[redstar]

Hi all, i was wondering if I could have some advice on where most wise to spend money to make imrovements in my setup.

Current Mobile
DAP = Cowon plenue D
IEM = Noble K10u

Current Desktop
Amp/dac = Burson conductor sl (1793)
Headphones = LCD-X

Considerations for mobile
LCDi4
Noble kaiser encore universal
Ak Sp1000
Hugo2

Considerations for desktop
Dave
LCD4
Focal utopia

I would say i spend more of mytime listening mobile, than desktop.

Love to hear ones thoughts,
Dan.

 

[cossix]

I've heard from a few people that the lcd4 isn't worth the asking price when you can have the X for so much less money. Of course everybody has different budgets and goals, it's just a matter of value and how much improvement you get for the upgrade cost. Just my .02

 

[serman005]

What is the budget? Would you want to improve both your mobile and desktop units? Are you looking to do a complete replacement of what you presently have?

 

[redstar]

What is the budget? Would you want to improve both your mobile and desktop units? Are you looking to do a complete replacement of what you presently have?

Well, budgets not a huge issue. Its not so much the amount spent but a combo thats worth the money.
I think I would feel more comfortable in just upgrading just one for now, so either mobile or desktop.

My current frame of mind is maybe concentrate on mobile as i use that area more. I dont mind a complete replacement.

That said, i would not be selling what I have. So it would be great to have gear that could compliment my current phones aswell.

 

[domsch1988]

Well, budgets not a huge issue. Its not so much the amount spent but a combo thats worth the money.
I think I would feel more comfortable in just upgrading just one for now, so either mobile or desktop.

My current frame of mind is maybe concentrate on mobile as i use that area more. I dont mind a complete replacement.

That said, i would not be selling what I have. So it would be great to have gear that could compliment my current phones aswell.

My personal opinion without specific recommendation:
It's not about what you listen to more, but how you listen to it. I too spend twice the time listening mobile. But since i'm on the go, driving or walking, i'm not that focused on the sound. At home though, i specifically sit down to listen to music. I'd always invest first into where you enjoy listening more, not where you spend more time (especially since you already have a pretty high end setup). But that's just me...

 

[serman005]

I like both the AK (a lot) and the Hugo 2 a lot for your purposes. The Encore is fantastic, if you want to go with another Noble. If you want to look at something different, I would look at an Andromeda. It is less money, but is fantastic absolutely. As for the over-ear, I personally would probably try something in a different family if I had the LCD X, just for variety's sake. One I like a lot in this situation is the AEON. Balanced sound, very comfortable, mobile. Does not have a ton of bass but has enough. Worth checking out to see what you think. It might work for you. Those are a few thoughts for you. FWIW, but YMMV, of course.

 

[Music Alchemist]

You mentioned the DAVE, so your budget is quite high. For this reason, the best thing you can do is go out to meets and shops to audition all the equipment you can. I can't tell you what you should buy, because this is all so subjective.

Personally, I would focus upgrades on the home system. I only listen to music at home, and if I did listen in portable situations, I wouldn't care about sound quality nearly as much. (You already have a nice portable setup, but you can get better sound for the money with home gear.)

The LCD-X is the only thing I have owned on your list, but I did also own similar products such as the Focal Elear and Chord 2Qute.

If you're looking for more suggestions, other headphones to consider/audition are the Abyss AB-1266 Phi (requires a fairly strong amp) and STAX SR-009 & SR-007 (which require an electrostatic headphone amp, and a very expensive one for optimal sound).

If you still want to upgrade the mobile system instead, the Shure KSE1500 electrostatic IEMs (which come with an amp) are another contender.

Also, check this out. This company lets you borrow headphones and other gear for a small fee, which is put toward future purchases from them.

https://www.thecableco.com/Product/NEW-Headphone-Lending-Library
https://www.thecableco.com/Catalog/Headphones

 

[redstar]

Great, many thanks for all the suggestions and help.

Desktop;
So for the home setup. Lets just say I didnt invest in another pair of headphones.
I really do enjoy my lcd-x. I think the amp/dac needs an improvement to improve the lcd-x. Not to say the Burson is bad, but im sure there can be improvements here.
I could just get a dave and be done with it, but what other suggestions does one recommend?
I actually use my k10us with the burson at home. I flit between the k10s and lcd-x alot when working at my pc.

Id like something that will really make the bass come alive, i know its possible to have that thunderous pound on the lcd-x as ive heard it with movies through my lcd-x, but not so much with music.
I listen to a fair few genres, but mainly punk/hardcore/thrash and also various sub genres of metal. I also listen to alot of older hiphop, like beastie boys, rundmc, pharacade etc.

Mobile;
So my mobile dap consideration is the aksp1000, which im sure is amazing. However if i was to go the hugo2 route, surely its not worth getting the AK?...
What would be a better dap soloution for the hugo2. I am guessing all the dap would be contributing is UI and storage. My plenue D is rather slow.

In terms of IEMs my considerations are Encore, LCDi4, KSE1500.
I love my k10s so much, perhaps i should just look at a dap/portable amp for my money?
If I went with the KSE, i doubt ill need to get a hugo2 as it comes with an amp. Thus the dap would matter.

I understand this is all subjective, but it is helpful to me.
Thanks again.

 

[Music Alchemist]

So for the home setup. Lets just say I didnt invest in another pair of headphones.
I really do enjoy my lcd-x. I think the amp/dac needs an improvement to improve the lcd-x. Not to say the Burson is bad, but im sure there can be improvements here.
I could just get a dave and be done with it, but what other suggestions does one recommend?

I love Chord DACs, but the headphones/speakers you use determine most of the sound. I'm getting far better sound with the floorstanding speakers I upgraded to paired with a cheap DAC than I did with smaller, cheaper speakers paired with the four figure 2Qute. Sure, you can enhance the sound of your headphones with a DAC/amp upgrade, but it won't be nearly as significant as upgrading to better headphones, which would almost always cost a lot less anyway if we're talking about the DAVE. The Abyss is widely regarded as the best planar magnetic headphone, and I do think it's on a noticeably higher level than the LCD-X. (Though I tend to favor electrostats myself.) You could try it (along with most of the other headphones mentioned in this thread) via that lending program I linked to. The Schiit Yggdrasil is another home DAC to consider. As far as amps go, there are countless ones. The Schiit Jotunheim is a good value amp to test harder to drive headphones since it's just $399 and is more powerful than your Burson. (But you can borrow really powerful amps from The Cable Company as well. I'm not saying the Jotunheim would be your endgame or anything.) Many drive planars like the Abyss and LCD-4 directly from the DAVE for the higher transparency, but some others prefer a stronger external amp.

 

[redstar]

Thanks so much for the reply. What is putting me off the Abyss, is that they look even more uncomfortable than the audeeze. My lcd-x is not the most comfortable thing, but i get by with it.
What combo would be suggested with the abyss, to make a really good match. Has it got powerful bass?

I will 100% look into the cable company. Thanks for that.

 

[Music Alchemist]

Thanks so much for the reply. What is putting me off the Abyss, is that they look even more uncomfortable than the audeeze. My lcd-x is not the most comfortable thing, but i get by with it.
What combo would be suggested with the abyss, to make a really good match. Has it got powerful bass?

I will 100% look into the cable company. Thanks for that.

Although the Abyss is heavy and feels that way when holding it, it's actually a lot more comfortable than the LCD-X when being worn thanks to the well-designed headband system. You can also adjust the distance of the pads from your ears, as well as the angle, etc. (The pads are meant to rest slightly away from your ears.)

I'd start with an amp that can output at least a few watts into 50 ohms. Check out the Abyss thread for tons of info on recommended combos.

Look up reviews for the Abyss. It's bass king in the context of planar magnetic audiophile headphones, particularly in terms of impact.

Edit: I forgot to mention, there's a Lite package for $4,495 without some of the accessories, so you don't have to pay $5,495 for it.

 

[redstar]

Is the cable upgrade in the more expensive bundle worth the increased price?

 

[Music Alchemist]

Is the cable upgrade in the more expensive bundle worth the increased price?

You should determine whether you want to stick with that headphone before making any upgrades centered around it. The Double Helix Prion4 (or Prion4S) is the most well-regarded cable for the Abyss.