Ugly, expensive, unfortunately cool

Conventional dynamic headphones, like the vast majority of floorstanding loudspeakers, rely on moving coil loudspeakers or domes as transducers. As we all know, this can sound really good. So the bar is set high. But if a company is brave enough to challenge the status quo, you should take a look. Or in this case: listen.

Planar magnetic systems (ribbons and magnetostats) and electrostats try to do something fundamentally different: they try to remove mass compared to the moving coil. They are all equipped with a wafer-thin film as a membrane. This makes them sound transducers that can react quickly to impulses. This property is particularly important in the upper frequencies and turns these transducers into acoustic magnifying glasses - with all their advantages and disadvantages.

In addition, these systems try to get closer to the - not yet invented! - ideal point source of sound. The keyword here is group propagation times: Frequencies take different lengths of time to reach your ear. The point source emits all frequencies at exactly the same time and ideally reproduces what the microphones have picked up.

The problem with these technologies is that - unlike the moving coil - they are difficult to miniaturise. Electrostatic headphones have been around for decades. The headphones from Stax in Japan sound legendarily good, but are also incredibly ugly.

(Many thanks at this point to Max for the loan!)

Hifiman (China) is one of the younger players on the market. The company has been winning over many discerning listeners with its magnetostatic headphones since 2010. Be sure to give them a listen if you have the opportunity! However, Hifiman only offers headphones as magnetostats. The earphones from Hifiman are certainly solid, but equipped with "conventional" technology.

Oppo is another manufacturer that has been coming up with planar magnetic headphones for several years. The Chinese company was long known for DVD and Bluray players. They have been involved in the smartphone market since 2008, followed by headphones in 2014. They enjoy a very good reputation.

Audeze (USA) has also not been in business for long. Founded in 2009, the first model, the LCD-1 (over-ear), was launched in 2011. This was followed by the LCD-2 and the LCD-3 (which I was allowed to test). The LCD-4 for a measly 4198 francs is the current top model. With the Sine, Audeze then ventured into compact over-ears.

Now Audeze has managed to produce an earphone with planar magnetic technology. The manufacturer deserves respect for this alone. But let's take a look at what you get.

What's in the box

I'll start with the bad news

The first shocker is the price: six hundred and fifty francs!
The second shocker is the look: which alien left these things on Earth?

Let's look inside the box. Firstly, I unfold the box and carefully lift off the plastic lid. There is a plastic holder at the top that holds the jewellery securely - very securely indeed. The earphones are really big. They weigh 10 grams each. That's a little heavier than a two-franc earphone (8.8 g). The maximum extension is also about the same size as a two-wire earphone. They end in a funnel on the ear side. Soft plugs sit on top of this to hold the funnel in the ear.

A sturdy pocket is located in the lower part of the packaging. As supplied, the bag, in which the earphones later disappear, contains various attachments for smaller or larger ear canals. A total of three pairs are available: small, medium and large. I tried them all. The originally fitted medium size was the best fit for me.

I also find two pairs with plastic holders in the case. They are clipped onto the earphones and are guided behind the ear like the temples of a pair of glasses. They help to prevent the earphones from falling out of your ears. Which is a real danger due to the weight. One of the pairs of earpieces is made of transparent plastic, the other is black. There are also two holders that do not go over the ear, but fit into the outer ear. They are softer and a little more flexible. I don't feel comfortable with them and I fit the larger earpieces again.

Ah yes, the manual is included on a USB stick (128 GB). A brush for cleaning is also included, as is a hand-signed certificate of authenticity from the quality control department. Well done, "S. Temple", if I can decipher that correctly.

Finally, I find two cables in the case. One is a conventional stereo cable. The cable ends on one side are connected to the headphones, while the other end has a 3.5 mm jack. On the headphone side, the connectors are proprietary. The cable holds securely, but not bombproof. I think that's a good thing: if the cable gets caught, a jerky movement will unplug the cable instead of ripping the iSine out of my ear canal.

The Cipher cable

The second cable supplied is something special. It is plugged in exactly the same way on one side. The other side ends in a Lightning connector. The cable can be connected directly to iPhones or iPads. But that's not what makes the "Cipher" cable so special. The highlight is that the centrepiece built into the cable contains its own DSP and DAC, naturally 24-bit capable. Thanks to the Lightning connection, the Cipher cable takes the raw audio signals from the iDevice and processes them itself.

The DAC in the Cipher cable does this quite well. The sound impression is even better. Because the two cables cannot be set to exactly the same volume, I find it difficult to make a comparison. Speaking of volume: I think the Cipher cable is dangerous because it amplifies extremely loudly. On my iPhone, I have to turn the volume down to one or two bars. It is not possible to listen very quietly with the Cipher cable. For me, the pain threshold is reached at a medium volume setting. I consider the maximum possible volume to be irresponsible. There is a risk of hearing damage within a very short time. Please improve, Audeze! (A firmware update provides some improvement, but these things still play ear-damagingly loud.)

The centrepiece with the electronics is quite heavy and is therefore attached to the shirt collar with a clip, for example. Even then, it wobbles around due to its weight. I would have liked a version that could be placed closer to the trouser pocket. The Cipher cable also sucks noticeably on the battery. The effect is not dramatic, but you do notice that the battery drains a little faster.

The free Audeze app (available for iOS) is worth mentioning. It allows you to create two different presets that can be used to attenuate or emphasise certain frequency ranges. I played around with it to reduce the bass, which I found a bit harsh. The app doesn't change the music using software; it sends the settings to the Cipher cable, which does the job with its hardware equaliser.

A USB-C version for Androids is rumoured to be in the works. For the time being, Android users are better off opting for the variant that only has the standard cable in the box and is fifty francs cheaper.

This is what it sounds like

Let's get to the most important part of the review. How do the iSine 20 sound? They have a very fine resolution at the top. No detail of the music escapes the iSine. I expected this because of the technology. However, the iSine are less "airy" than I'm used to from the Stax or my floorstanding speakers with ribbon technology. There, for example, triangles sometimes come across as almost poisonous. Here, the iSine are, to put it nicely, more good-natured, but not so nicely, there would be a little more here.

In the mid-range, the earphones don't show any weakness. Very pleasant, round. Simply great! The bass is particularly pronounced. This is where the iSines shine and outclass all other earphones I know. They have plenty of pressure without wobbling around and losing clarity. The bass was almost too powerful for me and I reduced it slightly with the hardware equaliser (see above).

In my opinion, the true qualities of a loudspeaker or headphones can always be heard when they are played quietly. Because loud always sounds great. That's why every salesperson has to turn the potentiometer all the way up as soon as they demonstrate a speaker. Quiet is a different matter: Are all the nuances still emphasised? Does the bass still have power? Is the sound balanced? Here too: Very good marks for the iSine 20.

Presence and stage are excellent. Once you have them in your ears, you quickly forget about them and just enjoy the music.

The isolation from the outside world is poor compared to conventional earphones. Your office colleagues or fellow passengers on public transport can hear you quietly. This behaviour is atypical for earphones, but is due to the open design. As a result, the iSine also lets outside noises through relatively well. Sport is certainly not the main discipline of these giant earphones - but that's not what they are designed for. The classic place of use for these earphones is clearly the quiet environment at home.

Conclusion

These earphones are really great pieces of kit. Their sound is top notch. Not only do they outshine all the earphones I've tried, they also compete with high-quality on-ears and over-ears.

The iSine 20's special features make them a very special pair of earphones. Their price makes it clear that the target group are audio freaks who are prepared to spend a lot of money for a lot of performance. And who are willing to overlook a look that takes some getting used to if the inner values are right. The problem: this target group usually favours over-ears, as they can deliver more due to their design.

The iSine 20 are a niche product within the "audiophile devices" niche. But what a niche! In terms of earphones, Audeze comes next for me and then nothing for a long time. On the other hand, if I were a Gym disciple, I would rather opt for two different devices: A high-class over-ear for at home and solid earphones for sports.

Pro:

• Outstanding sound
• high-quality workmanship
• appropriate equipment
• Cipher cable

Contra:

• Huge for earphones
• unwieldy for earphones
• poor insulation
• heavy
• expensive

Headphones

Audeze iSINE 20 [Lightning cable]

Cable

2

Headphones

Audeze iSINE 20 [standard cable]

Cable

The little brother

Headphones

Audeze iSINE 10 [Lightning cable]

Headphones

Audeze iSINE 10 [standard cable]

Cable

1

Now you!

Don't believe a word I say? Then listen for yourself! Our supplier has kindly allowed us to pass on the test copies to three readers. If you would like to try out the iSine 20 yourself for a week, please contact us by email at aurel.stevens@digitec.ch. Please put "Test iSine" in the subject line. We do not expect anything in return, even if I am interested in your judgement and would be happy if you shared it with the other readers. Please do not leave a comment under this article saying that you would like to try it out!

Update 25 April: We have found three worthy candidates. Please don't send any more emails. Merci!

Tested