Now, while they are a major electronics maker in the world, they have little to no presence in the world of portable audio, unlike Sony, JVC, Panasonic and Philips, which have some amazing IEMs in their line ups.That is, until the Quadbeat Pro is released.
The Quadbeat Pro set the audio world in Korea by storm, so popular that it can be found as a standalone instead of being bundled with the Optimus G or Optimus G Pro. Some considered it to even be as good as the UE TripleFi 10, or even better. Could this be the giant killer from Korea? We will find out here.
From Amazon it seems like it sells at around the street price of 22USD, which is pretty affordable for a smartphone use IEM. For me, I got it for free since I bought a new LG Optimus G Pro, which had it included as the stock earphones.
Packaging is pretty nice if you get it as a standalone product. It is displayed in nice plastic packaging, though it isn't exactly eco-friendly. For those bundled with phone, they are packed in the much more economical plastic bag.
Same can't be said for the accessories though, as they provided only two pairs of single flanges and a pair of bi-flanges. While these tips are comfortable, they are a bit too soft and they might "collapse" with some force.
Build quality is very good. Aluminum housings are a big welcome in the area of durability and style, especially in smartphone use IEMs where they tend to get trashed around easily. Flat cables are great too, they seem tough but not too thick, making it better for over the ear wear. One bummer though is that there is a lack of strain relief, so one still has to be careful when handling the IEMs.
Comfort for me is decent, though not at the level of the BA200 which has excellent ergonomic shells. Those with smaller ears might find the LG Quadbeat Pro a little uncomfortable though. Isolation is not bad, but not good either. I would say it would be about the same level as the GR99. While pretty useless in flight, it would be pretty good for street use.
Now on to sound quality, which is what the hype is all about. Does it live up to its hype then?
For evaluation, I used the output from both my iPod Nano 7G and my LG Optimus G Pro, since I don't think people will actually spend on a portable amplifier for this. At the same time, a portable amplifier is pretty useless since the LG Quadbeat Pro has a built in microphone with volume control.
Bass is present in good quantity but not excessive. It is well extended, with a little boost at the mid-bass. It doesn't give the subwoofer feel of the VSonic GR99, and I feel it is closer to the TDK BA200 in the bass department. While it feels faster than the GR99, the speed cannot match up to the dual balanced armatures of the TDK. Overall, the bass is clean and pretty well controlled.
Mids are pretty clear on the Quadbeat Pros. While it does have a little bass bleed, it is relatively less than the GR99. It carries plenty of detail, more than the GR99 does and in my opinion, at the same level or slightly better than the Monoprice 8320.
The treble area has a good amount of energy, and probably the most energetic IEM that I have thus far. While not sibilant, it contains more energy in the lower treble, which makes it a little more harsh compared to the smooth BA200s. However, I find it is still quite fatigue free and good enough for a few hours of music.
Soundstage is pretty good on the Quadbeat Pros. It is wide and relatively uncongested, with great separation and imaging. It gives a greater out of the head feel than the Dunu Ares and the VSonic GR99.
I can see why it is compared to the UE TripleFi 10. Both has a slight v-shaped sound signatures, with a wide and open soundstage expected from the type of sound signature they share. So is the LG Quadbeat Pro better than the TF10? While I have not listened to the TF10 for a very long time, I still feel that the TF10 has slightly speed and clarity next to the LG Quadbeat Pro. So my answer to this is, not exactly so.
Don't get me wrong, it is not a bad IEM, it is just slightly overhyped. However, that would not stop me from wholeheartedly recommending the LG Quadbeat Pros. At 22USD, it is a great offer and one of the best value around. For people who are looking for a smartphone use IEM, this could be the one for you, along with the Sony MH1. For LG Optimus G and LG Optimus G Pro users, rejoice; you have a really good pair of IEMs provided for you for free. However, this means you need to spend more to notice the difference in sound quality compared to other stock earphones. I am not sure whether it is a good or a bad thing though.
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