MetaldrakeIn terms of treble, clarity, and imaging/soundstage--yes. But the 215 has it beat on ergonomics, isolation, bass, and removeable cables. Depends if you want to move from the V-shaped 215 to a more lean, articulate IEM.
A09235702374274Yeah, I own them along with the 535 and 846. They have a signature reminiscent of V shaped phone but their mids do maintain some detail and the upper end is rolled off. Again, this is all evident in the frequency and 30/300 square wave graphs I linked to.
jaydunndidditIt's unusual to reach an agreement with somebody on the internet, but yeah. I agree with you.
I suppose it really is just phrasing. Se215 don't feel v-shaped to me due to the roll off, but graphs don't lie.
MetaldrakeDefinitely, I have had the SE 215s and SE 425s and I feel the quads are an improvement. coming from the 215s I feel you will notice more articulated mids and highs while still keeping the warm lowend you are used to.
stalepieLook at more than the frequency chart. The 30/300 square waves are VERY similar to the dt770 and th900. Almost identical really. The only main difference is the rolloff up top for the 215. But otherwise, all 3 charts in comparison have more in common than they do not.
koilocoBought the Triples just because one owner of the se846 whose was a sound engineer, stated the Triples are equal or outperform the se846. He bought his on Amazon. I bought (2) Triples. Received my Quads 2 wks ago. Compared to the Triples, the Quads build is excellent. But the low frequency response is rolled off, and it's apparent using a back to back comparison. And vocals are little more recessed. The mid and high treble is extended, yet it's not as harsh. It terms of sonic improvement, it's a little because of 4 drivers; especially hi-res files. Build is phenomenal. Otherwise, this is a good buy
koilocoI'd have to disagree with you on the 846. The quad is NOTHING like the 846. The low-end and especially the mid bass and mids are not of the same quality or quantity. Let alone, ergonomics. I had the triple and quad and returned them both to Amazon. They were just 'ok' but lacked cohesion across all frequencies. Not to mention, their imaging and soundstage do not compare to the 846. I got my 846s new from Amazon for under $700 around the holidays so they can easily be picked up for well under a grand. Throw in a balanced cable with a balanced amp/dac and they sing even better. The triple/quad aren't known for their scaling but the 846 has a lot of room to stretch its legs if you let them. If you're on a budget then the quads will suffice but thinking they're close to the 846 is a major stretch.
jaydunndidditYou must have a different 846 than I did. I do agree on the sub bass of the 846 being the king. Bass texture and quantity will be a bit more/better on the 846. IMO, Imaging and soundstage are quite close/comparable. 100% disagree on cohesion. Spend your $ the way you like. Been there, done that.
If 846 is a 9/10, the Quad is easily an 8/10 for 1/8, or in your case , 1/5 the $.
And No, I have never been a fan of Chinese IEMs up till now. I am just saying how I hear it with my set up and audio chain.
Rodexwhat are you driving the Quad with? It didn't do too well straight out with my Note 8. Throwing in even a cheap little amp like the Topping Nx1s improves everything. Running the Quad through my desktop chain is an entirely different story...
koilocoI normally use mine with the black filters and triple flanges out of an ifi idsd Black label with Tidal mqa. It's not about money, but raw audio quality. Again, when I sampled them from a balanced source, they were even better. With the quads that will never be possible, let alone the tip selection or fit in ear. I know we all hear things differently but the quad was a let down. Nothing about its sound signature wasn't unique or memorable. I don't know what filters, tips, cables and source you used, or how long you had the 846s, but theier soundstage has a good height as well as depth. Didn't get that from the quads. Same with imaging. The separation of instrument and balance between left and right was far greater with the 846. Maybe you had them through a poor source? They can be somewhat picky.
jaydunndiddit1. I bought my 846 in 2014. Always used the blue filter.
2. Never ran it balanced.
3. Source was either my mobile chain (phone->unbalanced amp) or my desktop setup which runs my HD800 (DSD DAC -> Preamp -> Woo WA22). I run my HD800 in balanced. I always ran the 846 unbalanced.
4. Always wav, flac and DSD.
Remember, we are not discussing personal preferences here. Otherwise, it will be very tough to come across correctly.
I enjoyed the 846 very much, especially the bass. I even used it as IEMs when I am on my drums, which I think was a perfect match. However, I think the 846 low end is quite boosted(even more with black filter), even though very well executed and super extended. I verified this with all genres I listen to, and also my own recordings. If you ever listen to a HD800 on good setup, you will know what I mean about 846 bass being elevated. 846 mid is pushed forward to overcome the thunderous lows. Its high has just enough air to keep things sparkle, and not rolled off like 215 and 535. I did love 846 tuning very much. I remembered tapping my feet everytime...
My other reference is a HE-6 driven by a Parasound pre and speaker amp, fed by same DSD DAC as in my HD800 chain.
Regardless, you are making curious again. I might get the 846 just for kick and verify. Believe it or not, they do vary from gen to gen....
koilocoMaybe Shure does soft updates then? Mine have a build date of 10/17, same as my 535s. I only brought up my chain as that's exactly the same way I used the quads sans being balanced of course. Again, I thought they were ok for the price but the 846 just has a special something they don't. I listen to a lot of blues/jazz/soul/funk from the 50s-80s and the 846s nail that grit and warmth that tends to get lost in a lot of my other IEMs and headphones. Another reason I use the black filter is it just adds something great to the mids to nail female vocals like Nina Simone, Etta James, etc.
And I wouldn't say the bass on the 846 is elevated, it reminds me a lot of my home theater setup when I run music in 2.1. The bass to me, sounds like the LFE channel from my sub. It has just enough texture and extension. At times, I wish there was just a bit more sub bass but that's just me being picky.
jaydunndidditYou mentioned getting the 846 for a great price.
Where did you buy it from?
Also, the balanced cable link plz.
Btw, Etta James is one of my fav. At Last was my wedding song...
koilocoThat's a good song by Etta. My faves from her are her own spin on Spoonful (originally Howlin' Wolf) and Money (That's What I Want) [originally by Barrett Strong]. Now that I think about it, there may not be a song by her I don't enjoy.
jaydunndidditI could not find the 10% off promo. I am a Prime member and have the Amazon store card.
In my cart, it's just straight up $899 plus tax. Your expertise is needed. Thx...
koilocoHmm. Are you in the US? Maybe it's US only. I see it when I log in. You may have to switch your prime card benefit from 'no interest' to 'rewards'. It's not always automatic. This is what I see currently:
jaydunndidditGot the SE846 this morning. Running stock cable, unbalanced, blue filter with foam removed to improve high. So far, after a few hours of comparison, my impression about the quad driver vs. 846 has not changed. I did remember the 846 sound signature and performance pretty well.
1. Bass still goes to 846. 846's sub bass is untouchable, more textured, and higher quality. 846 = 9.5/10, quad = 8/10.
2. Mid goes to 846 by a very small margin. 846 mid is definitely more forward => more intimate sounding, just like I remember. 846 = 9/10, quad = 8/10
3. High quality/detail is a tie. Extension goes to quad. 846 = 8/10, quad = 8.5/10
4. Instr separation is a close tie, with the 846 maybe edges the quad slightly. 846 = 8.5/10, quad = 8.25/10
5. Sound stage goes 846. More 3D with 846. Quad's is pretty wide but flat. 846 = 8.5/10, quad = 8/10
6. 846 is definitely faster across all freqs. 846 = 9/10, quad = 8/10
7. Fit/comfort goes to 846. No competition here. I can sleep with 846. 846 = 9.5/10, quad = 7.5/10
Overall, 846 sounds a little thicker and fuller, especially in the mids. Quad definitely has more air in vocal and more sparkle in the highs. At $700 vs $150, my initial evaluation of the quad still hold 100%.
If 846 is is a 9/10 overall, the quad is easily an 8/10. Just like I said at the start of our conversation..."Close, very close"
I will try balanced next...
RodexI can't comment on the Triples vs 846 but I could with Quad vs se846. I thought I remember my se846(sold) very well. Then @jaydunndiddit encouraged me to doubt my memory, so I just bought the se846 again to find out... :)
If you are interested, read my last reply regarding quad vs 846.