[Makuta11]

Hello everyone,

The title says it all. I am currently in the market for a new set of iems, and I think I have narrowed it down to Audeze and Campfire. I was able to audition the isine 20 back in October and loved it, but the practicality of an open back iem has me a bit worried.

How do the Lyra II and Polaris stack up to the isine, in terms of sound?

Thanks for any input!

 

[kukkurovaca]

I can't provide a comparison to Campfire, but I have the iSine 20 and definitely find it unsuitable for use in, say, a commute by bus or train. I love the iSine but find it necessary to have something more isolating for transit commuting.

 

[Makuta11]

I figured that the isine would be unusable during travel/commuting, but my concerns were more for more or less office use.

I don't know how much use they would see at home, and despite how great they sound, I fear they won't fit into my lifestyle (work in a lab, light ambient noise, but excessive sound leak could be an issue). At least not as well compared to many other iems, though I may be overestimating how bad the sound leak is.

 

[kukkurovaca]

I figured that the isine would be unusable during travel/commuting, but my concerns were more for more or less office use.

I don't know how much use they would see at home, and despite how great they sound, I fear they won't fit into my lifestyle (work in a lab, light ambient noise, but excessive sound leak could be an issue). At least not as well compared to many other iems, though I may be overestimating how bad the sound leak is.

Sound leak outward is not bad at all. I wouldn't worry about that unless you have VERY sensitive coworkers. I find them fine for office work; that's what I largely got them for. If stuff is happening around you, you're going to hear it, which is desirable for me because I need to be at least minimally aware of what's happening around me.

 

[Makuta11]

Ok, I think I'm convinced, haha. The lack of isolation is a pro for me as well, due to me needing/wanting to hear some of what is going on around me. Out of curiosity, do you use the cipher cable, or the analog? I will be using the analog cable with a dedicated dac/amp in pretty much all cases of use.

Thanks for the input!

If anyone wants to comment on the Lyra II or Polaris, I certainly welcome it, but I suspect that I will be placing an order for the Audezes in the coming days.

 

[kukkurovaca]

Ok, I think I'm convinced, haha. The lack of isolation is a pro for me as well, due to me needing/wanting to hear some of what is going on around me. Out of curiosity, do you use the cipher cable, or the analog? I will be using the analog cable with a dedicated dac/amp in pretty much all cases of use.

Thanks for the input!

If anyone wants to comment on the Lyra II or Polaris, I certainly welcome it, but I suspect that I will be placing an order for the Audezes in the coming days.

Analog. I've got an inexpensive balanced cable. But if you auditioned them with the cipher cable and liked the sound, then do be aware that the cipher is applying some EQ, and to get the same sound signature with an analog you will need be able to EQ your source. There's good discussion of various EQ settings in the main iSine thread, and Audeze also offers a plugin now to help streamline the process.

If your source is an iOS device, using the cipher cable will probably be the best bet. If you go that route, then you may want to pick up something like this to let you charge your device while listening, since otherwise the cipher cable will monopolize your lightning port.

 

[Makuta11]

I actually auditioned them at RMAF with just my Samsung GS7E. I figured that they would sound even better with a dedicated mobile setup (or desktop setup for the occasional at-home use). I was just curious, as many of the reviews citing their amazing sound are based on use with the cipher cable. I'm not too worried about the analog vs cipher improvement, I'm just curious to see what other owners are using.

Thanks again!