the CIEM, this will probably end up much better for me.

 

[ads1107]

U8 backer here.
 
When they announced the free upgrade for some backers of the other models I didn't (don't) have an issue with it. I understand why the decision was made, and I was/am still getting the product I backed so I'm happy. 
 
I've also been very patient, knowing there would be some humps along the way causing delays.
 
The only thing/s that have been a little disappointing are:
 
- Communication and,
- The fact that orders placed outside of the Kickstarter campaign, at trade shows etc, for 'newer models', A4, A6 etc, have started making there way to buyers already. I would have hoped Kickstarter was more of a priority, especially with the delays.

 

[aznpos531]

BobFiggins Thanks for your thoughts on the A4. I was considering the A3 as a gift to someone so I was curious to hear what people thought of the A3 and A4. Do you think the issues that you ran into will be addressed by the manual ADEL module?

 

[BobFiggins]

@BobFiggins Thanks for your thoughts on the A4. I was considering the A3 as a gift to someone so I was curious to hear what people thought of the A3 and A4. Do you think the issues that you ran into will be addressed by the manual ADEL module?

 
Possibly, but without trying it I'd just be guessing.

 

[LFC_SL]

This may have been answered already but who manufacturers this case? UE have the same design, but with their branding. Thanks!

 

[eldss]

This may have been answered already but who manufacturers this case? UE have the same design, but with their branding. Thanks!

S3 cases. But they have a new case design that's more compact in the coming weeks. Not sure if it will be only for Kickstarter users or for everyone going forward.

 

[Tim Tse]

I think the new case will also be available to normal users too~ But up-till now, there is no update for the campaign. Seems they cannot meet to ship the IEM in Late August/ Early September... anyone have news from 1964ears?

 

[pretend]

S3 cases. But they have a new case design that's more compact in the coming weeks. Not sure if it will be only for Kickstarter users or for everyone going forward.

Damn, new case, complete overhaul of their products, and I'm just here waiting for my v3s from the clearance sale to be shipped... 

 

[BobFiggins]

I'm excited for a new case!
 
The S3 case, the rugged one they give you with the ADEL line is kind of frustrating. The IEMs have to lay kind of sideways to fit with the lid down. If you put them face down the case won't close well. Maybe I just have deep ears or something.
 
Going to buy the soft case they have as an alternative for now.

 

[Ike1985]

  I'm excited for a new case!
 
The S3 case, the rugged one they give you with the ADEL line is kind of frustrating. The IEMs have to lay kind of sideways to fit with the lid down. If you put them face down the case won't close well. Maybe I just have deep ears or something.
 
Going to buy the soft case they have as an alternative for now.

 
Mine are the same way, you have to position them correctly so the case closes easily.  Maybe it's best if I show you, I'll post a pic later. Like the new case as well, especially the upgraded de-humidifier, mine melted in the microwave-you only microwave them in 20 second bursts no one minute and make sure it completely cools between bursts.

 

[eldss]

   
Mine are the same way, you have to position them correctly so the case closes easily.  Maybe it's best if I show you, I'll post a pic later. Like the new case as well, especially the upgraded de-humidifier, mine melted in the microwave-you only microwave them in 20 second bursts no one minute and make sure it completely cools between bursts.

1964 Ears has a video of the case that they posted on youtube, but didn't share it to the public. I would post the link here, but don't believe they want it to be seen yet. It's really nice, more compact and it has compartments to fit the adel modules and ear tips if you get the universals. I also agree on the fit on these S3 cases. While I really like it, sometimes I wish it was more compact and the fit or the ears depends on how deep are your IEMS. I actually have another S3 case from another IEM company and my ears fit slightly better on the 1964 case instead. Sometimes I just roll them up in the middle compartment when I'm on a hurry, because it takes a while to position them right. 

 

[eldss]

actually, I just checked out their website and they updated the whole site. They show the new case on the video.