Introduction :
Not many would need an introduction to Crossroads ,but for the uninitiated Crossroads is a brand introduced by the Jaben store based in Singapore.It's well recognized for its Mylarone line up of canal phones consisting of the older X3 models and the Bijou series.The Quattros which is one of their recent top of the line offering with the concept of tunable bass ports ,which helps to alter the sonic characteristics of the IEMs.
Though the concept of tunable IEMs is not their original and it has been adapted by companies like Sleek-Audio,Sennheiser etc. ,most of them belong to the ultra high-end segment. So what sets apart the Quattro's from the others is the fact that its one of the first IEM with tunable sound which has been made keeping the price in sub 100$ range. Sounds impressive,doesn't it ? Let's see how they perform.Here's another review from your's truly.
[BREAK=Specifications]
Specifications:
Type : Stereo in-ear
Driver: 7mm Dynamic Mylar driver
Sensitivity: 95dB +/- 4 SPL @ 1 kHz
Impedance: 16 Ohm @ 1 kHz
Frequency Response: 20Hz - 22 kHz
Cord: 1.25m
Rated Power: 2mW
Max Input Power: 10mW
Plug: Gold-Plated Stereo 3.5mm (Iphone compatible)
Not much to be explained here. Even though the impedance is low these earphones are bit difficult to drive and have a slightly lower volume due to the sensitivity being below 100dB. More on this topic in the Sound and amping section
[BREAK=Packaging and Accessories]
Packaging and Accessories:
The Quattro's come in a simple & neat rectangular softpaper box ,akin the Hippo Boom.The black box might look a bit dull due to the missing bling factor and the big white font describing the IEMs .The box has a small window covered with plastic sheet which lets you have a sneak-peak of the earphones. The Quattros come in 3 different colours -Black ,Burgundy and Red.The one's I have for review today are Burgundy which I liked a lot compared to the other two. Once you slide open the box , there's the tiny little pair of earphones placed on the mould along with a pair of interchangeable bass port on the left side of the box while the other partition takes care of the bevy of accessories provided by Crossroads.The list of accessories are as follows -
* an airplane adapter
* soft carry pouch (big enough to hold the IEMs along with all the other accessories.)
* a shirt clip (already attached to cable)
* 5 pair of soft silicon tips - very small, small,medium ,large and the bi-flange.
* 3 bass ports (to alter the response/ bass of the earphones)
Out of the box,the Quattros come fitted with the medium size silicon tip and port 2 which provides with medium bass.Port 1 provides with maximum bass and port 3 with the least. As you can see in the snaps,the ports are like small plates which can be screwed onto the IEMs rear.The ports have been numbered to differentiate them from each other. More details on the bass ports in the Sound section.
All in all ,Crossroads has been very generous with the top quality accessories and I personally loved the attractive carry pouch. The airplane connector should also come in handy sometime in the future .The silicon tips are in plenty but a pair of foam tips would have been a great addition. Other than that no complains with the Packaging and Accessories.
Would rate the complete package as 4.5/5.
[BREAK=Design,Build Quality and Comfort.]
Design , Build Quality & Comfort .
Design :
The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the Quattros was - " Hey they look like flat nosed bullets of a Pistol
".The IEMs are super light ,very tiny , infact one of the smallest I have seen till date. The small size is mainly due to the fact that they have a small 7mm dynamic driver.The cylindrical housing is made of anodized aluminum and has a glossy finish .The anodized aluminum gives the Quattros the sense of a high-end product. The black rubber part you see along the housing is the strain relief for the cables entering the driver .I would say ,it is a well contemplated idea as it provides good support to the cables and there is less probability of cable breakage due to rough handling or while pulling out the IEMs from the ears . At the rear of the housing there is a hole with threading for the bass ports to be screwed onto.The Left and Right channel marking is printed near the nozzle of the housing.The eartip nozzle does not have any filter as a result the drivers are kind of visible to the eyes.This could result in ear wax,dust etc entering the housing so regular cleaning and care needs to be taken.
The design and finish of the Quattros is pretty impressive and it actually turns a few heads among my friends and in public compared to the other simplistic designed IEMs that I usually carry.
Build Quality :
Crossroads doesn't have a good record when it comes to Build Quality .Especially the older X3i ,Lbi series of IEMs had issues with the delicate cables.They improved their build quality with the Bijou series and now with the Quattro's I can finally say that the they have succeeded in maintaining the build quality on par with most high-end IEMs.The driver housing being made of aluminium is light weight but strong enough to take a few abusing while traveling or casual usage.The strain relief made of semi-hard rubber holds the cable well in place and I assume there shouldn't be any damage to the cable where it enters the housing of the IEMs.
The cable used is soft, not too thin and of fine quality. It has a slight memory effect ,as in, the cable is not very flexible and it retains the shape in which you wind up the cable and store it.The centre part of the cable where the channels split is covered with rubber to prevent damage. The 3.5mm connector is a 45 angled plug and not a right angled/L-shaped one which can be irritating at times due to their weird shape and space that it take in your pocket.I fail to understand why a lot of companies are adopting these 45 deg plugs.
Comfort & Isolation :
The Quattros are super tiny ,light weight and they totally disappear in to the ears.One of the most comfortable IEMs in my collection and probably the only one which can be worn while sleeping or lying on the bed.The rubber cover on the housing provides a good grip into the ears and there are times when you don't even realize that you are wearing them. Isolation depends on the silicon tip used and the insertion method .The bi-flange provides the best isolation with a normal halfway insertion while the medium/large silicon tips need to be adjusted and pushed a bit deeper to get the perfect seal.As I always say, selecting the proper tip is very important and in this case it was very difficult to decide because the bi-flange provides the best fit and isolation whereas the medium single tips are provided with a more forward and detailed sound but less isolation.
For all the research work done by Crossroads in designing the Quattros , creating a very comfortable IEMs & improving upon the build quality ,they deserve 4/5.
[BREAK=Sound Quality]
Sound Quality.
As usual I tried out my collection of A.R. Rahman discogrpahy,Trance classics,Assorted collection of Rock , alternative music to test the Quattros.All files either FLACs or 320kbps Mp3 .
Sources used:
Sansa clip+ & Fiio E5 amplifier.
Iphone 2G + Fiio E1.
PC >> HifiMan EF2A DAC + hybrid amp.
Initial Impressions:
First thing you notice when you plug in the Quattros is –your fingers reaching for the volume control to crank it up.With the sensitivity being only 95 Db ,these are pretty difficult to drive.I had to increase the volume on the Clip+ from 60-70% to almost 90% to get my normal listening level. Out of the box ,the Quattro’s had a very thin and veiled sound. It can’t even be termed as laid back exactly. The bass had a good thump but over emphasized the midrange ,resulting in the vocals and instruments sounding thin and recessed. The treble wasn’t disappointing - accurate without any brightness and a hint of sibilance in some tracks.
Overall ,I felt there was something missing .. It just didn’t sound complete due to the closed/veiled sound instead of the dynamic and open sound which I prefer in the RE-0,RE-2,PL-30 etc
From my previous experiences I can say that with IEMs you can never draw conclusions with the first listening, most dynamic drivers need a good burn-in to settle down and sound their best. So I went ahead with a burn-in of ~100 hrs with pink,white noise files and a few assorted tracks with good bass.
After Burn-in :
This part of the review is written after a straight 100-120 hrs of burn-in , comparing the sound with the notes I had made earlier. I started taking notes for the detailed review with Port 3 and used the bi-flange which gave me the best fit and seal.
Port -3
Port 3 is supposed to have the least bass and yes the bass is very light with no thump or punch but a good depth which makes the Quattro sound neutral/flat.The bass isn’t completely missing ,it’s more of like textured and shoot’s in when needed.The midrange isn’t recessed and veiled anymore but still not as dynamic as I would expect it to be.The instrumentals sound smooth and relaxing.You can easily make out the different rumbles and drum beats in the lower midrange.In the vocals department the male vocals sound much more natural and accurate compared to female vocals.The treble is very detailed and clear and the best part of port 3.The way the highs are presented with perfect detailing and sharpness without sounding bright is really astonishing I can say it comes pretty close to the Head Direct RE-0 which are one of the best IEMs in terms of detailing and also my personal favorite. It has the detailing but not the transparency & clarity of RE-0. Soundstage isn’t very wide.There is good separation between different sounds but the instruments seem to be closely placed & the sound seems to have more depth to it .
Port 3 will mainly be preferred by analytical listeners who want a sound which is close to being flat/neutral..
Port -2
Major improvement in the bass and midrange compared to Port -3 .Infact the bass is kickass ! Lots of thump ,punch and detailing in bass.I just love the bass with this port ..It has decent speed and control and doesn’t sound even 1 bit over emphasized or muddy. The speed is not as good as the RE-0,RE-252 but better than other alternatives in similar range.The bass is very well textured and lets you enjoy the music.The midrange was sounding muddy and recessed with the bi-flange and hence I changed the silicon tip to the normal medium tips.As a result the the mids sounded more pronounced and warm now. The instruments being upfront and vocals placed in the centre .The bass didn’t lose its shine at all infact it had more impact with the deep insertions of the medium tips.The treble is similar to Port 3 with slightly less detailing but not noticeable unless you give it a try, to compare both the ports . The soundstage on Port 2 is noticeably wider compared to port 3 and bit more spacious but not as good as the RE-1 which I consider as the IEMs with one of the best soundstage.
Port 2 is warm sounding with amazing bass , treble and a good midrange. It has a fun & laidback sonic characteristics which will be liked by most casual audio enthusiasts.
Port -1
Port-1 turns the Quattros into a bashead’s delight.There is this insane amounts of boomy head shaking bass. Though the bass is not as accurate and textured as Port-2 but it shouldn’t matter to bassheads as long as they enjoy the sound.As a result of the emphasis on bass the clarity and details in midrange and highs take a slight hit.The midrange loses the slight dark sound of Port-2 and becomes much more forward and airy .The finer details in the treble and highs are superseded by the overpowering bass and airy midrange. Even then the treble isn’t that bad.It has the same quality of Port 2 minus the finer detailing and sparkle. Since port-1 has a small open vent for better bass response the soundstage also seems to be wider and better compared to other ports.Due to the open vent /semi open design of this port there is slightly less noise isolation but not very noticeable unless you are in an extremely crowded public place.
Port-1 was definitely designed keeping in mind the people who crave for a little more bass in every IEM they try .Listeners who demand lot of head shaking bass and don’t mind slight loss in the clarity, detailing of the sound would prefer port-1 instead of Port-2 .
As for me , Port 3 & 2 are my personal favourites , infact I use port 2 the most for casual listening cause they sound more fun .For a neutral sound and analytical listening I would prefer my RE-0 instead of Quattro’s with port 3.But that’s just my personal preference and it could differ depending on one’s personal tastes.Some people find the RE-0 too flat and neutral or bright as well ,in that case the flat sound of the Quattro’s would suit them better.
Would rate the Sound of Quattro as 4.4/5.
[BREAK=Sound Quality part 2 : Sources and Amps.]
Trying different sources / amps :
The source DAC , amps and even the quality of your files makes a lot of difference on how your audio gear sounds. Each of this is equally important and adds to the final sound of the earphones.Hence I decided to include a small section related to the synergy of Quattros with different sources and cheap amps that I have.
Firstly is amping required ?
There is actually no definite answer to this question .As I mentioned before the Quattros are bit difficult to drive and one needs to increase the volume by a 2-3 levels. This could result in lower battery per charge of the PMP.Also there is a very well noticeable change in sound when paired with amps.So I would definitely encourage one to use an amp with the Quattro to get the best out of it but it isn’t necessary as well. Now to decide which amp ?
Fiio E5.
First I tried the E5 with the Sansa Clip+ .Naturally I could reduce the volume on the Clip+ and rely on the E5 for amping .With the E5 the sound became slightly more forward, especially the midrange was more clear now .The bass boost on E5 sounds good only with Port-3 ,and adds a undesired hump in the midrange when used with other ports.No major difference in soundstage as such .
The E5 does make the Quattros sound more richer,fuller and ofcourse it let’s you extract a little more juice out of your portable players battery, but it doesn’t really make a huge impact or a change which would make you go WOW ! Incase you have a E5 already or plan to use with another IEM then you can ofcourse pair it up with the Quattro’s, otherwise it’s not the best for the Quattros.
Fiio E1
The E1 is a new product of Fiio for iphones and ipod .It comprises of a LOD +amp built together with integrated playback controls. As it amplifies the line out signal of the ipod , it provides with a lot more clean and clear sound and the bright highs of the internal amp of ipod is taken out of the equation.
I tried the Fiio E1 with my Iphone 2G, and was really impressed by the way Quattro’s sounded with the E1.The bass impact gets even better- more controlled and punchy.The vocals which earlier sound slightly recessed sound fuller now and instrumentals have more weight compared to the bass whereas the bass used to be more prominent without the E5.Not much changes in highs ,they still sound as good as they sounded without the amp.
The E1 has a great synergy with the Quattros , and introduces a major improvement in the overall sound signature .It makes it more musical and dynamic which actually makes you dance on some of the tracks .If you plan to use the Quattros with an Apple source(read-iphone/ipod) the Fiio E1 is a must have in my opinion.
[BREAK=Final words and Conclusion.]
Final Words and Conclusion :
Phew ! That was one really long review .So finally we come to come to the conclusion or let’s say the part where most casual readers directly jump to.So let me just sum up the last few pages in least possible words .
I would say the Quattros are a nice balanced pair of IEMs targeted at the non-serious audiophile crowd. Mainly the casual audio enthusiasts who appreciate quality music but don’t bother with the most accurate and detailed sound.They are also distinct due the fact that the sound can be altered to a great extent as per one’s personal liking using the bass ports.
They have a nice lush,warm and slightly dark sound overall which has good detailing and clarity with average soundstage.Infact the treble is astonishingly detailed without being bright.The detailing and clarity might not be the best or as good as the RE-0 , but it’s almost there and a casual listener would most probably not notice the difference as well.
Pros:
Cons:
*I would like to thank Uncle Wilson @ Jaben and Moshel for providing the sample for review and a special thanks to my friend Sumchamp who helped me out to click the snaps using his DSLR.
The Quattros are available @ Jaben store singapore and also at Jaben Online Store for 88$.
Moshel on TE is the official representative of Jaben store in India and has the Quattros in stock for ~4.3k.
Not many would need an introduction to Crossroads ,but for the uninitiated Crossroads is a brand introduced by the Jaben store based in Singapore.It's well recognized for its Mylarone line up of canal phones consisting of the older X3 models and the Bijou series.The Quattros which is one of their recent top of the line offering with the concept of tunable bass ports ,which helps to alter the sonic characteristics of the IEMs.
Though the concept of tunable IEMs is not their original and it has been adapted by companies like Sleek-Audio,Sennheiser etc. ,most of them belong to the ultra high-end segment. So what sets apart the Quattro's from the others is the fact that its one of the first IEM with tunable sound which has been made keeping the price in sub 100$ range. Sounds impressive,doesn't it ? Let's see how they perform.Here's another review from your's truly.
[BREAK=Specifications]
Specifications:
Type : Stereo in-ear
Driver: 7mm Dynamic Mylar driver
Sensitivity: 95dB +/- 4 SPL @ 1 kHz
Impedance: 16 Ohm @ 1 kHz
Frequency Response: 20Hz - 22 kHz
Cord: 1.25m
Rated Power: 2mW
Max Input Power: 10mW
Plug: Gold-Plated Stereo 3.5mm (Iphone compatible)
Not much to be explained here. Even though the impedance is low these earphones are bit difficult to drive and have a slightly lower volume due to the sensitivity being below 100dB. More on this topic in the Sound and amping section
[BREAK=Packaging and Accessories]
Packaging and Accessories:
The Quattro's come in a simple & neat rectangular softpaper box ,akin the Hippo Boom.The black box might look a bit dull due to the missing bling factor and the big white font describing the IEMs .The box has a small window covered with plastic sheet which lets you have a sneak-peak of the earphones. The Quattros come in 3 different colours -Black ,Burgundy and Red.The one's I have for review today are Burgundy which I liked a lot compared to the other two. Once you slide open the box , there's the tiny little pair of earphones placed on the mould along with a pair of interchangeable bass port on the left side of the box while the other partition takes care of the bevy of accessories provided by Crossroads.The list of accessories are as follows -
* an airplane adapter
* soft carry pouch (big enough to hold the IEMs along with all the other accessories.)
* a shirt clip (already attached to cable)
* 5 pair of soft silicon tips - very small, small,medium ,large and the bi-flange.
* 3 bass ports (to alter the response/ bass of the earphones)
Out of the box,the Quattros come fitted with the medium size silicon tip and port 2 which provides with medium bass.Port 1 provides with maximum bass and port 3 with the least. As you can see in the snaps,the ports are like small plates which can be screwed onto the IEMs rear.The ports have been numbered to differentiate them from each other. More details on the bass ports in the Sound section.
All in all ,Crossroads has been very generous with the top quality accessories and I personally loved the attractive carry pouch. The airplane connector should also come in handy sometime in the future .The silicon tips are in plenty but a pair of foam tips would have been a great addition. Other than that no complains with the Packaging and Accessories.
Would rate the complete package as 4.5/5.
[BREAK=Design,Build Quality and Comfort.]
Design , Build Quality & Comfort .
Design :
The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the Quattros was - " Hey they look like flat nosed bullets of a Pistol
".The IEMs are super light ,very tiny , infact one of the smallest I have seen till date. The small size is mainly due to the fact that they have a small 7mm dynamic driver.The cylindrical housing is made of anodized aluminum and has a glossy finish .The anodized aluminum gives the Quattros the sense of a high-end product. The black rubber part you see along the housing is the strain relief for the cables entering the driver .I would say ,it is a well contemplated idea as it provides good support to the cables and there is less probability of cable breakage due to rough handling or while pulling out the IEMs from the ears . At the rear of the housing there is a hole with threading for the bass ports to be screwed onto.The Left and Right channel marking is printed near the nozzle of the housing.The eartip nozzle does not have any filter as a result the drivers are kind of visible to the eyes.This could result in ear wax,dust etc entering the housing so regular cleaning and care needs to be taken.
The design and finish of the Quattros is pretty impressive and it actually turns a few heads among my friends and in public compared to the other simplistic designed IEMs that I usually carry.
Build Quality :
Crossroads doesn't have a good record when it comes to Build Quality .Especially the older X3i ,Lbi series of IEMs had issues with the delicate cables.They improved their build quality with the Bijou series and now with the Quattro's I can finally say that the they have succeeded in maintaining the build quality on par with most high-end IEMs.The driver housing being made of aluminium is light weight but strong enough to take a few abusing while traveling or casual usage.The strain relief made of semi-hard rubber holds the cable well in place and I assume there shouldn't be any damage to the cable where it enters the housing of the IEMs.
The cable used is soft, not too thin and of fine quality. It has a slight memory effect ,as in, the cable is not very flexible and it retains the shape in which you wind up the cable and store it.The centre part of the cable where the channels split is covered with rubber to prevent damage. The 3.5mm connector is a 45 angled plug and not a right angled/L-shaped one which can be irritating at times due to their weird shape and space that it take in your pocket.I fail to understand why a lot of companies are adopting these 45 deg plugs.
Comfort & Isolation :
The Quattros are super tiny ,light weight and they totally disappear in to the ears.One of the most comfortable IEMs in my collection and probably the only one which can be worn while sleeping or lying on the bed.The rubber cover on the housing provides a good grip into the ears and there are times when you don't even realize that you are wearing them. Isolation depends on the silicon tip used and the insertion method .The bi-flange provides the best isolation with a normal halfway insertion while the medium/large silicon tips need to be adjusted and pushed a bit deeper to get the perfect seal.As I always say, selecting the proper tip is very important and in this case it was very difficult to decide because the bi-flange provides the best fit and isolation whereas the medium single tips are provided with a more forward and detailed sound but less isolation.
For all the research work done by Crossroads in designing the Quattros , creating a very comfortable IEMs & improving upon the build quality ,they deserve 4/5.
[BREAK=Sound Quality]
Sound Quality.
As usual I tried out my collection of A.R. Rahman discogrpahy,Trance classics,Assorted collection of Rock , alternative music to test the Quattros.All files either FLACs or 320kbps Mp3 .
Sources used:
Sansa clip+ & Fiio E5 amplifier.
Iphone 2G + Fiio E1.
PC >> HifiMan EF2A DAC + hybrid amp.
Initial Impressions:
First thing you notice when you plug in the Quattros is –your fingers reaching for the volume control to crank it up.With the sensitivity being only 95 Db ,these are pretty difficult to drive.I had to increase the volume on the Clip+ from 60-70% to almost 90% to get my normal listening level. Out of the box ,the Quattro’s had a very thin and veiled sound. It can’t even be termed as laid back exactly. The bass had a good thump but over emphasized the midrange ,resulting in the vocals and instruments sounding thin and recessed. The treble wasn’t disappointing - accurate without any brightness and a hint of sibilance in some tracks.
Overall ,I felt there was something missing .. It just didn’t sound complete due to the closed/veiled sound instead of the dynamic and open sound which I prefer in the RE-0,RE-2,PL-30 etc
From my previous experiences I can say that with IEMs you can never draw conclusions with the first listening, most dynamic drivers need a good burn-in to settle down and sound their best. So I went ahead with a burn-in of ~100 hrs with pink,white noise files and a few assorted tracks with good bass.
After Burn-in :
This part of the review is written after a straight 100-120 hrs of burn-in , comparing the sound with the notes I had made earlier. I started taking notes for the detailed review with Port 3 and used the bi-flange which gave me the best fit and seal.
Port -3
Port 3 is supposed to have the least bass and yes the bass is very light with no thump or punch but a good depth which makes the Quattro sound neutral/flat.The bass isn’t completely missing ,it’s more of like textured and shoot’s in when needed.The midrange isn’t recessed and veiled anymore but still not as dynamic as I would expect it to be.The instrumentals sound smooth and relaxing.You can easily make out the different rumbles and drum beats in the lower midrange.In the vocals department the male vocals sound much more natural and accurate compared to female vocals.The treble is very detailed and clear and the best part of port 3.The way the highs are presented with perfect detailing and sharpness without sounding bright is really astonishing I can say it comes pretty close to the Head Direct RE-0 which are one of the best IEMs in terms of detailing and also my personal favorite. It has the detailing but not the transparency & clarity of RE-0. Soundstage isn’t very wide.There is good separation between different sounds but the instruments seem to be closely placed & the sound seems to have more depth to it .
Port 3 will mainly be preferred by analytical listeners who want a sound which is close to being flat/neutral..
Port -2
Major improvement in the bass and midrange compared to Port -3 .Infact the bass is kickass ! Lots of thump ,punch and detailing in bass.I just love the bass with this port ..It has decent speed and control and doesn’t sound even 1 bit over emphasized or muddy. The speed is not as good as the RE-0,RE-252 but better than other alternatives in similar range.The bass is very well textured and lets you enjoy the music.The midrange was sounding muddy and recessed with the bi-flange and hence I changed the silicon tip to the normal medium tips.As a result the the mids sounded more pronounced and warm now. The instruments being upfront and vocals placed in the centre .The bass didn’t lose its shine at all infact it had more impact with the deep insertions of the medium tips.The treble is similar to Port 3 with slightly less detailing but not noticeable unless you give it a try, to compare both the ports . The soundstage on Port 2 is noticeably wider compared to port 3 and bit more spacious but not as good as the RE-1 which I consider as the IEMs with one of the best soundstage.
Port 2 is warm sounding with amazing bass , treble and a good midrange. It has a fun & laidback sonic characteristics which will be liked by most casual audio enthusiasts.
Port -1
Port-1 turns the Quattros into a bashead’s delight.There is this insane amounts of boomy head shaking bass. Though the bass is not as accurate and textured as Port-2 but it shouldn’t matter to bassheads as long as they enjoy the sound.As a result of the emphasis on bass the clarity and details in midrange and highs take a slight hit.The midrange loses the slight dark sound of Port-2 and becomes much more forward and airy .The finer details in the treble and highs are superseded by the overpowering bass and airy midrange. Even then the treble isn’t that bad.It has the same quality of Port 2 minus the finer detailing and sparkle. Since port-1 has a small open vent for better bass response the soundstage also seems to be wider and better compared to other ports.Due to the open vent /semi open design of this port there is slightly less noise isolation but not very noticeable unless you are in an extremely crowded public place.
Port-1 was definitely designed keeping in mind the people who crave for a little more bass in every IEM they try .Listeners who demand lot of head shaking bass and don’t mind slight loss in the clarity, detailing of the sound would prefer port-1 instead of Port-2 .
As for me , Port 3 & 2 are my personal favourites , infact I use port 2 the most for casual listening cause they sound more fun .For a neutral sound and analytical listening I would prefer my RE-0 instead of Quattro’s with port 3.But that’s just my personal preference and it could differ depending on one’s personal tastes.Some people find the RE-0 too flat and neutral or bright as well ,in that case the flat sound of the Quattro’s would suit them better.
Would rate the Sound of Quattro as 4.4/5.
[BREAK=Sound Quality part 2 : Sources and Amps.]
Trying different sources / amps :
The source DAC , amps and even the quality of your files makes a lot of difference on how your audio gear sounds. Each of this is equally important and adds to the final sound of the earphones.Hence I decided to include a small section related to the synergy of Quattros with different sources and cheap amps that I have.
Firstly is amping required ?
There is actually no definite answer to this question .As I mentioned before the Quattros are bit difficult to drive and one needs to increase the volume by a 2-3 levels. This could result in lower battery per charge of the PMP.Also there is a very well noticeable change in sound when paired with amps.So I would definitely encourage one to use an amp with the Quattro to get the best out of it but it isn’t necessary as well. Now to decide which amp ?
Fiio E5.
First I tried the E5 with the Sansa Clip+ .Naturally I could reduce the volume on the Clip+ and rely on the E5 for amping .With the E5 the sound became slightly more forward, especially the midrange was more clear now .The bass boost on E5 sounds good only with Port-3 ,and adds a undesired hump in the midrange when used with other ports.No major difference in soundstage as such .
The E5 does make the Quattros sound more richer,fuller and ofcourse it let’s you extract a little more juice out of your portable players battery, but it doesn’t really make a huge impact or a change which would make you go WOW ! Incase you have a E5 already or plan to use with another IEM then you can ofcourse pair it up with the Quattro’s, otherwise it’s not the best for the Quattros.
Fiio E1
The E1 is a new product of Fiio for iphones and ipod .It comprises of a LOD +amp built together with integrated playback controls. As it amplifies the line out signal of the ipod , it provides with a lot more clean and clear sound and the bright highs of the internal amp of ipod is taken out of the equation.
I tried the Fiio E1 with my Iphone 2G, and was really impressed by the way Quattro’s sounded with the E1.The bass impact gets even better- more controlled and punchy.The vocals which earlier sound slightly recessed sound fuller now and instrumentals have more weight compared to the bass whereas the bass used to be more prominent without the E5.Not much changes in highs ,they still sound as good as they sounded without the amp.
The E1 has a great synergy with the Quattros , and introduces a major improvement in the overall sound signature .It makes it more musical and dynamic which actually makes you dance on some of the tracks .If you plan to use the Quattros with an Apple source(read-iphone/ipod) the Fiio E1 is a must have in my opinion.
[BREAK=Final words and Conclusion.]
Final Words and Conclusion :
Phew ! That was one really long review .So finally we come to come to the conclusion or let’s say the part where most casual readers directly jump to.So let me just sum up the last few pages in least possible words .
I would say the Quattros are a nice balanced pair of IEMs targeted at the non-serious audiophile crowd. Mainly the casual audio enthusiasts who appreciate quality music but don’t bother with the most accurate and detailed sound.They are also distinct due the fact that the sound can be altered to a great extent as per one’s personal liking using the bass ports.
They have a nice lush,warm and slightly dark sound overall which has good detailing and clarity with average soundstage.Infact the treble is astonishingly detailed without being bright.The detailing and clarity might not be the best or as good as the RE-0 , but it’s almost there and a casual listener would most probably not notice the difference as well.
Pros:
- very comfortable
- improved build quality from Crossroads
- Quality accessories(pouch + air plane adapter)
- Sound tweaking using ports.
- neutral sound with port 3,good balanced sound with port 2,and bass heads heaven with port 1.
Cons:
- 45 angle plug is a bit irritating
- Female vocals sound slightly recessed
- Sounstage could be better
- foam tips could be a great addition
*I would like to thank Uncle Wilson @ Jaben and Moshel for providing the sample for review and a special thanks to my friend Sumchamp who helped me out to click the snaps using his DSLR.
The Quattros are available @ Jaben store singapore and also at Jaben Online Store for 88$.
Moshel on TE is the official representative of Jaben store in India and has the Quattros in stock for ~4.3k.
