[Gary in MD]

Interesting that Uncle Jesse's look like my new ones, and my old graph looks like the other owner's replacement graph.  But while they seem to group in a few basic variations, there is a pretty wide disparity in these graphs, which is surprising, assuming the tests are all done on the same equipment.  There apparently is some craftsmanship involved in building these headphones, whether in building the parts or assembling them, which is causing variations in the units.  Given the groups, it could be that there are 2 or 3 people building the parts or the units, and each person has their own processes or techniques, which leads the units they build to sound a certain way, slightly different than the others. 
 
Or else these are just some kid's random scribbles that Audeze sends out to entertain us and mess with our heads... but that's what headphones are supposed to do, right?

 

[Argo Duck]

IIRC it's very hard to get repeatable measurements in the high part of the charts (say over 12KHz - something like that). Any variations elsewhere, especially midrange, and their relative differences are more interesting. Lots of stuff has been written around that in relevant threads. Overall, it seems wider band trends within or between graphs are more meaningful than a narrow-band difference in one or two places, not to mention FR is only one measure. Purrin and others mentioned some interesting FR and other correlations in the waterfalls thread, whilst noting other SQ differences don't seem to correlate with anything they could readily measure.

Gary, you could be right about the building and assembly. I have a hunch that's the case with the Decware tube amps, for example

 

[Jones Bob]

I had my LCD-3s and listening for about a month now. Been enjoying them immensely, using them with a Gungnir/Mjolnir Schiit stack fully balanced with a Q-Audio cable.

I recieved the new upgraded USB board for my Gungnir last week and replaced the old stock one. Powered everything up and was surprised by a slight increase in SQ.

Then for just for giggles I swapped out my Meng Music Angel 6N1/6P1P amp for the Mjolnir and used the stock Audeze TRS cable. That shouldn't work...... a cheap Chinese tube amp I bought second hand for $100 a few years ago. I had earlier modded it with schottky diodes in the PS, obbligato coupling caps, and eichmann RCA jacks. I also retubed with inexpensive Soviet era EB grade NOS military tubes. I use the amp with my highly efficient vintage Altec speakers, and it sounds really good with only 8 watts.

Anyway, on the LCD-3s it sounds very good. Not as fast paced and frantic in the bass, but the high frequencies really outclasses the Mjolnir. The soundstage opens up and there is just more natural details being heard. The little tube amp really sings with the LCD-3s, adding flesh and bone to the sound, making it more like musicians performing and not a sterile electronic replica. It is not perfect, but it is very very good. Got me to start piecing together a proper PP 6v6 amp.

BTW, the little tube amp is not nearly as good driving my LCD-2.2s. Too syrupy and dark for my tastes. But with the LCD-3s, tasty indeed.

Moral of the story..... try other amps with the LCD-3s. Even ones that "shouldn't work". You might be pleasantly surprised.

 

[CanDude]

Here is my review of Bakoon HPA-21: http://www.head-fi.org/t/664097/bakoon-hpa-21-headphone-amplifier-one-of-the-best
I've compaired it to BHA-1 that you have discussed.
 
Alex at Audeze likes BHA-21 too!

 
Quote:

Alex from Audeze listened to HPA-21 + LCD-3 20 minutes or so at the High End Show in Munich and then he noted that this was the best sound he had ever heard from their LCD-3!

 

[floydfan33]

So, based on some extended listening, I have come to the same conclusion as many here that the Lyr is not a great match for my LCD-3. It was great with the LCD-2, but I find the mids too forward with the LCD-3 (almost harsh), and the highs lacking sparkle. This may be exaggerated by my recent Th-900 purchase.

I have listened to the Burson Soloist at length, and while it's closer to what I want it seems somewhat soulless.

Any suggestions sub $2k? Solid State preferred, and would like it to play nice with the TH-900. Also want to stay away from balanced (or at least SE option)

 

[rgs9200m]

I would try one of the top Headroom amps while they are still making them (not for long it seems).
My LCD3s sound very musical with my old Headroom Max. Headroom has a return option if you buy one new from them I think.

 

[grokit]

 
Did somebody say Max Headroom?

 

[Argo Duck]

^ Lol. Great character, except when he got dubbed all over 'Paramoimia' in Art of Noise's 2005 'best of'. Way to ruin a great track.

 

[jsgraha]

So, based on some extended listening, I have come to the same conclusion as many here that the Lyr is not a great match for my LCD-3. It was great with the LCD-2, but I find the mids too forward with the LCD-3 (almost harsh), and the highs lacking sparkle. This may be exaggerated by my recent Th-900 purchase.

I have listened to the Burson Soloist at length, and while it's closer to what I want it seems somewhat soulless.

Any suggestions sub $2k? Solid State preferred, and would like it to play nice with the TH-900. Also want to stay away from balanced (or at least SE option)

I found using jplay as a computer music player make the sound more analog. There's a demo version to try.

 

[nspindel]

Quote:

I use my good old Headroom Max from the year 2000 (upgraded with their newer control module in 2004) on my LCD3s for desktop use as an alternate amp
and they sound very very nice, with great bass and totally fine all around. So maybe try a Headroom BUDA for $1200 and see what you think.
I think you can return it if you don't like it.

 
That's me.  I've got the triple stack, so using the BUDA to drive my LCD-3's.  I've got a Squeezebox Touch feeding the balanced dac, it's a great desktop rig.
 
I'm also in the midst of trying to figure out how to integrate my sacd and vinyl with my headphones.  I'm in a very similar situation to a previous post.  My phono stage is in my tube preamp, which I use with a VPI Traveler turntable with a Grado Sonata cart, and a Marantz SACD player which also doubles as a dac for another Squeezebox Touch.  Preamp is single ended as is the SACD player.  That goes into my Krell power amp, and on out to my modded Polk SDA's.
 
My LCD-3's with the Triple Stack are in my office.
 
However, I'm planning on moving in a year into a much smaller abode, and want to integrate the headphones with the vinyl and sacd's and collapse everything into one system.  I'm a bit puzzled as to what my approach should be.
 
First off, my pre-amp doesn't have an output that bypasses the volume control.  It does have two sets of single-ended outputs, so I could send the second set into a headphone amp fairly easily.  The problem is that I've then got two volume controls in the signal path.  Not ideal.  I wish they made headphone amps that function like power amplifiers.  Just a power on/off switch, and nothing else.  So hang the headphone amp off a preamp and you're done.
 
If I collapse the headphones and the loudspeaker system into one, then the Triple Stack isn't the right solution.  First of all, it's balanced when all the inputs will be single-ended.  Second, i don't need two DACs in the system.
 
So I'm actually thinking of selling the Triple Stack and getting some other headphone amp to hang off my preamp.
 
But, then I'm thinking maybe the right move is to sell the Marantz and get an Oppo 105, which gives me everything the Marantz does, plus it's got a lot more functionality and it has balanced outputs.  The Oppo could theoretically even replace the Squeezebox Touch, although I'm not sure I'm ready to let go of the Squeezebox just yet.
 
So I could feed the single-ended outputs of the Oppo into my preamp, and I could send the balanced outputs into the BUDA.  I can also still send the second single-ended outputs from the preamp into the single ended inputs on the BUDA, and tie the phono in that way.  
 
Or, just sell all of it and use an iPod with earbuds.
 
Any ideas for me???

 

[Anthony1]

I'm on my second pair as my first pair were faulty but I swear my first pair had a tiny bit more sparkle in the highs. Having said that though Im on my 3rd -dB that I use exclusively with my LCD3s so there goes that theory. As you were

 

[gjc11028]

That's me.  I've got the tripe stack, so using the BUDA to drive my LCD-3's.  I've got a Squeezebox Touch feeding the balanced dac, it's a great desktop rig.

I'm also in the midst of trying to figure out how to integrate my sacd and vinyl with my headphones.  I'm in a very similar situation to a previous post.  My phono stage is in my tube preamp, which I use with a VPI Traveler turntable with a Grado Sonata cart, and a Marantz SACD player which also doubles as a dac for another Squeezebox Touch.  Preamp is single ended as is the SACD player.  That goes into my Krell power amp, and on out to my modded Polk SDA's.

My LCD-3's with the Triple Stack are in my office.

However, I'm planning on moving in a year into a much smaller abode, and want to integrate the headphones with the vinyl and sacd's and collapse everything into one system.  I'm a bit puzzled as to what my approach should be.

First off, my pre-amp doesn't have an output that bypasses the volume control.  It does have two sets of single-ended outputs, so I could send the second set into a headphone amp fairly easily.  The problem is that I've then got two volume controls in the signal path.  Not ideal.  I wish they made headphone amps that function like power amplifiers.  Just a power on/off switch, and nothing else.  So hang the headphone amp off a preamp and you're done.

If I collapse the headphones and the loudspeaker system into one, then the Triple Stack isn't the right solution.  First of all, it's balanced when all the inputs will be single-ended.  Second, i don't need two DACs in the system.

So I'm actually thinking of selling the Triple Stack and getting some other headphone amp to hang off my preamp.

But, then I'm thinking maybe the right move is to sell the Marantz and get an Oppo 105, which gives me everything the Marantz does, plus it's got s lot more functionality and it has balanced outputs.  The Oppo could theoretically even replace the Squeezebox Touch, although I'm not sure I'm ready to let go of the Squeezebox just yet.

So I could feed the unbalanced outputs of the Oppo into my preamp, and I could send the balanced outputs into the BUDA.  I can also still send the second single-ended outputs from the preamp into the single ended inputs on the BUDA, and tie the phono in that way.  

Or, just sell all of it and use an iPod with earbuds.

Any ideas for me???
[/
Specs for the new decaware taboo talk about using with a preamp so it might be an option. Using the second set of outs on the pre is the cleanest option. . I was looking for something similar for He 6. I went with a low power set speaker amp that I use with an adapter. The He6 like a bit more power , not sure about the LCD3.

 

[floydfan33]

So, based on some extended listening, I have come to the same conclusion as many here that the Lyr is not a great match for my LCD-3. It was great with the LCD-2, but I find the mids too forward with the LCD-3 (almost harsh), and the highs lacking sparkle. This may be exaggerated by my recent Th-900 purchase.

I have listened to the Burson Soloist at length, and while it's closer to what I want it seems somewhat soulless.

Any suggestions sub $2k? Solid State preferred, and would like it to play nice with the TH-900. Also want to stay away from balanced (or at least SE option)

So I have gone with the Soloist. Initial impressions listening at home is that soundstage and instrument separation are well ahead of the Lyr, and the midrange unpleasantness I was experiencing is entirely smoothed out by the Soloist. There is great detail in the high end, and good speed, detail and weight in the bass.

Should I be surprised that the Soloist (at high gain setting) is quite a bit lower volume at 12 o'clock than the Lyr? Equivalent volume on the Soloist is about 3 o'clock. In each case I would call volume slightly higher than recommended for lengthy listening sessions, but not dangerously loud (just tested at 94db).

 

[Argo Duck]

94?! Is that dBA and peak with music? Or pink noise?

 

[floydfan33]

Peak with music