[Anatman]

A calm morning in Norway, the autumn is knocking on my door, which mean more music, and less of...

 

[mobbaddict]

All I've reading from your consideration and reviews, are remarkably like my line of expressions and thoughts. I have to say that all my previous love for Sennheiser suddenly was over for a while ago, for ALL the models, and that is that.

But: The timbre, hmm. I have the HD600 and the HD 58X Jubilee lying in the chamber of shame. Shaked the dust of them both for a quick test against the Quads with your “timbre” in focus, switches all three of them rapidly, and, and… What is wrong with my ears? I am also a musician from back in the days, also have a past hovering and moaning over the stressed mixer complaining about timbre etc, but? Maybe it is my age? I really do not know.

Maybe just different tastes/expectations The Quad still has a good timbre overall. I think I may have an issue with the planar and electrostat timbre in general. I compared it again with my HD600 and my underpowered Stax SR-007 (still a great headphone even on the shittiest amp ), the Quad and the Stax share the same kind of polite/articulate/smooth timbre/presentation that is very enjoyable. On low volume levels this is the most delicate type of sound. These drivers both have the ability to disappear in a black background. But then when I turn on the volume I like the added body/texture that the Sennheiser brings. It just involves me more in the music even though it's a bit rougher and less transparent. I really think this is planar versus dynamic thing, I've seen similar discussions on the Verum 1 threads.

 

[Anatman]

Maybe just different tastes/expectations

Yes. Or my aging ears...

And while I am at it with the Sennheiser’s, when again testing against Quad, I remembered with all its horror the intrusive ROARING of specially the midst/highs. On the quads I must increase volume, back on the Sennheiser’s I will immediately decrease volume before the ROARING burst my ears. And the intrusive “chunk” of midst/highs also totally ruin all form of openness fr me. (ARGH; maybe my ears again?)

My HD800 a friend of me is for the moment borrowing to test them out, otherwise I had tested them also.
All tested on Audirvana/Tidal Master, Elbow: Giants of All Sizes review – track 1, Dexter & Sinister, MQA playback.

 

[mobbaddict]

Yes. Or my aging ears...

And while I am at it with the Sennheiser’s, when again testing against Quad, I remembered with all its horror the intrusive ROARING of specially the midst/highs. On the quads I must increase volume, back on the Sennheiser’s I will immediately decrease volume before the ROARING burst my ears. And the intrusive “chunk” of midst/highs also totally ruin all form of openness fr me. (ARGH; maybe my ears again?)

My HD800 a friend of me is for the moment borrowing to test them out, otherwise I had tested them also.
All tested on Audirvana/Tidal Master, Elbow: Giants of All Sizes review – track 1, Dexter & Sinister, MQA playback.

What do you mean by roaring? Brightness? I'm not fond of the HD800. Heard it ages ago but i prefer smoother sound signatures like the Quad

 

[Anatman]

What do you mean by roaring? Brightness? I'm not fond of the HD800. Heard it ages ago but i prefer smoother sound signatures res like the Quad

Overwhelming an hammering growling tight/loud midst/treble, chunked up in a sledgehammer pounding the ears, and take all energy from anything else?

 

[Anatman]

... I've seen similar discussions on the Verum 1 threads.

I also have the Verum One, from the very first batch. And also they have a mild hint of that I described on the Sennheisers.

 

[mobbaddict]

I also have the Verum One, from the very first batch. And also they have a mild hint of that I described on the Sennheisers.

Oh yes they seem to share the same kind of sound signature with a focus on the mids. You do have a nice headphone collection!
I've ordered Dekoni leather pads for the HD600 to see if that brings it closed to a dark sounding signature.
(Nice picture by the way )

 

[Anatman]

I've ordered Dekoni leather pads for the HD600 to see if that brings it closed to a dark sounding signature.
(Nice picture by the way )

Thank you! If you are satisfied with the pads, you must give us a heads up here.

I'll post a couple of pictures of two sets Grados (both SR80e) that I have changed pads on, both sets have glued-on (two-component strong glue) two pads, the one with leather on a "foamy"-chinese aftermarket "jallavalla", ment for the GS1000 series, the other the "coin-modded" original foam pad, glued on a velour Beyerdynamic 990series-pad. They look crazy, and has each crazy-sound-signature...

 

[Anatman]

What do you mean by roaring? Brightness?

A couple of months ago, I had an appointment with an ear specialist to really test my ears. I have hammered and played percussion and drums maybe for 20 years or so, in the start not at all thinking on the ears.

The specialist said I had almost “super-hearing”. I really have exceptionally good hearing. And even this head-fi-hobby cannot **** up my ears, I hope.

So – when listen to the Sennheiser as I described, the “substantially sledgehammer punch” of the high/midst, really hit me. Its annoying and painful, and I must lower volume to a level that is fare below any use at all. Then when (with same volume-level) shift to for example the Quads, the sound opens again, but now far too low, cannot barely hear something at all, if you understand. Then increase volume to a preferred level, and no pain, no chunks of painful anything. And – for me the volume level is important, because different sets will need different volumes, but none of them will open and present its fully potential before some juice are given them, IMO.

 

[mobbaddict]

A couple of months ago, I had an appointment with an ear specialist to really test my ears. I have hammered and played percussion and drums maybe for 20 years or so, in the start not at all thinking on the ears.

The specialist said I had almost “super-hearing”. I really have exceptionally good hearing. And even this head-fi-hobby cannot **** up my ears, I hope.

So – when listen to the Sennheiser as I described, the “substantially sledgehammer punch” of the high/midst, really hit me. Its annoying and painful, and I must lower volume to a level that is fare below any use at all. Then when (with same volume-level) shift to for example the Quads, the sound opens again, but now far too low, cannot barely hear something at all, if you understand. Then increase volume to a preferred level, and no pain, no chunks of painful anything. And – for me the volume level is important, because different sets will need different volumes, but none of them will open and present its fully potential before some juice are given them, IMO.

That's funny, the Quad sounds quite a bit louder than the Sennheiser to my ears But it has super smooth upper midrange with the leather pads so no wonder you like it better if you're annoyed by the HD600 upper mids. Again, the balance is terrific with those pads. Actually I bought the same pads for the HD600. I suspect Quad sources its pads from Dekoni because they look exactly the same as the fenestrated and hybrid models.

 

[Moleboy81]

"ping, ping, ping, ping", = when you move you head, right?

What i did, was return them, and got a new set, and that solved it.
Before this, i tried to find the issue, as its frame related, ( i think ) as its like the metal cage-frame that houses the drivers, seems to flex a bit when you wear them, and within this flexing, you get this "ping, ping,,ping".

So, thats all i can tell you.
I could not find the source of this sound, and i tightened the frame, .......i really did everything i could to make it stop, and nothing i did, helped at all...

"returned for replacement".

Hi,

Mine right earphone went too and have sent back to the seller for Quad replacement as under manufacturers warranty, thankfully. The sound strangely cut out when turning my head left plus when I unboxed mine I could see a red wire in the right cup that was not visible in the left. The headphones were bought in January 2020.

 

[RSC08]

All of these QC issues are not a good sign. It's really sad, since soundwise everyone seems to give these a really good feedback.

 

[Moleboy81]

All of these QC issues are not a good sign. It's really sad, since soundwise everyone seems to give these a really good feedback.

No. I doesn't fill me with confidence either, especially as an owner. However I am hopeful that these were an earlier batch and have since been sorted. Regarding the sound I have wanted to sell them to move to another headphone but every time I listen to them I think, no I'm keeping these.

 

[Anatman]

No. I doesn't fill me with confidence either, especially as an owner. However I am hopeful that these were an earlier batch and have since been sorted. Regarding the sound I have wanted to sell them to move to another headphone but every time I listen to them I think, no I'm keeping these.

I also had an issue with the first set I bought in spring this year. Left cup had the “metallic-sprinkle”- sound when move my head, but also a “brrrrrrr”-vibration in especially low frequency tones.

After a while, the sprinkle-sound disappeared, and never returned. The “brrrrrrr”-vibration continued, so I had then replaced. Contacted the HiFi-Freaks where I bought them, and they send me a new set when back in stock. A while after I also ordered a second set. Both sets are flawless. Also heard about other brands with metallic grill etc, that had has this issue wit the sprinkle/squeak/ding-ding-ding-sound.

 

[HiFiVee]

Must say how nice it is to have the ERA-1s back with me. My first unit, from a very early batch, failed within a week. As I have posted earlier on in this thread, I was assured that the replacement pair, which was replaced under warranty by the dealer, was from the latest batch to arrive in the UK (March 2019). These worked fine, and as expected. I then put them away in November 2019, to recycle through my collection of headphones. Upon putting the ERA-1s back into use, towards the end of August 2020, I found that the RHS driver had failed (or stopped working). It was kickstarted with a few taps, worked for a while, and then failed again. Clearly there was an issue, and the symptoms were exactly the same as I had experienced with the first unit.

I then contacted the UK's Quad support centre (I had details from my earlier communications with them) and arranged for the unit to be sent back to them to be fixed under warranty. Upon inspection, I was informed that the second unit also experienced the same issues as the first unit, so Quad replaced both drivers with the revised version. I am now into my second week of use (after 3 days of break-in), and couldn't be happier. The Quad ERA-1 is a superb allrounder...

For those who are hesitating due to the issues reported, I would say Quad's warranty programme is second to none, and the service offered in the UK is absolutely superb, so don't let that put you off.