[llamaluv]

Anyone else finding burn-in to be important here?

I guess with the LCD5 it's especially tricky to separate any potential headphone burn-in from the always-very-real brain burn-in process, since its tonal profile definitely forces your brain to adjust, making the latter a very real thing.

[...]

A lot of replies to this open-ended question which I raised in good faith, but all but one have failed to cite real-world experiences with the actual LCD-5, which is after all what we're talking about.

To re-iterate, the question I raised is not "is burn-in real" in some general or theoretical sense (which I agree @KMann would be "irrelevant", as well as off-topic and boring), but more concretely, what are other users' experiences with burn-in with the LCD-5?

It's usually useful or just interesting to share experiences about a piece of gear, especially a new one like this one, and comparing notes on possible burn-in experiences is typically something that's worthy of discussion. As is EQ. But oh well.

 

[Xcalibur255]

Biology is a factor too. For example the sound of my system changes quite a bit depending on barometric pressure, and if my blood pressure is running high that has a noticeable affect too. Human hearing is a deeply fascinating subject in general, along with the science of how changes in air pressure repeating in patterns to make waves results in our being able to hear beautiful music. Truly amazing.

 

[KMann]

Since you measure them again after burn-in at the factory, what would be the argument against including that measurement in the box for the end consumer?

It creates more problems than it solves, and we keep getting asked questions like 'Why is it not flat'. We used to do this before. The measurements are for QC purposes. Publishable measurements are a lot more time consuming, ensure proper seal, make measurements with multiple seating etc. If we don't do that, then two friends get together and 'see' differences in measurements and one can guess how that will go.

 

[Xcalibur255]

A lot of replies to this open-ended question which I raised in good faith, but all but one have failed to cite real-world experiences with the actual LCD-5, which is after all what we're talking about.

To re-iterate, the question I raised is not "is burn-in real" in some general or theoretical sense (which I agree @KMann would be "irrelevant", as well as off-topic and boring), but more concretely, what are other users' experiences with burn-in with the LCD-5?

It's usually useful or just interesting to share experiences about a piece of gear, especially a new one like this one, and comparing notes on possible burn-in experiences is typically something that's worthy of discussion. As is EQ. But oh well.

If one assumes the LCD-2 driver and LCD-5 driver are similar enough that one experience could stand in for the other, I can say that I do personally believe I heard a major shift in overall sound and presentation during the first couple hundred hours of listening to my LCD-2. It was more than just tone, the sense of speed or attack on transients, note decay, how and where different sounds would layer and image within the sounstage....... all of these things changed in presentation during those first few weeks. There have been a couple of times where it was changing fast enough I could hear it happening in the course of a single song.

 

[dfiled]

Let us all keep calm, press the ignore button, and carry on.

Speaking of ignoring, what‘s the word on the larger headband/yoke?

 

[KMann]

To re-iterate, the question I raised is not "is burn-in real" in some general or theoretical sense (which I agree @KMann would be "irrelevant", as well as off-topic and boring), but more concretely, what are other users' experiences with burn-in with the LCD-5?

Fair enough. I can throw in my experience here. The clarity of LCD-5 when I first heard them (prototype) was quite distracting for me, it took me about two days to get used to them before I could fully appreciate them.

 

[dfiled]

Yea I find my preferences align pretty close to Resolve's as well. LCD 5s are definitely tempting and I will be trying to get a demo soon as well but at this point, having heard many of the TOTL offerings, I am looking for something that definitely beats the Susvara/TCs I have, which is a pretty tough ask. I really don't need 3 pairs of headphones for my listening habits.

The other factor to consider is I found the Susvaras to change a LOT depending on the DAC/Amp used, I've run it through like 10 different amps and probably close to 20 different DACs now and of all the headphones Susvaras seem to take on the characteristics of the chain more heavily than other headphones, like people complain about the bass/slam on Susvaras but on my current setup the only headphone that slams harder are the TCs... and it's not by a lot

What is your current chain that gives you all that slam?

 

[KMann]

Speaking of ignoring, what‘s the word on the larger headband/yoke?

Some call them 'the big boy headband' , they are not big (they are the same size) and they are gender agnostic., they just clamp less. The longer yolk rod is only for those who are on the last click on the standard yolk rod. We are currently beta testing and evaluating them, we don't have a ETA yet.

 

[dfiled]

Some call them 'the big boy headband' , they are not big (they are the same size) and they are gender agnostic., they just clamp less. The longer yolk rod is only for those who are on the last click on the standard yolk rod. We are currently beta testing and evaluating them, we don't have a ETA yet.

Is it a question of “if” or “when” they come out? This will be decisive for me (and others I imagine) in determining whether to purchase.

 

[BassicScience]

A lot of replies to this open-ended question which I raised in good faith, but all but one have failed to cite real-world experiences with the actual LCD-5, which is after all what we're talking about.

To re-iterate, the question I raised is not "is burn-in real" in some general or theoretical sense (which I agree @KMann would be "irrelevant", as well as off-topic and boring), but more concretely, what are other users' experiences with burn-in with the LCD-5?

It's usually useful or just interesting to share experiences about a piece of gear, especially a new one like this one, and comparing notes on possible burn-in experiences is typically something that's worthy of discussion. As is EQ. But oh well.

I'll play contrarian here and say that (to me) it's neither useful nor interesting in the absence of some objective data. As pointed out, there are too many vagaries with human perception for "burn-in experiences" to be anything more than anecdotal. I believe that while break-in (more apt than "burn-in" for mechanical changes) can be a legitimate phenomenon with tensioned membranes, speaker surrounds, etc., brain burn-in is probably more responsible for perceived sonic changes in the majority of user experiences.

 

[KMann]

Is it a question of “if” of “when” they come out? This will be decisive for me (and others I imagine) in determining whether to purchase.

It is only a question of when.

 

[dfiled]

It is only a question of when.

Great, thanks.

 

[mwilson]

Why does it have to be this complicated? You plug it in, listen to music. Like the sound? Great, it's a keeper; not, return within the window. Graphs, reviews, eq, tf? It's a tool for enjoying recorded music. Anything more and obsessing over details is unhealthy.

 

[rangerid]

What is your current chain that gives you all that slam?

The most satisfying chain I've used for pure slam is the Mola Mola Tambaqui upsampled with HQPlayer > (a few different tube pre amps, more for that sweet tube flavour & bloom) > Bakoon amp-13R. The synergy was , Tambaqui has world class dynamics (best I've heard from a DAC), combined with its forward nature, turned the Susvara into an absolute animal. 13R is softer which contrasted and tamed the Tambaqui, preventing it from being too analytical and fatiguing.

I might be in the minority but the DAC IME has had as much of an impact as the amp for the Sus and slam in general. I have a CFA3 being built atm, which is supposedly much better than the Bakoon in that department, only time will tell but I am optimistic... I've already begun making changes in prep for what will likely replace the Bakoon lol...

 

[llamaluv]

Why does it have to be this complicated? You plug it in, listen to music. Like the sound? Great, it's a keeper; not, return within the window. Graphs, reviews, eq, tf? It's a tool for enjoying recorded music. Anything more and obsessing over details is unhealthy.

The bigger problem with this thread is the overabundance of snarky, moralistic arm-chair meta-commentary on questions of burn-in, EQ (gasp! EQ!), and who-knows-what will-be-next -- without contributing any hands-on impressions on the headphone in question that could back up any such opinions.