Audeze EL-8 Titanium

[m1ts0s]

'Audeze’s all-new Cypher Cable is a sleek for pragmatists. Designed to feed Audeze’s more affordable EL-8 headphone, the Cypher Cable is reportedly the world’s first fully Apple-accredited Lightning headphone cable. Bypassing the iPhone’s internal DAC and amplifier stage entirely and powered by the phone itself, the Cypher extracts digital audio from the the Apple device via its Lightning port.

How does it work? The Cypher’s in-line, slightly-oversized microphone and remote control takes care of business – all of it. Audeze have sidestepped the common-or-garden DAC chip choice coupled to a separate headphone driver in favour of an all-in-one solution: a ‘system-on-a-chip’ hosts Audeze code that 1) keeps power consumption suitably low and 2) applies DSP before decoding and electrifying the EL-8’s driver with an optimising (bespoke) signal.

The promise? Better sound without the hassle of bricking it. The Cypher also performs more traditional remote control functions like forward/next, play/pause and integrates with Siri via an ADC.

There is also talk of a dedicated iOS app down the line that will hopefully bring new features to the Cypher via firmware upgrade.

The Cypher cable is an Apple-approved accessory and Audeze must still wait for the final sign-off from Cupertino. Both the product and the packaging must be approved by Apple. Full accreditation is expected to arrive sometime in November.

Existing EL-8 owners will need to exercise some patience though. Audeze will sell the Cypher cable only as part of a special edition ‘Titanium’-finished EL-8 bundle for US$799. Think of the EL-8 + Cypher Cable combination as an active headphone that behaves similarly to active loudspeakers like KEF’s X300A.'


http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2015/10/rmaf-2015-cypher-lightning-cable-for-audeze-el-8/

 

[m1ts0s]

World’s First Headphones With Fully Integrated Apple Lightning Cable
The EL-8 Titanium headphones are Apple MFi certified and provide Apple users with true high resolution uncompromised audio – not just for music playback, but for voice calls as well. The Titanium EL-8 feature the same iconic industrial design by BMW DesignWorksUSA.

EL-8 Titanium Headphones provide stunning 24-bit audio for music and voice
The EL-8 Titanium headphones come with an exclusive lightning cable that streams a complete 24-bit digital signal through a high quality DSP and DAC to offer better sound quality. The built in microphone can be used for phone calls and is SIRI compatible. An accompanying Audeze app can be used to apply EQ and sound presets. For non- Apple device compatibility, the headphones also include a standard analog cable.

Audeze Technology
The 100mm planar magnetic driver has the largest surface area of any headphone in its class. They’re easy to drive with Audeze’s exclusive Fluxor Magnetic technology, nano-scale diaphragms, and advanced voice-coil technology that allows a wide variety of portable players and headphone amps to immerse you in sound. The EL-8 Titanium comes with the Cypher cable that greatly extends its capabilities. Listen to music, interact with Siri, and make or take phone calls on your Apple device.

Cypher Cable
A complete 24-bit high-resolution integrated AMP/DSP/DAC with Lightning connector. The built-in microphone can be used for phone calls and it’s SIRI compatible.


EL-8 Titanium $799.95

https://www.audeze.com/products/el-8-collection/el-8-titanium