[Jalo]

The new portable SR-71b does indeed expand on the soundstage even further, and power is noticeably higher. It's possible to drive my Protector into distorting at high volumes much more easily than the new SR-71b balanced portable, which could play full size phones insanely loud without distortion. Yet it also got along well with my very sensitive Westone ES5, both in terms of gain and sound.

I am guessing from the PCB size that it will be about 1/2" wider and deeper than the Protector (maybe 2/3" wider), so not a lot bigger; but if size is important the Protector might still be a better idea. If I had to pick based on sound I'd pick the new balanced amp, but if I had to pick based on size to mate with my 8Gb Nano 3G with LOD and lossless music then the Protector is a better size match.

I really thought it was a good match sonically with the LCD-2 and balanced silver dragon cable. I'm assuming that not only can one buy an adapter to mate it with a small balanced DAC like the Neko D100, Lavry DA10/11 or Apogee mini-DAC, but that one could easily adapt the iBasso balanced portable DAC (boomslang) to work with it. However, even with an iPod LOD as source the SR-71b exceeded the Protector by a small degree with my ES5 custom IEM.

As always, thanks for the kind input.

 

[sachu]

Quote:

Skylab:

Thanks for your feeback. I have the ALO cable in balance mode and I know you are not a balance guy. But I notice much more changes when compare to the stock cable than you may have noticed. May be that is due to the balance operation. My LCD-2 now is a lot more open and tight. The distance to the source is also perfect. I think there is more air in the mid to upper mid (which I really liked) and better sound stage also. I also do not know if the increase power in balance operation has anything to do with it or not, but bass impact is starting to have some viceral impact. I like to listen on the loud side and it seems to me each vocal note is fuller and has more body to it. It is getting very close to my ideal SQ where I may not think I can improve any more.

I agree Jalo..
AM using just the single ended version of the cable..
 
The difference is very profound for me.
It feels like a veil has been lifted on the presentation. 
 
Much better air and the details really shine through on the ALO cable. It also has more weight to the music. Improvement in the low end response is immediately apparent, the mids have a more smoother sound. The stock cable almost sounds thin compared to the ALO 8 wire chain mail.
 
My ALO cable uses a cardas plug and has a shortened 5ft length.

 

[sokolov91]

Quote:

I agree Jalo..
AM using just the single ended version of the cable..
 
The difference is very profound for me.
It feels like a veil has been lifted on the presentation. 
 
Much better air and the details really shine through on the ALO cable. It also has more weight to the music. Improvement in the low end response is immediately apparent, the mids have a more smoother sound. The stock cable almost sounds thin compared to the ALO 8 wire chain mail.
 
My ALO cable uses a cardas plug and has a shortened 5ft length.

Man... if the sound gets any "weightier", or "fuller", or "heavier", I am going to have to start getting my ears to lift weights. This is getting out of hand.

 

[sachu]

Haha..welltruth be told, the ALO cable is heavier than the stock cable..however, it doesn't bother me one bit and the short length cable definitely helps here as a bunch of it doesn't just hang down on the floor..

 

[frenshprince]

So I just placed an order for the Corda Concerto.
Can't wait to see how the LCD2 will sound with it.

 

[elwappo99]

Is alo about the only source for cables at this point? I would buy from alo,but those prices are pretty out of hand.

 

[sokolov91]

Quote:

Is alo about the only source for cables at this point? I would buy from alo,but those prices are pretty out of hand.

You can get a cable from Audeze,  Moon audio makes them too.
 
Nothing special about the cable really... most cable places do custom jobs any way, so just look at their prices for balanced cables, maybe 15$ more for the mini XLR connectors and that should be your price (anything more and they are ripping you off).
 
You could also make one yourself if you have 20 mins to spare, and the tools. That would be by far the most cost effective way, and offers you the most flexibility in terms of design and length and where your money is applied.
 
Didn't Tigz (sorry if I have your name wrong) become a MOT making audeze cables too?
 
There should be plenty of choices. DIY is probably the best one though, unless you need super exotic metals from Mars that have been blessed by Moses's adopted stepson's third cousin's dog's former owner. The Mini XLR connectors are apparently somewhat tricky though.

 

[musicman59]

Quote:

Is alo about the only source for cables at this point? I would buy from alo,but those prices are pretty out of hand.

No ALO is not the only source. I would recommend you to look into the Aphroditecu29.com Zeus cable. It is an awesome performer and lighter weight.

 

[elwappo99]

Unfortunately I'm at school, and can't bring my solder iron and equipment. It'll be sometime before I can go home. I'm already thinking Audience's Auric wire would really mesh well though. I've done some recabling myself before, which is why these prices really shocked me!.
Quote:

You can get a cable from Audeze,  Moon audio makes them too.
 
Nothing special about the cable really... most cable places do custom jobs any way, so just look at their prices for balanced cables, maybe 15$ more for the mini XLR connectors and that should be your price (anything more and they are ripping you off).
 
You could also make one yourself if you have 20 mins to spare, and the tools. That would be by far the most cost effective way, and offers you the most flexibility in terms of design and length and where your money is applied.
 
Didn't Tigz (sorry if I have your name wrong) become a MOT making audeze cables too?
 
There should be plenty of choices. DIY is probably the best one though, unless you need super exotic metals from Mars that have been blessed by Moses's adopted stepson's third cousin's dog's former owner. The Mini XLR connectors are apparently somewhat tricky though.

Yikes! Those cables look nice, but still a lot of money considering the cost of materials.
 
Quote:

No ALO is not the only source. I would recommend you to look into the Aphroditecu29.com Zeus cable. It is an awesome performer and lighter weight.

 

[immtbiker]

Sorry for the off-topic, but I spent time with a Moon Silver Dragon made especially for the HE-6 and the difference was considerable compared to stock . This was before the moncrystalline cable that now comes standard with the prodo version of the HE-6.
I also had a Black Dragon for my Qualia 010's and a Silver for the HD600 so there's no doubt that the Dragon is an incredible aftermarket cable. Drew said making the Black Dragon to accommodate the Lemo connector on the Qualia was too much of a pain in the arse to continue it.

 

[Jalo]

For those of you that have both the R-10 and the LCD-2, could you chime in and share your impression? I was looking for a pair a R-10 awhile back as I sort of like the closed sound chamber feel of the R-10. I know one is open and the other is a closed phone. But as I have been listening to my LCD-2 recently, I suddenly realized that the LCD-2 in some ways kind of resemble the R-10 in that aspect. But my memory of the R-10 could be wrong. Just Curious.

 

[n3rdling]

They sound nothing alike.  I've posted the differences between the LCD2 and R10 earlier in this thread somewhere...

 

[grokit]

Has anyone tried Audeze's optional balanced cable upgrades for the LCD-2 yet? For I think $90 Audeze will give you a balanced 4-pin XLR cable (more for dual 3-pin), how does that work? Do they include the single-ended cable as well, or do you get a SE adapter? Is it the same cable type, with the same sheathing?

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

I think it improves the sound slightly, for sure.  The treble seems to open up in a pleasant, useful, and non-fatiguing way.  But it's subtle.  One cannot do instantaneous switches between cables, but at least level-matching is easy

  In doing some comparing, I do prefer the ALO, although the additional weight requires me to "dress" the cable in a certain way so it doesn't add a lot of pressure.

I felt the same way with trying out this cable at RMAF - the improvements were subtle but there was an improvement in micro-detail and transparency that was slightly above that of the 4-wire cable, which was also a small improvement over the stock cable.   I always feel that cables are the last mod to do after optimizing the source, amp and tubes, but I do think they help get that last bit of performance out of the system.  
 
In my ZDT amp, I can get a bigger improvement with the LCD-2 by switching my Tung Sol 5751 tube to a Sylvania gold pin 5751, than I do with cables.  I usually leave the Tung Sol installed because the HD800 sound better with it.  Doing both the tube change and the cable change resulted in more improvement than just the tube change alone.  In my WA6 I found changing the RCA 6DE7 tube to a Sylvania VT-231 with adapter really improves the LCD-2, and I wish I had brought that to RMAF to try out the 8-wire cable with that combo.

 

[Jian]

Quote:

Skylab:

Thanks for your feeback. I have the ALO cable in balance mode and I know you are not a balance guy. But I notice much more changes when compare to the stock cable than you may have noticed. May be that is due to the balance operation. My LCD-2 now is a lot more open and tight. The distance to the source is also perfect. I think there is more air in the mid to upper mid (which I really liked) and better sound stage also. I also do not know if the increase power in balance operation has anything to do with it or not, but bass impact is starting to have some viceral impact. I like to listen on the loud side and it seems to me each vocal note is fuller and has more body to it. It is getting very close to my ideal SQ where I may not think I can improve any more.

 
The balanced chainmail rocks! Exactly like what I felt when I received them several months ago.