Pulled the trigger on some Dominion A4s after the comprehensive nuanced review/comparisons by Andrew. My favorite brake to date! Absolutely loving them. Some from-the-hip comparisons to brakes I've used for prospective A4 owners.
\- Best lever feel (both dead stroke and through the bite point). Super light, super consistent and predictable. Power is among the best out there (perhaps slightly edged out by Trickstuff and Hope Tech 4). Easy to get a good bleed.
\- vs. Shimano 4-pots just feel notchy now and the ramp in power is super spikey. No wandering bite point issue too.
\- vs. Code RSCs, they're easier to bleed well and LoFi beats out the RSC Swinglink (don't need to rely on the Bite Adjust to compensate for the piston seals that don't cope with pad wear very well in the SRAM calipers). Can hit the "wall" of power easier when you want it vs. Codes, which oddly feel less "powerful" at the end stroke than the initial stroke/pull of the lever (suspect it's to do with the shape of their Swinglink).
\- vs. Hope Tech 3s. One of my favorite aspects of their lever is the short dead stroke very close to Shimano. The Dominions are on part with the Hope's in that regard (great for my medium sized hands and someone who likes to run the levers close to the bar, 10-15mm from the bar, at full pull) they just do everything they do but better - more power, smoother lever. Less faff to bleed.
\- vs. TRP Quadiems - was my ideal brake aside from the excessive increase in deadstroke when you run the brake closer to the bar and/or don't have large hands. Dominion peak power is easier to reach vs. TRPs which relies significantly on mechanical leverage, but the TRPs get there (unlike Hope Tech 3s) and do so in a controlled manner (unlike SRAM) in a predictable even manner (unlike Shimano) . TRP levers also develop slop over a year or two of use (just like the Cura levers). Doesn't appear to be an issue for the Dominions.
\- vs. Magura MT5s - less vague bite pull. Magura's with their many levers would be the best option for those with very small hands and run the lever close to the bar. Power/lever feel/finish all top Magura. Magura bleed is one of the hardest to nail well vs. the others mentioned above.
Downsides? The levers are a little so-so in the aesthetic department. Finish is nice but nothing to write home about. On par with SRAM/Shim. Pads are also more expensive with less 3rd party quality options. Important to note that the calipers are quite large, so you'll need to use a Magura or Hope or Hayes brake adapter to allow for sufficient clearance. Pairing with Hayes rotors is ideal as they have a particularly wide friction band/braking surface. Spares have decent availability (replacement levers and caliper seals). Not up to the level of Hope, but better than Shimano, on par with SRAM and TRP for the lever only (TRP caliper aftermarket spares sucks).
May 30, 2023, 5:25 p.m. - lennskii
Pulled the trigger on some Dominion A4s after the comprehensive nuanced review/comparisons by Andrew. My favorite brake to date! Absolutely loving them. Some from-the-hip comparisons to brakes I've used for prospective A4 owners. \- Best lever feel (both dead stroke and through the bite point). Super light, super consistent and predictable. Power is among the best out there (perhaps slightly edged out by Trickstuff and Hope Tech 4). Easy to get a good bleed. \- vs. Shimano 4-pots just feel notchy now and the ramp in power is super spikey. No wandering bite point issue too. \- vs. Code RSCs, they're easier to bleed well and LoFi beats out the RSC Swinglink (don't need to rely on the Bite Adjust to compensate for the piston seals that don't cope with pad wear very well in the SRAM calipers). Can hit the "wall" of power easier when you want it vs. Codes, which oddly feel less "powerful" at the end stroke than the initial stroke/pull of the lever (suspect it's to do with the shape of their Swinglink). \- vs. Hope Tech 3s. One of my favorite aspects of their lever is the short dead stroke very close to Shimano. The Dominions are on part with the Hope's in that regard (great for my medium sized hands and someone who likes to run the levers close to the bar, 10-15mm from the bar, at full pull) they just do everything they do but better - more power, smoother lever. Less faff to bleed. \- vs. TRP Quadiems - was my ideal brake aside from the excessive increase in deadstroke when you run the brake closer to the bar and/or don't have large hands. Dominion peak power is easier to reach vs. TRPs which relies significantly on mechanical leverage, but the TRPs get there (unlike Hope Tech 3s) and do so in a controlled manner (unlike SRAM) in a predictable even manner (unlike Shimano) . TRP levers also develop slop over a year or two of use (just like the Cura levers). Doesn't appear to be an issue for the Dominions. \- vs. Magura MT5s - less vague bite pull. Magura's with their many levers would be the best option for those with very small hands and run the lever close to the bar. Power/lever feel/finish all top Magura. Magura bleed is one of the hardest to nail well vs. the others mentioned above. Downsides? The levers are a little so-so in the aesthetic department. Finish is nice but nothing to write home about. On par with SRAM/Shim. Pads are also more expensive with less 3rd party quality options. Important to note that the calipers are quite large, so you'll need to use a Magura or Hope or Hayes brake adapter to allow for sufficient clearance. Pairing with Hayes rotors is ideal as they have a particularly wide friction band/braking surface. Spares have decent availability (replacement levers and caliper seals). Not up to the level of Hope, but better than Shimano, on par with SRAM and TRP for the lever only (TRP caliper aftermarket spares sucks).