QUAD - ERA-1 Planar Magnetic Headphones

I am a long time audiophile (over 45 years) and I am constrained to offer a different perspective on these fantastic headphones which so many of the other reviewers just got wrong either through lack of experience or misguided expectations. As to the sizing issues reported by some, I have a size 71/4 head, smaller than average, and I have to open these a couple of clicks for a proper fit. If they are too big for you at the smallest setting, then you must have a very small head or you are trying to get a super tight fit for moving around which you will never get with these headphones because that is not what they are made for. It certainly doesn’t warrant a 1 star rating. For me, driving them with an old Burson Soloist (a dedicated headphone amplifier), the ERA-1s have far better bass than Hifiman Anandas, far better mids and treble than Audeze LCD-X, are built to a very high finished retail product standard and have an overall sonic balance similar to a sennheiser hd600 (that’s a good thing), but with better dynamics and more transparency. I don’t see what there is to not like in an under $1000 set of cans. Frankly, I’m surprised there isn’t more fanfare about them, but to each his own. Make no mistake, despite the low impedance, these are intended for an audiophile audience who will plug them into a home stereo with a dedicated amp, and will not really be a standout for a low current mobile audio setup driven by a $.29 op amp. They need some current. I say that based on the fact that they clearly sound best with my amp set on high - not usually the province of iPhones and small laptops/dongles.The earpads are easy to change, but I understand replacements are not easy to come by. Certainly, earpads can last indefinitely if you don’t abuse them, especially the all leather ones (which are the ones I prefer, and by a wide margin, for the quads), although I agree that lack of availability of replacements could be a potential problem down the road. Maybe I should try to pick up some spares now, because I think these are definite keepers.My advice - ignore the iPhone users, these masterpieces are not intended for them. If you’re looking for the best balanced, most beautifully made, best balanced planar headphones under $1,000 (or more), these are just what you have been looking for.

I had to send my sample back, because it was just too big to fit, even on the smallest setting. I don't know what heads they tried when designing these, but I've never tried a set of headphones that was sized like these, and I've tried many. And there were glue spots on the fabric over one of the interior grills. One of the other reviewers remarked on the sizing issue, too.

Overall: 4 stars; docked one star due to this headphone being seemingly designed for Andre the Giant. Seriously, I've read SO MANY reviews about other headphones I've tried in which people say the sizing is bad. I consider my head of average size and have had zero problems with sizing in any other headphones. Therefore, the sizing problem discussed in some reviews didn't seem like a big deal. However, upon putting these on my average sized head at the smallest size...they slid right down on top of my ears. And when I looked down slightly they slid right off and I had to catch them. Not good. After swapping the pads from hybrid velour to fenestrated sheepskin, the leather seal helped keep them attached to my head. That is what saved me the hassle of giving up on them. And I'm OH SO GLAD I did not have to.Comfort: 5 starsSound: I would give it more than 5 stars if possible. It's damn near perfect. It adapts wonderfully to whatever amp you use and can be easily made to sound however you prefer. When I want ear-massaging sub-bass, I use my ifi Zen DAC/Amp. When I want to focus on details, I add my Schiit Heresy to the mix. I could go one forever about the sound of these but let's keep it simple:Wonderfully natural soundstage. Soundstage is only as good as your source allows, so keep that in mind. Generally for music, it is wide and tall with amazing imaging and sound placement. And for gaming......GAMING? Dude!! If you are like me and looking for a pair of headphones that pulls all the environmental details out of a given game and truly immerses you in it.....bathes you in it.....these are your headphones. Stop reading and buy buy buy! I have used them for games like Doom Eternal, Resident Evil 7, Hunt: Showdown, Rocket League, WRC 8, Dirt Rally 2.0, GTFO, Depth, Red Dead Redemption 2, Wathammer: Vermintide 2, Subnautica, among others. Just forget it, whatever game world you throw at these cans, they will suck you in like never before.To give a bit of perspective on the sound. I have tried HD650 and ATH-r70x cans. Many people describe the r70x as the Super HD-650 and I wholeheartedly agree. If that's true, I would call the Quad ERA-1 the r70x on steroids. Still that smooth sound with tons of detail, sans any sibilance, but just more of everything in a more balanced package. Sounds from one side also seem to cross over to the other side in a very natural way, instead of being confined to only that side. Things meant to sound behind the listener actually sound BEHIND the listener. Many times have I turned my head thinking my girlfriend was talking to me or doing something from our bed 10 feet behind me, but it was sound from my cans. Truly unbelievable sound in my humble opinion.Bottom Line: Trule spacious, natural, and accommodating sound from these cans that makes every single thing going through them almost magical. No other way to put it and I cannot say enough good things about the sound. Comfort is great as long as you don't have a smaller than average head. Although the sound on these is honestly worth coming up with a quick fix, like wrapping something soft around the top of the headband to help close that gap a bit, I cannot for the life of me figure out how a company can get all the difficult stuff perfect, yet drop the ball on head sizing. Now stop reading and try them!

These have good detail and are accurate, but when driven by a smartphone or tablet, even with a Firefly Red DAC they don’t have a very rich tone. I like them better with a dedicated headphone amp (I have two), but the way I am usually using them with my Portable devices, I actually prefer the less than $200 Sennheiser 569s, which are lighter, and have a gorgeous, forgiving, non fatiguing tone.I have only had them a few weeks though (and I continue to spend time with my other headphones for above reasons), so maybe they will break in.I have almost exclusively listened with the larger of the two pads. The other ones are too small for my ears, and even the larger ones only fit my big ears by folding them inside the pads.My summary is that, despite the efficiency specs, this is a headphone for someone with a good dedicated headphone amp. They are probably more of an accurate headphone than a lush one. They are heavy and seem sized for a bigger head and smaller ears.