[Jodet]

Which desktop amps are owners pairing the ERA-1 with and is there an inclination to favour solid state over tubes or vice versa for any reason?

Yes, this is of great interest to me as well. I own the Quad tube amp and a Violectric V281 and I the headphones I've had definitely prefer one or the other.

Any comments on weight/comfort compared to the Clears? I see they're just a bit lighter than the Clears, not enough to make a difference I'm guessing. The Focal's have such a good headband and distribute the weight so evenly I find them very comfortable despite being 450 grams.

 

[naynay]

Glad you are liking them too

I decided that having saved a chunk of money from my initial budget I would swap the supplied cable for a Chord Shawcan upgrade. Definite difference; things that bit sweeter and more definition and detail. Biggest difference is the soundstage that opens up quite significantly. I'm sure the 'phones are also loosening up with more use but I'd say this upgrade might be worth consideration. In the UK that still makes them really good value and under £1k.

Bruce

Have upgraded with Chord Shawcan cable and agree big improvements, found leather pads are the better option of two supplied.

 

[Schlappen]

Hi guys,
Please, what is the size of the earpads. Inside and Outside.? In comparison to Focal Elear/Clear pads.?

Thanks for info and kind regards from Germany

 

[Schlappen]

edit

 

[kid vic]

https://headphone.guru/quad-era-1-planar-magnetic-headphones-a-classic-in-the-making/

Headphoneguru review is up, YMMV as always

 

[KinoS]

Hi guys,
Please, what is the size of the earpads. Inside and Outside.? In comparison to Focal Elear/Clear pads.?

Thanks for info and kind regards from Germany

I emailed Quad with this very question, as I couldn't find it in the specifications, and one of their staff very helpfully sent me this:

 

[trellus]

I emailed Quad with this very question, as I couldn't find it in the specifications, and one of their staff very helpfully sent me this:

Spoiler

Excellent, thanks for posting that -- which one are the Elear/Clear vs the ERA-1 pads? I don't recognize either, sorry.

 

[FastAndClean]

which one are the Elear/Clear vs the ERA-1 pads

none

 

[trellus]

none

What pads are pictured? If the ERA-1 pads aren’t pictured, what again was the point?

 

[kid vic]

What pads are pictured? If the ERA-1 pads aren’t pictured, what again was the point?

Lol, nice response buddy.
The ERA-1 comes with two pads stock, the kind Quad employee sent picture measurments of both. Maybe you have a reply from another thread on your head?

 

[KinoS]

Excellent, thanks for posting that -- which one are the Elear/Clear vs the ERA-1 pads? I don't recognize either, sorry.

As stated above, as I understand it the ERA-1 comes with the two sets of pads pictured, hence Quad providing these measurements when I asked - I'm posting them here as a number of people (me included) had asked in the thread and I thought it would help. I didn't really notice you were asking for comparisons to the Clears - which I don't have, so can't help with that, sorry! There are probably Focal pad measurements somewhere.

As an aside, I understand not everyone has larger ears, but I do wish manufacturers would make the pad/fit dimensions more available - it's a pretty basic need when buying a headphone that they can actually fit you comfortably.

 

[trellus]

Lol, nice response buddy.
The ERA-1 comes with two pads stock, the kind Quad employee sent picture measurments of both. Maybe you have a reply from another thread on your head?

Lol, no, it’s from this thread, I think I misinterpreted the response “I emailed Quad with this very question” to the original question asking for size of pads in order to compare to Clear/Elear pads, my bad.

 

[Sopp]

These are sold on Massdrop for $569.99 now.

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/quad-era-1-planar-magnetic-headphones-va-one-amp

 

[k1n0n3]

$569.99 is a great price for these.
Thanks for the mention, joined the drop.

 

[Jodet]

An interesting thing about that drop - you can get BOTH the ERA-1 headphones and the VA-One tube amp and DAC for $1769.

I have that amp - it's amazballs. EL84's, 15 wpc, build in DAC. Sounds incredible on my Proacs and on headphones, particularly my HD800S's and HifiMan HE4XX's. In fact it makes those HifiMan sound so good I could easily live with them as my only headphones.