[gLer]

Thank you for your detailed reply. It is possible to buy used Deckard for around $400, matrix m-stage 3b for $355, who is the winner?

It all depends if you need balanced, and if you want an all-in-one or are happy to use a separate dac. Both will serve you well, it all depends on what you need and want.

 

[REGEN7777]

It all depends if you need balanced, and if you want an all-in-one or are happy to use a separate dac. Both will serve you well, it all depends on what you need and want.

I can go balanced or unbalanced and i have Creative SB ZXR as a dac, i just need best synergy.

 

[LaCuffia]

I don’t know abou the Matrix but I got a Deckard for $500 and think it’s well worth it. I use it as a preamp for a pair of JBL 305 speakers too and it’s excellent. Nice design and build too.

 

[REGEN7777]

I don’t know abou the Matrix but I got a Deckard for $500 and think it’s well worth it. I use it as a preamp for a pair of JBL 305 speakers too and it’s excellent. Nice design and build too.

I don't care about design. I need best sound quality.

P.S. You have same join date and location. Happy New Year

 

[gLer]

I don't care about design. I need best sound quality.

P.S. You have same join date and location. Happy New Year

The Matrix doesn’t have line out so if you need that, Deckard is a better option. I’ve never heard the Deckard so can’t comment on synergy, but the Matrix has great synergy with my LCD-2. Whichever one you go for I believe you’ll be very satisfied.

 

[Hifi59]

If my decision to keep or sell gear was based on only a few hours of listening, I'd have regretted many things, especially the LCD-2s.

Among all my headphones, I was the least excited about LCD-2 during the first listen when I first got them.

I'd recommend trying to listen exclusively to a headphone for days and weeks. It took me 2-3 weeks to appreciate the LCD-2 having been listening to HE-500 until then.

IMO your brain will get used to the sound signature of every headphone to a degree when that's the only sound you listen to for some time. However, there are some things you still cannot adjust for - things that cause you fatigue or make you uneasy. Let time sort things out, for better or worse.

This is very true. That’s why one must take headgear meets with a grain a salt. You just can’t properly evaluate the true long term strengths (or weaknesses)of a given headphone. I use the meets only to get an idea if a particular headphone might work for long term listening. To this day, only 3 brands that I’ve listened to over the past 4 years have met this criteria. They are Audeze, Hifiman and Zmf. I’m sure there may be another brand or two that also might qualify, but these three are consistent winners with me.

 

[Elyfantman]

This is very true. That’s why one must take headgear meets with a grain a salt. You just can’t properly evaluate the true long term strengths (or weaknesses)of a given headphone. I use the meets only to get an idea if a particular headphone might work for long term listening. To this day, only 3 brands that I’ve listened to over the past 4 years have met this criteria. They are Audeze, Hifiman and Zmf. I’m sure there may be another brand or two that also might qualify, but these three are consistent winners with me.

Which begs the question: Which headphones have you tried that don't meet this criteria?

 

[Hifi59]

Which begs the question: Which headphones have you tried that don't meet this criteria?

Here’s the list as I remember and in no particular order. This is not to say any of these are bad necessarily,although some are imo, it’s just that they either caused eventual listening fatigue, lacked impact, lacked resolution and/or just didn’t get my toes tapping or head a banging. Amps used were Burson Conductor, Schiit Mjolnir 2 ,Wells Audio Milo and Headtrip over several years.

Beyerdynamics T1 and 5p , sennheiser 598, 600, 650, 800,800 modded, 800S, fostex th-xx, thx900, mr speakers-almost all except prime and AFO, Oppo pm2, Stax L700 & SR7, Koss 950, Philips- several popular models, Grado- all except gs and ps line, Focal Elear and Utopia ( Utopia almost made my cut when amped by my Headtrip/ Cambridge 851 Dac and was just too bright using Oppo Sonica Dac) , Audeze Sine. I’m sure I forgot a model or two but you get the gist.

Models I’m interested in hearing (not including exotics) are Abyss Phi , Mr Speaker AFO, Kennertin Odin, Stax SR9.

 

[Katun]

My favorite sounding headphone of all time was my LCD-2.2 pre fazor just out of my Fiio X3-II (all I had at the time).

Later on I ordered a LCD-2.2 fazor and ran it balanced out of the Mjolnir. Totally disappointed with it compared to my previous simple LCD-2 setup.

Thought the amp would make a huge difference but it was pretty minor. It didn't help that I felt the fazor LCD-2 was a huge step down from the pre fazor LCD-2.

Totally excited about the classics though! Anyone else detecting that much of a difference between simple sources and full desktop rigs?

 

[wazzupi]

My favorite sounding headphone of all time was my LCD-2.2 pre fazor just out of my Fiio X3-II (all I had at the time).

Later on I ordered a LCD-2.2 fazor and ran it balanced out of the Mjolnir. Totally disappointed with it compared to my previous simple LCD-2 setup.

Thought the amp would make a huge difference but it was pretty minor. It didn't help that I felt the fazor LCD-2 was a huge step down from the pre fazor LCD-2.

Totally excited about the classics though! Anyone else detecting that much of a difference between simple sources and full desktop rigs?

your problem was the you bought a mjolnir.

 

[Katun]

your problem was the you bought a mjolnir.

Not a good match I presume? Still didn't like the fazor out of the X3-II or anything else either though, thought they ruined the Audeze house sound by trying to "balance" things out.

 

[lentoviolento]

Not a good match I presume? Still didn't like the fazor out of the X3-II or anything else either though, thought they ruined the Audeze house sound by trying to "balance" things out.

This lcd2c should be like the 2.2 that you liked right?

 

[Katun]

This lcd2c should be like the 2.2 that you liked right?

Yup, should be! Just hesitant on buying because of the looming driver failure possibility.

 

[REGEN7777]

Later on I ordered a LCD-2.2 fazor and ran it balanced out of the Mjolnir.

Auditioned mjolnir 2 weeks ago and i was totally dissapointed.

 

[Hifi59]

Auditioned mjolnir 2 weeks ago and i was totally dissapointed.

Having owned it too and running it with some of the best tubes recommended for it, my Burson was much more energetic sounding and engaging.
Not that the Mj2 sucked, but it just didn’t click with my Audezes and Hifiman compared to my Burson at the time.