Sound –
On the hardware side of things, the Quad Drivers utilize 3 balanced armature drivers in addition to a single carbon dynamic driver for a total of 4 drivers per ear. However, 1More have utilized a very unorthodox crossover method, dedicating the dynamic driver to both bass and midrange while delegating 2 armature drivers to high frequencies and the final armature driver to ultra-high frequencies. Through such a setup, the Quad Drivers achieve a more consistent sound from sources of varying output impedance and a slightly more coherent bass to midrange performance when compared to less integrated multi-driver earphones like the Sony XBA-40.
Of note, I did find the Quad Drivers to be quite bassy on first listen though after 150 hrs of burn-in, I did find them to become a little more balanced throughout, not surprising since the majority of the sound is produced by the dynamic driver. In all fairness, I was listening to the very neutral Hifiman RE-600 before hearing the Quad Driver, but I would surmise that the sound differences are a combination of both physical burn-in and some psychological adjustment. After some more extended listening, I have found the Quad Driver to be just modestly v-shaped; they aren’t neutral or even balanced, but provide an engaging consumer reference sound.
Drivability –
The Quad Drivers have a relatively low impedance of 32ohms combined with an average sensitivity of 99dB. As such, they did require a few more volume notches than the New Primacy and RE-600, they were similarly difficult to drive as the Pinnacle P1. The Quad Drivers definitely benefit from a nice source, they struggled from my iPod Nano with a considerable loss of soundstage space, air and separation and plugging them into my HTC 10 or Oppo HA-2 immediately yielded superior results. That being said, I did notice a much larger difference switching from the Nano to my HTC than switching from my HTC to my HA-2, the Quad Drivers were definitely intended to be driven by smartphones, given the nature of the driver array, and most modern smartphones should have no issue driving these earphones. The earphones remained quite tonally consistent, they were vastly less affected by output impedance than the Sony XBA-40’s but unevenness in the high end was prevalent on high impedance sources. The Quad Driver’s aren’t overly susceptible to hiss but will pick up small amounts on particularly noisy sources, on my HA-2 and Hidizs AP60, hiss was just audible but easily overpowered when music was playing.
Tonality –
I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for v-shaped earphones and the 1More Quad Driver is a well-executed example indeed. They aren’t quite as balanced as the New Primacy and are considerably more v-shaped than the slightly mid-forward RE-600 though they are also more balanced overall than the Pinnacle P1 which I found to have quite an aggressive upper-midrange/lower treble response and slightly scooped lower mids. In that regard, the Quad Driver retains plenty of balance to maintain genre versatility.
Soundstage, Imaging and Separation –
Being a vented, shallow fitting earphone, the Quad Drivers definitely hold an advantage over other sealed earphones in terms of soundstage performance offering an especially immersive performance. Booting up a live recording of Eric Clapton’s “Layla” and “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” and the most immediately noticeable aspect of the Quad Driver’s sound was their exemplary instrument separation. Great layering and delineation between instruments, vocals and audience produced a performance that handily bested the Pinnacle, RE-600 and even the more expensive New Primacy. In addition, impressive handling of complex passages flatter faster genres such as rock and electronic without sounding disjoint like the XBA-40. Soundstage space is also very impressive, especially depth which provides almost holographic projection of vocals and atmospheric effects. Of these earphones, the Pinnacle P1 had the most noticeably large soundstage, mainly in width, though the Quad Driver almost matches that out of the head width with far more depth, once again producing a more immersive sound. Imaging takes a bit of a hit due to the size and nature of the Quad Driver’s soundstage though centre image is quite strong and instrument placement is easily discerned; they just fail to match the incredibly sharp placement provided by the RE-600’s and New Primacy. Overall, if soundstage is a large priority, the Quad Driver is hard to beat within this price range, especially with regards to separation. Fans of classical, rock and electronic genres, in particular, will find much to love within the Quad Drivers tasteful v-shaped tuning and exceptional soundstage performance.
Bass –
Bass is boosted, but is well done in terms of tuning. The bass boost is mostly focussed within deep/lower-bass with surprisingly balanced mid-bass and upper-bass responses. Though the earphones still have a slight mid-bass boost, the earphones don’t sound particularly thick or warm and the low-end has both nice clarity and a notable lack of bloat. Due to the nature of this bass boost, the Quad Drivers can sound slightly muddy and even tubby at times, especially in stark contrast to very neutral earphones like the RE-600, though I would still consider them to be relatively balanced throughout their low-end in the grand scheme of things; the Pinnacle P1, for instance, is similarly tubby if not slightly more so. Bass also isn’t ever present nor does it ever drone as with more mid-bass boosted earphones, allowing for greater transparency on vocal tracks. The Pinnacle P1 is a similarly impressive performer in regards to bass with just slightly less emphasis overall. However, the Pinnacle places its emphasis more in the mid-bass, sounding punchier but less natural as a result. Bass also reaches considerably deeper on the Quad Driver than the P1, and those that thought the P1 was missing rumble or slam will find that physical bass response with the Quad Driver without bass ever becoming overwhelming or loose. The RE-600 and New Primacy provide tighter bass responses than both, excelling with greater PRAT whilst retaining a similar amount of extension, if slightly more in the New Primacy’s case. In terms of tuning, the New Primacy has more of a sub-bass emphasis while the RE-600 has similar tuning to the Quad Driver albeit with vastly less quantity; it’s really a matter of taste, but I would definitely lean towards the Quad Driver and New Primacy as their tuning generally comes with the least compromises.
Otherwise, bass is articulate with really nice bass resolution and definition to each note, they actually sound quite similar to the Pinnacle in that regard, perhaps a factor of their exemplary soundstages. However, when listening to The Cranberries “Wanted”, each of those notes was missing some texture, especially evident in comparison to the outstanding Oriveti New Primacy and the leaner RE-600. That’s not to say that bass is slow or sloppy, the earphones had no issue keeping up with the fast basslines and rapidly transitioning tones of Michael Jackson and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers but that last bit of bass detail that I would expect at this price is missing. Still, the definition and clarity of bass notes are among the better earphones I have heard and when combined with the tasteful tuning, the Quad drivers rarely fail to impress; I think they’re a really well-performing earphone that provide no shortage of bass definition and slam without encroaching upon bass-head levels of quantity.
Midrange –
It may come as a surprise, but to my ear, the most impressive aspect of the Quad Driver’s audio performance is the midrange. It’s an evolution of the very balanced tone carried by 1More’s E1008, with greater clarity and resolution throughout. Breaking it down, the Quad Driver has quite a clear, balanced midrange that sits slightly behind the bass and treble but remains easily discernible and almost perfectly prominent. This is achieved via a moderate clarity boost and a slightly brighter tone. That being said, the midrange is very even, vocals are smooth if not quite as clean and sliky as the New Primacy, and this clear character remains consistent throughout the entire midrange. When compared to the RE-600, which I consider to be somewhat of a midrange benchmark, the Quad Driver had a similar emphasis on upper and lower midrange instruments though mids were considerably clearer and slightly fuller. Meanwhile, the New Primacy was even more full-bodied and slightly darker and the Pinnacle P1 was very aggressive though its upper midrange, sounding detailed and revealing but also a little unrefined and at times fatiguing. The Quad Driver sits in-between the New Primacy and RE-600 in terms of body, being slightly fuller than neutral but hardly thick or warm. Vocals are very clear with great layering and definition and clarity is fantastic without coming across as strident; the Quad Drivers have that smoother dynamic driver midrange tone, not unlike the Sennheiser ie800. This clarity does grant a slightly raspy tone to the midrange, especially with female vocals, though vocals never sound thing or overly artificial.
The Quad Driver is quite aggressively detailed, not to the extent of the more forward Sony XBA-40 and Pinnacle P1, but more so than the New Primacy with the RE-600 being even more laid-back. Listening to R.E.M.’s “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight” and Indigo Girl’s “Sugar Tongue” and the Quad Driver impresses with great clarity and detail to acoustic guitar plucks and strums, revealing small intricacies that the more laid-back RE-600 tended to skip over while sounding more natural than the, even more, detail forward Pinnacle P1. The New Primacy did tend to resolve more detail though it is also a smoother earphone that places details more in the background with the Quad Driver sounding more engaging and excited. Similarly, listening to Modest House’s “Float On” and the Quad Drivers provided a reproduction with very nice midrange resolution and layering. Due to their v-shaped tuning, vocals were more recessed than the other earphones I’ve mentioned in this review though the Pinnacles were similarly recessed due to their thicker midrange and brighter tonal balance which pushes lower mids a little further behind in the mix. Still, all of these earphones provided pleasing intimacy to vocals though I did prefer the presentation of the RE-600’s and New Primacy’s which provided a little more balance to this slightly mid-recessed track and a little more raw detail and coherency. The Quad Driver ultimately produces a very clear, layered midrange with great resolution and very good detail retrieval that is edged out only by the most exemplary earphones around this price range such as the slightly more expensive New Primacy. Being v-shaped, vocals are slightly recessed, though the midrange is more even than most v-shaped earphones like the Pinnacles and their clear character means that midrange notes are never overshadowed.
Treble –
Despite having such a comprehensive treble driver array, I didn’t find the Quad Driver to hold any significant advantage over the Pinnacle, New Primacy or even RE-600 in regards to high-frequency performance. They do depart from the New Primacy and RE-600 in terms of tuning, with more similarity to earphones such as the ie800 and Sony XBA-40. A middle treble boost around 8KHz imbues the sound with aggressive detailing and clarity but also slight irregularity to treble, resulting in a loss of detail and some coherency issues (tested from a low output impedance source). The RE-600 and New Primacy, though more laid-back do sound more coherent and linear in the highs which contribute to their fantastic detail retrieval though the Quad Driver does have slightly better top end extension and a lack of any high-end roll-off. Once again, I found the Quad Driver to be more linear than the Pinnacle though the P1 also produced considerably more treble sparkle and was slightly more detailed. Despite this, I still prefer the Quad Driver for long-term listening and their aggressive, slightly forward treble response combined with their expansive soundstage and stellar separation creates an intoxicating sound with great air and shimmer.
But coming back to that uneven middle treble spike, I do feel that the Quad Drivers produce some harshness on treble-forward songs such as Radiohead’s “Creep”. That being said, treble does behave itself, for the most part, producing a well-detailed and textured sound that flatters cymbals, electric guitar, and atmospheric effects. When listening to Creep, the Quad Driver produced a nice rendition with cymbals sounding extended and well-bodied. On the contrary, the Pinnacle sounded slightly thin and splashy but also resolved slightly more detail in the upper registers while the more linear New Primacy and RE-600 both resolved more texture to each treble note along with a cleaner presentation than both the P1 and Quad Driver. Similar impressions carry over when listening to Queen’s “Killer Queen” where the Quad Driver was appropriately revealing and crisp with nice clarity to the finger snapping within the intro and high-hats throughout the chorus without sounding overly like wood sticks. The RE-600 immediately impressed with a very even treble response that provided more insight into those snaps though cymbals and high-hats were more rolled-off, losing out air and shimmer. The New Primacy was similarly revealing to the RE-600 while maintaining a natural tone and had no issue with extension apart from a slight roll-off at the very top. So I do think that Quad Driver is a nice sounding earphone though due to the nature of 1More’s treble boost, the can sound a little disjointed at times. More neutral earphones like the RE-600 do have noticeably more detail in the lower treble region along with more texture to high-notes. The 1More’s redeem themselves through greater extension, a lack of any roll-off and a slightly forward sense of detail and clarity that infuses the sound with excitement and energy without being quite as grating as either the Sony XBA-40 or Meeaudio Pinnacle P1.
Next Page: Verdict
39 Responses
Hello Ryan. Excellent review. I’m trying to make up my mind if I should spring for the Quad or the Fiio F9 Pro. I’m basically a jazz listener (and former journalist in that field), but I dip into other genres as well. On the other hand, I don’t know if “jazz” really has a kind of sonic category any more. Just look at all the sorts of configurations Miles developed across his career. In any event, I’m a little confused when I compare your two reviews. You seem to prefer the Quad but you give the Pro a higher rating. Is that because it seems to be technically superior? Or do I simply misunderstand? It’d be a great help to have some kind of explanation for the ratings, for example, showing the device’s score over various categories. Oh yeah, as I no longer write about music, I don’t get any freebies, so I’m interested in longevity. Which of these these two do you believe is the hardier? Please let me know what you think.
Keep up the good work.
all the best,
David
Hi Hindra, I haven’t heard the ue900 sorry!
Hello, excelent review!, how do you compare the most quad with the ue900 in soundstage and detail?
Hello, excelent review!, how do you compare the most quad with the ue900 in soundstage and detail?
Hi! I know this is a year old by now, but I couldn’t get a hold of the 1more quad in my area. I got instead a QDC Neptune IEM (1ba) of which I’m currently enjoying. Surprisingly, we’ve finally got a seller here for the 1more quad. May I ask, how will the Neptune compare with the quads? Thank you!
One of the most detailed reviews. Great job!
Can you tell me more about the comparison between this earphone vs Bowers & Wikins c5 s2?
Hi,
You should read their review of the 1More Tripe Driver In-Ear here to give you an idea – https://theheadphonelist.com/headphone_review/1more-triple-driver-in-ear-headphones-review-e1001/
As this 1More Quad Driver is a tier higher, not to mention double the price 🙂
I am so sorry if it seems like spamming I just noticed I commented twice, I thought the first one hadn’t gone through I’m very sorry.
These headphones seem great but pricy…. would you recommend the 1 more triple drivers over the rha ma750s? I like jazz, classical, rock, alternative rock, and Spanish music… I also care for build quality and unfortunately I’ve heard of triple drivers to break or wear rather quickl but that they may have better sound quality so I’m very uncertain….. after reading this review I can see you know what you are talking about when it comes to headphones and I would greatly appreciate your help in my next headphone choice.
Thank you,
Juan
Thanks for this great review I’m very interested in these headphones but they seem a bit too pricy for my budget. Would you recommend their predecessors the triple drivers over the rha ma750 s? I like listening to jazz, classical, rock (Beatles, queen, guns and roses), alternative rock (radio head, arcade fire) and some Spanish rock and music which contains a lot of instruments. This means I’m looking for something with great Soundstage and balanced sound; I don’t mind bass in fact I like it, but I’m not a fan of hip hop or rap and so don’t like ‘bass head’ levels of bass. I like clear mids and highs as well. I’m confused which of the two headphones might be best with this in mind? Build quality is something I’d like to see as well, I’ve seen reviews of the triple drivers to sometimes break down while I haven’t heard much of that from rha, but I’ve heard of slightly better sound from the triple drivers as well…. I’m at a loss since I have not had any experience with either pair of headphones…do you have any suggestions?
..i owned couple of in ear sets within the range of 150 usd…
..few months ago i bought 1more triple driver and i truly consider them the best…
..at first i was litle disapointed about the sound (still dont understand why) and the size and their weight…
..but now if i compare them to my hifiman re-400 i can say that the 1more plugs beat them in the quality and quantity of sound and soundstage…the diference is huge in my opinion…
Not really, it’s not the most sensitive earphone, but it’s no harder to drive than the 1More Quad Driver. In addition, since the Quad Driver is a multi-driver, it is more affected by output impedance than the single dynamic driver Pinnacle P1 so the P1 will sound more similar from different sources while the Quad Driver may experience roll-off and other tonal changes.
I heard the p1 is difficult to drive on a smartphone
Hi Bryan,
The Quad Drivers are well built, I feel that the cable is strong and the terminations have nice strain-relief. The sound is also a great progression of 1More’s signature tuning with a nice bump in quality so I would wholeheartedly recommend them to you on sound alone.
That being said, it sounds like longevity will be more important to you in the long-run, especially if you have no warranty. In that case, you should look into an earphone with a removable cable, the Meeaudio Pinnacle P1 is a great choice with a well-rounded sound and fantastic build.
Again, I do have confidence in the Quad Driver’s build, but if something does go wrong or your get a defective unit, repairs would be very difficult. Before you commit to any purchase, you can contact 1More and see if they will cover your country.
Cheers,
Ryan.
Thanks for this really great review, i looking for an earphones around the 200$ price range, something with great sound quality and durability, i plan on using for 2 years or more, I don’t have a lot of money so I can’t afford trial and error nor can i easily replace a broken one[ i live in Nigeria so no warranty for me] . I Iove the 1more sound signature, so i am leaning towards the quads.
Thank you for your insight, Ryan. The New Primacy’s seem to fit my preferences, especially when compared to the P1’s.
Have a great weekend.
Brad
I actually really like the New Primacy, it’s an incredibly well-rounded earphone and my personal pick within this price range. Compared to the P1, it is more detailed, more balanced and deep/sub bass extension is far more linear. They have a nice full-bodied but very clean midrange and a smooth high-end.
The design is smaller than the Pinnacle and very ergonomic. They isolate well but slightly less than the Pinnacle as they have small vents on the inner housings.
Don’t worry about the login, that’s just for the writers on this site, I’m not sure you can make an account.
Ryan –
I will definitely check out replaygain, thank you.
If I may, I have one more question. Since I am going with a two iem set up, how would you compare the P1 to the Oriveti New Primacy? The NP caught my eye, but I initially dismissed them as they do not have an inline mic.
Also, how do I create an account? I found the log in page, but it does not provide an option to create an account.
Happy Friday
Brad
I personally don’t find the SE215 to be a super competitive earphone in terms of sound quality, but the fitment, isolation and removable cable are all pretty great around their asking price. The Quad Drivers are significantly better-sounding earphones, but the sound signature is also vastly different so it may take some adjustment.
As for isolation and fit, you might want to look into another set of sealed over-ear earphones, something like the Meeaudio Pinnacle P1, Oriveti New Primacy, maybe even some lower end Westones, since they will provide you with the isolation and fit that you want. The 1More Quad Driver sounds great, but it’s design is geared more towards convenience than versatility.
I think that’s a nice setup. Also, you mentioned needing a 3-button remote, you might want to look into replaygain. It’s completely free, you can do it through Foobar, it basically equalizes the volume between all of your tracks.
Thanks for the reply, Ryan.
I believe that I am going to keep the P1’s for flights and the house.
The Fiio’s look very intriguing; however, they are not available in the states just yet. I considered the Klipsch, but the build quality scares me. Additionally, the x11’s are out of stock everywhere.
I may look at wireless as well; either the Byron BTA’s or the Bose Soundsports. It may be a great option walking to/from the office on a daily basis.
Thanks again for your input.
Brad
Hey Ryan, thanks for the detailed review. I have a question for you. I have been using the standard Shure SE215 for almost two and a half year and now i’m on the market for a new pair of iems. Do you think upgrading to 1more quad driver from se215 is going to worth it? I love how well se215 isolate noise and i’m afraid of not having the same level of isolation when i change my setup. Do you think sound quailty will worth my upgrade and is isolation gonna be a problem? Thanks again.
Hi Brad,
If you still have the Quad-Drivers, they are generally the earphone I would recommend if you want lower isolation, cable down fit and 3-button remote with mic. As for the sound, you can try eQ to bring down the treble response either through IOS or through a third party music player, generally bring down frequencies around 8KHz to smooth out the treble. Otherwise, give them a few days, it can take some time to get used to different sounds but your ears will adjust. I always give earphones a solid week before I start forming any impressions for my reviews since some sound so radically different from others.
Otherwise, perhaps consider having a cheaper earphone with a remote for commute, something like the Fiio F5, with a more expensive earphone for home and long-distance travel, like the Pinnacle P1. A lot of earphones assume an over-ear fit around this price and very few have a remote though I too would like to see more include one. One earphone that comes to mind with a warmer sound, cable down fit and 3-button remote is the Klipsch X10/11/12i (they are all sonically identical). They don’t have the greatest build, but if you can find one for a good price, say under $150 US, then they are a really comfortable, convenient earphone. Isolation is quite strong however not obtrusively so when out and about.
Hope that helps,
Ryan.
Excellent Review Ryan –
I actually purchased the Quad’s before I read your review. I came upon thl after they shipped and I have been a frequent visitor since. The Quad’s are very comfortable with a great sound; however, I find the highs to be a little bright/harsh for me. I wore them for three hours at the doctor’s office and became quite fatigued.
Next, I purchased the RHA T20i’s. The sound is excellent and very balanced; however, I ear hooks are quite a menace. I can’t past them.
I just purchased the Mee Pinnacle P1’s. The sound is also excellent and they are very comfortable. I find the mid’s to be a little subdued, but it does not detract from the sound. My issues with the P1’s are that the inline mic does not have volume adjusters and they isolate noise a bit too much for me.
I am in the market for IEM’s with a mic. We are moving next month and I will be walking approximately 2.25 miles per day. I do not want extra equipment (i.e. DAC), so I will just utilize my iPhone 6s. I am not an audiophile; however, I appreciate sound quality. I have recently become a supporter of warm to neutral sound. I also believe that I prefer the style of the Quad’s, which do not go over the ear and have a slightly offset eartip (albeit, it is not a deal breaker).
Based on this information, would you be able to recommend an IEM please?
Cheers
Sorry Kamran, I don’t have any experience with customs!
This against Custom art Music one? Which one is a better bang for your buck?
Hi Tom,
If durability is a concern then you might want to look into a set of earphones with a removable cable such as the Meeaudio Pinnacle P1 which actually comes with two cables from factory. The Quad-Driver’s are still quite good in that regard, I feel that they are well put together but if you do happen to damage the cable outside of warranty, they would be difficult to repair and would probably have to be replaced. That being said, the cable is much improved over the triple drivers, it is thicker all the way through, smoother and feels firmer under tension.
Cheers,
Ryan.
Really Nice Review,
I’ve been looking at any and all options in the 100 to 200$ price range and had pretty much decided that the 1More Triple drivers were the best option as they seemed to offer the best value for money. However after reading a number of reviews about them breaking or deteriorating over time I thought it might be wise to spend closer to 200$ for a more durable and reliable pair that will definitely last me longer. Do you think the Quad Drivers are worth the upgrade in terms of durability over the Triples. I live in South Africa so I cant just get them replaced easily if they break. Bearing in mind I am a relatively amateur music listener exploring high end IEM’s for the first time
Thanks
I don’t have the Titan, only the Fiio EX1 2nd generation which should generally sound quite similar. The low-end tuning is similar, the Quad-Drivers have more midrange presence and their treble is more natural. Ultimately, I don’t know if the Quad Drivers will suit you the best, but they certainly aren’t a bad choice.
Thanks for the reply,
Your excellent comparison ‘It’s a bigger difference than that between the Hifiman RE-400 and RE-600 for example’ might come in handy for potential buyers like me. They should be a clear upgrade over triple drivers, I understand what you said about diminishing returns though. I just bought Cayin i5 and I don’t find triple drivers to be a good match because of overly warm sound of the set up. Before getting a new iem I just want to make sure to get the right iem for my taste. I also have titan 1 and the bass is perfect for me but they are a little brighter and don’t sound natural to me in the upper midrange. Do you still think quads suits the best?
Apologies if I sound confused as I don’t have much experience and also English isn’t my first language.
Hi Shaan,
The Quad Drivers aren’t too warm, they are modestly bassy but they have a clear and balanced midrange. Of course, with diminishing returns, they aren’t twice as good as the Triple Drivers and given their relatively similar tonality, I think many reviewers have struggled to quantify the difference in performance. For my tastes, the Quad Drivers are quite a bit better, especially their soundstage. They are also more balanced with increased resolution across the range. It’s a bigger difference than that between the Hifiman RE-400 and RE-600 for example. If you prioritize sound quality and don’t require a whole lot of isolation or fit stability, the Quad Driver is a nice choice around this price.
Regards,
Ryan.
Do you find quads to be an upgrade over triple drivers considering the price difference? Or may be if you can suggest me any other iem with just a little less warm sound than triple drivers in this price range.
And thanks for the review..
Hey Akshay,
If you enjoy the GR07, you might want to look into a more balanced earphone. I would personally rule out the SE535 unless you need a lot of isolation, I haven’t heard the FLC8S for a while so I can’t give you accurate comparisons, apologies.
Otherwise, I definitely recommend the Oriveti New Primacy which is exactly $300, it’s a very well done earphones with a great balanced tonality. The Pinnacle P1 and Quad-Driver are both great choices within a slightly lower price bracket closer to $200, I provided plenty of comparisons within the review already. Compared to the GR07 (I haven’t heard the classic), the Quad-Driver is a little more v-shaped and more aggressively detailed with much more soundstage depth. The Pinnacle is brighter and the soundstage is wider, it has a little more mid-bass as well. If you have the extra budget, definitely look into the Oriveti, may as well maximize your budget and be content a little while longer before you go all the way!
Cheers,
Ryan.
Great review! Loved reading it.
How would you compare these against say gr07 classic, flc8s and shure 535?
I currently own the gr07 classic and was wondering what a good upgrade might be under 300$
if you have Sony XBA-N1AP, i would love to know how 1More Quad Driver sounds when comparing to the N1AP because i’m using the Sony one and i have an interest in changing my pair next year.
Appreciated Nick,
I wrote a few impressions in the driveability section, I think a decent smartphone will drive them perfectly fine but smaller sources like the Hidizs AP60, iPod Nano, etc will probably struggle a bit. They sounded a lot better from my HTC 10, I gave them a go with my iPod Touch 6G and S6 Edge as well and experienced none of the issues I had with the Nano. Since the earphones were intended for portable usage, I would not consider a dedicated AMP/DAC necessary at all, but of course, it doesn’t hurt to have one. As for the FLAC vs MP3 debate, I actually did a lot of this testing on 320kbps MP3’s, in my experience, it’s more track dependent.
Thanks for a comprehensive review of Quad Driver, which I’ve been interested in for a long time. Up to now, I’ve heard lots of reviewers saying the armature for the highest frequency range shines only if the sound quality is high enough to utilize it. This is a bit of concern for me as I always listen on mobile and cannot afford to store FLAC on my phone. Do you consider that as a valid statement?
Again, thanks for comparing QD’s sound signature to neutral instead of providing subjective view.
Thanks Tom,
Don’t mean to muddy the P1’s, they are a very good earphone overall. Perhaps in terms of audio quality, they didn’t come off as outstanding to me as some reviews would suggest. They are still a fantastic option if you don’t mind the brighter tonal balance and the fit and build are exemplary. At the cost of fit and isolation, the Quad-Drivers are a little more balanced while remaining just as engaging though it’s ultimately a matter of preference.
Cheers,
Ryan.
Great review Ryan.
I was ready to pull the trigger on a pair of Pinnacle P1s earlier today (after several week’s weighing up the options in this price class), so thanks for muddying the waters now that I read how impressive these 1More quads are.
I’m still inclined towards the Pinnacle because of my preference for over-ear fit, and appreciate the replaceable cables and standard nozzle size (for spinfits/complys).
Keep up the good work.