IRIS ListenWell

[Kalli]

The way they talk about mp3 versus CD versus LP, and "restoring information lost" and the talk about "going back to the room where the music was recorded", and the fact that they don't say anything about what exactly they do with the audio to me are all indicaters that a big load of marketing BS is presented here.
If they don't say what exactly they are doing with the audio then what else can we say about it?

True story, but that's how modern marketing works ...
Since the algorithm is their main value as a company, I understand they don't go into detail that much.
You can try it either on their website with some sample tracks, or with the free apps I linked in my first post. The result is quite interesting.

They look like reasonably nice headphones. almost 40 hours of battery life. Bluetooth. An app to EQ and some sort of phase DSP. If they sound good, they should do the job.

Sure, but I'm poor and cannot spend 250 on headphones which arrive in a few months and I have no idea how they sound.
This thread is more about the algorithm and it's potential use cases.

 

[bigshot]

Wait until you get a chance to audition them then. I don't think sales pitch is the best thing to rely on when buying headphones.

 

[v1ni]

Im guessing this 'spatial processing' is all the rage, given Apple are due to do what I believe is similar in iOS 14/Airpods firmware change...

I can't help but feel if Apple are 'giving it away', the fat lady has already sung for startups specialising in this area?

Whatever processing is being done, when I demo'd 10 tracks via the app, it didnt offend my ears. Sure it was different, but I personally couldn't say if it was good/bad different, just different.

The problem these guys have, is that, as alluded to above. Are the types of people that find this "good different", the types of people willing to drop £250+ on headphones? I'd guess not.

 

[v1ni]

Lot of collateral on their indiegogo; https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/iris-flow-headphones#/

One comment by a backer, basically covers whats discussed here. ie. let people who know what they're doing, review the goods, not paid sponsors.

The response from the IRIS guys; "We sent out our first batch to reviewers last week so expect to see reviews starting to appear...."

Watch this space?

 

[bigshot]

Can you switch the processing off? If the answer to that is no, I'd say the answer to buying them would be the same. I'm not fond of "hard wired" coloration. Let me adjust it the way I want. Let me bypass it. Otherwise, leave it off.

 

[Kalli]

Seems like my thread got merged to this one. Was a bit confusing

So many true things in here. But nice to see "real reviews" coming in soon.

 

[bigshot]

Apple EarPods Pro will be getting "immersive sound" too in the next iOS update. It will have head tracking. Won't work for me because I have an iPhone 6s Plus. But I have a friend with an iPad Pro that should do it. I get him to let me try it.

 

[v1ni]

... I have an iPhone 6s Plus.

Hey there Tom Brady

 

[v1ni]

Can you switch the processing off? If the answer to that is no, I'd say the answer to buying them would be the same. I'm not fond of "hard wired" coloration. Let me adjust it the way I want. Let me bypass it. Otherwise, leave it off.

Apparently so...

Hi George, no you don't need the app; the IRIS Flow Headphones feature the IRIS technology built-in, allow you to Listen Well unlimited to all your favourite audio. As per the app, you will be able to toggle IRIS on / off directly on the IRIS Flow Headphones to feel that moment of drama and immersion when IRIS is switched on. - Tom.

 

[bigshot]

A button to feel that moment of drama! Wow.

No way to turn it off without using the app, eh? Hmmm...

 

[keesue]

The downloadable iPad/iPhone app lets you listen to your own Spotify Playlists. With music of familiarity, one can toggle the effect on and off in real time. Very interesting.

It also has a ‘Partner’ tab where one can d/l a song and listen to it in Hi-Res, Sony, MP3 and MP3 w/IRIS, which via a slider allows alternate among them. I found the Hi-Res file sounds as it should - clear and articulate; the Sony version, no-so-much and the standard MP3 file less than the hi-res file, in a subtle bit noticeable way. The MP3 w/IRIS bridges the gap. It is very interesting to listen to each format and especially between the Hi-Res format and IRIS.

The question [I have] is will the processing become fatiguing. My initial impression in just ‘listening’, without criticality of evaluating differences, is no. It is quite pleasing. It makes a 256kb MP3 file sound better - much better in my opinion - through headphones, its reason for being. Listening critically, the jury is out.

 

[zolkis]

I have tried the Iris Listen Well app through several headphones on a Sony phone (Android).

It makes a similar difference to the sound as the Sony DSEE HX process, which allegedly "injects more life into your music by upscaling compressed files".
Whether that is good or not is up to your sources, equipment and taste.
I find the Sony formulation more exact and more honest.
Iris is using more mambo-jambo, but in the end it's just a DSP transform. That is not a diminutive, but it's not extraordinary, either.
However, it is a more pleasant DSP transform than others, especially for Spotify.

I don't like their business model. Currently you can get 50 songs for signing up, and more if you bring in friends, unlimited if you buy their headphones.
I am not interested in that. 40 mm Berillium drivers, DSP - maybe good, but not sure it's worth it.
It's personal, since I never liked any metallic drivers for headphones (the Stellia is borderline but still no).

I'd rather pay some money for unlimited access as it does make Spotify tracks sound more pleasant.
But I'd choose lossless streaming any time.
Whoever tells you they can recover "lost" audio information, they are lying, or they mean something else by "lost".

Also, I am pretty sure there are, or will be similar DSP transforms available through the established music streamer platforms as well.
IMHO they would make the best deal if bought by one of those, probably Spotify. Whether that might be a realistic goal for them, I don't know, but it's plausible.

 

[bigshot]

Yeah, that stuff about the Sony DSEE HX is complete hogwash. You can't throw out data and then magically restore it just by making the file container bigger. And if the data being thrown out is inaudible, it wouldn't make any difference anyway.

These are "sweetening" DSPs. They might do all kinds of things, from boosting specific frequencies to shifting phase to adding reverb. They can make stuff sound nice, but they aren't improving fidelity or making the sound more authentic. Each brand of sweetening DSP probably operates completely different than any other, so you really can't compare them. You just listen, and if you like it, you leave it on. If you don't, you turn it off. It's much more practical to have DSPs built into the amp. I can't imagine why anyone would pay a subscription for one.

 

[Flappy]

I was listening to Take Five by Dave Brubeck and in the normal recording at the beginning you hear the cymbals on the left side and the piano on the right side. When you activate their Iris technology everything moves to the middle. So in fact it's making the soundstage narrower and just kicking the volume up while swapping channels. No thanks.

 

[bigshot]

That sounds like cross feed.