[oqvist]

Or less insane I don´t think my DAC19 is a bad source at all.
 
I just think it´s more rewarding to chase amps and such on systems where it make more difference and you have something to "fix" .

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

Any dynamic range compression or non linearity heard via the LCD-2 is very likely an issue with the head-amp being used, the the cans themselves, as they (the headphones) are capable of reproducing dynamic range beyond our capacity to tolerate them.
 
This is why I have been so adamant about needed amplifier power which many of you seem to reject.
 
You may only need that power for a millisecond at a time, here or there, but when you need it and you don't have it, you get clipping at the worst, and dynamic range compression at best.

So true!  Also dependent on typical listening volumes (which I know was mentioned previously).  I hope my RPX-33 can drive the LCD-2 sufficiently; anyone have any power output information about the RPX-33?  I emailed Rudistor but did not get a response.
 
And does anyone know the status of the pre-orders?  What is the order date for the recent payment/shipments?

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Or less insane I don´t think my DAC19 is a bad source at all.
 
I just think it´s more rewarding to chase amps and such on systems where it make more difference and you have something to "fix" .

I agree.  When you find an amp that does it for you, then you look for the next weakest link to fortify...  Of such is the quest for audio nirvana.  

 

[cn11]

 
 
Quote:

 

the LCD-2 is very enjoyable straight out of an ipod. I am not the first suggesting so. They are still really fast and perform really well. Doesn´t at all start to congest or get overly bassy or anything like you can get with other more demanding dynamic headphones.
 
They are certainly not one of the headphones I would say really require an amp to get close to their max potential. Of course they scale what serious headphone doesn´t but they sound perfectly good out of the Ipod. It all depends on how bitten you are by the audiophile bug I suppose but I would more strongly recommend better amping for the HD 650, Pro 900, T1, DX 1000 then the LCD-2. Though if I would only get one headphone I would chose the Ipod/LCD-2 combo without hesitation.
 
As for dynamics I feel my 300 mW Head One seem to offer the biggest sound on these. My GHP and V200 surely doesn´t have a problem with it. The V200 has much better power ratings than the Head one. The GHP power rating is a mystery to me but V200s power rating doesn´t translate in a more dynamic sound at the average SPL I want to listen to anyway.
 
Maybe the story would be different if I listened at 110 db rather then 80 db and 90 db when rocking out
 

 
 
Thanks for the impressions. I really appreciate it. I'm rather bitten by the audio bug, so I'm sure once I'd receive the LCD-2's, I'd be itching to try out various desktop headphone amps for the office. My thinking is that these would be a great phone to keep for a very long time with their sound quality reports. I've got funds all set to go in PP. But I'm the impatient kind, so the preorder wait would kill me!
 
Quote:

If "leakage" is of concern to you, stop looking at open backed cans altogether.  
 
As far as the headstage arrow is concerned, I've never heard one, so I can't help you there.
 
Regarding the LCD2s being "easy to drive..."  Yes, you can drive them with an ipod.  If that's all you want out of them.  There's driving and then there's driving.  It's all relative, of course, and logarithmic and synergistic to boot.
 
Your chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Thanks for the info. From what I've read of their sound, it seems that the weight and natural character they must have would be right in line with how I like to listen. So I may decide to try out these as my first set of open back and hope they work out for an office setting if I just listen rather quietly. I've found that the hallmark of very dynamic phones is that you can still get that weight and satisfaction to the sound even when listened at a very low volume. That's what my Anthony Gallo Reference 3.1 speakers do at home. 
 
"Your chain is only as strong as its weakest link."   - - very true, very true! Thankfully both my Sony X and Arrow are significant steps up from iPod sound quality. 

 

[Equus]

Quote:

Thanks for the info. From what I've read of their sound, it seems that the weight and natural character they must have would be right in line with how I like to listen. So I may decide to try out these as my first set of open back and hope they work out for an office setting if I just listen rather quietly. I've found that the hallmark of very dynamic phones is that you can still get that weight and satisfaction to the sound even when listened at a very low volume. That's what my Anthony Gallo Reference 3.1 speakers do at home. 
 
"Your chain is only as strong as its weakest link."   - - very true, very true! Thankfully both my Sony X and Arrow are significant steps up from iPod sound quality. 

It's been mentioned, but probably bears repeating, that the LCD-2 is a fantastic can at low volumes.  That being said, they are open, so listening even at moderate volumes leaks sound out.  At least "moderate volumes" in my estimation, which of course is totally subjective.  It'll also depend on what kind of music you're listening to, as different tones and sounds carry differently.

 

[kwkarth]

 

Quote:
Thanks for the info. From what I've read of their sound, it seems that the weight and natural character they must have would be right in line with how I like to listen. So I may decide to try out these as my first set of open back and hope they work out for an office setting if I just listen rather quietly. I've found that the hallmark of very dynamic phones is that you can still get that weight and satisfaction to the sound even when listened at a very low volume. That's what my Anthony Gallo Reference 3.1 speakers do at home. 
 
"Your chain is only as strong as its weakest link."   - - very true, very true! Thankfully both my Sony X and Arrow are significant steps up from iPod sound quality. 

In that case, best of luck!!  I do hope you enjoy them.  The LCD2s excel at low level listening!

 

[wakeride74]

Quote:

 

And does anyone know the status of the pre-orders?  What is the order date for the recent payment/shipments?

x2
Would be nice to see some posts from people receiving their orders with order, ship, and receive dates.

 

[BK_856er]

 
Quote:

x2
Would be nice to see some posts from people receiving their orders with order, ship, and receive dates.

x3.  Sent an inquiry to Audeze a few days ago, but no reply yet....
 
BK

 

 

[Solude]

Think late May early June is being filled right now.

 

[hngls]

Preordered 8th June, payment link received 12th Aug

 

[sokolov91]

Quote:

 


Question for the drummers.  Does the percussion test track on the "open your ears" test disc from HDTracks provide a good test vehicle?
 
BK

I haven't listened to the track in a while, and my amp is not hooked up to my soundcard, but it should be a good benchmark. I'll get back to you.
 
Personally, what I use as my test tracks is the band Tool.
 
Eulogy of the Aenima album is great, as well as Lateralus from the Lateralus album -although any track from those CDs would be great.
 
Not to mention Danny Carey is one of the best drummers of our time.
 
I listened to Tool today, actually, and I was totally blown away by how tonally accurate, and how well the LCD-2 attacked. It literally sounded like I was in front of the kit the kit. You hear everything, and Danny does not use any machines, so even the same drum will sound slightly different each time.

 

[jimndre]

 
Quote:

So true!  Also dependent on typical listening volumes (which I know was mentioned previously).  I hope my RPX-33 can drive the LCD-2 sufficiently; anyone have any power output information about the RPX-33?  I emailed Rudistor but did not get a response.
 
And does anyone know the status of the pre-orders?  What is the order date for the recent payment/shipments?

 
 

As far as your RPX-33 goes, I wouldn't worry about it.  I own an RPX-33 and it drives HE5s very easily (not the HE5LEs).  The LCD-2 is, from what I understand, an easier load to drive than the 5s.  I have heard and owned a lot of amps and that 33 is awesome.  Congrats on owning one of the finest amps made.

 

[jimndre]

Quote:

x2
Would be nice to see some posts from people receiving their orders with order, ship, and receive dates.

 
 
I reserved a place in line Jun 7 and have not heard.  When I do, I'll post.

 

[SP Wild]

 
Quote:

Question for the drummers.  Does the percussion test track on the "open your ears" test disc from HDTracks provide a good test vehicle?
 
BK

I don't have this particular track, but I don't feel I need to hear it to know that the LCD2s will excel.  There are many well recorded CDs on the market that, barring drum volume levels, sound identical to the real thing.  I'll contrast the LCD2s to the D7000s for reference.  The D7000s will always produce a kick drum with greater volume and impact than the LCD2s - but the tonality is somewhat off, and it doesn't sound anywhere near as accurate as the LCD2s.  Same with crash cymbals, the D7000 will produce a crash cymbal with greater impact and volume - but again, it falls well short of the LCD2s in terms of sounding like a real crash cymbal.  By boosting the frequecy extremes, the third problem is that the midband gets buried - and hence the snare does not breakaway from the rest of the sounds like it could.


 
Quote:

 

the LCD-2 is very enjoyable straight out of an ipod. I am not the first suggesting so. They are still really fast and perform really well. Doesn´t at all start to congest or get overly bassy or anything like you can get with other more demanding dynamic headphones.
 
They are certainly not one of the headphones I would say really require an amp to get close to their max potential. Of course they scale what serious headphone doesn´t but they sound perfectly good out of the Ipod. It all depends on how bitten you are by the audiophile bug I suppose but I would more strongly recommend better amping for the HD 650, Pro 900, T1, DX 1000 then the LCD-2. Though if I would only get one headphone I would chose the Ipod/LCD-2 combo without hesitation.
 
As for dynamics I feel my 300 mW Head One seem to offer the biggest sound on these. My GHP and V200 surely doesn´t have a problem with it. The V200 has much better power ratings than the Head one. The GHP power rating is a mystery to me but V200s power rating doesn´t translate in a more dynamic sound at the average SPL I want to listen to anyway.
 
Maybe the story would be different if I listened at 110 db rather then 80 db and 90 db when rocking out

From my personal perspective, I was horrified when using either the Ipod as source or amp in the LCD2 chain - I heard the most headache inducing phase distortions, harmonic distortions which sounded like a very bad form of electronic resonance - which to me were unbearable.  I'd rather have a PX100 or SE530 to connect direct from an Ipod - these distortions were masked by the much more pleasant phone colorations.  In fact, using the Dacmagic as source halved those resonances, but were still there in unacceptable quantities.  These cans demand high current amplification with a top notch source - or else, to me, they sounded no better and maybe even worse than my HD650s.  IMHO.

 
Quote:

I haven't listened to the track in a while, and my amp is not hooked up to my soundcard, but it should be a good benchmark. I'll get back to you.
 
Personally, what I use as my test tracks is the band Tool.
 
Eulogy of the Aenima album is great, as well as Lateralus from the Lateralus album -although any track from those CDs would be great.
 
Not to mention Danny Carey is one of the best drummers of our time.
 
I listened to Tool today, actually, and I was totally blown away by how tonally accurate, and how well the LCD-2 attacked. It literally sounded like I was in front of the kit the kit. You hear everything, and Danny does not use any machines, so even the same drum will sound slightly different each time.

I find Harry Connick Jnr "She" album to have a very dynamic drum track as well - I get that same weird feeling like I was at the drum stool - so perfect is the recreation.  I have practiced extensively with a classical nylon string guitar - to become a guitarist - which never happened, but I can say that as a point of reference, the HD650 and K701 can come quite close in recreating that sound (the LCD2s do it perfectly though) - but in recreating drums it doesn't come close and neither did the K701's, which were more inaccurate.  The D7000 fared a bit better, but still, compared to the real thing it was way off.

 

 

[thread]

Quote:

As far as your RPX-33 goes, I wouldn't worry about it.  I own an RPX-33 and it drives HE5s very easily (not the HE5LEs).  The LCD-2 is, from what I understand, an easier load to drive than the 5s.  I have heard and owned a lot of amps and that 33 is awesome.  Congrats on owning one of the finest amps made.

The RPX-33 is an excellent amp. I've loved it through many headphones. Great authority and ease, with a hint of tuby warmness. I expect it should r0ck with my forthcoming LCD-2's. I preordered late June, so we'll just see who can get me a headphone first... JHAudio or Audez'e.