[whitemouse]

This is not correct. The i4 has a very different driver compared to the i3. The i3 driver is a lot easier to make than i4. We are the manufacturer and during assembly we have items that have scratches or other cosmetic issues. We sell these as B-Stock, like any other manufacturer with full warranty. The i4s sold last year were mainly Bstock.

I stand corrected!

Thank you, Audeze, for such amazing headphones! Your headphones give me more pleasure, than pretty much anything else in life!

 

[Chikolad]

Hey @Audeze, is it official that one should use the LCD-i4's DSP preset in Roon or will the i3 have its own preset one day?

 

[Audeze]

The i3 and i4 are quite close in their FR, so you can use the i4 setting. Eventually we will create a separate version to remove the confusion.

 

[Chikolad]

The i3 and i4 are quite close in their FR, so you can use the i4 setting. Eventually we will create a separate version to remove the confusion.

Cool! I'm currently using the i4's, and while it sounds really really good, I wonder what a tailor-made DSP would sound like. Can't wait!

 

[NYanakiev]

Hey @Audeze, is it official that one should use the LCD-i4's DSP preset in Roon or will the i3 have its own preset one day?

I would like to know this too.
How should I go about using the Roon preset if I use a Hugo 2 as well?

 

[Chikolad]

I would like to know this too.
How should I go about using the Roon preset if I use a Hugo 2 as well?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but the Hugo 2 shouldn't be any different from other DAC/Amps in that regard. Just switch on the i4's DSP and you're all set. I also use a Hugo 2.

 

[NYanakiev]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but the Hugo 2 shouldn't be any different from other DAC/Amps in that regard. Just switch on the i4's DSP and you're all set. I also use a Hugo 2.

Gotcha. So no further setting up needed? If I remember correctly, I had to come up with a new device connection, where I picked the lcd-i4.

Thus, any time I use Roon with the lcd-i3, I need to select that same profile, right?

 

[Chikolad]

Gotcha. So no further setting up needed? If I remember correctly, I had to come up with a new device connection, where I picked the lcd-i4.

Thus, any time I use Roon with the lcd-i3, I need to select that same profile, right?

The device (zone) is still the Hugo 2. You just choose the DSP you want depending on which headphone you're using atm. Of course, if you used any EQ or some other DSP that's relevant to the headphone you're using you will need to adjust that too.

 

[Chikolad]

Does it make sense that after 6 days with the i3 it suddenly sounds worse to me? Also all of a sudden the i4 DSP sounds too thick and muddy and I prefer them without DSP out of my Mojo + Roon laptop.

Is my brain doing this to me? Why?!

 

[Clemmaster]

Clean your ears, maybe?

 

[Chikolad]

Clean your ears, maybe?

Doesn't feel like that sort of problem

 

[ambool]

Got these a little over a week ago along with the i4 premium braided cable... because I am a sucker for nice looking cables. They are perfect for my needs and sound decent out of the box on my Asus STX sound card, albeit a little hollow and echoey (I am sure there is a better term to describe this). After running the Reveal plugin on Equalizer APO it tightens them up a bit with the i4 preset and the sound is very non-fatiguing and super enjoyable, which is what I prefer above everything else. Can't wait for the i3 to get its own Reveal preset because it seems there can be more improvement with the calibration. I tried equalizing them, but I am admittedly a novice.

 

[m8o]

... and sound decent out of the box on my Asus STX sound card, albeit a little hollow and echoey ...

I would suggest trying an external DAC/amp combo that has low impedance and decent power without the Reveal plugin and see if it's the same case. To me in the past with other headphones it would address what you described. I never went back to using a sound card after that.

 

[ambool]

I would suggest trying an external DAC/amp combo that has low impedance and decent power without the Reveal plugin and see if it's the same case. To me in the past with other headphones it would address what you described. I never went back to using a sound card after that.

I have tried going external in the past with mixed results, unfortunately. I keep going back to the Asus STX for convenience of being able to switch between both outputs (RCA and 1/4 headphone jack) and not having to unplug anything while using extensions. I did try the Cypher cable with a iPhone 11 and the sound was very, very good. With the Reveal plugin on PC it is close, but can't wait to hear the minor tweaks to the i3s own EQ profile to get the most out of them. I might have to visit using a DAC/amp combo unit just to see what it does with my current setup (these and Sony XBA-N3s).

 

[BlueIguana]

I have tried going external in the past with mixed results, unfortunately. I keep going back to the Asus STX for convenience of being able to switch between both outputs (RCA and 1/4 headphone jack) and not having to unplug anything while using extensions. I did try the Cypher cable with a iPhone 11 and the sound was very, very good. With the Reveal plugin on PC it is close, but can't wait to hear the minor tweaks to the i3s own EQ profile to get the most out of them. I might have to visit using a DAC/amp combo unit just to see what it does with my current setup (these and Sony XBA-N3s).

How is the comfort? And also do you notice a big change in audio quality when using the Bluetooth module? I'm looking for something I can wear around the house so I want to be able to move around while listening to tunes for 1-2 hrs at a time