Thanks for the reply, NA. The answers I got from couple of retailers are the demos are just returns. They did not even say they are used in showroom as demos. Also, they all said the demos enjoy full manufacturer warranty. That's what bothers me. They try to say these demo items are just about...

I am wondering if anybody has any experience with demo sale items from couple of online music gear retailers, such as Audio Advisor, Music Direct, etc. Their demo sale items typically are 20% to 30% below new price. I have called them to ask about demo sales before. They all say demo sale items...

Raven, your opinion is different from spaark's. I do not have a science degree. Really interested in more detail about your opinion about THD and the tube sound. Quote:

Excellent point! I can see you understand music very well. Quote:

I really love your analogies. When I see many posts here, I start to realize there are many guys listening to the tech side of musics rather than the music side of musics.   Quote:

LugBug, I cannot agree with you more on your input here.    Quote:

Unfortunately, you miss a big point of classical music even though you have played in orchestras before. Classical music composers in 18th century have no idea about several hundred years later many people will just use their headphones to listen to their musics. As a result, those composers...

When I saw you said "concert halls are typically poor places for listening to music", I know we belong to two totally different hi-fi group. For me, listening to music means listen to real life experience. I want to listen to music in a way that Beethoven wants his audience to hear. Many violin...

I thought with low output impedance Magni should be a good for low impedance phone. Now, with the noise floor so high, I have to say it is a deal break for me. I mostly listen to classical musics, which have many quiet moments.     Quote:

I thought Lyr is a hybrid amp, which may take the advantage of both SS and Tube and avoid the downside. Just wishful thinking. 

I am interesting in getting a Schiit Lyr, but its rather high THD bothers me. According to Schiit's own specifications, Lyr has THD less than 0.1%, which is considerably high compared to many other amps around the $500 range. Many of them have THD less than 0.01%, which is ten times less than...

I agree that LCD2 makes classical recording more like real thing. First, the deep and textured bass first replicate the concert hall experience. Second, the high frequencies are still very detailed although subject to strong roll-off in a concert hall. Some dark headphones such as HD650 roll off...

Soundstage is in your recording. LCD2 is just sound what the recording sounds like. I have tons of classical recordings. Some has huge soundstage while the others don't. If Audeze makes LCD2 have a enlarged soundstage, my good recordings will sound bad.    Quote:

I absolutely agree with you, pp312. People who really have been in real concert hall to listen to classical music will never associate brightness with classical music. Real concert hall sound is dark. Bass and mids are predominant while highs are subject to substantial roll-off. I suspect those...

Formula, could you give a little bit more explanation when you said the headphone out needs more work? Technically, the amp shows little distortion (neither favorable nor unfavorable distortion). Do you mean you prefer a amp that adds some "favorable" distortions? I concern is that the...

Barry, I feel you miss my point. Sorry if my original explanation is vague. My point is LCD2 is brighter and little more fatigue than HD650 but meanwhile sounds much better. I confirm from several posters that a proper driven LCD2 is indeed brighter than LCD2. Remember, being brighter doesn't...

Musiclife, my experience with old classical recordings are that they have more noise and less clarity. Very often, the low frequencies are also weaker. My feeling is the most post 1995 recordings sound more like real concert hall experience. Let me know what you think.     Quote:

I agree. I also experienced that my LCD2 rev2 is brighter than HD650.   Quote:

I have to disagree.  I feel the notion that DAC1 is cold and clinical is because many recordings are cold and clinical. DAC1 is a product that produce sounds true to the recordings. Most of my classical recordings sound very musical on my DAC1 Pre while many modern pop musics sound terribly cold...

+1. I feel the notion that DAC1 is cold and clinical is because many recordings are cold and clinical. DAC1 is a product that produce sounds true to the recordings. Most of my classical recordings sound very musical on my DAC1 Pre while many modern pop musics sound terribly cold and harsh...

Actually, my ears adjusted right away. I love the sound from LCD2 much better. I just want to confirm which one is brighter.

Ludbug, thanks for your reply. The thing is both my HD650 and LCD2 are driven by DAC1 Pre. So, when I feel LCD2 is brighter, it should mean at least my pair of LCD2 is brighter than my pair of HD650.    Also, DAC1 seems to do a very good job to reflect the actual recording. Some classical...

Nobody has any feedback?

I listened to a pair of LCD2 rev2 lately with Benchmark DAC1 Pre's headphone jack. I have used HD650 in the past intensively. While the sound from LCD2 completely blows me away, I do feel LCD2.2 is actually a bit brighter than HD650. As a result, my ear becomes more fatigue by using LCD 2.2 than...

It is definitely fully open.