[JPizzzle]

Surprising since Spotify premium and tidal hifi have higher streaming rates than Apple Music.

 

[murl]

If you want tidal with a much better interface use it with Roon Audio. To me this is by far the best quality with the best interface.

 

[HardstyleLoco96]

Hello i'm back and finally decided I want the Isine 10, just wondering if anyone can recommend a portable amp for the 10? I don't want to go over $400 Aud. I'm currently looking at the Xduoo XD-05, Cayin C5 and Opus #11. Any other amps you guys think would be better? I'm truly on a budget and looking for best bang for the buck.

 

[boberang]

Surprising since Spotify premium and tidal hifi have higher streaming rates than Apple Music.

I don't think it is just a question of streaming rates though. Just like a 10 megapixel camera isn't always better than a 5. Or the clock speed on a computer with different processors or AMD vs intel. A lot of factors weigh in. The streaming services use different compressions / formats so you can't necessarily just compare the stream rates. I think I've read arguments over who has the better master conversions too, although I don't remember who had the "better" in that case. And like most things, it probably isn't true across all tracks either.

 

[boberang]

If you want tidal with a much better interface use it with Roon Audio. To me this is by far the best quality with the best interface.

Roon audio on an iPhone? Does your pc have to be a server then?

 

[murl]

If your only source is an iPhone it won't work.  Your iPhone can be a Roon controller but you would have to have whatever computer with your core on.  That is my only complaint about Roon.  It is not portable unless your core is on your laptop.  

 

[jay567]

guys could people give some comparisons vs other TOTL IEMs please?

 

[BlinkST]

  guys could people give some comparisons vs other TOTL IEMs please?

 
They received some comparisons in Metal-Fi's review. In pikszn's post, they compared favorably with the JH Audio Layla and Noble K10. neilmanalo did some other comparisons. kazekeil had some high praise, as did headwhacker etc.

 

[Emerald Core]

I bought isine 20 and returned them next day. They sounded amazing though. 
 
Reason of return, didn't fit into my ears. 

 

[UNOE]

Surprising since Spotify premium and tidal hifi have higher streaming rates than Apple Music.

Apple codec at 256 should sound the same as mp3 at 320, this is what most people would say and design of the codec should be similar at those bitrates.  The best lossy codec in my opinion besides wavepak is Apple codec with variable bitrate at 127 preset, which yields a variable bitrate of 300kbps to 450kbps or so.
 
I can tell 320kbps mp3 and 256kbps AAC apart from Lossless.  But testing my self blind on AAC with variable 127 preset, I can not hear difference vs lossless.  It does a great job of encoding.  I wish Apple Music changed to this format or lossless.

 

[Br777]

  guys could people give some comparisons vs other TOTL IEMs please?

I've had $1000 Westone es5 customs for years now.  They were/are considered excellent.  I of course eq'd them heavily, but i loved them and had not been impressed at all by anything else until I tried the 20's.  I eq these heavily as well, but I'd take them over my customs any day unless I need/want isolation, which turns out is not very often. 
 
as a further reference, at one point I owned LCD2-rev2's and the es5's at the same time and decided to sell the LCD-2's b/c i could get the es-5's sounding so close with eq that the large cans became impractical. 

 

[dryvadeum]

I had the 64 Audio U6s and thought they were the most natural sounding items until I heard the 20s. Have spent a lot of time with the u12s as well and yeah they've got nothing on the Isines, except maybe slightly better treble extension.

 

[Riley Beale]

Hi all!  I have a pair of Shure SE846 iems and am growing tired of their muddy bassy sound with no treble extension.  Would the isine 20 be a good choice for me when I do not care about isolation as a replacement?  I like not forward mids, but not really v or u shaped either.  I like treble extension with some weight to it, but still lots of detail.  I like bass, but texture and detail with some impact, but not overpowering the rest of the frequency range is a must.  If the bass takes a back seat to the treble and mids I wouldn't complain at all  I like a little warmth to the sound, but much closer to neutral than my Shure's can offer.  I would like something airy and more true in detail retrieval.  I would like to spend less than $1K much less if possible for more accuracy.  I do not have an Idevice and I will not be purchasing anything Apple again.  I will just be using these with my Fiio X5 1st gen and my laptop and deskptop computers directly until I can afford a new DAP and a Chord Mojo.  I will be listening on the go straight from a Fiio X5 3 or an Opus 1 or possibly an Onkyo DPX1A.  At home I will be using a Chord Mojo when I can afford one.  I cannot use the Mojo on the go because it takes up too much pocket space that I don't have.  I will be using the analog cable.  I will not be purchasing any kind of cable with a DAC or amp in it.  Some of the daps I want do not have Apps so it is no relevant to my situation.
 
Thank you
 
Riley

 

[dryvadeum]

Hey would it be better to get a used iPhone 6s and use that instead of an iPod touch for the cipher cable?

I only ask as I know the battery capacity is almost double in the iPhone 6s and if there's no sim in it I imagine it'd last longer than an iPod touch?

 

[JPizzzle]

Apple codec at 256 should sound the same as mp3 at 320, this is what most people would say and design of the codec should be similar at those bitrates.  The best lossy codec in my opinion besides wavepak is Apple codec with variable bitrate at 127 preset, which yields a variable bitrate of 300kbps to 450kbps or so.

I can tell 320kbps mp3 and 256kbps AAC apart from Lossless.  But testing my self blind on AAC with variable 127 preset, I can not hear difference vs lossless.  It does a great job of encoding.  I wish Apple Music changed to this format or lossless.

Thanks. What's your impressions on Apple Music vs Tidal Hifi (lossless)