[blackgreen15]

Just got these. They clamp on my ears tight and comfortable and keep the i4s secure on my ears. I did have to cut out the ear clamp from the Audeze version and pop it into these; they fit well.

Really like these.

I finally got a chance to try the earfins, for me these soft hooks work better. The fins were okay at first but after a few hours I started to find them a little uncomfortable. The hook mods are good all day long. Glad to hear they worked for someone else too!

 

[lithiumnk]

Has anyone used PMEQ on UAPP for lcdi4? Which filter should be used so that it corresponds Kmann's DMG i4 pmeq.?
Thanks

 

[kp297]

Even after the LCD 24 was released, in my eyes the LCDi4 is the best product Audeze has ever made. Between Lightning, Bluetooth and wired options and the ability to take the i4's practically anywhere, I don't care much for full size headphones anymore. The combination of flexibility and sound quality this product delivers is possibly the best in this hobby. Flagship sound that can be used anywhere.
Is the 4z/4 good enough to give up the versatility of the i4? I don't think so.

 

[edwardsean]

Even after the LCD 24 was released, in my eyes the LCDi4 is the best product Audeze has ever made. Between Lightning, Bluetooth and wired options and the ability to take the i4's practically anywhere, I don't care much for full size headphones anymore. The combination of flexibility and sound quality this product delivers is possibly the best in this hobby. Flagship sound that can be used anywhere.
Is the 4z/4 good enough to give up the versatility of the i4? I don't think so.

Same for me. Add in virtualization via convolution and I have no compelling reason to go back to full size phones.

 

[Malevolint]

Same for me. Add in virtualization via convolution and I have no compelling reason to go back to full size phones.

Thirded! I had a pair of Eikons, which I enjoyed, but I always found myself putting on the lcd-i4 for serious listening. And I can walk around with them! They also basically disappear and I forget that they're even there. Ended up selling the Eikon because they were collecting dust for half a year.

I feel like I have everything I'll ever need. Sony wf1000 for Bluetooth, Anole VX for when I need isolation and also on the go, lcd-i4 for at home and wherever it's quiet, and my Denon d2k for gaming. I'm a happy man!

 

[Malevolint]

Hello
I have not tried z1r.
But, I am concerned about recessed midrange (lower) on z1r.

Btw, lcdi4 scales up with a desktop amp like crazy.

I recently got benchmark hpa4 to pair with Metrum Pavane and lcdi4 and i simply cannot believe what i am hearing.
It's like listening to new version of lcdi4.

In the past 2yrs I have tried i4 with TOTL SS amps (gsmk2,v281 etc.) DAC/AMPS(including ,hugo2, mDave) but never heard such refinement, tonal balance, richness and naturalness.

The treble clarity, articulation & extension is superb. Sounds more natural to me.There is a near perfect balance between the attack, decay and body of transients. They are never thin.

The mids are more bodied without congestion or loss of transparency.
Vocal density on both male and female is so damn natural and gives a life like presentation. Best mids I have ever heard on lcdi4.

Special mention about bass.
I am listening to "extra" bass.lol. The tracks have more bass definition, outstanding layering, extension right till the very end. Strikes an excellent balance b/w quality and quantity. Imagine the speed of BA and decay of dynamics but refined to another level. I am listening to more bass notes in b/w notes. Resolution is breathtaking.

The background is devoid of any kind of noise. The blackness extracts so much more information from the track..it's like listening to heavily mixed track.

This is why I am still hunting for a closed iem which comes close to the level of performance and scalability that lcdi4 delivers.

Due credit should be given to Metrum NOS DACs and the super transparent Benchmark HPA4 which never sounds like a SS amp as it lacks signature of its own. It will amplify without any coloration.i.e. true to source.

YMMV

Cheers

Have you considered the Anole vx? The sound is not as relaxed as the lcd-i4 (not that it's particularly relaxed), but it is a killer iem. I got to try the z1r this past weekend and wasn't particularly impressed, to my surprise. Perhaps I needed more time.

 

[commtrd]

Even after the LCD 24 was released, in my eyes the LCDi4 is the best product Audeze has ever made. Between Lightning, Bluetooth and wired options and the ability to take the i4's practically anywhere, I don't care much for full size headphones anymore. The combination of flexibility and sound quality this product delivers is possibly the best in this hobby. Flagship sound that can be used anywhere.
Is the 4z/4 good enough to give up the versatility of the i4? I don't think so.

Well I own both 4z and i4; have for quite a while now. I like both of them, but use the 4z about 99% of the time. After several hours of having the i4s stuck in my ears, it really starts to bugging me A LOT. So much that I have gradually stopped using them. Almost now only if I travel somewhere I will take them for portability. But they do sound awesome, and I just had Trevor make me a new balanced S3 cable to use with the GSX Mini and i4 when (if) it ever gets here. I may contact Audeze and order some of the new ear fins or whatever they are just to see if that helps any. My ear hook mods have made them fit and sound infinitely better, but can't seem to get over this nasty feeling of having something stuck in my ears. Bummer. They do sound awesome (not quite as good as 4z though) but I guess I just have to learn to love them again...

 

[Devodonaldson]

I've had my i4 for A little over 3 months. Enjoyed them stock, but then got the cipher cable and was wowed. After awhile I went back to stock, with my mojo, or xdsda I noticed that though the cipher sounded better overall, the better DACs and amps in the mojo and xDSD let me know that I was missing out on some Dynamics, transparency, among other things, especially being stuck at a max 24/48 resolution. I'm a portable only listener, using streaming services from a converted iphone 7. After doing some research o DAC/amps, I decided to spend some money on the Monolith portable to use solely with the i4 due to its 3band parametric eq and 2 band low and high shelf eq. After a little tinkering based on suggested eq settings, OMG. this is what I was hoping for. I'm happy to say that with the AK4493 and ea, this things sound noticeably better than with cipher v2. Yes I spent $300 on a portable DAC/amp to use with only one of my headphones, but seeing as the retail on i4 is $2500, ND the price is less than buying a new analog cable for them, it was absolutely worth it. So between my eq'd i4 with the monolith, and my Solaris with either the mojo or xdsd, I'm set for music enjoyment, gaming audio, as well as video audio listening.. Ok I'm done. Thanks to whoever possibly made it through my long winded post.

 

[edwardsean]

I have to say the i4s have had an interesting effect on me in the ever changing world of audio.

I honestly can't believe the sheer amount of new IEMs that come out with increasing rapidity. Many of these boast interesting new technologies and represent ambitions to attain TOTL status. It's just become a ridiculously crowded field and for myself I would want to try every new contender... except I don't.

The i4, by virtue of design, floats over the wave after wave of new IEMs crashing on the shore of my mind.

I enjoy reading the reviews of the newest and greatest, esp. if they come with a comparison with the i4. There will inevitably be a line about how much better the i4 images and layers soundstage, followed by the refrain, "of course it's not a fair comparison...." Yeah, it's not. Of course certain other high end IEMs may do better in this or that area, but there isn't a one that offers a full-size flagship experience in this form factor.

The i4s keep my equilibrium in the ever present desire to upgrade, and so safeguard my joy and sanity as I listen to music. I can be assured that it will continue to be a stabilizing force no matter what new IEM comes around... until the LCD i5.

 

[Wes S]

I have to say the i4s have had an interesting effect on me in the ever changing world of audio.

I honestly can't believe the sheer amount of new IEMs that come out with increasing rapidity. Many of these boast interesting new technologies and represent ambitions to attain TOTL status. It's just become an ridiculously crowded field and for myself I would want to try every new contender... except I don't.

The i4, by virtue of design, floats over the wave after wave of new IEMs crashing on the shore of my mind.

I enjoy reading the reviews of the newest and greatest, esp. if they come with a comparison with the i4. There will inevitably be a line about how much better the i4 images and layers soundstage, followed by the refrain, "of course it's not a fair comparison...." Yeah, it's not. Of course certain other high end IEMs may do better in this or that area, but there isn't a one that offers a full-size flagship experience in this form factor.

The i4s keep my equilibrium in the ever present desire to upgrade, and so safeguard my joy and sanity as I listen to music. I can be assured that it will continue to be a stabilizing force no matter what new IEM comes around... until the LCD i5.

Well said! I enjoyed reading your thoughts, and makes me want the i4 even more.

 

[Grayven]

Thing is, technically there should be no Android users left out after picking up the right extension. I own the Anker lightning to USB c cable. It works perfectly on my USB c phone. I also have a USB c female to USB a male tip. That allows me to use the cipher cable on my computer. Just for kicks, I decided to plug that into my micro USB phone using a micro USB OTG cable like I have with other external DACs, and it works perfectly, even allowing play/pause and volume adjustment. So I now effectively can use cipher cable on my iphone 7 turned dap, my Razer phone 2 using USB c, my computer for music or movies or games, and my older Android phones

i have been doing this lately....so convenient. makes me end up just using my Lcdi4s for everything. now if i could switch eq profiles without having to reconnect to my phone...

 

[Ty89m]

Received mine today, from Cypher they're great! Bit fiddly on fit, as the ear tips don't fit in very securely as they're so flimsy - but that can be remedied. Only issue, the nice 3.5mm cable that was included is clearly faulty, only get sound from left channel... Not off to a good start there. Fortunately it's not the i4's themselves, as like I said, they function great with included cypher cable.

Anyone else have problems with these? Will get in touch with Audeze tomorrow to get resolved, as I'd love to try them from my AMP/DAC and mess with Reveal plugin/EQ. They also sent ear hooks for the right ear only ha, no matching left side. This typical of Audeze? I also received the LCD-4z yesterday as well, hope these don't give up the ghost etc. I will say, this little i4 has deeper more impactful bass than the 4z, that wasn't expected - kind of disappointing to be honest - I actually find the Empyrean to have better low end.

Anyway, just wanted to get a feel from the fellow i4 owner on whether or not they've had any issues etc.

 

[Devodonaldson]

Received mine today, from Cypher they're great! Bit fiddly on fit, as the ear tips don't fit in very securely as they're so flimsy - but that can be remedied. Only issue, the nice 3.5mm cable that was included is clearly faulty, only get sound from left channel... Not off to a good start there. Fortunately it's not the i4's themselves, as like I said, they function great with included cypher cable.

Anyone else have problems with these? Will get in touch with Audeze tomorrow to get resolved, as I'd love to try them from my AMP/DAC and mess with Reveal plugin/EQ. They also sent ear hooks for the right ear only ha, no matching left side. This typical of Audeze? I also received the LCD-4z yesterday as well, hope these don't give up the ghost etc. I will say, this little i4 has deeper more impactful bass than the 4z, that wasn't expected - kind of disappointing to be honest - I actually find the Empyrean to have better low end.

Anyway, just wanted to get a feel from the fellow i4 owner on whether or not they've had any issues etc.

Not typical at all. Audeze customer service is top notch. Reach out and they will certainly remedy the issue

 

[Ty89m]

Not typical at all. Audeze customer service is top notch. Reach out and they will certainly remedy the issue

Great! Good to know - not the end of the world, I intend to use them via my iPhone the majority of the time anyway. Now to figure out where to get the Anker USB-C to Lighting so I can use with iPad etc! Also need to figure out more streamlined way to use Reveal plugin via MacBook Pro so I can give that a whirl. Reading through this thread has some suggestions - though I'm not a Roon user, Tidal app mainly.

 

[Devodonaldson]

Great! Good to know - not the end of the world, I intend to use them via my iPhone the majority of the time anyway. Now to figure out where to get the Anker USB-C to Lighting so I can use with iPad etc! Also need to figure out more streamlined way to use Reveal plugin via MacBook Pro so I can give that a whirl. Reading through this thread has some suggestions - though I'm not a Roon user, Tidal app mainly.

I'm. Mobile user, and like cipher but missed greater detail from external DAC/amp. Knowing i4 needs eq'ing I set out to find the right DAC and settled on the Monolith portable. Objective achieved. Great pairing using 3 band parametric eq and low shelf eq for increasing low end. Thoroughly outdoes cipher, seeing as it gets full PCM resolution, or at least 24/96 via Tidal, and a better DAC than cipher, AK 4493, and THX amp