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Quad ERA-1 Planar Magnetic Headphones & VA-One Amp

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Quad ERA-1 Planar Magnetic Headphones & VA-One Amp

Name: Quad ERA-1 Planar Magnetic Headphones & VA-One Amp
Brand: Quad
SKU: quad-era-1-planar-magnetic-headphones-va-one-amp

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Product Description

Quad has a long history of making top-notch hi-fi products, perhaps most notably the ESL: an extremely well-regarded electrostatic panel loudspeaker. Now, the company brings that high-end experience to a pair of headphones and their ideal amplifier pairing Read More

overview

details

photos0

discussions106

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Goofyvic

Dec 11, 2018

I am having problem with my left channel too. Swab the cable from left to right shows that the cable is fine. How to rectify this? Send back to Massdrop?

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ipiipi

Dec 12, 2018

Goofyvicreply I got from Massdrop was I can either ship the headphones back to them for a full refund or receiving a 20% refund and keep the cans.

unico01jp

Dec 11, 2018

I joined this drop and got a VA-One Amp. Today the package arrived. I opened the package and found a PA-One Amp (headphone amp) inside. Ah ... what is happening this drop?

ipiipi

Dec 9, 2018

I'm experiencing problems with my left channel instead. When start using the phones the left channel had no sound at all, and then it worked after 15 mins of running in. After using for another 2 hours the left channel is dead again.

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joebig

Dec 6, 2018

Hello community. Could anyone recommend a balanced cable for this headphones? For a 2.5mm amp out (and the 3.5mm L / R of the ERA-1). Thank you Massdrop, very very good phones!!!

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Monkeesq

Dec 4, 2018

I am experiencing problems with the right channel as well. I received my phones last week and within 15 minutes of using them, the right channel went dead. The next day the right channel was fine for about 1 hour and then the volume in the right channel dropped significantly. Tapping the right channel housing brought the volume back to normal levels but the volume dropped again a couple of minutes later and once again tapping the right channel housing restored the volume. Although I really like the sound of these phones, this issue is not acceptable. I have contacted MD to either exchange the headphones for a new pair or return for a refund.

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rnrneverdie

Dec 7, 2018

MonkeesqIt‘s seems something wrong with the cable. I changed it with Hifiman stock cable. This sitsuction went away (although they have the exactly same connector).

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Monkeesq

Dec 10, 2018

rnrneverdieI will try swapping cables with the cables from my HiFiman headphones and see if that fixes the issue. I'm also curious to see if the HiFiman 'phones with the Quad cables will have right channel issues. Thank you for the suggestion. I'll let you know if it works.

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buffer

Nov 30, 2018

I have been listening to my ERA-1 for a day or two. Overall, my impression is very favorable. I haven't had any technical difficulties. They are working perfectly thus far. I would characterize the sound as being focused slightly more on midrange and lower frequencies. The midrange has a bit more bloom and warmth than I might prefer. The midbass is maybe slightly emphasized, but doesn't bleed into the midrange and it adds to impact and dynamics. I'd prefer a slightly tighter, more crisp, and brighter sound with less bloom throughout the frequency spectrum, but overall I think tonal balance is cohesive and balanced. The bloom in the midrange and ever so slightly subdued upper midrange does hold the headphone back from being as clear as I might prefer, but overall I find the level of clarity offered to be good. Clarity doesn't compare to the absolute best i've heard. The headphone has a musical signature overall. The midrange may be slightly prominent - very subtly, but enough to hold the headphone back from being as natural as it could be, but I would still say it is reasonably natural. Burn-in may help or change things slightly, so not sure if sound will improve, but I like it as is. My ACcoustic Research is a bit cleaner and brighter, but doesn't have the bass impact this headphone has. This headphone possesses a thicker, rounder and less crisp sound, and is not as resolute. In some ways the sound reminds me of my Final Audio D8000 but the D8000 is slightly less forward, but more natural and less bloomy overall. Of course the D8000 is considerably more expensive. I would rate this headphone a B+ or A- ...strong midfi or bottom of the elites. Not bad for Quad's first venture into headphones. I will conclude with this one thought. I think the Quad folks did a really nice job of tuning the headphone. I think they probably wanted a slightly euphonic sound., but I'm not convinced the driver itself is upto the flagship level to allow this headphone to successfully compete with the absolute best.

MaverickAH

747

Nov 29, 2018

I received the EA-1's two days ago. Due the cold temperatures here, I left them alone overnight so they could reach room temperature. I hooked them up yesterday & here are my first impressions: I let the box sit & warm up overnight. I opened them up pre-dawn (couldn't wait!). Box presentation was good if you care about that sort of thing. Them headphones are seated in a very nice carrying case. Any headphone remotely in this price range (Hello, Massdrop x Focal Elex / MRSpeakers Ether CX) that doesn't include a decent carrying case should be ashamed of themselves! The included cord & 1/4" adapter is of adequate quality with appropriate R/L markings on the 3.5mm plugs. Fit & finish on the headphones themselves was exemplary. Very nice & mostly metal with leather on the headband. The only plastic in evidence are the arms that hold the earcups. Earpads were of the Dekoni Hybrid Elite variety & an extra pair of all leather pads were included. The only other thing included was a small instruction booklet. Upon first listen, something was amiss...… Volume & dynamics were significantly lower in the right earcup. Not one to panic, I left them to run in while I walked the dogs & ran some errands. Upon returning, I picked them up & the volume in the ight earcup was normal. I listened on my main rig for a while & then moved them to my phone. The problem returned...…… Concerned at this point, I began to tap firmly on the right earcup. I was able to get it to fluctuate between performing normally, at reduced volume or not at all. Very disturbing...… At normal operation, this headphone easily jumps to #1 in my collection, bumping the Focal Elex from that spot. The preliminary review on Inner Fidelity is petty much spot on in my opinion. Rather than call them warm as they do, I prefer to refer to them as "natural". To my ears, frequency response seems to be fairly linear. Bass is present & naturally rendered when present in the recording with plenty of inner detail. The same can be said for the midrange & the treble. Micro details, dynamics & spatial cues are on point. It's very easy to tell where instruments/voices are "feel" the space around them. The dynamics on the ERA-1 closely matches the Elex & the bass far outshines them. The only area where I feel the Era-1's lack a little bit is perhaps the air around cymbals & such in the upper registers. Truth be told, I don't really miss it. You know when you shine a bright light on an object? You may see the object better but at the same time, the bright light may wash some detail & texture in its wake. That's how I feel about the ERA-1 vs. the Elex. Anyway due to the issue I am experiencing, I've started a dialogue with MD support. If I can return the unit for a replacement, I will. If I have to return the unit for a full refund with no replacement, I don't know...….. I'm at a quandary. I love these headphones so much, I'd pay full price for them but I can almost live with the issue I'm having at the cost savings attained here. Their sound profile is at end game level based on my personal preferences. I know that it's a pretty strong & quick decision to make but I feel very safe in making it.

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MaverickAH

747

Dec 7, 2018

Interesting...… I can't hear what you hear, of course. I will say that I gave mine a casual listen upon receipt just to confirm that they were functioning properly. They were. Still, I could tell that the drivers were tight. I won't say that vocals were horrible but what I did notice was that clarity, articulation & definition seemed a bit off. Maybe because of what I was listening to at the time, I was particularly concerned about definition in the bass region, the snare drum & clarity on background vocals. I set them up on my CTH with the volume at about 9:30 - 10 to burn in (a moderately loud volume). Because these are open backs, you can listen to the headphones while they're sitting there. After about 3 hours, I heard a distinct change while they were still sitting there. Vocals sharpened up & the tinny-ness I originally heard dissipated. All this I could detect while they were still just sitting on my desk. I don't want to get ahead of myself but after 24 hours of burn-in, the soundstage has opened up in both depth & width. Clarity, definition & articulation have all gotten better along with micro details. I would classify them as having the classic British midrange & that's never a bad thing for my ears! I'm going to spend time with them over the next 3 days in order to quantify my previous statements about these headphones & to put them in proper perspective.

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rnrneverdie

Dec 7, 2018

MaverickAHThe horrible vocal sounds is like you’re sitting in empty room and play music. All I hear is echo. The vocal part is also samll compared to other parts.

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MaverickAH

747

Nov 23, 2018

I just wanted to report that I received a shipping notice & a tracking # today. Usually it's only a couple of days between notification & delivery for me so we'll see......

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zaphrodbox

116

Nov 12, 2018

I'm kind of amazed how toxic this thread is. I'll take some of the blame. I didn't have anything positive/useful to say either, but generally threads on massdrop tend to be a little more constructive than this one. I almost care enough to wonder why....

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Jodet

Oct 27, 2018

Just got a very delayed email from Mofi telling me this drop is 'not legit' and 'cancelled'. Meanwhile Quad says 'sure, they're our products, we'll support them' . Quad and their importer need to get their stories straight. Or really what needs to happen is Quad needs a new importer.

jonderda

Nov 8, 2018

JodetI'm really surprised by this post. The disconnect is that after you and I corresponded over email you contacted a QUAD service manager in the UK who wasn't aware of the situation and he said they'll support the product. Of course they would have. MoFi and QUAD would not screw over the end consumer. However, this drop was definitely unauthorized by QUAD, unauthorized by the North American distributor, and that is why Massdrop agreed to cancel it.