Amp recommendations for Audeze LCD-3
Feb 9, 2013 at 10:55 PM Post #274 of 1,285
Looking to buy a DAC and amp for LCD-3's. Have roughly 1800 to spend give or take. After reading this thread and a few more it seems like the Gungnir and Mjolnir are the best bet for my budget. 

I was wondering though, are there any all in one DAC/amp's that would be a better choice? Something like a Burson Conductor?

Quote:
 
Agreed, though VERY different sounding.  Like stone cold deaf not to hear the differences, different :D


What would you describe their sound signature like?
 
Feb 10, 2013 at 12:07 AM Post #275 of 1,285
Quote:
Looking to buy a DAC and amp for LCD-3's. Have roughly 1800 to spend give or take. After reading this thread and a few more it seems like the Gungnir and Mjolnir are the best bet for my budget. 

I was wondering though, are there any all in one DAC/amp's that would be a better choice? Something like a Burson Conductor?

What would you describe their sound signature like?

 
From my experience, the Soloist has better clarity and resolution, and relatively passive and laid-back sounding compared to the Mjolnir. Mjolnir on the other hand sounds more lively and full of energy. I personally found the Mjolnir to be a better match for a wider range of genres. I still recommend the Soloist if your musical tastes lean mainly toward classic, jazz, and acoustic.
 
Feb 10, 2013 at 8:22 AM Post #277 of 1,285
Quote:
What would you describe their sound signature like?

 
songmic pretty much nailed it.  I would add, now that I'm back to the LCD-2, the Soloist isn't passive so much that it isn't alive enough for the also passive LCD-3.  The Soloist and on the LCD-2 and HD800 is very dynamic.
 
Feb 10, 2013 at 1:46 PM Post #278 of 1,285
Are there any bass heavy or ones with boost that anyone would recommend? I know it's not really in keeping with the usual "summit fi" tastes but I thought I'd ask.

I've been using the KICAS Caliente and I love it. I've tried a few others, including the Mjolnir, but as long as I tried they all feel like they're missing something. I'm addicted to a heavy low end.

Anything that sounds great and has great bass as well?

KM
 
Feb 11, 2013 at 12:32 PM Post #279 of 1,285
I'm astounded with Ray's B52 amp and the LCD3s. Bass is super satisfying: deep, powerful, and natural and well defined, but not overwhelming the mids/highs at all,
which both stand out and are also natural. 
The B52 works great with high impedance phones like Audezes, and the Dact stepped attenuator works well with them, and a fine volume level is pretty easy to achieve.
I think it's a great pairing, better than any other phone with the B52. (LCD2 Rev 2s are also great with it.)
 
Feb 11, 2013 at 8:32 PM Post #281 of 1,285
The B52/HD800 sounds great, very clear and natural and controlled in the highs (and lows). It's quite beautiful actually.
I first fell in love with the HD800s when trying them with my B52 (I even sold off my R10s thinking they were overall not as satisfying as the HD800s with the B52).
It's tubey in the best sense of the word,
real and full of texture but not rolled off, just nicely extended and clear. The only issue is if you have a high gain source (like the 5 volts on the
XLR outputs of my EMM cdp), the Dact stepped volume control can make getting a proper volume level difficult. The LCD3 is a better match impedance-wise.
 
I actually had talked seriously with Ray about reducing the gain on my B52 (he said it could be done) but I didn't go through with it in the end.
 
Feb 14, 2013 at 3:33 AM Post #284 of 1,285
Quote:
Looking to buy a DAC and amp for LCD-3's. Have roughly 1800 to spend give or take. After reading this thread and a few more it seems like the Gungnir and Mjolnir are the best bet for my budget. 

I was wondering though, are there any all in one DAC/amp's that would be a better choice? Something like a Burson Conductor?

What would you describe their sound signature like?

 
You should look at the Audio-gd Reference 10.32. Its an awesome combo, especially when used with the 4-pin XLR out of the amp, it has plenty of gusto to drive the phones to their full potential.
 
Feb 14, 2013 at 10:56 PM Post #285 of 1,285
I should probably restate what i was asking. I have the option to get the Mjolnir or GS-X for a pair of LCD-3s. The price isn't really a factor hear since i can just tack my pre-amp budget onto the GS-X. Everyone has great things to say about these amps and i honestly have no idea which one to go with. No way to get to a meet ether being in Nova Scotia and all.

Music is mainly electronic, hip hop, and jazz with different genres popping up all the time. DAC would be ether the Gungnir or the W4S DAC2.

Is the Mjolnir really that good of an amp for the price? Would the GS-X be a noticeable step up?


Quote:
 
You should look at the Audio-gd Reference 10.32. Its an awesome combo, especially when used with the 4-pin XLR out of the amp, it has plenty of gusto to drive the phones to their full potential.


i'll take a look at that and see what people have to say. Would definitely be an easy solution.
 

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