[RojasTKD]

Believe me, I'm tempted! I love their portability, but I think I would always be comparing the sound to the LCD-2F. If I could find a balanced cable for them, I'd do it. I hate the stock cable.

I guess finding a balanced cable or any cable for the Sine would be difficult with is very different connection point to the headphone. Ohh, just say this: https://www.moon-audio.com/audeze-s...IUjk7I9pbznpTDxxoC3VMQAvD_BwE&ad=106141897041

but how many peiple have a device/Amp that can use that cable?

At $225 is was just too tempting for me to pass up.

 

[phthora]

I guess finding a balanced cable or any cable for the Sine would be difficult with is very different connection point to the headphone. Ohh, just say this: https://www.moon-audio.com/audeze-s...IUjk7I9pbznpTDxxoC3VMQAvD_BwE&ad=106141897041

but how many peiple have a device/Amp that can use that cable?

At $225 is was just too tempting for me to pass up.

Why you gotta do me like that, bro?

Good thing it's sold out. lol

 

[phthora]

.

 

[phthora]

Just a quick note to Audeze...

 

[RojasTKD]

Why you gotta do me like that, bro?

Good thing it's sold out. lol

My bad, lol

 

[RojasTKD]

Gotta ask do others find their EL-8 Ti as power hungry as I do? FAr to power needy for a "portable". Is it just my pair. I continue to be underwhelmed by the Cipher cable and it weak lifeless output.

Well, after more listening I feel much the same. Cipher cable dosen't cut it, and most portable devices don't either, But I have found one thing that might save the El-8 Ti from being returned. My LG V20 when tricked into high impedance mode can drive the EL-8 to a decent enough level at max volume to maybe salvage these headphone. It give me just enough bass and extension and volume to be mostly satisfying. I'd like a little more, but this might just do. As I'm considering getting a V30 or G7 with their Quad DAC I'll have a easy convenient way to drive them to an enjoyable enough level.

I might just take an other week to decide.

UPDATE: The more i listen the more I'm impressed how well the LG V30 does with the EL-8 Ti.

 

[phthora]

Gotta ask do others find their EL-8 Ti as power hungry as I do? FAr to power needy for a "portable". Is it just my pair. I continue to be underwhelmed by the Cipher cable and it weak lifeless output.

Well, after more listening I feel much the same. Cipher cable dosen't cut it, and most portable devices don't either, But I have found one thing that might save the El-8 Ti from being returned. My LG V20 when tricked into high impedance mode can drive the EL-8 to a decent enough level at max volume to maybe salvage these headphone. It give me just enough bass and extension and volume to be mostly satisfying. I'd like a little more, but this might just do. As I'm considering getting a V30 or G7 with their Quad DAC I'll have a easy convenient way to drive them to an enjoyable enough level.

I might just take an other week to decide.

Not especially power-hungry. Most of my headphones are planar magnetic, though, so I would consider them about average in that regard. About the same as the HiFiMan 400i (which I see you used to have). Maybe your listening levels changed to compensate for the brighter sound signature? People tend to adjust overall sound based on a fairly narrow band of frequency. If yours falls in the bass, you may be listening louder, and thus using more power, than with comparable headphones. Just a theory.

I'm running mine on the iFi Black Label, and the pairing is outstanding. The bass boost has saved the day with these. I just ordered an high quality balanced cable from Ursine Audio, so maybe that will help a bit too. I can't stand the al dente linguini Audeze packed in as a cable.

 

[RojasTKD]

Not especially power-hungry. Most of my headphones are planar magnetic, though, so I would consider them about average in that regard. About the same as the HiFiMan 400i (which I see you used to have). Maybe your listening levels changed to compensate for the brighter sound signature? People tend to adjust overall sound based on a fairly narrow band of frequency. If yours falls in the bass, you may be listening louder, and thus using more power, than with comparable headphones. Just a theory.

I'm running mine on the iFi Black Label, and the pairing is outstanding. The bass boost has saved the day with these. I just ordered an high quality balanced cable from Ursine Audio, so maybe that will help a bit too. I can't stand the al dente linguini Audeze packed in as a cable.

I think you may be correct. I may be turning the knob until I'm getting it to sound alive, particularly in the bass. Luckily doing so doesn't make the EL-8 Ti very harsh, it can become a bit harsh if over done. This is probably why I hated the M50X and Monoprice M560. With the M50X I found the mids/vocals recessed and turned the volume up to compensate then the highs became very harsh. These was just no way for me to enjoy them. The M560 was too bass lean and turning it up made the mids/vocals became very harsh.

Still I tend to turn the volume up on the EL-8 than on most of my other planars (I have 7 other planar headphone).

Still it not just the bass. It's overall "flat" sounding with out some juice. I also find the Cipher cable to but a bit low in volume even at max. I wanted the EL-8 as a portable closed back planar only with a V20 (and V30 or G7 i suppose) tricked into high impedance at or near max volume am I content.

 

[TidalWave]

I'm really surprised about all the "flat" comments about EL-8 Closed (post-revision)/Titanium. I've listened to both of those with a Cayin C5 mobile amp in high gain mode, and usually with +bass boost to round it out. Nothing flat about it! Really detailed, powerful, and has plenty of excitement. I am NOT a fan of the Cipher cable tuning in general and prefer to use another amp/DAC.

Sine is more upper-mid/high-forward and with a more compressed soundstage. I've used SINE for a long time now and have had a good amount of time with EL-8 and Mobius. Another planar I've been listening to is Blue Ella - now THAT headphone is laid back for sure. Plenty of bass, but the upper mids and treble seem all scooped out, so apparent detail is lower than Sine and EL-8. Easy to listen to, easy to drive with a cell phone and built-in amp combined, but I miss the detail emphasis of EL-8 and SINE when listening to Ella, because I'm so used to the sound from the former.

Sine: small, light, discrete, has the best passive noise isolation when outside. Compressed soundstage, lower detail in the low end, bit harsh in the high end for recordings that are more treble/high-end-heavy.

EL-8 Closed/Ti: more balanced vs. Sine, much larger soundstage and emphasis of small detail (like an artist shifting a chair in the background), overall larger more immersive sound. Heavy, Titanium model looks silly in my opinion (who decided the bright silver "O" on the black background was an upgrade over the black/wood version?), worse passive sound isolation than Sine and so less mobile, higher impedance than Sine needing more amplification. Low end not as powerful but not much less, while gaining greater extension and sub-bass detail. Sine just kind of rolls off at the sub bass level: you can hear things happening in that region, but they are quiet/not emphasized. So far Mobius reigns supreme over both Sine and EL-8 Closed in the sub-bass quality for me. Bright in the high frequency region which gives the airy presence but are actually sibilant (at least my Titanium unit) with some tracks, which is a bad thing. Sine is almost never sibilant.

I personally prefer and have more appreciation for the sound from EL-8 Closed (post-revision) than from Sine, all other equipment and songs being equal.

 

[ultraman31]

I posted this on other EL-8 Thread, but is there anyway to get the balanced cable nowadays? I know Moon-audio and some other custom cable makers have one for over $200, but I'm looking for just simple balanced cable... or can anyone recommend cable maker that can build one for cheap? Moon-audio has the EL-8 connector for $40 so I can just buy them and ship them over....