Audeze Sine - Quick Impressions and Stream of Consciousness

Nein I don't care cables. Standard 3.5. My apologize for posdibly starting the initial hype, but the SINE is really the best mid fi shit. That being said, I don't believe a hyper unicorn cable can bring it to hifi status.

 

I wouldn't even compare these to true hi-fi status phones, because of the small size and closed design that's squarely aimed at portable use. But yeah, I did compare them to some other cans quickly - LCD-2 they ain't. They might have some similarities, but the bass, SS and clarity are in different classes. That said, these do very well for what pure physics allow.

I'd say PM3, Momentum, HD-25, M100 etc. are the more appropriate competion.

 

Keeping in mind show conditions I demoed those in, my impressions align with JoshMorr and Griffon quite well. Overall SS was reminiscent of LCD-4, only more V-shaped with LF less controlled/extended and with rougher HF. Have not heard the Cypher cable. I think Marv's pair either has updated tuning, is defective or his ears are just so shaped to confront this new Audeze creations.

Either way, all things considered including "audiophile" and major reviewer approved sound sig, price point and form factor, build quality and design and especially a tie to a lightning cable/apple store; this will be a real breakthrough for Audeze, good for them.

 

Good sounding headphone and very well built, but I found it ridiculously uncomfortable after 5 minutes. The bass is underwhelming but they're a lot better than both EL8's to my memory.

I hate the EL8's.

 

I don't think I need to preface my opinions usually but in this case I haven't reallly tried to nail these down nor have I given them a healthy amount of listening time so below is w/salt needed and subject to change.
Actually I think it is comparable to the LCD-2. The LCD2.2F is mediocre in my opinion. It has very good transparency but the bass is overpraised. This headphone has very solid bass...very solid and is just about the only planar I have tried that can take EQ in the bass so easy. I agree that the bass quantity is a bit underwhelming but the solidity totally beats the lot. Also for such a small on ear, it is very transparent.

Microdetails - check
Transparency - check
Microdynamics - check
Macrodynamics - kinda or not
No grain - check
Low distortion - mostly
Bass extension - Mostly
Full midrange - check
Treble - good for me, not a lot but better texture than the LCD2 from memory. I hate the LCD2 treble texture ( could be in the minority here too)


My only question is that @Tyll Hertsens said the upper mid range is supposed to be between "500-1000Hz upper-mid range region" That is actually the midrange proper. and that is where it is lacking. I actually hear the mid range proper to be full and rich. I thought the upper mid range was higher up when I boosted the upper mids slightly from 2-4khz I heard better clarity on some songs but overall was fine with no eq.

I know this is debatable but most Frequency charts show the upper midrange to be higher up. from here are several examples found around professional audio sites:

• Upper Midrange: 2 to 4 kHz
• Upper midrange - seventh and 8th octave: 2-5khz
• 1280-2560 = upper mids
• upper midrange 1K to 2K
• from an eq site " says it centers around 3 khz"

Actually no website says the same thing but all agree its higher up than 1000 hz: http://www.digitalprosound.com/2002/03_mar/tutorials/mixing_excerpt1.htm

 

As it happens, I heard a pair of LCD-4 right after the Sines (with Cipher) at my local store. Sine had much more bass and maybe mids. LCD-4 was way more open sounding, as you'd expect. They were actually pretty nice, but not nearly 4990 euros nice. Deep and punchy bass with very good resolution. Nothing wrong with them. But, you'd be a fool to pay that price.

LCD-X though, were very, very treble-happy - I think there was something off up there too. Even though I was listening to some pretty bright recordings, they're not even close to my tastes. Totally different to my old LCD-2. There was still time, so I tried some new & shiny Fazored LCD-2s. These are pretty bright too, mids are slightly grainy. The wood looks kind of cheap. They've obviously lost what was so great with the series and company in the first place - smooth and yummy tones, as Tyll put it.

But yeah, I bought the Sines. So all is not lost. I'm liking them even more after tinkering with the EQ. I dropped a few db of bass from 125hz and boosted a few db of 2 and 4khz to get the vocals and guitars more forward.

 

Prediction:

Marv stuffs toilet paper in these somehow.

 

Without the magic cable or EQ I think there's more problems with the highs being pulled back. But yeah, with the 3,5 the mids are quite upfront. Thank god for DSP and EQ.

That EQ works just great, damn these phones can sparkle and kick hard with some energy added up top (2 and 4k most of all) and cut from high bass, 125hz especially. This applies only to the Cipher-users, though.

 

That link... Thats what I have actually referred to most myself and the upper midrange there is from 2-4khz

I didn't know the Stereophile/Audiophile worlds had different definitions.

Good to know.

 

So you've heard both, and the Sine with Cipher?

Sine with that "magic digi-wire" is bassier than without. With on-ears, it all comes down to fit and seal. You should know better, since you're commenting like you do.

 

I've heard both, probably 4 times for the Sine and 5 times for the LCD 4. The last occasion being 10 minutes between the two headphones.

I thought what you said was ridiculous.

 

I'm kinda curious about the same comparison. I was considering spending some money on Yaxi ear pads and the mass loading mod for my HD25s. But if the Sine is leaps and bounds above (well that's stretching expectations a bit), then maybe I shouldn't waste my funds on that...

 

Would you describe it as "overly congested" like the LCD-XC?

 

Disclaimer: short listening session at a shop. It was dead quiet though. I was using the lightning cable.

Mids were strange. Recessed lower mids, but so much upper mids/ lower treble that sounded a bit grainy and thin as well.

But I really like how these did not sound closed at all (compared to my Slants). They basically sounded like a pair of open cans, which is nice. Way better than the Edition-S I heard.

Overall not bad for the price.

 

I haven't heard the LCD-XC, but I would not use the term "overly congested" to describe the Sine. In fact I think they have excellent instrument separation, some of the best I've heard at the mid-fi level.

 

It's totally possible to have a ridiculous seal to make a ridiculous claim.

On other other note, what do you think is ridiculous?