[nickosiris]

Having loved my first few weeks with the LCD-4 I'd just like to reiterate two points that many have made:
 
1)  It really does change character with a fancy cable. If you've only ever heard a pair with the stock cable then you haven't got near the limits of what's possible. My Silver Poison suits me down to the ground but it's worth trying a few to find your own sweet spot.
 
2)  Power. Give it as much as you dare. I thought it sounded pretty good with the already quite beefy Lyr 2, but when I got hold of my Wells Milo - well it's like I've sent the headphones back to Audeze and they've sent me back a new improved model. Remarkable.

 

[schugh]

When they say "1-4 watts" recommended do they mean 1-4 watts at 32 Ohms or at the 200 Ohms of the LCD4?

 

[jlbrach]

  Having loved my first few weeks with the LCD-4 I'd just like to reiterate two points that many have made:
 
1)  It really does change character with a fancy cable. If you've only ever heard a pair with the stock cable then you haven't got near the limits of what's possible. My Silver Poison suits me down to the ground but it's worth trying a few to find your own sweet spot.
 
2)  Power. Give it as much as you dare. I thought it sounded pretty good with the already quite beefy Lyr 2, but when I got hold of my Wells Milo - well it's like I've sent the headphones back to Audeze and they've sent me back a new improved model. Remarkable.

I do agree,I find listening to the LCD-4 straight out of my Chord Dave to be a more transparent and intimate listening session,with my Moon 430 attached it is a bigger sound with more authority....different but not necessarily better

 

[PhilW]

Got to say that this is an impressive all round system.

 

[Tekk83]

  When they say "1-4 watts" recommended do they mean 1-4 watts at 32 Ohms or at the 200 Ohms of the LCD4?

1-4 Watts @ 200 ohms to the lcd 4

 

[MacedonianHero]

Got to say that this is an impressive all round system.

The DAVE is great...but I found it did run out of steam with the LCD-4s with high resolution music in my experience. As mentioned, the 1-4W requirement ideally and the DAVE is about 0.75W. But when paired with a great dedicated headphone amp, just a lovely setup!

 

[goldendarko]

The DAVE is great...but I found it did run out of steam with the LCD-4s with high resolution music in my experience. As mentioned, the 1-4W requirement ideally and the DAVE is about 0.75W. But when paired with a great dedicated headphone amp, just a lovely setup!

Jeez now you've got me questioning whether my Studio Six will work with the LCD-4 I just bought

 

[jlbrach]

  The DAVE is great...but I found it did run out of steam with the LCD-4s with high resolution music in my experience. As mentioned, the 1-4W requirement ideally and the DAVE is about 0.75W. But when paired with a great dedicated headphone amp, just a lovely setup!

Dave will drive any HP including the LCD-4 although I can not speak to high resolution music which may well require more power....I listen to pretty much all FLAC and although I have to push the Dave a fair bit more than with any other HP i have used the LCD-4 and dave with quite nice results....using my Moon 430 with the Dave and LCD-4 is different not necessarily better although to some certainly it might well be....MacedonianHero knows his stuff though

 

[Torq]

  Dave will drive any HP including the LCD-4 although I can not speak to high resolution music which may well require more power....I listen to pretty much all FLAC and although I have to push the Dave a fair bit more than with any other HP i have used the LCD-4 and dave with quite nice results....using my Moon 430 with the Dave and LCD-4 is different not necessarily better although to some certainly it might well be....MacedonianHero knows his stuff though

Regardless of the engineering and math (I'm an engineer, after all), I still found that I preferred DAVE with an external amplifier with either the Abyss or LCD-4.  Was a toss-up with the HD800S.  Doesn't float my boat with the Utopia without something else in the chain (definitely not down to having sufficient power).  There is, for sure, an undeniable, if minor, loss in transparency running it that way, but the end result was more enjoyable for me with a fat, beefy, tube-amp between the DAC and the headphones.
 
I didn't find the Moon 430 to be particularly compelling with the LCD-4 either (regardless of source).  Had to step up to something with a lot more power at 200 ohms to really make the LCD-4 sing (for me).  Now, with the HD800S or Utopia the 430 becomes more viable for me.

 

[mulder01]

Jeez now you've got me questioning whether my Studio Six will work with the LCD-4 I just bought

 
I wouldn't be concerned - Audeze states 1-4 watts power requirement on every LCD headphone on their site - including the X.  The X can be driven to the threshold of pain at 0.05w.  
 
Would take that stat with a grain of salt.

 

[PhilW]

The DAVE is great...but I found it did run out of steam with the LCD-4s with high resolution music in my experience. As mentioned, the 1-4W requirement ideally and the DAVE is about 0.75W. But when paired with a great dedicated headphone amp, just a lovely setup!

no complaints here. Although driven at max -4 On DAVE.

 

[rgs9200m]

IMHO, the LCD4 (and for that matter the LCD3-F that I used to own) shines wonderfully with my Ray Samuels B52. There is some sort of real synergy with this amp and the Audeze (and other phones that are power hungry, like the HE1000 v1 and v2).
Among other things, it really grips the the bass into something special and the music just falls out with no strain at all.
[I'm thinking of selling my B52 that I bought new (not decided yet) for $4000 since I moved on to a Pinnacle.]

 

[jlbrach]

 
Regardless of the engineering and math (I'm an engineer, after all), I still found that I preferred DAVE with an external amplifier with either the Abyss or LCD-4.  Was a toss-up with the HD800S.  Doesn't float my boat with the Utopia without something else in the chain (definitely not down to having sufficient power).  There is, for sure, an undeniable, if minor, loss in transparency running it that way, but the end result was more enjoyable for me with a fat, beefy, tube-amp between the DAC and the headphones.
 
I didn't find the Moon 430 to be particularly compelling with the LCD-4 either (regardless of source).  Had to step up to something with a lot more power at 200 ohms to really make the LCD-4 sing (for me).  Now, with the HD800S or Utopia the 430 becomes more viable for me.

I find the 430 easily drives the LCD-4 and is overkill for the Utopia and subtracts far more than it adds...that said it is just this one man's opinion

 

[pCollins]

I was told the LCD4 is shipped with a $699 premium balanced or premium singled ended cable.
Is this cable really this good?
which one is better?
 
Thanks

 

[rgs9200m]

Well, I sure find what Torq said above very true with the Hugo TT (and the original Hugo). A good headphone amp makes the sound much better (more authoritative and full with a more concrete and controlled bass, and just less strain).