[sorrick]

Hi,

I bought the iSine 20 last month and have already had the cipher cable fail at the lightning connector. No visible damage, just the the cable dropping connection to the phone when the cable is moved.
I just wondered if anyone else has had problems with the cable?

I've been very happy with the 20s...less so with the standard cable.

Thanks.

I had my cypher cable fail at the mic/control unit such that I lost the left channel. I emailed audeze about it and they sent me a new one very quickly. Was bummed the first one failed, but can't complain about the response from audeze. The new cipher cable is working great so far

 

[dankedante]

Does anyone know how these compare to the AK T8iE MkII, and other TOTL iems?

 

[Shure or bust]

 

[coolcat]

   
Hey CC, my ZOv1 is still filing out the 20's uber nicely,
 
I mentioned in an earlier post that the 20's sound like a very very mature ASG-2.0, which I also use my ZO on, the ZO fills in all the gaps, and fills up the large ss on the ASG's, and the HUGE soundstage on the 20's! I luv the ZO for giving my music some more heft, and it does it ssooo nicely, never clouds or muddies the mids or treble, it actually enhances the whole spectrum, the bass, the mids, and the treble! I call it a W sound signature, as opposed to the V or U shape, one area doesn't overshadow another, the W sound,
 
the 20's are the sound that I've been chasing for ssooo long, whew and what a looong journey, and with the ZO, perfection!

Hey man, I dont forget the ZO, you mentioned before, but now I just concentrate on the other iems, after that I will comeback to set up my iSine20  again. By the way, do you use the Uber cable too ? if yes that's is cool, another cables, I've found have good synergy with iSine20s are DHC complement 3 (for overall listening), Effect Mars (Absolute airy and auper clear mid, great with everything vocal, acoustic, ).

 

[acia]

I've had my iSine 20 for a while now so I thought I'd post some impressions. For the record, these are only my opinions. At home, my reference headphones are Abyss with a Chord Dave and WA-5LE with Japanese tubes. In noisey environments I use an Audeze LCD-XC with Chord Mojo. I admit I love Rob Watt's DAC designs and am looking forward to the Hugo 2 for headphone listening.

First of all, I completely disagree with those who've said that an ear canal seal with the iSine 20 is a bad idea. These headphone are more forgiving of resonance, etc, because of their semi-open design, but they abosoltuely sound better with a nice, easy seal not to deep in the canal. Better bass, better isolation, better sound, and it's not subtle. Find the right fit for your ear and make a seal. It's just better.

For these I use an iPhone 7 plus as a source, mostly Tidal HiFi and HF Player high bitrate content. I like to start with well-recorded accoustic recordings because I know what they're supposed to sound like and beyond that I use the Abyss as my reference for what is the best possible bass on a headphone (which only sound speaker-like IMO on the Abyss). I don't bother listening to the direct output of the iPhone - just comparing Cipher with Mojo.

Cipher is an engaging sound in a convenient package. I don't like that peak at 4KHz at all, so I've used someone else's EQ settings on this thread to reduce primarily the 4KHz bump and some attenuation a little below and a little above. The bass bump is audible ... it's also not really for me. It adds stuff that's just not there. So, it's a fun sound, but to me it's a bit fatiguing and not as natural and analog/organic as I'm used to. I enjoy it, it's convenient, but you can do better with these headphones.

I admit, I don't like to use EQ. For me the iSine 20 sound spectacular right out of the Chord Mojo. It's much more natural sounding. I'ts got plenty of bass, and quality bass. It can't equal the Abyss in speaker-like bass, and pumping it up artificially doesn't get you there. The Mojo is not only less fatiguing, it's just more realistic on recordings where natural sound is expected. The Mojo itself has a warmer sound, and I'll take the DAVE over it, but it's amazingly good for a form factor of this size.

So - make a seal. The iSines are better with it and I don't understand the obersavtations of those who have written differing opinions.

For me, analog with Mojo is preferable to Cipher all day long. It's more musical and more natural, and just better. In my opinion. That said, I'm perfectly happy to enjoy Cipher and enjoy playing with EQ when I don't bring the Mojo, which honestly is almost never.

man, seems everyone of you guys have the 20.
 
your observation about the 20 is spot-on.  10 is more natural sounding to me through samsung phone directly.  20 is almost to the point of fake.  i attended live concert.  so i know how classical music sound like in real-life.
 
though a friend of mine, who listened to pop, says the 20 is more fun to listen to and have more impact.
 
still struggling whether to dump the 10 and get the 20.
 
no stock of 20 in hong kong though. 

 

[Bloodstriker]

 The volume is way too loud using he cipher cable (not sure if it's the same case with the 3.5mm as I haven't tried it yet.). 

New firmware update coming in the next weeks to address this and make the volume control a bit more granular. It is under testing at the moment

Yes! Thank you. This is exactly what is needed!

 

[KMann]

Announcing new firmware (v5.0.5) with updated volume settings
 
[size=12.8px]We wish to thank the Head-fi community for your valuable feedback related to volume settings and also for helping us Beta test the changes. [/size][size=12.8px] [/size][size=12.8px]Based on your input, we have released a new firmware (5.0.5) for iSine10/20 to address the volume related feedback we received.[/size]
[size=12.8px]

1. This firmware update offers better granularity at lower volume settings. The first click will be about 18dB less loud than the current first click and the 4th click will be equivalent to the current first click. Clicks 10-15 would raise more rapidly in levels and the loudest setting at click 15(if you dare to go there) will be the same.
2. There are no changes to anything else. So if you are happy with the current volume settings, you need not update your firmware.
3. You will need the Audeze App to do the firmware update. Recommended prep for the firmware update:
   1. XXX IMPORTANT XXX Please ensure  your  Audeze app is updated before proceeding
   2. Please make sure your iDevice has at least 50% charge.
   3. Make sure you have very stable wireless internet connection.
   4. Change your iDevice setting so that it does not go to sleep, i.e., temporarily turn off the 'auto-lock' (Settings -> Display & Brightness-> Auto-lock->never)
   5. Plug Cipher cable then open Audeze app, then press the 'gear' icon on the top right, then press update firmware, say yes to the dialog.
   6. It should show the progress. It will first say downloading/flashing firmware and then downloading/flashing resources. this could take a few minutes.
   7. Once it is done, unplug the cable, close the Audeze app (double press home button, swipe away the app). 
   8. Plug the cable back, open the Audeze app, press the gear icon, verify that it says the firmware is on 5.0.5. You are good to go!
4. Troubleshooting: In some rare cases, we have seen that the app is stuck at 'flashing resources' for several minutes even though the flashing was completed. If you do not see it progress after 5 minutes, unplug the cable, restart your iDevice, plug the cable back, open the Audeze app and verify that you are on 5.0.5. If it is still on 5.0.1 or 5.0.2, try updating firmware again.

[/size]

 

[bussola]

I don't claim to have the correct vocaulary or evaluation skills to tell you what is technically different between Cipher and 3.5, but for me it looses a lot of clarity and the vocals seem too recessed, possibly even muddy.
I've had a play with the PEQ settings Audeze supplied earlier in this thread and it definitely helped, but I haven't found an app that works with Tidal, so it isn't a long term solution for me. 


My other equipment will probably give you an idea of what sound I'm used to.

Shure se846
Sennheiser HD800
Mojo

My phone is an iPhone 6s Plus.

I had another listen and decided my "muddy" comment isn't fair.
Without the additional background noise (bus/Train etc) it is just different, though still not my preferred sound.
I suspect that the Cipher cables perceived boost in clarity helps counter the background noise when traveling.

I see what you mean. Initially I had the same dilemma.
But, in order to get rid of that 1kHz resonance I switched to the cypher cable, eqed it a little bit taking away that nasty 4kHz boost, and I am currently pretty ok. Even though I still believe the analog cable to bring a much bigger soundstage.

 

[AlwaysForward]

These arrived yesterday. It took quite a bit of work playing with fit and depth until I landed on the large tip with the hook. I have it basically sealing the outer area of the ear canal with the tip resting on the edge of my canal.

Wow. These are something else. They really do sound more like over ear than in ear. It's honestly mind blowing how much ENERGY is in the music presentation. The air, the subtleties, the extended range accuracy and good lord are they FAST. They make all of my other headphones sound lazy and small. I can't believe it.

 

[audiophilehelp]

I'm on the edge whether to buy these or just go with headphones instead...

 

[bifeo001]

These arrived yesterday. It took quite a bit of work playing with fit and depth until I landed on the large tip with the hook. I have it basically sealing the outer area of the ear canal with the tip resting on the edge of my canal.

Wow. These are something else. They really do sound more like over ear than in ear. It's honestly mind blowing how much ENERGY is in the music presentation. The air, the subtleties, the extended range accuracy and good lord are they FAST. They make all of my other headphones sound lazy and small. I can't believe it.

How do they sound compared to the 1more quad drivers you have? Which iem do you prefer more between the two?

 

[AlwaysForward]

How do they sound compared to the 1more quad drivers you have? Which iem do you prefer more between the two?

I'll need more time and I'm on mobile but they really are two different breeds of animals. The isine is just a better listen. It's larger and more awkward. Great for home and office.

The 1more has less highs but thmupier bass while audeze is MUCH faster., more extended/expansive and lively. Going between the two makes the 1more sound small(intimate), lazy(slower) and just Good for what it is.

I bought the 1more for audiophile isolation uses. At $200 it's absolutely accomplishing the job, especially at the gym. Office too.

The Audeze just sounds unreal. The 1more has fantastic sound as a traditional IEM and is a great value.

I'll be keeping both.

 

[bussola]

These arrived yesterday. It took quite a bit of work playing with fit and depth until I landed on the large tip with the hook. I have it basically sealing the outer area of the ear canal with the tip resting on the edge of my canal.

Wow. These are something else. They really do sound more like over ear than in ear. It's honestly mind blowing how much ENERGY is in the music presentation. The air, the subtleties, the extended range accuracy and good lord are they FAST. They make all of my other headphones sound lazy and small. I can't believe it.

Yes, they are so impressive initially. Did you try both cables?

 

[Bloodstriker]

I just updated to the new firmware. The volume increments are spot on for my tastes. Thanks Audeze for the fantastic customer support!

 

[rdnkjdi]

Has anyone compared these with the Ibasso it03? I'm looking for some IEMs to travel with (Open air design is fine - I'm just trying to get my luggage volume down).

I've had a few other people suggest the Ibasso it03 (I'm always suspicious of anything with "bass" in the name). But I figured it was worth asking if anyone has tried them side by side. Most notably I'm looking for honey warmth, purity / air & intimacy. There's nothing like being able to hear the air around the strings / brass.

I had some LCD3's I absolutely loved for Jazz. Sound signature was perfect for me but they constantly gave me a headache.

Been suffering thru jazz with my X00 and it's time to end it. Also, anyone heard when they're going to come out with an Android cable?