Hello Kev,
I'm in the market to get some 64 ears. I'm trying to decide between the A4s and A6s. I am interested in your opinions on the A4 and A6 that were not covered in your post here. I'm not sure if you've posted that somewhere else. I want some custom ADELs that are balanced, but as a bass player, I want some with a good bottom end - but not sooo much so that it overwhelms the other registers. I've read other accounts that the A4s are just too bassy, but that the A6s are even more detailed and with a tad less preponderance of bass. May I inquire of your opinions with the A4 versus the A6?
Thanks,
Dave
I've owned the A4 and A6. Sold the A4 though. So while I'm not Kev, maybe I can give some insight on my feelings towards them both.
A4 has explosive boomy bass. It's not a very tight punchy bass. It's overwhelmingly powerful compared to something more balanced. The bass extended into the mids, either because it was really that intense, or because the mids were recessed it gave that impression. The highs sounded as if they were always struggling. They had a crispy (but not sibilant) likeness to them. I listen to a lot of electronic music which can be heavily sibilant on something like an HD 800. The A4 would eliminate the sibilance, but it was replaced with something a bit distorted sounding. The A4 tried to have a fun sound signature, but fell short of that because the bass was overpowering and bleeding too far into the mids. In some cases it felt like the bass would extend into the treble.
A4 would be good if you wanted intense bass, and listened to your music loudly. I say loudly because at low volume the mids and the treble are almost non-existant. When I bumped up the volume to be loud, I could understand the appeal more. Though it was not for me, and I sold it. I understood the capabilities of the Adel series earphones though, so I wanted to stick with it, and got the A6.
The A6 sounds much more balanced than the A4. Though there is a larger emphasis on bass than I was comfortable with at first (I can say that the FR graph they posted for the A6 feels pretty accurate for how it sounds), but I've gotten used to it. The bass still retains the somewhat boomy signature the A4 had, but is more cohesive and tight. The A4's bass really sounded like two drivers working together, but both somewhat separated. The A4 gave me the impression that one driver have a deep, boomy bass that covered the bass and mid regions, while the other driver added a flair of detail to the bass and sub-bass.
The A6 mids are present and beautiful. They are very smooth and highly detailed. The treble is not sparkly, and at lower volumes can sound recessed. Bump up the volume though and everything falls into place so very well. I would say this is very musical for a balanced sound. Also, the treble stands out more than the A4, while still remaining non-sibilant. I find the A6 treble does not ever sound crispy or distorted though.
When I first got the A6 I found it to be a somewhat underwhelming earphone. The sparkle is missing, the excitement is just very toned down and warm. Over time though, I've come to greatly appreciate it. As someone who loves electronic music, not having a constant pounding of sibilance is absolutely wonderful. When the volume is turned up it comes to life, becomes very engaging, without being fatiguing. When I'm on the go or at work and don't want to disturb others (or be disturbed by them), this is something fantastic to have.
I was personally very disappointed in the A4. I would not recommend it to anyone. It tries too hard to be it's own bass monster earphone with balanced armatures, like it's trying to be something different and special, and falls flat on its face. I don't want to sound too harsh though, because I know some people love it and would easily disagree with me. If someone owns an A4 you should give your opinions on it for Dave so he can see both sides.
Based on what you said though, I would recommend the A6. Balanced presentation, treble isn't harsh, and the bottom end will give you a thump.
If I had to put a likeness to each earphone compared to a headphone, this would be my pick:
A4 = Sony MDR XB500
A6 = Sennheiser HD 650