[Peter]

I got the Sony Q55sl LQD click on last week. I bought this because of their look and knew that Sony is doing something unusual here- these click ons come in three different model and each do impose some sonic balance that suitable for your taste of music.

The model that I purchased is for traditional music like Jazz and classical. Information from the sony web site said that the LQD model enhance the mid. It is gentle, smooth and LIQUID (the model name that distinguish from other sister models)

The first impression without break in:
-Hmm, it is clear (may be it is a open phone)
-Sound hollow and hard
-weak bass

1st day after xlo break in tone:
-started to warm up the sound and I can hear more body.
-Dynamic improved.
-Bass improved but still not controlled.
-High is crispy and mid is sweet.

2nd day after break in tone.
-changes like day 1 with further improvement, the bass is right.

3rd day after playing with music.
-I can hear more body in the mids and it is comparable to some other higher end headphones. The violin and piano sounds right with my kind of favouring sweetness. The vocal to my ear is not over warm. Sonic signature is very similar to E888lp earbud but with better punch and somewhat a little behind in transient and clarity. I think I find another portable phone for me when I am out.

 

[Duncan]

I didn't realise that there are different 'flavors' of the Q55s

LQD... sounds like it could be a good one... I wonder how it compares with the KSC-35s...

Thanks for the write up Peter

 

[doobooloo]

LQD = emphasized, lush mids (liquid)
SLD = flat EQ (solid)
AIR = U-shaped EQ, bass and treble emphasized (uuh, air?)

I don't know how much of a difference they actually make but yeah... they're different, different looks and different sonic signatures...

 

[Gergor]

FYI, description of different models here.

"With three design variations - A.I.R. (Air), L.Q.D (Liquid), and S.L.d. (Solid) - the Elements of Style headphones (MDR-Q55SL) deliver quality sound with fashion, lifestyle and technology features for today's music lovers.

The A.I.R. headphones offer boosted sound that enhances hip hop and rock. The L.Q.D. headphones provide a warm and smooth sound that's perfect for the jazz, soul and R&B. And for those house and trance junkies, the S.L.d. headphones deliver straight sound in full force."

 

[doobooloo]

picture...

 

[Peter]

Duncan,

I do not have a KSC 35 clipon and cannot compare them. Just listen to it again during lunch hour. At this point, the high is still a little harsh. One thing worth mentioning is that this clipon is pretty heavy and it is rather revealing in a sense. It sounds very different with a portable CD and a system with dedicated DAC and amps. When direct from a portable CD player, the sound is more mechanical. Let's see whether more cooking will fix this.

 

[D-EJ915]

these earphones are only good if you have a bad source

 

[Peter]

I see. More cooking did tame the harshness of the top but other negative things start to submerge. Just one word, it sounds mechanical. May be it had to do with the upper mid to high fills. It is thin. I would say they are not as good as the E888LP.

This clickon do not fit my ear very well too. It is a kind of lose. I can get a more full body sound if I press the thing against my ear.

 

[Peter]

Finally, this pair of clickon settled. All the negative that I mentioned before is totally gone. It sounds very musically even when directly from the portable CD. Of course we are not comparing it to a high end headphone cause it is just a 30 dollar clickon. If I put the sound stage and the ability to separate individual entity when the music became complex away, it certainly sounds good and right to me for my kind of music. It deliver nothing less from its description available on the web site.

 

[D-EJ915]

Maybe I need to break-in my Solids some more, not like it's going to happen, but it's nice that you like them.

 

[Peter]

D-ej What are the negative things that appear on your solid model?

 

[D-EJ915]

I just don't like the sound, and they don't fit on my ears, they sound kind of like mini-G72's, mini being in that the style is the same, but they aren't as loud and have no impact!...they're good, just not worth 30 bucks (mine are black, imp'd from japan

)

I have a great winamp eq setting for mine, it is like this

60=line

170=bottom of slider on the line

310=halfway btwn the top and middle of slider on line

600=top of slider on line

1=slightly below 600

3=same as 1

6=middle of slider slightly below line

12=middle of slider slightly above line

14=bottom of slider on line

16=slightly above 14

 

[Eagle_Driver]

I have the (U.S.-market) AIR and the SLD editions of the Q55. Though I can hear a difference in the upper mids of these two editions, I found that neither sounds as good as either the Koss KSC-35 or the KSC-50 that I used as comparison models. In particular, the bass on both of my Q55's isn't as extended as that of the Kosses; the Q55s' lower mids are recessed, making male voices and the lead guitar sound thin; there is unnatural "ringing" in the lower treble going on from both of the Q55's, caused by the resonant housings. Most damningly, the Q55's are equally as 'inefficient' as the Kosses, so I had to turn up the volume to the same high level for equal loudness.

 

[Superbaldguy]

I'm glad I was convinced by you guys (mainly Eagle_Driver as his alias on the T-Board)) not to get the Q55's. Now that I hear the sensitivity is no more than the KSC-35's, I'm even happier. "Softness" is the only complaint I have against the Koss clip-ons.

 

[Peter]

Eagle_drive,

I agree that there is some ringing in the highs when it is very new. It disappeared after breaking in (approximately at the beginning of 3rd week after continuous playing).

It is nice you can mention that this thing need some juice....My volume on the PCDP is alway 80% up in order to give me a satisfactory loudness.