[rhythmdevils]

Does anyone own an LCD-2 in Berkeley, California?  Or somewhere near there?  I would like to compare mine to another to make sure all is well and it may save some rather huge shipping costs sending them back to Audeze.  I also have some other goodies I could share...send me a pm

 

[jc9394]

I think buy lcd2, its good sound on ipod?


its comfortable/?

 


No and no. Not comfortable compare to my other phones. It does not brother me on the fit and weight.

 

[Currawong]

They work out of an iPod, but they are not portable headphones.

 

[jc9394]

Quote:

i know, I want to listen to them without an amplifier. their sound without the amp is good?
sorry, iam poor

I tried it with my Pico Slim and it sounds like normal headphone that cost around $100.  My Denon D7000 sound much better than LCD-2 out of Pico Slim. 

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

Even if you are poor, you might be able to affort a vintage (cheap) 70s receiver or amplifier? Many of them sound good with headphones.
 
Quote:

i know, I want to listen to them without an amplifier. their sound without the amp is good?
sorry, iam poor

 

[llama_egg]

I've remember reading that people say that they have run them ampless out of an iPod classic no problem, though it's probably not the best quality in the world.

 

[Happy Camper]

If poor, why LCD-2? Full sized headphones need an amp or you waste your money.

 

[Badd99]

You get 80% sound out of the ipod.
 
Quote:

I've remember reading that people say that they have run them ampless out of an iPod classic no problem, though it's probably not the best quality in the world.

 
No, its just nice that you can run off an ipod if you want too. 
 
Quote:

If poor, why LCD-2? Full sized headphones need an amp or you waste your money.

 

[jc9394]

I don't think you will get 80% of what LCD-2 can offer with iPod out.  I don't think I get more than 75% out of Pico slim when I tried.
Quote:

You get 80% sound out of the ipod.

 

[thebasso]

I wouldn't leave the house with my LCD-2s. You need a good amp to drive these phones.

 

[Francoy]

The LCD-2 beat the iPod’s buds that’s for sure!!
 
But it’s like having a 450 horsepowered car that you can’t switch higher than second gear. It will get you places, but man will you just want to step it up :¬(
 
Anyways, any decent old receiver that your dad/uncle/roommate has lying around gathering dust that has a headphone out will probably be enough to make them sing. That’s what I’m using right now and - although it could be bettered sonically - for the price of « free », it’s very cost efficient :¬)
 
And as for portability: trust me, you do not want to be seen in public wearing these!!

 

[reiserFS]

So I finally ordered some LCD-2, can't wait how they sound with the Concerto+StageDAC.

 

[rhythmdevils]

So here's a question.  Even though they sound much better with a good amp and dac, do they sound worse than "mid-fi" headphones when they are run out of an ipod? 
 
Just to play devil's advocate here, what would sound better? 

 
a)  ipod-> LCD-2
 
b)  mid-fi source (300-500), mid-fi amp (300-500), mid-fi headphones (300-500- K701, HD6x0, DT880, etc)
 
My suspicion is that while the headphones in rig B would be putting out closer to their full potential than the LCD2 in rig A, the LCD-2 might still sound better if you like their sound signature because they have much more potential to begin with.  Maybe you don't have to get more than 80% out of them to beat the "mid-fi" dynamics by quite a bit.  I mean an LCD-2 amped by the ipod doesn't suddenly sound like an HD650 right?  It is still faster, more detailed, lower distortion, more capable, etc right?  It still doesn't sound like a dynamic headphone.
 
Not that this is what people should shoot for, because the LCD-2 is capable of more, but is it still better than the alternatives?  Esp considering the possibility of future upgrades?

 

[El_Doug]

Gimme a few hours, and I'll run the LCD-2 through my sansa, and compare with my HD650s through the dynamic rig
 
Quote:

So here's a question.  Even though they sound much better with a good amp and dac, do they sound worse than "mid-fi" headphones when they are run out of an ipod? 
 
Just to play devil's advocate here, what would sound better? 

 
a)  ipod-> LCD-2
 
b)  mid-fi source (300-500), mid-fi amp (300-500), mid-fi headphones (300-500- K701, HD6x0, DT880, etc)
 
My suspicion is that while the headphones in rig B would be putting out closer to their full potential than the LCD2 in rig A, the LCD-2 might still sound better if you like their sound signature because they have much more potential to begin with.  Maybe you don't have to get more than 80% out of them to beat the "mid-fi" dynamics by quite a bit.  I mean an LCD-2 amped by the ipod doesn't suddenly sound like an HD650 right?  It is still faster, more detailed, lower distortion, more capable, etc right?  It still doesn't sound like a dynamic headphone.
 
Not that this is what people should shoot for, because the LCD-2 is capable of more, but is it still better than the alternatives?  Esp considering the possibility of future upgrades?

 

[ardgedee]

I have a somewhat orthogonal answer to that, rhythmdevils. I got to try the LCD-2 briefly on my system last week (SuperPro DAC -> Elekit TU882) and compare it to how it sounds on higher-end kit.
 
It didn't sound bad on my setup. The Elekit could drive it and it sounded good, but not considerably better the best phones I already own, such as AKG Sextetts, K702, or Quart QP95x. The LCD-2 really needed a better quality signal chain to sound like a $1,000 pair of headphones rather than a $200 pair of headphones. When plugged into musicman59's system, the LCD-2 sounded like a totally different pair of headphones (albeit with a similar sound signature), and easily demonstrated why it's been earning raves here.
 
Keep in mind that this was at a head-fi meet, not a critical test. But the distinction was unsubtle enough to be a learning experience for me. If I had $1,000 for building a listening setup from scratch, I would distribute it judiciously on the DAC (if applicable), amp, and headphones alike and not spend it exclusively on the headphones.