How would you compare the EL-8 to the Sine? Admittedly the Sine may have been an easier listen while EL-8 is larger and more encompassing.
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Audeze SINE Series
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How would you compare the EL-8 to the Sine? Admittedly the Sine may have been an easier listen while EL-8 is larger and more encompassing.
I have not listened to the EL-8, though was really temped to get one until I saw the HE560 on sale and I'm very glad I picked that up. I really like it. I'm currently digging the iSine 10's. They sound fantastic. I think I prefer them over the Sine especially with the Reveal plugin at 80% running through my Magni 2/GE tube preamp.
I haven't played around enough with the Sine with the Reveal plugin, but I think it does weird things to the sound. I find the Sine's a bit bright as is, and the reveal plugin seems to make them even more brighter. It could be because of the pad change (using MSR7 pads)
Yeah the laid back type would be nice to fit the collection.
Larger headphone is not necessarily my goal after fitting the MSR7 pads it's really comfortable. And feels more or less like a big headphone.
LCD's is out of my budget.... A poor man's LCD (M1060) i must try now.
Unfortunately they are not distributed to Europe.
Still dont know why...
Larger headphone is not necessarily my goal after fitting the MSR7 pads it's really comfortable. And feels more or less like a big headphone.
LCD's is out of my budget.... A poor man's LCD (M1060) i must try now.
Unfortunately they are not distributed to Europe.
Still dont know why...
I thought they were a tad dark out of the box, but still sounded fine. The pad change to the Audeze Microsuede Vegan pads may a big difference for me as well as towel mod. Both of these helped increase the treble so it wasn't so dark. This does kill some of the umph of the bass, but you'll still get good low end response, it just wont have as much impact with the mods.
In my limited experience the Sine sounds way better as an on-ear as it's intended to be used. If you find on-ear headphones uncomfortable, avoid the Sine and buy an over-ear IMO. It is comfortable for an on-ear though.
+1 on the on-ear experience. When I first got the Sine I tucked my ears into the pads and I really liked the sound. When I just put the Sine "On-Ear" as intended, it sounded better and I do not have any comfort issues.
The EL-8 Titanium is great, especially in the $500 range when you factor in the quality materials and Cipher, though I can’t help but want more. More space between instruments, a larger soundstage, more dynamics, a less fatiguing neutral signature. I find I have to listen to the EL-8 louder than I did with the Sine to really enjoy it and haven’t been able to figure out EQ to get around that. Again, I sold the Sine prematurely to streamline my collection but you really can’t go wrong either way. There’s no clear winner.
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I’ve been playing with the EQ for a while trying to get a more neutral sound, and I think with the EL-8 specifically it might just be best to just own its V-shaped profile. EL-8C or specifically Titanium wants to be a loud and upfront beast as opposed to the Sine which was more neutral yet still lively.
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At the end of the day though my view on EQ is that it’s unnecessary except for improperly mastered recordings. The manufacturer should have already set the FR as optimally as possible for the driver and housing, which I find is typically the case with quality headphones. I think I just have to get accustomed to listening at around 50% volume since the EL-8 can get pretty loud with the Cipher.
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I don't get brightness with my Sine, but Tyll did and he used this EQ:
My EQ is pretty similar to that if I use EQ on these. I typically dont though. They sound pretty solid on their own.
I think the MSR7 pad change sounds good, if not better in my opinion. It opens the soundstage a tad more. You do lose a little bit of bass response but eq can bring it back. The comfort is significantly better. I did stuff the original pads with a small piece of foam and my ears can fit inside of them, but it was only comfortable for a limited amount of time before discomfort started for me.
Hmm, my ears definitely don’t hear it, one of the first things I noted when I first listened to them (with standard cable as I didn’t have Cipher yet) was how thin they sounded in the low end.
Also, I’m curious what your source device is? Maybe they’d sound better with a different amp.
Direct from Yulong U100 DAC/amp, also from aforementioned Yulong DAC to Magni 3, and from same DAC to Bravo Audio Ocean hybrid tube amp.
That’s my work rig; I’ve yet to take the EL-8C home.
If you’re looking for more bass and a more engaging sound profile overall I think you’ll be happy with the Cipher. I love Audeze’s implementation to include a DAC/amp in the cable that should hopefully be better than amps in its price range since it’s tailor made for the headphones.
The EL-8 and Sine excel at pulling out details that lesser headphones wouldn’t out of lossless files, with the inherent downside of such clarity being that sound almost loses its wow factor with lossy music that otherwise sounds perfectly fine on other gear.
Unfortunately I cancelled Tidal since I only used it once or twice a month. Besides sound quality Apple Music is way better in every way so I couldn’t justify keeping Tidal Hi-Fi as well. Audeze is my greatest justification for it, but admittedly for the practicality of it I have no issue with modern wireless headphones.
Side note to Jay-Z: give every Tidal subscriber an Audeze product so they can hear what hi-if is supposed to sound like.
EL-8 Titanium is a beautiful-sounding, stunningly gorgeous headphone with its greatest strength being the breadth of detail it effortlessly presents. The signature isn’t the best I’ve heard nor is the soundstage the most open, but the distortion-free performance is what really sets it apart.
Admittedly my first impression was that “this feels and sounds like it’s worth $800” though the more I listen the more I see what the critics were saying. It’s a superb headphone with an incredibly premium build, not without its faults in audio presentation.
Unfortunately I cancelled Tidal since I only used it once or twice a month. Besides sound quality Apple Music is way better in every way so I couldn’t justify keeping Tidal Hi-Fi as well. Audeze is my greatest justification for it, but admittedly for the practicality of it I have no issue with modern wireless headphones.
Side note to Jay-Z: give every Tidal subscriber an Audeze product so they can hear what hi-if is supposed to sound like.
EL-8 Titanium is a beautiful-sounding, stunningly gorgeous headphone with its greatest strength being the breadth of detail it effortlessly presents. The signature isn’t the best I’ve heard nor is the soundstage the most open, but the distortion-free performance is what really sets it apart.
Admittedly my first impression was that “this feels and sounds like it’s worth $800” though the more I listen the more I see what the critics were saying. It’s a superb headphone with an incredibly premium build, not without its faults in audio presentation.
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