[Devodonaldson]

While the cipher cable has eq that I enjoy on the lcdi3, I do not think the dac or amp are driving the headphone near their full potential. Sound stage and clarity is much higher to me with a good cable, dac, and headphone amp.

I've brought this up on the i4 forum, granted that in ear costs a whole lot more, so spending another couple hundred isn't a huge deal. I purchased the Monolith portable DAC just to use with the i4. 3 band parametric eq, as well as a high and low shelf. This allowed me to get the low-end back below 125hz, remove a few decibles at 1.3khz, increase the missing mid range, and subdue the little peakiness around 10k. This is using an AK4493 with up to 324 PCM. It sounds amazing with whatever I throw T it, including 24/96 files from Tidal music. The $300 for the DAC was absolutely worth it to use with my iPhone 7 turned DAP. IT'S IN MY PHOTO, on the reverse side of the DAC. Great option for those looking to use these portable

 

[dbturbo2]

Does the Cipher Lightning Cable actually contain the DSP for the i3 within the cable, or does it just provide access to the DSP thru the Audeze HQ app?

 

[rkw]

0

Does the Cipher Lightning Cable actually contain the DSP for the i3 within the cable, or does it just provide access to the DSP thru the Audeze HQ app?

Yes, the DSP electronics are in the cable. The HQ app is only used to update EQ settings stored in the Cipher module. You can delete the HQ app and the cable will continue to use its stored EQ setting.

 

[natalieann]

Has anyone tried the i4 cable with the i3 or 20?

I cannot remember who mentioned here that he had both the i4 and i3 or was getting the i3...

Audeze sell the i4 cable as an accessory for I think $399 or $499... I just wondered if using the i4 cable with either the i3 or 20’s made any difference or improvement?

Or indeed any after market cable ... I know with my 20’s the oem 3.5mm cable wasn’t up to much and I definitely heard some improvements using a ‘better’ cable with or without a DAC ( in my case a mojo and Topping)

Also have any owners used the i3 with a DAP (wired and or wireless) rather than the iPhone or Android phone? If so what were your impressions please?

The i3’s are officially released today in the UK ,though there have been some dealers offering them before today, so I’m sure we’ll start seeing plenty more impressions on here...

OOI.. would that lightning to USB C adapter work if Audeze were to upgrade their cipher cable with a USB C connection... given that Apple will apparently be replacing the lightning connection with the USB C on the next iPhone (2020) ... so no chipped adapter would be necessary like the CCK etc just a straightforward adapter ....

I’m only wondering if we can expect some of the Apple device users to be moaning about the USB C connection like the Android guys have here...

I have used the 3.5mm and Bluetooth with the Cowon Plenue R and it crushes an IPHONE. It sounds so good, I find myself hours later going through albums

 

[guitardave]

Got my i3’s today. To me, the bass is bleeding into the lower mids too much, making some music muddy. I don’t remember this when I had i20’s. I will have to play with the eq I guess...

 

[marsza11]

Try listening and the bass is great.

 

[Joe Curcio]

The Bluetooth cables are programmed for i3 and i4. ISine 10 and 20 have different tuning. To answer your question, yes they are programmed and will not be suitable for non-audeze earphones. At the moment the in-ears come with all three cables. The Lightning cable with USB adapters are being used by many non-apple users.

I've been considering the i4 but from your web page (as well as the pages of your distributors) the i4 is not delivered with the cipher lightning nor cipher BT cable. You comment " At the moment the in-ears come with all three cables." seems to contradict your web page. Please confirm.

 

[Devodonaldson]

I've been considering the i4 but from your web page (as well as the pages of your distributors) the i4 is not delivered with the cipher lightning nor cipher BT cable. You comment " At the moment the in-ears come with all three cables." seems to contradict your web page. Please confirm.

I3 comes with all 3 cables. If you purchase i4 from Audeze they'll send you Cipher cable for free.

 

[Audeze]

I've been considering the i4 but from your web page (as well as the pages of your distributors) the i4 is not delivered with the cipher lightning nor cipher BT cable. You comment " At the moment the in-ears come with all three cables." seems to contradict your web page. Please confirm.

Any new order shipping from Audeze will include all 3 cables. If there is some stock already at dealers, that does not have them, you can email us a proof of purchase and our customer support will help you with the new cables.

 

[talan7]

Interesting: ex-CNET's 'The Audiophiliac' claims in his review to hear no discernible difference between the LCDi3 and the iSine 20 and sees no reason for an upgrade...

I have both the 20s and lcd i3 and can attest, the i3 sounds noticeably better than the 20s. I was saving up for the i4s when I found out about the i3s. I went to Audio46 in NY and auditioned the i3s, with my isine 20s on hand to compare. As soon as I put the i3s in, I was sold. I clearly, and I mean clearly heard a difference. Even now, every time I put the i3s in, I'm amazed at the sound. The bass is deeper and tighter, and it has much more treble than isine 20s. It has a larger soundstage and more details. Tonally, they may be close, but the i3 bests the isine 20 in every metric. I never tried the i4. I should have tried all 3 at once. I was too busy seeing if the i3 was enough of an improvement over the 20s to warrant purchase. Perhaps if I had tried the i4s, I would've just waited and kept saving for them. At this point I owe myself a listen to them. $900 vs $2400 is ridiculous though.

 

[davidmolliere]

I owned the LCD-i4 and sold it couldn’t justify the price tag versus the limitations namely the fully open nature and not so amazing fit but the LCD-i3 I could justify provided it’s not too far off.

 

[Devodonaldson]

I have both the 20s and lcd i3 and can attest, the i3 sounds noticeably better than the 20s. I was saving up for the i4s when I found out about the i3s. I went to Audio46 in NY and auditioned the i3s, with my isine 20s on hand to compare. As soon as I put the i3s in, I was sold. I clearly, and I mean clearly heard a difference. Even now, every time I put the i3s in, I'm amazed at the sound. The bass is deeper and tighter, and it has much more treble than isine 20s. It has a larger soundstage and more details. Tonally, they may be close, but the i3 bests the isine 20 in every metric. I never tried the i4. I should have tried all 3 at once. I was too busy seeing if the i3 was enough of an improvement over the 20s to warrant purchase. Perhaps if I had tried the i4s, I would've just waited and kept saving for them. At this point I owe myself a listen to them. $900 vs $2400 is ridiculous though.

I agree $2400+ tax is a hard pull to swallow. I got super lucky and found a pair of flawless b-stock for $1600, no tax, and 12 month no interest. Needless to say u jumped on it immediately, and haven't regretted it. Thx to Audeze fabulous warranty, they honored the warranty as I was able to verify that they were originally purchased from them, and received a new warranty exchange, without issue. The i4 DESERVE eq, and with it are some of the most amazing headphones I've ever heard.

 

[joshnor713]

The i4 DESERVE eq, and with it are some of the most amazing headphones I've ever heard.

Having to EQ a $2500 IEM so they sound how they should is a big LOL. Just can't support that.

 

[Devodonaldson]

Having to EQ a $2500 IEM so they sound how they should is a big LOL. Just can't support that.

Listened to them without eq for a long time. I enjoyed them. I don't feel they NEED eq to sound good, but once you do eq them closer to the Target Harman curve, you can't unhear it. Sounds like 2 different headphones, both very good. I actually prefer not eq'd with a chord Mojo or ifi xDSD vs with cipher. Cipher had more bass punch, but the overall resolution through a mojo, and stage, etc were amazing. It's not till I started doing research and purchased a DAC with parametric eq that I decided to try to match near cipher tuning with a high quality DAC.

 

[talan7]

I've brought this up on the i4 forum, granted that in ear costs a whole lot more, so spending another couple hundred isn't a huge deal. I purchased the Monolith portable DAC just to use with the i4. 3 band parametric eq, as well as a high and low shelf. This allowed me to get the low-end back below 125hz, remove a few decibles at 1.3khz, increase the missing mid range, and subdue the little peakiness around 10k. This is using an AK4493 with up to 324 PCM. It sounds amazing with whatever I throw T it, including 24/96 files from Tidal music. The $300 for the DAC was absolutely worth it to use with my iPhone 7 turned DAP. IT'S IN MY PHOTO, on the reverse side of the DAC. Great option for those looking to use these portable

You've got good results with eq on the Monolith, you say? I have the Monolith AAA amp/dac as well. I haven't tried it with my i3s yet, heck, I'm so enamored with the cipher, I haven't even tried bluetooth cable yet. I must try with the Monolith in the future. Question, do you get the huge soundstage with the Monolith compared to cipher? Overall, can you get the sound as good or better with the Monolith with eq compared to cipher. Are you using stock 3.5 cable?