Qualia 010 = OMG!

[tkam]

Originally Posted by spritzer

...and there is no reason for the price. It's just stranded copper

Yep exactly.

[Duggeh]

Originally Posted by spritzer

...and there is no reason for the price. It's just stranded copper

Stranded copper thats been immersed in a solution containing particles of the magic force which powers Nintendo 64s.

[EdipisReks]

Originally Posted by tkam

They looked retarded with a price to match

they look beyond retarded.

[spritzer]

Originally Posted by Duggeh

Stranded copper thats been immersed in a solution containing particles of the magic force which powers Nintendo 64s.

Hmmmm that good hahh? I think I need to get me some...

[Jon L]

Originally Posted by tkam

Yep exactly.

Well, there is a bit more to Jena Wire, including "6N" copper, use of "unflourinated teflon" dielectric, which they claim is big deal. The whole cryo thing is a personal taste thing.

Having said that, I have a bunch of this Jena wire and have made DIY interconnects and recabled headphones, and basically I don't like it much.

I much prefer the much cheaper Vampire continuous-cast magnet wire from Percy. Solid core and stiff, but a 3-wire braid of this stuff sounds excellent.

[Dusty Chalk]

The problem is, it looks like Monster cable.

[hirsch]

Originally Posted by Dusty Chalk

The problem is, it looks like Monster cable.

No, the problem is that imaging is very diffuse (at least using their balanced interconnects). I had a sample here for a couple of weeks, and didn't like the Jena Labs cable (trying to remember the model). Tonally, it's a very warm and luxurious sound, but the longer I listened, the more I missed the focus of my other interconnects. I don't care what an interconnect looks like, but do care what it sounds like.

[spritzer]

Originally Posted by Jon L

Well, there is a bit more to Jena Wire, including "6N" copper, use of "unflourinated teflon" dielectric, which they claim is big deal. The whole cryo thing is a personal taste thing.

Ehhh how the hell can it be unfluorinated since the most common teflon is Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and all forms of teflon are built around flour molecules. The big deal is to be rid of the teflon all together but if it doesn't contain flour it isn't teflon. With the 6N and cryo bullshit they are just luring people in that think bigger is better. Why not use a 4N wire and have longer grain so you don't need to cryo in the first place.

Originally Posted by hirsch

No, the problem is that imaging is very diffuse (at least using their balanced interconnects). I had a sample here for a couple of weeks, and didn't like the Jena Labs cable (trying to remember the model). Tonally, it's a very warm and luxurious sound, but the longer I listened, the more I missed the focus of my other interconnects. I don't care what an interconnect looks like, but do care what it sounds like.

That's the feedback I've got from people who's ears I trust. Extremely warm, mushy sound but some people do like that or rather think they do.

[EdipisReks]

flour? flourine, surely.

[Jon L]

Originally Posted by spritzer

That's the feedback I've got from people who's ears I trust. Extremely warm, mushy sound but some people do like that or rather think they do.

Hehe, you can imagine my dismay when I rewired my K340 with the Jena Wire. Sounded like I changed my amp to a bad EL34 amp with small-ass PS

[spritzer]

Originally Posted by EdipisReks

flour? flourine, surely.

Yep you're right. My bad... Still I don't get this teflon nonsense with line level signals. Teflon is a great insulator at 1kV/mil for HV but so is foam rubber and why hasn't somebody tried to make something out of that...

Originally Posted by Jon L

Hehe, you can imagine my dismay when I rewired my K340 with the Jena Wire. Sounded like I changed my amp to a bad EL34 amp with small-ass PS

Damn that must have sucked.

[Icarium]

Ha ha so that's the sound signature of Jena Labs stuff eh? Not very surprising.

[Fing]

Picked up a pair last week and all the stories are true. Fit is crucial, weird tonality, great detail, soundstage/imaging and good with electronica and classical.

They were actually very useful as they helped me debug some issues I was having with my interconnects / output valves on the Crimson. Detail/resolution on these really are amazing.

However, I just couldn't get on with them and decided to give my ears a rest until I can balance them.

Back to my fav until then (HE90 :-)

[F1GTR]

Out of all the headphones that I have yet to try, which are many, this is the one I still want to try the most. I'm an electronica whore.

Perhaps one day I'll convince myself to sell the PS-1 and begin the hunt for this unicorn.

[mulveling]

Last few times I gave the Qualia a good listen, the Steely Dan Aja vinyl was particularly fantastic on them. Amazing, actually.

It helps listening to the Qualias if you start the day out on them. It's particularly a no-no to start out on something with warm, thick mids (HD650, L3000, R10) and then move to the Qualia. In this way, I've found the ear can somewhat adapt to the "unique" tone, and then you're just left with the fantastic impact/resolution/speed/imaging to enjoy

[mulveling]

Originally Posted by F1GTR

Perhaps one day I'll convince myself to sell the PS-1 and begin the hunt for this unicorn.

Do you prefer your unicorns pink or blue?
I really wanted a small blue unicorn, but could only find a medium-sized pink one

[Dusty Chalk]

Originally Posted by F1GTR

...sell the PS-1 ...

No. Have you never heard it? Try to find a way at least to hear it first. It's good, and depending on your priorities, perhaps better, but also perhaps not. I know I, for one, prefer the PS-1. I never "got" the Qualia.

[F1GTR]

Originally Posted by mulveling

Do you prefer your unicorns pink or blue?
I really wanted a small blue unicorn, but could only find a medium-sized pink one

I've never lassoed one before, but my gut says I would like small blue unicorns. I would definitely try riding a medium sized pink one though.

[luvdunhill]

Originally Posted by F1GTR

I would definitely try riding a medium sized pink one though.

TMI!

[F1GTR]

Originally Posted by Dusty Chalk

No. Have you never heard it? Try to find a way at least to hear it first. It's good, and depending on your priorities, perhaps better, but also perhaps not. I know I, for one, prefer the PS-1. I never "got" the Qualia.

I absolutely love the PS-1. Love it. I'm saving up for a serious source, but I've been thoroughly enjoying it straight out of my M-Audio Revolution 7.1 card for the last three or four months now. That's probably one of the more crappy sound cards available, and I really should upgrade it, but it actually synergizes quite well with it. Seriously.

I've tried the W100, DT770/80, CD3000, RS-1, HP2, and finally picked up a HD650 after all this time in to headphones just to see what all the fuss was about. Believe it or not it sounds really damn good straight out of the sound card as well. I was expecting really poor sound based on all the feedback that it needs a serious amp, however it is not near as veiled compared to the PS-1 as I expected it to be. It's definitely not as toe tapping and fun as the PS-1, but I can tell it has serious potential when I finally upgrade to some decent gear.

No I haven't tried the Qualia, but I want to really damn bad. The price and rarity is the only thing that has kept me from doing it so far. I would like to make it to a meet though and sample them prior to purchase, considering they seem to be a love it or hate it headphone like the Edition 9(another one I would like to hear so what camp I side with). Being a bass and detail fanatic both the Edition 9 and Qualia seem like they could be a big hit with me, and then there is also this curiosity with electrostats and wanting to see what the OII is all about.

I really need a better job so I can join all the big boys here. I have to make the decision whether to move to Atlanta or Austin in the next 60 days. More money to be made in ATL but Austin suits me so much better. If I want to own an SDS-XLR one day I should probably head east. I'm heading over there this week to check it out and going down to Augusta for the Masters on Saturday and Sunday.