AMP & DAC recommendation for Audeze LCD-2C

[Suppa92]

After hearing many good things about planar magnetic & specially about LCD2c, decided to buy a Audeze LCD-2C. (still saving money though ). I mainly listen to movie scores and hip-hop, occasionally new-age music too. So I tend to flavor bit more bass in the music I listen (maybe because I love hip-hop). I think headphone selection phase is done now. Now the problem is dac and amp that I should pair with the LCD2Cs. These are the balanced dacs & amps I currently considering.

1. Questyle CMA400i (DacAmp Combo) (~$800)
2. Audio-GD NFB-1AMP (Amp ~$500) + another good balanced DAC (under $500)
3. Audio-GD NFB-1AMP (Amp ~$500) + Denafrips Ares (DAC) (~$600)
4. Audio-GD NFB-1AMP (Amp ~$500) + Audio-GD R2R 1 (DAC) (~$800)

Option 1 is good considering the price for both amp&dac.
Audio-GD NFB-1AMP is also good considering the power, price and freedom to buy a decent/expensive dac like Ares or R2R 1 after some time without wasting much money.

I want to know whether these selections are good or not and your suggestions.
Are entry-level r2r dacs like Ares & R2R 1 make considerable sound quality increase over Questyle CMA400i with LCD2Cs and Audio-GD NFB-1AMP ? or are these r2r dacs needs much better higher end headphones than lcd2c to notice a difference?

FYI: Don't expect to buy/use many headphone other than LCD2cs, maybe a Fostex TH900 much later. but that's it. LCD2Cs & Fostex will be my endgame 2 headphones. and I don't like Schiit Audio devices

 

[DaaDaa]

I have Ares + 1AMP they are excellent and amp1 is also a very good preamp for my stereo but im itching to hear the r2r1 with amp1.

 

[Suppa92]

I have Ares + 1AMP they are excellent and amp1 is also a very good preamp for my stereo but im itching to hear the r2r1 with amp1.

that's very good to hear. do you test ares+nfb1amp with lcd2c?

 

[DaaDaa]

yes also lcd-2 and Senn HD6xx. it is a very good dac and it plays DSD very well (for DSD i prefer ares to AGD). it has very impactful and detailed bass. between all the dacs that I have heard this ares is the most similar sound to Chord Hugo.

 

[Suppa92]

yes also lcd-2 and Senn HD6xx. it is a very good dac and it plays DSD very well (for DSD i prefer ares to AGD). it has very impactful and detailed bass. between all the dacs that I have heard this ares is the most similar sound to Chord Hugo.

Great. Most of the soundtack albums are in redbook cd's only right? so i don't think i'll need dsd features.
it means it doesn't need to have a very expensive headphone like lcd3 or lcd4 to notice a considerable audio quality difference of r2r dacs like ares, right? lcd2c are good with ares. i know this sounds silly but in my country there are no even a one shop that sells this kind of audio gear. so i have never heard any of the headphone, amplifier, dac considered hi-fi in my entire life. that's why i ask everything. i'm totally rely on the online recommendations and online reviews.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

These are the balanced dacs & amps I currently considering.

1. Questyle CMA400i (DacAmp Combo) (~$800)
2. Audio-GD NFB-1AMP (Amp ~$500) + another good balanced DAC (under $500)
3. Audio-GD NFB-1AMP (Amp ~$500) + Denafrips Ares (DAC) (~$600)
4. Audio-GD NFB-1AMP (Amp ~$500) + Audio-GD R2R 1 (DAC) (~$800)
------
I want to know whether these selections are good or not and your suggestions.
Are entry-level r2r dacs like Ares & R2R 1 make considerable sound quality increase over Questyle CMA400i with LCD2Cs and Audio-GD NFB-1AMP ? or are these r2r dacs needs much better higher end headphones than lcd2c to notice a difference?

If you're planning on running balanced then why not just get an NFB-28? It takes a digital input and then runs balanced from the DAC output all the way to the headphone amp output stage.

 

[Suppa92]

If you're planning on running balanced then why not just get an NFB-28? It takes a digital input and then runs balanced from the DAC output all the way to the headphone amp output stage.

in that case Questyle cma400i is better choice right? both of them in same price range & based on a chip dac.

 

[Suppa92]

you are welcome to suggest any other dac or amp or dacamp combo which are cheaper but powerful enough to get the max out of LCD2Cs.

 

[Rhamnetin]

Only heard good things about the Questyle. Another option is the Schiit Lyr 3, excellent amp for the price especially with a nice 6SN7 tube. The only other DAC recommendation I can add is the Chord Mojo, but I can't say if it beats similarly priced R2R DACs or not.

Not sure if you've bought the LCD-2C already, if not I'd recommend the ZMF Ori. A little bit more money, but should deliver similar quality bass and lower mids at the very least, but without any upper mid or lower treble recession that Audeze is known for, and cleaner treble performance. I give these recommendations while currently in possession of a ZMF Blackwood (closed back version of the Ori, my Ori is queued) and an Audeze LCD-4 for what it's worth.

 

[Suppa92]

Only heard good things about the Questyle. Another option is the Schiit Lyr 3, excellent amp for the price especially with a nice 6SN7 tube. The only other DAC recommendation I can add is the Chord Mojo, but I can't say if it beats similarly priced R2R DACs or not.

Not sure if you've bought the LCD-2C already, if not I'd recommend the ZMF Ori. A little bit more money, but should deliver similar quality bass and lower mids at the very least, but without any upper mid or lower treble recession that Audeze is known for, and cleaner treble performance. I give these recommendations while currently in possession of a ZMF Blackwood (closed back version of the Ori, my Ori is queued) and an Audeze LCD-4 for what it's worth.

Still didn't buy the lcd2cs. And it will take months to buy them.
I have heard that planar magnetic headphones give really fast, accurate, clean bass that a dynamic headphone can never match. That's why I only considered planars. I don't mind the issues with treble because I really don't like treble sounds. are ZMFs are better than Planar Bass & Fostexs?

 

[Rhamnetin]

Still didn't buy the lcd2cs. And it will take months to buy them.
I have heard that planar magnetic headphones give really fast, accurate, clean bass that a dynamic headphone can never match. That's why I only considered planars. I don't mind the issues with treble because I really don't like treble sounds. are ZMFs are better than Planar Bass & Fostexs?

The ZMF Ori is also planar magnetic, and is actually a Fostex T50RP MKIII on steroids. The creator, Zach, is a master at tuning planars and particularly applying damping material. Other manufacturers can learn from him. By the way, here is an excellent article written about planar magnetic pros/cons, not sure if you've read it already:

https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/how-planar-magnetic-headphones-work

Quite right about the bass though. I would say well implemented planar magnetic technology has no downsides compared to dynamic... at least no downsides to my ears.

Luckily both Audeze and ZMF offer a return policy.

 

[Suppa92]

The ZMF Ori is also planar magnetic, and is actually a Fostex T50RP MKIII on steroids. The creator, Zach, is a master at tuning planars and particularly applying damping material. Other manufacturers can learn from him. By the way, here is an excellent article written about planar magnetic pros/cons, not sure if you've read it already:

https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/how-planar-magnetic-headphones-work

Quite right about the bass though. I would say well implemented planar magnetic technology has no downsides compared to dynamic... at least no downsides to my ears.

Luckily both Audeze and ZMF offer a return policy.

Now that's very very good suggestion. I definitely consider ZMF Oris. I didn't know that they're planars. What are good HeadAmp & DAC or AmpDac combo good with Oris?

 

[Suppa92]

is Audio-GD NFB-28.38 better than Questyle CMA400i? they're in similar price range, chip based dac. NFB-28.38 has relay based volume control, is it good for the sound, trouble/ maintenance free volume control? How Questyle CMA400i or Audio-GD NFB-28's built in dac quality compared to Denafrips Ares or Audio-GD R2R 1?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

in that case Questyle cma400i is better choice right? both of them in same price range

NFB-28 has more power but at these levels there is practically nothing out there (apart from electrostats that need a totally different amp design) that will make that added power an advantage.

THD and noise levels are measured somewhat differently so they're hard to compare.

Basically, you can go either way.

...& based on a chip dac.

What do you mean? All DACs are microchips. Not that you can't use vacuum tubes for that but that's like rebuilding the first ever computer server which was made of vacuum tubes and took up an entire building with less processing power than a 12in Macbook or Ultrabook.

 

[Suppa92]

What do you mean? All DACs are microchips. Not that you can't use vacuum tubes for that but that's like rebuilding the first ever computer server which was made of vacuum tubes and took up an entire building with less processing power than a 12in Macbook or Ultrabook.

No I mean the R2R ones. Like Denafrips ares and Audio-GD R2R1. what tried to ask was the sound quality difference between Questyle CMA400i & NFB-28.38's built in DAC vs R2R1 & Ares?