ShortShorts: Revisiting Audeze Sine​

Early Sunday morning with Audeze Sine redux. Pardon my French (or, more accurately, my Latin); I’m listening to Nouvelle Vague’s cover of Ever Fallen in Love by the, erm, Buzzcocks.

I really am blown away by how good these petite planar cans are. It’s a tragedy that they marketed it as a mobile companion for iPhone/iPad with the somewhat cantankerous Cipher lightning cable. With that configuration, it understandably struggles. I “modded” mine with over-the-ear pads and custom 8-core silver-copper modular cables plugged into the iFi iCan Nano+Aune Flamingo on tube mode, and they sing.

Beautifully designed—thanks to BMW’s Designworks—sleek, all-black (I’m a sucker for black colorways). It’s my favorite compact and light planar headphones.

#HeadPhones #Audeze #AudezeSine #MALEAudioReviews #ShortShorts

If you wear your headphones daily like I do, you can't beat the Audeze Sine. I wear them all day at work, I run with them, and they have been flawless. They look sophisticated in the office, yet are tough enough to wear anywhere. They fit more over-the-ear than on-ear so they cancel out background noise nicely as well. I think the thing I like most is the way they fit close to the head.

Build Quality, Comfort & Features

The barebones version of the Sine that I bought is slightly cheaper than the one that comes with a Lightning cable. Utilising a 3.5mm connector, this is ready to be plugged into pretty much anything. The cables are completely removable, which is a plus, and the look of them is a bit unique in that they are completely flat – like two rubber tapeworms that travel to the drivers.


The earcup shape is also a bit unusual to me. It looks really nice, but from a practical standpoint I’m left scratching my head. This is due to the fact that these might be some of the most uncomfortable headphones that I’ve owned to date. This isn’t because of high clamp, or because of weight (they’re light as expected) – but rather because the earpads themselves do not conform to the shape of human ears at all. I’d have to be a low-polygon elf from The Ocarina of Time to have these fit me right. I can’t have the headphones on for much longer than an hour at a time.

On top of that, the isolation is not all that good either – which is baffling to me if it’s meant for outdoor use. Then again, if better isolation meant more discomfort - then it is fine where it is. I just question its usage scenario.

Looks wise I have nothing but praise. It has soft leatherette, adding texture on the headband and cups themselves – giving a more premium look than the plastic that some competitors use.










The cable connectors are in a rather strange angle, kind of like a seahorse’s downward sloping head. They hold in place just fine though.

You don’t get a carrying case in the handsome packaging, but a bag instead.









Sound (Schiit Gungnir Multibit > Audio-GD NFB-28 Amp Section)

Anyways, the Sine is a headphone I can get behind, sound-wise. It surprises me just how much I prefer it over the more expensive Audeze EL-8 Open (2016). It’s an on-ear with a tuning that is not commonly found in this form factor. Yes, it costs more than other on-ear offerings by the likes of Sennheiser, B&O and so on – but it sounds quite different. It doesn’t try to hammer you over the head with elevated bass, which was honestly the biggest surprise for me on first listen. This is not to say that it sounds anaemic, but you have to admit that the “consumer” tuning of bassy on-ear headphones (increasingly relying on Bluetooth) in this price bracket has become a bit of a stereotype. Some of them, like the Sennheiser Urbanite, sound about as terrible as the Beats Solo 2 to me – but manage to sidestep the Beats hatred meme and look more premium because it’s put out by the makers of the HD600, HD650 and HD800.

The stepped back bass that the Sine has might be isolated to the standard 3.5mm jack version however, I have heard that the Lightning cable version does give it a bit of a bump. The bass of the Sine has a very full sound but it won’t drown out anything else in the mix. It’s also quite quick on its feet, not to the level of a Hifiman HE-500 but certainly more nimble than the EL-8. Groovier basslines never stumble and I would classify the speed as giving it a rather dynamic character in the bass. If it isn’t obvious at this point, you won’t be getting any slam from the bass of the Sine – it very much has Audeze’s smooth and (some would say) organic sound in this region. When listening to No Surprises by Radiohead, the bass notes in the intro retain nice body and let the rest of the delicate instrumentation ring out clearly.

The nitpick I have with the bass isn’t even really the amount or volume of it, but that in the lower registers it kind of stumbles (sounding choppy) and doesn’t form a strong signal until 35-40hz. The bass extension feels a bit cut to me but I think it might be because of the lack of cohesiveness when you really reach low. Even this criticism doesn’t quite bother me because I don’t listen to music that is really reliant something quite so deep. Outkast’s The Way You Move’s three main bass notes have the first two ring out very clearly, but the final (and lowest) one doesn’t sound distorted or anything but smooth – even if it’s a bit muted compared to the other two. One of the few tracks that I can hear some lack of control in the nether-bass region is on Massive Attack’s Angel. Instead of a tightly controlled experience, it sounds a little hashy and powdery - although the transients are decent and not sluggish.

The lower midrange is, thankfully, not muted – which is a pet peeve of mine. It’s not hugely emphasized either, which is another astonishing feature of this headphone in this price range – with the lower-mid and upper-bass emphasis being quite prevalent usually. It’s smooth and sounds quite linear in its ascent to me, making it so male vocals ring out clearly and effortlessly, and that guitars sound largely accurate. Listening to Soundgarden’s Black Hole Sun showed how the Sine was able to do justice to the famous chorus-effect laden guitar playing in the verses. It shimmered along as it should, and the distortion in the chorus sounded crunchy enough. The tonality is impressive.

The midrange itself is an extension of what I hear in the lower-mids, it just does not seem uneven. I’m grateful for it to not be recessed and I’m impressed by how (even though the soundstage is far from wide) it images fairly well with instrument tracks not drowning each other out. Vocal harmonies come out nicely, with all three vocal tracks in the chorus of Dreams by Fleetwood Mac being as audible as they should.

I’ve been using words such as “smooth” yet “dynamic” to describe the Sine – positive terms depending on who you ask. However, I would also say that the Sine is a bit “veiled” in presentation, with a pronounced drop in the presence region that is felt with some genres. What is unusual to me is that, right after the dips in the treble, there are two jumps that can give it a rather sharp sound at times. One is between 6k and 7k, and is followed by another dip before a sudden jump at 10k. These do serve to make it so the sound isn’t dull or dead by any means – but the transition in this region is a little wonky in my opinion.

Some recordings do bring out situation where the peaks can be grating to me, and funnily enough I find the Sine a smoother listen out of my Samsung Galaxy S8+ phone than my desktop DAC and amps. Someone claimed this might be because of output impedance on the phone, but I’m not sure enough to say.

So how does it come together? Quite well overall. I would say that this is a sound that is impressive out of the form factor, and handily trumps the Oppo PM-3 by sounding more lively and even in its presentation (treble peaks and deep sub-bass aside). It’s cohesive and just downright listenable. If it wasn’t for the comfort issues, this would be a stronger recommendation on my end to people.

Amping

As a planar magnetic headphone, I did notice that the Sine’s bass movement and accuracy benefitted from amplification. My phone did, however, drive it quite well – just had to deal with a slight bit less volume in the region. I did have to crank my phone to get to the level I would like though – 100% volume for genres like classic rock and 80% for louder metal/rock/electronica.

Conclusion

My ears are sore while writing this, and that’s frankly a problem. I have only been able to don these for a bit over an hour at a time before I have to remove them. While it’s a stylish headphone with a unique shape to it, I do not think the earpads are made for humans.

The sound does almost make up for it, but seeing how this doesn’t isolate particularly well or get especially loud out of a phone – I don’t see why you would want one for public use. As a product making sound, it’s great for its price point and portable nature. As a product overall, it occupies a strange place.

Video review here:



demo here:



INTRODUCTION

I’ve always been an on-ear headphone guy before I moved onto in ear monitors and never have I experienced such sound from an on-ear design. In most cases, on-ear designs suffer from sonic imperfections due to the overall design. Nevertheless, I do not want to spoil anything in the introduction but this headphone was hard to call it an on-ear regarding its performance.

ABOUT AUDEZE

From their website:

Audeze’s origins go back to 2008 when founders Sankar Thiagasamudram and Alexander Rosson met engineer Pete Uka who developed specialized flexible circuit materials for NASA. They quickly realized the material might be perfect for headphones. That’s when Dragoslav Colich, who has 30+ years’ experience in designing planar drivers, joined the team as CTO to create the LCD-1 headphone.


Then we created the legendary, award-winning LCD-2 and LCD-3 headphones, and the higher-efficiency LCD-X and XC models. More recently, we made planar magnetic technology accessible to a wider audience with the EL-8 and SINE series headphones. Audeze turned to their strategic partner Designworks, a BMW Group Subsidiary, for the cutting-edge industrial design for the new headphones as well as the Deckard DAC/Amplifier.


Audeze feature proprietary planar magnetic designs with extremely thin-film driver materials and powerful custom magnets. Planars overcome many limitations inherent in typical cone drivers; our lightweight diaphragms are, for example, faster and more responsive than heavier moving-coil or dome drivers. Planar magnetic diaphragm also have a voice-coil circuit spread across the diaphragm surface. The diaphragm’s voice-coil circuit interacts with the magnetic field to produce an electromagnetic force that moves the diaphragm back and forth creating the sound you hear when energized by an audio signal.

DISCLAIMER

This review unit was lent to me by audio excellence, for a review. Nevertheless, my review will contain no bias

SPECS

Style On-ear, closed-back

Transducer type Planar magnetic

Magnetic structure Single-sided Fluxor

Magnet type Neodymium

Diaphragm type Uniforce

Transducer size 80 x 70mm

Maximum power handling 6W

Maximum SPL >120dB

Frequency response 10Hz – 50kHz

Total harmonic distortion <1% full spectrum @ 100dB

Impedance 20 ohms

Optimal power requirement 500mW – 1W

Weight 300g

THE BUILD QUALITY

Positives

Starting from the headband to the cups, all I could see was either Leather or hard metal. Audeze coordinated with the BMW subsidiary to create this beautiful masterpiece. Hearing “bmw” instantly increased my build expectations for this headphone and that was not very good for this headphone because I already had high enough expectations for an on-ear design at this price range. If one little thing bothered me, I would have been unhappy with this expensive little gear…

Nevertheless, it was impossible to find any imperfections as the cups were beautifully designed in the shape of normal human ears with thick leather and the pad were plush memory foam that was comfortable enough to fall asleep with. The headbands were also memory foam inserted leather strap that was plush on top of your head. Considering that this headphone is no “light” headphone by any means, weighing 300g, the pressure on the head was evenly distributed enough for long lasting comfort and even thinking “these are incredibly light” until you took them off your head and feel the actual weight on your hands.

Negatives? (could be a negative or maybe I am just picky)

The cable and connector was the only problem I had. It just did not suite my personal taste and made me laugh because just why….. why Audeze? They decided to go with an inverted 45 degrees angled 3.5mm connectors that lock onto the headphone without a locking mechanism. But I cannot hate on it completely, as they did come up with a locking mechanism without having a legit something to be locking the cables down. It is quite an ingenious idea if you see it that way. But if you look at the fact that you will not be able to get these cables anywhere else other than from audeze and nowhere else in about few years when it is discontinued…. Other than that, the fettuccini looking cables did not meet my “personal taste” because it was hard to grab and go but that’s just me. You also can get the lighting cable for your iphone for extra dollars and get extra feature I will talk about in the next section.

Sound mechanism

The drivers used are planar magnetic drivers and to me, this is a plus because other than the fact that Audeze has great experience tuning these types of drivers, these types of drivers can make a more impactful sound in a closed housing like this. Isolation is also very good due to the overall build.


Included is also their latest technology, the “fazor,” which is a wave guide to increase the clarity and lower distortion.

Going with the trend you can also get the lighting cable for your iphone which comes with an attached dongle type D/A converter. It also can be used with an app from your iphone to store the EQ setting. For those of you that do not know what EQ is, it is basically the capability to boost or lower the frequency levels to your taste. For example, you can increase the bass and roll off the highs if that is what you prefer. Sound all very complex, right? it is as easy as scrolling up and down and finding out if you like the sound coming out of your headphones.

SOUND QUALITY

Lower Frequencies: Not the most bass you would experience. I would say it is natural. I cannot even say it is neutral because the bass just really kicks and thumps on tracks that has bass. For example, on Tupac’s Ambitious az a Ridah, the drums felt alive, kicking into my skulls. And going with the EQ recommended by much respected Tyll from inner fidelity, it really made me dance. But I will say this, these do not have sub-bass to please anyone looking for that “boom boom.”

Mid Frequencies: Guitars sound real and natural. Vocals sound correct but not euphoric like the HD650s or anything like that. And before all the audiophiles go wild saying “you can’t compare closed to open back headphone,” I am not comparing these two headphones in any way but just merely pointing out the vocals will sound recessed if you are coming from the HD650s. But in no way, is the mid-range “wrong.” These sounds just incredibly correct. In fact, listening to these for the review and going back to my HD650s for my own personal listening, I found the HD650s muddied. Before the Sennheiser fan boys go crazy, let me tell you I am not saying the HD650s are muddy in any way, just that these are extremely clear sounding and I really enjoyed every single track of Jason mraz and good old John Denver.

High Frequencies: I think this is where you can really tell these are high end headphones and experience what you paid for. The highs are sparkly and just spicy hot enough to give you that tingly feeling. However, I did not find them sibilant in any way, however, I can see that it may be fatiguing for some individuals in long listening session. Not because it is sibilant but because it is very detailed for an on-ear design.

Soundstage/imaging: the sound stage is limited but still adequate for an on-ear headphone. The imaging is on point and right on. right on baby…

Overall Thoughts

If you are looking for the best On-ear for home & portable use. Here it is. Best on-ear headphone 2017. Period. Nothing else to say…

This will be a short review, professional reviews are out there. The next of this is that if you don't want to shell out the cash for an LCD-2 but want to get the next closest thing in  the Audeze line this is it. I've lived with these now for over 3 months and they give my Magnepan 1.7's serious competition for which will be listened to in the evening. These easily beat out the Hifiman HE-400, Grado SR-225 with a natural highly detailed sound. I chose the model without the in line iPhone DAC, as it wasn't important to me, haven't regretted that in using it with iPhone and iPad. One of the really nice things is how natural the sound is, there are no surprise fails in any area. The only people who might not like this headphone are those accustomed to playing at 100 db to hear details... there is no fake punchiness in these phones that you can stimulate by playing louder.

Planar magnetic technology is now a thing in portable headphones too, thanks to Oppo's PM-3 and this set right here, Audeze Sine. Stylish design and quality materials are clearly a big factor nowadays also, as the prices keep going up. And I'm a big fan of pretty headphones! Unlike the Oppos, these sit on ones ears instead of over. This was the thing that gave me most pause about the model when I first heard of it. Having owned Sennheiser's standard setting HD-25 on-ear that has basically no soundstage, wonky fit and funny looks - I thought, "really Audeze, a pair of on-ears"? I still would have preferred a pair of over-ears (like the 2nd generation Momentums), but I see where they are going with these. More about the design later.
 
 

 
 
About me
I bought this pair for full price from my local dealer. I'm not affiliated with Audeze in any way. Headphone audio has been a big part of my life for about 13 years - since the day I got a pair of my first nice cans, the Beyerdynamic DT770s. I mostly listen to rock, metal and hip-hop, but enjoy some soul, pop, reggae and electronic music too. I play guitar, drums, and some bass and record my own music regularly. I have about 15 years of experience in non-professional mixing, mastering and DIY recording.
 
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Gear used
iPhone 5S (with Cipher and standard 3,5mm cable)
Apogee Duet DAC and Schiit Lyr 2 amp (with 3,5mm cable)
 
Comparisons with:
Audeze LCD-2.1 (with new thicker Audeze pads)
Sennheiser Momentum (1st gen)
 
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Here we go...
 
 
Build quality
These are built very well, not even considering price (my 2010-made LCD-2s look and feel like a high school project next to these). There's leather on the outside of the cups and around the headband, but for some reason not on the earpads. Other than that, it's pretty much made of metal - a good kind of industrial design. It all feels very functional and thought out. They feel hefty, and yes; they are clearly heavier than my Momentums and V-Moda M100s. I guess it's the planar drivers adding to the weight. The cups turn 90 degrees in both directions. This is especially nice when wearing them around the neck. The headband adjustment doesn't unfortunately have any clicks to tell where you are, but this is a matter of opinion. The adjustment is very sturdy anyhow. By the way, I have a large head and the Sines fit with ease, even when wearing a cap (For comparison, V-Moda M100 doesn't quite extend enough for me, M80 not even close.) 
 
These have (flat) wires going into both drivers, in an odd angle too. But, this gets the wires far away from one's shoulders. I can see why it's Audeze who did this design - the old LCDs had some long cables sticking into your shoulders when turning your head. I bet they got some slack for that (and that made them change the design).
 
 
Comfort
Let's get this straight, these aren't the comfiest portables around. But not the worst either. I'd say these are close to over-ear, but not really for most of us. Clamping force isn't too bad even on my large head, though. After an hour or two one of my ears tend to hurt slightly, but less so after some time and use. I haven't bent the headband to relieve the clamp. At least not yet.
 
The earpad size is pretty much comparable to my Momentums, but the pads are not as soft:

 
 
 
But what is this?
There's this one odd thing about wearing the Sines, though. When they're on my head and I push them against my head even slightly, volume level goes down, very clearly (same happens on both channels). In reverse, they get louder when I pull them off of my head slowly. Is this a known feature of the Sines or what? Maybe it has to do with that planar driver being closed in? 
 
(Please comment below, if you've noticed this or understand what's going on!) Basically, it's not a huge deal. But I've also noticed I get more level from one channel if I lean my head towards it (leaning left releases the seal from that side and increases volume as mentioned.) Chewing gum etc. doesn't do good to the volume balance, I've realized. At first I thought I was going nuts!
 
 
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Sound quality
 
Neutrality?
Overall, these are a surprisingly neutral pair. Neutral? Meaning, that these have quite strong mids (no V-shape here) - maybe even some mids boost - and a very strong attention to small details in the mid-highs and highs especially. This means that they really do not make a crappy recording sound smooth and nice. I've noticed this sentiment said over and over when reviewing quality headphones, but yeah. These can sound downright ugly with brickwall-distorted recordings and the like. And you will hear the buzzes and clicks from your vinyl player, no doubt. These have a resemblance to many good active studio monitors (Genelec, Adam) in this regard. For fans of clear transients and instrument separation these are very recommendable.
 
 
Bass
This is what planars are known for, flat and punchy bass. And yes, the Sines provide in spades. But not so much in quantity as quality (provided EQ helps there though, read further). These are certainly not bass-head cans, just very clear and punchy down low. I cannot stand headphones that lack bass, this is not the case here. With the Cipher there is a nice boost for portable use too, good for the times when the surrounding noise takes over. This is the best bass I've heard in a portable set yet. If you want huge amounts, look elsewhere. 
 
 
Mids
No problems here either, but you just might hear a slight emphasis at 1-2khz. I'd dare to say these are mid-centric with the 3,5mm cable. (I bet this is very much down to seal, fit and clamp as is everything with closed cans, on-ears especially.) Details are heard very clearly, resolution is good, but the Sines have a slight analytical feel to them. I've found no problems with this aspect, but one should keep this in mind. These are not "mini-LCD's". Headphones like LCD-2 and HD650 are much more buttery in the mids. The Sines could very well be used for mixing etc. after some (brain)adjustment. Transients are quite easily heard.
 
Some very compressed mids sounds, especially big metal/rock guitars can sound slightly boxy and compressed. Maybe it's that small cup resonating? Just a guess.
 
Highs
No "evil" spikes here, even though there is not much air in the highest regions (Audeze's EQ helps here too). This is something one might suspect from a small cupped on-ear design, not bad at all. The trebles are quite balanced and natural sounding, they don't screw up the sound of cymbals or other instruments. I've heard the Sines described as a trebly can, I don't see that. Highs are there, but not in an aggressive, in-your-face way. 
 
 
Sound-Stage
These are small on-ear portable headphones, HD800s these are not. These spread the sound quite nicely for this style of headphone. This is not nearly as bad as my previous best in on-ears, the HD-25, which is super-closed and in-your-face. The Sines are mid-focused, which might be because of the design. The sound-stage isn't claustrophobic.. Look for really big stages elsewhere.
 
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Comparisons to other models!
 
 
Vs. Audeze LCD-2.1 (from 2010)
The Sines cannot really compete with the full-sized pair. They are not "mini-LCD's", as some hopefully claimed. Portable headphones are good for their size, isolation and style, but that's basically it. When those parameters are thrown out the window, the big and open ones usually prevail. That LCD-2 bass is much better in the sub-regions, clean and flat. Mids seem more drawn back, but that is because of the added highs and air.The sound-stage is on a completely different level. These older LCD's have quite a smooth sound to them, still the highs are clearly more forward. Sines through the 3,5mm cable are mid-focused in comparison. Sine's have a vibe of a good studio/monitor headphone.
 

 
 
Vs. Sennheiser Momentum (first over-ear version)
These Senns are not over-ears really, either. But yes, they are more comfy than the Sines. My ears just love the Senns and their soft leather pads. The low-end is much more boomy here, low-end has much less clarity and snap than the Sine. Momentums are more like a warm & pleasing approximation of the lows compared to the Sine's tightness and clarity. Senns have that mid-bass warmth the company is known for. With the 3,5mm cable especially the Audezes are more mids forward. The Senns are sort of V-shaped, Sines are not. Resolution and neutrality is clearly better with the Sines. Momentum is much more forgiving when listening to not-so-good mixes. Amplification helps a bunch with both headphones. Both of them are well built from quality materials and look nice. Momentums seal outside noise better.
 
 
 
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Cipher cable, is it worth it?
For starters, these are seriously weak straight out of a phone. You'll need an amp of some sorts in most cases.The Cipher is what really made them special for me from the start, it really was a different kind of a deal. I want good sound quality, but lugging around an extra brick with cables attached to my phone isn't my idea of a nice walk (yeah, I've done it). There must be another way? I'm not going to describe the specs here too much (basically it's a DAC, amp, mic, remote and DSP rolled into one cable), but this Cipher is the real deal. It seems to have a bass boost integrated, some say 3db. Seems about right. If you use Apple products with Lightning-connection, it is a no-brainer for about 50 bucks.
 
You have to push the volume pretty much to max on many tracks when using the 3,5mm cable into a phone. Without Cipher the amount of bass is very nice in a silent environment, like at home. But for me, that's not what I bought the Sines for, good sound in a noisy environment is a must.
 
 
The Sines with the Cipher:

 
 
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App with EQ
At this time Audeze's app for Apple's iOS only has this 10-band EQ, but they've promised there will be more fun stuff in the future. This add-on works quite nicely for me. It allows me to drop a few db's from 125hz, making the mid-bass less prominent and the lower bass more clear. Cutting the mids doesn't really work for me, but boosting the 8 and 16k about 1-2db helps bring out the highs sparkle a bit. Boosting 2 and/or 4k brings out vocals, guitars etc. Basically the "presence" region. As an EQ hint - very big boosts tend to sound unnatural. Dips too, but not as much.
 
An early test of EQ settings:

 
 
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Last thoughts
This is one well-built set of expensive portable headphones. There's been a bunch before - Beats, Oppo, Momentum and many others. Unlike many before them, Sines are on the neutral side of things, not made for bassheads or fans of a strongly V-shaped signature. But, the resolution and clarity throughout the frequency range is the best I've heard from a portable pair. These get my recommendation, especially using the Cipher cable with an Apple-device. 
 
Something to improve for Audeze? The obvious over-ear version.
 
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Cheers for reading!

Introduction

When I recently reviewed Audeze's new flagship, the LCD-4, I kinda, sorta knew that my review would mostly fall on deaf ears. I mean let's all be honest now. Not too many people are in the market for a four thousand dollar pair of headphones - audiophile or not. And the truth is Audeze is quite aware of that fact too, which is why that's not the only headphone they make.

In fact, over the last few years, Audeze has introduced a number of products outside of their critically acclaimed LCD line. In 2015, Audeze introduced the EL-8, a planar magnetic that combined BMW Designworks aesthetics with their patented-pending Fluxor and Uniforce technologies. The net result was a full-sized can that not only looked sharp but at an asking price well under their lowest priced LCD. Granted, $699 is by no means chump change, but I think most of you will agree it's at least in the realm of possibilities.

Yet while the industry was still unraveling the mysteries behind the EL-8, Audeze was silently working in the background on an entirely new headphone that would change the way we think about planar magnetics forever. That headphone is the SINE, the world's first on-ear planar magnetic headphone, and at $449 sans Cipher cable, Audeze's most aggressively priced headphone to date.

Audeze was very generous to send me two pairs of EL-8s, one open-backed and the other closed, as well as the SINE to do a sort of shoot out to get an idea of which one of these fine specimens of planar magnetic goodness is the right one for you. And the answer is, well, complicated.

I saw the SINE

Believe it or not, that's the SINE circa 2014 in prototype form. Funny story though, this pic actually briefly leaked on Head-Fi before it was quickly taken down at the behest of Audeze. It was initially mistaken for an early EL-8 prototype and caused quite a stir simply due to its size. Pretty cool, right? Note: you can stop singing Ace of Base now.

Whereas the EL-8 is the epitome of trickle down economics, with a lot of its core technology derived from the LCD series, the SINE is a different beast altogether. In fact, the SINE is the culmination of over three years of development, with the entire Audeze engineer team having to think outside the box to build a planar magnetic headphone of this size.

And one of the biggest hurdles they had to overcome was controlling its weight. You see the overwhelming majority of planar magnetics are big, bulbous headphones, with a lot of their weight emanating from the magnets themselves. And if you read my LCD-4 review, then you know that most planar magnetic headphones use a double sided array, i.e. magnets on both sides of the diaphragm. But during the development of both the SINE and LCD-4, Audeze figured out a way to use a single-sided design that could both reduce weight as well as improve sound. The net result of that effort was what they dubbed Fluxor, and it is one of the SINE's cornerstone technologies that allows it to keep its girlish figure.



But putting all this techno mumbo-jumbo aside for a moment, in terms of fit and finish, both the EL-8 and SINE are gorgeous looking headphones in their own right. As you can see from the pic above, the EL-8 open back design is a combination of wood, metal, and leather that just screams luxury. While its closed counterpart is similar in vein except that the Titanium Edition has brushed aluminum cups instead of wood (The horror! -Dave).

However, despite what you may have been told, neither of these cans are really portable, and are clearly happiest sitting on a Woo Audio headphone stand or something of that ilk. I mean that's why they are classified as full-sized.

The SINE on the other hand is also well endowed but its focus is clearly on durability instead. Its headband is all leather and extremely plush despite feeling rigid to the touch. The transducers themselves sit in a hard plastic shell that are suspended by an all metal, heavy duty adjustable frame. Audeze did a spectacular job of giving the SINE real sex appeal while still maintaining its rugged feel.

However, all three headphones are equally comfortable with a nod to the EL-8s just because they are bigger and thus come with more padding. But the SINE is no slouch either, and at least for me, their clamping pressure was just about right. Unless you have Dumbo-sized ears, they should cover your lobes with ease. Isolation was pretty good too as I was able to listen to Deathspell Omega next to my wife without her complaining once! Happy day.

If there is one immediate downside to either the EL-8 or SINE, it would be their cables. On one hand, both connectors are insanely slick and can be swapped in and out with ease, with the EL-8 tips looking like miniature sticks of RAM and the SINE adopting the more familiar 3.5mm jack that just snaps into place. On the other, they are both proprietary, which means if you already own a pair of aftermarket high-end cables, you can't re-use them without getting them re-terminated. Again, this is a relatively minor gripe since the overwhelming majority of consumers couldn't care less about third-party cable support. However, given the fact that Audeze now has several headphones at different price points in their stable, it would be nice if my blue LCD-4 cable could be re-used with either the EL-8 or SINE. C'est la vie.

Decipher the Cipher

Speaking of cables, Audeze knew a headphone is only as good as the playback chain behind it which is why they developed the Cipher, a Lightening cable that features an inline 24-bit amp/DAC combo. It also includes a DSP chip too that can be used in conjunction with the Audeze app (available free through the iTunes Store) to apply various EQ settings on the fly. Pretty slick if you ask me.



I tried both the EL-8 and SINE through the Cipher using my wife's iPad 2 and it was insanely easy to setup: plug one end of the Cipher into the headphone, the other into the iPad, start Spotify and presto, Revocation. Easy.

The Cipher itself also features a few buttons that allow you to adjust the volume up and down as well as the ability to pause the music, which is incredibly handy if you plan to use it at work. The buttons worked with both iTunes and Spotify will no issue to report. I wish though that they were programmable, but alas that is Apple's doing not Audeze's (Apple requires that all buttons perform certain functions to obtain certification). I also found the added weight of the Cipher negligible as it didn't change the veracity or speed in which I headbanged.



In terms of sound, the Cipher adds a bit of artificial bass oomph by applying a +3db boost to the lower octaves. But despite the Cipher's overall pleasantries, it was no match for the Schiit Modi/Vali 2 Uber combo (review pending) I used for the majority of this review. So if you do plan to use a dedicated desktop stack with the either the EL-8 or SINE, I would pass on the Cipher unless you want to use it for on the go or need real-time EQ.

With all that said, I found listening through the Cipher an order of magnitude better than just connecting the SINE to the iPad's headphone out (Don't try that at home kids. We are trained professionals here! - Dave). I should also point out that the Cipher isn't really just a cable either, but an actual platform that Audeze plans to exapnd significantly over the next few years. So though the Audeze app is a bit spartan right now, I assure you the company has big plans for the Cipher, including incorporating technologies that were developed for the DDA-1 I beta tested many moons ago. Finally, as a $50 dollar add-on they are practically giving it away. If I was already wedded to the Apple ecosystem, I would definitely be all over it.

But as a proud Android user that brings me to the Cipher's biggest downside: no Android support. It is certainly on Audeze's radar, and if the SINE continues to sell as well as it has been, I'm quite confident they'll cave. I'm also told that adding Android support would not be very hard either as there are no intrinsic technical hurdles to really overcome. Cross your fingers.

Epic Rap Battle: EL-8 vs. SINE

Now that I've established that both the EL-8 and SINE are, at least on paper, well spec'ed and appropriately dressed for an evening engagement of metal, the question still remains, "Which one?" And to come up with that answer I decided to go all in and listen to all three headphones over a two month stretch through both an iFi micro iDSD as well as a Schiit Modi/Vali 2 stack. I obviously removed the Cipher out of the equation since it would be more of a distraction than anything else. So without further ado, let's get to it!


2012's Of Breath and Bone still remains my favorite Be'lakor record to date. Don't get me wrong, 2009's Stone Reach is a brilliant record in its own right too, but Breath has this sense of urgency to it the minute you press play that is immediately engrossing. Very recently, these talented gentlemen from Down Unda' released a FDR vinyl remaster of it as a digital download on their official Bandcamp page. And it sounds nothing short of spectacular, making it perfect test fodder for this shoot out.

SINE: The first aspect of the SINE's sound is coherency; there isn't a whole lot missing across the frequency spectrum to really speak of, and what it does lack in a few areas it does so in a very understated manor. Guitars are especially pleasant, with the upper mids having a bit of warmth to them. Bass is also thumpy too but definitely lacks impact. Treble extension is respectable but still a tad on the dark side which is what I would expect at this price point. It's not that hats and cymbals don't shine but the SINE clearly has a sharper roll off in their upper octaves compared to its bigger siblings.

Listening to opener "Abeyance" through the SINE however is an absolute thrill, and if you are coming off say a pair of Sony MDR-V6s or some other big box full-sized can, your jaw is just going to drop. Again, coherency is the word of the day when it comes to the SINE, as they offer a very well conceived sound profile that masks a lot of its shortcomings.

EL-8 Open-backed (EL-8O): Truth be told, this isn't my first rodeo show with the EL-8O. I was given a pair to use back when I beta tested the DDA-1 so I knew what to expect out the gate. Listening to the EL-8O immediately after the SINE though showcases what the extra $250 buys you: better resolution across the board, stronger bass response, and a headstage that is an order of magnitude wider than the SINE. Again, the track "Abeyance" sounded great through the EL-8O with noticeable improvements particularly in the treble department. I also felt that the EL-8O was just overall smoother sounding across the entire frequency spectrum, exhibiting a sort of effortless in the way it presented all the Be'lakor madness that was being shot through it.

EL-8 Closed (EL-8C): Full confession: I'm not a big fan of closed headphones in general and the EL-8C didn't really change my opinion of them. It's not like "Abeyance" sounded awful through the EL-8C. It's just that it sounded a lot better through it's open backed counterpart. Closed headphones tend to sound congested since their main focus is providing isolation than absolute sound quality. So if fidelity is indeed what you crave and you are perfectly comfortable sharing your love with early Morbid Angel with everyone in the office, the EL-8O might be a better choice for you.

However, the EL-8C vs. the SINE was a much more interesting comparison, since both offer a modicum of isolation and have, like I said, a fairly congested headstage. I actually preferred the SINE simply for the fact that the EL-8C offered no more low-end grunt but certainly a lot more bulk. Yes, the EL-8C has a wider soundstage but it's not leaps and bounds better like with the EL-8O.


As you can tell, I have been on a melodeath kick of late because one of my all-time favorite bands, Insomnium, are about to release a new record in the coming weeks. And my favorite record of theirs has got to be 2006's Above the Weeping World, which from start to finish is a bona fide masterpiece. The track "Last Statement", which comes toward the back end of this record. is a wonderful example of why Insomnium are the best at what they do, blending gorgeous melody with catchy death riffs in a very tight seven plus minute package. The song's melodic interlude about midway through is grade-A horn raising material and never fails to get my head moving.

SINE: This record is crushed. Clocking in at DR5, there is just no denying that fact. But through the SINE, it doesn't really matter all that much though. I got the sense that these headphones aren't really going to make crushed records sound any worse than they already are, but rather make well recorded, open sounding ones less so. Basically, the SINE's greatest strength is also its greatest weakness which is its size, since their earcups just don't create enough of an air pocket to really emulate big concert hall sound - ain't gonna happen. So if you are a classical buff then I'm not sure you would find the SINE as gratifying as I did because of this shortcoming.

EL-8O: The EL-8O again sounded clearly the best of the bunch, but I thought only marginally so compared to the SINE this time, especially in the mids. That's more due to the limited fidelity of this recording than any inherit flaw in the EL-8O.

EL-8C: I felt the EL-8C sounded on par with the SINE, though I still preferred the SINE overall. The main issue I had with the EL-8C is that it again made this track sound even more claustrophobic than it already is. With that said, I thought transients sounded definitely better through the EL-8C as did treble response too, which admittingly is one of the EL-8C's clear strong suits.


I have a confession to a make: Perturbator's latest is probably my most listened to record of 2016 thus far, and it isn't even metal. It's highly crushed EDM (For shame! - Dave). But this record is so damn addictive I just can't put it down. If you haven't yet bathed in the 80s synth glory that is Perturbator, you really must as his latest, entitled Uncanny Valley, quite possibly might be his best effort to date.

SINE: Surprisingly quite fast. And though its stereo imaging is again somewhat lacking, it's overall delivery brings with it a certain immediacy that lends to its involving nature. After a while, you really just sit back and rock out with the SINE which is exactly what Audeze had in mind when they designed these little beauties. Out of all three, I easily had the most fun listening to this record through the SINE.

EL-8O: Even faster than the SINE, with a lot more of the finer details buried in Kent's mix brought to the fore. Bass is bigger, tighter, and fuller. Mids are still the star of the show though, and have that signature Audeze warmth to them which make them a tad addictive. Treble too improves, but not as much.

EL-8C: A solid performance all around but definitely bass weak. Bass is certainly accounted for but has very little impact compared to the EL-8O. Compared to the SINE however, the EL-8C was again a mixed bag. I thought the EL-8C certainly resolves more, but due to its somewhat quirky preso, I again had more fun with the SINE. Your mileage may vary but I thought the SINE was just an overall more engaging headphone even if it was ultimately less accurate.

Final Thoughts

So which one should you buy? As usual, that depends.

If price is not a concern, the EL-8O is by far the best sounding headphone of the bunch. However, at $699, it is still on the high side with plenty of alternatives from the likes of Mr. Speakers and Oppo that if are not on par with the EL-8O, certainly offer more bang for your buck. And if you can scrounge another $300 bucks, you now own a LCD-2 or even used LCD-3, both of which sound a lot better than the EL-8O. Decisions.

Now if isolation is what you crave, then the EL-8C is your can. However, you could easily buy a pair of higher-end IEMs instead, e.g. Sennheiser IE800, and have better portability and sound for about the same price. Granted, you won't get that wide soundstage out of an IEM compared to a full-sized can like the EL-8O but still.

By now you've probably guessed that the SINE actually turned out to be the clear overall winner despite being the lowest cost option of the bunch. It's deficiencies, which are mainly the lack of a wide stereo image and airy treble, are more than easily excusable, especially if your go to genre of choice is metal. Moreover, the SINE consistently offered a truly exhilarating listening experience no matter what I shot through it, eschewing all the planar magnetic goodness that Audeze has become so famous for and without breaking the bank in the process. And at under $1k, you could easily build a very respectable audiophile class desktop system around it that would give you plenty of room to grow but more than satiate your needs on day one. Add the Cipher cable and suddenly you have a complete audiophile grade playback system wherever you go. Epic win.

The SINE is an outstanding product and easily earns our coveted Metal-Fi award. So if you got $500 bucks or less to burn on a can, definitely audition the SINE. You won't be disappointed. And seriously, stop singing Ace of Base now. It's embarrassing.

This review was originally featured on Metal-Fi.

Hello music lovers!

Here i can only review the headphone without the cipher-cable.
(A bit impossible to get it in germany right now.)
 
Comfort:

Never had an on-ear designed headphone this comfy! The leather padding is soft,
and the headphone will get "automatically" the best position on your ears.
 
Build:

A bit heavy? No, still ok. It feels sturdy, leather, Aluminium, a bit plastic, very nice!
I just worry about these leather-cups, i hope they will not be scratched too quick.
The small bag is too small, and metal touching metal inside. not a good thing.
An extra headphone case is highly recommended!
 
Design:
 
Best i ever seen! Clean, industrial design in perfect "darth vader black".
It´s a beauty headphone, no competition out there. 
I love my "Denmark H6", a beauty too sure... but this design is way more refined.
Only the SINE Logo is a bit too bright an big for my taste.
If you are an "Hello Kitty" fan, this is not the design for you.
 
Sound:
 
This headphone may be the strongest part of your setup.
The sound is 100% clear, a dark warm natural sound, with strong sub-bass,
kicking bass, natural mids, an the fine details in the trebles gives an open sound,
your forget that you wear a "closed" on-ear!
One word: Amazing!
 
 
Noise Cancelling:
 
It is not active, but the world-sonics will be blocked well.
Not the best, but it is good.
 
Price:

Expensive? A bit... but...  if you tried one, you want one. 
I guarantee this!
 
One thing...
 
Your will want a strong amp, "iphone only" is not a good idea.
Even at max vol. it is not really loud. Poor output.
Waiting for this cipher cable...
I hope that I can get one this year...
I use a 400$ DAC DAP from China now.
A well partner for the sine, but still not the "best".
Now your have a reason to invest in good electronics.
 
 
Have fun with this headphone.
Highly recommended.

Greetings from germany (please excuse my bad english)!
 
Ingo