[jlbrach]

one can hear blatant differences immediately but the only way to tell if one likes say the LCD-4 or the HE1000 or other similar high end cans is to spend time with both and listen to different music on the same equipment and listen for nuance because at this level it is all about nuance.....

 

[Eduardo C]

Hi guys, I need your advice, my Lcd-4s are arriving next Friday. I am planning to drive them with the Sennheiser HDVA600 amp. I understand that they require a fair amount of amp power. This amp delivers more power through the balanced outputs, but the lcd-4s come standard with a SE cable.

My question is wether I should buy a balanced cable. Will the sound improve?

Thanks for your advice.

 

[PLUSSOUND]

Hi guys, I need your advice, my Lcd-4s are arriving next Friday. I am planning to drive them with the Sennheiser HDVA600 amp. I understand that they require a fair amount of amp power. This amp delivers more power through the balanced outputs, but the lcd-4s come standard with a SE cable.

My question is wether I should buy a balanced cable. Will the sound improve?

Thanks for your advice.

If you have balanced output on the amp, definitely take advantage of it. Sound quality is better. You may consider getting an extension cable or adapter if you want to covert the cable to single ended.

 

[johnzz4]

Hi guys, I need your advice, my Lcd-4s are arriving next Friday. I am planning to drive them with the Sennheiser HDVA600 amp. I understand that they require a fair amount of amp power. This amp delivers more power through the balanced outputs, but the lcd-4s come standard with a SE cable.

My question is wether I should buy a balanced cable. Will the sound improve?

Thanks for your advice.

Eduardo - You should be able to swap it out with the balanced cable if you give Audeze a call.  I know it's a pain to do the shipping, but it's a $400 retail cable and my other aftermarket cables don't sound as good.  Then just get a female 4-pin XLR to 1/4in adapter and you're good to go.

 

[Hifi59]

Hi guys, I need your advice, my Lcd-4s are arriving next Friday. I am planning to drive them with the Sennheiser HDVA600 amp. I understand that they require a fair amount of amp power. This amp delivers more power through the balanced outputs, but the lcd-4s come standard with a SE cable.

My question is wether I should buy a balanced cable. Will the sound improve?

Thanks for your advice.

From my experience, Cardas cable works amongst the best with Audeze headphones(and others too).
Midrange clarity and lack of grain are their strengths IMO. You can buy it on eBay.i don't hear much difference between 150.00 cardas bulk 24x4 cable vs The 700.00 Cardas Clear cable. Cardas vs stock cable is a much larger difference.

 

[Eduardo C]

Eduardo - You should be able to swap it out with the balanced cable if you give Audeze a call.  I know it's a pain to do the shipping, but it's a $400 retail cable and my other aftermarket cables don't sound as good.  Then just get a female 4-pin XLR to 1/4in adapter and you're good to go.

Is the sound difference that important? Is it a matter of amp output power? Or are there other specific advantages about using a balanced connection.

(sorry about my bad English)

 

[johnzz4]

Is the sound difference that important? Is it a matter of amp output power? Or are there other specific advantages about using a balanced connection.

(sorry about my bad English)

You've spent this much on headphones.  You'll get more power and there are differences in sound.  Whether you prefer the sound of single-ended or balanced, that's very much preference.  I prefer balanced and I expect you would too with the 4s.  Here's a thread and there are several links within this thread that go into more depth:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/576339/balanced-vs-single-ended-poll
 
Good luck!

 

[Rico613]

Hi guys, I need your advice, my Lcd-4s are arriving next Friday. I am planning to drive them with the Sennheiser HDVA600 amp. I understand that they require a fair amount of amp power. This amp delivers more power through the balanced outputs, but the lcd-4s come standard with a SE cable.

My question is wether I should buy a balanced cable. Will the sound improve?

Thanks for your advice.

 
In general there is a modest sound improvement with balanced headphone cables.  I don't know how good the stock LCD-4 SE cable is.  The stock balanced cable was is excellent.  If you can't get a stock balanced cable with your LCD-4 you can buy something like a balanced Silver Dragon V3 (or other quality silver cable).   
 
*edit:  There is a much bigger improvement in sound quality with balanced interconnect cables rather than single ended.  ( DAC ---> Amplifier )

 

[manpowre]

I recieved my LCD4 yesterday and driving now with my Oppo HA-1 as a dac, pre-out to my Violetric H281 as amp using Nordost Heimdall 2 cable between dac and amp. Then using XLR4 out on the H281 which also is a Heimdall Nordost 2 cable with mini xlr pins to the LCD4.
 
Man, this thing draws power. The LCD3 I had, my amp sounded loud at 11o clock. Now, I have turned it up to 3o clock and its not even loud. I guess I have to play with the gain function on the amp. But first the headphones will get some burn in. Audeze burned them overnight already, but as with other headphones I owned they need some burn in to settle all the components for about 100h. 
 
Sound quality, wow. So well balanced. The sharp female vocals I experienced with LCD3 (oct 2015 rev) is gone. No sharp tones whatsoever. just a solid balanced soundstage, amazingly enriched with so many details well positioned, and a very nice bass punch.
 
Since my Hegel H25 is at the manufacturer at the moment, I need to use my oppo as dac, cant wait for my H25 comes back.. But I feel the Oppo HA-1 DAC suddenly became a good match with the LCD4. With the LCD3 I experienced lack of lower tones and bass, and that helped with the H25 which gave a more detailed and more punch in lower tones.. If that happens with the LCD4 too, well, thats gonna be alot of bass.
 
very happy atm.. music heaven. and it gets better.
 
For cables, I do recommend a really good cable for lcd4 from a good cable provider. there is a huge difference between eg. the lcd3 stock XLR3 cable and eg. my Heimdal cable.

 

[Eduardo C]

Hi manpowre, I am glad to know everything is going well.
 
Do you feel the weight too much? are the lcd4s comfortable for long listenings?

 

[manpowre]

 
Hi manpowre, I am glad to know everything is going well.
 
Do you feel the weight too much? are the lcd4s comfortable for long listenings?

The weight is a non-issue to me really. I used them about 2.5hours yesterday and 1 hour today. No fatigue. However Im amazed by the quality of the headphone by itself. The leather is a little stiffer than the leather on the LCD3 I had. I can understand if some people would prefer softer leather material. I can only assume that the stiff leather and earcup is intentional so it makes the bass response as we can hear it so deep and accurate.
 
The headband is better on the lcd4 than the stiff one on LCD3. Just more comfortable with LCD4.

 

[archeryc]

The weight of LCD4 is not an issue for me either. I can wear it more than 3 hours. The only issue for me is my glasses, it's a lot more comfortable after taking it off for a long listening. 

 

[rgs9200m]

For some reason, I've never been able to wear headphones and glasses at the same time, it's just too annoying and uncomfortable. Does anyone else feel the same way?
By the way, the LCD4 is very comfortable despite the weight. I guess the weight is well distributed or the earpieces just share the support along with the headband so everything is just right.
Strangely, I find the LCD4 more comfy than the LCD2 and LCD3. The 2 and 3 seem to clamp more to hold on, while the 4 seems naturally attached to my head from all angles.

 

[goldendarko]

doesn't the 4 outweight the 2/3? Doesn't seem like it should be more comfortable.

 

[jodgey4]

doesn't the 4 outweight the 2/3? Doesn't seem like it should be more comfortable.

The 4 comes standard with the upgraded headband that distributes the weight better.