Audeze LCD2

adydula · « **on:** 25 Jun 2011, 02:58 pm »

These headphones seem to be really good from what I am read...but rather pricey. I have a set of AKG 702's that are really nice to me, some say they are lacking in bass but the bass is very, very nice to me, not boomy or like my Audio-Technica ATH 50's..that said the LCD2's are supposed to go very low for a headpone. You can hear a 25Hz tone clearly and they roll off 4db at 20Hz....amazing.

So after months of reading, debating and listening I took the plunge and orderd a set last night...never thought I would spend this amount of money on a set of cans...

I have always wanted to see how good a high end set of headphones are and I will now be able to compare to my AKG 702's across my amps.

I will report back my experiences!

All the best
Alex

http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/general/messages/57/575027.html

eclein · « **Reply #1 on:** 25 Jun 2011, 03:01 pm »

Alex...very cool, Congrats and yes please report back....I keep reading about them and see some for sale at head-fi from time to time. What did they give you as a delivery estimate/date??
Ed

adydula · « **Reply #2 on:** 25 Jun 2011, 03:11 pm »

eclien,

I called them and there is no waiting at the moment, readily available from there webstore.

I called and spoke to one of the founders, a Sankar fellow, real nice, answered my questions. They have had some element failures due to a bad batch of mylar etc...now all purged and replaced etc...

Also spending so much on a set of cans I wanted to know about the return policy, its 30 days with a 15% restocking charge.

Depending how this goes I might sell the AKG 702's, but I really like them as well...so comfortable and so natural to me...cant believe it can get better but we shall see!

No delivery date yet...ordered fri night dont think anyone is there until monday I would hope wed the latest next week.

I might start thinking of building another 'high end' head amp this fall and winter...

Later
Alex

santacore · « **Reply #3 on:** 26 Jun 2011, 12:53 am »

Since I got mine, I pretty much don't listen to anything else. They are fantastic sounding headphones and with the right equipment, should make you very happy. Be aware though, that these are very high end headphones that need high quality gear driving them, to sound there best. It took some trial and error before I found a sweet combination. They love power and will definitely show you any weak links in your system.

Have fun and enjoy!!

Noseyears · « **Reply #4 on:** 26 Jun 2011, 02:03 am »

You just ordered a set of amazing headphones, they sound like real life when compared to the AKG's. The amp you have is an important factor. Let us know your impressions.

KingStyles · « **Reply #5 on:** 26 Jun 2011, 04:32 am »

They are a very good can. They will be totally different from your k701. Great deep, tight, bass and wonderful mids. The soundstage will be intimate and will need a few days to grow accustomed to, especially after the k701.

adydula · « **Reply #6 on:** 26 Jun 2011, 01:57 pm »

What type of amp do you guys use?

Alex

adydula · « **Reply #7 on:** 27 Jun 2011, 04:37 pm »

Just got off the phone with Audeze, after testing either today or tomorrow they will be shipped out...so probably thur the lastest.

Alex

Noseyears · « **Reply #8 on:** 27 Jun 2011, 07:18 pm »

Quote from: adydula on 26 Jun 2011, 01:57 pm

What type of amp do you guys use?

Alex

This guy apparently is enjoying the 160D with LCD-2's combo. I always wanted to have such rig. Sadly the Audeze are out of my budget.

adydula · « **Reply #9 on:** 27 Jun 2011, 08:41 pm »

Noseyears...

I know how it feels not being able to get stuff...I am 62 yrs young just last week. I started out with Radio Shack Optimus 1 sealed acoustic suspension speakers and a Allied Radio receiver, 35 watts...and a really sad RadioShack turntale....but it was neat to me back then.

It has taken many years of working hard with a single income, raising 2 kids, and having no real toys for many years...I lost my job last year and am fortunate to have fonud a job making a lot less than ever before...and am so fortunate for having a understanding wife and lucky to get a small unexpected bonus...and hence the audeze!!

Hang in there, I dont know where you are in the runway of life but hope life turns out well for you!!

The Burson amp is very nice...indeed, built like a brick u know what..

Did you see the A-B amp thread on headfi? Its an eye opener for sure.

My personal A/B testing with several amps have led me to believe that there is not that much difference in the end result...boy that could start flame wars...not intended just my real world observation.....

I will take these cans to a show and try them on more amps for grins...but I really doubt what I have will be bested by an order of magnitude....

The AKG 702's I have are touted by many as difficult to drive etc... well with the amps I have, hardly high end esoteric stuff they are driven wonderfully, bass up the wazoo!!

Life is taken one step at a time...hang in there!

All the best
Alex

Noseyears · « **Reply #10 on:** 29 Jun 2011, 04:20 pm »

I know Alex, you made a good effort to have your headphones. Sometimes its hard to afford to buy audio gear, specially when you're on a tight budget.

After all, you have a nice rig there. Please post some pics soon!! Thanks for your words.

Cheers.

adydula · « **Reply #11 on:** 29 Jun 2011, 08:21 pm »

Well surprise, surprise they have arrived!!!

Took them out looked them over. Very nice, awesome look, the box is el supremo!! gosh its nice but it sounds like well ...a box!!

They smell "new" like a paint thats drying smell...could be the oil/wax treament on the wood surrounds....

That said plugged them into my setup and quickly sped thru all of my amps and about 12 songs of various types.....

I need more time, but first impression is that these are really a special set of headphones, my god is the bass so much 'there' not boomy but what is in the recording is there, honest, open and wonderful...

Need to go listen for a few days and I will report back on how they play with my differnt amps as well.

Big Smile!!
Alex

Kinger · « **Reply #12 on:** 29 Jun 2011, 08:25 pm »

Subscribed

Congrats Alex. I for one have looked longingly at these cans for a while myself. Just have not pulled the trigger because I keep thinking that's 1k I could use toward a possible speaker upgrade instead

eclein · « **Reply #13 on:** 29 Jun 2011, 08:29 pm »

Awesome stuff!!!! Congrats Alex!!!!

adydula · « **Reply #14 on:** 30 Jun 2011, 02:47 am »

I only have a 2 hours on them so far and have tried them with the Schitt Asgard, my SOHA ii tube amp, and the preamp in the AVA Insight Preamp head section. MY preferences seems to be the SOHA II amp...not that the others are bad, being analytical it hurts me to say it but they just sounds better on the SOHA ii.....very musical.

I have all three amps on and have set the volume on all three as best possible to the same level and then listen to a song for 30 sec or so over and over then quickly unplug from one to the next amp and listen to the same track for 30 sec over and over....

I also have been comparing to my AKG 702's which are very nice as well. The bass on the LCDs' is at a higher level. Deeper, fuller...but the bass on the AKG is awesome as well, just not as deep and full.

The AKGs are lighter and more comfortable, the LCD2's are heavy, built like a tank, fit very well on my average size head...even though the are heavy the weight is suspended well and the fit and shape of the pads really seal well around my ears. Not a real issue for a few hours, but putting on the AKG 702s...they feel light and airy like having almost nothing on your head in comparison.

The music on the LCD2's is very accurate and sound so lifelike...the drums, oh the drum whacks, they sound startling live and like your there....guitars ...Joe Satrianis Rubina is awesome...vocals are very natural and live recordings seem more like your there....Fanfare for the Modern Man Tympani is very lifelike..the precussion is FAST, QUICK...absolutely amazing. Leslie Feist female Candian vocalist singing "So Sorry" OMG its like she is there or you are there next to her listening...I have many 'demo' cds with a very wide range of music...Jennifer Warren, Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Joni Mitchell, Linda Rondstadt, David Grey, Kebmo, Fourplay, Chris Rea, and so many more...all have great recordings....all sound so great.

Hearing things I never heard before...always neat with new audio toys...I feel like its like having a music microscope that allows you to hear very critically.

The soundstage is coherent...its seemless to me not to wide not to narrow...the AKG 702s have a very open wide soundstage...I was worried I would not like the LCD2s soundstage, but its very nice and more natural.

Its a really neat technical feet for something so small compared to a real speaker to be able to produce a 25Hz note clearly with 'gusto'...and even at 20 hz rolled off 4db...Organ music its there in spades!!

Its still very much different that a set of loudspeakers, buts its world class in a very different way...

After I get over the 'giddy' period and start listening critically I will pick out several tracks that are absolutley 'stunning' on the headphones.

Smiling, life is good!

Alex

adydula · « **Reply #15 on:** 4 Jul 2011, 01:53 pm »

I just found out that Audeze is now using a Rev 2 driver in their LCD2's. This was announced on the www.audeze.com website in the blog section.

Post dated: Jul 2, 2011:

Now we are introducing revision2 of the driver. The LCD-2s as a model remain the same. Newer LCD-2 shipments from middle of June have revision2 of the driver.

Does the sonic signature change ?
Revision 2 transducer has the same mechanical construction as original transducer, but uses newly developed, thinner and more reliable diaphragm material. Overall sound signature remains similar. Low frequencies stay flat, but are tighter and even more extended (flat to 5 Hz), midrange is smoother and more transparent, while high frequencies are more extended, detailed and more pronounced. With Rev.2 we are addressing concerns of many customers who feel that original LCD2 has darker high frequency signature than many top of the line headphones.

While overall sonic signature remains similar, new revision provides substantial improvement in sound quality (this is no hyperbole), sound resolution and especially imaging, which is wider, more stable and 3 dimensional. If you loved the LCD-2 sonic signature, you will like the new one even more.

I have verifed with Audeze that my set are with the new driver.

Alex

eclein · « **Reply #16 on:** 4 Jul 2011, 04:13 pm »

Alex-awesome!! Its always cool to find out you have the latest and greatest even though you weren't worried about it to begin with, its like a BONUS!!!!! Enjoy...now you got me thinking about some, whats close to these but way less price wise, the hifi-man HE5 or 6 ???

roscoeiii · « **Reply #17 on:** 4 Jul 2011, 05:07 pm »

Umm, that announcement was 2011, not 2010

adydula · « **Reply #18 on:** 4 Jul 2011, 10:15 pm »

thanks roscoeiii....typing in the dark!!!
eclein: got this post from a person that has both:
From: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/493214/hifiman-he-6-planar-magnetic-headphone/1170

""I have been able to spend quite a bit of time listening to the HE-6 over the last week. I'm still not sure when I will get to a formal review, or really serious comparisons, and I have been hoping that the Ultrasone Ed 10 would come in and I could include them in some comparisons.

But in any case, the HE-6 have been really impressive. With the right amp, they have are highly transparent, have great dynamic capability, and a very wideband neutrality. They have no obvious colorations, although I am sure over longer term listening some small colorations will get noticed. They seem to me to be even smoother in the treble than the prototypes were, and although they definitely have more treble energy than some headphones do, the treble is really pure and nuanced, and ultra-clean.

The fairly low efficiency really does mean a pretty powerful amp is needed to make them come alive. The WA6 was insufficient. The Leben CS300X was better (from its headphone out), but the Decware Mini-Torri was even better (since using its headphone out is basically 100% the same as using its speaker outs). Via the Decware, the HE-6 can really be allowed to swing, and swing they do.

It's funny - when I got the Beyer T1's, I was thrilled - they were so much better than any of the other headphones I owned. But then along came the LCD-2, and now the HE-6, and my T1's are not getting very much head time. The HE-6 are better than the T1, IMO. They are more open sounding, and seem to put less in between the music and the listener than the T1, which is a good thing.

As for the HE-6 versus the LCD-2, I am not sure yet. They are both outstanding, and share some commonalities, but are different enough that one would think it would be easy to have a "favorite". But I am not finding it to be the case. It may be a long time before I can decide which I prefer. I certainly plan to keep both for the long term. I still can't really believe headphones can sound this good.

That's all for now.""

Alex

eclein · « **Reply #19 on:** 5 Jul 2011, 05:54 am »

Alex....the thing that I see a lot is folks selling their in most cases new LCD2's and it makes me wonder is the sound or could the sound they produce be that objectionable that they'd be up for sale that fast??? Or do you think folks were like buying them and if they didn't immediately turn them on they are selling to try and get as much money back as they can? I couldn't do that myself, in the first place I'd never get some-I don't think- or should I say I'd never spend that much cash on headphones unless I heard them and said to myself I gotta have some of them.......I'll keep on the lookout for some HE-6's in the meantime and should you decide to part with yours let me know if you would. Enjoy them!!