[normie610]

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.

Man, the combo sends shrivers down my spine

 

[Death_Block]

Man, the combo sends shrivers down my spine

A cable makes really that much of a difference?

 

[normie610]

A cable makes really that much of a difference?

Not that much for the i4, but for sure there will be differences. Depends on the pairing as well, whether it'll give positive synergy or not. I'm pretty sure the i4 will likely benefit from most well-known upgrade cables. Anyway I was referring more to the whole combo including SP1000

 

[Wyville]

A cable makes really that much of a difference?

A cable can make a significant difference and not always in ways that are readily apparent. Because I listen to a lot of classical music, I notice things that are not always as clear when listening to other types of music. The sound of individual instruments (tonality), how those sit within the overal piece (positioning/imaging) and how it translates into emotion. Good positioning and imaging can (for instance) lead to a more stable sound that is easier to listen to (non-fatiguing).

It is really interesting to explore these aspects and they are especially relevant to technically, very demanding music such as classical symphonies. Not that I am an expert on this, but I am enjoying learning about these things. For instance, I have just ordered two collections of Beethoven's symphonies to add to one I already have and all three are widely different in their interpretation. Those will be fascinating to explore, especially as I have some gear over for review.

 

[Fafner]

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.

Sorry for crossposting, but just realized it makes maybe more sense to ask it in the LCDi4 thread.

How's the flexibility compared to the i4 braided cable? Are you still able to use the LCDi4's own support and to store the whole into the leather case? Asking because my current (not EA) cable doesn't allow me to use the leather case, just can't close it.

 

[Junmoe62]

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 write up that sums up perfectly my feelings about those earphones! And congrats for the first page!

I also totally agree with you about the portability matter and the fact that they sound great from an iPod/iPhone (maybe not with the iPhone 7 though from what I read in this very thread).
I’m not interested either in stacking gears anymore, especially when you hear how great they can already sound with a powerful DAP.
I believe I’m quite like you, not hearing much of a difference between my iPhone and my iBasso DX 200 in SE with AMP1. There actually is a difference, but it requires me to focus totally on the music and A/Bing as fast as I can between the two devices to be able to perceive the differences. So personally, I think if a difference requires so much effort to be heard, it probably doesn’t worth the hassle or the money. Keep in mind that I’m nowhere nearly as skilled as most people on this website and I’m pretty new to hi-end hi-fi.

That being said, when I upgraded my DX 200 with the AMP3 and the Beat Audio Billow 4 Braids balanced cable, I felt the difference was quite significant. On every aspects. That’s not what I would call day and night difference but it’s really noticeable without too much involvement. Let’s say this is a morning/evening difference, while iPhone VS DX200 AMP1 SE was noon/early afternoon difference and iPhone earbuds VS i4 a day/night difference with 10 years between each!
I think the biggest difference in the DX200 setups comes from AMP3 VS AMP1. The Billow VS stock cable also brings improvements (clarity, details, soundstage and tightness. It also feels little brighter), but it is also harder to compare. Swapping cables takes long time, while swapping AMPs is fast. It can be done without turning off the DAP. That’s probably not very ethical to do that but it works and makes it easier to judge with too much bias!
I saw that you really like the AK SP1000 and I perfectly understand! This DAP is a real jewel! Absolutely stunning. The hardware is unbeatable craftsmanship and UI wise! Sound wise while pairing with i4, I’m convinced that the DX200 with AMP3 would give a hudge run for the money to the AK and Sony 1Z though. It is also much more powerful if I’m not mistaken. When I listen to both of them (not A/B, so it might not be very accurate), it didn’t feel like they outclassed the AMP3 at all. It was more about tonal differences and therefore preferences. From memory, I’d say the AK and Sony were a tad more organic and warm, and the AMP3 tighter, soundstage and detailed. So if you are to upgrade your gear while keeping things mobile, allow me to advise you giving this config a try if you can! To me that’s probably one of the easiest and cheapest way to upgrade the SQ while keeping it simple and light.
Obviously ymmv, and if it does i’d Like to hear your opinion!
Anyway, thanks again for your great review!

Cheers.

 

[junix]

Sorry for crossposting, but just realized it makes maybe more sense to ask it in the LCDi4 thread.

How's the flexibility compared to the i4 braided cable? Are you still able to use the LCDi4's own support and to store the whole into the leather case? Asking because my current (not EA) cable doesn't allow me to use the leather case, just can't close it.

Yeah, I didn't know if I should post here and there, but it is related to both.. so I posted in the other thread and just posted a link here as I was sure some people interested in the LCD-i4 might me interested in the EA cable.

Flexibility and comfort IMO is better compared to the stock i4 cable.
Yes, I'm still able to use the ear-locks, they work quite well for me.
The Lionheart barely fit in to the leather case now (because of the larger Carbon Fiber Y splitter and termination, both end up on the sides (opposite) - pictures below), I manage to close the case normally but it takes some time to push everything in.

I have to find a proper wrapping technique.

 

[Wyville]

Yeah, I didn't know if I should post here and there, but it is related to both.. so I posted in the other thread and just posted a link here as I was sure some people interested in the LCD-i4 might me interested in the EA cable.

Flexibility and comfort IMO is better compared to the stock i4 cable.
Yes, I'm still able to use the ear-locks, they work quite well for me.
The Lionheart barely fit in to the leather case now (because of the larger Carbon Fiber Y splitter and termination, both end up on the sides (opposite) - pictures below), I manage to close the case normally but it takes some time to push everything in.


I have to find a proper wrapping technique.

I think that is what could be aptly termed as a "luxury problem". Looks very nice together!

 

[normie610]

Excellent write up that sums up perfectly my feelings about those earphones! And congrats for the first page!

I also totally agree with you about the portability matter and the fact that they sound great from an iPod/iPhone (maybe not with the iPhone 7 though from what I read in this very thread).
I’m not interested either in stacking gears anymore, especially when you hear how great they can already sound with a powerful DAP.
I believe I’m quite like you, not hearing much of a difference between my iPhone and my iBasso DX 200 in SE with AMP1. There actually is a difference, but it requires me to focus totally on the music and A/Bing as fast as I can between the two devices to be able to perceive the differences. So personally, I think if a difference requires so much effort to be heard, it probably doesn’t worth the hassle or the money. Keep in mind that I’m nowhere nearly as skilled as most people on this website and I’m pretty new to hi-end hi-fi.

That being said, when I upgraded my DX 200 with the AMP3 and the Beat Audio Billow 4 Braids balanced cable, I felt the difference was quite significant. On every aspects. That’s not what I would call day and night difference but it’s really noticeable without too much involvement. Let’s say this is a morning/evening difference, while iPhone VS DX200 AMP1 SE was noon/early afternoon difference and iPhone earbuds VS i4 a day/night difference with 10 years between each!
I think the biggest difference in the DX200 setups comes from AMP3 VS AMP1. The Billow VS stock cable also brings improvements (clarity, details, soundstage and tightness. It also feels little brighter), but it is also harder to compare. Swapping cables takes long time, while swapping AMPs is fast. It can be done without turning off the DAP. That’s probably not very ethical to do that but it works and makes it easier to judge with too much bias!
I saw that you really like the AK SP1000 and I perfectly understand! This DAP is a real jewel! Absolutely stunning. The hardware is unbeatable craftsmanship and UI wise! Sound wise while pairing with i4, I’m convinced that the DX200 with AMP3 would give a hudge run for the money to the AK and Sony 1Z though. It is also much more powerful if I’m not mistaken. When I listen to both of them (not A/B, so it might not be very accurate), it didn’t feel like they outclassed the AMP3 at all. It was more about tonal differences and therefore preferences. From memory, I’d say the AK and Sony were a tad more organic and warm, and the AMP3 tighter, soundstage and detailed. So if you are to upgrade your gear while keeping things mobile, allow me to advise you giving this config a try if you can! To me that’s probably one of the easiest and cheapest way to upgrade the SQ while keeping it simple and light.
Obviously ymmv, and if it does i’d Like to hear your opinion!
Anyway, thanks again for your great review!

Cheers.

Thanks for your kind words buddy

On the subject of DAP, I feel that the iPod touch 6th gen is by far the best sounding iOS device, even so when compared to my iPhone 7 and iPad pro. The sound is more powerful and dynamic in all frequency range from top to bottom. The NePlayer app takes it further up a notch, adding more transparency, resolution and detail to the sound. It pales the stock Music app by miles. The EQ is 15-band (graphical though not parametric), with the lowest frequency being 25Hz (haven’t found any other iOS app that has a frequency adjustment this low). IMO, it has a similar effect to Audirvana (which I use for my desktop setup). I’ve compared it with DX200 AMP 1 and QP1R, but again I found that there’s not enough there to warrant the switch. Plus nothing can beat the smoothness and responsiveness of iOS’ UI

As for SP10000, it’s more out of curiosity, I don’t think I’ll end up buying it one day. I’d rather spend that amount to fulfill my other hobby (i.e. photography) and get the new Sony A9 camera body, which retails for nearly $5k here

 

[Junmoe62]

Thanks for your kind words buddy

On the subject of DAP, I feel that the iPod touch 6th gen is by far the best sounding iOS device, even so when compared to my iPhone 7 and iPad pro. The sound is more powerful and dynamic in all frequency range from top to bottom. The NePlayer app takes it further up a notch, adding more transparency, resolution and detail to the sound. It pales the stock Music app by miles. The EQ is 15-band (graphical though not parametric), with the lowest frequency being 25Hz (haven’t found any other iOS app that has a frequency adjustment this low). IMO, it has a similar effect to Audirvana (which I use for my desktop setup). I’ve compared it with DX200 AMP 1 and QP1R, but again I found that there’s not enough there to warrant the switch. Plus nothing can beat the smoothness and responsiveness of iOS’ UI

As for SP10000, it’s more out of curiosity, I don’t think I’ll end up buying it one day. I’d rather spend that amount to fulfill my other hobby (i.e. photography) and get the new Sony A9 camera body, which retails for nearly $5k here

Oh yeah! The iOS UI is surely a big up for the iPod! No doubt about that! This is without factoring the size/weight and battery life.
Concerning the DX200, the UI isn’t in the same playground than Apple devices for sure, but it’s not that bad.
And I do agree that with AMP1 in single ended, it doesn’t make much sense investing in it compared to the iPod. With AMP3 though, paired with i4, I feel it starts making a little bit more of a sense SQ wise at least...
I believe I have the same hobbies than you then! Haha! Somehow these two hobbies seem pretty well related and are very likely from the most efficient in the quest of getting poor incredibly quickly!!!
Btw, the A9 sounds like a beastly winner to me! I personally played it softer with an Oly EM1 mkII, but that’s a different kind of cam.

 

[normie610]

I believe I have the same hobbies than you then! Haha! Somehow these two hobbies seem pretty well related and are very likely from the most efficient in the quest of getting poor incredibly quickly!!!
Btw, the A9 sounds like a beastly winner to me! I personally played it softer with an Oly EM1 mkII, but that’s a different kind of cam.

Hahaha! I guess both visual and hearing senses need to be satisfied in the same way glad to see a fellow i4 owner is also enjoying photography. Perhaps u should consider plunging yourself into sensors bigger than m43? Whoopss, need to restraint myself from talking about this, the topic belongs to another forum but yeah, so far nothing to complain from my current i4 setup

 

[Junmoe62]

Hahaha! I guess both visual and hearing senses need to be satisfied in the same way glad to see a fellow i4 owner is also enjoying photography. Perhaps u should consider plunging yourself into sensors bigger than m43? Whoopss, need to restraint myself from talking about this, the topic belongs to another forum but yeah, so far nothing to complain from my current i4 setup

At least the good thing about photography is that you can make money out of it by selling pics! Which is probably harder with audio gears!!
Concerning sensor size, surely the absolute quality is better with bigger sensors, but in the end I’m more into user experience, and with the fastest glasses, I already have enough control for my purpose. Once printed you’ll be hard pressed to find any significant differences, unless you print really big.
Anyway, here isn’t the right place to talk about that, but I’ll be glad to pursue this discussion with you by MP if you wish!

Edit : in the end I think an analogy could be made with audio! You are happy with your “small” iPod because it brings you satisfaction with the user experience and suits your needs, and you don’t feel like trading that for a little improvement in SQ. The law of equivalent exchange, here we go!! Haha! Those two hobbies are indeed very similar!

 

[Wyville]

Hahaha! I guess both visual and hearing senses need to be satisfied in the same way glad to see a fellow i4 owner is also enjoying photography. Perhaps u should consider plunging yourself into sensors bigger than m43? Whoopss, need to restraint myself from talking about this, the topic belongs to another forum but yeah, so far nothing to complain from my current i4 setup

I wouldn't be surprised if many people on these forums are (or have been) into photography. Same temptations. I know I was this close to buying myself some Leica gear. But I am still very happy with my 7D.

Oh, and to stay on topic... I just realised that Audeze will be at the Indulgence show (London) next week. Will see if the i4 is there. Need to demo!

 

[normie610]

At least the good thing about photography is that you can make money out of it by selling pics! Which is probably harder with audio gears!!
Concerning sensor size, surely the absolute quality is better with bigger sensors, but in the end I’m more into user experience, and with the fastest glasses, I already have enough control for my purpose. Once printed you’ll be hard pressed to find any significant differences, unless you print really big.
Anyway, here isn’t the right place to talk about that, but I’ll be glad to pursue this discussion with you by MP if you wish!

Agree!

Edit : in the end I think an analogy could be made with audio! You are happy with your “small” iPod because it brings you satisfaction with the user experience and suits your needs, and you don’t feel like trading that for a little improvement in SQ. The law of equivalent exchange, here we go!! Haha! Those two hobbies are indeed very similar!

Hahahaha....a very good point there

 

[normie610]

I wouldn't be surprised if many people on these forums are (or have been) into photography. Same temptations. I know I was this close to buying myself some Leica gear. But I am still very happy with my 7D.

All I can say is: good decision!

Oh, and to stay on topic... I just realised that Audeze will be at the Indulgence show (London) next week. Will see if the i4 is there. Need to demo!

Be warned, it’ll haunt your mind afterwards and will only disappear once you have it in your possession