[Jmitchell]

Thanks again. Will agree to disagree on the LCD-2 Can’t find the Moj 2 online. The Sonnet 2 must be one of the ugliest amps I’ve ever seen. I’m sure it’s very good but wouldn’t be able to look at it. Not set on the DV but also not looking to spend big bucks on tubes when I already have a great (endgame for my needs) SS setup.

Once you get into high end tubes SS just can’t compete. Whether it’s worth it to you is personal preference. Look on Schiits site amps. Another option is getting little humble Vali 2 which is superior to the Darkvoice.

 

[gLer]

Once you get into high end tubes SS just can’t compete. Whether it’s worth it to you is personal preference. Look on Schiits site amps. Another option is getting little humble Vali 2 which is superior to the Darkvoice.

Was considering the Valhalla 2. Is that not the direct comparison to the DV? (Being OTL). Except I read the Valhalla 2 dulls the bass, which is exactly the opposite of what I want a tube amp to do.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Hey guys, I've done some searching on this thread and other forums but haven't seen a conclusive take on the Atticus paired with the Darkvoice 336SE. I'm looking to dip my toes into the tube world - specifically for the Atticus - but also possibly for the LCD-2F. Both my headphones are driven beautifully by the iDSD Micro (as a DAC) and the Matrix HPA-3B balanced amp (both warm of neutral with plenty of power), but I was hoping to diversify a bit and get some gooey but clean tube flavour to my sound on occasion. Not looking to replace my SS setup, so no need for a TOTL tube amp in that regard, but rather something well made, well reviewed, and that allows for possible experimentation. So around the $300 mark would be within reason. Thoughts and suggestions welcome (especially Darkvoice impressions).

We think along the same lines...I have a cocobolo Atticus on order; and am investigating a used Darkvoice 336SE. I can't find much in the way of comments, so when the DV comes through I'll just "take a chance on romance."

Not so sure the DV will do any good for a planar like the LCD-2F...then again, it might be an awesome pairing. Some things you won't know 'til you try.

 

[Pharmaboy]

The whole planar sound doesn’t really fly compared to Atticus as the A extends just as deep in the bass with faster, better macro dynamics. Despite being semi open the Atticus also throws a bigger sound out in all directions I personally think it’s a waste owning both when you could sale the lesser headphone that loses in all areas and keep your Atticus with a really good amp and have an end game set up. Just my 2C. School Moj 2 is a hybrid amp that sounds extremely impactful and dynamic. It pairs well with Atticus because they’re both very fast and hard hitting bits of gear. DNA makes great amps like the Sonnet 2 worth looking into along with the Kenzie. The Darkvoice is okay but won’t do your Atticus any favours. Atticus thrives on good systems.

Haven't heard an Atticus yet; still, I've heard the Eikon at some length/multiple occasions, so I have at least some idea how a high-level dynamic headphone sounds. I have an Ori & must disagree re "...planar sound doesn't really fly." There's something unique & appealing about planar headphone sound IMO. Notes appear from nowhere and just explode, bass in particular. Somehow it's calm & exciting at the same time.

Every time I listen to the Ori I come away impressed. No plans to sell that one, even though I suspect my cocobolo Atticus (on order) will best it in certain ways. What, we're talking about a pair of great headphones, not a fight to the death...

 

[gLer]

Haven't heard an Atticus yet; still, I've heard the Eikon at some length/multiple occasions, so I have at least some idea how a high-level dynamic headphone sounds. I have an Ori & must disagree re "...planar sound doesn't really fly." There's something unique & appealing about planar headphone sound IMO. Notes appear from nowhere and just explode, bass in particular. Somehow it's calm & exciting at the same time.

Every time I listen to the Ori I come away impressed. No plans to sell that one, even though I suspect my cocobolo Atticus (on order) will best it in certain ways. What, we're talking about a pair of great headphones, not a fight to the death...

Hehe, I tend to agree. Sometimes I’m listening to a song I know well on the LCD-2 and then bam, out of nowhere, some detail I never heard before, or never noticed, or just presented in a different way. And the sound is so big - you know if you want to blow your head off you can crank up the volume and the LCD’s will just keep giving you more sound without breaking a sweat, zero distortion (and on my Matrix amp that’s about 2 o’clock in balanced mode). My eardrums will pop before the LCD distorts a note.

I’d like the Atticus to give me the weight and slam in the bass without having to turn up the volume too much - similar to what i got from my Fostex but obviously more refined and with better detail, especially in the mids. The LCD will give me slam and extension if the song calls for it, but it’s more of a laid back listen and you have to crank it up a bit to get the weight.

Different headphones for different moods and different songs - and apparently different amps

 

[gLer]

I have a cocobolo Atticus on order; and am investigating a used Darkvoice 336SE.

Hope you get to try out that combo. Look forward to your impressions if you do.

 

[DruidxEFD]

Hey guys, I've done some searching on this thread and other forums but haven't seen a conclusive take on the Atticus paired with the Darkvoice 336SE. I'm looking to dip my toes into the tube world - specifically for the Atticus - but also possibly for the LCD-2F. Both my headphones are driven beautifully by the iDSD Micro (as a DAC) and the Matrix HPA-3B balanced amp (both warm of neutral with plenty of power), but I was hoping to diversify a bit and get some gooey but clean tube flavour to my sound on occasion. Not looking to replace my SS setup, so no need for a TOTL tube amp in that regard, but rather something well made, well reviewed, and that allows for possible experimentation. So around the $300 mark would be within reason. Thoughts and suggestions welcome (especially Darkvoice impressions).

Another option if you are willing to wait is the MassDrop x Eddie Current ZDT Jr. From what I've read, it's an excellent value at $400 and competes with tube amps above $1000. You'd probably have to pick it up used once the initial buyers receive theirs around April or get in on the next drop, whenever that happens. Or you could keep your eyes peeled for a used Laconic Night Blues Mini which is essentially the same amp.

 

[Jmitchell]

Haven't heard an Atticus yet; still, I've heard the Eikon at some length/multiple occasions, so I have at least some idea how a high-level dynamic headphone sounds. I have an Ori & must disagree re "...planar sound doesn't really fly." There's something unique & appealing about planar headphone sound IMO. Notes appear from nowhere and just explode, bass in particular. Somehow it's calm & exciting at the same time.

Every time I listen to the Ori I come away impressed. No plans to sell that one, even though I suspect my cocobolo Atticus (on order) will best it in certain ways. What, we're talking about a pair of great headphones, not a fight to the death...

The only thing inherent in most modern planers is the compression and overly smooth nature. Dynamics if well made all have better pitch differentiation, dynamic sound and lack of compression. I tend to find the Eikon a little coarse but Atticus has elements of that Planar smoothness but without the compression and the dynamic impact of a good dynamic. It’s gotta be the TPE which I personally think are among the best dynamic drivers out there. I’m a big fan of Zachs tunings, Omni is a personal fav I find the Atticus a more improved Omni taking the best traits and improving on the inherent weakness. You’ll love Atticus if you love Omni. Headphones like the newer LCD-2 sound bloody awful, compressed, slow, poor vocal timbre and are poor representation of a good planar I think the Omni deserves a lot of credit.

I’ve been comparing Atticus with my friends HD650 all day what an interesting war!

 

[gLer]

Headphones like the newer LCD-2 sound bloody awful, compressed, slow, poor vocal timbre and are poor representation of a good planar I think the Omni deserves a lot of credit.

I’m not sure which sources you’re listening to or what sort of music you like, but clearly you’re not hearing what I’m hearing. I have the latest 2016 LCD-2F and I can tell you there’s none of the compression, lack of speed or poor vocal timbre you speak of. It is fast when it needs to be, the bass hits when it needs to, imaging and separation are superb - almost holographic, and the build quality is outstanding. Maybe I have a ‘unicorn’ pair, but it’s brilliant. Sure the Atticus will have its own strengths, as will the LCD. Clearly you’re not a fan of planars, but possibly you haven’t heard a good one or your setup doesn’t favour them.

I’ve been comparing Atticus with my friends HD650 all day what an interesting war!

Glad you mentioned this, and look forward to your comparisons between the two. I’m glad because I’ve just finished a week-long A/B between a friend’s 650 and my LCD-2 using my home setup and my favourite test tracks and the LCD trumped the 650 in every single department. Name it, the LCD-2 did it better, with more power, clarity, detail, but most importantly emotion and connection with the music. Now I don’t have tubes, and I believe the 650 prefers them, but I can only use what I have, and what I have makes my LCDs sing. Run them on tubes, especially OTL, and you likely won’t get the full benefit of their sound.

That said the 650 was impressive, especially for its age and price. I can see why so many still regard them as the gold standard of audiophile headphones. The LCD-2F is a big step up, however, and the Atticus will most certainly be one as well.

 

[Jmitchell]

I’m not sure which sources you’re listening to or what sort of music you like, but clearly you’re not hearing what I’m hearing. I have the latest 2016 LCD-2F and I can tell you there’s none of the compression, lack of speed or poor vocal timbre you speak of. It is fast when it needs to be, the bass hits when it needs to, imaging and separation are superb - almost holographic, and the build quality is outstanding. Maybe I have a ‘unicorn’ pair, but it’s brilliant. Sure the Atticus will have its own strengths, as will the LCD. Clearly you’re not a fan of planars, but possibly you haven’t heard a good one or your setup doesn’t favour them.

Glad you mentioned this, and look forward to your comparisons between the two. I’m glad because I’ve just finished a week-long A/B between a friend’s 650 and my LCD-2 using my home setup and my favourite test tracks and the LCD trumped the 650 in every single department. Name it, the LCD-2 did it better, with more power, clarity, detail, but most importantly emotion and connection with the music. Now I don’t have tubes, and I believe the 650 prefers them, but I can only use what I have, and what I have makes my LCDs sing. Run them on tubes, especially OTL, and you likely won’t get the full benefit of their sound.

That said the 650 was impressive, especially for its age and price. I can see why so many still regard them as the gold standard of audiophile headphones. The LCD-2F is a big step up, however, and the Atticus will most certainly be one as well.

I’ve got 5 LCD-2’s sitting next to me the compression can’t be avoided sadly. I prefer the older LCD-2 because while it did suffer from the same problems it’s tonality is nicer. Tbh the HD650 leaves the 2016 LCD-2 for dead. Both driven from a Gumby + Various amps such as the Balancing Act, to more affordable amps like the Jot, Crack, Sonnet 2. I’m also an engineer by trade and the LCD-2 2016 can’t even resolve subtle details in tracks where as the Atticus, HD650, Eikon and Utopia resolve them without issue. I can imagine the LCD-2 being nicer on lower end gear because the other headphones scale, thrive on higher end set ups. Do you not consider the HE1000, LCD-4 not good planars? Got them here and I quite like them but again LCD-4 and HEL have their issues too. The problem is the newer LCD-2 use a newer material to stop driver failures but it completely ruins the tone. Voices sound sucked, grainy, brittle just horrible. Can’t speak for other people’s taste but I judge them on how they perform to the original recording and how the drivers respond. The LCD-3 fairs a little better but again compression, lack of slam and dynamics. I’m hoping the new LCD-2C performs.

I’m not knocking your preference just stating my experience with the various LCDs I’ve got and heard.

 

[gLer]

Sorry guys, I think I’ve been roped in by the infamous HF ‘LCD trasher’ troll

He goes by many names, always gets banned after spewing his nonsense about how bad the LCD-2 is compared to the glorious HD650. Unfortunately I’ve seen him once too often on the LCD-2 thread and now he’s here, probably because I mentioned my LCD-2. Guess he’s come back in the guise of ‘Jmitchell’ now.

I do apologise for letting him push me into going off topic. I won’t engage him again, report him to the mods, and advise no one engages him either.

 

[Jmitchell]

Atticus vs HD650 is interesting. Both offer a nice natural tone but Atticus has the internal cup reverb giving them a romantic sheen to them. Atticus is cleaner. HD650 has a slightly smoother treble. HD650’s bass is dirtier, less textured. Both hit hard, very hard. Drum hits smack you in the face provided you’re driving them well. HD650 has more upper mid bite so there’s a tad bit of extra emotion to female voices. Atticus also has a bit of bite but the internal cup reverb and smoother timbre take the edge off more.

Resolution and detail are close, I’d say the Atticus clarity compared to the more murky HD650 will give more perceived detail but when it comes to extracting those fine details I’d say both are about the same. Both scale equally but it comes down to do you like more extra bass and a bit more of a fun tuning or do you like a headphone for tonality don’t get me wrong the HD650 is a fun, hard hitting headphone but Atticus is more upfront about it.



I think someone has lost the plot above. The internet is a weird place.

 

[drwlf]

Sorry guys, I think I’ve been roped in by the infamous HF ‘LCD trasher’ troll

He goes by many names, always gets banned after spewing his nonsense about how bad the LCD-2 is compared to the glorious HD650. Unfortunately I’ve seen him once too often on the LCD-2 thread and now he’s here, probably because I mentioned my LCD-2. Guess he’s come back in the guise of ‘Jmitchell’ now.

I do apologise for letting him push me into going off topic. I won’t engage him again, report him to the mods, and advise no one engages him either.

It was the first thing which came to my mind as well.

 

[gLer]

Hi guys, quick one (and glad to be on topic again). My Atticus has been burning in with a dedicated burn-in (white noise/pink noise/sweeps/ rest periods) for 50 hours-plus. Started on low/moderate volume for 24h, then 24h on moderate/high. How much longer do you reckon I should leave it burning in? Thx!

 

[jinxy245]

Hi guys, quick one (and glad to be on topic again). My Atticus has been burning in with a dedicated burn-in (white noise/pink noise/sweeps/ rest periods) for 50 hours-plus. Started on low/moderate volume for 24h, then 24h on moderate/high. How much longer do you reckon I should leave it burning in? Thx!

From Zach's website:

"So for all ZMF's you can generally assume you should burn them in with pink noise and/or hardcore metal/rap/dubstep for 100-200 hours. Placing the pads together helps reduce noise leakage during this process!"

It probably won't drastically change in tone from here on out (my Eikon didn't) but another 150 hours before it's 'fully' burnt.

BTW you can burn in while listening to them...much more enjoyable, at least if you don't use pink noise....lol