Introducing the LCD-i3

[Cocosan]

I have the same issue. I once spent half an hour trying to find one that had fallen out into a bush with small dark berries that all looked like eartips!
Just thinking again, I might try a small dab of thread lock to see if that does the trick

Lol that is tough - they do look alike The thread idea is great I will give it a try too! Also I am interested in this tip CP155 from SpinFit (found on Amazon), I wonder if it would work ?

 

[davehutch]

Thanks for sharing your journey and experience with the i3 - its a very interesting read. I have the same passion to find the best sound for it as well, however my motivation is a bit different - because I don't want to feel bad about making this purchase.

LCD i3 is flawed. It has amazing technicality, but completely ruined by tuning.
I use 3.5mm & 4.4mm primarily. The sound of the Cipher cable is great, but I find its usage very limited. (And yes I have the Anker adapter too)

Anyway, this is what I have now:
- Original silicon tips
- 3.5mm and 4.4mm Bronze cable from Moon Audio.
- AutoEQ Parametric EQ with Crinacle's measurement (https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq/tree/master/results/crinacle/harman_in-ear_2019v2/Audeze LCD-i3)
- Qudelix 5K

The real saviour here is the Parametric EQ. The difference is so large that it's now a completely different beast where LCD i3 could finally show off its real capability. You can hear amazing bass every subtle details with amazing clarity. More importantly, it just sound 'right'. It is way better than the Cipher sound.

Moon Audio cable bring out a bit more bass, which is very nice.

While my primary source is the Hugo 2, but I am equally just as happy when driven directly from my Macbook pro, or with Qudelix 5K (amazing device) when I need wireless audio.

My IE900 definitely hated all these because now its not getting much attention at all

My next step is to find a good replacement tip. The original tips slide off the nozzle too easily and I am having problem finding suitable tips that will fit the wide nozzle without splitting..

I'm re-visiting the PEQ route using my E1DA PowerDac and it is really very promising. However, I only have 7 EQ points available. Which 7 would you recommend I use out of the ten listed in your link?

 

[Cocosan]

I'm re-visiting the PEQ route using my E1DA PowerDac and it is really very promising. However, I only have 7 EQ points available. Which 7 would you recommend I use out of the ten listed in your link?

Actually, I would suggest trying out the full PEQ to experience the >target< first, then try disabling each EQ point one by one. This way you could have a base point to compare changes to.

Btw, if Fixed EQ is more accessible, there is also the 10 bands Fixed EQ in the same folder, which produces very similar result. It is worth trying out too.

As for trying out the full EQ (Fixed & Parametric), on the mac I use Audirvana, eqMac and SoundSource. These apps let us use Apple's Audio Units, specifically the AUNBandEQ. Here is the PEQ I use when running i3 with an Amp (to avoid clipping):

And here is the 10 bands Fixed EQ I used for running i3 directly from Macbook's 3.5mm socket (without Amp), still better than the Cipher

As for which EQ points to drop, I am not sure to be honest and need to read the AutoEQ documentation, but I noticed the Parametric EQ points are not listed in frequency order, so I wonder its arranged in the priority order - meaning the ones at the top are more important and ones toward the bottom are 'less important' and could be dropped. I will have to try this myself first. But I think ultimately it's your call. By comparing with the target, you could decide which one you are willing to sacrifice.

Good luck and hope you find the best sound with your i3

 

[davehutch]

Thanks @Cocosan that’s very much appreciated!

 

[davehutch]

Actually, I would suggest trying out the full PEQ to experience the >target< first, then try disabling each EQ point one by one. This way you could have a base point to compare changes to.

Btw, if Fixed EQ is more accessible, there is also the 10 bands Fixed EQ in the same folder, which produces very similar result. It is worth trying out too.

As for trying out the full EQ (Fixed & Parametric), on the mac I use Audirvana, eqMac and SoundSource. These apps let us use Apple's Audio Units, specifically the AUNBandEQ. Here is the PEQ I use when running i3 with an Amp (to avoid clipping):



And here is the 10 bands Fixed EQ I used for running i3 directly from Macbook's 3.5mm socket (without Amp), still better than the Cipher


As for which EQ points to drop, I am not sure to be honest and need to read the AutoEQ documentation, but I noticed the Parametric EQ points are not listed in frequency order, so I wonder its arranged in the priority order - meaning the ones at the top are more important and ones toward the bottom are 'less important' and could be dropped. I will have to try this myself first. But I think ultimately it's your call. By comparing with the target, you could decide which one you are willing to sacrifice.

Good luck and hope you find the best sound with your i3

I've downloaded the AU Lab app and created the PEQ as suggested above. I'm running Monterey on an M1 MBP and, as Soundflower doesn't work on M1 Macs, I'm using Blackhole instead.
I wasn't getting any output, and looking around t'interweb this seems to be because AU Lab wasn't asking for microphone permission. I found another link through Apple Developers and I happened to have an account. The version I downloaded was 2.2.2 and this correctly asked for permission and all is now well.
The link that helped me figure it out was here - https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/au-lab-and-monterey.2340389/

 

[Cocosan]

I've downloaded the AU Lab app and created the PEQ as suggested above. I'm running Monterey on an M1 MBP and, as Soundflower doesn't work on M1 Macs, I'm using Blackhole instead.
I wasn't getting any output, and looking around t'interweb this seems to be because AU Lab wasn't asking for microphone permission. I found another link through Apple Developers and I happened to have an account. The version I downloaded was 2.2.2 and this correctly asked for permission and all is now well.
The link that helped me figure it out was here - https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/au-lab-and-monterey.2340389/

Hmm I haven't tried Blackhole and it looks very good. Thanks for sharing that and the link for the fix!

Btw, with the above PEQ, you might want to apply some Global Gain to avoid clipping (crackling) at the top end.

As for the 7 bands PEQ, I found the PEQ by Kmann (from Audeze?). I like this EQ as well - It produces a very similar sound to the Cipher, and good base point to improve on:

 

[davehutch]

Yes, I tried that one as well. Will find a good balance between the two. Thanks again.
If anybody else is trying this out, here is an alternative EQ from the AutoEQ Project which Crinkles latest video describes. For me this is the best starting place of all:
https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/Au...s/crinacle/harman_in-ear_2019v2/Audeze LCD-i3

 

[davehutch]

OK, so, back again with another question.
Firstly, OMG these are good with PEQ!!

Now, I'm using the stock 3.5mm cable but I'd like an inexpensive 'upgrade' cable. Up to $40.
Am I right in thinking that I'm looking for 'recessed 2-pin' connectors and that (according to Audeze's website) 0.78mm is fine? I'd either get them made without the 'memory' ear-hook or simply remove it.
For example, are these connectors ok?:

or maybe the Tripowin Noire for a choice of source connectors?

Thanks all.

 

[Cocosan]

OK, so, back again with another question.
Firstly, OMG these are good with PEQ!!

Now, I'm using the stock 3.5mm cable but I'd like an inexpensive 'upgrade' cable. Up to $40.
Am I right in thinking that I'm looking for 'recessed 2-pin' connectors and that (according to Audeze's website) 0.78mm is fine? I'd either get them made without the 'memory' ear-hook or simply remove it.
For example, are these connectors ok?:


or maybe the Tripowin Noire for a choice of source connectors?


Thanks all.

Good to hear its working out for you too. Btw, you might want to try the following EQ too. These works best for me when I run i3 from my MBP M1 directly without going through an Amp because it doesn't attenuate the volume as much: Link .However I don't use these when driving i3 with Amp because it would clip at the top end.

As for cable, connector wise that sounds about right but it would be wise to check with manufacturer if their cables would work with i3.

Also, depend on your definition of upgrade and the types of music you listen to, while the different is subtle, cable type might change the sound signature in a way you don't want. When I used Moon Audio's silver dragon cable with i3, it added clarity but the music lost some body and sounded thin (compared to the stock cable). That is why I end up pairing i3 with their bronze dragon cable, which added some body to the music and retained the clarity made it quite enjoyable

Audeze LCD i3, driven by Qudelix 5K using the Bronze Dragon cable from Moon Audio:

 

[davehutch]

Good to hear its working out for you too. Btw, you might want to try the following EQ too. These works best for me when I run i3 from my MBP M1 directly without going through an Amp because it doesn't attenuate the volume as much: Link .However I don't use these when driving i3 with Amp because it would clip at the top end.

As for cable, connector wise that sounds about right but it would be wise to check with manufacturer if their cables would work with i3.

Also, depend on your definition of upgrade and the types of music you listen to, while the different is subtle, cable type might change the sound signature in a way you don't want. When I used Moon Audio's silver dragon cable with i3, it added clarity but the music lost some body and sounded thin (compared to the stock cable). That is why I end up pairing i3 with their bronze dragon cable, which added some body to the music and retained the clarity made it quite enjoyable

Audeze LCD i3, driven by Qudelix 5K using the Bronze Dragon cable from Moon Audio:

Yes, that's exactly the EQ I'm using at the moment with a -7dB preamp gain. I've also tried the AutoEQ settings for my AirPods Pro...such a great improvement!.
By 'upgrade' I mostly mean a balanced cable. I have some but they are all mmcx and I can use those with adaptors but it's a bit inelegant. For balanced sound, I'd probably go for silver plated copper and to keep it lightweight...8-core.
Would love to get the Qudelix and probably should have a year ago when it was £80 on Amazon. Can't find them at the moment though, not even on Qudelix's website.

Update on AU Lab...it's a bit flaky and I've needed to restart the Mac a few times, particularly after it's been sleeping. I'm going to try eqMac today and maybe Hosting AU. Will report back.

 

[Cocosan]

Yes, that's exactly the EQ I'm using at the moment with a -7dB preamp gain. I've also tried the AutoEQ settings for my AirPods Pro...such a great improvement!.
By 'upgrade' I mostly mean a balanced cable. I have some but they are all mmcx and I can use those with adaptors but it's a bit inelegant. For balanced sound, I'd probably go for silver plated copper and to keep it lightweight...8-core.
Would love to get the Qudelix and probably should have a year ago when it was £80 on Amazon. Can't find them at the moment though, not even on Qudelix's website.

Update on AU Lab...it's a bit flaky and I've needed to restart the Mac a few times, particularly after it's been sleeping. I'm going to try eqMac today and maybe Hosting AU. Will report back.

Perhaps you know already but just to clarify - the EQ in my last post is actually a slightly different EQ (than the one in my original post) where this one does NOT require preamp gain. (its an earlier version). I like this one because it doesnt lower the volume as much..

About Qudelix 5K, you could ask them on FB directly. They would usually give out indication on timing of new stocks. That is how I grabbed mine

 

[davehutch]

Just to clarify - the EQ in my last post is actually a slightly different EQ (than the one in my original post) where this one does NOT require preamp gain. The links looks very similar but its actually different.

About Qudelix 5K, you could visit their FB and ask them directly. They would usually give out indication on timing of new stocks. That is how I grabbed mine

EqMac is nice but only 10 bands EQ is free and PEQ is behind a pay-gate. In the end I decided to just get SoundSource because I could use Audio Unit with it...

Thanks for the extra info. I used the basic eqMac in the past but have done some trialling today and it seems really stable. Also just a rolling monthly sub of $3 so I've purchased it. Much less hassle than AU Lab and more stable. So far so good and thanks again for all your help!!

 

[Cocosan]

Thanks for the extra info. I used the basic eqMac in the past but have done some trialling today and it seems really stable. Also just a rolling monthly sub of $3 so I've purchased it. Much less hassle than AU Lab and more stable. So far so good and thanks again for all your help!!

One downside about applying these AutoEQ profiles is that they made all headphones sound alike and lost their uniqueness. In my case i3 now sounds awfully similar to AKG NC400 - all that differentiate them is the technical capability. Its fine for i3 because this is a salvage operation, but I think when all headphone are tuned the same that could be boring. This might be one of the reason why some people avoid EQing their headphone and want the original sound..

Looking forward to a properly tuned planar IEM from Audeze

 

[davehutch]

One downside about applying these AutoEQ profiles is that they made all headphones sound alike and lost their uniqueness. In my case i3 now sounds awfully similar to AKG NC400 - all that differentiate them is the technical capability. Its fine for i3 because this is a salvage operation, but I think when all headphone are tuned the same that could be boring. This might be one of the reason why some people avoid EQing their headphone and want the original sound..

Looking forward to a properly tuned planar IEM from Audeze

That certainly makes sense and is something I found yesterday when I did it to several IEMs and a pair of headphones. My HD6xx benefited and of course are different to IEMs anyway but there was no benefit in EQing my FD5s. It might make me cut down on my collection a little bit (not that I have many to start with)
I do enjoy having open IEMs, headphones and also the pure convenience and noise cancellation of the AirPods Pro. If I can enhance their shortfalls that’s great

 

[Haxion]

Hey LCD-i3 owners, quick question-- is there a case I can buy for carrying these around where I can drop them in without having to remove the over-ear hooks, but which is otherwise sturdy enough to provide some protection? On days I have to go into the office I always bring them with me, and have mostly been just using the rubber in-ear hooks to keep them in my ears. I find the over-ear hooks to be superior in terms of both sound and comfort, but they're pretty flimsy. I previously owned a set of iSine 10's and the over-ear hooks are very easy to break, and I'm sure they'll break even quicker having to snap them on and off every time I want to listen; when they break, it's typically in the C-shaped plastic that attaches them to the IEM body. If I had a compact, but hard case with foam inserts, and which could keep them separate (as they're pretty strongly magnetic and I wonder if that could lead to warping the driver if they were kept touching for long periods), that would solve my problem. Any recommendations?