I have had a pair of q-Jays for just over 7 months now and whilst they get heavy use (10-12 hours per day) they certainly do not get rough use. In that time I have replaced the extension cable 3 times and just recently had to send them in for complete replacement because of cable problems in one ear piece and connector. That said the customer service from Jays has been exemplary having shipped me 2 replacement extensions at no charge and a complete new set of q-Jays when the earpiece failed.
Not wanting to be without a decent set of phones while the q-Jays were sent back I purchased the Sleek SA6 because of the praise they were receiving here. I thought they would be good as a backup pair until the q-Jays returned but did not consider they would in any way replace my beloved q-Jays.
Well the Sleeks really surprised me and I have to say I love 'em. Sonically I do not find a huge deal of difference between the 2 with the single armature of the SA6 performing just as well as the doubles of the q-Jays. The q-Jays exhibit a tad more detail through the mids and highs than the Sleeks which are slightly warmer and less analytical. The Sleeks still have a good strong mid section with excellent vocals and crisp highs but are a little more laid back and possibly a little less tiring for long periods of use.
Bass on both is good and rises to the occasion when called upon but never overpowering. The dedicated bass armature of the q-Jays perhaps delivers slightly more bass punch and impact than the Sleeks but only slightly.
The earpieces on the q-Jays are shorter and narrower than the Sleeks but I have no problems wearing either pair for extended periods, that said I prefer and use the q-Jays tips rather than the Sleeks bi-flanges finding the material a little thicker providing slightly better isolation and seems to tighten up the bass just a smidgeon.
The cable set up on the q-Jays is my major gripe with them, being a 2 part cable I it is either too short without the extension or just way too long with the extension. Because of the extra length of the cable I regularly get it snagged resulting in either the plug getting yanked out of my player or the ear pieces being ripped from my ears which is really annoying. I also believe this is why I have had problems with extension connectors and one earpiece as it is the only time that any force has been applied to the cables.
I find the Sleek cable superior to the q-Jays not just length wise but it is also softer and more flexible resulting in far less microphonics than the q-Jays cable. I should point out though that the cable on the replacement pair of q-Jays seems to be a little more flexible and less microphonic than my original pair. I don't know if this is because they are now using different material or whether there is a difference in material between the black and the white q-Jays as my original pair was black but I selected white for the replacement as black were out of stock.
Despite that the replaceable cable is a big plus for the Sleeks in my opinion and when purchased them I picked up a spare to keep on hand. I am also looking forward to the highly anticipated wireless attachment for the Sleeks that will hopfully be released within the next month or so.
Ironically one of the earpieces on the Sleeks has also stopped working but now I kind of feel that the q-Jays are the standin while I wait for the replacement from Sleeks.
EDIT: Forgot to mention, there are quite a few complaints regarding the filters in the q-Jays earpieces needing to be replaced about every 4-6 weeks as they become clogged not so much from earwax but they seem to absorb moisture and slightly expand eventually deminishing and blocking sound. Whilst this is not difficult having to keep a stock of spare filters adds a little expense.
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