[Mitchuuu]

To my experience if you want the 2C to be driven properly you will get closer to 2K overall. Not to mention a silver or silver plated cable that can add some more clarity.

The idea of needing peripherals that are more expensive than headphones that are already a luxury item sounds like a bad joke to me.

 

[betula]

I think it's largely due to the recordings themselves. Certain songs are recorded with more sub bass than other songs. I have the RME ADI-2 DAC which has a screen where you can call up a spectral anlayzer which shows the amount of output through the entire frequency range. I am currently running it in the standard mode (no bass, treble or parametric equalizer enhancements). Some songs that are lean sounding is so exhibited with the RME's spectral analyzer. Conversely when a song with plenty of sub bass comes on you can see those sub bass frequencies are more elevated.

I pair that DAC with a Schiit Jotunheim and the LCD2C. Those songs that have ample sub bass (and revealed as such with the RME's spectral analyzer) comes through with very good bass on the LCD2C. It's a very nice sounding bottom end with deep and tight bass so I know the LCD2C can deliver it when called for.

The RME is a brilliant DAC and pairs very well with the 2C even on its own.

 

[betula]

The idea of needing peripherals that are more expensive than headphones that are already a luxury item sounds like a bad joke to me.

The definition of 'luxury item' is very subjective. There are 6K headphones out there. Compared to those the 2C is not a luxury item but entry level. I agree with @gimmeheadroom, you can't really expect a $600 headphone to sound really good out of a $99 amp. IMO amps and headphones in general should be more or less in the same price category to bring the best out of each other. And the 2C is already a pretty good value, so you have to find a good value amp for $600 if you want to hear what the 2C can really do.

 

[probert10]

The idea of needing peripherals that are more expensive than headphones that are already a luxury item sounds like a bad joke to me.

The 789 is on Drop for $300, keep you Schiit Modi. You'll be set!

 

[Mitchuuu]

The definition of 'luxury item' is very subjective. There are 6K headphones out there. Compared to those the 2C is not a luxury item but entry level.

Yes I guess it is subjective. To me, these are a luxury item because they are many times the price of what the average consumer would be willing to pay and they are made for a small and select audience. To say they are not a luxury item because there are other more expensive headphones is to say a $200,000 car is not a luxury item because $2,000,000 cars exist. Anyways, this is very off topic :\

The 789 is on Drop for $300, keep you Schiit Modi. You'll be set!

Thanks for the heads-up! I'm just gonna hold out until I can compare my Audeze's to the audio store's and see if I'm crazy or not. I'm pretty happy with my little sonys for now.

 

[betula]

Yes I guess it is subjective. To me, these are a luxury item because they are many times the price of what the average consumer would be willing to pay and they are made for a small and select audience. To say they are not a luxury item because there are other more expensive headphones is to say a $200,000 car is not a luxury item because $2,000,000 cars exist. Anyways, this is very off topic :\

The term 'average consumer' is also very relative.

 

[340519]

The idea of needing peripherals that are more expensive than headphones that are already a luxury item sounds like a bad joke to me.

I love it. Great post.

 

[Mitchuuu]

I love it. Great post.

Thank you! Even if you are being sarcastic haha

The term 'average consumer' is also very relative.

Average is relative? I intended for it to be exactly the opposite!
I can envision a group of 100 randomly selected Americans and I tell them that I listen to Audeze on a Schiit stack, they would almost all be perplexed and mutter something about, "Odyssey on a pile of crap? what?" and then if I told them that these headphones and peripherals cost upwards of $1,000 and that just it's entry level stuff and not a luxury item, they would chase me off and pelt me with projectile Air Pods.
I think it's easy to get lost on an audiophile forum and but a lot of this stuff is quite far down the rabbit hole for the 'average consumer' or so I imagine haha

 

[340519]

Thank you! Even if you are being sarcastic haha

Average is relative? I intended for it to be exactly the opposite!
I can envision a group of 100 randomly selected Americans and I tell them that I listen to Audeze on a Schiit stack, they would almost all be perplexed and mutter something about, "Odyssey on a pile of crap? what?" and then if I told them that these headphones and peripherals cost upwards of $1,000 and that just it's entry level stuff and not a luxury item, they would chase me off and pelt me with projectile Air Pods.
I think it's easy to get lost on an audiophile forum and but a lot of this stuff is quite far down the rabbit hole for the 'average consumer' or so I imagine haha

I was not being sarcastic at all. Great post because it's true.

 

[sfleming]

I also have the Meze 99 Noir headphone and all songs have a great deal of bass, even lean bass songs. The problem is when a song with plenty of sub bass comes on it's ridiculous how much bass there is...completely ruins the song. I have a pair of Yaxi headphone pads coming tomorrow which are suppose to tame the excessive bass. If you're looking for more bass get the Meze 99 headphones.

I tried to like the Meze 99 when I came across them at an RMAF, but couldn't get past the bass performance.
As I like to say, if we all liked the same exact stuff things would be pretty boring, right ?

 

[CoryGillmore]

If play a pure tone and slide it around 20hz-120hz the Audeze's are comparable in output and sound more even too but when playing an actual song it's like the bass just gets sucked out and it all disappears. Zero punch. When things reopen I'm going to go to my local headphone store and demo their Audeze's to double check that mine aren't dysfunctional. It's really that bad. To my ears anyways. If it turns out they're fine and that I'm just a pleb who likes cheap headphones then I'll definitely be selling my lcd2c. For me, there's no way they're worth the $1000+ for them and the amp and dac when I got the sony's for $150 and generally prefer their sound and don't even get me started on comfort or portability...

I don't think your LCD2Cs are defective at all. Planar bass doesn't have that same punch that dynamic closed back headphones put out. My LCD2C extends lower than both my Sony 1AM2, Z7 and Z7M2 but the Sonys all have more impact and to me all have more satisfying bass. Personally I think planar magnetic bass is overrated as hell.

I find the bass on my all BA Sony IER-M9 IEMs to be more impactful than any planar I own. Plus the M9 is much more cohesive and enjoyable to me. It's also a good bit more expensive than the Audeze. The LCD2C feels like it's missing a chunk of it's soundstage just off center left and right.

 

[Davesrose]

I think it's easy to get lost on an audiophile forum and but a lot of this stuff is quite far down the rabbit hole for the 'average consumer' or so I imagine haha

From what I've gathered, you're an audiophile if you don't (only) own Beats, Bose, or Apple headphones/earphones.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

The RME is a brilliant DAC and pairs very well with the 2C even on its own.

I have to agree with this. But I don't think he has to spend a thousand on a dacamp to enjoy his LCD-2C. I just think a real amp that doesn't run off a walwart PSU has a better chance of doing that than what he has now. There has to be some parity. You can't spend 90% of the budget on headphones and 10% on an amp and think everything should be fine.

 

[Turkeysaurus]

I received my LCD-2C a couple of days ago and I am very happy with my purchase. About a week ago I had purchased the Aeon Flow Closed RT but I immediately returned them. I really disliked their sound. Maybe it was my system (THX AAA 789 and ifi Zen DAC) not being a good match but they sounded dead, for lack of a better word. The LCD-2C sound completely opposite of dead. They are punchy, quick, and detailed to me.

 

[betula]

Average is relative? I intended for it to be exactly the opposite!
I can envision a group of 100 randomly selected Americans and I tell them that I listen to Audeze on a Schiit stack, they would almost all be perplexed and mutter something about, "Odyssey on a pile of crap? what?" and then if I told them that these headphones and peripherals cost upwards of $1,000 and that just it's entry level stuff and not a luxury item, they would chase me off and pelt me with projectile Air Pods.
I think it's easy to get lost on an audiophile forum and but a lot of this stuff is quite far down the rabbit hole for the 'average consumer' or so I imagine haha

Of course, I just wasn't sure if by 'average consumer' you meant 100 random people from the street, or 100 random people with a serious interest in audio.