[Sonic Defender]

  Easily drivable by HTC10..sorry

At what volume? Loud enough for one user is too quiet for another so this is very subjective.

 

[subguy812]

  At what volume? Loud enough for one user is too quiet for another so this is very subjective.

At 1/2 to 3/4
 
 
https://www.qualcomm.com/news/snapdragon/2016/06/02/qualcomm-aqstic-sets-new-standard-audiophiles
 
http://www.androidcentral.com/htc-10-audio-testing-boomsound-evolved

 

[Sonic Defender]

  At 1/2 to 3/4
 
 
https://www.qualcomm.com/news/snapdragon/2016/06/02/qualcomm-aqstic-sets-new-standard-audiophiles
 
http://www.androidcentral.com/htc-10-audio-testing-boomsound-evolved

Do you listen at loud playback, moderate, or quiet? That is what I'm getting at. I'm going to read the specifications, but I remember reading and the HTC10 was supposed to be one of the better sounding phones out there.

 

[subguy812]

  Do you listen at loud playback, moderate, or quiet? That is what I'm getting at. I'm going to read the specifications, but I remember reading and the HTC10 was supposed to be one of the better sounding phones out there.

At 3/4 volume the headset is a perfect volume for me. It provides plenty of ummmph for bass snap and all of the details and doesn't cause any uncomfortable listening. I would say it is between moderate and loud volume with the max still being listenable for a short period of time. At 1/2 is still listenable, but lacks some of the snap to the music.

 

[GrouchoMarx1933]

  And while we're at it...why did the pitchforks suddenly come out regarding the word "portable"?
 
People who are raking Audeze over the coals for supposed "lack of portability" are basically acting like Audeze came to their house and told them personally Sine is the end-all, be-all portable headphone.
 
Does it even say it anywhere on the box/packaging? (I just remember lots of verbiage about how it's an on-ear planar magnetic...lighting connector...etc)
 
And if you go to the product page, there's ONE instance...and it's a buried bullet point that says "Light weight and folds flat for ultimate portability"
 
It's not like they're screaming "PORTABLE PORTABLE PORTABLE" in all their messaging...but people here are suddenly acting like Audeze stole their girlfriend and lied to their face.

Well, given that it's on-ear and the cypher cable is designed to be plugged into phones, I think it's reasonable to judge the Sine based on how well it performs as a portable headphone. The fact that it scales up very well with desktop amps is a bonus for most buyers, not the main reason to buy it.
 
So really it comes down to what is a person's criteria for a portable headphone. I can understand why the Sine wouldn't be for everyone if their criteria demands a rugged headphone that's easily driven from any source. The Sine is usable with the standard headphone jack on most phones, but I can't say that it shines with it. Compared to the Sine, the PM-3 was much easier to drive and sounded great straight from the headphone jack of my iPhone, although I realize for many the tuning of the PM-3 is a turn off. And while the construction feels solid, Audeze definitely went for premium materials over total durability. For some people those things will be deal breakers and understandably so. Similarly, the Sines don't have best in class isolation, which to me is actually a bonus because I want to be able to hear a bit of the world around me, but a lot of people want near total isolation.
 
Personally, I love them. I find I'm using them just as much at home as I am outside, and they're great for all of my use cases. The Cypher cable is super convenient and completely removes the need for a bulky or awkward external DAC/amp, and the cans scale up beautifully with my desktop amps. I love its sound.

 

[inthere]

This is a very portable headphone and yes, i listen to it on flights all the time-I fly at least twice aa week (6 flights last week)
 
Sonically it's better than 99% of the portable headphones I've heard so I think Audeze has done a great job. Evidently others agree with me because it's the #1 headphone in the portable thread. 
 
It has flaws but every headphone has flaws. Audeze has had SERIOUS durability problems in the past with some of their headphones but that's not the case with the Sine. This thread has 2-3 guys and the Sine appears to be their sturdiest headphone to date. 

 

[antdroid]

  At 3/4 volume the headset is a perfect volume for me. It provides plenty of ummmph for bass snap and all of the details and doesn't cause any uncomfortable listening. I would say it is between moderate and loud volume with the max still being listenable for a short period of time. At 1/2 is still listenable, but lacks some of the snap to the music.

 
I just got the Sines today and I have an HTC 10 and I can agree with you 100% on this. I have my volume set at about 75% and it's perfect listening volume for me for most tracks. 100% is also quite listenable. These Sines though do require a lot of power. I am semi surprised since they're suppose to be portable but then again, they're PMs. I'm happy that I do have an HTC 10 which has a good amp. They actually seem to be near the amount of power needed as my Fostex T50RP Mk3s which are suppose to be pretty power hungry. I run those around 80-100 on my HTC unamped, and only about 5-10% higher than the Sines as well on my laptop, which has a really good DAC/Amp built-in.
 
Now all that said, these things sound fantastic for portables and on-ears! I got a little excited after getting the T50RPs about Planars and immediately sold both my portable headphones. I had the Sennheiser Momentums in both over-ear and on-ear variety and picked these up with that cash. The Momentum on-ears were extremely uncomfortable with crazy clamping force and small pads. The Over-Ear version was very comfortable to me for 2-3 hours at a time though it would have been nice if the pads were a smidge bigger but they were super comfortable pads. I feel like these Sines fall in between the two. They arent very comfortable but arent as bad on clamp and pad quality as the on-ear momentums but not as comfortable to me as the over-ear version. 
 
Sound quality wise, these things destroy (yes, destroy) the Momentums in every way. Much more clearer, cleaner tighter bass response, and that fast response of planars. These are much more neutral and not as muddy as the Momentums were in the upper bass/mid ranges.
 
I think someone mentioned that they liked the T50s more than these and it wasn't worth the money. I can sort of agree. I think the T50RP (mk3) sounds a bit better but it's also a much larger headphone and it's not as portable and I don't really want to be seen wearing them in public either haha. I actually had been using them at work but these will replace them at the office. The price point for the Fostex's though is pretty incredible for something that sounds so good out of the box and requires some minor tweaks to be great. These, I believe, are priced about right, though I admit I got them for $320 with the current Adorama promotion. They get a premium price for better materials and portability. 
 
 
Anyway, I was hoping that maybe one of the pads I picked up for the T50s  would fit but they're all way too big. Ironically, one of the more popular pads for the T50s are the Brainwavz, which I dont have. hah. I'll look into picking one of those up unless there's other suggestions.

 

[HK_sends]

Hey everyone,
 
I'm new to this particular thread and while skimming through the pages may have missed mention of either of the below info...
 
I've had the Sine for a couple months and really enjoy the sound but the ear pads get pretty painful after a time.  Is there any word of Audeze (or someone) releasing thicker or softer ear pads?  
How about anyone producing longer aftermarket cables?  
 
I do apologize if I am asking for a regurgitation of well known info... (okay, well known to everyone else)...
 
Inquiring minds...
Cheers and Thanks!

-HK sends

 

[tate6969]

I have these with Samsung S7 and cipher (from iPad4). Overall experience is loads better with cipher (bass detail and clearity) than the Samsung.
Volume wise, Samsung is at 80% for quiet-moderate listening in an office environment, but that's the same with most other earphones I have. Cipher is 50% for same volume. Haven't tried the iPad 3.5mm.

In fact I would say the sine is easier to drive than expected.

I'm wondering if a dragonfly out of the Samsung will sound better than the cipher. Has anyone else compared the red or black dragonfly (or a similar DAC) to the cipher?

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[tate6969]

That is not to say that they sound bad with the cipher, they sound awesome actually!

I just want to try to move away from iOS, and I would get a small portable dac/amp to plug into the usb slot from my Samsung to be able to do that.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[subguy812]

I have these with Samsung S7 and cipher (from iPad4). Overall experience is loads better with cipher (bass detail and clearity) than the Samsung.
Volume wise, Samsung is at 80% for quiet-moderate listening in an office environment, but that's the same with most other earphones I have. Cipher is 50% for same volume. Haven't tried the iPad 3.5mm.

In fact I would say the sine is easier to drive than expected.

I'm wondering if a dragonfly out of the Samsung will sound better than the cipher. Has anyone else compared the red or black dragonfly (or a similar DAC) to the cipher?

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Samsung is not know for great audio in phones. Great phones just not great audio.

 

[inthere]

I have these with Samsung S7 and cipher (from iPad4). Overall experience is loads better with cipher (bass detail and clearity) than the Samsung.
Volume wise, Samsung is at 80% for quiet-moderate listening in an office environment, but that's the same with most other earphones I have. Cipher is 50% for same volume. Haven't tried the iPad 3.5mm.

In fact I would say the sine is easier to drive than expected.

I'm wondering if a dragonfly out of the Samsung will sound better than the cipher. Has anyone else compared the red or black dragonfly (or a similar DAC) to the cipher?

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

I have the Dragonfly Red and while it's better than Cipher out of iPad/iPhone there's a huge volume drop out of Android devices. Some have solved this problem but I haven't.

 

[The Fed]

I just wanted to throw a micro review and a hat tip out to Audeze.
 
I got a pair of Sine's about a month ago and they sound gorgeous, maybe a bit north of my own personal neutral (moar bass!) and a little harder to drive directly out of an iPhone than I expected... but I listen with a Cayin C5Dac tethered to it, and with some minor EQ adjustments in the Kaisertone app, it really can't get any better than this on the go. I mean technically it can, but I'm not willing to wear an HD800 or an LCD2 out and about... I've got a Beyer T51i and had an HD25 when the Sine arrived and it destroys them both on refinement and absolute sound quality.
 
T51 may be a little more fun, bassy U shaped but sounds closed in and a big congested in direct comparison. I still use it as my daily beater though because its indestructible and still sounds good on its own merits. The Sine is more of my office headphone or planes, trains and automobiles headphone.... The Beyer is what I take camping or to the beach or working out. Sine is like the Porsche you take out on the weekends for fun... The Beyer is the Honda Civic or Toyota Camry that does the daily commute.... That's how I map it. 
 
That said, after a couple of weeks I noticed the left jack plug wasn't making the positive click when I inserted it... a couple days later I started hearing a little physical (not sonic) crackle in the left cup when I pressed on it like there was something amiss in the left jack, whether the interior jack shell had cracked or the tabs that the jack is mounted to in the cup... Not sure.
 
Either way I contacted Audeze and Chris from the Zendesk contacted me within a couple hours and offered to send out a replacement, no questions asked.
I opted to just send in my pair and have them repair whatever is going on, but still. The fact that Audeze's knee jerk response was to give me a brand new pair is pretty awesome.
 
So a big "Good On Ya!" to Audeze for standing behind their products and thanks to Chris for expediting the issue so quickly.
A headphone that costs just south of $500 is the type of thing I hope to hold onto for years to come. So it's good to see Audeze is offering customer support that is "Uncompromising" as well.

 

[inertianinja]

My review just went up here: http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/audeze-sine-on-ear-headphone

Comments welcome!

 

[antdroid]

Anyone find a replacement cable for these Sines? I'd like to have a spare cable or something that is a little bit longer around if possible. I was wondering if I could rig up my own using a 3.5mm stereo to dual 3.5mm mono, but not sure if a standard 3.5mm mono will fit into that weird recess in each cup or not.
 
edit: looks like my v-moda stereo 3.5mm would fit in the cup jack. It's got a really thin end. Now gotta find something like that in a mono..