[marcan]

  Quite right. Sounds like we're both happy with the LCD-2. IMO they're desert-island calibre.

I wouldn't exchange my LCD-2.2 with two LCD-3

 

[DDDamian]

  I wouldn't exchange my LCD-2.2 with two LCD-3

Heh - me too. I hear there's those actively seeking out some of the pre-fazors - can see them becoming some of the more sought-after cans. I for one have no intention of upgrading mine to the fazor model. True - they don't image as well as some cans (my AKG's image better and my HD-800's are on the way) but there's little I would want to change about them. Not if it means sacrificing any of what they do well now.

 

[LancerFIN]

When you are talking about LCD-2 being better than LCD-3, I guess you are talking about Rev2? LCD-2F vs LCD-3F?
 
I need to find European person who would trade my LCD-2F to LCD2.2. Mine are still under warranty till 4-11-17

 

[DDDamian]

  When you are talking about LCD-2 being better than LCD-3, I guess you are talking about Rev2? LCD-2F vs LCD-3F?
 
I need to find European person who would trade my LCD-2F to LCD2.2. Mine are still under warranty till 4-11-17

I think you'll find many different answers to the first question. There are many who love the 3F. Another issue will be that even within the same variant of LCD they are not all alike - part of the Audeze legacy will be that no two pairs are exactly the same, and according to Tyll at InnerFidelity there seems to be a trend over time in their toning.
 
If you really want to do what you say in the second line - give the classifieds a whirl. To upgrade to fazors is USD$250 and shipping both ways, plus you lose your headphones for a few weeks (from Europe). There may also be things you'll miss: the fazors were said to improve imaging. Tough call only you can make.

 

[Audiogalore]

So very true. Especially with diminishing returns... Just because something costs twice as much, doesn't mean it's twice as good(though sometimes it can). When I auditioned A/B the LCD2 and LCD3 through The Cable Co. lending library, I honest to God preferred the LCD2 with my setup, just better synergy to my ears, and the LCD2 costs half as much as the 3. It's all so subjective anyway, ymmv and all that.

I found the same!

 

[JK-47]

Why don't the manufacturers just invent how to create a 2-way or 3-way HP with 1 driver as sub-woofer. If they coukd make it in an IEM, why not on a HP?

JVC SZ1000/2000....

 

[psgarcha92]

Dear Head-fi brethren,
 
I took the plunge, and brought myself an Audeze LCD-2 Rev2. The only natural progression from that point onwards seemed to be buying a Schiit Lyr. Deed's done, people. 
 
Now. I have been looking into hifi audio for quite some time now. The one weak link it seems in my chain now, is the DAC. At the moment I use an iPod Video 5G, LOD with caps, and I am currently waiting for the front plate and back plate to arrive, to perform the diyMod on it. Needless to say it still wont be hifi as it wont be decoding 192khz/24bit files. 
 
I was planning to get a hold on an Audio-GD NFB 15.32 but Audio-gd have not replied to my mail yet. 
 
My question is, is the Fiio-X3 ii worthwile for my setup? Or should I go for desktop size sources only?
 
 
TL;DR: Have the LCD 2.2, Schiit Lyr. Need a DAC. Should I go for full size DAC or is it ok going for the Fiio X3 ii? Please suggest DACs.
 
Please Note I have a budget of ~300USD, not more.
 
Regards 

 

[x RELIC x]

For what it's worth I use the FiiO X5 Line Out to my desktop amp sometimes and I like the sound. FiiO does a great job with the Line Out implementation in their DACs but I haven't heard the X3ii directly. The X5 and X5ii Line Out are fantastic though.

 

[psgarcha92]

Hey! 
I just found a Cambridge Dacmagic Plus selling for 400 Dollars (Canadian) in my area. The NFB15.32 will fall in the same range almost. The DacMagic Plus has balanced out, which I plan to implement in the future diying a Balanced AMP. The Audio-gd on the other hand has a good AMP section. Which comes down to me owning 2 amplifiers, the Lyr (hybrid) and NFB 15.32 (SS). I would actually like to see how this makes my LCD 2.2 sound different.
 
WOW this got even more difficult now. Budget is a max of 400 CDN, haveto decide between Audio-gd NFB 15.32 (if Audio-Gd replies, that is), Cambridge Dacmagic Plus, and Fiio X3ii.
 
Damn.

 

[Lohb]

  Dear Head-fi brethren,
 
I took the plunge, and brought myself an Audeze LCD-2 Rev2. The only natural progression from that point onwards seemed to be buying a Schiit Lyr. Deed's done, people. 
 
Now. I have been looking into hifi audio for quite some time now. The one weak link it seems in my chain now, is the DAC. At the moment I use an iPod Video 5G, LOD with caps, and I am currently waiting for the front plate and back plate to arrive, to perform the diyMod on it. Needless to say it still wont be hifi as it wont be decoding 192khz/24bit files. 
 
I was planning to get a hold on an Audio-GD NFB 15.32 but Audio-gd have not replied to my mail yet. 
 
My question is, is the Fiio-X3 ii worthwile for my setup? Or should I go for desktop size sources only?
 
 
TL;DR: Have the LCD 2.2, Schiit Lyr. Need a DAC. Should I go for full size DAC or is it ok going for the Fiio X3 ii? Please suggest DACs.
 
Please Note I have a budget of ~300USD, not more.
 
Regards 

Check out Caiman Mk2 DAC, you will get the outside UK discount (-20% VAT) that will offset shipping. It will ship from Taiwan. It will help address sound-stage/imaging v Fazor sound-stage/imaging abilities to a degree.
DIY Fazor (if you are a geek and like to mod stuff) with the savings - http://www.head-fi.org/t/618659/fostex-t50rp-incremental-mods-and-measurements/1425#post_11113216

 

[Synthax]

Full size expensive LCD headphones deserves desktop tube amp with output transformers.

 

[x RELIC x]

Hey! 
I just found a Cambridge Dacmagic Plus selling for 400 Dollars (Canadian) in my area. The NFB15.32 will fall in the same range almost. The DacMagic Plus has balanced out, which I plan to implement in the future diying a Balanced AMP. The Audio-gd on the other hand has a good AMP section. Which comes down to me owning 2 amplifiers, the Lyr (hybrid) and NFB 15.32 (SS). I would actually like to see how this makes my LCD 2.2 sound different.

WOW this got even more difficult now. Budget is a max of 400 CDN, haveto decide between Audio-gd NFB 15.32 (if Audio-Gd replies, that is), Cambridge Dacmagic Plus, and Fiio X3ii.

Damn.

The Dacmagic Plus has a lot of features you're paying for that you need to consider if you'll use. For example with the lyr you won't be using the balanced output of the Dacmagic Plus. On the other hand you may enjoy the convenience of the Bluetooth feature.

X3ii gets you a very good portable player (for the price) as well as a DAC and source to feed your headphone amp.

Audio-GD NFB15.32 is fairly inexpensive for what you get and Audio-GD makes good equipment. The fact that it has a dual DAC design is nice and the amp could be good for a different flavour from your lyr now and again. I've heard good things about the NFB15.32, and it has enough power for the LCD-2.

Strange they aren't responding as I just bought the Audio-GD DAC-19 (10th Anv) yesterday and have had a few responses from them.

 

[jodgey4]

Make sure you're using the right email address with Audio-GD. "The Great Firewall" in China will also sometimes block emails, and A-GD will never know about it. *snide comment about surveillance here*

 

[psgarcha92]

Wow! Head fi at its best!
 
Can you help me decide then. How much of a difference does balanced actually make? I just got a reply from Audio-GD. Just have to pull the trigger now. 
I have RE272s which i always wanted to try balanced. I now have this lovely LCD 2.2 that I would want to run balanced. Anybody with some experience with Balanced LCD 2.2 here? 
 
Another thing that i just recently became aware of, is USB Jitter in DACs. Now, the Audio-gd has USB32. The Dacmagic plus on the other hand, the much smoother Optical in. My laptop happens to have Optical out. The Audio-gd appeals to me more because of the amp section. But if there would be jitters i would really like to go with the other DAC.
 
Thanks for the fazer mod, brother. This is why i like Head Fi
 
Regards

 

[x RELIC x]

Wow! Head fi at its best!

Can you help me decide then. How much of a difference does balanced actually make? I just got a reply from Audio-GD. Just have to pull the trigger now. 
I have RE272s which i always wanted to try balanced. I now have this lovely LCD 2.2 that I would want to run balanced. Anybody with some experience with Balanced LCD 2.2 here? 

Another thing that i just recently became aware of, is USB Jitter in DACs. Now, the Audio-gd has USB32. The Dacmagic plus on the other hand, the much smoother Optical in. My laptop happens to have Optical out. The Audio-gd appeals to me more because of the amp section. But if there would be jitters i would really like to go with the other DAC.

Thanks for the fazer mod, brother. This is why i like Head Fi

Regards

Well, this isn't going to help but the Audio-GD has asynchronous USB which is how it controls jitter, like most every other USB input on most every other DAC. Almost all modern DACs handle jitter pretty well IMO and all digital media needs to deal with jitter. Oh, and there is also optical and coaxial input on the NFB15.32. Audio-GD wouldn't produce a DAC that had poor jitter IMO.

I run the LCD-2 balanced out of my Oppo HA-1 and the biggest difference is 4x the output power running balanced vs single ended on the Oppo unit. There's also common ground noise rejection inherent in a balanced chain which helps clean up noise in the signal path. I really like the sound from balanced output to the planar cans, but YMMV.

Edit: Optical SPDIF is more prone to jitter than coaxial SPDIF, but effectively isolates all form of EMI.