Binary Dynaquattro Review
Intro
Today’s review and feature is covering one of Binary Acoustic‘s latest iems, the Binary Dynaquattro ($259). No doubt the Dynaquattro is a very ambitious offering being that Binary doesn’t have the longest list of iems under their belt. I only briefly checked out the Binary X-Gizaudio Chopin which involved the golden ears of Gizaudio in a collaborative effort, and a very successful effort as well. Unfortunately for myself I haven’t spent a whole lot of time with the Chopin, but by all accounts, it was very fortunate for Binary as most reviews and thoughts seemed to be more positive than anything else. Again, the Dynaquattro is actually a four dynamic driver earphone. Well, it’s “actually” a three dynamic driver earphone with the fourth being what’s known as a passive radiator which I will try to quickly explain later in the review. Anyways, I am a huge fan of dynamic drivers and so the thought of four DDs crammed inside a shell replaying my music library was enticing to say the very least. Of course, I’ve heard a number of two DD, or three DD earphones and I adore single DD sets. One of the oldest and yet still one of the best driver technologies within the Audioverse. Very curious how this one will sound.
Competition
The only other thing I could add to this intro would be to inform you all of something you already know. That is, the Dynaquattro is head deep into some tough territory when it comes to competition. The $200 to $300 price point is absolutely stacked. I could sit here and list them out but man some of my favorite sets of all time are jammed into this price point. I say this in every review, that competition is tough. This is true for any price point anymore as the market is cornered in every bracket. However, that sub $300 is a bit silly. You have many sets which really out-do their price. So, the Dynaquattro really does have some stiff competition and I am utterly curious to see how this set does. Okay friends, I think I’m ready to throw this set on the burn-in station for a few days (all day) and I’ll see you all in a little less than a week. Without further ado, the Binary Dynaquattro everyone…
Non-Affiliated Purchasing links:
Disclaimer:
I received the Binary Dynaquattro from HiFiGo as a review sample and in exchange I will conduct a full review and feature at Mobileaudiophile.com. I have not received any payment or any other form of compensation for this review. This set is a review sample iem. HiFiGo has not requested to pre-read any review and doesn’t have any control over “what” or “when” anything gets published to mobileaudiophile.com. All thoughts within this review are my own, though please take note that I will always have my own biases. This is impossible to get around. I try to be as objective as my subjective self can be, but this is an opinion piece folks. Thank you to HiFiGo and thanks for reading.
Dynaquattro Pros
-Solid, durable resin build
-The design is completely unique, CNC aluminum faceplate is tough
-Great modular cable & very nice pelican case included
-In fact, all accessories are very nice with the Dynaquattro
-Fantastic natural timbre
-Very cohesive sound across the mix for three DD’s
-Energetic and crisp warm/neutral sound with good macro-dynamics
-A very natural sounding set with good clarity
-Punchy & fast bass
-Midrange is open & airy with nice energy throughout
-Vocals are nice
-Sparkly treble, detailed, nice extension
-Detail Retrieval & resolution
-Instrument separation
-Stage has a very nice open feel. It’s expansive for an in-ear.
Dynaquattro Cons
-The design may not be very appealing to everyone
-Fans of warm and thick may not be impressed
-May be too energetic for some
-Bass-bois will want to keep looking
-The Dynaquattro seems to need more power
Gear used for testing
–Ifi Go Blu
–EPZ TP50
–Simgot Dew4x
–Aful SnowyNight
–Fiio Q15
–iBasso DX240 with Amp8 MK2
–Shanling M6 Ultra
Packaging / Accessories
Unboxing
The Dynaquattro arrived at my home in a decent sized square box with a sleeve covering. The picture on the sleeve is basically a nod to the entire design theme of gears. Brown, tan, and gears. On the back of the sleeve, you’ll see the official Binary Acoustics graph for the Dynaquattro as well as some different specs. Nothing out of the ordinary there. Take off the sleeve and you are met with a black box with the name “Binary Acoustics” in the center. Open the box and the Dynaquattro will be presented in all its glory attached to the cable and tucked nicely into foam cut-outs. Very stylish. Anyways, next to the Dynaquattro is the plastic case which contains the eartips as well as the modular cable adapters. Lift off the foam layer and the hard pelican case is right underneath. That’s about it, nothing crazy but still a good unboxing in my opinion.
Eartips
Binary provides six sets of eartips (SS, MM, LL), all identical. I read some report that they provide two different kinds but that is definitely not the case. The tips are also identical in form, feel, and rigidity to the KBear 07 tips. Just different colors. These tips are dark gray with an even darker stem. Like the 07’s, the tips provided are great. They have a very firm flange, semi-wide bore, fit decently deep and have that very stiff stem inside. They are really great tips. So, you get two pairs of each size and I think it’s great. I didn’t have the need to tip roll at all as I would’ve gone with KBear 07’s anyways. I did try out some other well-known tips, but they honestly didn’t change the sound all that much and also, I feel that Binary did a nice job of providing tips which actually sound perfect with the Dynaquattro. Not many brands do such things. Nice.
Carrying Case
This is a cool feature to the packaging. Binary provides a very nice hard pelican case with a slick looking black strap. I love these cases. Perfect for throwing into a bag and not having to worry at all. They’re watertight, airtight, and they look fantastic. It’s a nice inclusion. I rarely use cases as most cases that come with sets are simply just add-ons without much thought put into it. Not Binary Acoustics. It’s obvious that they care and try to make a good impression which is something I greatly respect. Brands should try to wow us! Look at the competition folks! They should try to give as much as possible to make a solid and lasting impression. Binary should be thinking… “How do we get repeat customers?” or “We want to be known as a brand that goes above and beyond to make the customer happy”. There’re a few brands who do this… but not many. Binary has the right idea folks. I wouldn’t say they necessarily blew my mind but friends, they do a lot better job giving quality accessories than MOST brands. So, good job Binary Acoustics!
Cable
Same goes for the cable. It’s a nice one and I’m really into nice cables. There are some subtle gripes I have with it but these are minor complaints. Anyways, we don’t know much about the cable except for the important stuff. The cable included is a Silver-Plated OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) cable. It has almost a medium dark shade of sandy brown. I have zero idea how you explain it. Like dirty sand but with some dope looking brown aluminum fittings adorned on the cable to add a nice contrast. It’s a sweet looking cable friends. I like that it is somewhat fatty, certainly not thin. However, this cable is also kind of stiff. Eh, that’ll give you the wrong idea. It’s simply not a soft cable and doesn’t always wrap up perfectly. It’s a hair springy if you know what I mean. Not bad, but a hair out of control for wrapping up. Now, what I love about this cable is the fact that it has modular connectors. Binary added in both the 3.5 single ended and the 4.4 balanced modular jacks. Only this isn’t the kind you push in and hope it never falls off. This is actually a very nice system of push on and screw tight. Many brands are coming out with screw and lock systems, but Binary gives us a nice one. Very fast and easy to swap out connectors and best of all, they look cool. It’s a very nice cable folks.
Build / Design / Internals / Fit
Build Quality
We’ve seen builds like this before. This build reminds me alot of many Letshuoer sets and their “HeyGears” builds. Sets like the Letshuoer DZ4, Cadenza 4, S15 etc. It’s the same feel and resin. It’s close anyways. So yes, the Dynaquattro is a plastic resin, 3D printed. Now, I’ll cover it in the internals section, but the three-way physical crossover is also molded as well into the design which is a very cool feature and is all part of the build too. At any rate, it’s a solid build. Not a rough point in these, no sharp corners or 90-degree angles. Just smooth everywhere I love the HeyGears sets and love the feel of that style of plastic. It isn’t cheap feeling. It feels like it’s something premium. At least as much as a plastic-resin set can feel premium. Beyond that, they also CNC machined the faceplate area out of aluminum as well. I measured the nozzles right at 6mm with my calipers and they are about medium in length, so they don’t reach too far into the ear. I only see one vent hole on this set and that is located inconspicuously on the faceplates. It’s a very nice build.
Design
Now is where we come to a possible fork in the road with the design. Looking at the Dynaquattro, I don’t know if it will be liked by everyone. I personally feel it’s a very cool looking design. I love the silver-in-black colorway matched with the sand-colored cable. It’s a cool look. So, the faceplates are made of silver aluminum with gears & cogs looking all stylish industrial, or steampunk, or whatever else you’d call them. I think it’s artistic enough, but I feel some people will not be fans. It’s a very bold look for a $259 set. Are you a fan? I suppose it could go either way. For me, I like the simplicity of the design matched with the tech housed inside and all that went into the crafting of the Dynaquattro. The gears & cogs theme kind of works, nice job Binary Acoustics.
Internals
Now we enter into the meat & potatoes of this review because Binary added in a bunch of techs as well as a bunch of drivers. They went with three dynamic drivers as well as one passive radiator. The lows are covered by a 10mm dual diaphragm & dual magnet structure with a titanium dome coated brainless silicone diaphragm with a 6mm paper cone passive diaphragm (passive radiator) as well. Now, the passive radiator is a very cool tech which has been around in full-sized speaker systems for quite some time but has recently been added to more mobile and personal listening systems like iems. A passive radiator basically is meant to help produce very low pitches with resonances using sound pressure. Passive radiators move back and forth in response to pressure fluctuations inside the closed cavity. Binary made sure to use a looser paper cone diaphragm as it moves back and forth easier creating deeper pitches and lower resonant frequencies. Passive radiators also help in reducing distortions as well. They certainly have their purpose and the result seems positive with this set.
The other drivers
Binary also went with an 8mm DD with a cermet texturless diaphragm made out of what Binary calls “lightweight and exceptionally hard metal”. This dynamic driver covers the entirety of the midrange. The high frequencies are covered by a 6.8mm dynamic driver with a pure aluminum diaphragm. Now this is cool because this isn’t some diaphragm “coated” in aluminum but instead it is made entirely out of aluminum. This is said to produce crisp highs which are clean and detailed. I can’t say I disagree. I also mentioned before that Binary molded in the three-way physical crossover sections inside of the housing. Each separated section belongs to its own driver and each driver has its own tubing. Now that I’ve said all of that, Binary also adopted a new (as far as I know) “Klippel System” which is a computer and laser assisted system that measures vibrational data at a microscopic level to help with the final build of each speaker unit. To be 100% honest I don’t know everything about this method, but I’ve been learning. Also, it may bore you to death and I probably wouldn’t speak on it perfectly correct. One thing is clear, based on the actual sound coming from this set, it’s apparent that Binary is doing something right. The cohesion of drivers, lack of distortions and plain ole’ sound quality speaks highly of the R&D and work that Binary put into this $259 set.
Fit / Isolation
I feel that the Dynaquattro is on the larger side when it comes to iems. Maybe not massive, but big enough. Having said that I also don’t think that anyone should have an issue with fit. This set fits me like I was born with them there. Really a perfect seal, perfectly set in my ears. Really a great fit and very ergonomic… for me. The real question is how is the Dynaquattro going to fit you? I guess there’s only one way to find out. One thing is for certain, there’s no way I can answer that. This set may fit you horribly… I don’t know folks. It may fit you perfectly too. I would probably think it’s the latter as it’s a pretty universal shape. As far as isolation is concerned, the Dynaquattro actually passively isolates a good amount of sound. Definitely better than most. I’d say above average. Obviously, it won’t cancel out any noise, but the Dynaquattro will attenuate some sound for sure.
Drivability / Pairings
The Binary Dynaquattro is rated with an impedance of 23 ohms as well as a sensitivity of 111 db/vrms. I can tell you that for certain this is a more difficult to drive set. I want to squash any confusion now because the Dynaquattro wants and yearns for power. Flat-out and hands-down. Feed it power! I’m not talking a million and ten watts here either. Just give this set some muscle. I use my daps on high gain and they each get up to or past 1 watt each. That’s said, I was very happy using any of my dongle dacs with a 4.4 connection and high gain enabled if they offer it. Basically, the more power the better for this set. Also, the Binary Dynaquattro seems to like either warm/neutral, neutral, or warm sources. Ya, that’s basically all of the sources, excluding very bright or cold sounding sources.
Mobile Listening
On the go and mobile I listened to many different Bluetooth dsc/amps and dongle dacs. Folks, I listen all stinking day, just about every day. Whether I’m on the go in the market, working around my house or in my office, I can listen all day. Coincidentally, this is also how I get so many reviews out. However, I say this to get across that I’ve tried a bunch of different sources, comparing tonalities and what I’ve come up with is that the Dynaquattro has that perfect warm/neutral tonality that seems to mesh well with just about any source tonality. I guess you could say it “synergizes” with many different sources. I feel this is an excellent quality. Whether I used the neutral Qudelix 5k, the warm/neutral Ifi Go Blu, the neutral EPZ TP50, the neutral Moondrop Dawn 4.4, the Slightly warm/neutral Simgot Dew4x, the warm Roseselsa RS9039, the warm Fiio Q1 MK2, or about 12 others… It sounded great. I really feel that is an excellent thing. Not every set does so well. I do think there’s something to this warm/neutral area that it was tuned to which helps it to react fairly well with most devices. It isn’t skewed so far, any one way and is kinda stuck in the middle. At any rate, I found good synergy with many devices. By the way “synergy” is a made-up word which basically means that it sounds good to you. Lol, that’s about it.
Daps
The same held true for my daps. Friends, I really loved this set on each of my daps. They each have their own flavor and source tonal color. I used my Fiio Q15 quite a bit, which I have double-sided taped to my LG-V60 (basically a dap) which is closer to neutral but extremely dynamic and clean. Next is the iBasso DX240 which leans on the neutral side. But I mainly used my warmer sounding Shanling M6 Ultra. The pair seem to do very well and definitely my favorite of the bunch. I just feel that the M6 Ultra’s warm resolving sound and thicker note weight does add to the experience with the Dynaquattro. However, each device did replay this set nicely.
What do you need?
Again, if you can get a powerful dongle dac then you will probably be good to go. This set seems to take as much power as you can give it with these smaller source devices. It wants power, what can I say. It is not easy to drive folks. You won’t get the most out of it with weaker sources, plain and simple. However, give this little baddie some juice and she will shine.
Sound Impressions
**Note: I want to preface this section with a few things prior to getting into the sound portion of the review. First, I’ve already explained that power makes this set shine. Friends, I’m telling you that the difference between low and high gain on my Shanling M6 Ultra is pretty stark when the Dynaquattro is in my ears. In fact, the difference is even more substantial when I go low gain on my Fiio Q15 and ultra-high gain mode (1600 mw), and the Dynaquattro takes all of it and smiles brighter for it. Also, I listen mainly to flac or better files stored on my devices and I do so mainly use UAPP (USB Audio Player Pro) and at times Hiby Player as well as Poweramp.
What’s it sound like?
Now that I’ve covered all the “other stuff”, I feel it’s time to get into the heart of this review. That of course would be the sound portion of the review. So, the Dynaquattro is hard to drive, established that. That’s number one, feed this set some power, because it’s hungry. Now, as far as sound signature, the Dynaquattro is a slight V-shaped to U-shaped set with a midrange that isn’t recessed all that much. If I were to describe it as anything I’d say warm/neutral. That’s “neutral with a splash of warmth”. Neutral with some sub-bass girth! It’s clean lined, energetic and macro-dynamics are spilling out everywhere in a tightly wound and clean manner. It’s boisterous, rambunctious, but it has some control too, some structure, some density in the right places while still remaining agile and limber. This is a set that comes across crispy at the edges when called upon, yet not abrasive. It’s speedy in its transients for dynamic drivers and fairly well detailed with good separation of instruments and voices. I’d still call the Dynaquattro slightly musical over technical, but there’s a nice balance there. The timbre is wonderful. Dynaquattro has a very natural sound to it in my opinion, very realistic. Beyond those things, the cohesion between the drivers is as good as it gets. Binary Acoustics did a wonderful job melting the sound between the drivers.
Condensed Sound Between the 20’s
I always add in this section just to give the reader a quicker synopsis of my findings. So, I quickly run through each area of the mix and hope it’s helpful. After this you’ll find much longer and more exhaustive sections covering the sound.
Beginning with the low-end, the Dynaquattro has a very satisfying and tight bass section. This is a bass with a nicely kinetic feel and haptic quality that comes across as a boosted sub-bass which never seems to impede on any other area of the mix. The mid-bass has some good textured slam and weight yet never feeling heavy or too bulbous. It’s a clean bass. The midrange has some nice control throughout, decently detailed, smooth in body yet crisp at the edges. Like a nicely seared steak. Sorry for that. Anyways, I hear some nice lean-lush note body that comes across more realistic than anything. No real shout or glare, no sibilance or abrasiveness. It’s also not so pushed into the rear of the sound field that vocals sound distant. Instead, they come across very well laid out. Definitely not vocal centric but great for a V-shaped set. The treble is sparkly, airy, with a light punch and decent extension into the upper treble. Nothing is really missing here, and Binary tuned the treble in such a way that I don’t hear any real splash or treble sheen. It has nice control. The soundstage is very nice, never restricted, with nice depth, nice width and good height. Imaging follows suit with nice layering of sounds. So, there’s the ultra-condensed version, now let’s get into the meat and potatoes folks.
Bass Region
The bass is pretty nicely emphasized with a fairly meaty thump when needed. It’s the type which makes its presence felt when it’s called upon and slips to the background when not. The low-end does not overly warm the rest of the frequency but does kick in pretty hard and fast when a track requires it. This is a solid bass folks. I mean, it’s very good. Very clean, well defined, deep enough for any track yet tight enough for any track too and it doesn’t muddy up the midrange waters. However, this also isn’t some atmospheric bass that decays any longer than it has too. Faster bass passages are handled relatively easily without any bass-blur happening or any blending down low. You have rounded notes with the Dynaquattro’s bass region, and you have good note body and note density. By the way, when I say “good”, I mean… realistic. To me that is good. Of course, there is about a 11-13 dB bass shelf and so I would definitely say there is some color to the sound, but nothing overt, or too colored. Just enough to give off a natural vibe to the other regions.
Basshead?
Also, it isn’t a basshead set at all. It bangs, no doubt about that, but not basshead (in my mind). Yes, there’s a pretty large 11-13 dB shelf, but I really don’t hear that enormous thundering boom out of this set. I also don’t get any real detrimental bleed into the midrange. Friends, it is a very well-tuned bass. In fact, the Dynaquattro does a marvelous job of balancing both precision and agility with depth, deepness and boom. Attack is on the snappy side rather than the soft side leaving clean cut note edges that aren’t even hinting at coming across pillowy. It’s a talented bass section for $259. There’s no other good way to say it. Binary did a nice job.
Sub-bass
The sub-bass is supposed to be assisted by the passive radiator housed within by adding some low pitch and deep resonances. I would say that this is partially true. The Dynaquattro does get pretty deep and guttural depending on the track. Listening to “Groove” by Ray Wylie Hubbard, or “Groove” by Ashley Monroe, either Groove’ll do. Anyways, listening to the Ray Wylie Hubbard jam it’s ever apparent that the Dynaquattro can reach a very resonant and deep bass guitar drone with a tight rumble. I feel the sub-bass has just enough dense mass to give good haptic feedback. Now, I still consider the sublevels of the low-end to be just above moderate as it is not the type which muddies the mid-bass. In fact, for me the sub-bass is tuned in such a way that it comes across distinct from the mid-bass. Well, as much as a set can anyways. Obviously there will always be tracks which make a liar out of me. Generally speaking, this sub-bass is clean, tightly-wound, with some solidity and it gives off textured vibratory goodness, yet it won’t be a detriment to any other frequencies. I really enjoy this area.
Mid-bass
Looking at the mid-bass, it is slightly less boosted than the sub-bass, but it still packs a nice punch. I hear a well detailed and well-defined mid-bass which offers a more precise bass response as it isn’t muddy at all. However, it’s also very stoic in its presence with good low-end vibrance. This isn’t a soft or dull bass region. There’s some energy at play with this mid-bass. It makes its presence felt when called upon and can do so at far quicker speeds then I would’ve thought. To do so the mid-bass has to be relatively nimble with transients that come and go with efficiency and less collateral lagging harmonics. Again, some tracks will make me a liar but for the most part the Dynaquattro’s mid-bass can bang and has good impact in a tight fashion. It can be pretty booming too, of course not to the extent that some sets which are boosted more. But the Dynaquattro can add some meaty bass drops, kick drums, bass guitar, double bass all the while keeping tight reigns on the note outlines. “Billy Jean” by Weezer (Michael Jackson cover) begins with some booming kick drums. Coincidentally, the Dynaquattro also booms on this song. However, prior to those successive meaty hollow booms you’ll hear a vibrant and wet initial attack. It sounds very nice to my ears. “Can’t Make Up My Mind” by CMAT is another track which hits very well and is very satisfying. Meanwhile, the rest of the mix is very well separated and distinct from the bassline. I’m impressed folks, the bass on the Dynaquattro is one of my favorite pieces to this puzzle.
Downsides to the Bass Region
Looking at the issues down low, there aren’t many if I’m being honest. More like subjective gripes that “some” people “may” have. I suppose bassheads won’t be completely impressed. I mean, it can hit hard, and it goes deep with good guttural extension and nice haptic recognition, but it isn’t basshead. Not to me anyways. I grew up with basshead. My ears should be itching with a basshead set. I feel a true basshead iem should cause me to hear the other frequencies a lot worse and with the Dynaquattro, the other frequencies are crystal clear. Also, some people love the lagging harmonics of an atmospheric bass. I don’t feel the Dynaquattro is necessarily that all the time. It’s tighter and more taught in its attack through release. Decay is fairly quick and altogether the Dynaquattro is very succinct and efficient in this region yet also booming and extended enough to be fun. It’s a well-tuned bass region for me.
Midrange
The mids are not nearly as recessed or as clouded as I was expecting. In fact, the midrange is extremely well done in my opinion. Very clean and well detailed wi some of the most natural timbre that the $250 range can offer. It’s really a special sound in this area. Instruments and vocals come through in a hi-res quality. That said, the Dynaquattro doesn’t skimp on note weight, at all. Usually, I’d expect cleanliness like this to be connected to thinner note body. But in the case of the Dynaquattro’s midrange it comes across lean-lush and dense enough to give off rounded notes with some depth of field. What’s great is that on top of that lean-lush style richness is also a good amount of air and openness. This presents a wider sounding and more open stage, or sound field. I really enjoy this midrange. Another bonus is that along with the natural & organically portrayed midrange timbre, I also don’t hear any shout… whatsoever. The pinna gain is a small and long glide to its peak around 9-11 dbs and it simply doesn’t come across glaring at all. Nor does it come across sibilant. The mids are just well behaved, they’re clean, precise, nicely detailed, nicely separated, good note weight, and it’s just as musical as it is technically inclined. Just well done.
Micro/Macro Dynamics
The midrange isn’t as technically gifted as some sets. I don’t want anyone getting the wrong impression, but I do hear above average micro-details. The Dynaquattro is able to pronounce subtle dynamic shifts nicely, as micro-dynamics are well able to give it some clarity, and even some punch to certain tracks. The point is that while the Dynaquattro is musical at heart, it also doesn’t lose sight of the subtleties. I found myself listening more for details than I would’ve thought. I take notes, a lot of notes, and those notes described good illumination of many intricate little details that I heard. That 8mm midrange DD is putting in good work fellas and females. However, on the flip-side, the Dynaquattro also carries good macro-dynamics. This is a midrange which is energetic, not lazy, not dull, but just as sprightly as it is full which comes across as dynamism to me. Not plangent, strident or harsh, but controlled, manicured, yet boisterous enough to add a little bit of fun to the sound.
Lower-midrange
The low-mids are where the bulk of male voices reside and listening with the Binary Dynaquattro I’ve been impressed at how rich men’s voices can sound while not feeling bogged down by bass intrusion. Yes, there is some bass bleed-over into this region, but it only seems to be a help. Just enough to offer some warmth to go with the precision. Some mass to go with the taught notes. Bodied, but defined. Bodied, but transient snappy. It’s usually the lower midrange that I complain about most, but the low-mids on the Dynaquattro are skirting around that for me. Instruments are more concise, distinct, silvery and even resounding when they need to be. The Dynaquattro replays the low-mids in such a way that a man sounds… like a MAN. Robust, full, yet crisp at the edges when they need to be. Chris Stapleton sings his heart out in “Tennessee Whiskey” and the Dynaquattro seems to know this because it replayed every modulation in Chris’s voice so well. Every up and down volume shift that comes with Chris’s vocals sounds natural and clean. Nothing abrasive or shouty, such as with other sets in the price point. Even higher pitched male voices like John Vincent III in “Highway Woman” sounds nicely highlighted, smooth, and very melodic against some well separated instruments.
Upper-Midrange
The upper midrange contributes to the dynamic quality of the Dynaquattro’s sound quite a lot. The nice thing is that dynamic quality and presence doesn’t invoke any kind of shoutiness. Like I said, the pinna rise is not to the point of ear gouging madness. The upper mids are shimmery without the glare and that’s a tough thing to tune. I would assume. Binary did a very nice job in crafting a set that offers females vocals which are both clean and sparkly, as well as nicely bodied and rich. Not every set can pull this off folks. The cohesion between drivers and frequency divisions helps tremendously as this area of the mix ties into the surrounding frequencies very well. Females have that effervescent and feathery sweet sound, as well as that operatic tunefulness that is fantastic for big belting ballads. You never get into the harsh territory as it’s always euphoniously honeyed in its timbre. Females are forward yet not obnoxiously so. Just very well-tuned and nicely balanced for $259.
Upper-mids cont…
Tracks like “Stampede” by Jess Williamson shows off this dulcet type of euphonic timbre. Her voice isn’t ultra soft and she can have a slightly abrasive quality to her voice, but the Dynaquattro never embellishes this quality, keeping good note contour, smooth like glass, and not edgy. The surrounding Melody is nicely accented in the background as well. Another track “Skeletons” by Suzannah, is so melodic folks. This melody, as well as her voice, found a perfect home with this set for me. Her voice is this mix of head voice and chest voice and more breathy than anything which hits my ear in a very pleasing manner. To add to that, the instrumentation which follows that voice is so clean and etched out behind her and around her. All of it is well separated, layered, euphonic. The deep bass, the softer tones, her breathiness, is all replayed with great timbre in my opinion.
Downsides to the Midrange
There’re downsides to anything. I realize I basically just showered the Dynaquattro in praise. I do get caught up in the moment. However, I mean every word folks. Anyways, yes, I praised it quite a lot but also, it isn’t the best midrange I’ve heard at or around the price point. Some sets are literally tuned to emphasize and highlight vocals & instruments in this region. For instance, to me the Dynaquattro isn’t to the level of the Xenns Mangird Tea “OG” for vocals. However, there is so much that the Dynaquattro does… “along with good vocals”… like great dynamics, presence, clarity, musicality too. Take all of that and roll it into a ball… It’s a damn fine ball? I don’t know where I was going with that (Lol)… but the sentiment remains. The midrange is a fine one and one which I am quite fond of. That said, I’m sure some folks want an even better detailed midrange. Some folks will want an even drier, airier, thinner and more agile sound. It takes all kinds in this hobby. Furthermore, without question you’ll get people who would much rather have a more heavy, warmer, and more thick sound in the midrange. They want that moisted and buttery sound over the midrange of the Dynaquattro.
Treble Region
The treble comes across fairly smooth yet can gain some crispness when called upon, and there is some brightness to offset the bass region. It has good resolution, good punch at times too, but not so elevated that it forces the focus away from any other area, in my mind anyways. I feel it carries just enough of an emphasis actually. Though others (treble-bois) may want even more twinkle and sparkle to the sound. That said, the treble does carry some good energy, enough to shine a light on different frequencies, enough to add some nice resolution, enough to provide an overall lift to the tonal color of this earphone, and enough of a lift to enhance details and create a sense of air without calling the treble “airy”. Does that make sense?
Does its job faithfully
Still, I also wouldn’t call it “notably brilliant”, or a bright sounding earphone. The Dynaquattro is not that. The treble is just added flavor in an otherwise warm/neutral soup. In fact, you might even call this moderately safe. Not the most punchy and accentuated treble on planet earth, but a good overall job in conjunction with the midrange. Again, it’s smoother to me with hints of crunch and crispness sounding reasonably well defined and with very good clarity. The treble is not the type that forces attention to it, but it does its job faithfully. Friends, look, this isn’t some treble monster EST driver that was born to sizzle out every contour to every treble note with perfect accuracy and bite. I sometimes think we expect a bit too much. So, is the treble a weakness? Eh, depends on who you ask, I guess. Two people standing right next to each other may have completely different opinions. I actually thoroughly enjoy it. Let’s put it this way, for an all-aluminum dynamic driver (not an EST) that’s easily able to carry some sparkle with an added sense of brilliance to the sound all the while never encroaching on the sharpness and harshness of a screaming treble… I’d say it’s well tuned and fits the overall tuning scheme. Now, can this treble compete with the Piezo-laden treble found in the Simgot Sm4? The answer is probably no for most hobbyists who enjoy good and biting treble. But also… it was never meant to. The treble is a supporting cast member folks and in that vein it’s actually quite nice. Never harsh, never sibilant and never splashy.
Extension
That all said, I definitely don’t consider the treble region as dialed back. No sir. Moderately safe means it’s almost safe. Almost there. What I actually mean is that it doesn’t seek to bring my ears to that point of uncomfortable sharpness. However, the treble does carry nice extension into the upper air portions of the treble region. There’s some outside sparkle happening, and I hear it in the secondary harmonics of cymbals etc. which do not come across splashy to my ears and do have good fundamental body to cymbal strikes as well. The extension here adds an element of openness to the sound which can easily be heard. I wouldn’t call it the “most open” but there is a quality of airiness which does in turn come across as decent to good separation, details, and even good imaging.
Examples
Another aspect of the Dynaquattro’s treble region is the ability and speed of the drivers themselves as well as good note structure and control for this 6.8 mm DD. I would say the Dynaquattro has reasonably quick drivers up top which can take on slightly more difficult treble passages pretty easily for dynamic drivers. Take for instance Billy Strings breakneck speed banjo in “Secrets” (and any other of his tracks). The Dynaquattro handles this track without having any trouble. Each note comes across as having decent body, there’s some treble punch and dynamism. It isn’t a weak and dull treble, let’s just put it that way. Lindsay Stirling in “Eye of the Untold Her” off her Duality album is another track which takes all of the treble activity (and there’s a lot) and handles it very well. It’s sparkly, there’s enough luminance and controlled brightness and every note is handled well without becoming blended. There’s separation there. At any rate, the treble does well for what it is, and it fits very cohesively with the rest of the spectrum.
I figured most people would appreciate this type of treble tuning because it sort-of plays the safe card but takes that brilliance right to the point of breaking out of that safe zone yet without crossing into fatigue. I think Binary did a wonderful job of tuning this region and I do belive that most hobbyists will enjoy it. Well, maybe not treble heads or even moderate treble junkies.
Downsides to the Treble Region
Again, treble heads will not be impressed here. I don’t think anyone would’ve expected treble heads to be overly impressed but also nothing short of forced resolution and EST drivers will impress many of them. Beyond that, some want an even darker treble, more rolled-off, smoother, and far less bright. I feel the Dynaquattro’s treble is right in the middle. Some treble-bois may even want more crunch, more of a bodied and crispy contour with a more hi-res sound up top.
Technicalities
Soundstage
This is an area that impressed me quite a lot. I wouldn’t say the Dynaquattro has the grandest stage in its price point, but perceivably it’s pretty wide with above average width, very tall height too as well as good depth. The soundstage just sounds slightly expanded, open, airier than it isn’t as well. Nothing so grandiose that you’ll mistake it for a stadium or anything. Like I always say, these are iems (in-ear monitors) after all. The best you can hope for is that the sound doesn’t come across congested or blended, it doesn’t feel cramped and that there is at least some depth to the sound, because that isn’t always a given. Thankfully with the Dynaquattro there isn’t any congestion and there is plenty of depth to the sound.
Separation / Imaging
Separation is better than average. In fact, that was a bad representation of the instrument separation. No, it’s actually good. The Dynaquattro has clean lines in between notes. It isn’t some tightly packed and soft timbre. No sir, the Dynaquattro has glass lined edges (for the most part) which create the illusion of space. Transients are quicker than they aren’t with a taught and well-structured note body. Yes, each note has some richness to them, but it doesn’t seem to squeeze the space between elements within the stage. On top of that it has good control with clean dynamics that aren’t all over the place. Binary did a good job. Imaging follows suit with easy to define placement of instruments and vocalists. Left to right and front to back there is a pretty precise look at the sound field. Of course there are some sets which do it a hair better, but those sets don’t generally have the same musicality either.
Detail Retrieval
Detail retrieval is definitely above average. We are getting into the weeds a bit when we say such things. Mainly because nobody on earth can explain what average details sound like. In my case, I just take all that I’ve ever heard in that price range and gather an idea or an opinion. Key word is “opinion”. I’d say above average, even easily above average. The Dynaquattro is good folks. I do need to state that the Dynaquattro really only shows these good traits with some good power added to the mix. To an extent anyways. The sound has good clarity and resolution with a sort of precision to the sound. I’d still say it is musical over technical, but the detail retrieval is quite good for what the Dynaquattro is and for how it was tuned. I really feel this set is a special one friends.
Comparisons
Letshuoer Cadenza 4 ($249)
Today I will start my comparison section with the Letshuoer Cadenza 4 (Cadenza 4 Review). The C4 (as I’ll call it for review purposes) is a wonderfully tuned iem that I praised all over the place. It may or may not suit everyone’s taste, but it definitely suited mine. The C4 is a 1DD and 3BA consisting of a 10mm dual-chambered beryllium coated dynamic driver and three balanced armature drivers made from either Sonion or Knowles. Letshuoer pulled all stops on this one and decked it out to the nines. It’s a gorgeously plain looking iem and loaded with accessories. Really a great buy for the price.
Differences
To begin, the price is very close between the two as the Dynaquattro is about $10 more at an MSRP of $259 to the C4’s $249 (on sale for $199 right now). The build is very similar as they both have that HeyGears style resin. Both really well built, I love the feel of them both and both are extremely comfortable. The Dynaquattro and the C4 are both accessorized very well but the Dynaquattro cable does trump the C4’s by a small degree (my opinion). The Dynaquattro is slightly larger in size and slightly heavier on the ear, but both are relatively lightweight earphones. Of course, the Dynaquattro has a total of three drivers and a passive radiator (is that a driver… not really) while the C4 has a total four. Both are very good buys at the price, and both contend for your hobbyist dollar very well.
Sound Differences
To begin, the Dynaquattro comes across a faint bit warmer to my ears and has better, or more natural sounding timbre. The C4 BA’s simply don’t have the body that the Dynaquattro DDs provide as well. So, note weight and more authentic timbre for the Dynaquattro. The bass region runs much deeper on the Dynaquattro as well, with a bigger slam, fuller and just as defined. The midrange is fuller, more forward and more natural on the Dynaquattro whereas the C4 has slightly better resolution with better detail retrieval. The treble of the C4 is airier, brighter and has better note bite and control up top along with just as good extension. Again, I still say the Dynaquattro has better treble timbre with more realistic sounding instruments. Technically the Dynaquattro has the C4 beat but both are very good for what they are. Anyways, the Dynaquattro does have the slightest bit better detail retrieval. Better defined, better separation and imaging goes to the Dynaquattro in my opinion. I also feel the stage is deeper with the Dynaquattro which helps to have better layering. These are subtle differences, but differences just the same. Between the two the Dynaquattro is just as musical, more fun and has a more expressive macro-dynamic presentation.
Final thoughts on this comparison
Okay, this is a tough one, but the Dynaquattro is the better set in my eyes and for my taste. You may feel exactly opposed to that and I get it. I just feel the overall musicality, bass quality, techs, and timbre outweigh any of the good points concerning the C4. Both are very well done iems, but for my money, it’s the Dynaquattro all the way.
Is it worth the asking price?
The big question, is the Binary Dynaquattro worth the $259 that Binary is asking? I really don’t like answering this question. Of course, I’m also the one asking the question, so I guess the fault is all my own. However, I’m game and if it even slightly helps then it’s a good thing. So, the Dynaquattro is without question worth every penny of that $259. If you look across the field of iems in the $250 to $300 price point I think you’d be hard pressed to find something that is flat-out better. There may be sets tailored to your particular listening style better, but flat-out more talented in as many areas, within that particular price point… that may be hard to find.
Subjective worth
I’m also not saying the Dynaquattro is the best in that range either. I’m simply saying it’s worthy of your dollar and at least looking into. For me, absolutely! I don’t hide my subjectivity folks. This is an opinion piece. I am giving you my opinion and that opinion is based on a lot of iems being stuffed into my ears over the years. I haven’t heard em’ all, and I don’t claim to be the last word in audio, and I would never say I’m a “good reviewer” either. But I do give you my absolute most honest feeling friends. I don’t sugar coat, embellish (too badly), and I don’t review what I don’t like or that at least some segment of the listening population wouldn’t like. I won’t waste my time on that. So just seeing my review should tell you that I feel it’s worthy of consideration. Of course, just because I like a set doesn’t mean it’s worth the asking price. I like a lot of things that I feel are severely overpriced. Especially in this hobby where people pay in the thousands for incremental upgrades over $150 sets. Think about that. Alot is overpriced. Still, whether the Dynaquattro is worth the large amount ($259) that Binary is asking for you to own it is the question today. Again, yes. Yes, the Dynaquattro is a worthy set to pay $259 US for.
The Why
Just re-read this whole review. Just kidding, I’d never subject anyone to more of my blabbering. For real though, the Dynaquattro is accessorized very well with a fun unboxing. The modular cable is a great one with the screw on adapters, the pelican style case is awesome too. This set is built as good as resin can be built. These HeyGears (I don’t know if HeyGears actually built this set, looks like it though) style resin sets are the furthest thing from cheap feeling but are instead very durable, structurally sound and the Dynaquattro is about as ergonomically friendly as a set gets with four DD’s crammed inside. The use of space is fantastic by Binary. The design may turn some off, but I love it. It’s simple and well laid-out gears and cogs which adorn the silver all-aluminum faceplates contrasted by the black backdrop along with the slightly transparent housing is so cool. I love simplicity and originality.
That sound…
Of course it’s the sound which really ups the ante. The Dynaquattro has a very well-balanced sound that is equal parts musical and technical. It has a great warm/neutral timbre with my favorite “lean-lush” note weight. Tight transients, good density. The bass hits deep, fast, hard, with good impact and speed. The midrange is great for vocals & instruments sitting slightly forward with some of the best timbre you’ll hear (my opinion). The mids are detailed, clean as a whistle and open sounding. The treble is airy sounding and open, sparkly, and detailed without ever crossing the line into fatigue. Soundstage feels wide and deep with a more holographic presentation. It just does it all and it does it all well as a great all-rounder type set that suits a ton of genres. So yeah, $259 is a great price if you can afford it.
Ratings (0-10)
Note: all ratings are based upon my subjective judgment. These ratings are garnered against either similarly priced sets or with similar driver implementations or styles with the unique parameters of my choosing. In the case of the Binary Dynaquattro ratings below, that would be $200-$300 iems in any driver configuration. Please remember that “ratings” don’t tell the whole story. This leaves out nuance and a number of other qualities and variables which make an iem what it is. A “5-6” is roughly average and please take into consideration the “lot” of iems these ratings are gathered against. $200-$300 US is an enormous scope of iems that is extremely competitive, and so seeing a rating above a “9.0” or better should mean something very special. My ratings are never the same and each set of ratings tells a different story. Each time you read one of my ratings will be unique to that review. Basically, I create a Rating that makes sense to me.
Aesthetic
–Build Quality: 8.9 Built very well, all resin.
–Look: 8.9 Clean, simple, original, bold.
–Fit/Comfort: 9.8 Fit and comfort is great for me.
–Accessories: 9.5 Very well accessorized.
–Overall: 9.3🔥🔥
Sound Rating
–Timbre: 9.8 Top of class timbre.
–Bass: 9.3 Extended, fast, impactful, well-defined.
–Midrange: 9.1 Note weight, open, clean, musical.
–Treble: 8.9 Sparkly, airy, non-offensive.
–Technicalities: 8.9 Soundstage, Imaging, details good for DD’s.
–Musicality: 9.7 Musical thru & thru.
–Overall: 9.3🔥🔥🔥
Ratings Summary:
The Dynaquattro is rated against any and all iems from $200 to $300. That’s a big price gap when you consider just how many amazing sets are crammed between those two amounts. I have many on hand and have tried many but I haven’t heard them all and so you have to take that into consideration. Friends, I haven’t given out many “9.3” overall sound ratings. Of course, every rating is different and tailored to that particular review. But still, a “9.3” is very high. I happen to really enjoy this set and possibly the honeymoon phase is still active in my psyche, but I feel every rating is legit and my honest feelings. Note that there are many sets which rank higher to me individual categories. For instance, I gave the Dynaquattro a “9.1” in “Midrange”, which seems high. That said, there are roughly about 8 sets ranked higher. So, a bit of perspective. Also, ratings are a joke anyways. Please don’t ever buy anything off of anyone’s “ratings”. As if there’s some magical system that quantifies how “good” an earphone or audio device is. Ratings are compiled by people. Flawed humans. Also, by what metric is each rating garnered? There are a million and two variables notwithstanding that in a year those ratings should be rendered null & void. Okay, I’ve said my piece, forging ahead now.
Explain Yourself!
Okay, there’s a couple ratings which may be questionable here. I personally don’t feel they are but I’m not you. First is the “Timbre” rating. I must feel ridiculously high on the timbre if I gave this set a “9.8”. That’s about as high a rating as they go for me. Still, I know so many who consider a warmer sound to be more correct tonally. Fair enough. This is another place where we get into the tall grass a little bit and personal opinions and subjective thoughts will definitely skew one way or another. So, I get it if you don’t feel this is right. Also, the “Musicality” rating. I gave the Dynaquattro a very high rating of “9.7”. Now, I know for a fact that people will disagree with this. Again, personal opinion folks. What is musical? What sound is the most musical? Who declares this? So, just take these ratings as grains of salt. Laugh at them, make fun of them, call me ridiculous, whatever. I feel these ratings are spot-on from what I’ve heard and from my perspective and I feel very good about them. I could go a point or two either way depending on the day and my mood, but right now… where I’m sitting…they are spot-on.
Conclusion
To conclude my full written review of the Binary Dynaquattro, I have to thank the HiFiGo store and the good people with whom I deal with. I cannot say enough good words about the contact who helps me and provided this set for me. Truly a class act. Never have I been asked to say anything glowing, skew my thoughts or anything. So, I thank HiFiGo very much. Also, check the HiFiGo link as their selection is amazing and their shipping is fantastic. I always receive HiFiGo sets in a timely fashion from across the world.
Thank you!
I also have to thank you for actually taking the time to read my thoughts. For one, it’s nice to know my thoughts are actually helping you to make a decision. I love hearing that I played a part in helping you to find joy in this hobby. That is so very fulfilling and cool to hear. Also, mobileaudiophile.com thanks you. We rely on you guys and gals to click the link and spend some time over here. It really is the most important to us as Google rewards for odd reasons and one of those reasons is clicks and time spent. So, thank you.
Other perspectives
Also, really quick, please check out other perspectives and thoughts concerning the Binary Dynaquattro. We are all different, each one of us. Every last one of us has our own likes and dislikes, we may have different gear, we probably have different music libraries, and we haven’t all been down the same road in audio. No two of us are the same. I see it every day in this hobby. One person feels one way while the guy in the comments feel completely opposed to them. It’s a constant. This hobby is very subjective. Maybe the most subjective of all hobbies. So please listen to, watch, or read other thoughts about the Binary Dynaquattro. You’ll be better off for it. Well, I think that’s all I got friends. Please take good care, each and every one of you. Stay as safe as you possibly can, and always… God Bless!
