[24phun]

I'm not feeling the love with my Apex Peak. I've tried 6 different tubes, it still sounds (comparatively) dark and veiled to my Benchmark DAC HPA.
This is the only headphone where the Benchmark HPA seems clearly (to me) superior to the Peak. The Peak is AMAZING w/my HD800s, but LCD-2 - not so much.

 

[Equus]

Quote:

I'm not feeling the love with my Apex Peak. I've tried 6 different tubes, it still sounds (comparatively) dark and veiled to my Benchmark DAC HPA.
This is the only headphone where the Benchmark HPA seems clearly (to me) superior to the Peak. The Peak is AMAZING w/my HD800s, but LCD-2 - not so much.

Are you using the Benchmark as a DAC for the Peak, or something else?
 
I haven't spent much time with a Benchmark, but I've heard the Peak a lot and a little bit of the Benchmark DAC1 PRE, and I would not have described the Peak as veiled in comparison.  Caveat is that I haven't used the Benchmark as a DAC at all, and my impressions of the Peak are through my Assemblage 2.7 and with the Volcano power supply.  I also personally usually find the HD800 a little hot on the treble, especially in comparison to the LCD-2.

 

[USAudio]

Has anyone tried the Portal Audio Panache with the LCD-2's?
http://www.portalaudio.com/panache.html
It's rumored to be based on a circuit designed by Nelson Pass.
 
Per the website, "[size=small]... headphone output does not differ from the main output path except for the addition of a simple protection device[/size]".
http://www.portalaudio.com/headphone_use.html
 
It's rated at: [size=x-small]100 w X 2 @ 8 ohms[/size]
 
With the 50 ohm LCD-2's, I believe that works out to 16 watts RMS ... more than enough to make the LCD-2's sing!

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Has anyone tried the Portal Audio Panache with the LCD-2's?
http://www.portalaudio.com/panache.html
It's rumored to be based on a circuit designed by Nelson Pass.
 
Per the website, "[size=small]... headphone output does not differ from the main output path except for the addition of a simple protection device[/size]".
http://www.portalaudio.com/headphone_use.html
 
It's rated at: [size=x-small]100 w X 2 @ 8 ohms[/size]
 
With the 50 ohm LCD-2's, I believe that works out to 16 watts RMS ... more than enough to make the LCD-2's sing!

Looks very interesting!  The question in my mind is what sort of noise floor and micro dynamics does this amp have?
 
Cool find!  Let us know how it sounds!!
 
 

 

[USAudio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwkarth /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Looks very interesting!  The question in my mind is what sort of noise floor and micro dynamics does this amp have?
 
Cool find!  Let us know how it sounds!!

It's actually been available for many years but not sure anyone's tried the LCD-2's with it, or the HE-6's for that matter?  Should have plenty of power!
 
 

 

[tjf120]

Anyone using Peachtree Nove or iDecco with LCD-2s?

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Anyone using Peachtree Nove or iDecco with LCD-2s?

I have used the iDecco and MusicBox with the LCD-2.  Do you have questions about the performance?

 

[RedBull]

Anyone use this with LCD-2?
http://www.headfonia.com/first-impression-cec-hd53n/2/

 
It takes both balanced and single ended headphones, as well as small efficient speakers through the speaker posts at the back panel.
Power output of 4.7W per channel at 32 Ohms through the balanced drive, and it’s 18W per channel at 4 Ohms for the speaker terminal.
 
For single ended connection, the left combo jack is marked “Hi” while the right combo jack is marked as “Low”, terms that I assume refer to choose the appropriate port depending on your headphone impedance. Then there are three small buttons with the following functions:
- HP/SP chooses between activating the headphone out or the speaker out.
- GAIN toggles between low gain and high gain.
- INPUT selects either an XLR or RCA input.
 
"During this time I also auditioned the Burson HA-160, the Lehmann Audio Black Cube Linear, and the Musica 40 amplifiers, all of which I find to have a distinct enough sound from each other. I was also impressed in how flexible the HD800 was during this listening, as the HD800 was able to have multiple characters depending on the amplifier being used.
The CEC HD53N stood out among the four amplifiers as being the sweetest sounding amplifier in the bunch. "
 
Sounds plentiful for the power hunger LCD-2?

 

[chris.d.m.]

Can anyone else comment further on the LCD-2's compatibility with the Grace M902B?
Thanks!

 

[oqvist]

Suppose not many can answer this but is it possible to get a considerably wider, deeper and more believable soundstage out of the LCD-2 then on a Head One? Suppose only 1-2 may be able to answer this question .
 
Listened to  a lot of movie soundtracks, classical and movies as of late and the LCD-2 do frustrate me I have to admit.

 

[KingStyles]

I havent heard the head 1 but my skylla/BA combo seems to get the largest stage that I heard. Going balanced seems to add a little width to them which helps there soundstage.

 

[bluemonkeyflyer]

I have a set of LCD 2's on the way.  I have a vintage HeadRoom Standard amp that will work (maybe) temporarily. I've tried RCA 2-channel connections from the Zone A fixed, VCR1 and VCR2 ("Record") output jacks from my McIntosh MX-136 pre/pro to the input jacks of the HeadRoom amp.  None of these connections allow volume control via the MX-136.   What I want to do is buy a new amp that will work with my McIntosh MX-136 pre/pro and allow volume adjustments with this pre/pro's remote control.  Anyone know if this is possible and, if so, what kind of headphone amp would work this way?

 

[chris.d.m.]

Sorry, I have to bug you guys with another plea for any Grace M902(b) - LCD2 impressions...
These two compatible ?? Anyone?  : )

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

I have a set of LCD 2's on the way.  I have a vintage HeadRoom Standard amp that will work (maybe) temporarily. I've tried RCA 2-channel connections from the Zone A fixed, VCR1 and VCR2 ("Record") output jacks from my McIntosh MX-136 pre/pro to the input jacks of the HeadRoom amp.  None of these connections allow volume control via the MX-136.   What I want to do is buy a new amp that will work with my McIntosh MX-136 pre/pro and allow volume adjustments with this pre/pro's remote control.  Anyone know if this is possible and, if so, what kind of headphone amp would work this way?

The problem is not with the Headroom amp, the problem is with how you connected the McIntosh.  You need to tap into the variable output connections on the MX-136.  No headphone amp will do this for you.  You have to do this.
 
 

 

[bluemonkeyflyer]

That's what I figured I need to do. As a noobie, though, I've not been able to locate the variable outputs from the MX-136 pre/pro.

I emailed Chuck Hinton at McIntosh and thought I'd ask the Head-Fi forum, too.

Thanks for the help.