Reviews by balvan
Introduction
I got the LCD-24 by snatching it off eBay and I've been using it exclusively for about 3 weeks. I am not a professional reviewer so I'll try to keep things simple and short. Everything I write is subjective, I'm no more than an amateur.
I only listened to the the LCD-24 with EQ, in default mode they have no treble whatsoever, it's just not there. Using the oratory profile is a must. I tried using them with my Anode Acoustics HPA#5 EL-34 amp, but these tubes are kind of warm\dark sounding, so that didn't work well. I then switched to my Anode Acoustics HPA#1 based on PCL82 tubes which is natural and has great treble, and that was a great pairing. For DAC I used it with Topping D70s.
Presentation
The LCD-24 are very special, they don't sound like you're listening to headphones, after a while they "disappear" and you just enjoy the music. You don't get that notion that the sound is injected into your ear, it's like open on another level, there's closed back, there's open back, and there's LCD-24. It's not that they have the biggest soundstage, it's more about how it is perceived. I'm sorry I can't describe it more successfully.
Bass
Audeze have great bass, the LCD-24 are no exception. The bass is very powerful and punchy it will get you moving for sure. As a bass-head and metal-head I can tell you you won't be left wanting, it's full and rich and thumpy.
Mids
Guitars sound great, top notch, but vocals are a bit lackluster. I think they are a bit better than on the LCD-X if my memory serves, but it can't match Kennerton Heartland Planar for vocals.
Treble
It's almost as if it doesn't exists if you don't match it with the right amp and EQ. but if you got a good pairing with a bright amp you'll be satisfied. to be honest I never fully understood what part of the music was referred to as the Treble until I used the LCD-24 and it went away and I noticed its absence. for me these are must EQ HPs.
Summary
The LCD-24 are more than just Bass, Mids and Treble. They are something unique, a real gem that doesn't sound like anything I've tried before. they have an exhilarating lively nature, it's a real thrill to listen to. When you listen\watch live shows you really feel like it's a live sound, like it's a real sound coming at you, like you are Infront of that stage. I don't think the LCD-24 are the best at anything, but overall they are amazing, they are more than the sum of their parts.. Rognir have better bass for my taste, Heartland much better vocals, but LCD-24 can really be your one and only, if you pair it right. It can be your only HPs and you can be very happy with it.
Comparisons
VS LCD-X
They really are better than the LCD-X everywhere, I don't see anything that the LCD-X do better than the LCD-24.
VS Kennerton Rognir
Rognir are probably my favorite HPs. Rognir sound more condense with less space or layering or air, they are more raw and in your face, and I love them for it. Rognir have better sub-bass but it also lacking in vocals as are the LCD-24. Rognir do not need any EQ and are not amp picky at all. Rognir sounds much more boxed in, even if they do sound "open of a closed back". Rognir are not good for everything, while the LCD-24 can do well with any music genera or style.
VS D8000 Pro
The LCD-24 are for me more fun oriented while the D8000 Pro are more perfection oriented. I like the way Audeze does bass better, that's not to say D8000 Pro are bass mild, they are not, but their bass is about perfection more than enjoyment. D8000 Pro do mids and vocals better. D8000 Pro are a more analytical\reference HPs with good bass and a focus on the mids that I believe aims for accurate reproduction, which can turn boring quickly for me.
VS Heartland
Heartland are a strange beast, these are flagship level in detail and have the most powerful bass I've ever heard on HPs, with a focus on mid-bass. The bass is atmospheric and the is like a canvas for the vocals to be painted on. the Vocals on the Heartland are just superb, best I've ever heard. It's hard to compare it with the LCD-24 which are lacking in vocals, and have a different style of bass. I don't have the right terms to correctly describe how they differ. I think the Heartland can complement the LCD-24, as it is best where LCD-24 is lacking, and would also satisfy any bass-head.
Music I enjoy more and less on LCD-24
Dream Theater - 10/10, I was shocked how good it sounded.
Melodic death metal - They are wonderful for that, but I think I would still prefer the Rognir.
Theatre of Tragedy - The female vocals are especially lacking for me, I prefer the D8000 Pro or the Heartland for that.
Silent Skies - Great, but not as good as Heartland or Rognir.
Blind Guardian - their music somehow does not work well with Rognir, but is perfect with the LCD-24 and D8000 Pro.
Electronic - Great
Rap - Audeze are great with the beat.
I hope you got something out of this review, I know it's not professional, but I'm not a professional, that's the best I got to offer right now.
I got the LCD-24 by snatching it off eBay and I've been using it exclusively for about 3 weeks. I am not a professional reviewer so I'll try to keep things simple and short. Everything I write is subjective, I'm no more than an amateur.
I only listened to the the LCD-24 with EQ, in default mode they have no treble whatsoever, it's just not there. Using the oratory profile is a must. I tried using them with my Anode Acoustics HPA#5 EL-34 amp, but these tubes are kind of warm\dark sounding, so that didn't work well. I then switched to my Anode Acoustics HPA#1 based on PCL82 tubes which is natural and has great treble, and that was a great pairing. For DAC I used it with Topping D70s.
Presentation
The LCD-24 are very special, they don't sound like you're listening to headphones, after a while they "disappear" and you just enjoy the music. You don't get that notion that the sound is injected into your ear, it's like open on another level, there's closed back, there's open back, and there's LCD-24. It's not that they have the biggest soundstage, it's more about how it is perceived. I'm sorry I can't describe it more successfully.
Bass
Audeze have great bass, the LCD-24 are no exception. The bass is very powerful and punchy it will get you moving for sure. As a bass-head and metal-head I can tell you you won't be left wanting, it's full and rich and thumpy.
Mids
Guitars sound great, top notch, but vocals are a bit lackluster. I think they are a bit better than on the LCD-X if my memory serves, but it can't match Kennerton Heartland Planar for vocals.
Treble
It's almost as if it doesn't exists if you don't match it with the right amp and EQ. but if you got a good pairing with a bright amp you'll be satisfied. to be honest I never fully understood what part of the music was referred to as the Treble until I used the LCD-24 and it went away and I noticed its absence. for me these are must EQ HPs.
Summary
The LCD-24 are more than just Bass, Mids and Treble. They are something unique, a real gem that doesn't sound like anything I've tried before. they have an exhilarating lively nature, it's a real thrill to listen to. When you listen\watch live shows you really feel like it's a live sound, like it's a real sound coming at you, like you are Infront of that stage. I don't think the LCD-24 are the best at anything, but overall they are amazing, they are more than the sum of their parts.. Rognir have better bass for my taste, Heartland much better vocals, but LCD-24 can really be your one and only, if you pair it right. It can be your only HPs and you can be very happy with it.
Comparisons
VS LCD-X
They really are better than the LCD-X everywhere, I don't see anything that the LCD-X do better than the LCD-24.
VS Kennerton Rognir
Rognir are probably my favorite HPs. Rognir sound more condense with less space or layering or air, they are more raw and in your face, and I love them for it. Rognir have better sub-bass but it also lacking in vocals as are the LCD-24. Rognir do not need any EQ and are not amp picky at all. Rognir sounds much more boxed in, even if they do sound "open of a closed back". Rognir are not good for everything, while the LCD-24 can do well with any music genera or style.
VS D8000 Pro
The LCD-24 are for me more fun oriented while the D8000 Pro are more perfection oriented. I like the way Audeze does bass better, that's not to say D8000 Pro are bass mild, they are not, but their bass is about perfection more than enjoyment. D8000 Pro do mids and vocals better. D8000 Pro are a more analytical\reference HPs with good bass and a focus on the mids that I believe aims for accurate reproduction, which can turn boring quickly for me.
VS Heartland
Heartland are a strange beast, these are flagship level in detail and have the most powerful bass I've ever heard on HPs, with a focus on mid-bass. The bass is atmospheric and the is like a canvas for the vocals to be painted on. the Vocals on the Heartland are just superb, best I've ever heard. It's hard to compare it with the LCD-24 which are lacking in vocals, and have a different style of bass. I don't have the right terms to correctly describe how they differ. I think the Heartland can complement the LCD-24, as it is best where LCD-24 is lacking, and would also satisfy any bass-head.
Music I enjoy more and less on LCD-24
Dream Theater - 10/10, I was shocked how good it sounded.
Melodic death metal - They are wonderful for that, but I think I would still prefer the Rognir.
Theatre of Tragedy - The female vocals are especially lacking for me, I prefer the D8000 Pro or the Heartland for that.
Silent Skies - Great, but not as good as Heartland or Rognir.
Blind Guardian - their music somehow does not work well with Rognir, but is perfect with the LCD-24 and D8000 Pro.
Electronic - Great
Rap - Audeze are great with the beat.
I hope you got something out of this review, I know it's not professional, but I'm not a professional, that's the best I got to offer right now.
Equipment used: Final Audio D8000 Pro, Audeze LCD-X, Kennerton Rognir, Burson conductor 3XP (as DAC), PC (as source).
Music: Many genres of Metal, Electrocore, punk.
Product's page: http://anodeacoustics.in/index.php/...ube-headphone-amplifier-ecl82-pcl82-hp-amp-1/
cost: 800$ US
Introduction
Anode Acoustics is an Indian company that makes amps for speakers and headphones, both SS and tube. Devices are made to order. Once you order an amp you will join the Anode Acoustics family and from that moment onwards the owner Nitin will keep in touch with you until you have received the amp, set it up, and reported your satisfaction. Nitin taught me so much about amplifiers and audio I would have paid the cost of the amp just of the lessons. After receiving the amp Nitin and I opened the amp during a video call and he proceeded to explain the internal components of the amp, a great experience to be sure.
International Shipping and build time
I toke about a week for the amp to be built and tested, then it was sent to Israel via Fedex which toke about 5 days to arrive. No issues.
Build Quality
Very Solid, you can pick it up holding the transformers, and it doesn't weight as much as Little dot's big amps. It's doesn't get very hot (expect the tubes themselves) even after hours of use, you can place your hand on the transformers' box and it will be a bit warm, nothing more. I'll say it's a good looking amp.
Sound Quality
If you are looking for distorted tubby sound, this might not be the amp for you. This amp is very reveling, very accurate, you could miss it's a tube amp if you test it blind. The sound is 100% clear and detailed with no distortions, very revealing just like if not more so than the Burson.
With Amp#1 the music come alive - it’s not coloring, it’s making it more engaging, more musical more heartfelt, without taking anything away or sacrificing details or clarity.
The LCD-X sounds like an upgraded version with this amp, you’ll be dancing in your seat tapping your legs, it’s wonderful.
The D8000 Pro which I couldn't listen to on the Burson SS amp become a musical experience once I plugged it into the Amp#1, no more does it ask for more volume, now it is satisfied with any volume I wish to listen with.
The Kennerton Rognir also sounds great on it. I should note that planars sounds great on this amp, and I do not agree with the notion that Planars are for SS, and Dynamic are for tubes. This tube amps works perfectly with Planars, and it's output transformers makes sure you can pair it with very low impedance headphones.
Since receiving the amp I just can't seem to find any reason to listen to an SS amp, this amp is End Game, I have no itch to scratch anymore, it's wonderful. you might be fooled into thinking this is some cheap amp due to its low price and vintage design, but that would be a mistake, this amp for me would be worth tripled its price.
Conclusion
This is defiantly the best Audio gear purchase I have ever made, I will not be replacing it or trying to find something better, it is everything I wanted.
Comparing with Anode Acoustics HPA#2 (SS)
the HPA#2 is a warm, bassy SS amp. it's very easy to listen to, very forgiving, it has a vintage taste and is great for old recordings with low quality as well as high end stuff. It is not transparent (warm, bass boosting), for transparency you should get their HPA#4. it's a very good amp, it sounds better than the Burson in my opnion.
The HPA#1 on the other hand is a clean sounding amp, no color, no extra anything, it just makes the sound more musical and dare I say, adds a majestic quality to it, it add soul to the sound.
As for HPA#2, I say that for its cost (370$) you won't find anything SS near its quality, it's a nice sweet powerful amp, I enjoy it very much, but I mostly prefer the HPA#1, I just can't get enough of it.
