[CANiSLAYu]

Correct me if i am wrong, but to get a DSP pre-sets for headphones that already very expense (this part, i am ok with - I think the LCDs are the best headphones on the market), I need to sign up for a $500 product? And people think this is awesome?

SMH.

Dear Audeze - I am a fan of your products. They come the closest to reproducing the sound that I hear in an orchestra hall. But please dont insult my intelligence by claiming that a DSP that requires a $115/yr subscription or $500 purchase is "free". If Audeze is going to go down this path, I am going to re-consider my LCD-4 purchase, as i have no desire to own headphones where simple DSP mods to make it sound better (ie, the musical equivalent of upgrades) are (a) so expensive and (b) tie me into another software that I would otherwise not want. Just feedback from someone who is otherwise a very, very satisfied Audeze user.

I’m going to chime in here because I also think Roon is expensive, but I think you’re looking at it the wrong way. First, watch this:


How does this DSP capability, which you just learned about, change your opinion on how you enjoy your headphones? You already stated how much you like how the Audeze sound, so this shouldn’t make you like them any less.

Regarding the cost, I agree Roon is an expensive piece of software. I’m demoing right now and it’s definitely overkill for my needs. I have just barely more than 400 local albums and use Tidal HiFi for everything else and I only listen music on headphones and from only one source, so the multi-zone and other features are wasted on me. Not to mention you need to have a PC or Mac running to use the Audeze DSP and my current setup doesn’t rely on a computer (I have an AURALiC ALTAIR and stream my local files from a NAS and Tidal over Wi-Fi).

Having said that, putting it in perspective in this hobby where some folks spend $1,800+ on a headphone cable for what many people believe is placebo and has no effect on the sound, by comparison $500 for a tangible change in sound (assuming you like it) is arguably pretty reasonable. That’s not even factoring in the other benefits of the software, like the discovery capabilities (which I am growing to like very much).

It just seems a silly argument if Audeze did nothing on the software side you would be a happy customer, but the fact they are making this option available to Roon subscribers makes you question supporting the company at all. Stop supporting a company because they are trying to innovate and give customers options? What?

Parting thought - the benefit to this software approach is you can demo it for 60 days and decide if it’s worth it for you. Where else in this hobby can you demo something in home for 60 days for free? You might find out the DSP actually sounds worse to you.

 

[Audeze]

I have 3 Audeze products, have the LCD-4 as a purchase for next year once i shift homes and came across this link while trying to get info on how to best pair the iSines with Android phones.

Correct me if i am wrong, but to get a DSP pre-sets for headphones that already very expense (this part, i am ok with - I think the LCDs are the best headphones on the market), I need to sign up for a $500 product? And people think this is awesome?
What would be nice, btw, is a Cipher cable style solution for Android.

@vkalia - We are offering it as a free option for Roon users. We plan to offer other options in future but developing these takes time. As we mentioned in our post, this is just the start.

 

[CANiSLAYu]

@KMann, is there a way to replicate the Sine DSP settings with my iPhone + Cipher cable? In other words, do you have recommended EQs for the Sine that would replicate the special sauce that was just released in Roon?

Curious for this as well. Any recommended settings for the iSINE 20 with the Cipher cable and Audeze app?

 

[Audeze]

Curious for this as well. Any recommended settings for the iSINE 20 with the Cipher cable and Audeze app?

When you use the Cipher cable with iSine10/20, the same settings/algorithms are already in the cipher by default. If you don't add any EQ, the default settings should be similar to what you get with Roon.

 

[KMann]

@KMann, is there a way to replicate the Sine DSP settings with my iPhone + Cipher cable? In other words, do you have recommended EQs for the Sine that would replicate the special sauce that was just released in Roon?

Though I have not tried it myself, I believe you can use iPeng to bring Roon to your iDevice. The Cipher currently has a simple bass boost for Sine. Though theDSP in Cipher cable is capable of getting quite close to the Roon preset, it would require a firmware update.

 

[Matro5]

Perfect. I actually just discovered iPeng last week and am happily using it to drive Roon to my Sines. That said, I'm not sure if the new DSPs are selectable in Roon on my iPhone, even though I'm now able to select my headphones as the output source.

I'll be sure to update my firmware and play around with this tonight. Thanks!

 

[KMann]

Perfect. I actually just discovered iPeng last week and am happily using it to drive Roon to my Sines. That said, I'm not sure if the new DSPs are selectable in Roon on my iPhone, even though I'm now able to select my headphones as the output source.

I'll be sure to update my firmware and play around with this tonight. Thanks!

Did not intend to mislead you. We do not have a new firmware yet. We can consider it if we see more Cipher + Sine owners wanting it.

 

[Matro5]

Did not intend to mislead you. We do not have a new firmware yet. We can consider it if we see more Cipher + Sine owners wanting it.

Ah, got it. No problem. I'll keep an eye out.

 

[vkalia]

@CANiSLAYu - I can understand if you feel differently but please don't presume to call my POV a "silly" argument for that reason.

The cost of other gear, the cost of cables, etc is completely irrelevant to the notion of requiring a third party solution for $500 as the only way to get better Audeze sound. The issue is not the fact that Audeze is offering DSP - but how this is offered. Is there no better option / one that is less disruptive? I am a customer. If you tell me these headphones cost $X, that is one purchase decison. If you tell me they cost $X and I will need to add another software for $Y, that changes my purchase calculus (cost as well as change to my playback setup).

There is nothing silly about this - i accept not everyone is going to be bothered by the idea of adding a new program just to optimize one headphone, but i for one just want to listen to music, not faff around with computers. I have a few headphones i rotate through, depending on what i want to listen to. I also use the same source to feed either of my two 2A3-based speaker system. I have a system that works.

Yes, Audeze can do whatever they want. I, as a customer, can also give them feedback on what I think of this. . They can ignore it, they can consider alternative options which are cheaper/which integrate better with existing setups.

Anyway, @KMann - thank you for reaching out to me and offering to assist. Also appreciate your taking my post as the constructive suggestion it was meant to be. Will take it up offline.

 

[murl]

I find Roon very useful and a pleasure to use. It makes the music experience better. I realize that this may not be the case for every system but if you are going to use it anyway the presets are icing on the cake. I would never buy Roon just to use those specific presets but I did buy it for other reasons.

Ryan

I have 3 Audeze products, have the LCD-4 as a purchase for next year once i shift homes and came across this link while trying to get info on how to best pair the iSines with Android phones.

Correct me if i am wrong, but to get a DSP pre-sets for headphones that already very expense (this part, i am ok with - I think the LCDs are the best headphones on the market), I need to sign up for a $500 product? And people think this is awesome?

SMH.

Dear Audeze - I am a fan of your products. They come the closest to reproducing the sound that I hear in an orchestra hall. But please dont insult my intelligence by claiming that a DSP that requires a $115/yr subscription or $500 purchase is "free". If Audeze is going to go down this path, I am going to re-consider my LCD-4 purchase, as i have no desire to own headphones where simple DSP mods to make it sound better (ie, the musical equivalent of upgrades) are (a) so expensive and (b) tie me into another software that I would otherwise not want. Just feedback from someone who is otherwise a very, very satisfied Audeze user.

What would be nice, btw, is a Cipher cable style solution for Android.

 

[AlwaysForward]

I don't know much about android permissions but would it be feasible to make an android app which does system-wide EQ with your presets? It seems like it might be possible I think a lot of the android user base who have LG or Android based DAPs would probably LOVE that kind of solution. One app to make all the Android guys happy.

https://www.phonearena.com/news/System-wide-audio-tweaks-10-of-the-best-EQ-apps-for-Android_id64761

 

[KMann]

I don't know much about android permissions but would it be feasible to make an android app which does system-wide EQ with your presets? It seems like it might be possible I think a lot of the android user base who have LG or Android based DAPs would probably LOVE that kind of solution. One app to make all the Android guys happy.

https://www.phonearena.com/news/System-wide-audio-tweaks-10-of-the-best-EQ-apps-for-Android_id64761

Anything more than a 5 band or 10 band EQ needs some form of rooting and it would likely break when the next Android version comes out...

What we do with calibration presets is a lot more complex than that.

 

[AlwaysForward]

Anything more than a 5 band or 10 band EQ needs some form of rooting and it would likely break when the next Android version comes out...

What we do with calibration presets is a lot more complex than that.

Well, makes sense that you've looked into it. It's kind of a low hanging fruit idea. Sounds like there's something cooking in the kitchen but not your own hardware or OS level software... hmmm.

OEM partnerships with DAP makers?

Edit: if there's ever a simple portable solution for the full size LCD line, I'll take the plunge. For me, streaming and portability is king. Even if they're open, I want to walk around my house or easily take them to my couch... Like the isine

 

[Audeze]

Well, makes sense that you've looked into it. It's kind of a low hanging fruit idea. Sounds like there's something cooking in the kitchen but not your own hardware or OS level software... hmmm.

OEM partnerships with DAP makers?

This feature will be most useful for people who use Audeze headphones for mixing. A lot of people use our headphones in the Pro Market.

 

[AlwaysForward]

This feature will be most useful for people who use Audeze headphones for mixing. A lot of people use our headphones in the Pro Market.

While true, it seems many of the initial impressions are that users are loving the new curves for general listening too I can't wait to see what y'all cook up next!