Introducing the LCD-i3
Jun 18, 2020 at 10:39 AM Post #691 of 1,036
How are you guys storing the headphones when not in use? The pouch does not offer much protection, and I don’t want to have to take off the ear fins in order to seat them in the box...

Desk drawer! :relaxed:

IMG_0849.jpeg
 
Jun 19, 2020 at 2:42 AM Post #694 of 1,036
I noticed something odd. If no music is playing and I touch the headphones, I hear a slightly audible buzz. The buzz goes away when I stop touching it. Anyone else experience this?

Yes is normal. I have it special on the i4, the i3 less. Be careful if you have static electricity! If I only walk on the carpet with socks on and then touch the i3, there can be a bigger bang in the speaker.
 
Jun 19, 2020 at 2:46 AM Post #695 of 1,036
Yes is normal. I have it special on the i4, the i3 less. Be careful if you have static electricity! If I only walk on the carpet with socks on and then touch the i3, there can be a bigger bang in the speaker.
Oh my word! Thank you very much for the heads-up though - I thought that my unit had some sort of grounding issue.
Luckily, we do not have any carpets at home but I am wearing a wool jersey today - this can generate static electricity...

@Audeze, is this something I need to worry about?
 
Jun 19, 2020 at 2:48 AM Post #696 of 1,036
@Audeze, is this something I need to worry about?

Definitely NO, you don't have to worry, they can take a lot more. Nothing is happening. It's just unpleasant to hear, that's all.
 
Jun 21, 2020 at 4:11 AM Post #698 of 1,036
I am very happy with the LCDi3. I haven’t even bothered messing around with EQ. These have changed the game for me. My Oppo PM-3 headphones are good, but these are just better in every way. I feel lucky that the Audeze sound signature suits my preferences, as I bought these without listening to them first LOL.

I re-subscribed to Tidal as well and I must say that listening to the Master Quality version of the same song VS Apple Music, there is definitely a difference. I tried to convince myself that it wasn’t necessary to add yet another subscription to my growing list, but the sound quality difference is just too noticeable to deny. So Tidal is here to stay for now...

I tried the Bluetooth Cipher cable and while it sounds good, the overall sound lacks that vividness you get with the wired Cipher cable. I suspect that it’s partly due to power delivery. Like the drivers aren't getting enough juice. Also, iPhones cannot do AptxHD so I have decided to only use the wired Cipher cable.

Lastly, I realised that the foam storage block is removable from the package. Silly me!

I used a sharp knife to shave away some of the foam so that the ear fins do not touch anything when the IEMs are seated in the foam block, as I didn’t want it being compressed/squeezed...

So now I store the IEMs in the foam block and the provided pouch.
 

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Jun 21, 2020 at 4:26 AM Post #699 of 1,036
Yes the i3 are very good, absolutely well done by Audeze. Not quite the i4, but especially with Cipher V2 they surpass the i4 with Cipher massively. They need much less power than the i4. i4 however unbeaten over a big amp, from best balanced. So they play far beyond the price level and take on the most expensive Overear.

But mobile with cipher the i3 is sensational. No need for EQ settings on the cipher. Fits perfectly. Yes, I also made a subscription to Qobuz. Worth it. The better resolution you hear.

But give the i3 a break-in time. Mine are clearly better after 20-30 hours, especially in the middle. First when I heard them over the amp without a cipher, I was shocked and thought they sounded like crap! Hardly any mids. But now, after 30-40 hours, absolutely excellent, it's like a veil has lifted! So yes, they need break-in time.

Meanwhile my i3 via iPhone and cipher have by far the most playtime. It's just perfect during office work how you can use them. If a call comes in, you can answer it right away and make the call. The microphones are very good. Immediately after hanging up, the music continues. This is really extremely well done.

Yes BT I say yes, it's no good. Emergency solution, nothing more. But play far below value via BT. Sounds more like a 150 USD headphone, but not like a 1000 USD headphone. I don't need BT. Too bad for the quality.

I noticed something very strange lately, which shouldn't be like that. I still have an iPhone 6s, which I use as a music player, because it is much smaller and lighter than the new ones. I don't have a SIM in it anymore, just a music player. Last time I used the i3 with cipher on the 6s. Somehow I found the sound very bland, without energy, boring, sounded really bad. Then I plugged it into the 11 Pro. Again very different, much stronger, fuller, just very different. I don't know what the reason for that is. Only a digital signal is transmitted, nothing more. So I can't understand it. If you still have an old iPhone and a new one, please try it out. I was really surprised about this observation!
 
Jun 21, 2020 at 4:46 AM Post #700 of 1,036
Yes the i3 are very good, absolutely well done by Audeze. Not quite the i4, but especially with Cipher V2 they surpass the i4 with Cipher massively. They need much less power than the i4. i4 however unbeaten over a big amp, from best balanced. So they play far beyond the price level and take on the most expensive Overear.

But mobile with cipher the i3 is sensational. No need for EQ settings on the cipher. Fits perfectly. Yes, I also made a subscription to Qobuz. Worth it. The better resolution you hear.

But give the i3 a break-in time. Mine are clearly better after 20-30 hours, especially in the middle. First when I heard them over the amp without a cipher, I was shocked and thought they sounded like crap! Hardly any mids. But now, after 30-40 hours, absolutely excellent, it's like a veil has lifted! So yes, they need break-in time.

Meanwhile my i3 via iPhone and cipher have by far the most playtime. It's just perfect during office work how you can use them. If a call comes in, you can answer it right away and make the call. The microphones are very good. Immediately after hanging up, the music continues. This is really extremely well done.

Yes BT I say yes, it's no good. Emergency solution, nothing more. But play far below value via BT. Sounds more like a 150 USD headphone, but not like a 1000 USD headphone. I don't need BT. Too bad for the quality.

I noticed something very strange lately, which shouldn't be like that. I still have an iPhone 6s, which I use as a music player, because it is much smaller and lighter than the new ones. I don't have a SIM in it anymore, just a music player. Last time I used the i3 with cipher on the 6s. Somehow I found the sound very bland, without energy, boring, sounded really bad. Then I plugged it into the 11 Pro. Again very different, much stronger, fuller, just very different. I don't know what the reason for that is. Only a digital signal is transmitted, nothing more. So I can't understand it. If you still have an old iPhone and a new one, please try it out. I was really surprised about this observation!
Is the Audeze HQ app installed on the 6s? I suspect that the wrong EQ profile some how got loaded onto the Cipher cable? Happened to me when switching to iPad Pro. I installed the Audeze app and hit the “reset” button and the sound came right.
 
Jun 21, 2020 at 4:50 AM Post #701 of 1,036
Thanks for the tip. Yes I have installed Audeze HQ App on the 6s. But I will try with reset. Possibly there is something there.
 
Jun 21, 2020 at 6:32 AM Post #702 of 1,036
...
  • iSine 20: better super-low bass and more bass overall, brighter, faster with more attack, wider soundstage with more center-focus.
  • ...

Very interesting comparisons, but I am in some perplexity - the first thing that impressed me after switching from iSine 20 to LCD-i3 is the deep and dense bass of the latter. We have clearly different iSine 20 or LCD-i3.
 
Jun 22, 2020 at 8:30 AM Post #703 of 1,036
Interesting observation... I initially installed the small sized smooth ear tips. I then swapped them out for the small sized grooved ear tips and felt that the bass was better.

Today, I tried the medium grooved ear tips and now everything seems a little bit more vivid - very subtle but noticeable.

Can someone please confirm if you also experience this?
 
Jun 22, 2020 at 8:35 AM Post #704 of 1,036
The different earplugs do not change the sound at all. But they do change the fit in the ear and that is then decisive. It depends on how inside the tubes are, what direction they are facing, etc. That's what it depends on. So you have to test longer until you find the right size and type. That can take longer.

What helps, move the InEar in the ear. A little bit up, down, front and back. Also a little further out and further in. That way you can find out how they sound best. The geometry of the earpieces is also very important. The bevel must also be correct.

The tube must be in line with the ear canal, otherwise there will be sound discoloration. It depends on many things. Therefore try it out. Also try with different sizes left and right. This can also improve if the ear canals are not exactly the same size, which often happens.
 
Jun 24, 2020 at 7:50 AM Post #705 of 1,036
So I tried messing about with EQ and wanted to come up with a Preset that gives bass more presence without messing with the mids and treble, as these are areas that I am already happy with.

The screenshot of my EQ attached gives me a nice warm deep bass effect to EDM and Rock music.
Any suggestions? I’m no EQ professional LOL.
 

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