Audeze iSINE 10 & iSINE 20: Audeze releases two new IEM planar magnetic earphones
May 23, 2017 at 5:56 AM Post #2,386 of 7,347
Have a read of the comments and also it's mentioned in the review that Zeos released a couple of days ago:


He's a big fan of the M1060 but basically grabs the iSine 10 when going 'mobile'. Seems to say they're very very similar. Also says that the extra cash needed for the iSine 20 only gives you a maybe 5% performance increase IHHO


Yeah, I've watched both of his videos on the isine 10 & 20 and the Monolith M1060, I was having trouble with actually determining what they differ with in terms of sound quality since Zeos does little to actually describe the sound in words (not as much as he does in grunts and moans which I watch his videos for).
 
May 23, 2017 at 6:06 AM Post #2,387 of 7,347
Yeah, I've watched both of his videos on the isine 10 & 20 and the Monolith M1060, I was having trouble with actually determining what they differ with in terms of sound quality since Zeos does little to actually describe the sound in words (not as much as he does in grunts and moans which I watch his videos for).
I know, it's a shame. He does comment on the difference being quite small below the video though.
I just edited my last comment to say that remember, he doesn't have an iPhone so hasn't heard the difference between the two with the Cipher DSP.
 
May 23, 2017 at 8:38 AM Post #2,388 of 7,347
While I have read the thred from page 1 and understand that the isine 10 & 20 are in a sort of grey area between IEM's and full size headphones, I have to wonder about how they compare to the Monolith M1060.

Has anyone heard both the isine (specifically 10 is preferred but either) and the Monolith M1060? I'm interested in their differences since they are priced similarly.

Thank you in advance.

I would say the iSine 10's (w/standard cable) have a similar presentation to the M1060s in terms of the general character and sound signature, so it's hard to contrast them in that regard, but you're still comparing a 30mm planar driver to a 106mm planar driver and it definitely sounds like it, you're not gonna get the same full, rich sound from the iSines as the M1060s. If portability or sound leakage is no issue, definitely buy the M1060s
 
May 23, 2017 at 10:52 AM Post #2,389 of 7,347
Just received my iSINE 10, and through iPhone 6 plus, first impressions are very positive. I immediately got a good fit, even without the ear clips.This was the first surprise. Deep bass, good instrument separation,very wide sound field, with good depth. So far so good. I hope the ear hooks (which I have just fitted) stand up to use, as they certainly feel flimsy.NOW, the big question, do I send back, and get the iSINE 20? Decisions, decisions.
 
May 23, 2017 at 11:38 AM Post #2,390 of 7,347
I know, it's a shame. He does comment on the difference being quite small below the video though.
I just edited my last comment to say that remember, he doesn't have an iPhone so hasn't heard the difference between the two with the Cipher DSP.

I'm an android user so the cipher cable is no big deal for me. In the thread page approx. 80 or so there are various EQ screenshots of people and from the Audeze cipher cable tuner as well, so I probably will stick to EQ-ing the isine 10 once I get them.

I would say the iSine 10's (w/standard cable) have a similar presentation to the M1060s in terms of the general character and sound signature, so it's hard to contrast them in that regard, but you're still comparing a 30mm planar driver to a 106mm planar driver and it definitely sounds like it, you're not gonna get the same full, rich sound from the iSines as the M1060s. If portability or sound leakage is no issue, definitely buy the M1060s

Thanks for posting your opinions. Yes, I understand that there is a big (if not outright huge) difference in the drivers themselves but I was still very curious to what people thought about both. Really interesting that Audeze managed to pack such a sound in an in-ear though. I might just end up getting both the isine 10 and Monolith M1060 to use with my soon-to-arrive Audio-gd NFB 11.32.
 
May 23, 2017 at 11:53 AM Post #2,391 of 7,347
Made an appointment tomorrow to go audition the iSine 10 and 20 at a local store which got some in stock finally. They also ordered an LCD-i4, which I'm interested the most about.
I'll finally get to hear it and compare to my Zeus R.
 
May 23, 2017 at 1:05 PM Post #2,393 of 7,347
Is there any impressions of the iSine10 vs iSine20? What I've seen so far, there is a difference, but probably not $200 worth. Just trying to gauge where money is better spent. I'm not on iOS, so Cypher cable makes little difference in the impression to me.

Unfortunately, the only "somewhat" credible source has been "Z" reviews... and I'm not a big fan of his reviews...

I got to listen to both the 10 and 20 at audiovision SF. Great folks btw, they gave me the set, let me plug it into my zx2, sat me down on their comfy leather couch, and walked away and left me alone. Really nice to have that peace of mind as I tested both out. fwiw, I used the analog cable there in both cases - no cipher cable at all.

There *is* a difference between 10 and 20 that I heard - the 20's sounded slightly less congested and had a bit of clarity. The 10's had some slight graininess in the upper mids that I noticed with male vocals - the 20's seemed to have solved it with some simulatenous clarity + smoothness. I'd be *very* curious to hear the i10 + cypher vs i20 + analog; at this point the i10 might be the better buy but that's just a guess at this point.

But again, the differences were not absolutely mind blowing. Double blind, I'd probably have to concentrate a bit to determine which is which, and I don't have too much faith in my ears to be able to say I'd get more than 90% correct. Yes, there *is* a difference I believe, but whether it's worth a $200 difference or not, I'm not too sure. It's similar to the grado labs SR125 vs SR225 differences imo.

FWIW, the i20 isn't perfect either. Well - maybe the cipher cable spoiled me, but now when I listen on my ZX2 (which is already known for having a smooth powerful midrange), the mids and upper mids seem to sound a bit boxy - like there's some resonance making it echo and reverb or so. I've been able to compensate on the ZX2 by re-enabling sound adjustments to get the EQ, and dropping the 1k range about 6db. Boosting clearbass to +3 and raising the upper end by about 3db seems to create a sound much closer to the cipher cable, but with the impact and smoothness the ZX2 is known for.

If I hadn't heard the iphone and cipher cable combination, I'd be perfectly happy with no-EQ on the zx2. But the iphone + cipher seems to tilt the mid-forward nature of the i20's over to a more neutral, airy, and reference-tuned sound, and that kind of spoiled me. Still haven't decided which setup I like better; currently settled on the ZX2 with cipher-like-EQ but hard to be 100% satisfied with it knowing how good the more portable iphone+cipher solution sounds.

Oh, strangely - on the shuttle or any environment with a lot of ambient noise, the cipher cable setup starts to sound relaly lean, thin, and brittle. Using the non-EQ'ed zx2 brings the fullness and weight back. But in a quiet environment the cipher starts to sound much more balanced and light on its feet..

This would probably be my only complaint about the i20's. I can't just "set it and forget it". I'm constantly switching the cable back and forth (which I know isn't good for the unit either), and can't decide between what setup I should enjoy. It raises more questions than it answers. I feel like I'm getting 80% of its full potential on one setup, and 80% of its full potential (but different strengths) on the other setup. I'd rather have 100% of it on one setup. On the other hand, I finally figured out how to use the earlocks - I can wear these forever and on the bumpy shuttle ride to work they didnt' move or feel like they were going to fall out, so I'm sold. Using the earhooks at work yesterday, after an hour the outer ear cartilage was starting to hurt and ache.

Sorry for the rant. Started off with 10 vs 20 and took a tangent, oops.
 
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May 23, 2017 at 2:05 PM Post #2,394 of 7,347
Here's a copy of my impressions back when I got them.

"Compared to my Nighthawk, the bass is leaner on the 1060, more separated from the rest of the spectrum. The Nighthawk had more bass impact and quantity at the sacrifice of separation, bit of bleed in comparison to the 1060. Mids on the nighthawk are a little veiled compared to the 1060, but the 1060's mids sound farther away/pushed back despite being cleaner. Up to the treble, the Nighthawk is a slightly hotter than the 1060 and I feel the 1060 edges the NH out in quality while being more relaxed. Treble has more "air" to it from the 1060, less congested feeling than the NH. Soundstage is slightly bigger on the 1060, imaging is about equal between both cans.

The Nighthawk is more "fun" while being a little uncontrolled at the extremities, sucked out and slightly veiled in the middle. The NH also destroys the 1060 in build and comfort. All things considered I'd say the 1060 has the better, more natural sound but both are about equal in how much I value them.

In comparison to the iSine20 with 3.5mm: These are surprisingly close in tonality to my ears. I hate to disappoint with how short this section is but honestly, the 1060 has a bit more air in the treble and some maybe more sub bass(Listened to a few more test tracks, I can definitely feel more with the i20 while I hear more at the lowest ranges with the 1060, so the 1060 has more low bass while the isine has more sub bass) while having a leaner, less lush midrange. This will probably be what stops be from keeping the 1060, as I get nearly the same sound from my i20 already and I use that for at home listening as well as portable use. Soundstage is about equal on both of these(a testament to the awesome i20).

In comparison to the iSine20 with Cipher: Theeeerree's the air. The i20 is now more airy than the 1060, skewing a bit more treble focused than the 1060. It's the more fun can too. Hard to even consider keeping the 1060 with the sound I'm getting from the i20. The i20 in this config has better sub bass, better controlled low bass, lush but balanced mids and excellent treble air and detail.

I think the 1060 will definitely shake some things up. They're comparing pretty well to my two $600 MSRP cans(yes the iSine is a "can", iems don't really compare to it in terms of sound quality and presentation). In the end though I don't think I need them. The i20 does what they do, better, in a portable and more comfortable form. The Nighthawk comes close to the 1060 but makes some trade offs in quality to be the more enjoyable and fun casual listen.

So that's all for now. HD800 in tomorrow, but that's not really a serious comparison. More just there for the people who will inevitably ask."

I've since returned the 1060 and have no want to get it again, even with the improvements in QC. Those impressions were back in February and now I feel the i20 and HD800s are near equals as far as my enjoyment and use. The 1060 has lots of hype and they're great for $300, but I'd personally add another $50 and get an i10 at least unless you're uncomfortable with in ears.

While I have read the thred from page 1 and understand that the isine 10 & 20 are in a sort of grey area between IEM's and full size headphones, I have to wonder about how they compare to the Monolith M1060.

Has anyone heard both the isine (specifically 10 is preferred but either) and the Monolith M1060? I'm interested in their differences since they are priced similarly.

Thank you in advance.

Here is one comparison
 
May 23, 2017 at 5:19 PM Post #2,395 of 7,347
Could you provide a photo?
Is "groovy tips" the name I could order them by?

Actually... yes that's what they're called - almost!
https://www.audeze.com/products/accessories/ear-groovy-kit

IMG_2032.JPG
 
May 23, 2017 at 5:25 PM Post #2,396 of 7,347
I'm an android user so the cipher cable is no big deal for me. In the thread page approx. 80 or so there are various EQ screenshots of people and from the Audeze cipher cable tuner as well, so I probably will stick to EQ-ing the isine 10 once I get them.



Thanks for posting your opinions. Yes, I understand that there is a big (if not outright huge) difference in the drivers themselves but I was still very curious to what people thought about both. Really interesting that Audeze managed to pack such a sound in an in-ear though. I might just end up getting both the isine 10 and Monolith M1060 to use with my soon-to-arrive Audio-gd NFB 11.32.

Personally I think it'd be a waste to get the 1060 in addition to the i10. They're already really similar and if you use the cipher cable, the i10 smokes the 1060. Use the 1060 money towards something more interesting or complimentary to the i10
 
May 23, 2017 at 7:31 PM Post #2,398 of 7,347
Here is one comparison

Thank you for pointing to the post. Very informative!

Personally I think it'd be a waste to get the 1060 in addition to the i10. They're already really similar and if you use the cipher cable, the i10 smokes the 1060. Use the 1060 money towards something more interesting or complimentary to the i10

I cannot use the cipher cable because I have no plans to move on to Apple devices -- hence the EQ-ing for 3.5 mm connection. I'll have a chance to auditon the isine 10 today so I'll give them a few hours of listen before I go ahead and orde mine. What would you say is complimentary to the isines or are interesting? (To use the money for M1060 for somewhere else)
 
May 23, 2017 at 7:45 PM Post #2,399 of 7,347
What would you say is complimentary to the isines or are interesting? (To use the money for M1060 for somewhere else)

I know you were asking kazekeil, but I wanted to add - I was planning on getting the etymotic ER4 to use alongside these. Haven't decided on SR or XR yet but it seems like a logical complement to the isines - way more portable/compact, very very good isolation, super flat, uncolored, detailed and neutral sound, easily driven. Ety's for the commute, isines for the office desk. Would love to hear comparisons of the i10/20 vs these ety's if anyone has direct experience.
 
May 23, 2017 at 8:16 PM Post #2,400 of 7,347
I know you were asking kazekeil, but I wanted to add - I was planning on getting the etymotic ER4 to use alongside these. Haven't decided on SR or XR yet but it seems like a logical complement to the isines - way more portable/compact, very very good isolation, super flat, uncolored, detailed and neutral sound, easily driven. Ety's for the commute, isines for the office desk. Would love to hear comparisons of the i10/20 vs these ety's if anyone has direct experience.

Thank you for your suggestion, it makes sense that Ety's could be the complimenting IEM's to the isine. I was also thinking about the FLC 8s or maybe just saving the money for a further down the road upgrade. Now I need to audition the Ety's to decide...
 

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