[negura]

  Tonight I'm going back to the drawing board with the taboo and the LCD-Xs for the benefit of humanity, hehehe!  I don't think I'll ever use it myself to drive the Xs, but I'll grapple with it for Dan.Gheorghe's peace of mind (hehehe!).  May be I can fine-tune it to get it to the Darkstar/EF-6 level (or at least to the Mjolnir level).  We shall see.

 
Dan is rocking his new Taboo these days. Something tells me he'll be posting a review of the MK3 + LCD-X vs Soloist.

 

[dan.gheorghe]

   
Are there any new reviews or impressions on the Hydra-X any where on the net?

I only know of this one besides mine. 
 

   
Dan is rocking his new Taboo these days. Something tells me he'll be posting a review of the MK3 + LCD-X vs Soloist.
 

 
 
I could really go for some ACDC right now : ))
 

 

[RCBinTN]

  Okay...so today I received the LCD-Xs.  I listened to them for approximately three hours.  The gear I used: Oppo BDP-95 Universal Player; Ray Samuels Darkstar Headphone Amp (connected by balanced Black Dragon [copper] Moon Audio interconnect cables); Moon Audio Silver Dragon replacement headphone cable (balanced, 4-pin).
 
Only three hours listening to them (listened to both classical and rock, more specifically the Mahler 6th symphony SACD recording conducted by Ivan Fischer and Dire Straits Greatest Hits double album).  Since I just got them, no burning time was given to the headphones.  The Silver Dragon cable arrived today with the headphones, so they have not been burned either.  Just as a point of reference, I own multiple headamps besides the Darkstar (i.e., CSP2; Taboo; Headroom Ultra Desktop Amp; Burson Soloist; Grace 902B).  I also have a large collection of top-of-the-line headphones that include the HD800, HE-6, T1, Ultrasone ed. 8, Ultrason ed. 12, Fostex TH900, Audio Technica's Raffinato and ATH3000anv, AKG 701, Beyer T5p, Audeze LCD2, Grado PS-1000, and Grado RS1.  The ones I've never heard are the SR009, LCD3, Sennheiser Orfeus (or for that matter, I've never heard an electrostatic headphone).  I am prefacing my impressions of the LCD-Xs with this information so that you are aware about my experience regarding headphone listening and where I am coming from with regard to what I hear from the LCD-Xs.
 
Let me start by saying that these are, without a doubt, the most perfect pair of headphones I've heard in my life.  Mind you, I haven't burned these, and I don't truly expect them to get any better than the way the sound right out of the box.  It is, in my opinion, not even close...these are the best I've heard, PERIOD!  One can always say with a pair of headphones something like..."it has great treble, but...", "it had great mids, but..", "it has great bass, but...", "it has a big soundstage, but...", etc.  Believe me when I say that the LCD-Xs are the first pair of headphones with which I found myself saying, "there is nothing to fault...there is nothing to nitpick at...this is perfection!".  Even though there is a somewhat dark mahogany hue to the sound that is extremely seductive and addictive, nothing is really colored or overly prominent with these miraculous headphones.  I guess this is what they call "neutral" or "monitor-like".
 
These headphones sound amazing with large orchestral classical; they also sound amazing with Rock.  Three hours listening to them and I could have gone 10 straight hours without experiencing ear fatigue.  There is no sibilance, period.  The bass is there with just the right amount and quality; the mids are liquid and creamy, the treble is extended, yet never fatiguing; the soundstage is large, but not unnatural so or artificial/cavernous like I feel that of the HD800s can sound at times; they are detailed, but the details do not distract you from the gestalt of the music.  This is not a U-shaped sounding headphone, yet it is still a supremely FUN pair of headphones to listen to.  Everything is just in the right place...they give the listener (or at least this listener) everything he/she wishes for.  Even though the reviews at Head-Fi have been virtually unanimous in praising these headphones, they have been, if anything rather tame considering what I heard tonight.
 
Since my LCD2s are probably my least favorite pair of headphones in my stable, I was definitely not expecting the LCD-X to floor me the way they did.  This is a mixture of clinical and romantic sound, blended together, that I just thought  would be impossible to produce in a pair of headphones.  You just sit there, with the headphones on top of your head, and you just forget about the gear...you are simply there in a real venue listening to the musicians...nothing is highlighted; nothing is intrusive...you are just there enjoying the performance.  Not a cacophonous, piercing, or flabby sound emanates from these headphones.  It is just sublime perfection.
 
It is worth mentioning that the LCD-Xs feel, if anything, less heavy than the LCD2s.  I think the engineers and designers at Audeze have done a remarkable job at evenly distributing the weight of these headphones in a way that they just simply disappear from one's head after a while despite their weight.  Moreover, the pads are very comfortable (and they have that lovely smell of new car to them) and cushy.  I was afraid about weight and fit since the Audeze LCD2s are, probably, the most uncomfortable pair of headphones I have in my stable - the HE-6s running a close second in that regard - and I can't even wear them for more than 30 minutes without feeling like my head is inside a vise and holding the weight of the world.
 
I have no idea how the Audeze engineers were able to come up with perfection.  Maybe the Orpheus and SR009 are even better than the LCD-Xs, but I find it just impossible to think that anything can sound better than these.  I am just in awe of these headphones...it sounds like they have been designed by God himself.  Maybe my Darkstar and balanced cables are major contributors to the magic I am experiencing...who knows.  Are these supposed to get better following a burn-in period...I can't truly imagine that perfection can get any more perfect.  Oh, my goodness....We have a new King of Kings.  This is not hyperbole, new toy syndrome, or me wanting to like them because I just spent $1,700 and they are being driven by a trophy headamp.  I had never experienced this feeling, with regard to headphones, before in my life.  I just feel like I have just reached the apex of Mount Everest...and when I look around I see much smaller mountains each bearing the names of the rest of the headphones in my collection.  You owe it to yourself to listen to these.  Words cannot describe what I experienced tonight...Figaro is in a trance...in ecstasy!

 
Dear Figaro,
I am still catching up on the posts so 15 pages behind, and just read this post by you.  All I can say is !!What an Outstanding Post!!
 
I feel the same about the LCD-X and I'm only listening to them with a computer and Dragonfly USB DAC.  I can't imagine how good they will sound with my soon-to-arrive A2/B real drivers.
 
All the Best - happy listening,
RCBinTN

 

[figaro69]

   
Dear Figaro,
I am still catching up on the posts so 15 pages behind, and just read this post by you.  All I can say is !!What an Outstanding Post!!
 
I feel the same about the LCD-X and I'm only listening to them with a computer and Dragonfly USB DAC.  I can't imagine how good they will sound with my soon-to-arrive A2/B real drivers.
 
All the Best - happy listening,
RCBinTN

...and the best is yet to come...hehehe!

 

[figaro69]

  I only know of this one besides mine.
 

 
I could really go for some ACDC right now : ))
 

Rock on, my wayward son!

 

[cizx]

Mini-review - LCD-X & B.M.C. PureDAC​

 
I spent about a week with the B.M.C. PureDAC and LCD-X.  Prior to getting the PD, I was using a DACport with the -X.  I just sent the PD back to Moon-Audio, and I'm back to the DACport...
 
The problem with the PureDAC was strictly with its USB implementation.  I didn't have a lot of success getting it working reliably with Windows or Mavericks, and that's the only reason I sent it back.  When it did work, it sounded great.  I think it sounded better with ASIO and Foobar2000 in Windows than with Audirvana on the Mac, but that could be in my mind.
 
The LCD-X out of the balanced headphone jack on the PureDAC sounded good.  It wasn't amazing, but it was good.  It seemed to lack some authority, and definitely sounded better at higher volumes than lower.  I think they need more juice than the PD can put out to sound their best.  At least I hope that's the case, because if this is their best, then I don't find them as amazing as everyone else does.
 
With the volume up a little higher than I like to listen, DSD64 (.DSF) files sounded amazing.  

• Diana Krall's The Girl in the Other Room made me think she was actually in THIS room, sitting on my lap, singing to me.  (If this review offends Elvis Costello, I'm sorry.  Blame Audeze.)  
• Michael Jackson's Thriller in DSD was equally amazing, though I got some dropouts in Windows with this one on Foobar and JRiver.  When it played, it was great.  Crystal clear, dynamic, and detailed.  This level of performance makes me wish I had a better amp than the built-in PD to test with.

 
I cannot fault the DAC section of the PD, as it's clearly more detailed and smoother than the CEntrance DACport.  It's been a while since I've had a Gungnir, but this seems to be smoother and warmer than I remember that being, too.  I think if BMC can do something about USB reliability, improve the headphone amp, and keep the price the same, this thing would be well worth the money.  Even without the headphone amp section, the PureDAC would be worth it with a more stable USB implementation.  I haven't heard many good DACs, though, so I might not know what I'm missing.  Compared to Gungnir, Bifrost, and the DACport, this is clearly in a different class.
 
Compared to the LCD-2, the -X is, just as everyone said, more neutral and less dark.  More detailed.  Compared to the HD 800, it's less harsh and more enjoyable.  Compared to the Beyerdynamic T1, it's more neutral and, I think, less musical (but I really love the tonality of the T1).
 
On standard redbook audio, the PD & -X combo was good, but again, not amazing.
 
Some of the specific albums I tested:
 

• My Chemical Romance's first album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, sounded like a mess on these.  (This was, however, also the case with the T1 and the HD 800.  I stopped listening to their music with those headphones, and pretty much only enjoy MCR in the car now.)  All the instruments crashed together and spilled into each other, and everything was blurry.  This album, strangely, has a Dynamic Range Meter score of 10 (according to the foobar plugin), which is probably an arbitrary number in this case.  I usually take that number as a general indicator of the quality of a recording, but it doesn't always hold true.  Then again, maybe this is what MCR is SUPPOSED to sound like.  If so, I'm sad.  If not, I'm still sad.  I like(d) that band.
• Adele's 21 sounded mediocre.  This album has a DR of about 6, though, so it's probably not the best recording.  Clarity was okay on this one, though.  I don't remember listening to it with the older headphones.
• Tom Waits, Heartattack and Vine.  This album is well recorded, and this was the biggest disappointment for me with this setup.  This is where the lackluster dynamics of the PD's headphone output gave me sadpants.  It's also one of the examples where ASIO in Windows sounded better than Audirvana on my Macbook Air.  *shrug*  I'm willing to chalk this up to expectation bias or reverse placebo or something.  I don't know.  One of my requirements for a good setup is that this album sound as good as I think it should.  I still haven't heard it sound better than it did with my T1.

 
That's about all I have time for now... I'm searching for either a buyer for my LCD-X or a better setup to drive it.  White people problems plague me.

 

[figaro69]

 

Mini-review - LCD-X & B.M.C. PureDAC​

 
I spent about a week with the B.M.C. PureDAC and LCD-X.  Prior to getting the PD, I was using a DACport with the -X.  I just sent the PD back to Moon-Audio, and I'm back to the DACport...
 
The problem with the PureDAC was strictly with its USB implementation.  I didn't have a lot of success getting it working reliably with Windows or Mavericks, and that's the only reason I sent it back.  When it did work, it sounded great.  I think it sounded better with ASIO and Foobar2000 in Windows than with Audirvana on the Mac, but that could be in my mind.
 
The LCD-X out of the balanced headphone jack on the PureDAC sounded good.  It wasn't amazing, but it was good.  It seemed to lack some authority, and definitely sounded better at higher volumes than lower.  I think they need more juice than the PD can put out to sound their best.  At least I hope that's the case, because if this is their best, then I don't find them as amazing as everyone else does.
 
With the volume up a little higher than I like to listen, DSD64 (.DSF) files sounded amazing.

• Diana Krall's The Girl in the Other Room made me think she was actually in THIS room, sitting on my lap, singing to me.  (If this review offends Elvis Costello, I'm sorry.  Blame Audeze.)
• Michael Jackson's Thriller in DSD was equally amazing, though I got some dropouts in Windows with this one on Foobar and JRiver.  When it played, it was great.  Crystal clear, dynamic, and detailed.  This level of performance makes me wish I had a better amp than the built-in PD to test with.

 
I cannot fault the DAC section of the PD, as it's clearly more detailed and smoother than the CEntrance DACport.  It's been a while since I've had a Gungnir, but this seems to be smoother and warmer than I remember that being, too.  I think if BMC can do something about USB reliability, improve the headphone amp, and keep the price the same, this thing would be well worth the money.  Even without the headphone amp section, the PureDAC would be worth it with a more stable USB implementation.  I haven't heard many good DACs, though, so I might not know what I'm missing.  Compared to Gungnir, Bifrost, and the DACport, this is clearly in a different class.
 
Compared to the LCD-2, the -X is, just as everyone said, more neutral and less dark.  More detailed.  Compared to the HD 800, it's less harsh and more enjoyable.  Compared to the Beyerdynamic T1, it's more neutral and, I think, less musical (but I really love the tonality of the T1).
 
On standard redbook audio, the PD & -X combo was good, but again, not amazing.
 
Some of the specific albums I tested:
 

• My Chemical Romance's first album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, sounded like a mess on these.  (This was, however, also the case with the T1 and the HD 800.  I stopped listening to their music with those headphones, and pretty much only enjoy MCR in the car now.)  All the instruments crashed together and spilled into each other, and everything was blurry.  This album, strangely, has a Dynamic Range Meter score of 10 (according to the foobar plugin), which is probably an arbitrary number in this case.  I usually take that number as a general indicator of the quality of a recording, but it doesn't always hold true.  Then again, maybe this is what MCR is SUPPOSED to sound like.  If so, I'm sad.  If not, I'm still sad.  I like(d) that band.
• Adele's 21 sounded mediocre.  This album has a DR of about 6, though, so it's probably not the best recording.  Clarity was okay on this one, though.  I don't remember listening to it with the older headphones.
• Tom Waits, Heartattack and Vine.  This album is well recorded, and this was the biggest disappointment for me with this setup.  This is where the lackluster dynamics of the PD's headphone output gave me sadpants.  It's also one of the examples where ASIO in Windows sounded better than Audirvana on my Macbook Air.  *shrug*  I'm willing to chalk this up to expectation bias or reverse placebo or something.  I don't know.  One of my requirements for a good setup is that this album sound as good as I think it should.  I still haven't heard it sound better than it did with my T1.

 
That's about all I have time for now... I'm searching for either a buyer for my LCD-X or a better setup to drive it.  White people problems plague me.

Power is the name of the game...these thrive with 4+ watts!!!

 

[RCBinTN]

  The more neutral the amp, the better it will be with the LCD-Xs...at least that's what I'm thinking right now.  That's why a tubey-sounding or an excessively bright-sounding amp would only serve thrown the whole thing out of balance.  They were designed to be monitors...although that Audeze warmth that is so inviting and cuddly is still somehow in there to lure you like the siren's song. WHAT A PRODUCT!!!  I wonder where Mr. David Mahler would rank these babies in his famous "Battle of the Flagships" review of top-of-the-line headphones!

 
Me too!!
Where is David Mahler??

 

[figaro69]

   
Me too!!
Where is David Mahler??

Yes, where the heck is he? somewhere in the jungles of Cambodia?  I wonder

 

[RCBinTN]

  ...and the best is yet to come...hehehe!

 
Just one question...what's the value of copper after-market cables vs. the stock that came with the LCD-X?
If a substantial improvement - can you reco a vendor?

 

[figaro69]

   
Just one question...what's the value of copper after-market cables vs. the stock that came with the LCD-X?
If a substantial improvement - can you reco a vendor?

I do notice a difference...more fleshed-out, romantic, and dynamic sound...but that's just be.  I get them recabled because the stock cables are usually too short and I don't like to use extension cables lest I degrade the sound.

 

[figaro69]

RCBinTN:  I see in your profile that you have the SE535 IEM...so do I.  I recently got the Shure 846s and, boy, do they beat the hell out of the 535s.  Finally a Shure IEM has treble extension (with the high treble filter)...Finally.  I love them!!!

 

[Gowry]

I've been lurking and stalking posts around here for the past couple of weeks. Racking my mind and trying to decide if I should get the LCD-X or the LCD-3. Well, last night after reading post after post I decided to go for the X. It was a hard decision, partly because the LCD-3 is still listed as their flagship. Spending so much for a pair of headphones (D*** you Head-Fi!) isn't something that will happen often, so I wanted to get the purchase right. I read several posts that lead me to believe the LCD-X were a better phone in most regards. Many seem to go back and forth but most are giving a "tiny" nod to the LCD-X. I understand that both are still dark headphones (which I believe I'll find to my liking).
 
I listen to pop and rock more than anything, with an affinity to female vocals like Natalie Merchant, Erykah Badu, and Suzanne Vega, but then will switch to electronica like Pet Shop Boys, RadioHead (electronica. hah!), and Daft Punk. I listen to little classical or jazz. If I do it's something like the 25th Charlie Brown anniversary CD or the soundtrack to Macross Plus (anyone else listen to this?)
 
I ordered up a set of LCD-X last night and looks like they'll be here Monday! I'm excited, but still wondering, what about those LCD-3's? Maybe they'll wipe all concerns from my mind. I'm hoping my dac and amp work well with them. They seem to do a good job with the HiFiMans. I'm also very excited that I came across some posts that indicate that Audeze does their own burn-in of headphones before they leave their facility. I don't know why other's don't do this. I feel it leads to bad opinions of headphones when people first get them. I used to wonder if burn-in was real or not, but the Ultrasone Pro 900's wiped all doubt from my mind. 
 
Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and opinions, it's helped me come to a decision. Maybe one day there will be more stores where you can go and listen to all of the top headphones and choose, but until then, what you share is invaluable.

 

[Currawong]

If I switch back to the stock cables, the sound seems more flat and 2-dimensional (as crazy as a visual description of the sound can be).
 
Quote:

 

If you haven't already, add a moderate to high-end DAC to the WA7 and you'll be even more surprised.

 any DAC's that you would recommend? 

 
I used the WA7 with a variety of DACs. Most extreme in different presentation would be the Resonessence Invicta and Calyx DAC 24/192 (with an Audiophilleo 1) on one hand and a Metrum Octave and Audio-gd NOS1704 on the other. I feel the WA7 is fairly transparent to the DAC used. The latter NOS DACs may be a bit mellow for some people and the Metrum was for me at first and the NOS1704 I used for mellow jazz sessions with the HD800s. So what has me curious would be how the other Resonessence DACs would fare with the WA7 -- surely a lot better than the internal DAC.

 

[figaro69]

  I've been lurking and stalking posts around here for the past couple of weeks. Racking my mind and trying to decide if I should get the LCD-X or the LCD-3. Well, last night after reading post after post I decided to go for the X. It was a hard decision, partly because the LCD-3 is still listed as their flagship. Spending so much for a pair of headphones (D*** you Head-Fi!) isn't something that will happen often, so I wanted to get the purchase right. I read several posts that lead me to believe the LCD-X were a better phone in most regards. Many seem to go back and forth but most are giving a "tiny" nod to the LCD-X. I understand that both are still dark headphones (which I believe I'll find to my liking).
 
I listen to pop and rock more than anything, with an affinity to female vocals like Natalie Merchant, Erykah Badu, and Suzanne Vega, but then will switch to electronica like Pet Shop Boys, RadioHead (electronica. hah!), and Daft Punk. I listen to little classical or jazz. If I do it's something like the 25th Charlie Brown anniversary CD or the soundtrack to Macross Plus (anyone else listen to this?)
 
I ordered up a set of LCD-X last night and looks like they'll be here Monday! I'm excited, but still wondering, what about those LCD-3's? Maybe they'll wipe all concerns from my mind. I'm hoping my dac and amp work well with them. They seem to do a good job with the HiFiMans. I'm also very excited that I came across some posts that indicate that Audeze does their own burn-in of headphones before they leave their facility. I don't know why other's don't do this. I feel it leads to bad opinions of headphones when people first get them. I used to wonder if burn-in was real or not, but the Ultrasone Pro 900's wiped all doubt from my mind.
 
Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and opinions, it's helped me come to a decision. Maybe one day there will be more stores where you can go and listen to all of the top headphones and choose, but until then, what you share is invaluable.

Congratulations! there will be no turning back!  Just remember...power in an amp does make a difference!!! You have just gotten yourself a great all-rounder.  I had no idea the guys at Audeze burned their headphones...no wonder they sound perfect out of the box. By the way, you are absolutely right about the ultrasones!