Audeze LCD-5 Review, Measurements, Interview

[EMINENT]

Cross posting..

Well... first impressions.. It feels nice.

 

[shwnwllms]

Although I don't use any power anything, i've read some conditioners could color bass. Maybe why no shelf works for you. Sounds like you haven't found the perfect synergy like me.

And, it is still pretty much perfect for me with Mitchco's and my settings. I've found the spot that's difficult to deviate from and nothing is left wanting or missing.

Question, do you or any others feel addictive, euphoric frisson with some songs like I do?

The bass response is fine, synergy is fine too. Neither are impacted by my power conditioner. It’s the trade off in the mids I’m not fond of when adding the low shelf. I’m just finding I enjoy Harman (or something that tracks closer to Harman) than dead neutral like Mitchco (with or without the low shelf)

No addictive euphoric frisson, maybe I need to switch out my fuses

 

[EMINENT]

First impressions with my first R2R....

I can tell the treble roll off here. Right off the bat with OS mode, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was great! I totally forgot I had no EQ in the chain! It just seemed bass light (neutral) like Mitchco's filter stock.

Second test. NOS mode is similar but a tad more mid forward than OS.

My theory, maybe the treble roll off on R2R is why you aren't getting the mids in line. Yet to be determined. Haven't tried NOS+HQP/EQ yet.

 

[shwnwllms]

First impressions with my first R2R....

Reassess after 200-300 hours

 

[EMINENT]

Reassess after 200-300 hours

lol. Ain't nobody got time for that!

Diving into HQP/EQ now.

 

[chargedcapacitor]

The bass response is fine, synergy is fine too. Neither are impacted by my power conditioner. It’s the trade off in the mids I’m not fond of when adding the low shelf. I’m just finding I enjoy Harman (or something that tracks closer to Harman) than dead neutral like Mitchco (with or without the low shelf)

No addictive euphoric frisson, maybe I need to switch out my fuses

Yeah, the fuses will definitely be your bottleneck.

/S

 

[shwnwllms]

Yeah, the fuses will definitely be your bottleneck.

/S

Do I go with the orange or purple for maximum addictive euphoric frisson?

 

[sahmen]

Do I go with the orange or purple for maximum addictive euphoric frisson?

Don't know about the orange or the purple SR fuses, but a little bird did indicate to me once, that in order to achieve an authentic addictive euphoric frisson experience in any endeavor, a brew like one of these should be de rigueur, although here too one's mileage could always vary

 

[TheMiddleSky]

First impressions with my first R2R....

I can tell the treble roll off here. Right off the bat with OS mode, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was great! I totally forgot I had no EQ in the chain! It just seemed bass light (neutral) like Mitchco's filter stock.

Second test. NOS mode is similar but a tad more mid forward than OS.

My theory, maybe the treble roll off on R2R is why you aren't getting the mids in line. Yet to be determined. Haven't tried NOS+HQP/EQ yet.

if possible a comparison between X26 and R26 would be nice, especially the synergy with LCD-5

 

[EMINENT]

Do I go with the orange or purple for maximum addictive euphoric frisson?

Lol. Almost as bad as the filter's folder structure placement.

Read that some are not able to experience this. If you have never, or cannot, sorry to hear that (pun intended).

 

[shwnwllms]

So I picked up a ZMF Verite silver 4-strand cable for use with my incoming VO from HCS. It arrived yesterday, so I’m trying it out on my LCD-5 today. (I may have to invest in an all silver cable for my LCD-5 as well)

 

[rthomas]

Wow! With this level of tweaking with fuses and cables and Dacs and EQs does anyone have time to enjoy the music?

 

[Somatic]

Finally listening to the LCD5 with Lavricables Grand Silver. This in conjunction to updating my source and adding a LPS on the Dave. I don't have a need to EQ. Sounds great.

Listening to Satie Piano Works right now. Very believable. Curious how does LCD5 compare to other TOTL headphones in piano reproduction? Thanks.

Edit: Listening to "The Third Day: Summer" - Cristobal Tapia de Veer ... sounds amazing. More detailed than I remember without sibilance. LCD5 sounds better than I remember.

 

[EMINENT]

if possible a comparison between X26 and R26 would be nice, especially the synergy with LCD-5

Build, very nice... especially the front rounded edges. Thinner than the X26P. Similar in weight. Both are chonks and dense. Menu is tiny AF. I sit about 5-6 feet away and it's impossible to read, but the volume is nice and big if I could use it. No volume control in NOS or DSD mode, which sucks. Have to resort to Roon volume via HQP. No manual in the box or online. Someone posted a link to the Chinese one, but I can't read it. Emailed Gustard and they sent it over in English and confirmed fuse is the same size. To be clear, I didn't have a need for another DAC. This just launched and was perfect timing as I was curious about R2R and because @shwnwllms had me try DSD upsampling on the X26P where I discovered a hiss issue with my unit. So, Gustard has offered to repair even though I am the second owner. I needed another one to use in the meantime because I couldn't take being without it. Thankfully, the original owner had a PO and sent to me. Great support from Gustard so far even though the inconvenience. So, i'll be mailing it off soon.

Sound... still early days. Initial stock for stock impressions are the mid forwardness was less harsh with the R26 than X26P on the LCD5 for me. Like stated earlier, it sounded pretty dang good tonally with the Oor/Hypsos vanilla if that's your jam. But, not the magic I have been having with the X26P and my setup. Goal was to either replicate or improve on that sound.

So far, at least they don't sound the same out the box. As in the carryover of my preset didn't give me an identical experience.

Conclusions so far are that it's pretty soft, kinda diffused and airy sounding in comparison. Not the same solidity in bass note fullness, rounded. Like a sponge instead of a brick. Like how i've read R2R is like unless I remembered wrong.

Over the last couple days and hours, I think I finally found the magic i'm after. I had to dial in more bass and tighten the Q value in comparison due to the softness. I was worried for a sec. that it was too spread out sounding to offer any impact, but I think I got it under control now. This is notable in that presets aren't going to work for everyone's differing chains.

Wow! With this level of tweaking with fuses and cables and Dacs and EQs does anyone have time to enjoy the music?

Don't worry, i've got plenty of ridiculous additions to my playlist now.


So, if you haven't already got me on ignore or stopped reading... now time for some more psycho crazy talk that you can skip.

I purposely left the stock fuse in throughout the whole first couple days tweaking and just an hour ago swapped the SR Purple from X26P. Everything is more as I remember and in line perfectly now. Placebo maybe but it seems like the air region was subtly different before it was in.

Conclusion, I was able to find the sound I want with the minor benefit of the very minor separation/stage benefits so it's a keeper.

Testing methodology is with repeatable frisson inducing passages. So I test not only tonal balance but maximum frisson. Tightness of bass and everything plays a role here for perfect synergy.

 

[sahmen]

Wow! With this level of tweaking with fuses and cables and Dacs and EQs does anyone have time to enjoy the music?

Absolutely! And I am thinking of those for whom tweaking, tinkering, experimenting with frequent gear-swapping--not to forget discussing audio gear 24/7 on head-fi and elsewhere--are indispensably linked with the enjoyment of the music. I have a feeling that some would grow positively miserable if they were ever restricted to just listening and doing nothing else. That's not necessarily my style but certain head-fi "frequent flyers" seem to share that profile and personally, I say mo powa to them :