[normie610]

that cable defeats the purpose of the i4 as a portable option....IMHO

Agree, but I think it's also down to the willingness of the user/owner to add some bulk and weight to i4 and yet still be transportable. I myself don't mind to carry around the i4 with larger cable. YMMV.

 

[coolcat]

that cable defeats the purpose of the i4 as a portable option....IMHO

yes the combination is not good for portable use at all, but it means to be transportable. when I walk I use the other cables and often use iems instead of the i4.
My reason for buying this cable is because it is quite cheap compared to my previous cable such as Labkable Pandora (I may buy this cable back in the future, because it gives a very nice soundstage,separation and make the image bigger) and I want to save up for an amp,
The DHC comp4 cable costs around 400$ (used), but I think (I guess) it suits my taste better than some cables ,which costs more such as effect mars,effect leonidas, beat audio prima donna (I owned these cable before, even if I cannot put them on the Lcdi4 and make a direct comparison with the Comp4, I think I can imagine how the combination of the i4+ those cables would sound like, my thought is maybe not quite accurate though , people may like those cables more depend on their preferences, but I really like copper cable). I think because the ergonomics of the cable DHC cannot sell the comp4 copper at a higher price, hence the it provide a very good price/performance ratio (especially secondhand). By the way I have the other cable by me it is the Wagnus sieve sheep (Copper cable),still havent tried them together,because I use the sieve sheep with my iems

 

[normie610]

Hi All,

I just want to share a comparison between LCD i4 and my only other IEM, an aging but still very capable FitEar MH335DW. Please note that this is my first attempt at writing any comparison (or "review" for that matter), so please forgive me if it's not up to par with excellent reviews done by very reputable reviewers here at Head-Fi. Also, English isn't my first language, so apologies for any grammatical error in my write-up.

As a background, my journey in audiophile world began in 1992, when my dad took me to his friend's house who owned a pair of Martin Logan's first ever electrostatic speakers. He played through his system (still using cassette at that time) a song called Bali Run by Fourplay, and I was instantly amazed and smitten by the incredible sound. Since then I was kinda obsessed with hi-fidelity sound, and in many years after, I was in pursuit for the perfect sound (albeit with a limited budget). I even went as far as using tube amp, ribbon tweeters, ceramic drivers, etc. for my car audio setup. Fast forward to now, it's a lot more practical for me to have portable setup and relying 100% on digital downloads, hence I ended up with these two amazing monitors.

Now let's move on to the main topic i.e. LCD i4 vs 335 (I'm using both with Norne Audio Silvergarde S). My source component is iPod touch 6th gen, using NePlayer with EQ. Now I know a lot of people don't really like EQ-ing their IEMs, but for me, it's always a necessity to do it to achieve my sound preference. The main reason I don't use DAC/AMP is portability, and surprisingly, after I have listened through Mojo and WA8, I couldn't really hear any significant difference vs sound coming directly from the iPod touch. Perhaps my ears simply are not as good as other people's here

I listen to a lot of Jazz, some classical, alternatives, EDMs, pop. Some of my reference tracks/albums are:
Carmen Gomes - Sings the Blues (DXD 24bit/352.8kHz) from Sound Liaison (the best recording I've ever heard).
Enghave Barok - Bach Live Edition (PCM 24bit/96kHz) from Sound Liaison
Macy Gray - Stripped (Binaural 24bit/192kHz)
Muddy Waters - Folk Singer (Mastered for iTunes)
Matt Simons - Catch and Release (Deepend Remix, really really good track to test the bass)
Taylor Swift - Blank Space (Mastered for iTunes)
Don Ross & Andy McKee - Tight Trite Night
Arne Domerus - Jazz at the Pawnshop (Mastered for iTunes)
etc.

Bass:
LCD i4 has deeper bass, with sub-bass reaching to very low frequencies indeed. The rumble is strongly present and visceral while upper-bass is well defined with no bleeding to the midrange. Although the 335's bass doesn't reach as low as i4's, it hits with more punch and without EQ-ing, the upper-bass and lower midrange sounds a bit boomy. In terms of quality, both perform very well, with i4 has the edge on tonal accuracy although double bass sounds exquisite on both

Midrange:
The i4 has a more transparent and more forward mids compared to 335. However, because of 335's warmer character, both female and male voices are more intimate although I wouldn't say lush. Acoustic guitar and piano sound just right on 335 but again, i4 has the edge on tonal accuracy. With the i4, those two instruments feel very real and like they're right there with you in the same room while strings in an orchestra sound full bodied and life-like.

Treble:
On i4, all I can say is this: superb! The details, crash of cymbals, and treble decay are absolutely amazing. The sparkle is prominent but not fatiguing at all, in fact it's very addictive. The amazing thing is this: treble is very natural and non-artificial vs 335. This doesn't say that 335's treble is artifical, but you just can tell the difference between the two. Treble presence on 335 can be perceived as less, although in my opinion there's no lack of actual quantity. It's just the way it's tuned, to be a bit "behind" the mids, to give the overall warmer character. Because of this, treble on 335 sounds smoother and more laid back, but not rolled off or recessed at all.

Soundstage:
Now this is where the biggest strength and appeal of i4 vs 335 or other closed back IEMs. Obviously, being an open back IEM, i4's soundstage is super huge and wide, and absolutely rivals full size open back cans. Not only that, instrument placement and separation is stunning and very airy. 335's soundstage is definitely narrower and it puts some distance between you and the stage. For me, the best analogy would be with 335, it's like being in a local jazz club with very good room acoustics, where your table has some distance from the stage. The music feels smooth and laid back, while you enjoy your drinks, relaxed, perhaps chat a bit and you can leave before performance is over since your primary purpose is to chill after office hours.

With the i4, it's like you're going to a large concert/opera hall with the sole purpose to watch the performance from start to finish from the front row (the stage is much closer with i4 vs 335), enjoying every moment of it and feel the music envelopes you. When it's over, you'll go home feeling very satisfied, and the performance sticks in your mind for many days after

Conclusion:
Perhaps many will say this isn't exactly an apple to apple comparison, with the i4 being an open back planar magnetic IEM (hence no isolation), and the 335 is a traditional closed back CIEM with 5 BA drivers. But I use them daily in my quiet bedroom, therefore to me, they're somewhat comparable and also because they're the only two IEMs I have at the moment I guess the i4 is my preferred choice between the two. It's technically superior, and it has huge soundstage, timbre and tonal accuracy.

Nowadays, the i4 gets 95% listening time vs 335 due to advantages explained above. However, the 335 is still useful whenever I'm on air travel due to its isolation, and also it still is a very sweet sounding CIEM

Thanks everyone! Hope I don't bore you to death with this very lengthy write-up )

 

[Death_Block]

Gosh dooby i really want some of those lcdi4's

 

[caenlenfromOCN]

I wish you would add in the Monolith M300 (isine 10 knockoff for only $150 on preorder)... be interesting to see how it holds up against big boys like this.

 

[normie610]

Gosh dooby i really want some of those lcdi4's

Go ahead and pull the trigger, you won’t regret it!

 

[normie610]

I wish you would add in the Monolith M300 (isine 10 knockoff for only $150 on preorder)... be interesting to see how it holds up against big boys like this.

Anyone wants to volunteer?

 

[Death_Block]

Go ahead and pull the trigger, you won’t regret it!

Organising the visa for a change of country residence but once moved and planted trigger pulled!

 

[jscmd2000]

Sorry mates, mine are going back tomorrow.

I tried very hard to like them. I wanted to like them and wanted them to blow my socks off. But they didn't.

My biggest complaint is that I cannot enjoy them while commuting, which was the main purpose for me. They are completely open, guys. You hear everything. So I keep going louder and louder until it feels kind of unhealthy for my ears. It seemed like I can only enjoy them at home when it's quiet, but I have full size cans I can enjoy even more without stuffing things into my ears. The hooks hurt after a while, and the other things kept popping out. I wonder why they didn't design the cables to go up and over the ears.

Don't get me wrong, these are one of the accurate sounding iems I have ever heard. I would say pretty close to KSE1500. SQ is truly impressive for an item. You just have to find a nice quiet hole to listen. These make BA drivers sound distorted, especially the highs. My poor Encores are getting some cold shoulder now... want to start looking for a replacement. Maybe when they come out with closed planar iems, I will try again. Good luck, guys, and thanks for your input.

 

[EndGameSearch]

Sorry mates, mine are going back tomorrow.

I tried very hard to like them. I wanted to like them and wanted them to blow my socks off. But they didn't.

My biggest complaint is that I cannot enjoy them while commuting, which was the main purpose for me. They are completely open, guys. You hear everything. So I keep going louder and louder until it feels kind of unhealthy for my ears. It seemed like I can only enjoy them at home when it's quiet, but I have full size cans I can enjoy even more without stuffing things into my ears. The hooks hurt after a while, and the other things kept popping out. I wonder why they didn't design the cables to go up and over the ears.

Don't get me wrong, these are one of the accurate sounding iems I have ever heard. I would say pretty close to KSE1500. SQ is truly impressive for an item. You just have to find a nice quiet hole to listen. These make BA drivers sound distorted, especially the highs. My poor Encores are getting some cold shoulder now... want to start looking for a replacement. Maybe when they come out with closed planar iems, I will try again. Good luck, guys, and thanks for your input.

There's a big difference between portable and transportable. Being able to easily bring over the ear sound characteristic to your final destination is a beautiful thing. It surely beats lugging a full set of cans through the airport. Best of luck....

 

[normie610]

Sorry mates, mine are going back tomorrow.

I tried very hard to like them. I wanted to like them and wanted them to blow my socks off. But they didn't.

My biggest complaint is that I cannot enjoy them while commuting, which was the main purpose for me. They are completely open, guys. You hear everything. So I keep going louder and louder until it feels kind of unhealthy for my ears. It seemed like I can only enjoy them at home when it's quiet, but I have full size cans I can enjoy even more without stuffing things into my ears. The hooks hurt after a while, and the other things kept popping out. I wonder why they didn't design the cables to go up and over the ears.

Don't get me wrong, these are one of the accurate sounding iems I have ever heard. I would say pretty close to KSE1500. SQ is truly impressive for an item. You just have to find a nice quiet hole to listen. These make BA drivers sound distorted, especially the highs. My poor Encores are getting some cold shoulder now... want to start looking for a replacement. Maybe when they come out with closed planar iems, I will try again. Good luck, guys, and thanks for your input.

Fully understood mate. I hope you’ll be able to find a worthy replacement

 

[Ahmad313]

Hi All,

I just want to share a comparison between LCD i4 and my only other IEM, an aging but still very capable FitEar MH335DW. Please note that this is my first attempt at writing any comparison (or "review" for that matter), so please forgive me if it's not up to par with excellent reviews done by very reputable reviewers here at Head-Fi. Also, English isn't my first language, so apologies for any grammatical error in my write-up.

As a background, my journey in audiophile world began in 1992, when my dad took me to his friend's house who owned a pair of Martin Logan's first ever electrostatic speakers. He played through his system (still using cassette at that time) a song called Bali Run by Fourplay, and I was instantly amazed and smitten by the incredible sound. Since then I was kinda obsessed with hi-fidelity sound, and in many years after, I was in pursuit for the perfect sound (albeit with a limited budget). I even went as far as using tube amp, ribbon tweeters, ceramic drivers, etc. for my car audio setup. Fast forward to now, it's a lot more practical for me to have portable setup and relying 100% on digital downloads, hence I ended up with these two amazing monitors.

Now let's move on to the main topic i.e. LCD i4 vs 335 (I'm using both with Norne Audio Silvergarde S). My source component is iPod touch 6th gen, using NePlayer with EQ. Now I know a lot of people don't really like EQ-ing their IEMs, but for me, it's always a necessity to do it to achieve my sound preference. The main reason I don't use DAC/AMP is portability, and surprisingly, after I have listened through Mojo and WA8, I couldn't really hear any significant difference vs sound coming directly from the iPod touch. Perhaps my ears simply are not as good as other people's here

I listen to a lot of Jazz, some classical, alternatives, EDMs, pop. Some of my reference tracks/albums are:
Carmen Gomes - Sings the Blues (DXD 24bit/352.8kHz) from Sound Liaison (the best recording I've ever heard).
Enghave Barok - Bach Live Edition (PCM 24bit/96kHz) from Sound Liaison
Macy Gray - Stripped (Binaural 24bit/192kHz)
Muddy Waters - Folk Singer (Mastered for iTunes)
Matt Simons - Catch and Release (Deepend Remix, really really good track to test the bass)
Taylor Swift - Blank Space (Mastered for iTunes)
Don Ross & Andy McKee - Tight Trite Night
Arne Domerus - Jazz at the Pawnshop (Mastered for iTunes)
etc.

Bass:
LCD i4 has deeper bass, with sub-bass reaching to very low frequencies indeed. The rumble is strongly present and visceral while upper-bass is well defined with no bleeding to the midrange. Although the 335's bass doesn't reach as low as i4's, it hits with more punch and without EQ-ing, the upper-bass and lower midrange sounds a bit boomy. In terms of quality, both perform very well, with i4 has the edge on tonal accuracy although double bass sounds exquisite on both

Midrange:
The i4 has a more transparent and more forward mids compared to 335. However, because of 335's warmer character, both female and male voices are more intimate although I wouldn't say lush. Acoustic guitar and piano sound just right on 335 but again, i4 has the edge on tonal accuracy. With the i4, those two instruments feel very real and like they're right there with you in the same room while strings in an orchestra sound full bodied and life-like.

Treble:
On i4, all I can say is this: superb! The details, crash of cymbals, and treble decay are absolutely amazing. The sparkle is prominent but not fatiguing at all, in fact it's very addictive. The amazing thing is this: treble is very natural and non-artificial vs 335. This doesn't say that 335's treble is artifical, but you just can tell the difference between the two. Treble presence on 335 can be perceived as less, although in my opinion there's no lack of actual quantity. It's just the way it's tuned, to be a bit "behind" the mids, to give the overall warmer character. Because of this, treble on 335 sounds smoother and more laid back, but not rolled off or recessed at all.

Soundstage:
Now this is where the biggest strength and appeal of i4 vs 335 or other closed back IEMs. Obviously, being an open back IEM, i4's soundstage is super huge and wide, and absolutely rivals full size open back cans. Not only that, instrument placement and separation is stunning and very airy. 335's soundstage is definitely narrower and it puts some distance between you and the stage. For me, the best analogy would be with 335, it's like being in a local jazz club with very good room acoustics, where your table has some distance from the stage. The music feels smooth and laid back, while you enjoy your drinks, relaxed, perhaps chat a bit and you can leave before performance is over since your primary purpose is to chill after office hours.

With the i4, it's like you're going to a large concert/opera hall with the sole purpose to watch the performance from start to finish from the front row (the stage is much closer with i4 vs 335), enjoying every moment of it and feel the music envelopes you. When it's over, you'll go home feeling very satisfied, and the performance sticks in your mind for many days after

Conclusion:
Perhaps many will say this isn't exactly an apple to apple comparison, with the i4 being an open back planar magnetic IEM (hence no isolation), and the 335 is a traditional closed back CIEM with 5 BA drivers. But I use them daily in my quiet bedroom, therefore to me, they're somewhat comparable and also because they're the only two IEMs I have at the moment I guess the i4 is my preferred choice between the two. It's technically superior, and it has huge soundstage, timbre and tonal accuracy.

Nowadays, the i4 gets 95% listening time vs 335 due to advantages explained above. However, the 335 is still useful whenever I'm on air travel due to its isolation, and also it still is a very sweet sounding CIEM

Thanks everyone! Hope I don't bore you to death with this very lengthy write-up )

Excellent review , accurate and to the point , i really enjoy it bro .

 

[Wyville]

Hi All,

I just want to share a comparison between LCD i4 and my only other IEM, an aging but still very capable FitEar MH335DW. Please note that this is my first attempt at writing any comparison (or "review" for that matter), so please forgive me if it's not up to par with excellent reviews done by very reputable reviewers here at Head-Fi. Also, English isn't my first language, so apologies for any grammatical error in my write-up.

As a background, my journey in audiophile world began in 1992, when my dad took me to his friend's house who owned a pair of Martin Logan's first ever electrostatic speakers. He played through his system (still using cassette at that time) a song called Bali Run by Fourplay, and I was instantly amazed and smitten by the incredible sound. Since then I was kinda obsessed with hi-fidelity sound, and in many years after, I was in pursuit for the perfect sound (albeit with a limited budget). I even went as far as using tube amp, ribbon tweeters, ceramic drivers, etc. for my car audio setup. Fast forward to now, it's a lot more practical for me to have portable setup and relying 100% on digital downloads, hence I ended up with these two amazing monitors.

Now let's move on to the main topic i.e. LCD i4 vs 335 (I'm using both with Norne Audio Silvergarde S). My source component is iPod touch 6th gen, using NePlayer with EQ. Now I know a lot of people don't really like EQ-ing their IEMs, but for me, it's always a necessity to do it to achieve my sound preference. The main reason I don't use DAC/AMP is portability, and surprisingly, after I have listened through Mojo and WA8, I couldn't really hear any significant difference vs sound coming directly from the iPod touch. Perhaps my ears simply are not as good as other people's here

I listen to a lot of Jazz, some classical, alternatives, EDMs, pop. Some of my reference tracks/albums are:
Carmen Gomes - Sings the Blues (DXD 24bit/352.8kHz) from Sound Liaison (the best recording I've ever heard).
Enghave Barok - Bach Live Edition (PCM 24bit/96kHz) from Sound Liaison
Macy Gray - Stripped (Binaural 24bit/192kHz)
Muddy Waters - Folk Singer (Mastered for iTunes)
Matt Simons - Catch and Release (Deepend Remix, really really good track to test the bass)
Taylor Swift - Blank Space (Mastered for iTunes)
Don Ross & Andy McKee - Tight Trite Night
Arne Domerus - Jazz at the Pawnshop (Mastered for iTunes)
etc.

Bass:
LCD i4 has deeper bass, with sub-bass reaching to very low frequencies indeed. The rumble is strongly present and visceral while upper-bass is well defined with no bleeding to the midrange. Although the 335's bass doesn't reach as low as i4's, it hits with more punch and without EQ-ing, the upper-bass and lower midrange sounds a bit boomy. In terms of quality, both perform very well, with i4 has the edge on tonal accuracy although double bass sounds exquisite on both

Midrange:
The i4 has a more transparent and more forward mids compared to 335. However, because of 335's warmer character, both female and male voices are more intimate although I wouldn't say lush. Acoustic guitar and piano sound just right on 335 but again, i4 has the edge on tonal accuracy. With the i4, those two instruments feel very real and like they're right there with you in the same room while strings in an orchestra sound full bodied and life-like.

Treble:
On i4, all I can say is this: superb! The details, crash of cymbals, and treble decay are absolutely amazing. The sparkle is prominent but not fatiguing at all, in fact it's very addictive. The amazing thing is this: treble is very natural and non-artificial vs 335. This doesn't say that 335's treble is artifical, but you just can tell the difference between the two. Treble presence on 335 can be perceived as less, although in my opinion there's no lack of actual quantity. It's just the way it's tuned, to be a bit "behind" the mids, to give the overall warmer character. Because of this, treble on 335 sounds smoother and more laid back, but not rolled off or recessed at all.

Soundstage:
Now this is where the biggest strength and appeal of i4 vs 335 or other closed back IEMs. Obviously, being an open back IEM, i4's soundstage is super huge and wide, and absolutely rivals full size open back cans. Not only that, instrument placement and separation is stunning and very airy. 335's soundstage is definitely narrower and it puts some distance between you and the stage. For me, the best analogy would be with 335, it's like being in a local jazz club with very good room acoustics, where your table has some distance from the stage. The music feels smooth and laid back, while you enjoy your drinks, relaxed, perhaps chat a bit and you can leave before performance is over since your primary purpose is to chill after office hours.

With the i4, it's like you're going to a large concert/opera hall with the sole purpose to watch the performance from start to finish from the front row (the stage is much closer with i4 vs 335), enjoying every moment of it and feel the music envelopes you. When it's over, you'll go home feeling very satisfied, and the performance sticks in your mind for many days after

Conclusion:
Perhaps many will say this isn't exactly an apple to apple comparison, with the i4 being an open back planar magnetic IEM (hence no isolation), and the 335 is a traditional closed back CIEM with 5 BA drivers. But I use them daily in my quiet bedroom, therefore to me, they're somewhat comparable and also because they're the only two IEMs I have at the moment I guess the i4 is my preferred choice between the two. It's technically superior, and it has huge soundstage, timbre and tonal accuracy.

Nowadays, the i4 gets 95% listening time vs 335 due to advantages explained above. However, the 335 is still useful whenever I'm on air travel due to its isolation, and also it still is a very sweet sounding CIEM

Thanks everyone! Hope I don't bore you to death with this very lengthy write-up )

Very well written and you made the front page! That's a great first bit of reviewing!

 

[normie610]

Excellent review , accurate and to the point , i really enjoy it bro .

Thanks man!

Very well written and you made the front page! That's a great first bit of reviewing!

Thanks! Yeah I didn’t see it coming, really appreciate Jude and the team for putting it on the front page. I feel so honored

 

[junix]

I just received my balanced @EffectAudio Lionheart cable for the LCD-i4.
For who is interested, my very first impressions (with some phone pictures) here: Lionheart for LCD-i4

Will report back after some proper "burn in" how it pairs with this wonderful IEM (..we should call them OEFM - Over Ear Floating Monitors ) and my A&K SP1000.