[lithiumnk]

Currently enjoying my LCD-i4 through my Hugo 2 (+ a little bit of DSP ) ..
I simply cannot believe this level of SQ is possible from such a compact setup, marvellous!

@Audeze & @Mojo ideas & @Rob Watts
Thnx for making the world a better place!

edit:
I almost forgot.. thnx to @MacedonianHero for suggesting this combo!

Hello @junix
Can you compare the SQ of sp 1000 & hugo 2?
Also, does sp 1000 have enough power to drive LCD i4( both balanced & unbalanced)?
I was seriously considering investing in sp 1000 coz the sound from my AK kann is so inferior as compared to hugo 2.
I had read in stereophile review of sp 1000 that the LCD i4 is magical with ak flagship.
Are you using audeze lcd i4 preset in Roon ?
Sorry for so many questions.
Thanks

 

[lithiumnk]

So I just got my i4 today... freakin thing is absolutely HUGE! These are definitely closer to mini headphones than IEM's. Upon one look at the bore tips of these... I realized they're probably way too big for my ear canal. They don't come with a lot of different tips. Are these groovy tips you guys talk about the ones with ridges on them? I don't even need the ear hooks using these as they hold the i4's well in place. It's hard to tell whether I have inserted them the right way, as I usually tell if I have IEM's corrected inserted by rubbing my fingers next to my ears and if I can still hear them or if the bass is lacking then they're not all the way in. But these are much harder to tell.

Also, another thing I realized is that these are MUCH harder to drive than my Encore's of SE846's. I have to turn my Mojo's all the way up to red volume! I'll get the KSE1500's tomorrow and will compare them directly

So far I can tell these have pretty amazing basses so far, especially when they're open.

Hello
Congrats for you LCD i4.
How is bass as compared to encores?
Also, chord mojo was one of the dac/amp which was used during LCD i4 development.
I have mojo and LCD i4 require a lot of power.
That's why I had to opt for hugo 2.
But one thing is clear that Hugo 2 is definite upgrade from mojo.
Fit can be tricky. But I think after one gets the fit right then they are really comfortable.
They don't go inside the ear canal at all.
They sit at the entrance of the ear canal .
I had a brief time with encore and I think keeping the isolation thing aside the LCD i4 easily trumps them.
Also, you will be surprised to know that the classical & OST sounds incredible. ( other genres also sound awesome)
Their treble extension is mind blowing as is the soundstage.
Some equalization may be required.

 

[junix]

Hello @junix
Can you compare the SQ of sp 1000 & hugo 2?
Also, does sp 1000 have enough power to drive LCD i4( both balanced & unbalanced)?
I was seriously considering investing in sp 1000 coz the sound from my AK kann is so inferior as compared to hugo 2.
I had read in stereophile review of sp 1000 that the LCD i4 is magical with ak flagship.
Are you using audeze lcd i4 preset in Roon ?
Sorry for so many questions.
Thanks

Yes.

EDIT:
Was just kidding..

I find really difficult to compare a DAP with a DAC (although I see a lot of people want this comparison.. and I was also unsure if I should buy the first, the second or both)
Although you have to take in consideration that a DAC is somehow source dependent.. IMHO in short:
Both have a very high level of detail and clarity and their presentation is neutral, balanced and linear but somehow different, SP1000 is more focused on resolution and transparency while the Hugo 2 is a tad more musical.
The H2 is more powerful and you can feel it in the bass and mid region while the SP1000 is unbeatable in the treble region (exceptional micro detailing and precision).
If I have to use just two words to compare them I would say SP1000 - musically analytical, H2 - analytically musical.
EDIT2 (just noticed I did a mistake in the order.. firstly it was written H2 - musically analytical, SP1000 - analytically musical, it's the other way around)

+ H2 have the filters and X-feed - phenomenal options.
- SP1000 EQ is completely useless, useless.
- H2 charges longer than a Tesla on a wall charger
+ SP1000 charges in max 2h and gives 11+ hours of music
I can go on until tomorrow.. I ended up buying both, I love them both.

The SP1000 can drive properly the LCD-i4 balanced and I quite like the combo (with the EA Lionheart) but the i4 scale so well and just demand for more. I hope I'll manage to try them with a DAVE soon..
Unbalanced really didn't feel right to me.

Yes, the Audeze preset, pure magic. The sound is richer and fuller .. female vocals are amazing.

 

[lithiumnk]

Yes.

EDIT:
Was just kidding..

I find really difficult to compare a DAP with a DAC (although I see a lot of people want this comparison.. and I was also unsure if I should buy the first, the second or both)
Although you have to take in consideration that a DAC is somehow source dependent.. IMHO in short:
Both have a very high level of detail and clarity and their presentation is neutral, balanced and linear but somehow different, SP1000 is more focused on resolution and transparency while the Hugo 2 is a tad more musical.
The H2 is more powerful and you can feel it in the bass and mid region while the SP1000 is unbeatable in the treble region (exceptional micro detailing and precision).
If I have to use just two words to compare them I would say H2 - musically analytical, SP1000 - analytically musical.
+ H2 have the filters and X-feed - phenomenal options.
- SP1000 EQ is completely useless, useless.
- H2 charges longer than a Tesla on a wall charger
+ SP1000 charges in max 2h and gives 11+ hours of music
I can go on until tomorrow.. I ended up buying both, I love them both.

The SP1000 can drive properly the LCD-i4 balanced and I quite like the combo (with the EA Lionheart) but the i4 scale so well and just demand for more. I hope I'll manage to try them with a DAVE soon..
Unbalanced really didn't feel right to me.

Yes, the Audeze preset, pure magic. The sound is richer and fuller .. female vocals are amazing.

Thanks a lot!
Now I'm in a dilemma.

 

[Solarium]

Hello
Congrats for you LCD i4.
How is bass as compared to encores?
Also, chord mojo was one of the dac/amp which was used during LCD i4 development.
I have mojo and LCD i4 require a lot of power.
That's why I had to opt for hugo 2.
But one thing is clear that Hugo 2 is definite upgrade from mojo.
Fit can be tricky. But I think after one gets the fit right then they are really comfortable.
They don't go inside the ear canal at all.
They sit at the entrance of the ear canal .
I had a brief time with encore and I think keeping the isolation thing aside the LCD i4 easily trumps them.
Also, you will be surprised to know that the classical & OST sounds incredible. ( other genres also sound awesome)
Their treble extension is mind blowing as is the soundstage.
Some equalization may be required.

Honestly, I like the fit of the i4 more than the encores, which requires me to drive the tips all the way into the ear canal and ends up hurting my left ear after even an hour. The groovy tips of i4 allows me to use the i4 without any ear hooks, and they stay on my ears very well. I would say the bass is slightly less with no EQ, but I EQ it to be slightly higher using Eaglewing's EQ and it's definitely stronger than Encore's. The bass also sounds better than Encore's, I really miss planar bass, and it's definitely a higher tier than BA IEM's. In fact, the i4 sounds different than any IEM's I've heard before, it's just SOO much FASTER. The i4 sounds so much more than in ear headphones than IEM's due to the way it's designed, I can FEEL the vibration of the bass on my ears from the vibration of the air. I'll be comparing the i4 with my KSE1500's which will arrive today. I do notice that I can even hear my computer and ambient noise that I didn't even know existed before with isolating IEM's, so I do have to consider closed vs open more carefully.

As far as Hugo 2 goes, it's freakin expensive at $2k. I can probably find a Hugo 1 for $900 if I wait long enough, but I definitely think that if I stay with the i4 I'll need the Hugo vs the Mojo due to the amp requirements of the i4's. Are the Hugo 2's that much better than the Hugo 1's?

 

[kubig123]

Honestly, I like the fit of the i4 more than the encores, which requires me to drive the tips all the way into the ear canal and ends up hurting my left ear after even an hour. The groovy tips of i4 allows me to use the i4 without any ear hooks, and they stay on my ears very well. I would say the bass is slightly less with no EQ, but I EQ it to be slightly higher using Eaglewing's EQ and it's definitely stronger than Encore's. The bass also sounds better than Encore's, I really miss planar bass, and it's definitely a higher tier than BA IEM's. In fact, the i4 sounds different than any IEM's I've heard before, it's just SOO much FASTER. The i4 sounds so much more than in ear headphones than IEM's due to the way it's designed, I can FEEL the vibration of the bass on my ears from the vibration of the air. I'll be comparing the i4 with my KSE1500's which will arrive today. I do notice that I can even hear my computer and ambient noise that I didn't even know existed before with isolating IEM's, so I do have to consider closed vs open more carefully.

As far as Hugo 2 goes, it's freakin expensive at $2k. I can probably find a Hugo 1 for $900 if I wait long enough, but I definitely think that if I stay with the i4 I'll need the Hugo vs the Mojo due to the amp requirements of the i4's. Are the Hugo 2's that much better than the Hugo 1's?

Happy to hear you like the i4.

 

[EagleWings]

Hey guys, I am running the i4 off my 1Z on SE and Normal Gain. I am at 52/120 on the volume and I don't feel the i4 is under powered. I am recording around 80dB peaks using an SPL meter and I am not hearing any compromise in soundstage, separation or resolution. When I turn on High Gain, I have to dial the volume down to 45/120. Which makes me believe that the 4.4mm should do even a better job of running the i4, as it outputs considerably more power than the SE (1Z's SE outputs 60mW at 16Ohm load, while the 4.4mm BAL outputs 250mW for the same load). Even the SE provides plenty of headroom to adjust the volume if you listen at high volumes. And you should have more headroom on the 4.4mm BAL.

I know some of you stated that you prefer the Hugo 2 over the 1Z. And if I had the Hugo 2, I'd probably prefer the Hugo 2 as well. But that is because I prefer the sound of the Hugo 2 over the sound of 1Z. Hugo 2 has the best instrument and vocal timbre I have heard in a portable device (I haven't tried the SP1000). Hugo 2 and 1Z are devices built on different philosophies. Hugo 2 shoots for precision in audio reproduction, where as the 1Z shoots for a pleasant listening experience, combined with some of the preferred audiophile characteristics, such as; spacious stage, good separation and transparency. But when it comes to audio precision, 1Z falls a tiny bit behind the Hugo 2.

But in terms of soundstage, separation, layering, the 2 devices belong to the same ball park. But Hugo 2 has better tonal balance, note structure and dynamics that helps with its realistic timbre. So for classical or any type of music based on acoustic instruments, Hugo 2 would be the preferred choice. But the down side to being accurate is, Hugo 2 is not forgiving when it comes to poorly recorded/mastered content. 1Z on the other hand is more forgiving due to its softer note dynamics and smoother treble.

What I am trying to say is; you don't need very powerful devices such as Mojo, Hugo 2, WA8 or powerful desktop gear, to drive the LCD i4 properly. If you do own those devices, you could take advantage for sure, because I know I will. But if you don't have such devices and all you have is a transparent DAP with decent output power, please don't let it stop you from buying the i4.

 

[Decreate]

Hey guys, I am running the i4 off my 1Z on SE and Normal Gain. I am at 52/120 on the volume and I don't feel the i4 is under powered. I am recording around 80dB peaks using an SPL meter and I am not hearing any compromise in soundstage, separation or resolution. When I turn on High Gain, I have to dial the volume down to 45/120. Which makes me believe that the 4.4mm should do even a better job of running the i4, as it outputs considerably more power than the SE (1Z's SE outputs 60mW at 16Ohm load, while the 4.4mm BAL outputs 250mW for the same load). Even the SE provides plenty of headroom to adjust the volume if you listen at high volumes. And you should have more headroom on the 4.4mm BAL.

I know some of you stated that you prefer the Hugo 2 over the 1Z. And if I had the Hugo 2, I'd probably prefer the Hugo 2 as well. But that is because I prefer the sound of the Hugo 2 over the sound of 1Z. Hugo 2 has the best instrument and vocal timbre I have heard in a portable device (I haven't tried the SP1000). Hugo 2 and 1Z are devices built on different philosophies. Hugo 2 shoots for precision in audio reproduction, where as the 1Z shoots for a pleasant listening experience, combined with some of the preferred audiophile characteristics, such as; spacious stage, good separation and transparency. But when it comes to audio precision, 1Z falls a tiny bit behind the Hugo 2.

But in terms of soundstage, separation, layering, the 2 devices belong to the same ball park. But Hugo 2 has better tonal balance, note structure and dynamics that helps with its realistic timbre. So for classical or any type of music based on acoustic instruments, Hugo 2 would be the preferred choice. But the down side to being accurate is, Hugo 2 is not forgiving when it comes to poorly recorded/mastered content. 1Z on the other hand is more forgiving due to its softer note dynamics and smoother treble.

What I am trying to say is; you don't need very powerful devices such as Mojo, Hugo 2, WA8 or powerful desktop gear, to drive the LCD i4 properly. If you do own those devices, you could take advantage for sure, because I know I will. But if you don't have such devices and all you have is a transparent DAP with decent output power, please don't let it stop you from buying the i4.

Wow, I guess you have much better hearing than I do because I have my 1z at around 80 on high gain using the 4.4mm balanced output...What’s more is that I primarily listen to metal and rock which is already a fairly loud type of music.

 

[Cagin]

Wm1a 4.4mm (High Gain is always on), with lcdi4, I’m at 80-100 (car/outside). 20-30 with Zeus ciems

 

[kubig123]

Wm1a 4.4mm (High Gain is always on), with lcdi4, I’m at 80-100 (car/outside). 20-30 with Zeus ciems

Same here I listen to the i4 between 80 and 100, while with the SE5U I'm around 50 and 30 with the Encore.

 

[x RELIC x]

What I am trying to say is; you don't need very powerful devices such as Mojo, Hugo 2, WA8 or powerful desktop gear, to drive the LCD i4 properly. If you do own those devices, you could take advantage for sure, because I know I will. But if you don't have such devices and all you have is a transparent DAP with decent output power, please don't let it stop you from buying the i4.

Agreed. By the way, WA8 is not by any means powerful and is rather weak by the numbers, but the tonality is pleasing for a lot of people. Once again the go-to comment of MOAR POWAR comes up and it’s really confusing for readers and starts a trail of misinformation. At a given SPL the device will only put out so much juice so unless listening at extreme volumes almost any decent device will power the i4 sufficiently. Of course quality implementation and synergy are completely different conversations.

As far as Hugo 2 goes, it's freakin expensive at $2k. I can probably find a Hugo 1 for $900 if I wait long enough, but I definitely think that if I stay with the i4 I'll need the Hugo vs the Mojo due to the amp requirements of the i4's. Are the Hugo 2's that much better than the Hugo 1's?

Mojo and Hugo1 have the EXACT SAME power output, including 0.5A of Current. Hugo2 has the same Current delivery but slightly higher max W output. The differences between these devices are due to much more than the power output.

 

[Solarium]

Mojo and Hugo1 have the EXACT SAME power output, including 0.5A of Current. Hugo2 has the same Current delivery but slightly higher max W output. The differences between these devices are due to much more than the power output.

Good to hear, I'm pretty happy with regards to Mojo's DAC ability so I guess I don't need to "upgrade" to the Hugo just for more driveability.

 

[Fafner]

Hello @junix
Can you compare the SQ of sp 1000 & hugo 2?
Also, does sp 1000 have enough power to drive LCD i4( both balanced & unbalanced)?
I was seriously considering investing in sp 1000 coz the sound from my AK kann is so inferior as compared to hugo 2.
I had read in stereophile review of sp 1000 that the LCD i4 is magical with ak flagship.
Are you using audeze lcd i4 preset in Roon ?
Sorry for so many questions.
Thanks

I have the SP1000/LCDi4 combo, and the whole sounds impressive enough, to a point I didn't consider possible for a portable setup until a couple of months ago It's really comparable to an home setup. Does it sounds at its max potential? Probably not, but it sounds awesome nonetheless!
I haven't tried the LCDi4 with my stationary amp, thus can't comment there. Haven't tried it unbalanced from the SP1000 either, as I already had a balanced cable at disposal as I received it, thus always used it balanced (with an Horus now). I actually never ever used the Audeze's included cable. But I can say that my old AK240 was NOT able to drive it decently enough for me, even balanced. The sound was just plain flat and on some recordings I had to push volume to max. SP1000 unbalanced should have a similar power output, thus I wouldn't recommend driving it this way.

 

[lithiumnk]

I have the SP1000/LCDi4 combo, and the whole sounds impressive enough, to a point I didn't consider possible for a portable setup until a couple of months ago It's really comparable to an home setup. Does it sounds at its max potential? Probably not, but it sounds awesome nonetheless!
I haven't tried the LCDi4 with my stationary amp, thus can't comment there. Haven't tried it unbalanced from the SP1000 either, as I already had a balanced cable at disposal as I received it, thus always used it balanced (with an Horus now). I actually never ever used the Audeze's included cable. But I can say that my old AK240 was NOT able to drive it decently enough for me, even balanced. The sound was just plain flat and on some recordings I had to push volume to max. SP1000 unbalanced should have a similar power output, thus I wouldn't recommend driving it this way.

Thanks !

 

[Bastianpp]

Hello
Where is the measurement of audeze lcd i4?
Someone have it, i can't find a measurement for the audeze lcd i4