Qualia 010 = OMG!

[Elephas]

I agree the Qualia isn't warm, but I wouldn't want a lot of added warmth, maybe just a tiny bit.

I think it's similar to the W5000 in the way it seems to sacrifice some body and warmth for precision imaging, well-defined layering, sense of air and soundstage. Both the Qualia and W5000, driven by the AT-HA5000, have pinpoint imaging, excellent details and a large soundstage. The Qualia's soundstage is huge, larger than the W5000's, and I also think its imaging, separation and details are better. Given how much I like the W5000+HA5000 and value details, imaging and soundstage, you can see why I like the Qualia so much.

Fit is basically perfect on my head. I can press on the driver housings at various points and there isn't any movement. The earpads fit perfectly flush around my ears.

I can see someone with a narrower, wider or longer head shape having trouble with the fit.

[Elephas]

Click to View

[F1GTR]

Congrats Elephas! Excellent photo's. Thanks for sharing.

Out of all the top headphones I've yet to hear(HE90, HE60, L3000, OII, Qualia) the Qualia's rank #1 on my list, probably because of my love for all things electronica and how I read that they excel there in almost every review. Hopefully sooner than later I'll be able to see if I fall in to the love em' or leave em' camp.

[APureSound]

Looks great Elephas! I hope you are really enjoying them. The 010 are really something special.

-Alex-

[HiWire]

Congrats on your Qualia, Elephas. That's a sweet setup.

[fierce_freak]

What are the Qualia going for these days? 2500+?

[darkless]

Originally Posted by fierce_freak

What are the Qualia going for these days? 2500+?

Yeah, but I've heard people ask $3000+ for mint pairs.

[hirsch]

The need for an exactly correct fit on the Qualia has been noted, and most sonic aberrations of the headphone are due to the need for such a precise fit. However, the cable is also part of the issue, and, IMO, the stock Qualia cable is not that great. I'm now using a balanced silver cable I got from Headphile and terminated myself, and the Qualia is sounding good. If the amp is up to it, the Qualia is every bit as fast as an electrostatic can.

If you're looking for "neutral" in its truest sense, the Qualia is probably the best there is in that regard, once you get past fit and cabling issues. This is a very different sonic signature than the R10, which has a distinct sound that's part of the experience it presents.

The sound of the Qualia 010 has no relationship to the sound of the Sony SA5000, which, IMO, is a POS, particularly relative to the CD3000 which was discontinued to make way for it.

[Elephas]

Thanks guys, but I think full credit should go to darkless, who gave me the opportunity to hear the Qualia's incredible sound.

I love darkless, every time I listen to the Qualia I feel like sending him gifts, money, a Stax or another L3000 or maybe a NOS W11JPN perhaps...

Originally Posted by [AK

Zip ]
Looks great Elephas! I hope you are really enjoying them. The 010 are really something special.

Alex, I'm thinking of ordering, no, I want, no, I really need, a balanced V3 Qualia cable. I hope your cable is better than hirsch's.

I found a pair of XLR-male plugs that might be even better than the Furutechs. I'll send them to you to try out.

[APureSound]

Originally Posted by Elephas

Alex, I'm thinking of ordering, no, I want, no, I really need, a balanced V3 Qualia cable. I hope your cable is better than hirsch's.

I found a pair of XLR-male plugs that might be even better than the Furutechs. I'll send them to you to try out.

I will definitely have something ready for you soon. Icarium loves the one I made for him with Furutech Rhodium XLR connectors.

I am interested in what XLR connectors you have found that may be better then the Furutech's. Drop me an email with a picture I would be really interested to see!

-Alex-

[philodox]

Are these secret XLRs? Can't we all see?

[Icarium]

I only have 3 pairs sadly Had to part with a red pair to acquire a blue!

Darkless with your close relationship with Mikhail you should have gone for the adjustable headband (Carbon fiber siding instead of aluminum though)!

You can of course borrow one at some point JP.

As for pricing I paid 3.1k for the blue pair and sold my red pair for 2.7k unboxed with that weird modded stock cable a shorted out Black Dragon single ended and a blue dragon balanced (My original pair I got from the taiwan guy with the rudistor). I was told the blue pair I bought had offers of 3.3k and people willing to bid it up higher but the seller went with me since I lived 5 minutes from him and the transaction was less painful for him (Guy is in love with the sds-xlr and hd650 combo and the hd650's ability to scale which admittedly the Qualia by far bows to the hd6X0/k1k in).

Personally I think the sure thing price on Qualias is probably 3.5k at the moment... and if that pair I had (8/10) had the rest of the accessories/boxes/papers I would have wanted 3k and gotten it. Though I wouldn't have sold if I could afford to just chill with 4 Qualias. I plan to someday at least have 4. And I think that valuation makes sense. It's 2x as limited (~250 pairs) than the L3K and imo a clearly superior headphone unless you are very into the L3K sound and can't get a good fit.

Meh if people disagree and are willing to sell me pairs at ~2.5k or less though I will not argue price/value with you and just take you up on that no questions asked ;p

[Elephas]

Three Qualias? I didn't know that, but I knew Icarium was completely bonkers. :P I am too, but I tell myself it's to a lesser extent.

Darkless has a close relationship with Mikhail? If he can make Mikhail work any faster I'll collapse from the weight of too much love.

I think pricing for the Qualia is especially tricky since it is so rarely for sale. It seems that there are more transactions of the HE90, L3000 and R10. This is why I especially appreciate darkless' sale to me, instead of putting it up on eBay or an IC on Head-Fi.

[socrates63]

Congrats, Elephas. I wish you lived in Seattle... well, maybe not. I don't need more temptation to buy rare high-end cans.

Just curious, have you attended headphone meets in Taiwan?

[Elephas]

There aren't many meets here, about once a year on average. The venues are usually not ideal and the gear limited in variety compared to US meets.

There's one upcoming in January that I'm not planning to attend, but will probably loan some gear out.

[darkless]

Special relationship to Mikhail? I wish! Then maybe he would actually have shipped my amp by now. I bug him often, but that certainly doesn't get me any special treatment.

[Elephas]

Haha, looks like we're in the same boat waiting for Mikhail.

Here's a photo of the XLR connectors I found. They are made by Telos Audio and are copper with gold-plating.

[grawk]

Originally Posted by Elephas

Haha, looks like we're in the same boat waiting for Mikhail.

Here's a photo of the XLR connectors I found. They are made by Telos Audio and are copper with gold-plating.

Those certainly are blingy!

[deepak]

Replace blingy with gaudy and I agree.

[grawk]

Originally Posted by deepak

Replace blingy with gaudy and I agree.

synonym ftw