Latest Thread Images

IMG_3475.jpeg
IMG_20231202_102757_Original.jpeg
81288C22-B52B-4DE8-A363-9B30B67DFE4B.jpeg
IMG_4134.jpg
IMG_4117.jpg
IMG_4118.jpg
IMG_4119.jpg PXL_20220607_225411166~2.jpg Sine DX with Litz OCC cable.jpg R0001602.jpg R0001598.jpg R0001591.jpg PXL_20220103_002326091~3.jpg PXL_20211220_012703603~2.jpg PXL_20211220_012814672.jpg IMG_1359.jpg IMG_1354.jpg Anthem CL v2 Audeze Sine.jpeg Sine earpads.jpg R0000025-01-01.jpeg
See full thread gallery...
Audeze SINE Series
Feb 23, 2018 at 11:17 PM Post #4,021 of 4,785
Do you guys prefer the Sine with or without the Cipher cable when not using any external amps? For kicks I plugged the 3.5mm cable for my EL-8 Titanium into Apple’s 3.5mm Lightning adapter (which actually measures very well) and I think I preferred the sound. The bass boost from the Cipher on that headphone at least makes the mids sound less clean and detailed. It’s easy to equalize but it would probably be smart for Audeze to include an option to disable the bass boost; personally, I try to maintain stock tuning rather than just equalizing the entire bass range down a few decibels.
 
Feb 25, 2018 at 2:37 AM Post #4,023 of 4,785
This could be annoying for me to say, but the sine’s are really good headphones. None are perfect. The fact that they sound this good and look this good is pretty cool. Kind of amazing, actually. As far as eq. I think it’s ok to do at the digital source. Especially for portable use. I don’t notice much, or any degradation with most good quality headphones. Planars especially. I just listened to a few records with my tube preamp going into a solid state portable headphone amp and felt great the whole time. Completely engaged. As far as the cipher cable. It’s still coiled in its original wrapper. Plugged it in once. It would be annoying to keeping having to swap. Sines sound good to me from the phone. I use a dap with good power for most music. Sometimes I watch a concert on the phone with YouTube. Sine’s work for me in both scenarios with the stock cable. If I only used an iPhone the cipher might be my choice, but man, for my money, these are fantastic either way.
 
Last edited:
Feb 25, 2018 at 9:48 AM Post #4,024 of 4,785
MICHAELSD said:
I love the idea of the Cipher cable, but people don’t realize that the Lightning adapter Apple provides measures astonishingly well, even better than most phones that have a 3.5mm jack:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/lightning-adapter-audio-quality.htm
Click to expand...

Not to stir a big pot of drama, but Ken Rockwell's "reviews" are always majorly biased and are frequently misleading. They are more like quirky opinion pieces, and he makes good money from the traffic generated on his site, as he "reviews" popular products to get a lot of hits. I've long known about his "reviews" of photography gear and only just recently found he also does audio gear "reviews". I go to his site for a laugh, not for reliable, unbiased reviews.
I vastly prefer the Cipher sound to no-Cipher sound via 3.5mm port, but currently looking for a dedicated external amp to use instead of Cipher, as I find the Cipher signature a bit too bright and fatiguing.
 
Last edited:
Feb 26, 2018 at 9:25 PM Post #4,026 of 4,785
I’ve been comparing the sound from my V-Moda M-100 headphones (no amp yet) with my Audeze Sine (via Cipher DAC/amp cable), and finally tested both on the same source player tonight (iPad Pro 12.9”). There’s really no huge immediate difference between the two in terms of apparent quality, interestingly enough. The most immediately obvious difference is the soundstage: going from M-100 to Sine + Cipher feels like getting into a sound-dampened basement from a large chamber. Ok, maybe not that dramatic, but really noticeable. The Sine has a very “immediate” feel to music, everything is more compressed and 2-D compared to the M-100’s noticeably more spaced out presentation. Another difference would be the mids being more forward with the Sine, so vocals are more up-front. Sine is more “shimmery”, M-100 is more relaxed and subdued. I’m starting to realize that I like the sound from my M-100 more than from the Sine, especially when I consider that I’m playing the latter through a DAC/amp and have yet to try an amp with M-100. The difference in soundstage is important to me.

I’m not keeping both in the long run, hence why I’ve been listening to both and making up my mind. I got the Sine after already having M-100, thinking it was going to be an upgrade replacement, but now I’m not so sure. If I had a good amp to use with both, it’d be a helpful test.
 
Last edited:
Mar 1, 2018 at 10:47 PM Post #4,027 of 4,785
TidalWave said:
I’ve been comparing the sound from my V-Moda M-100 headphones (no amp yet) with my Audeze Sine (via Cipher DAC/amp cable), and finally tested both on the same source player tonight (iPad Pro 12.9”). There’s really no huge immediate difference between the two in terms of apparent quality, interestingly enough. The most immediately obvious difference is the soundstage: going from M-100 to Sine + Cipher feels like getting into a sound-dampened basement from a large chamber. Ok, maybe not that dramatic, but really noticeable. The Sine has a very “immediate” feel to music, everything is more compressed and 2-D compared to the M-100’s noticeably more spaced out presentation. Another difference would be the mids being more forward with the Sine, so vocals are more up-front. Sine is more “shimmery”, M-100 is more relaxed and subdued. I’m starting to realize that I like the sound from my M-100 more than from the Sine, especially when I consider that I’m playing the latter through a DAC/amp and have yet to try an amp with M-100. The difference in soundstage is important to me.

I’m not keeping both in the long run, hence why I’ve been listening to both and making up my mind. I got the Sine after already having M-100, thinking it was going to be an upgrade replacement, but now I’m not so sure. If I had a good amp to use with both, it’d be a helpful test.
Click to expand...

I find the Sine to be among the best headphones I’ve ever listened to. The M-100 is also one of the most enjoyable, but I think the Sine is on another level. You’re comparing upper mid-fidelity to what I’d consider true high-fidelity sound. Imaging and mid-range particularly is way better on the Sine.
 
Last edited:
Mar 1, 2018 at 10:53 PM Post #4,028 of 4,785
In fact, I’m very close to buying the Sine again. I still think I decided too quickly and may actually prefer the Sine to the EL-8. There was something super special about its sound in an on-ear form factor. On-ear also works better for me when I’m wearing glasses (many feel the opposite but I can easily wear on-ears without my glasses causing pressure or affecting the seal). I think I’ll sell my Sennheiser HD1 Wireless or even Solo3 and effectively trade it in for the the Sine. The Sine is basically a lively Solo3-type sound with a similarly well-extended bass boost of 5dB vs 7dB — with way more clarity in an audiophile-friendly package that lets you hear every micro detail in a song.

Only real problem is that the sound is noticeably better with Tidal, and I don’t find their buggy service to be worth $19.99/month especially in addition to Apple Music which is a must for me since Tidal isn’t the most robust service.
 
Last edited:
Mar 7, 2018 at 1:22 AM Post #4,030 of 4,785
Sorry, another accessory question: I’m looking for an alternative, more flexible audio cable for the Sine. I don’t like the stiff stock cable. Are there any nice braided flexible cables anyone could recommend?
 
Mar 8, 2018 at 9:25 AM Post #4,031 of 4,785
TidalWave said:
Sorry, another accessory question: I’m looking for an alternative, more flexible audio cable for the Sine. I don’t like the stiff stock cable. Are there any nice braided flexible cables anyone could recommend?
Click to expand...
Denon D600/7100 cables should work, and i remember reading somewhere here that the Meze 99 cable should work too. though not having the angled thing might be a slight hassle having to maneuver the cables forward
 
Mar 8, 2018 at 10:15 AM Post #4,032 of 4,785
Mar 8, 2018 at 10:36 AM Post #4,033 of 4,785
Gangler said:
Cables for Beyer T1 / T5P would work aswell.

You can buy the meze cable here
https://www.mezeaudio.com/collections/accessories
I have not tried this one not 100% sure it will fit into the sine

I have this amazon buyer T1 cable
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=...c&sprefix=newfantasia+beye&crid=2L0EJK5DMM336

I have not tried it with sine I can give it a shot when I’m back in town next week and report back
Click to expand...
T1 cables end in 2x stereo instead of mono like the sine, would that make a difference?
 
Mar 8, 2018 at 6:21 PM Post #4,034 of 4,785
Thanks for the cable suggestions!

Anyone here had a chance to try out Monoprice Monolith M560 or M565C and compare them with Sine? Not looking at the big 1060C, since they are just far too big for me to be practical.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 5 (members: 0, guests: 5)
Back
Top