[sandalaudio]

  What is a proper seal exactly when the in-ears are open design? There is no sealing I understand, maybe a better fit.

 
Open v.s. closed is about the back side of the driver. Front side of the driver through to the ear canal tubing is fairly closed (like inside a drum) so a good seal is still essential to help transmit the sound pressure to your ear. The same is true for open headphones like the LCD series. Ear pads must give a good seal between the driver and the ear canal or you lose a lot of mid-bass.
 
Having said that, in practical use, one major advantage I feel with iSINE v.s. other typical IEMs is how tolerant it is about this good "seal".
 
All my other BA/Dynamic IEMs are very picky about which brand and what size of tips to use, and they have to be inserted into the ear canal correctly to help "guide" the sound.
Failing to do so means I can hear obvious changes to the sound, such as the frequency distribution becomes tinny, harsh, etc.
 
On the other hand, iSINE is very easygoing, so the sound is pretty consistent regardless of the size of the tips I chose or the correct sealing. For example, sometimes when my ears feel a bit tired after many hours of listening, I pull the iSINE slightly out of my ears to help relax a bit, but the sound signature does not change very much. I still hear the same amount of treble, mid, bass, etc.
 
You can always be picky about these things, but the point is that iSINE is a lot more easy-going than the typical IEMs.
 
Having said that, one weakness of iSINE I noticed is that the driver diaphragms being so big, they tend to sound wobbly when it's moving around. If you want to use the iSINE on the move (e.g. while walking) then you will need a good securely fitting ear tips or otherwise the sound will feel a bit phasey.

 

[WillzyxTheZypod]

I love the sound of the iSine 10, but I am struggling to find a good fit.  I think the main issue is with the weight of the Cipher cable, which pulls the iSine downward more than a standard cable.  The ear hooks sit too far up on my ear lobe—they don't fall into the crevasse between my earlobe and my skull.  Rather, they hang on the cartilage and pull down my ear, making me look like Dumbo.  It isn't comfortable.  I like the idea of the Earlocks, but again, the weight of the Cipher cable often results in them being pulled out of my ears.  As for tips, I've tried the stock silicone tips and Comply T600 tips.  Still, I am having a difficult time getting a comfortable fit.

 

[JPizzzle]

Can anyone compare the isines to the LCD-X series. I look at the isines as pretty much home listening devices due to the open back and am attracted to them due to the all in one convenience of the cipher. If the LCD-X or XC had the cipher, I may be inclined to go that route.

 

[Steph86]

  I love the sound of the iSine 10, but I am struggling to find a good fit.  I think the main issue is with the weight of the Cipher cable, which pulls the iSine downward more than a standard cable.  The ear hooks sit too far up on my ear lobe—they don't fall into the crevasse between my earlobe and my skull.  Rather, they hang on the cartilage and pull down my ear, making me look like Dumbo.  It isn't comfortable.  I like the idea of the Earlocks, but again, the weight of the Cipher cable often results in them being pulled out of my ears.  As for tips, I've tried the stock silicone tips and Comply T600 tips.  Still, I am having a difficult time getting a comfortable fit.

Hi Willy,
 
Have you tried the supplied cable clip which comes with the iSINE? This should help you position the cable higher leaving some slack which will take the weight of the cipher module off the cable.
 
Hope this helps.

 

[greenmountain]

   
Open v.s. closed is about the back side of the driver. Front side of the driver through to the ear canal tubing is fairly closed (like inside a drum) so a good seal is still essential to help transmit the sound pressure to your ear. The same is true for open headphones like the LCD series. Ear pads must give a good seal between the driver and the ear canal or you lose a lot of mid-bass.
 
Having said that, in practical use, one major advantage I feel with iSINE v.s. other typical IEMs is how tolerant it is about this good "seal".
 
All my other BA/Dynamic IEMs are very picky about which brand and what size of tips to use, and they have to be inserted into the ear canal correctly to help "guide" the sound.
Failing to do so means I can hear obvious changes to the sound, such as the frequency distribution becomes tinny, harsh, etc.
 
On the other hand, iSINE is very easygoing, so the sound is pretty consistent regardless of the size of the tips I chose or the correct sealing. For example, sometimes when my ears feel a bit tired after many hours of listening, I pull the iSINE slightly out of my ears to help relax a bit, but the sound signature does not change very much. I still hear the same amount of treble, mid, bass, etc.
 
You can always be picky about these things, but the point is that iSINE is a lot more easy-going than the typical IEMs.
 
Having said that, one weakness of iSINE I noticed is that the driver diaphragms being so big, they tend to sound wobbly when it's moving around. If you want to use the iSINE on the move (e.g. while walking) then you will need a good securely fitting ear tips or otherwise the sound will feel a bit phasey.

I have troubles with IEM inserted into the ear channel (especially one side is more narrow than the other one). I did some DIY mods on my Stax  SR-001 that they sit on the ear channel- see my avatar. They are quite comfortable and sit very secure. But being electrostatic they require an additional specific amp which makes them less useful for traveling light and their sound quality is quite antiquated.
So your observations with the iSINE makes them more interesting to me to try a similar modification. 

 

[ranfan]

They look, uncomfortable.. I wonder how they sound

 

[greenmountain]

  They look, uncomfortable.. I wonder how they sound

Just the opposite, they are custom molded to my ears. Of course they would not fit you! Sound wise the SR-001 sounded great for their time but there has been a lot of progress in IEM. So I hope iSine would be much better.

 

[sandalaudio]

 
Just the opposite, they are custom molded to my ears. Of course they would not fit you! Sound wise the SR-001 sounded great for their time but there has been a lot of progress in IEM. So I hope iSine would be much better.

 
The first thing that reminded me when I saw iSINE was those Stax SR-002 earphones. It might be interesting for you to make the custom mold for the iSINE as well. (maybe they are even interchangeable with the Stax...).
 
I would say the iSINE is very tolerant of the fit and seal correctness, but I did notice a few of my friends (and some posters on this thread) say the ear-clips don't fit very well and keeps falling out, so I might just be one of the lucky ones who had no issues with fit or seal.
 
One thing that definitely makes iSINE feel open and less "canal IEM" like is the fact that when I put on the iSINE I don't get the typical "ear plug" effect that puts pressure onto my eardrums. iSINE feels more like inserting a fat straw with plenty of opening to let the inner ear breath. That also means it has virtually zero noise isolation.

 

[NYCLC]

Does anyone have advice about using these for running? I emailed Isine and they said they'd be fine for light exercise or running but an excess of moisture could damage them. 
Is this accurate? I would love to have a fantastic pair of earphones for my runs and these seem to be among the best.

 

[warrior1975]

It's coming from Audeze, it's probably accurate. I think they'd hold in well with the hooks, but I'd worry about moisture. I've had ba iems cut out in me in the gym due to moisture.

 

[kevroc]

  Does anyone have advice about using these for running? I emailed Isine and they said they'd be fine for light exercise or running but an excess of moisture could damage them. 
Is this accurate? I would love to have a fantastic pair of earphones for my runs and these seem to be among the best.

 
I've been using the new Powerbeats 3 for exercise, and they're great.  I've debated about using my iSine 20's instead, but figure that I'd never appreciate the audio quality enough "while working out" to justify risking it.   The PB3's have the same ear hook design so they are very stable while working out and the audio quality is just good enough to keep me motivated! Plus, the fact that they are bluetooth makes it super convenient.

 

[Tokoyo]

I just got the iSine 20, and I suspect there has been a error with the packing at Audeze. No seals were broken, but package came with 2 inner ear locks, but no outer ear hook. Can anyone else please confirm content of the package?

 

[Audeze]

@Tokoyo That is definitely incorrect. You should have 2 pairs of earhooks as well. Please contact support@audeze.com and we will make sure you get them.

 

[Tokoyo]

@Tokoyo
 That is definitely incorrect. You should have 2 pairs of earhooks as well. Please contact support@audeze.com and we will make sure you get them.

Absolutely amazing support, thank you kindly for responding. I will send a mail. I suspected that 2 of the same inner earlocks were not right Purchased at your dealer in Oslo, Norway.

 

[Audeze]

Absolutely amazing support, thank you kindly for responding. I will send a mail. I suspected that 2 of the same inner earlocks were not right

Purchased at your dealer in Oslo, Norway.

There should be two sets of earhooks and two sets of earlocs in every package.