Call for a Qualia replacement.

[bangraman]

Seeing "生産完了" (literally, "Manufacturing Complete"... i.e. Discontinued) on the Qualia website still has me quite annoyed for a phone which is barely over a year old. Anyway, I am now definitely retiring the 010 from portable use because if I break this one, then I can't easily procure a replacement.


The reasons I like the Qualia for (trans)portable use is that:
They're accurate, very fast and quite punchy
They do not isolate, but at the same time they provide a bare minimum of distancing from outside noise
They're light
They're easily driven by (non-Sony) portables.
They're fairly comfortable & circumaural
They have replaceable cables so I can easily click in cables for specific uses
They look cool


Now the big question... what other phone has this attribute, or the nearest thing to it?

 

[AsuAmo76]

I like those:

They're accurate...- DARK
They do not isolate - ISOLATE
They're light YES
They're easily driven YES
They're comfortable YES
circumaural NO
They have replaceable cables NO
They look cool YES

 

[Hirsch]

As far as a substitute for the Qualia, there isn't one. Sonically, IMO it's in a class of one. Even the R10 is a very different sound, and IMO the SA5000 also has a very different signature.

So, going through your list, which are critical?

Quote:

Originally Posted by bangraman They're accurate, very fast and quite punchy They do not isolate, but at the same time they provide a bare minimum of distancing from outside noise They're light They're easily driven by (non-Sony) portables. They're fairly comfortable & circumaural They have replaceable cables so I can easily click in cables for specific uses They look cool

Some of what you're looking for is in the K-701.

It's very accurate, but nowhere near as fast as the Qualia. It's midrange is particularly strong.
It does not isolate.
It's light.
It is NOT easily driven.
It's extremely comfortable & circumaural.
It does NOT have a replaceable cable.
If you like white, it can look cool.

Other aspects are in the Grado RS-1:

Faster than K-701 but not as fast as Qualia. More euphonic than Qualia or K-701.
It does not isolate.
It's light.
It's easily driven.
It can be uncomfortable and is not circumaural. However, some people find it to be very comfortable, particularly with flat pads.
It does not have a replaceable cable.
It can look cool if you like wood.

I no longer own an SA5000, so someone else can draw that comparison.

If you want a replaceable cable, the Sennheiser HD-650 is about it, unless you mod a headphone.

If you can deal with a closed headphone, the ATH-L3000 is reasonable for portable use, although I find it slow and closed-sounding relative to Qualia.

IMO the Qualia filled a unique niche, and if it's truly gone, there is no real replacement in the wings. Sony will have effectively taken itself completely out of truly high-end headphones.

 

[viper_45]

I would just buy another pair of Qualias a.s.a.p.
I'm sure there will be somewhere/someone who's still selling them right now.

 

[jpelg]

I've always wanted to hear a pair of Sony MDR-F1's, but never had an opportunity. From what I've read around here, their sound is not really like the Qualia's, and their prices are worlds apart, but they share a similiar open-design.

Hirsch, I recall that you used to own a pair. Any comparisons to the 010's from memory?

 

[PATB]

I just called Qualia USA and they are still taking orders. Although the Qualia 010 has been discontinued in Japan, it appears you can still order a pair from Qualia USA (they have to check inventory levels first). They couldn't tell me the last day to purchase.

 

[bangraman]

I had considered ordering one earlier in December, but I don't really see the point in storing another phone in the eventuality of problems. I expected to be able to buy a replacement as and when required, and if that's not possible I'm not acting as my own warehouse. I don't like the Qualias that much.


Obviously I don't need the level of accuracy I got from the Qualia for transportable use, but it would be nice if it was offered. The RS-1 is absolutely, totally, completely out of the question on so many levels as is any Grado.


I've listened to the F1 for a very short while, but it was already sounding quite mediocre. You can interestingly see the genesis of the Q010 styling in it though. Besides, it's too open. I thought it was interesting too that the SA5K is more open than the 010.


The K701 looks... ghey. An iPod is something you keep out of sight for the most part, but I doubt I could deal with a bright-white headphone. Also, the 105db/Vrms looks too low unfortunately... I've found that any less than 96~98db/mw in a large phone even with something of a decent portable power level as the iPod, it starts sounding underdriven or exhibits patchy results. The AKG K271S was just one of those 'odd loads' and it has an efficiency level very similar to the K701.


Requirements in rough order of importance:
1. They're accurate, very fast and quite punchy
2. 98db/mw or better efficiency (please note... db/mw does not equal db/Vrms), above 40 ohms impedance
3. They retain some degree of social acceptance... so if they are large they should either be totally inoffensive in styling or very cool looking on the head*.
4. They're light
5. They're fairly comfortable & circumaural
6. They have replaceable cables so I can easily click in cables for specific uses
7. They do not isolate, but at the same time they provide a bare minimum of distancing from outside noise


* Some headphones look very good by themselves but don't work on the head. Take the Panasonic RP-HDA100. Off the head, a piece of future Anime. On the head, you turn into an extra from Spaceballs. ATH-W series... off the head, woody goodness. On the head, it's "Help me, Obi-Wan!"

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpelg I've always wanted to hear a pair of Sony MDR-F1's, but never had an opportunity. From what I've read around here, their sound is not really like the Qualia's, and their prices are worlds apart, but they share a similiar open-design. Hirsch, I recall that you used to own a pair. Any comparisons to the 010's from memory?

Actually, I still own a pair of the F-1's. The F-1 is actually closer to the K-1000 than the Qualia, in that the F-1 is a truly open design. It attaches at the front of the earpiece only, and angles outward. However, sonically the F-1 is simply not a contender. It doesn't have a lot of detail normally, and is very flat in the mids, tending toward absence of real dynamics. It can sound decent with a very strong amp (EAR HP4 and Singlepower Supra are the ones that worked best for me), but never reaches the top rank. I'm not sure how much is the driver, and how much is the cable. If the cable is truly atrocious, it's possible that a cable replacement would elevate the F-1 a lot. However, it's not an easily replaceable cable, and the cost of doing the work would be much more than the cost of the headphone itself, with no guarantee of improvement.

The F-1 simply doesn't compare to the Qualia at all. Qualia is a first-rate headphone, while the F-1 is relatively deficient on just about every facet of the sound. I've got to admit that the F-1 is more comfortable, though.

 

[raisin]

It'll be interesting to see what comes out of Sony to replace the Qualia. Since the beancounters are in ascendancy right now, one would assume something more mass market, something with a profit motive rather than corporate hubris.

 

[root]

Obviously it does not fulfill your specific requirements, but wouldn't it be a good idea to go for some top-notch IEM's instead (Sensaphonics, Westone ES2, UE-10 Pro/5C)? It tends to be rather loud in London and you'd save your hearing to boot. Just a thought.

 

[bangraman]

Actually, I think that what hurt Sony most during the last 8 or so years were the beancounters and their actions. Head man until Stringer was a beancounter at heart after all, despite being in mainly marketing roles. Stringer is a content man and the consumer electronics division will probably lose some power in the process. My guess is that the loss of Qualia is only the beginning.


I don't like IEM's for everyday use due to ear problems and hygeine issues borne of frequent removal. I have the UE-10 (and the E2/3/4, Super.Fi Pro, ER-6i, etc) already and they are used solely in situations I'll not be moving around and need isolation (i.e. flying). The transportable is not for commuting, but rather for listening while working, use in hotel rooms, etc.

 

[bhd812]

I use my rs-1's for portable use mostly cause of the same reasons why you use your q10's. though the two cans sound completely different you may want to look into the rs-1...

 

[Hirsch]

There really isn't anything out there that approaches the Qualia. If you can handle an in-ear headphone, the Stax SR-001 MK II might be interesting. It's in in-ear, but open and non-isolating. The amp is nothing special, but not bad either. Truly portable, as opposed to simply transportable. The headphones can be used with a headband or just in-ear. The sound is clean and dynamic, and extremely good at the price point. Won't work if you really don't want an IEM.

http://www.yamasinc.com/sr-001mk2.htm#s-001/mk2

 

[bangraman]

The problem I suppose is that it's not possible to list what I've already had without taking up a substantial part of the thread

The SR-001 is something I consider more transportable (as opposed to portable) than the Qualia due to the iPod-sized energizer. I was thinking about giving it another go, but I think I'll have exactly the same issues with it as I had before.

 

[sgrossklass]

A humble suggestion: Philips SBC-HP1000.
* Not a Qualia, obviously, but should be decent sounding.
* Semi-open, so probably gives a tiny bit of isolation.
* Has detachable cable (albeit of nearly infinite length).
* Spec'd impedance 32 ohms, with 106 dB/mW sensitivity, thus not that extremely hard to drive (the SHP805 is spec'd at 104 dB and is about as hard to drive as a HD497).
* I wouldn't expect them to be extremely uncomfortable or heavy, the search should turn up more on this.
* Still being made.
* Doesn't cost an arm and a leg (though I don't know whether that really counts

), should be available in the UK.