[mscott58]

With their new 30-day return policy figured I'd give them a try. My LCD-3's will enjoy meeting their baby brother!!! Wonder if they'll do sequential serial numbers...

Cheers

 

[jodgey4]

 
oBrovo makes the EAMT-3A, which is an Air Motion Transfer IEM. AMTs are cousins to planers. You might want to try those, but they aren't cheap, I think. 
 
Their ERIB-2A, ERIB-3a and ERIB-4A are all Planner IEMs (though their web site says AMT, they are planers). 
 
http://www.obravoaudio.com

Thanks for the heads up, I'm taking a look right now! @Lohb also recommended the LZ A2 as a LCD-2 sounding option .

 

[dip registered]

So, it looks as though Apple will be taking away 3.5mm from their next phone models, and instead force users to use the Lightning port as the sole option for headphone audio. At least that's what the recent rumours are starting to confirm.

I'm interested, is it a totally digital signal passing through the Lightning connector and directly into the headphones? Would it be bypassing the internal DAC of the phone?

 

[dizzid]

The Cipher cable has its own DAC and amp. So, yes, it takes over those duties from the iphone completely.

 

[Allanmarcus]

So, it looks as though Apple will be taking away 3.5mm from their next phone models, and instead force users to use the Lightning port as the sole option for headphone audio. At least that's what the recent rumours are starting to confirm.

I'm interested, is it a totally digital signal passing through the Lightning connector and directly into the headphones? Would it be bypassing the internal DAC of the phone?

There is 0 confiramtion of Apple dropping the 3.5mm jack. 

 

[Shogster]

So these are iphone only?

 

[dizzid]

No, the headphone is not iPhone only.  The headphones come with a standard 3.5mm terminated cable.  
 
The Cipher cable (which comes with the EL-8 Titanium at $100 premium over standard EL-8) is likely to be offered as an add-on accessory - this cable is iDevice only.

 

[Shiikamaru]

im interested in this. but i got 2 questions. are the pads replaceable? why is such a long cable provided for portable use?

 

[sikki-six]

 
There is 0 confiramtion of Apple dropping the 3.5mm jack. 

Apple are known to make decisions (about connections etc). for the user, but this would just be crazy. Audeze using that Lightning-out seems pretty smart though. As long as it's optional.
 
EDIT: Using digital-only out on a phone would make me change to a different company. Or am I missing something here?

 

[VandyMan]

At this point, Apple dropping the 3.5mm connection is only a rumor, so it is a bit premature to get upset about it. The reasons they are supposedly considering it are to allow them to make the phone thinner and more water resistant. I'm fairly sure that if they make this change, there will be inexpensive converters that let you connect using a 3.5mm connector. For the many head-fiers that think the iPhone DAC is inferior (something that measurements of recent models of iPhones seem to refute, btw) and use external DACs, this will no impact at all.

 

[sikki-six]

  At this point, Apple dropping the 3.5mm connection is only a rumor, so it is a bit premature to get upset about it. The reasons they are supposedly considering it are to allow them to make the phone thinner and more water resistant. I'm fairly sure that if they make this change, there will be inexpensive converters that let you connect using a 3.5mm connector. For the many head-fiers that think the iPhone DAC is inferior (something that measurements of recent models of iPhones seem to refute, btw) and use external DACs, this will no impact at all.

Yeah, you're right - it hasn't happened, yet.
 
Using converters though, would suck big time. I see no problem with the DAC on my 5S. If I understand correctly, many measurements say the same. (That HP-out is a bigger concern, with some headphones imo.)

 

[Allanmarcus]

I know I'm going off topic, bit....
 
 

  At this point, Apple dropping the 3.5mm connection is only a rumor, so it is a bit premature to get upset about it. The reasons they are supposedly considering it are to allow them to make the phone thinner and more water resistant. I'm fairly sure that if they make this change, there will be inexpensive converters that let you connect using a 3.5mm connector. For the many head-fiers that think the iPhone DAC is inferior (something that measurements of recent models of iPhones seem to refute, btw) and use external DACs, this will no impact at all.

I know I'm going off topic, but....
 
Even if you thought the iPhone DAC was equivalent to the DAC in good portable DAC/Amp combo, wouldn't there there be a infinitesimally tiny advantage in removing the iPhone's amp from the single path? I think it's well established that many portable amps are better, if not more powerful, than the iPhone's amp.

I happen to be one of those lucky few that can't distinguish most DACs in A/B testing, so I rarely have to worry about which DAC I use. 

 

[VandyMan]

Using converters though, would suck big time. I see no problem with the DAC on my 5S. If I understand correctly, many measurements say the same. (That HP-out is a bigger concern, with some headphones imo.)

 
There are already lightning adapters that output analog. They are pretty small and have a DAC built-in. I have no idea about the quality though. A new opportunity for audiophile DAC companies, perhaps.

I agree that the quality of the iPhone DAC is underrated by most audiophiles. I think the reasonis that although the amp section is quite good, it is under powered for a lot of the headphones used around here.

 

[VandyMan]

 
Even if you thought the iPhone DAC was equivalent to the DAC in good portable DAC/Amp combo, wouldn't there there be a infinitesimally tiny advantage in removing the iPhone's amp from the single path? I think it's well established that many portable amps are better, if not more powerful, than the iPhone's amp.

 
The iPhone amp is actually pretty good, but not suitable for a lot of the headphones we enjoy around here. I don't think taking it out of the signal path is strictly necessary. You could you a lightening adapter that has analog out and feed that to your portable amp or you could buy a DAC/amp combo with a lightening input. As long as you are already caring an extra device, it would not represent a big change for you, if it happens.
 

I happen to be one of those lucky few that can't distinguish most DACs in A/B testing, so I rarely have to worry about which DAC I use. 
 

Most people can't tell DACs apart in blind A/B testing. See the recent Innerfidelity tests, for example. Of course, many argue that blind tests are problematic, so lets not go down that road too far.  

 

[sikki-six]

More OT, sorry....
 
Your basic 50-100$ sound-card's DAC should be pretty hard to tell from a much dearer one. Well, that's what the measurements tell us anyway, my own non-scientific tests too. DAC's have been mass produced for over 20 years now - they've gotten pretty good at it. For cheap too.