[mulder01]

  The LCD-4 requires a fair bit of power and anything less is a giant waste of 4K...if you are going to lay out so much money why would anyone possibly under power the LCD-4....kind of silly

 
Ok so what amps have you personally tried that can put out, say, only half a watt into the LCD-4 that you would consider "a giant waste of $4k"?  Ignoring the fact that you may not want to pair a dark amp with a dark headphone, what reasonably priced desktop amp have you tried that sounded so bad quality wise, that you would tell members if X amp is all they can afford, then the LCD-4 isn't even worth owning.  Makes and models please.

 

[jlbrach]

ok,I have used my LCD-4 with my Hugo which is a top notch amp/dac that i love and it just doesnt have enough power IMHO to truly take advantage of the LCD-4 ...I am not speaking here of an inexpensive low end product....my LCD-4 is dramatically better with my moon neo 430 and Yiggy.......the point i am making is not that the LCD-4 cannot be used with less powerful sources,just that it sounds dramatically better with more powerful options.....people are welcome to buy and listen to anything they choose but it seems to me that at 4K the LCD-4 cries out for top end equipment...if one wants to use lower powered amps i would suggest something like the LCD-x or the Hifiman-edition x

 

[groovyd]

  So I just bought the carbon fiber headband (for my LCD-XC, but obviously there are more people with experience with the headband in this thread). It appears the head strap is so long that it contacts the actual carbon fiber headband. Didn't Audeze offer to correct this or am I just making that up? It looks like this image from earlier in the thread:
 

 
Just curious before I bother Audeze about it. Thanks! 

 

I was told recently by Audeze directly that they did not have the fixed straps available yet.

 

[Maconi]

 

  So I just bought the carbon fiber headband (for my LCD-XC, but obviously there are more people with experience with the headband in this thread). It appears the head strap is so long that it contacts the actual carbon fiber headband. Didn't Audeze offer to correct this or am I just making that up? It looks like this image from earlier in the thread:
 

 
Just curious before I bother Audeze about it. Thanks! 

 

I was told recently by Audeze directly that they did not have the fixed straps available yet.

 
Thanks for the heads up. I guess I'll go ahead and put it on and start using it then. Hopefully won't get a hotspot. 

 

[mulder01]

  ok,I have used my LCD-4 with my Hugo which is a top notch amp/dac that i love and it just doesnt have enough power IMHO to truly take advantage of the LCD-4 ...I am not speaking here of an inexpensive low end product....my LCD-4 is dramatically better with my moon neo 430 and Yiggy.......the point i am making is not that the LCD-4 cannot be used with less powerful sources,just that it sounds dramatically better with more powerful options.....people are welcome to buy and listen to anything they choose but it seems to me that at 4K the LCD-4 cries out for top end equipment...if one wants to use lower powered amps i would suggest something like the LCD-x or the Hifiman-edition x

 
Hugo is top notch specs wise but puts out 0.07watts into 300 ohms (I'm assuming not a whole lot more into 200) so we're actually kinda in agreeance there.  I was saying half a watt or a watt should be more than enough.  (Moon is 1.33w into 300 ohms)

 

[Thiry]

 

 

 

 
How to make the strap shorter:

Here's a step-by-step:
-Remove the earcups from the headband by removing the screws at the tops of the yokes and pulling the yokes out of the adjustment blocks.
-Photo 1 shows the headband as it arrives from the factory. We just need to take 2-3mm off each side of the leather.
-Remove the four screws and the retaining plate on one side of the headband to get at the leather as in Photo 2.
-With a sharp utility knife or razor blade, cut 2-3mm off the end of that side as in Photo 3. Just at the bottoms of the screw holes is fine.
-Re-install the four screws and plate over the newly trimmed leather band. You can poke new holes in the leather with an awl or similar sharp pointed tool to make it easier to insert the screws.
-Repeat this process on the other side of the headband.
-Photo 4 shows the completed headband mod, which will allow the leather to suspend the carbon fiber above your head.
-Re-attach the earcups by pushing the yokes back into the adjustment blocks and putting the screws back into their tops. Note that the yokes only go one way into the blocks and the flat sides must match with the earcups facing each other.
-Put on your favorite record and enjoy!

 

[Simon T]

  ok,I have used my LCD-4 with my Hugo which is a top notch amp/dac that i love and it just doesnt have enough power IMHO to truly take advantage of the LCD-4 ...I am not speaking here of an inexpensive low end product....my LCD-4 is dramatically better with my moon neo 430 and Yiggy.......the point i am making is not that the LCD-4 cannot be used with less powerful sources,just that it sounds dramatically better with more powerful options.....people are welcome to buy and listen to anything they choose but it seems to me that at 4K the LCD-4 cries out for top end equipment...if one wants to use lower powered amps i would suggest something like the LCD-x or the Hifiman-edition x

 
Hi jlbrach,
 
I agree with you that the LCD-4 needs power to shine. Unfortunately, I have never auditioned/paired the Moon Neo 430 nor the Yiggy, to experience first hand the dramatic improvement in the LCD4. Also, it is quite obvious that a $4k, 200 ohm pair of open planar headphones was not primarily meant for portable/transportable sources.
 
Nonetheless, I disagree with the statement of the Hugo not having enough power. Hugo specs wise it shows that it can output 110dB SPL into a 300ohm headphone load:
 
Advanced digital volume control
Crossfeed filter network
Battery powered for approximately 12 hours operation
Input, sample rate and volume level indication by colour-change LEDs
26K tap-length filter (more than double when compared to the QuteHD DAC)
Headphone output: 110dB SPL into a 300ohm headphone load
Output power - 1KHz 1V sinewave both channels driven 0.1% distortion
600 ohms 35mW
300 ohms 70mW
56 ohms 320mW
32 ohms 600mW
8 ohms 720mW
THD - 1KHz 3V output: 0.0005%
Dynamic Range: 120dB
Output impedance: 0.075 ohms
Damping factor >100
Weight: 0.4kg
Dimensions: 100x20x132mm (WxHxD)
 
Additionally in my humble opinion; it also depends on the level of listening volume an individual is used to. Personally with the Hugo at almost Max volume (white light on the volume control), I find out that I usually reduce the volume after 2 or 3 songs (depending on albums/tracks). 
 
Cheers

 

[Thiry]

Here's a step-by-step to make the headband shorter:

:

 

 

 

 
-Remove the earcups from the headband by removing the screws at the tops of the yokes and pulling the yokes out of the adjustment blocks.
-Photo 1 shows the headband as it arrives from the factory. We just need to take 2-3mm off each side of the leather.
-Remove the four screws and the retaining plate on one side of the headband to get at the leather as in Photo 2.
-With a sharp utility knife or razor blade, cut 2-3mm off the end of that side as in Photo 3. Just at the bottoms of the screw holes is fine.
-Re-install the four screws and plate over the newly trimmed leather band. You can poke new holes in the leather with an awl or similar sharp pointed tool to make it easier to insert the screws.
-Repeat this process on the other side of the headband.
-Photo 4 shows the completed headband mod, which will allow the leather to suspend the carbon fiber above your head.
-Re-attach the earcups by pushing the yokes back into the adjustment blocks and putting the screws back into their tops. Note that the yokes only go one way into the blocks and the flat sides must match with the earcups facing each other.
-Put on your favorite record and enjoy!

 

[Thiry]

  So I just bought the carbon fiber headband (for my LCD-XC, but obviously there are more people with experience with the headband in this thread). It appears the head strap is so long that it contacts the actual carbon fiber headband. Didn't Audeze offer to correct this or am I just making that up? It looks like this image from earlier in the thread:
 

 
Just curious before I bother Audeze about it. Thanks! 

 

Here's a step-by-step to make the strap shorter:
-Remove the earcups from the headband by removing the screws at the tops of the yokes and pulling the yokes out of the adjustment blocks.
-Photo 1 shows the headband as it arrives from the factory. We just need to take 2-3mm off each side of the leather.
-Remove the four screws and the retaining plate on one side of the headband to get at the leather as in Photo 2.
-With a sharp utility knife or razor blade, cut 2-3mm off the end of that side as in Photo 3. Just at the bottoms of the screw holes is fine.
-Re-install the four screws and plate over the newly trimmed leather band. You can poke new holes in the leather with an awl or similar sharp pointed tool to make it easier to insert the screws.
-Repeat this process on the other side of the headband.
-Photo 4 shows the completed headband mod, which will allow the leather to suspend the carbon fiber above your head.
-Re-attach the earcups by pushing the yokes back into the adjustment blocks and putting the screws back into their tops. Note that the yokes only go one way into the blocks and the flat sides must match with the earcups facing each other.
-Put on your favorite record and enjoy!



 

 

 

 

[mulder01]

   
Hi jlbrach,
 
I agree with you that the LCD-4 needs power to shine. Unfortunately, I have never auditioned/paired the Moon Neo 430 nor the Yiggy, to experience first hand the dramatic improvement in the LCD4. Also, it is quite obvious that a $4k, 200 ohm pair of open planar headphones was not primarily meant for portable/transportable sources.
 
Nonetheless, I disagree with the statement of the Hugo not having enough power. Hugo specs wise it shows that it can output 110dB SPL into a 300ohm headphone load:
 
Advanced digital volume control
Crossfeed filter network
Battery powered for approximately 12 hours operation
Input, sample rate and volume level indication by colour-change LEDs
26K tap-length filter (more than double when compared to the QuteHD DAC)
Headphone output: 110dB SPL into a 300ohm headphone load
Output power - 1KHz 1V sinewave both channels driven 0.1% distortion
600 ohms 35mW
300 ohms 70mW
56 ohms 320mW
32 ohms 600mW
8 ohms 720mW
THD - 1KHz 3V output: 0.0005%
Dynamic Range: 120dB
Output impedance: 0.075 ohms
Damping factor >100
Weight: 0.4kg
Dimensions: 100x20x132mm (WxHxD)
 
Additionally in my humble opinion; it also depends on the level of listening volume an individual is used to. Personally with the Hugo at almost Max volume (white light on the volume control), I find out that I usually reduce the volume after 2 or 3 songs (depending on albums/tracks). 
 
Cheers

 
?  Weird spec.  The dB SPL will vary with efficiency...

 

[goldendarko]

It's not all about power, TOTL amps aren't just TOTL because they put out a butt load of volume.

 

[mulder01]

It's not all about power, TOTL amps aren't just TOTL because they put out a butt load of volume.

 
No, you're right - that conversation was about having enough power to drive the lcd4 though.  

 

[Simon T]

   
?  Weird spec.  The dB SPL will vary with efficiency...

 
You are right, not a common spec .
 
My interpretation of Chord meaning, for the following Hugo spec: 
 
Headphone output: 110dB SPL into a 300ohm headphone load
 
is a straight forward interpretation:
 
The Hugo has enough power to drive headphones with 300ohm impendace up to 110 decibels sound pressure level
 
Cheers

 

[dan.gheorghe]

   
You are right, not a common spec .
 
My interpretation of Chord meaning, for the following Hugo spec: 
 
Headphone output: 110dB SPL into a 300ohm headphone load
 
is a straight forward interpretation:
 
The Hugo has enough power to drive headphones with 300ohm impendace up to 110 decibels sound pressure level
 
Cheers

While it was ok with LCD-3, it didn't quite manage to get it to sound lively enough for me. And lcd-4 needs more power.

 

[up late]

@goldendarko - it's also about nice case work which can account for a significant amount of the amp's cost and has little bearing on its performance