[Poetik]

Quote:

I've had the Quads for close to a year now.. been listening exclusively with the stock (Westone-styled) cable during time period.  To say I'm familiar with the nuances of their sound/tuning would be an understatement.
 
The Quads are (specifically tuned as) an intimate sounding phone, they're quite smooth and have tremendous dynamic range (more than the Miracles, IMO).  The chief complaint among HF'iers who don't use them for stage use is that the treble rolls off a little too early and that certain parts of the bass frequencies are bumped up more than some prefer.  In terms of the professional environment they're expected to be used in (stage monitors), I find them exquisitely tuned.. one of the "truest" stage monitor I've heard.  Smooth, clear, crisp, detailed, balanced, and non-fatiguing.
 
A few days ago, I swapped an SPC cable (that came with my Aurisonics ASG-1) onto them and I definitely liked the subtle (but noticeable) shift in sound.  The entire sound tightened & refined vs with the stock cable.  Soundstage was one of the most noticeable changes as it was certainly wider.  I heard better spacing around instruments & improved note articulation.  The treble, in particular, has more presence, air, and crispness.  The really nice part about using this cable was that the 1964/Quads house sound was very much in tact.  As stated earlier, the changes were subtle, but certainly noticeable.. and enjoyable, in my experience.  It brought some 'audiophile'-type balance to the overall sound.  Bass too was tighter and more nuanced.  I've always maintainted how lovingly neutral but dynamic the Quads' mids are.. and that's one aspect of the sound I appreciate even more with the improvements the SPC cable brings.
 
I also received a custom, silver cable today and it essentially took how the Quads sounded w/ the SPC up to another level up.  Treble gains more presence (but remains very much in balance with the rest of the sound).. it's crisper and has a touch more sparkle, bass is tighter, and better textured, mids remins incredibly accurate and possess fantastic timbre (they're a touch more forward, though).. while dynamics improved & the soundstage widened.. again.  They simply sound more clear & refined than with the stock (or SPC) cable.  The Quads still (thankfully) sound very smooth, crisp, and non-fatiguing.. they're very much still 'stage monitors' and remain true to their tuning.. but going back to the stock cable, it felt like there was a certain 'fuzz' at the edges of notes & bass sounded noticeably more dominant and thicker.  I've never heard the Quads quite so balanced as they do with the silver cable.  The Quads will never have an RE0 type treble airiness & sparkle.. they're simply not tuned for that.. but with the Silver cable, I'm hearing what the Quads' treble tuning is truly capable of.
 
The SPC cable that came with the ASG is quite affordable (relative to what most custom IEM cable cost these days).  For those who want a little more articulation, treble presence, and extension from the Quads, I definitely recommend trying out this cable.  With both the SPC & pure silver cables, the Quads as a whole sound more involving & dynamic than with the stock cable.
 
I'm not interested in turning this into a(nother) debate on if cables actually affect the sound (there's a million other threads for that), I'm simply reporting what I'm hearing when swapping cables & comparing against a stock setup who's sound, once again, I'm intimately familiar with (I've listened to the Quads w/ the stock cable on a near-daily basis since buying them almost a year ago).  I'm not trying to come off as flippant, but please don't tell me it's my ears adjusting, it's psychological, etc.. cause quite, frankly it isn't.  I'm very aware of what I'm hearing & I have no bias for or against custom cables.  As I've mentioned before, the change isn't on some drastic night & day level.. it's subtle, but definitely noticeable.. w/o 'golden ears' mind you.  Do I find the change/improvement to warrant spending on the SPC cable or a custom IEM cable.. that's for you to decide but for me?  Certainly.

It's amazing what a silver cable can do to a warmer sound signature huh? I bet those quads sound so much better now with a wider soundstage, tighter bass, and more emphasis on the highs.  I'm assuming you went with a TWag but what silver cable did you go with?
 

 

[FlySweep]

It's amazing what a silver cable can do to a warmer sound signature huh? I bet those quads sound so much better now with a wider soundstage, tighter bass, and more emphasis on the highs.  I'm assuming you went with a TWag but what silver cable did you go with?

 
Indeed.  The soundstage's improvement probably the most (immediately) noticeable.  Thankfully, imaging remained faithful and accurate (didn't feel like I was running some rinky dink 'surround sound' DSP plugin).  I think a silver cable (and even the SPC) is a great match for those who want to brighten the Quads without sacrificing it's lovely smooth, natural sound.
 
Listening more for the last couple of days.. I find it's what the Silver cable removes more than what it adds to the sound that's really interesting.  It's like the cable 'cleans up the sound' more than adding anything along the frequency curve.  Similar to how with the HD650, using better source & amps tends to clean the sound up (more than remove the oft-debated veil).  This is why I reiterated that the difference with the Silver (and SPC) cable isn't night & day.. and that the general signature of the phone (thankfully) remains very much in tact.. but it's certainly noticeable.
 
For example, the Quads are still bumped up in the bass, the mids remain slightly forward, and the treble is still smooth & in balance with the mids.  What the silver cable seems to do is articulate that tuning (better than the stock or SPC cable).  With the silver cable, I can better perceive which lower frequencies were bumped up by 1964 cause the bass is tighter, better textured, & more refined (less fuzz and clarity-obscuring thickness).  Mids sound less (overtly) smooth.. more crisp, airy, and detailed.  It like I'm squeezing out that last ounce of detail.  The treble, most notably, extends further.  It's tonality remains the same (generally smooth, but crisp & airy at the edges of notes/sounds).. though it's increased presence brings more of an 'audiophile'-friendly balance to the Quads' (native) 'stage monitor' sound.
 
I went with a silver cable made by HF member Chris_Himself (who I most def. recommend).  Nice guy & very decent prices.

 

[spkrs01]

Quote:

 
Indeed.  The soundstage's improvement probably the most (immediately) noticeable.  Thankfully, imaging remained faithful and accurate (didn't feel like I was running some rinky dink 'surround sound' DSP plugin).  I think a silver cable (and even the SPC) is a great match for those who want to brighten the Quads without sacrificing it's lovely smooth, natural sound.
 
Listening more for the last couple of days.. I find it's what the Silver cable removes more than what it adds to the sound that's really interesting.  It's like the cable 'cleans up the sound' more than adding anything along the frequency curve.  Similar to how with the HD650, using better source & amps tends to clean the sound up (more than remove the oft-debated veil).  This is why I reiterated that the difference with the Silver (and SPC) cable isn't night & day.. and that the general signature of the phone (thankfully) remains very much in tact.. but it's certainly noticeable.
 
For example, the Quads are still bumped up in the bass, the mids remain slightly forward, and the treble is still smooth & in balance with the mids.  What the silver cable seems to do is articulate that tuning (better than the stock or SPC cable).  With the silver cable, I can better perceive which lower frequencies were bumped up by 1964 cause the bass is tighter, better textured, & more refined (less fuzz and clarity-obscuring thickness).  Mids sound less (overtly) smooth.. more crisp, airy, and detailed.  It like I'm squeezing out that last ounce of detail.  The treble, most notably, extends further.  It's tonality remains the same (generally smooth, but crisp & airy at the edges of notes/sounds).. though it's increased presence brings more of an 'audiophile'-friendly balance to the Quads' (native) 'stage monitor' sound.
 
I went with a silver cable made by HF member Chris_Himself (who I most def. recommend).  Nice guy & very decent prices.

Can you tell me about the dynamics? Everything you have written is very typical of a silver cable, for me I can some it up with two words, Finesse and Dynamics.
 
So how are the dynamics, they should be awesome right?! Slam, bang, thank you mam and all the overhang is gone before happening again with speed and attack from silent black backgrounds.

 

[FlySweep]

Can you tell me about the dynamics? Everything you have written is very typical of a silver cable, for me I can some it up with two words, Finesse and Dynamics.
 
So how are the dynamics, they should be awesome right?! Slam, bang, thank you mam and all the overhang is gone before happening again with speed and attack from silent black backgrounds.

 
Absolutely.  Finesse & dynamics is a great way to sum what the silver cable provides.
 
I mentioned previously that one of the most impressive aspects of the Quads is their dynamic range.. it's simply immense... trumping the Miracles, IMO.  The Quads might not be as micro-detailed as the UM flagship, but it's close.. the sheer depth that instruments & sounds have is spectacular.  The silver cable (and SPC cable) most definitely helped 'show off' that impressive dynamic range.. with better clarity & detail to boot.
 
Technicalities aside, in terms flat out enjoyment, the Quads (with the silver cables) are on par with the UM Miracle, to my ears.  Where the Miracles have slightly softer (albeit robust and highly detailed) notes, the Quads simply slap you with their powerful, deep sound.
 
I was part of the UM Promo (which Poetik so kindly organized for the NA heads) which includes a (supposedly very nice) Amp City silver cable (which UM is still working on sourcing).. so it'll be interesting to hear what the Miracles sound like with a silver cable.  The Miracles have recessed sockets so the cable I got from Chris_Himself won't fit on them (I didn't request the plugs to fit recessed sockets since I intended to use the silver cable solely with the Quads).

 

[spkrs01]

Thanks for the prompt reply, you are making me so wanting to buy a pair of these Quads

 
Quote:

 
Absolutely.  Finesse & dynamics is a great way to sum what the silver cable provides.
 
I mentioned previously that one of the most impressive aspects of the Quads is their dynamic range.. it's simply immense... trumping the Miracles, IMO.  The Quads might not be as micro-detailed as the UM flagship, but it's close.. the sheer depth that instruments & sounds have is spectacular.  The silver cable (and SPC cable) most definitely helped 'show off' that impressive dynamic range.. with better clarity & detail to boot.
 
Technicalities aside, in terms flat out enjoyment, the Quads (with the silver cables) are on par with the UM Miracle, to my ears.  Where the Miracles have slightly softer (albeit robust and highly detailed) notes, the Quads simply slap you with their powerful, deep sound.
 
I was part of the UM Promo (which Poetik so kindly organized for the NA heads) which includes a (supposedly very nice) Amp City silver cable (which UM is still working on sourcing).. so it'll be interesting to hear what the Miracles sound like with a silver cable.  The Miracles have recessed sockets so the cable I got from Chris_Himself won't fit on them (I didn't request the plugs to fit recessed sockets since I intended to use the silver cable solely with the Quads).

 

 

[Panda L]

 
Indeed.  The soundstage's improvement probably the most (immediately) noticeable.  Thankfully, imaging remained faithful and accurate (didn't feel like I was running some rinky dink 'surround sound' DSP plugin).  I think a silver cable (and even the SPC) is a great match for those who want to brighten the Quads without sacrificing it's lovely smooth, natural sound.
 
Listening more for the last couple of days.. I find it's what the Silver cable removes more than what it adds to the sound that's really interesting.  It's like the cable 'cleans up the sound' more than adding anything along the frequency curve.  Similar to how with the HD650, using better source & amps tends to clean the sound up (more than remove the oft-debated veil).  This is why I reiterated that the difference with the Silver (and SPC) cable isn't night & day.. and that the general signature of the phone (thankfully) remains very much in tact.. but it's certainly noticeable.
 
For example, the Quads are still bumped up in the bass, the mids remain slightly forward, and the treble is still smooth & in balance with the mids.  What the silver cable seems to do is articulate that tuning (better than the stock or SPC cable).  With the silver cable, I can better perceive which lower frequencies were bumped up by 1964 cause the bass is tighter, better textured, & more refined (less fuzz and clarity-obscuring thickness).  Mids sound less (overtly) smooth.. more crisp, airy, and detailed.  It like I'm squeezing out that last ounce of detail.  The treble, most notably, extends further.  It's tonality remains the same (generally smooth, but crisp & airy at the edges of notes/sounds).. though it's increased presence brings more of an 'audiophile'-friendly balance to the Quads' (native) 'stage monitor' sound.
 
I went with a silver cable made by HF member Chris_Himself (who I most def. recommend).  Nice guy & very decent prices.

I have been kind of looking at the possibility of purchasing silver cables, but refrained from it thinking it would be better to wait and give the stock cables a listen before I decide on them. I came across Chris_himself and noticed the cables, just wonder, what is your rating on them? I've seen around average reviews but the silver materials for the price is what's keeping me interested. After reading these reviews, I just want to call 1964 Ears and start asking them why I don't have them yet... Even though it's only been a week.

 

[FlySweep]

I have been kind of looking at the possibility of purchasing silver cables, but refrained from it thinking it would be better to wait and give the stock cables a listen before I decide on them. I came across Chris_himself and noticed the cables, just wonder, what is your rating on them? I've seen around average reviews but the silver materials for the price is what's keeping me interested. After reading these reviews, I just want to call 1964 Ears and start asking them why I don't have them yet... Even though it's only been a week.

I definitely recommend waiting for your Quads to arrive and listening with the stock cables.. for an extended period of time.  Let your ears get adjusted to their sound.
 
As I said, I've been listening with the stock cable for nearly a year.. and simply fell in love with the Quads.  The sound with the stock cable very well might be your cup of tea.. if there's one big thing it has going for it, it offers a lot of synergy with the Quads sound signature & (one of its) professional aim: to be utterly non-fatiguing for long term listening.  I've had marathon listening sessions with the Quads/stock cable (ten hour, cross country flight from WA to FL) & had absolutely no fatigue.. I was blown away, frankly.
 
The caveat with the silver cables is that the Quads aren't quite as non-fatiguing (and laid back) as they are with the stock cable.  This is where the SPC cable seems like a nice middle ground.  They're still impressively smooth & non-fatiguing w/ the silver cable.. just not to the degree they are with the stock cable.
 
Be patient with 1964, they do a fantastic job, offer top notch customer service, and from what I understand they've actually sped up their turnaround time more recently.  Building anticipation is part of the fun.. they'll sound that much sweeter when they do arrive!
 
EDIT:  Another thing I forgot to mention about the silver cables was how it accommodates more effective listening at lower volumes (higher efficiency).  These have always been DAP-friendly (and scaled impressively with better gear).  With the stock cable, I typically ran them out of my iPhone 4 (with my Google Music database, HQ MOG streaming, and high bitrate MP3s) & always had an itch to grab the Arrow (which lets the Quads truly sing).  But with the silver cables, I have almost no desire to amp them.. they sound impressively clean, dynamic, and robust straight out of the iPhone's HO jack.

 

[Yuceka]

FlySweep 
 
You definitely convinced me to purchase that silver cable for my Quads. I have been looking for an after market cable for them but the prices are simply ridiculous ( I don't mean the individual DIYers here). This one you gave the link to is very affordable and if it does the trick you've been raving about, it's a slam dunk really. 
 
Sadly, I can't listen to my Quads right now as I am outside of the US and accidentally dropped them on top of an ancient Roman ruin on an archeology trip Thankfully the historical artifact is still intact but the right shell is in two pieces. It pains me to carry them around in my backpack and not being able to listen to them  

 

[FlySweep]

FlySweep 
 
You definitely convinced me to purchase that silver cable for my Quads. I have been looking for an after market cable for them but the prices are simply ridiculous ( I don't mean the individual DIYers here). This one you gave the link to is very affordable and if it does the trick you've been raving about, it's a slam dunk really. 
 
Sadly, I can't listen to my Quads right now as I am outside of the US and accidentally dropped them on top of an ancient Roman ruin on an archeology trip Thankfully the historical artifact is still intact but the right shell is in two pieces. It pains me to carry them around in my backpack and not being able to listen to them  

Good luck, man.. I hope you enjoy the silver cables on the Quads as much as I do.  Bummer about breaking them at the Ruins, though (the Gods must've "not be pleased with you".. lol).  I've dropped 'em on my hardwood floor at home a few times and sucked my breathe in wondering if I had rendered them unusable.. but they continue to chug along (despite my clumsiness).  Terrific build quality 1964 has too, I might add.
 
Re: the cable, I want to reiterate that it isn't some drastic, night & day difference.. cause the last thing I want is for people to have some overblown, unrealistic expectations.  I spoke pretty extensively about the differences I hear between the stock, SPC, and silver cables.. I'd estimate they're all somewhat close in sound, generally speaking.. but at the same time, the differences between the cables are fairly easy to notice (and welcome, in my case).  I think you'll be most surprised by the soundstage expansion and newfound treble presence.  I liked how music in the midrange had better separation & clarity while the bass remains deep.. but more taut and textured.
 
I mainly got the silver cables out of curiosity.. the improvement in sound was really a bonus.. and an impressive one at that.

 

[Ultrainferno]

I'm so waiting for the 6-driver!

 

[Yuceka]

Quote:

I'm so waiting for the 6-driver!

Same here. Since they've broken, I am going between UM, Heir Audio etc etc. What would suck for me is that if the 6 driver is introduced right after I pay for the re-shell. I wonder if the good people at 1964 Ears can tell us how much we are going to pay if we wanted them to upgrade our Quads to 6 driver. I've read in another thread that they are going to use a different technique and different types of drivers but I am dying to know how much it would cost to upgrade and more importantly when... 
 
Flysweep, don't worry I don't think anyone is going to come back and blame you for not hearing night and day differences between the stock and the silver cable. I just think that for that price it won't hurt for us to buy it and see it for ourselves. Even if there is no discernable difference, it'll be a cheap alternative have around in case something goes awry with the stock cable. 

 

[DWbirdseye]

Where are you located?

 
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bau5.... lol looks so nice man! I noticed you're in colorado! So am I!!!

 

 

[patanin1st]

Two little questions regarding the SPC cable:
 
1. how flexible are they? They look to be braided like the stock, but are they as flexible? or stiffer to what level?
 
2. Do they have any earguides by the connectors (metal wires or molded silicone tubing)? The stock cables have the metal wire earguides and I'm trying to avoid these at all costs since they really get in the way with my glasses.
 
I've been in search of a cable that's soft, light, and flexible as the stock cables but without the earguides, Hoping the SPC will fit the bill...
 
Quote:

I've had the Quads for close to a year now.. been listening exclusively with the stock (Westone-styled) cable during time period.  To say I'm familiar with the nuances of their sound/tuning would be an understatement.
 
The Quads are (specifically tuned as) an intimate sounding phone, they're quite smooth and have tremendous dynamic range (more than the Miracles, IMO).  The chief complaint among HF'iers who don't use them for stage use is that the treble rolls off a little too early and that certain parts of the bass frequencies are bumped up more than some prefer.  In terms of the professional environment they're expected to be used in (stage monitors), I find them exquisitely tuned.. one of the "truest" stage monitor I've heard.  Smooth, clear, crisp, detailed, balanced, and non-fatiguing.
 
A few days ago, I swapped an SPC cable (that came with my Aurisonics ASG-1) onto them and I definitely liked the subtle (but noticeable) shift in sound.  The entire sound tightened & refined vs with the stock cable.  Soundstage was one of the most noticeable changes as it was certainly wider.  I heard better spacing around instruments & improved note articulation.  The treble, in particular, has more presence, air, and crispness.  The really nice part about using this cable was that the 1964/Quads house sound was very much in tact.  As stated earlier, the changes were subtle, but certainly noticeable.. and enjoyable, in my experience.  It brought some 'audiophile'-type balance to the overall sound.  Bass too was tighter and more nuanced.  I've always maintainted how lovingly neutral but dynamic the Quads' mids are.. and that's one aspect of the sound I appreciate even more with the improvements the SPC cable brings.
 
I also received a custom, silver cable today and it essentially took how the Quads sounded w/ the SPC up to another level up.  Treble gains more presence (but remains very much in balance with the rest of the sound).. it's crisper and has a touch more sparkle, bass is tighter, and better textured, mids remins incredibly accurate and possess fantastic timbre (they're a touch more forward, though).. while dynamics improved & the soundstage widened.. again.  They simply sound more clear & refined than with the stock (or SPC) cable.  The Quads still (thankfully) sound very smooth, crisp, and non-fatiguing.. they're very much still 'stage monitors' and remain true to their tuning.. but going back to the stock cable, it felt like there was a certain 'fuzz' at the edges of notes & bass sounded noticeably more dominant and thicker.  I've never heard the Quads quite so balanced as they do with the silver cable.  The Quads will never have an RE0 type treble airiness & sparkle.. they're simply not tuned for that.. but with the Silver cable, I'm hearing what the Quads' treble tuning is truly capable of.
 
The SPC cable that came with the ASG is quite affordable (relative to what most custom IEM cable cost these days).  For those who want a little more articulation, treble presence, and extension from the Quads, I definitely recommend trying out this cable.  With both the SPC & pure silver cables, the Quads as a whole sound more involving & dynamic than with the stock cable.
 
I'm not interested in turning this into a(nother) debate on if cables actually affect the sound (there's a million other threads for that), I'm simply reporting what I'm hearing when swapping cables & comparing against a stock setup who's sound, once again, I'm intimately familiar with (I've listened to the Quads w/ the stock cable on a near-daily basis since buying them almost a year ago).  I'm not trying to come off as flippant, but please don't tell me it's my ears adjusting, it's psychological, etc.. cause quite, frankly it isn't.  I'm very aware of what I'm hearing & I have no bias for or against custom cables.  As I've mentioned before, the change isn't on some drastic night & day level.. it's subtle, but definitely noticeable.. w/o 'golden ears' mind you.  Do I find the change/improvement to warrant spending on the SPC cable or a custom IEM cable.. that's for you to decide but for me?  Certainly.

 

 

[Panda L]

Where are you located?

 


 

Good ol aurora. Yourself?

 

[Panda L]

Same here. Since they've broken, I am going between UM, Heir Audio etc etc. What would suck for me is that if the 6 driver is introduced right after I pay for the re-shell. I wonder if the good people at 1964 Ears can tell us how much we are going to pay if we wanted them to upgrade our Quads to 6 driver. I've read in another thread that they are going to use a different technique and different types of drivers but I am dying to know how much it would cost to upgrade and more importantly when... 
 
Flysweep, don't worry I don't think anyone is going to come back and blame you for not hearing night and day differences between the stock and the silver cable. I just think that for that price it won't hurt for us to buy it and see it for ourselves. Even if there is no discernable difference, it'll be a cheap alternative have around in case something goes awry with the stock cable. 

I actually asked them about the 6 driver IEM. They told me it wouldn't be out anytime soon as they are still perfecting it and are waiting on a supplier. Also, they told me that if I were to get the quads, there wouldn't be an upgrade option as they are going for different sounds. What I gather is that the 6 driver IEM is going to be leaned towards the audiophile and for more of a recreational usage if that makes any sense. Either way you could ask them and maybe they'll have a different answer, but overall you could just get the quad and then another one from them haha.