[howdy]

I too bought the Isine20 without the cipher but decided to buy a cable and ipod touch streaming my Tidal hifi and it sounds great. I more or less just listen and enjoy the music instead of finding all imperfections. I think the price is high but the headphone sound with portability of an IEM makes it worth it to me.

 

[SilverEars]

We're here to review headphones, and I find that it's to provide information that can be useful for other to not waste their money(get the best for their money). Reviews should point out all the flaws.

 

[clerkpalmer]

I too bought the Isine20 without the cipher but decided to buy a cable and ipod touch streaming my Tidal hifi and it sounds great. I more or less just listen and enjoy the music instead of finding all imperfections. I think the price is high but the headphone sound with portability of an IEM makes it worth it to me.

I've been thinking about buying the Cipher and using an old iPhone 5 for music. Is it really THAT much better than the 3.5mm plug in your opinion. With help from KMann, I've got my S8+ sounding pretty good using USB Audio Pro but all the discussion of the cipher being superior has me thinking I'm missing out. Really wish an android cipher was in the works but Audeze to their credit has consistently said it's not realistic at this point. Still, for those of you who have used both, is this a worthwhile thing to try? I find it hard to believe cipher over iPhone could be better than using Tidal HiFi, Dragonfly Red and USB Audio Pro.

 

[howdy]

We're here to review headphones, and I find that it's to provide information that can be useful for other to not waste their money(get the best for their money). Reviews should point out all the flaws.

I'm not here to tell you what to write or say I'm just saying I'm in no way an audiophile just someone who enjoys my music. Keep doing what your doing and I will do the same.

 

[howdy]

I've been thinking about buying the Cipher and using an old iPhone 5 for music. Is it really THAT much better than the 3.5mm plug in your opinion. With help from KMann, I've got my S8+ sounding pretty good using USB Audio Pro but all the discussion of the cipher being superior has me thinking I'm missing out. Really wish an android cipher was in the works but Audeze to their credit has consistently said it's not realistic at this point. Still, for those of you who have used both, is this a worthwhile thing to try? I find it hard to believe cipher over iPhone could be better than using Tidal HiFi, Dragonfly Red and USB Audio Pro.

If your happy with the way it sounds I wouldn't change a thing. Curiosity did me in and had to try it. I bought a balanced cable for them to to try with my HM901 which also sounds great on its own with the isine20.

 

[commtrd]

Why do you ask? Is it my fault that Audeze sells $500+ iem with a wonky tune that has to be EQ'd? This is pure irresponsibility.

Heck no it's not your fault Audeze sells a $500 IEM with a wonky tune. IF someone buys the product knowing it will need to be EQd to make it sound right, THAT could then be construed as being irresponsible.
Point is the buyer COULD give the product a pass. I chose to return the iSine20 and get the LCDi4, but did not know the 20s would need EQ to work right. I will not tolerate any audiophile gear that requires EQ to
work right.

 

[rgnrk87]

We're here to review headphones, and I find that it's to provide information that can be useful for other to not waste their money(get the best for their money). Reviews should point out all the flaws.

Here is the EQ for EqualizerApo that mimics the cipher cable tuning posted by Kmann an Audeze engineer. It is version 2 with the 4k area reduced a bit because some people complained about resonance.

Preamp: -5 dB
Filter: ON HSC 3 dB Fc 136.7 Hz Gain -5.91 dB
Filter: ON PK Fc 1001 Hz Gain -1 dB Q 0.47
Filter: ON PK Fc 1425 Hz Gain -0.65 dB Q 1.34
Filter: ON PK Fc 2700 Hz Gain 9 dB Q 3
Filter: ON PK Fc 4500 Hz Gain 3.5 dB Q 2.86
Filter: ON PK Fc 6500 Hz Gain 1.5 dB Q 1.42
Filter: ON PK Fc 10000 Hz Gain -5 dB Q 4.98
Filter: ON PK Fc 11400 Hz Gain -1.14 dB Q 5.76
Filter: ON HSC 3 dB Fc 13328 Hz Gain 5.39 dB

 

[SilverEars]

Thanks, I'm having a such a weird experience with these that it's confusing me. I may just have had an issue with my Foobar earlier, and not only the iSine, but other iems sounded wonky as well. I restarted my computer and everything is fine. Not sure EQAPO had something to do with it.

I thought it was strange iSine sounded worse again.

 

[SilverEars]

Here is the EQ for EqualizerApo that mimics the cipher cable tuning posted by Kmann an Audeze engineer. It is version 2 with the 4k area reduced a bit because some people complained about resonance.

Preamp: -5 dB
Filter: ON HSC 3 dB Fc 136.7 Hz Gain -5.91 dB
Filter: ON PK Fc 1001 Hz Gain -1 dB Q 0.47
Filter: ON PK Fc 1425 Hz Gain -0.65 dB Q 1.34
Filter: ON PK Fc 2700 Hz Gain 9 dB Q 3
Filter: ON PK Fc 4500 Hz Gain 3.5 dB Q 2.86
Filter: ON PK Fc 6500 Hz Gain 1.5 dB Q 1.42
Filter: ON PK Fc 10000 Hz Gain -5 dB Q 4.98
Filter: ON PK Fc 11400 Hz Gain -1.14 dB Q 5.76
Filter: ON HSC 3 dB Fc 13328 Hz Gain 5.39 dB

I create a txt file and opened it up in EQAPO. How do I turn it off(I'm not even sure if it's applied) to compare it with the original tune? I'm not even sure if it's even on once I've opened it. If you open the txt file, does it get applied to foobar?

How do you turn it on and off?

This is why this is not right. I paid $500+ to deal with this crap? I'm wasting my time trying to do something I'm not used to doing(when you waste people's time, you bring on negative reinforcement). Audeze should pay me to EQ this.

 

[rgnrk87]

I create a txt file and opened it up in EQAPO. How do I turn it off to compare it with the original tune? I'm not even sure if it's even on once I've opened it. If you open the txt file, does it get applied to foobar?

How do you turn it on and off?

EQAPO is a system wide EQ. Once the EQ is applied all audio will go through that EQ. Go to this directory C:\Program Files\EqualizerAPO\config and open the config.txt file and replace whatever is there with the EQ I posted. Then open EQAPO and you should see all the filters listed. Each filter has a power button icon on the left hand side that turns on and off the filter. You will have to turn on an off each filter one by one as I haven't figured out how to switch them all at once.

 

[SilverEars]

I see the buttons. If I have two txt files open, which one is on? There's tabs you can switch between tbe two.

 

[rgnrk87]

I see the buttons. If I have two txt files open, which one is on? There's tabs you can switch between tbe two.

I have tried to have multiple EQs open to test but the program only applies the EQ in the config.txt file for some reason. Don't know if its a bug on my machine only, you will have to test for yourself. So if you want to test multiple EQs turn off all filters on one tab and turn on filters on the other tab. If you want to put it to flat you will have to turn off each filter in the tab manually. The changes to the frequency should show in real time on the graph on the bottom. To be clear each filter tunes a certain frequency range and a set of filters creates the EQ that is applied.

 

[SilverEars]

Ok, I figured out that it defaults the filters in the config txt file, but when I created a new txt file Audeze, and open it up, it doesn't apply that. Anyway, I just pasted on to the config txt file, and the filters got applied.

Interestingly, as soon as you save the modified config txt file, the filter is applied instantly.

I wish I knew how to turn off all the filters together, or at least a txt file that only has only one equalizer going with one power button.

 

[Smugsie]

I have the ER4S, HD600, had the AKG Q701's which all have some sort of upper mid spike. Each of those upper mids I consider a trait and they're tolerable.
The Q701's upper mid spike works well with female vocals as it gives vocalists and string instruments texture which I like (and others hate)
The ER4S has an upper mid spike that works well for violins and making recordings sound bright.
HD600's have an upper mid spike that IMO stops vocals from being too dark.

The iSine 20's have this stupid 1.2khz spike that I had to get rid of because it's making all my vocalists plug their nose during a fortissimo.

I absolutely dislike the iSine 20's for this kind of tuning and I can't recommend anyone to buy the iSines if one doesn't like EQ. But I have spare time and had time to play with EQ, and because of this the iSine 20 is something I intend to keep. The bass slam at <40hz is amazing when EQ'd for it, I can make them sound bright and still be enjoyable too. I don't know if many other high-end IEM's are as flexible when it comes to EQ because this is my first $500+ IEM.

 

[SilverEars]

The problem arises when you need the EQ for other devices you'd like to listen with other than lightening connector products or computers with EQ software. This is why headphones needs to be tuned well stock. There is a convenience factor of being able to plug it in with preferable tune of the headphone for whichever device you are listening from. That consistency is important.