[Rattle]

A great inexpensive amp for LCD2F (late 2019 fazor model) is the Asgard 3. For some reason it has insane synergy and was very surprised. I have 2 technically more capable and expensive amps and I could be happy 24/7 ...

 

[Steve Wilcox]

I initially ran my LCD2Fs direct from a Mojo to get that purity of signal but added in my Asgard 1 and felt that added a little special sauce. A very nice combination.

 

[Steemax]

Just received my LCD-2's from Audeze the other day and have been enjoying them. They are my second pair of headphones after the 6xx so i'm new to this world of Audiophile headphones.

I have a Fiio K5 Pro, Topping D50s/A50 stack, and the Little Dot MKIII with stock tubes.

I've read a lot about how LCD-2's don't sound good on the Little dot or tubes in general but i've had the opposite experience.
They sound amazing on my Topping stack. Tons of clarity but for whatever reason I prefer to listen to them on my Little Dot. I have the LD3 set to the 2nd gain setting which is +4db and I don't go above noon. Absolutely no distortion and it sounds so smooth and buttery to me compared to the very sterile sound out of both Solid state setups I have that get fatiguing after a while.

Is there something I'm missing? I'm wondering why others are having a bad experience on the LD3, it seems to have plenty of power to run these planars.

 

[OldSkool]

My LCD-2's date back from the first year of Audeze, and I did have to send them back once for splitting wood around the connector, but they are very original. Recently I picked up a used Schiit Ragnarok, which is rated for speaker use as well as headphone use. It is outstanding on the early LCD-2's like ours. It runs in Class A (a modified Circlotron topology which is very cool for an OTL tube guy like me) for headphone use and sound spectacular with my old Audeze cans. Highly recommended.

My LCD2's are early Fazor and bamboo, circa 2014, and still working flawlessly. I know what you mean about nicely driving them with a Schiit Rag, but my Schiit Mjolnir 1 (balanced SS) sounds identical and is a cheaper option, if you can find one.

 

[xRaptorxPunisher]

A great inexpensive amp for LCD2F (late 2019 fazor model) is the Asgard 3. For some reason it has insane synergy and was very surprised. I have 2 technically more capable and expensive amps and I could be happy 24/7 ...

It's a fantastic amp with gobs of power. I actually think the Asgard 2 pairs a little better, less power but the Asgard 2 has this really nice tone, so smooth in the treble, easy listening they're both such a cozy pairing that I find it hard to get rid of it for the Audeze phones. The 3 is such a good amp but I found them more compliments, Asgard 3 sounds more like an improved Jot than an Asgard 2 successor, both are fantastic amps.

 

[gosxicotet]

I'd definitely look for an amp which outputs more power (mW) around 64ohm. The LCD-2s need somewhere around 1,5W (1500mW) in 70ohm (IIRC, if not, someone please correct me) to be properly "fed".

Hello,
I return to the subject, since I am currently looking for an amplifier for the LCD2.

“1,5W (1500mW) in 70ohm”. is this true?
With these characteristics it has few head amps and always balanced.

This is the official info taken from Audeze
Minimum power requirement: >100mW
Recommended power level: >250mW

 

[Baam]

Hi,

There's... over 600 pages, lol. I have read like the last 3 but still I will go ahead and ask for a recommendation. My budget is around 500€ (give or take, lol) and I am currently using a CTH that is having some issues. I really like(d) its sound, dark and boomy, perfect for metal, but the build quality is awful (and Drop's customer support is so bad I'm never buying a single thing from them again). What can you recommend me that would fit?

Thanks!

 

[Ham Sandwich]

Hi,

There's... over 600 pages, lol. I have read like the last 3 but still I will go ahead and ask for a recommendation. My budget is around 500€ (give or take, lol) and I am currently using a CTH that is having some issues. I really like(d) its sound, dark and boomy, perfect for metal, but the build quality is awful (and Drop's customer support is so bad I'm never buying a single thing from them again). What can you recommend me that would fit?

Thanks!

The Cavalli Liquid Platinum sold by Monoprice is a great match that will keep the style of sound you like and do it even better. It's a balanced amp so you'd need to also get balanced cables for your LCD-2. Balanced cables direct from Audeze are about $150. The combo of the amp and cable would put you a little over budget, give or take.

 

[Monstieur]

The Cavalli Liquid Platinum sold by Monoprice is a great match that will keep the style of sound you like and do it even better. It's a balanced amp so you'd need to also get balanced cables for your LCD-2. Balanced cables direct from Audeze are about $150. The combo of the amp and cable would put you a little over budget, give or take.

There's no reason to buy anything other than the THX AAA amps, unless you want distorted sound.

 

[Ham Sandwich]

There's no reason to buy anything other than the THX AAA amps, unless you want distorted sound.

LOL
The THX AAA amps have a flat soundstage and flat imaging. And don't have good synergy with the Audeze LCD series headphones. The Audeze headphones can have good depth and imaging if the amp can do it. The THX AAA amps don't. Plus their treble is not going to be ideal for listening to metal.

Read the post I responded to and tell him why the THX AAA amps would be perfect for what he's after.

I have a Liquid Platinum and LCD-2 Classic and LCD-2rev2. I listen to some metal and other similar music. The Liquid Platinum is a great match for that music with the LCD-2. The sound is full and powerful and filled in while taming the treble nasties that metal music can have.

 

[Monstieur]

LOL
The THX AAA amps have a flat soundstage and flat imaging. And don't have good synergy with the Audeze LCD series headphones. The Audeze headphones can have good depth and imaging if the amp can do it. The THX AAA amps don't. Plus their treble is not going to be ideal for listening to metal.

Read the post I responded to and tell him why the THX AAA amps would be perfect for what he's after.

I have a Liquid Platinum and LCD-2 Classic and LCD-2rev2. I listen to some metal and other similar music. The Liquid Platinum is a great match for that music with the LCD-2. The sound is full and powerful and filled in while taming the treble nasties that metal music can have.

Amps don't have "soundstage", "depth", or "imaging". They reproduce the input waveform with greater amplitude. If an amp does anything else, it's called distortion and the amp is defective (by design).

 

[Amish]

LOL
The THX AAA amps have a flat soundstage and flat imaging. And don't have good synergy with the Audeze LCD series headphones. The Audeze headphones can have good depth and imaging if the amp can do it. The THX AAA amps don't. Plus their treble is not going to be ideal for listening to metal.

Read the post I responded to and tell him why the THX AAA amps would be perfect for what he's after.

I have a Liquid Platinum and LCD-2 Classic and LCD-2rev2. I listen to some metal and other similar music. The Liquid Platinum is a great match for that music with the LCD-2. The sound is full and powerful and filled in while taming the treble nasties that metal music can have.

(quoting you but not to debate)

I own the Monoprice THX AAA 887 and I also own the LCD2 and they do indeed work very well together. I listen to metal as well. I'm not really sure why Ham dislikes the AAA so much but rest assured, this amp is a great value for the money. I have owned many amps over the years and the AAA compares well with my old BHA-1. (I mean c'mon, I paid $1600 after tax and shipping for my BHA-1 and to get the same SQ out of a $300 AAA or whatever I paid for it is just...crazy)

If anything I think the AAA helps bring the LCD2 to life more so than tubes and I am a tube guy for sure. Now don't get me wrong, I love the LCD on tube(s) but when I tested the AAA I was really shocked at the synergy. I own multiple tube amps and I have to say the LCD2 really loves a good SS amp or even better yet a good hybrid.

So if anything, this only goes to prove that each person is different. I'm sure to Ham the AAA sucks but to others (like me) it rocks. Each to their own and all that jazz.

 

[Ham Sandwich]

Amps don't have "soundstage", "depth", or "imaging". They reproduce the input waveform with greater amplitude. If an amp does anything else, it's called distortion and the amp is defective (by design).

LOL
Too much feedback reduces soundstage, depth and imaging. Listen to a variety of amps with switchable gain settings where each gain setting has a different amount of feedback. The amount of feedback and implementation of that feedback does affect the style and degree of soundstage, depth, imaging and layering. Same amp. Different amount of feedback. Sound different. I guess those amps are defective by design.

 

[Rattle]

Liquid platinum is great with LCD2. It's my break from the usual Sennheiser thang. Asgard 3 is great with LCD2 also if needing something cheaper. I personally wouldn't bother with much in between those amps.

 

[Monstieur]

LOL
Too much feedback reduces soundstage, depth and imaging. Listen to a variety of amps with switchable gain settings where each gain setting has a different amount of feedback. The amount of feedback and implementation of that feedback does affect the style and degree of soundstage, depth, imaging and layering. Same amp. Different amount of feedback. Sound different. I guess those amps are defective by design.

Those are just different kinds of distortion, regardless of what pseudoscientific terms people call them. The THX AAA amps have no audible distortion, and thus cannot be meaningfully surpassed. If you want to change the frequency response, use an EQ.