[zen87192]

OK.. solved it. The Singxer came with a 2 PIN plug which I used an adaptor to convert to UK 3 PIN plug. No earth. I swapped the mains cable to a UK supplied mains lead with a three PIN plug on which is earthed. Resolved. Actually sounds a bit better as well. Phew! Thanks to all who chimed in.

 

[EMINENT]

I did a thing...












The mini is for sale in the classifieds.

 

[zen87192]

I’d imagine anyone who coughed up 4500 for a pair of headphones, probably has a few combinations to try

Yes... I have... but I'm waiting on Cables due by the end of the week to plug in to the TT2 and MScaler. I got impatient and plugged into the Singxer with the stock Audeze Premium XLR cable.

 

[chargedcapacitor]

I did a thing...












The mini is for sale in the classifieds.

I'm hoping for a comparison between the two before you pack it all up!

 

[Volote]

Finally got my TT2 in, set it up and took me a solid 10 minutes to figure out how it works. Glorious is how I can describe. Good lord I'm happy that it was not a let down. Already went through NIN's Pretty Hate Machine and Radiohead's Creep. Detail retrieval, now I understand fully what that means

The first few seconds of Head Like A Hole was like, "what?!?! there's more sounds than that?!?!" Zero regerts my friends 10+ K down the hole, BUT IT SOUNDS SO GOOD

 

[zen87192]

Finally got my TT2 in, set it up and took me a solid 10 minutes to figure out how it works. Glorious is how I can describe. Good lord I'm happy that it was not a let down. Already went through NIN's Pretty Hate Machine and Radiohead's Creep. Detail retrieval, now I understand fully what that means

The first few seconds of Head Like A Hole was like, "what?!?! there's more sounds than that?!?!" Zero regerts my friends 10+ K down the hole, BUT IT SOUNDS SO GOOD

MScaler next….

 

[Volote]

MScaler next….

That is the plan! not till I recoup myself

 

[zen87192]

That is the plan! not till I recoup myself

No hurry.. take it easy and enjoy your TT2 with the LCD-5's. Lots of listening hours ahead of you now.... you'll hear things you've never heard before in tracks you 'thought' you knew....

 

[ajreynol]

Got my 4's back and am going to make my final decision for which goes back to Audeze between the 4's and 5's tonight.

Probably leaning towards the 4's. The 5's have a real weakness, but it only manifests for those of us who are bass-aligned. Electronic, hip-hop, and R&B listeners. The 5's hit a wall where bass slam meets medium-high volumes and they just straight up distort on passages/beats where the 4's simply do not. If I had to let go of these 5's I'd miss them dearly, as their mid presence and clarity are fantastic. Where the singers are in the middle of the band on the 4's, they're very much in front of the band on the 5's and it really does matter. Weekend's new single, "Take My Breath" sounds like a different song in certain places when swapping from the 4's to the 5's. I'd say without hesitation that the 5's do everything better than the 4's...except the bass. If I mained any other genres (rock, metal, classical, jazz, anything else) the 5's would be a no-brainer and I'd feel blessed to have been able to simply trade up my 4's into 5's. But R&B? Hip-Hop? Say a song like "Lemon" by N.E.R.D. (youtube.com/watch?v=FL4OXQAFBHY, bass drop at 1:34, for example)? I find that the 5's just hit a wall and you know it when it gets there because it goes from sounding great to sounding like it's straining to do something that it is physically incapable of doing. When you hit that wall, you have 2 choices: (1) turn down the volume or (2) use headphones that can actually handle that bass. Enter the 4's, which handle that bass and laugh at the challenge. The 4's will shake the earwax out of your ears if you call for it while still being fast. The 5's by comparison will just go splat at the same volume levels on those bass-heavy tracks.

Ultimately I think I'll end up having both in time. There are times where I'm definitely going to want be listening to the 5's. I find myself in the mood for Jazz regularly and occasionally rock and alternative. I would want the 5's for those times, every time. But the 4's are just a more fun and visceral experience with R&B and hip-hop as well as movies and TV. I'll spend a little more time with them both tonight, basically deciding if I'm willing to go without the bass potential in exchange for everything else being better. If not, back they will go and I'll just scoop a pair off the used market. I imagine the LCD-6's will find a way to do both. It's just unfortunate that these can't for my preferred genres. Sigh. Tick tock.

 

[chargedcapacitor]

Got my 4's back and am going to make my final decision for which goes back to Audeze between the 4's and 5's tonight.

Probably leaning towards the 4's. The 5's have a real weakness, but it only manifests for those of us who are bass-aligned. Electronic, hip-hop, and R&B listeners. The 5's hit a wall where bass slam meets medium-high volumes and they just straight up distort on passages/beats where the 4's simply do not. If I had to let go of these 5's I'd miss them dearly, as their mid presence and clarity are fantastic. Where the singers are in the middle of the band on the 4's, they're very much in front of the band on the 5's and it really does matter. Weekend's new single, "Take My Breath" sounds like a different song in certain places when swapping from the 4's to the 5's. I'd say without hesitation that the 5's do everything better than the 4's...except the bass. If I mained any other genres (rock, metal, classical, jazz, anything else) the 5's would be a no-brainer and I'd feel blessed to have been able to simply trade up my 4's into 5's. But R&B? Hip-Hop? Say a song like "Lemon" by N.E.R.D. (youtube.com/watch?v=FL4OXQAFBHY, bass drop at 1:34, for example)? I find that the 5's just hit a wall and you know it when it gets there because it goes from sounding great to sounding like it's straining to do something that it is physically incapable of doing. When you hit that wall, you have 2 choices: (1) turn down the volume or (2) use headphones that can actually handle that bass. Enter the 4's, which handle that bass and laugh at the challenge. The 4's will shake the earwax out of your ears if you call for it while still being fast. The 5's by comparison will just go splat at the same volume levels on those bass-heavy tracks.

Ultimately I think I'll end up having both in time. There are times where I'm definitely going to want be listening to the 5's. I find myself in the mood for Jazz regularly and occasionally rock and alternative. I would want the 5's for those times, every time. But the 4's are just a more fun and visceral experience with R&B and hip-hop as well as movies and TV. I'll spend a little more time with them both tonight, basically deciding if I'm willing to go without the bass potential in exchange for everything else being better. If not, back they will go and I'll just scoop a pair off the used market. I imagine the LCD-6's will find a way to do both. It's just unfortunate that these can't for my preferred genres. Sigh. Tick tock.

Are we talking about the same headphone? If you are having issues with bass on the LCD-5, then it's either broken, or the amp is distorting.

My experiences with LCD-5 vs LCD-4 are the opposite; the LCD-5 has more textured and detailed bass, and has less bloom/boom. I've even EQd it up over 12db, and get nothing but the cleanest bass, down to inaudible levels that I can only feel.

 

[Slim1970]

Are we talking about the same headphone? If you are having issues with bass on the LCD-5, then it's either broken, or the amp is distorting.

My experiences with LCD-5 vs LCD-4 are the opposite; the LCD-5 has more textured and detailed bass, and has less bloom/boom. I've even EQd it up over 12db, and get nothing but the cleanest bass, down to inaudible levels that I can only feel.

This is how I hear the LCD-5’s as well. The bass is well defined and very textured. I’ve got the MHA200 with Mullard 6201 tubes
and the pairing is simply outstanding

 

[ajreynol]

Are we talking about the same headphone? If you are having issues with bass on the LCD-5, then it's either broken, or the amp is distorting.

My experiences with LCD-5 vs LCD-4 are the opposite; the LCD-5 has more textured and detailed bass, and has less bloom/boom. I've even EQd it up over 12db, and get nothing but the cleanest bass, down to inaudible levels that I can only feel.

We're talking about the same headphone. The amps (Violectric v281, Formula S) are not broken (unless they're both broken in the same way, I suppose). I've also tried them with the big Burson and the Headamp GSX mini. The headphones not broken. The 5's simply have a bass limit. They are more "refined", but there is demonstrably less bass quantity and that's not debatable. Whether you encounter that limit and experience said distortion is a function of the genres and tracks you listen to and at what volume level. I find most here are listening to variants or rock, which will not encounter this issue.

As I said, the 4's do not encounter this issue.

This is how I hear the LCD-5’s as well. The bass is well defined and very textured. I’ve got the MHA200 with Mullard 6201 tubes
and the pairing is simply outstanding

Yea this doesn't mean anything at all. Again, it's all about the genres and songs you listen to. If your music isn't pushing the bass limits...you won't encounter the bass limits. Rock won't get you there. EDM won't get you there. Jazz and classical won't get you there. Tyga's Faded (youtube.com/watch?v=05BpR2W2268) is an example of a track that will tax your 5's in a different way at medium-high volume.

 

[chargedcapacitor]

We're talking about the same headphone. The amps (Violectric v281, Formula S) are not broken (unless they're both broken in the same way, I suppose). I've also tried them with the big Burson and the Headamp GSX mini. The headphones not broken. The 5's simply have a bass limit. They are more "refined", but there is demonstrably less bass quantity and that's not debatable. Whether you encounter that limit and experience said distortion is a function of the genres and tracks you listen to and at what volume level. I find most here are listening to variants or rock, which will not encounter this issue.

As I said, the 4's do not encounter this issue.

So are you listening at like 120 db? I've turned the LCD-5s way up while off my head and they sound as clean as ever. My friend I think you might be def...

As an experiment, could you get an SPL meter/app and put it to the driver while you play music that distorts them?

 

[JLoud]

I've done a few tests this week with the LCD4 and LCD5, I agree the 5's can't do bass like the 4. Sorry, they can't. I'm sending my 5's back and keeping the 4. Now the 5 is tighter and faster, but just aren't my preference. I like the slightly slower decay of the 4. And the increased bass level fits the genres I use them for. When I want fast, tight bass I'll grab the CRBN. I prefer the CRBN over the 5 for its warmer signature. Never thought I would say that about an electrostatic, but here we are. Just my preference, nothing wrong with the 5, just not for me.

 

[Roasty]

Say a song like "Lemon" by N.E.R.D. (youtube.com/watch?v=FL4OXQAFBHY, bass drop at 1:34, for example)?

i just gave this song a listen. it is the first time i've heard it, so am not sure if what i'm hearing is what i should be hearing.
when you refer to the bass drop at 1.34, what do you hear? is it supposed to be a loud thumping punchy bass or a lowish volume soft note with mostly sub-bass rumble kinda sound?