[newaudio46]

I think that’s why when I get them I will not try and find a full sized powerful amp for a while, not that I could afford one .

Do you think I should keep the stock cable or get another one

 

[betula]

I think that’s why when I get them I will not try and find a full sized powerful amp for a while, not that I could afford one .

Do you think I should keep the stock cable or get another one

Keep the stock cable. Upgrade cable must be the very last addition to your perfect system.

 

[snellemin]

Do you think I should keep the stock cable or get another one

The stock cable is very good. I chopped up the end and made it balanced.

 

[canali]

I will stick with the lcd2c and the mojo and save up for amp. I know the more educated thing to do is get the mojo with the Oppo PM2 but I Justin can’t bring myself to do it.

you and i are in the same boat, bud...in a few months (rehab from car accident taking up my funds)
i'm looking at either the chord qutest or gumby/multibit dac with the cavelli liquid platinum hybrid amp
to replace the mojo.

 

[betula]

you and i are in the same boat, bud...in a few months (rehab from car accident taking up my funds)
i'm looking at either the chord qutest or gumby/multibit dac with the cavelli liquid platinum hybrid amp
to replace the mojo.

Either way you two are heading to the best of the best. There is not much left after getting these amps/DACs unless you have got 1000s to burn and play with.

 

[canali]

Either way you two are heading to the best of the best. There is not much left after getting these amps/DACs unless you have got 1000s to burn and play with.

thanks Betula...as always thanks for your imput (suggestions made earlier)
...is appreciated.

what will be interesting is how is how i implement my digital: as
all my music is thru Roon Labs and Tidal...so i have a music server.
could go usb or spdif...we'll see.

 

[gargani]

Being pretty new to hifi, I had been pretty curious about the LCD-2C (and planars in general), so I was super stoked to purchase a pair of these from the recent Black Friday B-stock sale. What initially caught my attention was the description of these as presenting the stereo image in a "huge" way, filling up the sonic spectrum with the planar "wall of sound" that is often mentioned. Further piquing my curiosity were the many conflicting conclusions about their bass: on the hand, there was so much talk about the epic "planar bass" and its high resolution/quality; on the other hand, there were those who expressed disappointment or caution in how "bass light" these were (despite all the talk of a flat or neutral bass presentation). For me, I was fascinated by this question of bass quality vs. quantity -- what would a headphone that had amazing bass quality but less perceived quantity sound like (especially if the sonic images were actually as huge as has been described)? Would it be satisfying or revelatory for a listener like me, who had thus far only been trolling around in warm(er) dynamics?

This isn't meant to be a comprehensive review at all, but I wanted to share a couple of things that struck me upon listening to the LCD-2C (through a Lyr 3 with the stock Tung-Sol tube) for the past few days:

• These cans are SMOOTH. I never really understood what "smooth" meant until I listened to the LCD-2C (and a planar in general, I guess). It's eerily seductive: it's almost like the sound waves have no edges as they hit your ear. To put it another way, it's almost like the sound is a crystal clear pane of glass that just comes at you all at once as a single, coherent, unbroken image (perhaps this is what people mean by these being "plasticky"?), instead of having the sound waves feel more jagged, textured, dirtier, tactile. While the latter presentation is what I've gotten used to in dynamics, and lends to a more visceral, organic, albeit dirtier (possibly grainier) sound, there is something also remarkably pleasing about the planar presentation. It paradoxically feels both artificial and high-fidelity at the same time -- a fascinating paradox. It's not unlike the difference between watching a movie on film vs. watching on Blu-ray with motion-smoothing. This of course works better for certain things and not necessarily for others...
• Upon first listen, the bass quantity was indeed light. For those who are used to flatter sound signatures, or who aren't bassheads, this might be fine and seemingly "accurate," but I've discovered just how important a mid-bass hump is to my personal sense of realism and naturalness (to say nothing of the Harmon response curve). Bass slam was lacking: e.g. bass drum kicks sometimes sounded like a tap instead of a more visceral thud or boom. For this reason, switching between these cans and my HD650 (through Valhalla 2), I found that the latter had a more engaging, compelling, and somewhat romantic bass presentation -- though in quantity only. Once I turned up the bass dial on my Schiit Loki Mini, the bass of the LCD-2C came alive: you were rewarded with a deep, thunderous, and sometimes overwhelming sense of the sub-bass rumble, as well as mid-bass punch (though to a slighter lesser degree than sub-bass rumble). I don't think I've ever heard a sub-bass-centric presentation like this before -- an extraordinary combination of quality and quantity -- and it was truly a revelation and deeply satisfying. The low distortion levels really lets the LCD-2C be EQ'ed to one's own tastes, which is a huge plus in my book.
• The mids were very pleasing, and the treble was sufficiently tame for my own tastes. And all throughout the spectrum, I think you get a very clear and surprisingly detailed sound (at least, from someone who is a bit treble-phobic). The only thing that really bothered me was a bit of shout in the vocals, which are popped out or pushed forward a bit so that they're rather in-your-face, almost uncomfortably so. This makes for a rather strange sense of soundstage: the main/center vocals are pushed forward while everything else feels sufficiently and comfortably stepped back. The "three blob effect" that some have mentioned seems to play into the sense of soundstage, but because of the large sonic images, this wasn't too much an issue, since any potential holes in the soundstage were all filled in with sound. As for the vocal forwardness, I couldn't really find a good dial on the Loki Mini to remedy this, but I imagine this could be taken care of rather easily with some parametric EQ.

Despite how much these headphones blew me away, however, I decided they were ultimately not for me -- for one reason in particular: comfort. I am very sensitive to weight and pressure, and the LCD-2Cs eventually got the better of me, leading to headaches and even nausea (which I think was due as much to the headband as the big boost I had to give to the bass).

But the silver lining for me is that this experience with the LCD-2C also gave me a newfound appreciation for my Atticus and HD650 as well. The Atticus (at least through the Lyr 3) has some of that smooth planar magic in the midrange while still providing that deeply satisfying bass slam. The LCD-2C rivals the Atticus in giving body and richness to vocals, especially in the former's very linear transition from bass to mids -- this is quite a feat, since the Atticus has made most headphones sound thin to me (even the HD650!). But moreover, the Atticus also has a really nice soundstage (especially being a closed back), while still producing very large sonic images as well. And the HD650? Well, through the Valhalla 2, it simply remains the most natural sound I've heard so far...

All in all, I can't emphasize enough just how much I enjoyed these headphones -- they've opened my eyes to the possibilities and pleasures provided by planars. Sad it didn't work out this time, but I really hope I get a chance to hear some more!

I agree with your assessment of the bass on the lcd2c.
I have the Philips FIDELIO x2, which have a more elevated mid-bass.The bass on the lcd2c is leaner, more linear and tighter than the bass on the x2.
The x2's have more fullness and punch in the bass; although, the lcd2c extends more in the lowest frequencies, from 20 Hz. to 40 Hz. ( that is to say, they can reproduce those frequencies louder than the x2)
The x2 bass is more in line with the Harmon Target Curve. The lcd2c is more in line with the Traditional Flat Response.
Both good, in different ways.

 

[canali]

Looking forward to trying out my lcd2c this wkend with the mojo...
and using the Roon labs / Audeze dsp presets.
http://blog.roonlabs.com/audeze-and-roon/

 

[newaudio46]

Let us know how you get on with it. I’m going to pull the trigger and go with the lcd2c and mojo

 

[endlesswaves]

The stock cable is very good. I chopped up the end and made it balanced.

Sorry I have to disagree IMHO. I think the stock cable is holding the LCD2C back. Switched to Norne's Draught 3 now and very happy with it.

 

[nicknack40]

The stack LCD2C stock cable is very good. I had to change mine cause the length was short for me otherwise i would of kept using it. Magic cables IMO do not change sound

 

[Terozzzz]

Got my LCD 2Cs and yup, no brainer for the price.
Working very well on my AUNE x1s (50% of volume is killing me) but now im wondering if better AMP will give me more resolution/imaging on these and how much i need to spend on it ?

 

[tracyrick]

Got the B stock version on sale. Couldn’t resist the value. So far can’t see or hear any defects. Have no idea why my pair were called B stock.

3 days of listening so far. Doing a lot of back and forth with my HD6XX. Have to turn up the volume a little each time for the HD, and then down again for the LCD. Listening to Rush, Joe Satriani, Dream Theater, Metallica, Tool, Yes, etc...focusing on the best mixed songs and mostly bass parts. All FLAC files, ripped with EAC. Fiio X3ii > Magni 3.

Day 1 didn’t go well. I was disappointed. I was not blown away. I thought I was hearing better or deeper bass. I thought the imaging was different. But it was hard to tell. And the veil was really bothering me. Where is the treble? I didn’t think they would be THIS dark! And how are these better than the HD6XX at 4x the price?

My goal in buying a more high-end headphone was to get closer to perfect. Less flaws, more pluses. My Sine’s were tuned too strongly for treble. Earlier lower end headphones had all sorts of issues. How have I gotten closer to perfect?

This review helped: http://www.basshead.club/audeze-lcd2-classic-review/

And then today I made a breakthrough. Getting easier to convince myself to keep these. I guess for dark headphones it takes a while to get it, even though I already owned the HD6XX...It also helped when I turned the volume up more for both headphones. Some of the differences of the sounds were more apparent:

HD6XX - Duller, more veiled, tighter sound, more rounded off, more subdued, missing nuances of tone and clarity, muddier.

LCD-2C - More resolution, clarity, detail, accuracy. More open, better imaging and soundstage. A little more airy and at the same time more in your face.

I found a great example song today: Dream Theater’s “This Dying Soul.” The entire Train of Thought album is well mixed. Here’s the easy compare: Listen to the opening double bass drum by Portnoy with both headphones. Really turn it up. With the LCD, I hear more detail in the drum sound. And the music that ramps up from there is less muddy. The HD definitely have less resolution - closer to dull thudding noises than actual bass drum kicks. Like comparing a crappy MP3 file to FLAC. Details of what those drums REALLY sound like are getting missed with the HD. And I only just learned that by listening with the LCD. Of course, it’s all relative. The HD are not bad on their own, but when you directly compare, they are the lesser headphone.

Bonus song: “Honor Thy Father”, same CD as above, drum intro. Definitely better with the LCD vs. the HD.

Yes “Lightning Strikes” from “The Ladder” - Another well mixed CD. This song ramps up with some airy acoustic guitar and vocals, and then some good bass. LCD shines over the HD.
Tool “Sober” - Great bass guitar and drum intro and well mixed. LCD wins.
Geddy Lee “My Favorite Headache” - Opening bass line has more resolution with LCD.

If I had to recommend a headphone to a friend for casual listening, I’d point to the HD6XX. I’d say the value is crazy good and the sound is relatively close to the LCD-2C. For critical listening - for audiophiles who enjoy geeking out on subtleties of sound - I can see how the LCD is better. But I still wish it was more better!

Next: Want to find some songs with true LOW bass. Also, I’m wishing the LCD-2C was a little closer to neutral, i.e., more treble. I know I don’t want a fatiguing, more bright headphone though (e.g., Focals). So I’m trying to make these work. Wondering if the Loki would help pull more treble into the sound? Or why do I need the LCD if my HD are so close in sound? Should I have tried out the closed back version, that might have a little more treble? Except the value of getting these B stock was so good vs. the price of the closed back right now. Etc...

 

[Terozzzz]

tracyrick

You tried the reveal app from Audeze yet? That helped me alot. Ofc it is in ROON already and i like the sound now better.

 

[omniweltall]

Got the B stock version on sale. Couldn’t resist the value. So far can’t see or hear any defects. Have no idea why my pair were called B stock.

3 days of listening so far. Doing a lot of back and forth with my HD6XX. Have to turn up the volume a little each time for the HD, and then down again for the LCD. Listening to Rush, Joe Satriani, Dream Theater, Metallica, Tool, Yes, etc...focusing on the best mixed songs and mostly bass parts. All FLAC files, ripped with EAC. Fiio X3ii > Magni 3.

Day 1 didn’t go well. I was disappointed. I was not blown away. I thought I was hearing better or deeper bass. I thought the imaging was different. But it was hard to tell. And the veil was really bothering me. Where is the treble? I didn’t think they would be THIS dark! And how are these better than the HD6XX at 4x the price?

My goal in buying a more high-end headphone was to get closer to perfect. Less flaws, more pluses. My Sine’s were tuned too strongly for treble. Earlier lower end headphones had all sorts of issues. How have I gotten closer to perfect?

This review helped: http://www.basshead.club/audeze-lcd2-classic-review/

And then today I made a breakthrough. Getting easier to convince myself to keep these. I guess for dark headphones it takes a while to get it, even though I already owned the HD6XX...It also helped when I turned the volume up more for both headphones. Some of the differences of the sounds were more apparent:

HD6XX - Duller, more veiled, tighter sound, more rounded off, more subdued, missing nuances of tone and clarity, muddier.

LCD-2C - More resolution, clarity, detail, accuracy. More open, better imaging and soundstage. A little more airy and at the same time more in your face.

I found a great example song today: Dream Theater’s “This Dying Soul.” The entire Train of Thought album is well mixed. Here’s the easy compare: Listen to the opening double bass drum by Portnoy with both headphones. Really turn it up. With the LCD, I hear more detail in the drum sound. And the music that ramps up from there is less muddy. The HD definitely have less resolution - closer to dull thudding noises than actual bass drum kicks. Like comparing a crappy MP3 file to FLAC. Details of what those drums REALLY sound like are getting missed with the HD. And I only just learned that by listening with the LCD. Of course, it’s all relative. The HD are not bad on their own, but when you directly compare, they are the lesser headphone.

Bonus song: “Honor Thy Father”, same CD as above, drum intro. Definitely better with the LCD vs. the HD.

Yes “Lightning Strikes” from “The Ladder” - Another well mixed CD. This song ramps up with some airy acoustic guitar and vocals, and then some good bass. LCD shines over the HD.
Tool “Sober” - Great bass guitar and drum intro and well mixed. LCD wins.
Geddy Lee “My Favorite Headache” - Opening bass line has more resolution with LCD.

If I had to recommend a headphone to a friend for casual listening, I’d point to the HD6XX. I’d say the value is crazy good and the sound is relatively close to the LCD-2C. For critical listening - for audiophiles who enjoy geeking out on subtleties of sound - I can see how the LCD is better. But I still wish it was more better!

Next: Want to find some songs with true LOW bass. Also, I’m wishing the LCD-2C was a little closer to neutral, i.e., more treble. I know I don’t want a fatiguing, more bright headphone though (e.g., Focals). So I’m trying to make these work. Wondering if the Loki would help pull more treble into the sound? Or why do I need the LCD if my HD are so close in sound? Should I have tried out the closed back version, that might have a little more treble? Except the value of getting these B stock was so good vs. the price of the closed back right now. Etc...

You are pitting it against a tough can. HD6XX punches well above its price point. Put a good system behind it and it scales.

But it will still lose to the 2C in terms of macro dynamics and bass quality.