[alphones]

Hi Wingstrike,
 
I would continue to burn it in before you make any final calls on it.  Apparently on the LCD 3 thread many people that own them believe that the burn in hours are necessary to make that headphone sing.
Quote:

I was really impressed with the LCD3s at the meet, so much that I bought one. After spending 2 days with it, I feel less impressed with them. Maybe because they haven't been burned in yet. Maybe i need better amplification, balanced amplification at the meet sounded VERY nice. I don't know. To me, my Rev 2s sounds more detailed. The bass of the LCD3s extended deeper and hits harder, but I think rev2s are tighter. Compared to my HD800s, they sound even less detailed.
I'm going to burn them in more, listen more, and maybe do the TP mod. I'll report back with my findings

 
The Mini Galaxy 1 to me, sounded very nice with the HD800s, but not so much with the Audeze headphones, especially the LCD3. Maybe too warm? The LCD3s are already very smooth and thick sounding, so i'm guessing it's not a good match with tubes.

@2000impreza: I liked the audiospace at the meet.  Unfortunately I did not get to hear the dac section but I've heard the speaker part a few times in the store previously which made some efficient speakers sing.  All in all I love the fact that it can be flexible as a hp amp, dac and speaker amp.  The best part about it is that I bet you could roll some pretty nice tubes into it to make it sound even better!
 

 

[Wingstrike]

Yeah, that's what I'm doing right now. I mean, I know they have the potential to sound really REALLY good from what I've heard at the meet. It's just that it might take some effort to do so. But yes, I will burn them in more to see how it improves.
 
Also, anyone interested in my Rev2s? I need to sell them.

 
Quote:

Hi Wingstrike,
 
I would continue to burn it in before you make any final calls on it.  Apparently on the LCD 3 thread many people that own them believe that the burn in hours are necessary to make that headphone sing.

 

 

[2000impreza]

Quote:

Yeah, that's what I'm doing right now. I mean, I know they have the potential to sound really REALLY good from what I've heard at the meet. It's just that it might take some effort to do so. But yes, I will burn them in more to see how it improves.
 
Also, anyone interested in my Rev2s? I need to sell them.

 


 

Wingstrike, Can you PM me how much you are looking to sell your rev 2's for? I really should not. But I am tempted. lol.

 

[alphones]

@Wingstrike: you should also consider what you are using as your source.  The LCD 3 can scale quite well with a good dac.  I know at the meet you were mentioning a new amp as well so an investment in both could yield the sound you are looking for.
 
Cheers,
alphones

 

[AgentXXL]

Quote:

Hi everyone,
 
so what did you guys think of the LCD 3's?

Hi All,
 
Finally found my way back to the thread. First off, a sincere thanks to alphones and The Audio Room for hosting and organizing the meet. It truly was a fun event, exceeding my expectations for systems to listen to. There were some real treats present and the only bad thing I can say is 'Sorry to my wallet'. I have so many choices in front of me now, that I almost don't know where to begin. Almost... Here's my favourites from the meet:
 
1) LCD-3 - these were superb, no matter what I listened to on them. They were especially pleasing with the SR-71B balanced portable amp. That said, if I owned a set of LCD-3s, there's very little chance that they would ever get used portably. One thing I did seem to discover, that didn't just apply to the LCD-3s - for whatever reason, my ears really seem to prefer solid state amps to those that were tube driven. The DarkVoice was the exception.
 
2) HD800 - my all-around faves! I will be buying a pair, sooner rather than later. I've already got a deal lined up, but if it falls through, I will definitely start looking for another pair. These were on my short-list before the meet, but now they are the next set of cans that I'll own. My only dilemma will be to decide if I want to try the DarkVoice tube amp or stick to my original plans to buy a solid-state Headamp GS-1 (or if really crazy, a GS-X). When I do get them, I'm hoping that the Fiio E17 + E9 combo that I recently ordered will meet my short-term needs until I decide on a nice desktop DAC/amp.
 
3) HE-6 - these surprised me this time. I'd heard them once before and wasn't that impressed. For some reason they also really shined with the SR-71B and the DarkVoice. That said, I would probably buy a set of HE-500s first - from what I remember of the HE-500, they were more to my liking, both in sound and for my wallet.
 
4) Stax Sigma - 2nd time hearing these and still every bit as pleasing. My only problem with a Stax system is that it's really not that easy to use as a portable system. If I was only looking for a home system, a Stax setup (probably the 407s) would definitely be in my plans. Someday, when I have a house with lots of room for different systems, a Stax setup is almost sure to be one of them (hopefully with a Smyth Virtualizer).
 
There are too many others to mention. It was definitely a fun time and I really look forward to the next meet. Take care all!
 
Dale 
 
PS: just read a new review of the 6+ year old GS-1 amplifier and it's pretty much convinced me that this is what I'll go for to use wih my HD800s when at home.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/592999/headamp-gs-1-a-forgotten-treasure

 

[AgentXXL]

Hello all!
 
Just a quick update - at the meet I mentioned that I had pre-ordered the new Fiio E17 DAC/amp and the companion E9 desktop amp that the E17 docks to. I received it yesterday - actually had to pick it up at the post office as the parcel truck driver couldn't find my condo! In any case, after a about a day of assorted testing, I must say that I'm quite impressed with the E17 itself, especially given the price point. It has the power to drive my DT770 250 ohm cans with little difficulty, although I was hoping that I wouldn't have to use the top level gain (+12dB). The only issues encountered so far are:
 
1) the E17 can't be used as a USB DAC with the iPad or iPad 2. The Fiio rep has confirmed that the E17 draws more than the 150mA that the iPad can supply on its dock connector, when the USB adapter from the camera connection kit is installed. Unfortunately, this is still true when you turn USB Charging off on the E17 - a software supported option. While not a deal killer, it is an annoyance. The E17 does work perfectly well as a USB DAC on my Macbook Pro, my Windows 7 x64 system and my Ubuntu 11.10 system. As with most USB DACs, the upper limit is 96KHz/24bit sample rate.
 
2) when docked with the E9, the sound signature changes. Thankfully the E17 has some minor EQ ability and as such I can tweak the signature while docked with the E17 in 'line out bypass' mode. I was able to get pretty close, but the E9 does seem to eliminate some of the mid-range frequencies. Fiio is apparently working on a successor to the E9, so when it comes out I'll have to look into upgrading if it overcomes this issue.
 
The SPDIF input works well with both the optical and digital coaxial input adapters supplied with the E17. The max sample rate for the SPDIF input is 192KHz/24bit - I have very little demo material that's at that rate but what I did test was barely noticeable from the 96KHz/24bit counterparts and even with some of the 44.1KHz/16bit material. It all depends on how well the original source material was mastered and how well the encoder did its job when converting to a digital format.
 
Anyhow, to sum it up so far, at approx. 1/4 the cost of my Headamp Pico, the E17 is an amazing piece of hardware. I'm sure it will replace the Pico for the majority of my portable listening, but it's unlikely that I'll sell my Pico as i still really like using it with the iPad and the camera connection kit as a USB DAC. That said, the Fiio LODs that I purchased with the E17 + E9 bundle also do a great job of pairing the E17 with the iPad. In reality I'm pretty comfortable using the iPad with the LOD instead of USB, especially considering that the iPad is limited to 48KHz/24bit as the maximum output sample rate (with the built-in iTunes app). If you want higher quality output from the iPad, it's likely that you would require a 3rd party app like VLC (no longer available in the App Store).
 
Let the questions fly if there are any....
 
Dale

 

[2000impreza]

AgentXXL - If you don't mind opening up the E9, you can probably get better mid-range or alter the sound signature by rolling different op-amps. I believe the E9 uses three TI OPA2134 op-amps. One op-amp up front for the headphone jack and two for the rear line and pre out. If you go this route, make sure you use op-amps that fit in the 8-pin dip sockets.

 

[AgentXXL]

Quote:

AgentXXL - If you don't mind opening up the E9, you can probably get better mid-range or alter the sound signature by rolling different op-amps. I believe the E9 uses three TI OPA2134 op-amps. One op-amp up front for the headphone jack and two for the rear line and pre out. If you go this route, make sure you use op-amps that fit in the 8-pin dip sockets.

 
Indeed that's a possibility, but since the eq features of the E17 work while docked, I'll probably live with it until my warranty period is up. I can get pretty close to the signature of the E17 by itself this way.
 
As for opamp choices, my research has found quite a few options, especially with lots of newer opamps being available in SOIC adapters. When my warranty is up, or I'm ready to take the plunge, it's something that I won't be afraid to try. Thanks for the suggestion.
 
 

 

[alphones]

Hi Dale,
 
congrats on the new purchase.  You should post some pics of your new goodie...

 

[AgentXXL]

Ask and ye shall receive, although I'm no photographer (taken with my iPhone):
 
      
 
      
 
Picture 1: E17 Front view showing OLED display and all buttons - Power/Exit, Vol +, Vol -, Menu, Input, Hold
Picture 2: E17 Bottom view showing micro USB port for DAC, E9 dock connector, AUX 3.5mm input
Picture 3: E17 Top view showing SPDIF input (optical/coaxial 3.5mm), hardware reset hole, headphone out 3.5mm
Picture 4: E17 Side view showing Line Out Bypass switch - allows eq function to work with E9 when docked
Picture 5: E17 + E9 Front view showing 3.5mm headphone out, power/volume knob, 6.3mm headphone out
Picture 6: E17 + E9 Rear view showing 3.5mm line in, 3.5mm pre-out (variable line out), RCA line out (fixed volume), USB pass through to DAC in E17 when docked, power input
 
All told, an amazing bundle for the price. I'll certainly be happy to bring it along to the next meet.

 

[SixthFall]

Quote:

Ask and ye shall receive, although I'm no photographer (taken with my iPhone):
 
 
Picture 1: E17 Front view showing OLED display and all buttons - Power/Exit, Vol +, Vol -, Menu, Input, Hold
Picture 2: E17 Bottom view showing micro USB port for DAC, E9 dock connector, AUX 3.5mm input
Picture 3: E17 Top view showing SPDIF input (optical/coaxial 3.5mm), hardware reset hole, headphone out 3.5mm
Picture 4: E17 Side view showing Line Out Bypass switch - allows eq function to work with E9 when docked
Picture 5: E17 + E9 Front view showing 3.5mm headphone out, power/volume knob, 6.3mm headphone out
Picture 6: E17 + E9 Rear view showing 3.5mm line in, 3.5mm pre-out (variable line out), RCA line out (fixed volume), USB pass through to DAC in E17 when docked, power input
 
All told, an amazing bundle for the price. I'll certainly be happy to bring it along to the next meet.

Nice!! I got geared up too Brand new hd600's 

 

[AgentXXL]

And a few more photos showing the E17 paired with an iPhone 4 using the Fiio L9 LOD:
 
      
 

 
Picture 1, 2 & 3: E17 + iPhone 4, held together with Fiio rubber bands (supplied with E17), connected using optional L9 LOD
Picture 4: E17 accessories - box, velvet bag, screen protector, 3.5mm - 3.5mm cable, coaxial SPDIF adapter, optical SPDIF adapter. Not shown: USB to micro USB cable
 
One other update: after a suggestion from another user and some troubleshooting by me, apparently you can use the E17 as a USB DAC with the iPad and the camera connection kit. It requires plugging a powered hub into the iPad + CCK adapter, then plugging the E17 into the hub. Fiio are going to look into designing a dual USB cable where the power is completely isolated to one of the connectors, allowing only the data to feed between the iPad + CCK and the E17. Not the best solution, but a solution at least.
 
Congrats on your HD600s SixthFall! My next purchase will be the grand-daddy of those cans, the HD800.

 

[alphones]

Definitely looks the part Dale.  Let me know how the long term listening goes on it.
 
@sixfall: Nice choice on the cans.  They are definitely legendary.  Enjoy the music.

 

[SixthFall]

 
Thanks! I sure am loving them! 

Quote:

Definitely looks the part Dale.  Let me know how the long term listening goes on it.
 
@sixfall: Nice choice on the cans.  They are definitely legendary.  Enjoy the music.

 
 

 

[2000impreza]

Here is one of my recent projects since the meet. This amp really is nothing special. Just a DIY 18v Cmoy amp built using JDS labs PCB with a few component spec changes I made. A buddy and I spent a day putting together 4 of them. So fair I am fairly impressed with this amp. It is able to drive my Beyerdynamic DT770-250ohm cans fairly loud without turning the volume dial past 12 o'clock. Compared to the Fiio E11, this Cmoy is brighter with considerably better mids and highs. Definitely sounds a lot better compared to the bass heavy E11. The Cmoy ended costing around $45 in components not including batteries.
 
For future plans, I might make few changes to increase the current and see how well it drives LCD 2's.