Add Bluetooth 5.4 to your Sennheiser IEMs

Bluetooth 5.4 is still making its way across wireless headsets. And while the promise of lossless Bluetooth transmission remains a tantalizing possibility for audiophiles on the go, one still has to wonder about the implementation of lossless audio and the limitations of consumer wireless earbuds. That’s what makes Strauss & Wagner’s new releases, the Ovar, Palma, and Sines, particularly exciting. These Bluetooth adapters, designed for a range of different connectors, can turn your high fidelity IEMs into wireless earbuds. And since it manages Bluetooth 5.4, Strauss & Wagner aims to bring the best possible sound to your wireless setup. All three come in at $149.95. Today we have the Sines in for review, and I’ll be testing it out with the fantastic Sennheiser IE600. So let’s just move right on into it.

What’s in the Box:

• Sines Bluetooth adapter
• USB-A to USB-C charging cable

Build:

The Sines is a well-constructed device that features a premium cable and high end components. The Connectors are silver and match the silver/white look of the cable. The connectors feel well-applied and like they can withstand the usual wear and tear that a wireless earbud may face. Of course, since the Sines is designed specifically for Sennheiser IEMs, they accommodate the slight indentation that Sennheiser applies to its MMCX design. The connectors attach and detach with ease, making this suitable for cable swapping between wired and wireless setups. The cable itself is made from 4-core silver wire, which should ensure a high quality of conductivity, though we’ll address that in the sound impressions. 

There are two modules on the Sines, but only the one on the right side has playback controls. It also sports the USB-C port which will serve all of your charging needs. Though the modules are somewhat large, they’re also pretty lightweight. I never felt the earbuds falling out of or weighing on my ears. 

Design: 

The core of the Sines is its Qualcomm QCC3084 chip. With it comes Bluetooth 5.4 and Snapdragon Sound, which supplies the lossless connectivity. It also supports AptX, AptX HD, and AptX Adaptive, as well as other common codecs. Audiophiles will certainly pay closest attention to the lossless capability, but the broader inclusion of codecs should make this a versatile set of earbuds even if you’re listening from a device that is not compatible with Bluetooth 5.4.

Moving away from the wireless design, the Sines also comes with a DAC that’s capable of 24-bit/96kHz, which, again, just magnifies the hifi possibilities of the setup. In terms of battery life, the Sines can last up to 39 hours at 75% volume, though that number may vary based on your playback levels. I found 75% volume to be just find for the IE600, though certain songs required a little extra headroom to get loud enough for me. 

Listening Impressions:

So, with all the stats and figures I’ve mentioned, how does the Sines actually work and sound? Well first things first, I found the connection process to be quite simple. I plugged my IE600 IEMs into the connectors, and turned the Sines on by pressing and holding the middle button on the right-side remote. This immediately put the Sines into pairing mode. 

Overall, I got a transparent and neutral sound out of the Sines. The IE600 is naturally a bit laid back with a gentle bass response, present midrange, and relaxed top end. Listening with the Sines, that’s about what I got, though I did notice the device actually added some coolness to the IE600 that brought some extra excitement to the mix. This is probably due to the silver wiring.

Bass stayed delicate but had some punch when called for. Listening to Vampire Weekend’s “Connect,” the kick drum played back with ample speed and dynamics and bass guitar had plenty of room to bloom without becoming bloated. The midrange is where I noticed a touch more energy, which I found to actually neutralize the sound of the somewhat warm IE600. Specifically, I noticed a little bit more detail in the upper midrange with vocals opening up to sound more spacious and natural. I noticed this most while listening to Joni Mitchell’s “Coyote.” Finally, despite the slight added brightness in the midrange, the top end stays neutral-warm with a nice attack and decay. 

Soundstage also stayed intact. Usually with Bluetooth devices, you can lose the sense of space that you get from higher end IEMs. But since the Sines is able to mix lossless audio with higher end IEMs, you still maintain that sense of space and texture. Overall, I was quite impressed with the sound of the Sines.

Final Thoughts:

Strauss & Wagner is known to bring high quality and versatility to the audio world through their various devices. The Sines is no different, making Bluetooth 5.4 more accessible and more affordable. At $149.95, the Sines (as well as the Ovar and Palma) comes in at a fraction of the price of a Bluetooth 5.4 headset. That makes this a killer deal with endless possibilities. 

The Strauss & Wagner Sines is available at Audio46.