[TMRaven]

Tyll seems like he's digging deep down to the bottom of it all because he's delayed his LCD-X and Audeze lineup review for like 2 weeks now hahaha.

 

[Barry S]

I'm not sure I consider adding the fazors a change in the drivers, and we have yet to see any evidence that the voicing of the LCD-2/3 is substantially changed. Some people think the LCD-2 signature has changed a bit over the past year, but that was before the fazors were added. The fazors have some effect, but the nature and magnitude is still unclear.

 

[JoelT]

  I'm not sure I consider adding the fazors a change in the drivers, and we have yet to see any evidence that the voicing of the LCD-2/3 is substantially changed. Some people think the LCD-2 signature has changed a bit over the past year, but that was before the fazors were added. The fazors have some effect, but the nature and magnitude is still unclear.

Yeah. It still seems a bit lost in the ether at the moment, regarding what all has been tweaked. This is why I'm really looking forward to Tyll's review; I suspect he'll get to the bottom of it. 

Regardless of the conclusion, I couldn't be happier with my early 2014 LCD 2's, they're spectacular and I have no regrets in purchasing them. 

 

[Lohb]

Any of you guys use the LCD-2's with a speaker amp (barring the Emotiva) ? Any particular brands that go well with it, new or old models ?

 

[Taowolf51]

  Any of you guys use the LCD-2's with a speaker amp (barring the Emotiva) ? Any particular brands that go well with it, new or old models ?

 
I'm using an Emotiva, but not the Emotiva often recommended. I'm using the XPA-200 because I had it on me, tried it out, and loved how it made my LCD-2's sound.
 
I know the Millenia MG3 is recommended as another speaker amp for headphones. The manufacturer apparently will even make custom resistor boxes/converter for any headphone you wish.

 

[1adam12]

  Any of you guys use the LCD-2's with a speaker amp (barring the Emotiva) ? Any particular brands that go well with it, new or old models ?

 
I asked this a few pages back. While I haven't tried it, Marantz seems to get a lot of love.

 

[Lohb]

   
I asked this a few pages back. While I haven't tried it, Marantz seems to get a lot of love.

Right,thought I heard Marantz was a good match....Just saw some old school Sansui's this afternoon.
 
I'm also looking at a bit of an obscure one - Temple Audio Bantam Gold Class D amp but it will be a bit of a wildcard with that one. But I do know it is supposed to go well with the Bushmaster MK2 DAC I have.
Thanks Taowolf as well.

 

[Argo Duck]

Yep I use my rev 1 LCD2s with a Decware 'Taboo model II' (tube) amp. It was optioned with an hp out - single-ended - which is how I used it for two years. It sounded terrific.

However, Steve Deckert of Decware regretted the way he implemented the SE out and since produced the current model with balanced hp outs.

Obviously I don't have that option with mine so recently I soldered up a speaker taps to XLR connector. Didn't like the more forward and brash (though also more transparent) sound for the first few days but quickly adapted and would now not go back. An interesting experience. (I don't need a resistor box with this 6W/8R amp, and can run speakers in parallel if I want).

(I did also try my 250W Class A monster amp - stunning imaging, separation and palpable realism, but definitely not a practical desktop amp :eek

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

  I bought mine in December.. 
 
I'm not sure how I feel about buying a product that was possibly revised a month after I purchased it.

 
That's how they work - they have made numerous minor incremental improvements since the very first shipment. They seem rather obsessed with perfecting the LCD series.

 

[UNIFi]

I've asked an Audeze rep on headfi directly about the sound signature changes over the last while, my question is in the LCD3 thread. Hoping to hear back very soon about whether the LCD2 has a fazor added which altered the sound or if the sound signature change was outside of that - deliberately a rev 3 if you will.
 
I don't own a LCD as the weight is much to heavy for my neck, as I'm slight of build - but I also am awaiting information on such a thing. I did hear a newer LCD2 and though that it did not gel with the impressions I had heard about it being quite dark and fairly forgiving - much brighter and weaker in the bass than expected.

 

[sneeze]

"fazor technology" - one of the ways to combat the effects of reflections from the ear cups or signal on the membrane. 
The point trapezoidal ribs protective grille that part of the signal dissipates laterally. 
In fact, the decision controversial and not very effective. Although better with him than without him, but not much. In my opinion, it is much more efficient to do on the grill sound absorbing coating. 

 

[Venger77]

  Any of you guys use the LCD-2's with a speaker amp (barring the Emotiva) ? Any particular brands that go well with it, new or old models ?

I have been using my Rev2 LCD-2's for the past year via XLR>Banana plug adapter with a Yamaha home theater receiver and more recently a Harman Kardon receiver with great results. Both are several years old that I had on hand after upgrading my main home theater receiver. I figured to save some money and use what I had available, rather than buying a Lyr, Emotiva mini-x, etc., and experiment with what feeding the LCD-2's some extra power can do. For a brief time I was only using a Schiit Asgard 1 but once the speaker adapter arrived they've been hooked up to the receivers ever since. Obviously you have to be careful with the volume knob but the extra power is certainly evident in the sound quality. Everything just seemed to "open up" as if the LCD-2's had so much more breathing room. I do not notice any difference in sound between both receivers though.
 
Now, I'm in no rush to upgrade or switch to a higher priced dedicated headphone amp more suited for the LCD-2's but having something more practical than a home theater receiver would be nice. I wonder how much of a difference or "step up" a high current headphone amp like a Lyr or Mjolnir would be over these home theater receivers.  I thought planars/orthos craved high current and that amps, brands, or synergy weren't too much of a concern? Any thoughts?

 

[Cavcalade]

That's how they work - they have made numerous minor incremental improvements since the very first shipment. They seem rather obsessed with perfecting the LCD series.

I heard several people say that there is a change in bass response after the fazor upgrade. So I'm not really sure if I should consider this an improvement. Maybe you're better off with the pre-fazor or even late 2012 or early 2013 model.

I haven't heard my pair yet, as it is still stuck in Cologne. So let's just wait and see what Tyll will tell us.

 

[Argo Duck]

Hi Venger77 I think the "crave current" comes from their low impedance in general and the rather hard-to-drive HE6 in particular. The HE6 though is not typical.

I've never understood the idea the LCD2 are "forgiving" and synergize with any amp. For sure my LCD2 r1 sounds very different from amp to amp: not good with the Violectric V100 (too warm, bass loose and not tuneful; great with other cans though); very good with the Meier Classic; and spectacular with the Decware Taboo (speaker) amp, to name a few.

Both of the latter two make the r1 come alive, the Taboo most of all. Both have tight, balanced, detailed bass - you need this with Audez'e phones because of their near flat bass and low mids - good to great midrange and inject sparkle in the highs.

I have the Lyr too. Showed great promise with e.g. the Matsu 6922 in the lower priced area. But I never could bring myself to commit the fabulous sums needed for the 'right' tubes - assuming I could even have found any. They soon became unobtainium. It was just cheaper to buy and tube a Decware!

 

[jodgey4]

I think the 'forgiving nature' is that they don't really care about output impedence as much on an amp... though they are reported to sound awful with the BHC. Being a near purely flat resistance across all frequency takes out a lot of synergystic elements in my mind. Audeze recommends 1-4 W on their site, so the average speaker amp is probably better than the average headphone amp. On the same subject... with the Fazor tech, does that mean the 2's will be different to drive? Higher sensitivity and lower impedance are quite apparent in the X's.