[dingeth]

I used my magni 3 with the lcd2c for around 8 months before getting a thx 789. They pair ok and the differences between the 789 aren’t as pronounced compared to other cans, but there are some weaknesses there.

1) I would sometimes listen loud, but and at around 3 o’clock on the magni 3 with high gain there is audible distortion. It’s not full blown clipping, but it does feel compressed compared to the thx 789.

2) It’s hard to explain, but the thx 789 gives a quiter backdrop to the music. Almost like there’s less hiss, but not by a whole lot. I heard this was also the case with the magni 3 compared to the jds atom.

3) There is fuller bass with the thx 789, and when you consider that the magni 3 provides the most power between the 3, it could be an issue if you play at higher volumes, which imo the lcd2c needs to shine.

4) The magni 3 has NO short protection for the headphone jack. A partially inserted headphone can literally melt the op amps in the magni 3. I don’t know about the other two. This was a big no no for me with kids around.

Overall, the differences weren’t huge, but if you can save up, something with more clean power would be my recommendation.

Thanks so much for your input, interesting to note. This isn't the first time I've read about the magni3 feeling compressed. THX is it if my budget at the moment, but the new Asgard 3 also looks intriguing and is not that pricy. Atom sounds like a safe bet too

 

[betula]

Hi all

I recent;y acquired a pair of Audeze LCD2C's. Got them used for a nice price and still in great condition.

It seems to be the general consensus that whilst the headphones are relatively easy to drive, they do like lots of power to get the most out of them. I'm trying to decide between 3 similar-priced amps at the moment that retail for around $100:

- Schiit Magni 3
- Liquid Spark
- JDS labs atom

Power output isn't too dissimilar on them, and each of them should put roughly 1W into the LCD's give or take, which I "think" should be sufficient? Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong though.

Right now I’m leaning towards the liquid spark, simply because it's easier to source (Amazon ships direct to my door in Capetown, South Africa) whereas I’d need to use some form of forwarding service (AGS etc.,) for the other 2. I don’t mind doing this if necessary, as I’ve used such services before when buying through (Mass)Drop.

That said, I also know that power isn't everything and alot depends on amp/headphone synergy.

Until the new amp arrives; I’ll be using the headphones via my portable Fiio Q5 dac/amp to play flac files via Tidal. The Q5 will also serve duty as the DAC once I get the amp. Right now a desktop dac/amp combo isn’t feasible as I don’t have a PC of my own at the moment (and i'm not too keen on using my work laptop as the source as even the Tidal website is blocked

) so for now my phone will continue to serve as my source and unless I’m mistaken there’s no way to use my phone as a source into a desktop DAC.

So to those that have listened to/ owned one of these cans or amps, what would you recommend as a good pairing to bring out the best in these cans?

Thanks in advance,

Tbh it is difficult to recommend anything under $500 for headphones that cost $800. You are right in thinking that no portable gear will do justice to the LCD2C. It is definitely desktop gear you need with them. The thing is between $500-1000 things get much better and more exciting.

What DAC did you want to use with these budget amps?

Perhaps if you save just a little more money you could try the Lyr 3 with multibit? Or the Burson budget amps seem to be good value for money too. Alternatively a Questyle CMA 400i or 600i. They have built in DACs and a pretty low price on the secondhand market ($500-700).

The 2C is extremely good value under $1000. It is hard to find matching value for price DAC/amp combo under $1000.

 

[dingeth]

Hi there, yea I'm beginning to think I'll need to rather invest a bit more to do justice to the headphones. On another local forum some knowledgeable guys have been recommending I purchase the audeze Deckard DAC/amp that's for sale back home for the equivalent of $370 which I'm told will have good synergy with the LCD2C's. Failing that, what are your thoughts on the new Asgard 3?

 

[betula]

Hi there, yea I'm beginning to think I'll need to rather invest a bit more to do justice to the headphones. On another local forum some knowledgeable guys have been recommending I purchase the audeze Deckard DAC/amp that's for sale back home for the equivalent of $370 which I'm told will have good synergy with the LCD2C's. Failing that, what are your thoughts on the new Asgard 3?

I don't really know Schiit stuff. Some people love them, some don't. The last Schiit product I owned was a first gen Vali many years ago.
I guess for the price the Asgard 3 with multibit must be good enough as a beginner setup. The same is true for the Deckard at the price you mentioned, although I haven't seen much love for the Deckard.
I think if I were in your shoes I would either try the Asgard 3, Lyr 3 with multibit or just get a Magni 3/Modi3 combo until I can afford something around the $1000 price tag. I have heard good things about the JDS Atom too.
To my experience the Liquid Platinum is over-hyped for what it is. The same might be true for the Spark but I didn't hear that.

 

[dingeth]

Hi, is there any particular reason you're recommending the lyr? Is it for the tubes or simply because the immense driving power?

 

[betula]

Hi, is there any particular reason you're recommending the lyr? Is it for the tubes or simply because the immense driving power?

Simply because it picked my attention when it came out, read some good opinions about it and seems to be in your price range.
To be honest I think you will be happy with any of the options that popped up. In my experience true, revealing leaps in sound quality come in $500-1000 steps. Any relatively good gear around $500 will give you pretty much the same level of technicalities with a slightly different flavour. Just pull the trigger, buy the one you like the most and enjoy music. Opinions of other forum members are just opinions. You can only find out what you like by trying them. Buy, enjoy and keep exploring.

 

[dingeth]

Couldn't agree more, thanks for your input man. As someone new to the world of hi end audio systems, it is very much appreciated

 

[Mizicke5273]

I've got a Jotunheim that I run my LCD-2c from via balanced out and they sound great. Now the Asgard 3 has just a little bit less power than the Jot's balanced out, so I would think it would do just as good of a job.

 

[dingeth]

Good to know, glad you're enjoying it. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Sorbus]

I am borrowing a demo pair from a local hifi store. The sound is very clean but not too bright, bass could be a little bit boomier (haven't tried EQ yet). Compared to my Sennheiser 650 these feel a bit heavier so I am not sure if the comfort would be an issue in the long run.

I wouldn't buy these at the full price (899 EUR here) but for 500 EUR I would reconsider.

 

[Oregonian]

Hi all

I recent;y acquired a pair of Audeze LCD2C's. Got them used for a nice price and still in great condition.

It seems to be the general consensus that whilst the headphones are relatively easy to drive, they do like lots of power to get the most out of them. I'm trying to decide between 3 similar-priced amps at the moment that retail for around $100:

- Schiit Magni 3
- Liquid Spark
- JDS labs atom

Power output isn't too dissimilar on them, and each of them should put roughly 1W into the LCD's give or take, which I "think" should be sufficient? Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong though.

Right now I’m leaning towards the liquid spark, simply because it's easier to source (Amazon ships direct to my door in Capetown, South Africa) whereas I’d need to use some form of forwarding service (AGS etc.,) for the other 2. I don’t mind doing this if necessary, as I’ve used such services before when buying through (Mass)Drop.

That said, I also know that power isn't everything and alot depends on amp/headphone synergy.

Until the new amp arrives; I’ll be using the headphones via my portable Fiio Q5 dac/amp to play flac files via Tidal. The Q5 will also serve duty as the DAC once I get the amp. Right now a desktop dac/amp combo isn’t feasible as I don’t have a PC of my own at the moment (and i'm not too keen on using my work laptop as the source as even the Tidal website is blocked

) so for now my phone will continue to serve as my source and unless I’m mistaken there’s no way to use my phone as a source into a desktop DAC.

So to those that have listened to/ owned one of these cans or amps, what would you recommend as a good pairing to bring out the best in these cans?

Thanks in advance,

I too agree that they excel with more power than you'd think they need. I run mine out of the speaker taps direct of a vintage Pioneer SA-608 integrated amp, feeding it with an iPhone 4 through a NuForce iDo DAC. The difference from speaker taps vs headphone out was very clearly an improvement in depth of sound and of course the bass was considerably more visceral.

 

[snellemin]

Hi there, yea I'm beginning to think I'll need to rather invest a bit more to do justice to the headphones. On another local forum some knowledgeable guys have been recommending I purchase the audeze Deckard DAC/amp that's for sale back home for the equivalent of $370 which I'm told will have good synergy with the LCD2C's. Failing that, what are your thoughts on the new Asgard 3?

The cheapest option to do the LCD2C classics justice, is the a Parasound Zamp V3 amplifier and run it from the speaker tabs. 150 Dollars used for that amp. This little amp can produce the proper lows that many so called (overpriced) desktop amps lack. The Zamp amp has adjustable gains on the rear, so you won't blow out your ears and can keep a "dark" background. If you are adventures, you can swapped out one opamp and have sound like the units costing in the thousands. And if you are goofy like me, you can use two Zamps in bridge mode, to power your headphones.

 

[dingeth]

That's very interesting, and reminds me of that Z review vid where he takes one of those emotiva amps and routes all 50w to the headphone jack! Crazy

 

[betula]

The cheapest option to do the LCD2C classics justice, is the a Parasound Zamp V3 amplifier and run it from the speaker tabs. 150 Dollars used for that amp. This little amp can produce the proper lows that many so called (overpriced) desktop amps lack. The Zamp amp has adjustable gains on the rear, so you won't blow out your ears and can keep a "dark" background. If you are adventures, you can swapped out one opamp and have sound like the units costing in the thousands. And if you are goofy like me, you can use two Zamps in bridge mode, to power your headphones.

I don't think that is a very good idea. Headphones need dedicated headphone amps for a reason. I tried headphones from speaker amps and the result was a distorted sound with bloated bass.

 

[phthora]

I don't think that is a very good idea. Headphones need dedicated headphone amps for a reason. I tried headphones from speaker amps and the result was a distorted sound with bloated bass.

Don't forget about the possibility of damaging your headphones or ears with a slip of the volume dial...