$3000-4000 headphone with $500 gear is a waste of hp resources. You need at least a gear of $2K to truly start to hear what your 3-4K headphone is capable of.
I just share this as I still see some completely ignorant posts with 4K headphones and $200 DAPs.
Please, do your research before a multi thousand dollar purchase to avoid disappointments.
Completely false and an audiophile myth. Once you actually understand basic electrical engineering, digital signal processing theory, and physics you'll finally understand how wrong a blanket statement like this is. Don't believe it, try a level matched blind test between a well measured $200 DAC/Amp combo (that can drive the headphones well w/o distortion) and a $10k DAC/Amp stack yourself. If you've long believed in audiophile magic not explained by modern DSP, physics and EE it will shatter your reality. Let's all focus on the LCD-5 and not propagate more misguided info.
Completely false and an audiophile myth. Once you actually understand basic electrical engineering, digital signal processing theory, and physics you'll finally understand how wrong a blanket statement like this is. Don't believe it, try a level matched blind test between a well measured $200 DAC/Amp combo (that can drive the headphones well w/o distortion) and a $10k DAC/Amp stack yourself. If you've long believed in audiophile magic not explained by modern DSP, physics and EE it will shatter your reality. Let's all focus on the LCD-5 and not propagate more misguided info.
Unless the $500 amp measures extremely poor (which modern amps of this price range don't) and of the same output impedance then you can't either. This has already been put to rest by real peer-reviewed studies. The difference in opinion is some of us have actually done double-blind listening tests to verify if this is true and you probably haven't. Lets leave amp pricing out of this discussion, you're getting pushback on this because you introduced it.
Unless the $500 amp measures extremely poor (which modern amps of this price range don't) and of the same output impedance then you can't either. This has already been put to rest by real peer-reviewed studies. The difference in opinion is some of us have actually done double-blind listening tests to verify if this is true and you probably haven't.
Measurements can't show half of what actually can been heard. Measurements have a long way to go. Many sound characteristics can't be measured just yet. Impact is one of them.
Measurements can't show half of what actually can been heard. Measurements have a long way to go. Many sound characteristics can't be measured just yet. Impact is one of them.
Sure ok, you can either believe this which has never been proven in any real blind testing so is just purely faith based on the amount of $ you spent. Or you can believe differences come down to real science, EE, DSP and physics which has been proven in blind testing. Just don't make others believe your de-bunked faith when you spout a $4500 headphone needs a $XXXX dollar amp.
Completely false and an audiophile myth. Once you actually understand basic electrical engineering, digital signal processing theory, and physics you'll finally understand how wrong a blanket statement like this is. Don't believe it, try a level matched blind test between a well measured $200 DAC/Amp combo (that can drive the headphones well w/o distortion) and a $10k DAC/Amp stack yourself. If you've long believed in audiophile magic not explained by modern DSP, physics and EE it will shatter your reality. Let's all focus on the LCD-5 and not propagate more misguided info.
This is LCD-5 thread so I don't want to veer too much off topic. While one should not choose a DAC or an Amp based on a logic such as 'because it is expensive it should just sound better', there are DACs and amps that are expensive that are underwhelming and there are DACs and Amps that are reasonably priced that sound great. Talking about EE/Physics/DSP, say in the case of a DAC, quality of implementation does matter, such as a good PSU that keeps mains noise at bay and has low impedance and good dynamics while not injecting noise, good isolation, good jitter control, good signal processing implementation (filtering, over sampling), good DAC implementation (R2R or Sigma delta) good analog output stage. Putting together something like this takes a lot of experience and also quality components add to the cost. I am yet to come across a $200 DAC that can do that. There are DACs and Amps at their respective price points that punch beyond their price point but the sad truth is one needs to spend more to get more quality.
If one argues all DACs and Amps that measure good beyond a certain point (which you will have to qualify what measured parameters you are talking about) sound the same, it is as silly as saying all headphones sound the same once they are all EQd to measure the same and you will not be able to tell them apart in a blind test! Also if this were true, there is no way to improve the DAC and amp technology as all of them sound the same and we have reached the holy grail of sound reproduction where one will not be able to tell the difference between a live performance and music reproduced via Dacs/Amps and loudspeakers.
This is LCD-5 thread so I don't want to veer too much off topic. While one should not choose a DAC or an Amp based on a logic such as 'because it is expensive it should just sound better', there are DACs and amps that are expensive that are underwhelming and there are DACs and Amps that are reasonably priced that sound great. Talking about EE/Physics/DSP, say in the case of a DAC, quality of implementation does matter, such as a good PSU that keeps mains noise at bay and has low impedance and good dynamics while not injecting noise, good isolation, good jitter control, good signal processing implementation (filtering, over sampling), good DAC implementation (R2R or Sigma delta) good analog output stage. Putting together something like this takes a lot of experience and also quality components add to the cost. I am yet to come across a $200 DAC that can do that. There are DACs and Amps at their respective price points that punch beyond their price point but the sad truth is one needs to spend more to get more quality.
If one argues all DACs and Amps that measure good beyond a certain point (which you will have to qualify what measured parameters you are talking about) sound the same, it is as silly as saying all headphones sound the same once they are all EQd to measure the same and you will not be able to tell them apart in a blind test! Also if this were true, there is no way to improve the DAC and amp technology as all of them sound the same and we have reached the holy grail of sound reproduction where one will not be able to tell the difference between a live performance and music reproduced via Dacs/Amps and loudspeakers.
Back to the LCD-5, I have an update on comfort. The clamp is barely noticeable after only a few days of using them. I've worn them for hours at a time now without issue. Not sure if it's my brain getting used to the feeling, the pads softening enough, or both. Regardless, I'm very happy with comfort now. I don't have a huge head so I'm sure that helps and YMMV as usual.
This is LCD-5 thread so I don't want to veer too much off topic. While one should not choose a DAC or an Amp based on a logic such as 'because it is expensive it should just sound better', there are DACs and amps that are expensive that are underwhelming and there are DACs and Amps that are reasonably priced that sound great. Talking about EE/Physics/DSP, say in the case of a DAC, quality of implementation does matter, such as a good PSU that keeps mains noise at bay and has low impedance and good dynamics while not injecting noise, good isolation, good jitter control, good signal processing implementation (filtering, over sampling), good DAC implementation (R2R or Sigma delta) good analog output stage. Putting together something like this takes a lot of experience and also quality components add to the cost. I am yet to come across a $200 DAC that can do that. There are DACs and Amps at their respective price points that punch beyond their price point but the sad truth is one needs to spend more to get more quality.
If one argues all DACs and Amps that measure good beyond a certain point (which you will have to qualify what measured parameters you are talking about) sound the same, it is as silly as saying all headphones sound the same once they are all EQd to measure the same and you will not be able to tell them apart in a blind test! Also if this were true, there is no way to improve the DAC and amp technology as all of them sound the same and we have reached the holy grail of sound reproduction where one will not be able to tell the difference between a live performance and music reproduced via Dacs/Amps and loudspeakers.
Agreed on all your points but coincidentally I came across an Acult Science Review thread earlier today via a Google search on the topic of EQ for the Susvara and it was literally 13 pages of arguing about how all headphones do sound exactly the same when eq’d properly to the Harman Curve and why you can’t do better than say an a Sennheiser HDX whatever……it’s 15 minutes I’ll never get back from reading the idiocy. This thread has had more detours than I75 in the summer but it’s not the same as there. Thankfully.
Back to the LCD-5, I have an update on comfort. The clamp is barely noticeable after only a few days of using them. I've worn them for hours at a time now without issue. Not sure if it's my brain getting used to the feeling, the pads softening enough, or both. Regardless, I'm very happy with comfort now. I don't have a huge head so I'm sure that helps and YMMV as usual.
I am actually having the opposite effect. It was no pressure at first and now I have a different concern. The clamp doesn't bother me, but the longer I wear them, I can feel pressure on my outer ear as they are being pressed slightly against the mesh grille. I guess my ears stick out a bit. So maybe less clamp can remedy this so they aren't touching, but I have no problems with the amount of pressure as long as my outer ear lobes are not touching.
I am actually having the opposite effect. It was no pressure at first and now I have a different concern. The clamp doesn't bother me, but the longer I wear them, I can feel pressure on my outer ear as they are being pressed slightly against the mesh grille. I guess my ears stick out a bit. So maybe less clamp can remedy this so they aren't touching, but I have no problems with the amount of pressure as long as my outer ear lobes are not touching.
I am afraid I'm going to have that problem. I love listening to headphones but my ears are, shall we say, "elephantine"...something is always rubbing against the pad or grill. And having large pinna doesn't help so I need huge openings in earpads to fit comfortably (even LCD 2-4 earpads or Empy earpads needed constant adjustment). So I either need to:
1. Trim all the external ear bits - although that just might affect the sound...or
2. Glue all the sticky-outy ear-bit parts to the sides of my head and hope the pads work on-ear...
Further helpful suggestions would be appreciated...
Cheers!
-HK sends
I ended up going to my local audio store, which is about an hour drive from my place. It had the hum when they plugged in to their showroom amps. The hum only happened when standing in certain spots and it intensified when touching metal. The engineer said it was probably picking up RF due to poor shielding of the internal wiring of the headphone. Possibly a bad soldering joint. I'm not sure if it's appropriate in this situation to name the audio store here, but they are totally awesome and I'm super thankful they worked with me even though I didn't even buy the headphones from them. Future purchases will definitely be made there.
I ended up going to my local audio store, which is about an hour drive from my place. It had the hum when they plugged in to their showroom amps. The hum only happened when standing in certain spots and it intensified when touching metal. The engineer said it was probably picking up RF due to poor shielding of the internal wiring of the headphone. Possibly a bad soldering joint. I'm not sure if it's appropriate in this situation to name the audio store here, but they are totally awesome and I'm super thankful they worked with me even though I didn't even buy the headphones from them. Future purchases will definitely be made there.
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