[digivate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Szat /img/forum/go_quote.gif I had almost exactly the same problems with my q-jays as yourself. Painful, piercing sound and lack of bass. I did not understand, how could these earphones gained their good reputation. I bought them from a UK retailer and returned them as faulty, explaining that my ears were ringing after using them on a normal volume (which was true) and got refunded promptly, which makes me believe that they had the same complaints before. I got the IM716 after that, a lot cheaper, and after getting rid of the pod and using 62ohm resistors it sounds really good with classical (it sounds a lot better than q-jays even with the pod).

I also couldn't quite understand the great reviews for the q-Jays based on my impression of them, and wondered whether there is a fault with them.

Which UK retailer did you return them to?

I got mine from eXpansys as they were listed on the Jens site for UK resellers. I've contacted them saying that the sound from the q-Jays was too piercing and that I thought there was some very occasional distortion in the mid-range at high volume. They've sent me an RMA confirmation so that I can return the q-Jays but only for a warranty repair if they check the earphones and agree that there is a fault.

I've got to pay for the return postage, and I'm beginning to think that they'll just say there is no fault and send them back to me as they are ... so I'm probably better off just selling them at a large discount and getting back what I can for them.

I hadn't considered the IM716 , but I'm glad they've worked out for you. I considered the Atrio M5 (but was put off by how ugly and cheap looking they are) and Denon's AH-C700. Having decided on the latter, due to a really good price (less than half the price of the q-Jays) I'm much more happy with the overall balance of the sound.

At last I'm getting some light and shade from my music, as well as a feeling of ambience, atmosphere and warmth (as if I'm in a concert hall) rather than a very bright, crisp, clinical and frankly un-enjoyable sound.

 

[scytheavatar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by digivate /img/forum/go_quote.gif I also couldn't quite understand the great reviews for the q-Jays based on my impression of them, and wondered whether there is a fault with them. Which UK retailer did you return them to? I got mine from eXpansys as they were listed on the Jens site for UK resellers. I've contacted them saying that the sound from the q-Jays was too piercing and that I thought there was some very occasional distortion in the mid-range at high volume. They've sent me an RMA confirmation so that I can return the q-Jays but only for a warranty repair if they check the earphones and agree that there is a fault. I've got to pay for the return postage, and I'm beginning to think that they'll just say there is no fault and send them back to me as they are ... so I'm probably better off just selling them at a large discount and getting back what I can for them. I hadn't considered the IM716 , but I'm glad they've worked out for you. I considered the Atrio M5 (but was put off by how ugly and cheap looking they are) and Denon's AH-C700. Having decided on the latter, due to a really good price (less than half the price of the q-Jays) I'm much more happy with the overall balance of the sound. At last I'm getting some light and shade from my music, as well as a feeling of ambience, atmosphere and warmth (as if I'm in a concert hall) rather than a very bright, crisp, clinical and frankly un-enjoyable sound.

There's nothing difficult to understand about why people like the Qjays, different people have different definition of what's enjoyable music. You'll find that many people love the bright, crisp and clinical nature of the Qjays. That's why you should always check if the earphone would fit your sound preference before you get them, just because a earphone is good for someone doesn't mean that it will be good for you.

 

[ClieOS]

I have a slightly different opinion.

To me, q-Jays isn't particularly analytical. It has good bass and treble response which give people the impression of slightly recessed mid (I think the crossover freq. has something to do w/ this), but the overall sound is still quite balance. The biggest strength of q-Jays is it doesn't have any major shortcoming, but the biggest weakness of q-Jays is it doesn't have any particularly strong point. For people who are looking for something b/w analytical and fun, q-Jays can just be the perfect choice.

 

[digivate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scytheavatar /img/forum/go_quote.gif There's nothing difficult to understand about why people like the Qjays, different people have different definition of what's enjoyable music. You'll find that many people love the bright, crisp and clinical nature of the Qjays. That's why you should always check if the earphone would fit your sound preference before you get them, just because a earphone is good for someone doesn't mean that it will be good for you.

If different people have different definitions of what constitutes enjoyable, I'd expect there to be a more varied opinion of the q-Jays. Sure, a lot of people will love the bright, crisp and clinical nature of them, but not everybody ... I'd also expect to have seen some more neutral or even negative opinions from people who like something with a bit more warmth.

As it happens, I spent a lot of time looking at different reviews for various headphones, including the q-Jays, and the impression that I got was that they were like the Etymotic ER-4P (highly regarded for classical music) but with added bass, so I thought I knew what I was going to be getting.

I never came across anyone who described the q-Jays as harsh or lacking in warmth ... hence I started a thread to see if anyone else the same impression. I made an effort to say that I didn't want to slag off the q-Jays for anyone else who really likes them - just wanted to see if anyone shares my view.

If you like them, great, but no need to take offence and patronise my opinions just because you disgree with them.

 

[digivate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClieOS /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have a slightly different opinion. To me, q-Jays isn't particularly analytical. It has good bass and treble response which give people the impression of slightly recessed mid (I think the crossover freq. has something to do w/ this), but the overall sound is still quite balance. The biggest strength of q-Jays is it doesn't have any major shortcoming, but the biggest weakness of q-Jays is it doesn't have any particularly strong point. For people who are looking for something b/w analytical and fun, q-Jays can just be the perfect choice.

Thanks for your opinion ClieOS ... it makes me wonder if it's possible that there's a difference in sound signature between individual pairs of q-Jays, as your impression is so different to mine.

Maybe it's something to do with the source and kind of music we're listening to. I've been listening straight out of a Cowon D2 which is sometimes described as a bit cold and analytical itself ... maybe it's just the combination of the D2 and the q-Jays that isn't working for me.

In terms of strengths and weaknesses, I genuinely think that the treble clarity on the q-Jays is superb, so it could be called a strength, but as I just don't get the same sense of satisfaction from the lower-end it seems unbalanced, and the treble ironically ends up as a weakness as it becomes overpowering and fatiguing to my ears.

Everytime I hear a response like yours it makes me question my opinion of the q-Jays ... am I being harsh and unfair on them. But I've had them just over a month and, despite trying to convince myself that they're great and I should love them, it's just not worked out for me.

I've just got them out of the box again, to test against my new Denon AH-C700 ... and I just way prefer the balance and warmth from the Denons.

This thread appears to be mostly bringing out people who love the q-Jays rather than a gathering of like-minded but previously silent individuals who like myself were a bit disapointed with them.

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by digivate /img/forum/go_quote.gif I never came across anyone who described the q-Jays as harsh or lacking in warmth ... hence I started a thread to see if anyone else the same impression.

That's because q-Jays is neither harsh nor warm.

Harsh describes a peak on the upper midrange, mainly around 2 to 8kHz (upper female vocal). I think q-Jays perform pretty well on these region, but not to a point of harsh. I think what you mean is forward, analytical treble which of course can cause fatigue.

Warm describes a fat bottom, as a good and strong mid-bass to bass response which often gives the impression of a rich and full sound. Since q-Jays is known to be analytical and clinical, I think it pretty much mean q-Jays isn't a warm 'phone at all. The term 'clinical' is almost the opposite of what a warm sound will be.

 

[PetCed]

I would bet a 1000USD that if you asked 100 persons of which color is the most beautiful you would get a pretty wide spectrum of answers

. Same for all your senses. What tasts good, looks good, smells good, sounds good is not something you read about and you will have the same opinon. When it comes to your ears we all have different ears and canals. The lenght of the ear canal can change the overall sound pretty much. Bad fit on the sleeves also. Some may have a less hearing in the highs due to age and so on. If you've been used to a certain sound signature for a while it takes some time for your ears and mind to "accept" this change. Nothing is right and nothing is wrong when it comes to taste is my personal opinion. And yes, I do have a favourite color, food and earphone. But that I will keep to myself

Cheers and may the best earphone for your personal taste win.

 

[digivate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClieOS /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's because q-Jays is neither harsh nor warm. Harsh describes a peak on the upper midrange, mainly around 2 to 8kHz (upper female vocal). I think q-Jays perform pretty well on these region, but not to a point of harsh. I think what you mean is forward, analytical treble which of course can cause fatigue. Warm describes a fat bottom, as a good and strong mid-bass to bass response which often gives the impression of a rich and full sound. Since q-Jays is known to be analytical and clinical, I think it pretty much mean q-Jays isn't a warm 'phone at all. The term 'clinical' is almost the opposite of what a warm sound will be.

Okay, I didn't realise that the word "harsh" had such a detailed definition, but "forward" and "analytical" and sometimes "fatiguing" are all fair descriptions of the q-Jays sound.

I also didn't realise that providing "analytical" and "clinical" highs mean't that it's not possible to also provide "warmth" when required. In fact, I'm sure that is a possible combination from a single set of earphones.

I have to admit that with hindsight I don't remember having read any reviews of the q-Jays that described them as exactly having warmth, but I did read that the bass was well catered for due to the dual driver and I did think that they would be capable at the lower end than they appear to be with my pair.

As I say, I'm sure the q-Jays had been described as the er4p with added bass ... I can't even begin to imagine how clinical and forward the er4p must sound if that is the case.

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by digivate /img/forum/go_quote.gif Everytime I hear a response like yours it makes me question my opinion of the q-Jays ... am I being harsh and unfair on them. But I've had them just over a month and, despite trying to convince myself that they're great and I should love them, it's just not worked out for me.

Everyone has a different taste of how music should sound and there is nothing wrong with it. If we all have the same opinion, we won't really need head-fi anymore, right? If you don't like q-Jays, than you could sell it and get back some money... that's is the reason why we have a For Sale forum

Quote:

Originally Posted by digivate /img/forum/go_quote.gif This thread appears to be mostly bringing out people who love the q-Jays rather than a gathering of like-minded but previously silent individuals who like myself were a bit disapointed with them.

I don't actually love q-Jays. It is a solid performer but I just don't think q-Jays will be an IEM that I will fall in love in, but I don't hate it either.

Quote:

Originally Posted by digivate /img/forum/go_quote.gif I also didn't realise that providing "analytical" and "clinical" highs mean't that it's not possible to also provide "warmth" when required. In fact, I'm sure that is a possible combination from a single set of earphones. ... As I say, I'm sure the q-Jays had been described as the er4p with added bass ... I can't even begin to imagine how clinical and forward the er4p must sound if that is the case.

If it is analytical and clinical like ER4 series, it should have a relatively flat freq. resp. on the bass to lower treble region. Warm sound will have an elevated bass to mid-bass region.

Oh, yeah, Etymotic isn't for everyone.

 

[digivate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PetCed /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would bet a 1000USD that if you asked 100 persons of which color is the most beautiful you would get a pretty wide spectrum of answers . Same for all your senses. What tasts good, looks good, smells good, sounds good is not something you read about and you will have the same opinon. When it comes to your ears we all have different ears and canals. The lenght of the ear canal can change the overall sound pretty much. Bad fit on the sleeves also. Some may have a less hearing in the highs due to age and so on. If you've been used to a certain sound signature for a while it takes some time for your ears and mind to "accept" this change. Nothing is right and nothing is wrong when it comes to taste is my personal opinion. And yes, I do have a favourite color, food and earphone. But that I will keep to myself Cheers and may the best earphone for your personal taste win.

Cheers Peter ...

I hope I've not given the impression that I'm slagging off your product. I think I've mentioned that there are a lot of good things about the q-Jays (build quality, discreet and comfortable design and fit, crisp and clinical treble reproduction) but they just didn't do the trick for me.

I just thought I'd chuck in my impressions of the q-Jays, stir the water and see what comes to the surface ... but you'll be glad to hear that I seem to be in the minority.

As you say, people have a wide spectrum of taste, so that's why I'm surprised that 98% of the feedback I've seen for the q-Jays in really positive, but to my ears they definately lean more towards being clinical and analytical or "treble-heavy" (if some a term actually exists). If people really do have a wide range of tastes I'm just surprised that I haven't heard more feedback from people who maybe prefer a bit more bass presence.

As you say "may the best earphone for your personal taste win" so I'm going to stop commenting on the q-Jays now, and head over to a Denon AH-C700 thread to leave some positive comments for a change.

 

[digivate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClieOS /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you don't like q-Jays, than you could sell it and get back some money... that's is the reason why we have a For Sale forum

To be honest with you, that's one of the reasons I've left so may comments about the q-Jays over the past couple of days .. I need to have added 50 comments before I'm allowed to add a new thread to the "For Sale/Trade" forum ... and I think this one may have just about got me to that target.

 

[dookiex]

PetCed, you would have lost that $1000 US bet if it was a real bet. It's proven that if you ask people to name a colour (regardless of if you asked them for their favourite or the most beautiful), you would get a pool of answers of which are predominantly of two colours, red and blue.

 

[PetCed]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dookiex /img/forum/go_quote.gif PetCed, you would have lost that $1000 US bet if it was a real bet. It's proven that if you ask people to name a colour (regardless of if you asked them for their favourite or the most beautiful), you would get a pool of answers of which are predominantly of two colours, red and blue.

q-JAYS comes in red and blue so maybe there is something to it then

 

[Szat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by digivate /img/forum/go_quote.gif I also couldn't quite understand the great reviews for the q-Jays based on my impression of them, and wondered whether there is a fault with them. Which UK retailer did you return them to? I got mine from eXpansys as they were listed on the Jens site for UK resellers. I've contacted them saying that the sound from the q-Jays was too piercing and that I thought there was some very occasional distortion in the mid-range at high volume. They've sent me an RMA confirmation so that I can return the q-Jays but only for a warranty repair if they check the earphones and agree that there is a fault. I've got to pay for the return postage, and I'm beginning to think that they'll just say there is no fault and send them back to me as they are ... so I'm probably better off just selling them at a large discount and getting back what I can for them. I hadn't considered the IM716 , but I'm glad they've worked out for you. I considered the Atrio M5 (but was put off by how ugly and cheap looking they are) and Denon's AH-C700. Having decided on the latter, due to a really good price (less than half the price of the q-Jays) I'm much more happy with the overall balance of the sound. At last I'm getting some light and shade from my music, as well as a feeling of ambience, atmosphere and warmth (as if I'm in a concert hall) rather than a very bright, crisp, clinical and frankly un-enjoyable sound.

I bought them from advancedmp3players.co.uk. I think I sent them back after maybe a week or so, so that is why I got a refund. The RMA form stated that it was sent back to the manufacturer, with the reason that it was "too loud".
I have the Atrios and it might be ugly, but sounds excellent. From what I've heard though you're probably better of with the Denons for classic, as the M5 is not too detailed in the mid/high region.

 

[Szat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PetCed /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would bet a 1000USD that if you asked 100 persons of which color is the most beautiful you would get a pretty wide spectrum of answers . Same for all your senses. What tasts good, looks good, smells good, sounds good is not something you read about and you will have the same opinon. When it comes to your ears we all have different ears and canals. The lenght of the ear canal can change the overall sound pretty much. Bad fit on the sleeves also. Some may have a less hearing in the highs due to age and so on. If you've been used to a certain sound signature for a while it takes some time for your ears and mind to "accept" this change. Nothing is right and nothing is wrong when it comes to taste is my personal opinion. And yes, I do have a favourite color, food and earphone. But that I will keep to myself Cheers and may the best earphone for your personal taste win.

It's not just that people have different tastes, but taste changes over time and with the mood. I used to love the warm and musical Atrios for I while, but as my musical taste changes, I like a bit more analytical and detailed sound.

Looking back, I think that my problem with the q-jays were probably down to bad fit, so I had to increase the volume to get the bass through and it caused me tinnitus after about 30 minutes. Probably an amplifier would have helped too, since they seemed to be very hard to drive (with a Nano).