[Mimouille]

The LCD-i4 seals in my ear, as did the iSINE 20 before it. I'm using the groovy tips only, no ear hooks or loops. If the iSINE didn't seal for you before, perhaps the groovy tips will help.

Thanks, I had no seal with the ISine but still had bass, so I thought it was normal. Plus several people were saying they used them without seal and it was normal...anyways. If I can try with a seal I will.

 

[martyp87]

Well, I've been using the i20s for just about a week now and my HD800s have been literally gathering dust so I figured I'd give them a go again for comparison. I really didn't expect the out come though.

Plugged the HD800S in to the Mojo (via 3.5mm Cardas cable) and I've never been so underwhelmed. They sound so flat and dull. Will be putting them up for sale and likely upgrading to a pair of the i4s (unless the niggle fades which I doubt). How the i20s can perform better than something twice the price is just amazing. I've still not tried the iPhone cable as my phone is sent off for repair however, I will say the standard 3.5mm cable is terrible, if I decide to keep the i20s rather than upgrade I will definitely get a custom one made.

All in all, great job Audeze and I can't wait to get some more feedback on the i4s as those are shaping up to be end game for me right now.

 

[FastAndClean]

lean and flat yes, dull no

 

[raypin]

Mm...800 and 800S are picky. Just had a long listening session last night. Out of the DAVE, the 800S is still a lovely sounding TOTL. Wouldn't part with it for any reason. For 800 S portable amplification, the WA8 does it for me.

 

[martyp87]

Will give them a go again on the HA-1 balanced out. Before I got the i20s I loved them (although did always use balanced out on the HA-1 rather than the Mojo), now they just don't seem so appealing...

 

[reddog]

Well, I've been using the i20s for just about a week now and my HD800s have been literally gathering dust so I figured I'd give them a go again for comparison. I really didn't expect the out come though.

Plugged the HD800S in to the Mojo (via 3.5mm Cardas cable) and I've never been so underwhelmed. They sound so flat and dull. Will be putting them up for sale and likely upgrading to a pair of the i4s (unless the niggle fades which I doubt). How the i20s can perform better than something twice the price is just amazing. I've still not tried the iPhone cable as my phone is sent off for repair however, I will say the standard 3.5mm cable is terrible, if I decide to keep the i20s rather than upgrade I will definitely get a custom one made.

All in all, great job Audeze and I can't wait to get some more feedback on the i4s as those are shaping up to be end game for me right now.

I love my iSine 20 I use them on the go and have used them om my two headphone rigs. I am so impressed that I will end up ordering the LCD i4, within the week. This hobby is bloody amazing but so detrimental to my wailing wallet. Hmm I should be able to drain out the sobbing lamentations of my wallet by turning up the volume, but these IEM's are semi openbacked lol.

 

[jude]

Can the Sony WM1Z drive these adequately?...

In my opinion, yes. So far I've only driven the Audeze LCD-i4 prototype with the Sony NW-WM1Z using its unbalanced output, as I do not have a balanced cable for the LCD-i4 yet. From the unbalanced output, the NW-WM1Z can drive it cleanly well beyond volume levels I would ever listen to. I'll likely have a balanced cable made for the LCD-i4, as I'd love to hear if there's any advantage (to my ears) from the Sony's balanced output, in terms of overall sound quality with the LCD-i4.

...would these work with Cipher well? If I'm paying this much for an IEM, I'd think it should work and sound great without the need of a huge amp.

The iSINE CIPHER cable wasn't designed for the LCD-i4, but of course, it can drive it. As for whether or not I think you should use the iSINE CIPHER cable with it, I'll just say that both @AxelCloris and I have gotten better results driving it via its included analog cable with good digital audio players and DAC/amps.

Thanks, I had no seal with the ISine but still had bass, so I thought it was normal. Plus several people were saying they used them without seal and it was normal...anyways. If I can try with a seal I will.

Yeah, the iSINEs--and also the LCD-i4--are definitely not typical IEMs. Because of their open-back nature, you don't really get a seal, per se, as you've mentioned, @Mimouille. With a typical closed IEM, achieving a seal (even without music playing) is rather more obvious than it is with Audeze's in-ears. Because of this, they may take some getting used to, but it didn't take me long.

 

[jude]

While I'm discussing the LCD-i4, I thought I'd bring up a discussion we had about it on the Head-Fi.org Facebook Group. Fellow Head-Fi'er @bmichels was asking about the merits of the LCD-i4, vis a vis a more typical closed-back IEM. I answered (screenshot below):

​

Like @bmichels, my top IEM has been the full-range electrostatic Shure KSE1500, since its release. (We shot a whole Head-Fi TV episode about the KSE1500.) It's the most resolving IEM I've heard; and, given the excellent isolation it provides, it's rather like listening to a fantastic full-range electrostatic headphone while sitting in an isolation chamber. However, when I heard the Audeze LCD-i4 I knew straight away we might have a low-level resolution challenger for the KSE1500. Direct comparisons between the two are challenging, though, with the KSE1500 being so closed, and the LCD-i4 being so open.

I wasn't kidding in that Facebook chat--we did end up visiting the Roush Industries NVH Lab the next day to use one of their anechoic chambers to essentially eliminate the the closed-versus-open / isolating-versus-non-isolating difference between the two. Here's a quick video we shot while there:

​

As you can see, we ended up going with the Chord DAVE instead of the Chord Hugo 2 once we saw that we had ready access to a power outlet, and to afford as much detail retrieval performance as possible. While the Hugo 2 is as close to a portable DAVE as I've yet heard, I'd still rather listen to the DAVE when it's readily available. Day to day, though, because I'm not often in the same place for very long, the Chord Hugo 2 has been my primary source since its arrival.

Here are some photos:

​

So what were the key takeaways from this visit?

• When you essentially completely do away with external noise (HVAC, traffic, people moving around, fan noise, etc.) you realize even more how open-sounding the Audeze LCD-i4 is. Even outside the anechoic room, the open-back Audeze has an obvious (and not surprising) advantage over the Shure KSE1500, in terms of openness, width, and depth of soundstage. With the isolation--with little to no external auditory distraction--it's like my brain allows the soundstage of the LCD-i4 to fully realize itself. I wish I could shut the world out like this on-demand (without having to visit the lab).
  
• In terms of low-level detail retrieval, my impressions when listening inside the anechoic room to both the LCD-i4 and KSE1500 does suggest that the LCD-i4 does indeed resolve (to my ears) micro details every bit as well as the KSE1500. Again, its ability to resolve low-level detail is obvious even in a typical room setting, but listening to it in this silent lab environment is a very impressive display of the LCD-i4's full resolution.
• The detail retrieval of the Chord DAVE --> KSE1500 and Chord DAVE --> LCD-i4 combos is mind-boggling.

In case you're still wondering, then, why on earth anyone would want an open-back in-ear of this caliber (and price), I'll repeat what I said in the Facebook chat: It's like having a flagship-class open-back headphone that fits easily into my backpack. It's so small that I carry it in addition to my closed-back in-ears, so that I have the choice between closed and open depending on my setting (and mood).

As I said in that short video above, we'll be putting together a Head-Fi TV episode about the Audeze LCD-i4 relatively soon, so I'll have more to say then.

NOTES: The Audeze LCD-i4 we used for this is a pre-production unit. A production-version LCD-i4 will be arriving soon.

 

[raypin]

Mm...KSE's razor-sharp detail retrieval plus a planer magnetic's bass (it's an Audeze after all) plus the advantages of a open-backed headphone plus portability??? As a bonus, it costs considerably less than the KSE. Toxic.......very toxic. Run, wallet, run......

I've always hated on-ears. Don't have one. This would be an ideal alternative to on-ears headphones. Alternative to full-sized headphones? Not quite. At least based on my experience with the iSine 10. If this is what its cracked up to be, on-ears are history.

I bet a lot of iSine 20 owners are kickin' themselves right now.....lol!

Nearest alternative, aside from the iSine series, is the Stax 002 (inexpensive). Love the little Stax (except for the bass).

 

[Mimouille]

Thanks Jude I would have to try again.

 

[reddog]

Mm...KSE's razor-sharp detail retrieval plus a planer magnetic's bass (it's an Audeze after all) plus the advantages of a open-backed headphone plus portability??? As a bonus, it costs considerably less than the KSE. Toxic.......very toxic. Run, wallet, run......

I've always hated on-ears. Don't have one. This would be an ideal alternative to on-ears headphones. Alternative to full-sized headphones? Not quite. At least based on my experience with the iSine 10. If this is what its cracked up to be, on-ears are history.

I bet a lot of iSine 20 owners are kickin' themselves right now.....lol!

Nearest alternative, aside from the iSine series, is the Stax 002 (inexpensive). Love the little Stax (except for the bass).

Yep I bought a iSine 20 and will end up getting the LCD i4 lol. But I will keep the iSine 20 for walking around outside. I will use the LCD i4 for home use, perhaps going to the mall. Hmm must go find my whimpering wallet.

 

[FastAndClean]

all i need in my life

 

[AxelCloris]

Alternative to full-sized headphones? Not quite. At least based on my experience with the iSine 10.

Let's talk again once you've had the chance to hear the LCD-i4. For me, it's an alternative to many full-size headphones, but it's not going to replace my favorites. I like traveling light, and the Ether FLOW is anything but. However, the LCD-i4 packs nicely in my backpack and I have full-size-class planar sound that fits in my pocket.

 

[stacey]

Nice! I wonder would JH Layla even be comparable in this space?

 

[Deftone]

This design looks FAR nicer the than the spiderman isines. Trust the best looking one be the one i cant afford!