Binary Acoustics Dynaquattro Review – Unison

Pros –

Charming design, Modular cable, Excellent dynamics and bass texturing, Forgiving and highly natural midrange, Solid detailed yet smooth treble

Cons –

Large housings, Treble extension average in-class, Midrange lacks defined layers and fine details

Verdict –

The Dynaquattro epitomizes the best qualities of dynamic drivers in each frequency range and brings them together with excellent coherence.

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About Binary Acoustics –

Founded in 2017, Binary Acoustics has quickly made a name for themselves with their compact and minimalist IEMs. They made several models but really piqued the interest of the audiophile community with the Chopin, an IEM made in collaboration with Gizaudio. The company focuses on premium build quality, comfortable compact designs and pure, original sound. Their adoption of innovative forms and drivers proves that they aren’t afraid to innovate.

Introduction –

The Dynaquattro is the latest IEM from Binary and is exactly as it sounds, a quad dynamic-driver earphone. Though not unprecedented, this is certainly an uncommon driver configuration, especially at such an affordable price point. Where Binary has mixed it up is with the designation of those drivers. Specifically, one of the four drivers is a passive radiator which is a similar technology as seen on full-size speakers. This is often used to increase the effective surface area available to produce sound, thereby improving the speaker’s ability to reproduce deep bass frequencies. Passive radiators enable this whilst retaining a compact form factor and high efficiency due to the lack of a separate motor circuit. The Dynaquattro uses custom-made-for-purpose drivers and a 3D-printed shell with CNC-milled faceplates.

The Astrolith is available for $259 at the time of writing. You can read more about it and secure one for yourself at HiFiGO!

Disclaimer –

I would like to thank Ivy very much for reaching out to organise a review of the new Dynaquattro. All words are my own and there is no monetary incentive for a positive review. Despite receiving the earphones free of cost, I will attempt to be as objective as possible in my evaluation.

Contents –

• Page 1: Intro, Unboxing, Design
• Page 2: Sound and Source Pairings
• Page 3: Comparisons & Verdict

Specs –

• Drivers: 10mm, 8mm, 6.8mm Dynamic Drivers, 6mm Passive Diaphragm
• Crossover: Mechanical, 3-way
• Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20kHz
• Impedance: 23 Ω
• Sensitivity: 111 dB

Behind the Design –

Custom Dynamic Drivers

Though containing 4 drivers in total, the Dynaquattro only has 3 active drivers. However, each has been custom-designed for this model to suit each respective frequency range. Covering the low frequencies is the largest driver coming in at 10mm. It has a titanium-coated silicone grainless diaphragm and is augmented by the passive radiator which we will discuss further later. The midrange is delivered by an 8mm cermet texture-less driver while highs are pumped out by a 6.8mm aluminium diaphragm driver.

Passive Radiator

A passive radiator is essentially an additional dynamic driver without any motor coil/electronics. Binary uses a 6mm paper cone driver for this purpose. Most seen in subwoofer and portable speaker designs, the main advantage of a passive radiator is the ability to create deeper frequencies within a more compact, sealed enclosure. It resonates with the active 10mm woofer to deliver a deeper extending and more powerful bass. Whilst offering excellent sensitivity and decreasing enclosure size and venting, passive radiators come with the caveat of distortion at high volumes and increased cost of implementation due to the added complexity of design.

3D Printed Enclosures

Uniting this complex driver setup is a 3D-printed resin shell. Each driver is afforded its own acoustic chamber and sound tube. Output is delivered through a physical 3-way crossover that promises improved phase coherence and low distortion. The design is topped with CNC milled decorative faceplates and silver-plated OFC cable.

Unboxing –

The Dynaquattro has a unique aesthetic, and this impression extends to the unboxing experience. The outer sleeve showcases a soft touch finish and shares a steampunk aesthetic with the earphones themselves. Sliding this off and opening the hard box reveals the earphones and cable within a protective foam insert. The ear tips are contained within a plastic organizer to the left. Binary includes 2 sets of silicone ear tips. From what I could see the 2 sets appear identical in design and sound. Beneath is a relatively large pelican-style carrying case that boasts excellent protective qualities. It has moisture ingress protection seals and a rubber interior that offers shock resistance on top. Inside are papers and the 4.4mm plug to suit the modular cable should the listener want balanced connectivity. Though relatively spartan, the quality of the included accessories is pleasing and well-judged.

Design –

Instantly, the Dynaquattro stands out for its clean, strongly contrasting design. Binary has paired a matte semi-transparent black resin with CNC-milled faceplates. One wouldn’t be blamed for mistaking this for Moondrop’s Variations, but the Dynaquattro does set itself apart with its steampunk cog and bearing faceplate design and slightly more squared-off proportions. Intriguingly, the faceplate vent integrates into the design, granting a svelte and polished look.

Up top are 2-pin 0.78mm connectors for the removable cable system. The included cable offers a silver-plated conductor array and a 4-wire braided design uniting into a 2-wire twist above the y-split. The jacket is slightly rubbery but doesn’t snag on clothing. It isn’t the supplest cable with a little spring and memory but showcases sound pliability overall making it fairly tangle-resistant and easy to live with. The pre-moulded ear guides are comfortable and stable fitting, and the gunmetal hardware complements the earpieces well. A standout feature is the 4-pin modular termination with a screw-down collar. This enables the user to switch between 3.5mm single-ended and 4.4mm balanced connectors, both of which are included in the box.   

Fit & Isolation –

The Dynaquattro has above-average dimensions which is to be expected given its quadruple dynamic driver array. It is well shaped making it forgiving despite its size though it still isn’t the best suited for those with smaller ears or desiring the most low-profile fit. Those with average-sized ears should experience sound long-term wearing comfort. I didn’t personally find them to cause notable hotspots after several hours of wear due to their rounded angles and a sculpted design that relieves pressure on the features of the outer ear. With a vented design, the Dynaquattro offers average passive noise isolation similar to most dynamic driver designs. This makes them suitable for daily commute but some may find them lacking in especially noisy environments such as air travel.

Next Page: Sound Breakdown