[dweaver]

Interesting. I've been eyeing the XBA-Z5 for quite some time (actually bought them but don't have them, long story) and perhaps the Quad can be an alternative. Would like to get a decent hybrid, close to the Z5 signature. Memory can play tricks on delayed comparisons tho, and you've been Z5-less for one month...

Anyone w/the Andromeda too?
Also I'd like to know how these compare with the CA Andromeda. It's not a 1:1 comparison sine the Andromeda don't have a dynamic driver, but I do like their level of detail, extremely resolving, very nice treble and great sense of space, very holographic. Something like that but with a bit more fun on the lower frequencies could be interesting.

They might not work out for me because I always prefer over-the-ear designs, tho. Would have to be a really good set to make me skip that preference...

Good point about sonic memory, it is definitely not ideal that I can't do an actual A/B comparison. But I will say that when I had the Z5 I loved their 3D sound and was always pleasantly reminded of that quality when I would hit a song that really showcased it. I also really missed that quality when I used an IEM that didn't have it. The Quad is the first IEM I have owned that has that same quality. I am trying to be careful to not say which is better because I can't A/B test them to say for sure but I don't remember noticing so many songs on the Z5 as I do on the Quad. Secondly, I always enjoyed the easy listening of the Z5 but quite often wished there was a bit more vibrancy for vocals and stringed instruments and noticed that female vocals were a bit husky sounding in comparison to more balanced IEM's. The Quads do not have this issue for me.

I totally get your desire to have over ear as that is my preference as well. Having said that I can wear the Quad with the stem up and then over ear, it is not quite as secure as the Triple in this mode as the cable is a bit stiffer and the IEM is a bit shallower but it does work. Funnily enough when I jumped off the train and was jogging to work this morning the IEM felt really comfortable and I couldn't remember if I had them in stem up or not and I had to reach up and touch them to see, it turns out I had them simply hanging down. So I was able to jog with them hanging down comfortably but I also had most of the cable wrapped around my phone which was in a shirt pocket so very little drag from the cable.

The Quad has much better microphonics than the Triple but in this area the Z5 is still king. The Quad is good enough that I am OK with the difference though.

 

[doraymon]

Unboxed today and had a similar reaction as described by @dweaver... wow!
I'm going through my favourite playlists and these little beasts managed to open up the soundstage and 3D feeling against any IEM I tried before with my new Onkyo Granbeat DAP/phone.
I had the opportunity to do some direct comparison against the Triple driver and I honestly did not feel such a big difference in the bass between the two. Actually, to be precise, the Quad deliver a tighter bass to my ears. It's like if in the Triple the bass is everywhere, while in the Quad it's where it should be. I hope this "home made" description makes some sense to you guys.
I confirm these are not V-shaped at all and the mids are quite forward delivering very involving vocals, exactly the way I like it!
Overall I would describe the sound as "wrapping", I guess another way to say 3Dimensional. 
The Quad have much more detail than my Onkyo E700M, which are already quite detailed (especially for the price). A good step up here.
I got an excellent fit using the slightly bigger 12mm silicon tips, while the foam tips were impossible to plug on the nozzle, the opening is too tight?!!
 
Very first impressions after less than an hour...
 
Ah, I also downloaded the 1MORE app to burn them in with a predefined set of pink/white noise, but after 10 minutes I could not resist and just started listening proper music!
 
The best sign of how good they are? It's 11pm here and I am super tired, but still I have no intention to stop listening at them... 

 

[beowulf]

Good point about sonic memory, it is definitely not ideal that I can't do an actual A/B comparison. But I will say that when I had the Z5 I loved their 3D sound and was always pleasantly reminded of that quality when I would hit a song that really showcased it. I also really missed that quality when I used an IEM that didn't have it. The Quad is the first IEM I have owned that has that same quality. I am trying to be careful to not say which is better because I can't A/B test them to say for sure but I don't remember noticing so many songs on the Z5 as I do on the Quad. Secondly, I always enjoyed the easy listening of the Z5 but quite often wished there was a bit more vibrancy for vocals and stringed instruments and noticed that female vocals were a bit husky sounding in comparison to more balanced IEM's. The Quads do not have this issue for me.

I totally get your desire to have over ear as that is my preference as well. Having said that I can wear the Quad with the stem up and then over ear, it is not quite as secure as the Triple in this mode as the cable is a bit stiffer and the IEM is a bit shallower but it does work. Funnily enough when I jumped off the train and was jogging to work this morning the IEM felt really comfortable and I couldn't remember if I had them in stem up or not and I had to reach up and touch them to see, it turns out I had them simply hanging down. So I was able to jog with them hanging down comfortably but I also had most of the cable wrapped around my phone which was in a shirt pocket so very little drag from the cable.

The Quad has much better microphonics than the Triple but in this area the Z5 is still king. The Quad is good enough that I am OK with the difference though.

 
Interesting. By the looks I can see how they might indeed work OK over the ear. I might give them a try, but to be honest, they'd have to be a good complement for the Andromeda. Not too similar, but not too different. I really wanted to try the Z5 in parallel, but am totally screwed with my order. Yesterday I just found out that the shop went insolvent and the bank froze their account. No Z5 or money back for me.
 
Anyway, gotta check out that Quad, although there are a lot of comments saying it's a bit too close to the Triples (which I never heard). Not necessarily good considering the price difference.

 

[dweaver]

Interesting. By the looks I can see how they might indeed work OK over the ear. I might give them a try, but to be honest, they'd have to be a good complement for the Andromeda. Not too similar, but not too different. I really wanted to try the Z5 in parallel, but am totally screwed with my order. Yesterday I just found out that the shop went insolvent and the bank froze their account. No Z5 or money back for me.

Anyway, gotta check out that Quad, although there are a lot of comments saying it's a bit too close to the Triples (which I never heard). Not necessarily good considering the price difference.

I own both Triple and Quad and the differences in signature, technical ability, cables quality, control ergonomics more than justify the difference in cost to me.

To be blunt the average person who is just wanting a nice IEM would probably stop at the Triple and be satisfied. But anyone who has tried multiple higher end IEM's and has become a "regular" on Head-fi will notice and appreciate the Quad's improvements. Looking at your posts I suspect your firmly in the second category.

 

[beowulf]

I noticed that the Quads don't have any filter whatsoever over the nozzles to "protect" the drivers from dirt or dust. Maybe its just me, but i'm a bit afraid that dust might gather up over the next months and somehow affect the drivers.

Does anyone have a IEM without any filters over the nozzle who could share their experience over a long term use?

Andromeda are like that, totally open nozzles. I also dislike the idea so I got Comply Tsx-400 tips, which have a tiny mesh guard. I don't notice any change in sound compared to fully open tips and it adds some protection against debris.

Not sure if the 400 fit the Quad however.

 

[doraymon]

Has anyone tried to burn them in using the 1More app?
Do you think there is any advantage in burning in using pink/white noise rather than music during everyday use?

 

[Kildras]

Just got mine, it cost real cheap in Hong Kong, 130usd for a bought but not opened copy.

A big step up from the xiaomi pro HD and I would say this is for every area. High mid low soundstage etc.

It's really good for the price, it's a step down from my isine 10 for sure, bigger driver just makes a huge difference imo but the performance is very impressive.

I just wish it has more characteristics, it just does everything well but nothing really stands out.

 

[AlwaysForward]

Yeah I have the iSine20 and the quads are Complimentary to each other for daily use. I'm not taking my isine to the gym or using it when I need to shut out a noisy room at work.

They sound great! The sound stage is akin to the Blue MoFi, which are both achievements for their Form factor(s). The Quad does have a very reference-ish presentation. You definitely need the right seal to get the most out of bass music, which my new comply tips are helping with. I use the 600 size on both.

Anyways, pretty killer combo!

 

[buzzlulu]

My only experience with IEM'S was with my 10 year old pair of Etymotics (unfortunately now lost)

I don't want to go back to deep insertion - do these Quads need to be deeply inserted?

 

[doraymon]

My only experience with IEM'S was with my 10 year old pair of Etymotics (unfortunately now lost)

I don't want to go back to deep insertion - do these Quads need to be deeply inserted?

Not at all, with the silicon tips it's a rather shallow fit.

 

[buzzlulu]

Not at all, with the silicon tips it's a rather shallow fit.

Good to hear!
 
Any experience comparing them with the Ety ER4's?

 

[doraymon]

 
Good to hear!
 
Any experience comparing them with the Ety ER4's?

No, Etymotic is unknown territory for me, sorry.

 

[dweaver]

I have not owned or heard the ER4S but did own the HF5. The Quad in comparison to the HF5 (from memory) is similar levels of detail but more bass and a more 3D experience. The HF5 was ruler flat though in comparison and due to the deep insertion much much more isolating. If you love the Etymotic signature the Quad might be to bassy for you. On the other hand if you love the Ety detail but always wished it had more bass then the Quad will likely fill you with delight.

In some ways I guess that is why I like the Quad so much. It is the first IEM I have owned with Ety like detail, nice detailed and controlled deep bass production, and 3D qualities that rival the Sony Z5. It also has great comfort due to the shallow insertion design and will work with any android or idevice. So for me it is the most complete IEM I have owned and it didn't break the bank to boot!

 

[buzzlulu]

I have not owned or heard the ER4S but did own the HF5. The Quad in comparison to the HF5 (from memory) is similar levels of detail but more bass and a more 3D experience. The HF5 was ruler flat though in comparison and due to the deep insertion much much more isolating. If you love the Etymotic signature the Quad might be to bassy for you. On the other hand if you love the Ety detail but always wished it had more bass then the Quad will likely fill you with delight.

In some ways I guess that is why I like the Quad so much. It is the first IEM I have owned with Ety like detail, nice detailed and controlled deep bass production, and 3D qualities that rival the Sony Z5. It also has great comfort due to the shallow insertion design and will work with any android or idevice. So for me it is the most complete IEM I have owned and it didn't break the bank to boot!

That is exactly what I want to hear.  The original Ety's were always know to be a bit bass shy.  The revised versions released in September addressed this and boosted the bass a bit.  In fact Ety came out with TWO models this time - one with a bit of juice to the bass regions.
 
It sounds like it might be time to try a pair of the Quad's

 

[808Ronin]

I have not owned or heard the ER4S but did own the HF5. The Quad in comparison to the HF5 (from memory) is similar levels of detail but more bass and a more 3D experience. The HF5 was ruler flat though in comparison and due to the deep insertion much much more isolating. If you love the Etymotic signature the Quad might be to bassy for you. On the other hand if you love the Ety detail but always wished it had more bass then the Quad will likely fill you with delight.

In some ways I guess that is why I like the Quad so much. It is the first IEM I have owned with Ety like detail, nice detailed and controlled deep bass production, and 3D qualities that rival the Sony Z5. It also has great comfort due to the shallow insertion design and will work with any android or idevice. So for me it is the most complete IEM I have owned and it didn't break the bank to boot!

 
I have owned the ER 4 and I agree totally with your assessment.