I recently bought a set of Audeze iSine LX’s per their Valentine’s Day special. [They sold out shortly after I got mine. I’m not sure if this was actually a close out sale in disguise.]
Initial Impressions
Burn in: They sounded distorted, dithery, and wonky at first – sort of like a rotating room fan placed too close to a wall and blowing curtains around. The midrange was twisted and uncomfortable with vocals. So, I let them play for about 24 hours and tried again. They were much better on the second day.
Fitment: They come with ear hooks in the box and slick silicone tips installed. After struggling with the (fragile feeling) hooks, I decided to remove them and add my own foam tips (New Bee - large). This allows the iSine LX to rest in the outer ear without any hooks, and it is reasonably comfortable for such a large device.
Tone: In contrast with most headphones and IEMs that I own, out of the box these sound dead, hollow, flat, and lifeless. So, I put them on the THX AAA 789 to maximize their technical performance and routed them through a Schiit Loki EQ. They come to life and approximate my version of “neutrality” with the middle range (2nd and 3rd knobs) boosted. I used to own the Audeze LCD-2 Classic (open), which also had a dead spot in the mid-high range. Does Audeze have similar driver issues with all of their lower end products?
Summary: With EQ the Audeze iSine LX is a decent product. They successfully shrink planar technology to in-ear size, and retain the open-air feel of headphones. I see myself using them as one in-ear alternative in the future. But, they look absolutely ridiculous. At least mine are dark…
