[514077]

Hi guys, I'm currently using the Geek Pulse Infinity Balanced and I'm looking around for a new headamp.

Some questions. Should I be looking for balanced since my DAC supports it?
Can you guys throw in some headamps that I should consider?

I'm looking at this https://audio-head.com/monoprice-goes-audiophile-with-monolith-partners-with-cavalli/ Monolith Liquid Platinum

LCD-X should be easy to drive since the spec is

Impedance 20 ohms
Sensitivity 103dB/1mw (at Drum Reference Point)

I can only say: If I had a balanced DAC, I'd look for a balanced amp to exploit its full potential. Can't recommend any amps, as I don't have any. But, since you said headamp, why not also take a look at the Headamp GSX II? (At least, I think that's what it's called). I know @Macedonian Hero has one and is very knowlegable about equipment.

 

[sahmen]

Hi guys, I'm currently using the Geek Pulse Infinity Balanced and I'm looking around for a new headamp.

Some questions. Should I be looking for balanced since my DAC supports it?
Can you guys throw in some headamps that I should consider?

I'm looking at this https://audio-head.com/monoprice-goes-audiophile-with-monolith-partners-with-cavalli/ Monolith Liquid Platinum

LCD-X should be easy to drive since the spec is

Impedance 20 ohms
Sensitivity 103dB/1mw (at Drum Reference Point)

I am also monitoring the Liquid Platinum with interest. If it indeed comes out sounding like the Cavalli Liquid Crimson as promised, then it will really be a big deal, (maybe, even end game for some people), at an astonishingly low price. In other words, I see a lot of promise and potential, but we should not get ahead of ourselves. At this point, we just have to wait and see, as the devil will really be in the details. All we can really do is wait.

On another note, I am currently using the Violectric V281, Audio gd NFB1amp, the Cavalli liquid Carbon, the LH LABs GO2PROSE, and the Massdrop Grace Design M9XX.
The first 4 are all balanced, and they all play very nice with the LCD-X. Whenever the balanced output is an option, I always go balanced because it almost always sounds better and richer. And yes, the 4 balanced headamps are all paired with balanced DACs. While I really don't have any complaints regarding the performance of any of these amps, I am awaiting the Liquid Platinum with some keenness, because I am eager to see how it will stack up, especially, against the Violectric V281.

That is . all I can say for now.

 

[514077]

It doesn't put me in a great place, it puts me in an ok place, where I haven't been for most of the time I've spent here. Now I'm just tapping my fingers waiting for which will come first, Schiit removing the shipping on 6-28 from their site or the Gumby being off on its $100 journey, with possibly a rest on the 4th of July. The reality may very well be that these extremely expensive headphones from an outside perspective require just as much spending on DACs and amps (and more), which makes me wonder a little what exactly is responsible for the say doubly expensive sound. So like I said, haven't written off the 800S yet. At least I'll be able to compare the difference made to the LCD-X' soundstage versus that to the 800S' soundstage. Out of money and patience to test the amp in the equation, although perhaps more out of patience as among the things I'd have to deal with is finding an amp with a similar "sound signature" to the Jot that is neither from the jurassic age nor goes into tubes and is thousands of dollars. I'd have to worry about who produced it, whether that manufacturer is active, try to fish out the negative claims that crush it. Enough of this nonsense. With money to burn this is a "hobby", I just want really good sound. I have seen people claim that depending on the devices you're using the 800S is not thin-sounding and has sufficient bass, and I shouldn't be jumping to the conclusion that the soundstage of these headphones is just being exaggerated. So no, I'm not in an envious place one bit, not do I consider myself an audiophile and frankly I would not want to be considered one. Having very good sound and knowing enough to make decent decisions suffices for me, the hobby stuff be damned.

By the way, I did try an LCD-4 at the store I was listening to Focal and other Audeze headphones. With a CMA600i it sounded like $5.3k of meh. If I had anyone to talk to there we'd be laughing at audiophiles, if we were even aware of that term. The thing that impressed me the most was that I had to turn the volume knob much further than with other headphones I tried. Another thing I find interesting are the speakers people. How is that practical? Are people content with dedicated listening sessions in a big single family house with a basement on a considerable plot of land or how does that actually work? Can you be doing something else at the same time, like working for instance, and listening to thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of speakers and audio products?

Life's too short for posts like yours. I'm glad I 'ignored' your posts.

 

[koven]

Liquid Platinum should be a sweet bang for buck. I tried it at CanJam LA in Apr, it sounded good but hard to say anything conclusive after ~10min in a loud showroom. I think Monoprice originally targeted June but now it's Oct. Hope it doesn't get pushed back again!

 

[snip3r77]

I am also monitoring the Liquid Platinum with interest. If it indeed comes out sounding like the Cavalli Liquid Crimson as promised, then it will really be a big deal, (maybe, even end game for some people), at an astonishingly low price. In other words, I see a lot of promise and potential, but we should not get ahead of ourselves. At this point, we just have to wait and see, as the devil will really be in the details. All we can really do is wait.

On another note, I am currently using the Violectric V281, Audio gd NFB1amp, the Cavalli liquid Carbon, the LH LABs GO2PROSE, and the Massdrop Grace Design M9XX.
The first 4 are all balanced, and they all play very nice with the LCD-X. Whenever the balanced output is an option, I always go balanced because it almost always sounds better and richer. And yes, the 4 balanced headamps are all paired with balanced DACs. While I really don't have any complaints regarding the performance of any of these amps, I am awaiting the Liquid Platinum with some keenness, because I am eager to see how it will stack up, especially, against the Violectric V281.
That is . all I can say for now.

Since you have LH LABS product, may I know if it's very neutral and transparent. I would expect some warmth, thickness for mids and bass. Does V281 and Liquid Carbon provides this? IMHO, I feel the weak point of the LH LABS dac/amp is the amp section. Pls correct me if I'm wrong as I want to make a correct upgrade. Thanks

 

[snip3r77]

Liquid Platinum should be a sweet bang for buck. I tried it at CanJam LA in Apr, it sounded good but hard to say anything conclusive after ~10min in a loud showroom. I think Monoprice originally targeted June but now it's Oct. Hope it doesn't get pushed back again!

The Liquid Platinum will it gel well with IEMs too?

 

[koven]

Since you have LH LABS product, may I know if it's very neutral and transparent. I would expect some warmth, thickness for mids and bass. Does V281 and Liquid Carbon provides this? IMHO, I feel the weak point of the LH LABS dac/amp is the amp section. Pls correct me if I'm wrong as I want to make a correct upgrade. Thanks

Yup V281 is one of the warmest SS amps I've heard. Very full almost tubey sound. Pairs well w/ LCD-X. I'm listening to this combo right actually.

 

[snip3r77]

Yup V281 is one of the warmest SS amps I've heard. Very full almost tubey sound. Pairs well w/ LCD-X. I'm listening to this combo right actually.

So does it colour the neutral LCD-X/Geek DAC "a bit" to make sound fuller for the mids and bass section?

 

[the finisher]

Yup V281 is one of the warmest SS amps I've heard. Very full almost tubey sound. Pairs well w/ LCD-X. I'm listening to this combo right actually.

I need to look at this amp, I'm not feeling it, getting a iCan to upgrade my Jot.

 

[koven]

The Liquid Platinum will it gel well with IEMs too?

Not sure didn't try any IEMs w/ it.

So does it colour the neutral LCD-X/Geek DAC "a bit" to make sound fuller for the mids and bass section?

Yes a bit, not to the extent a tube amp would be there is definitely a lush fullness V821 adds to the otherwise neutral X. It'd be a smoother sound than pairing w/ Jot, or any Schiit SS amp I'd imagine.

I need to look at this amp, I'm not feeling it, getting a iCan to upgrade my Jot.

Haven't heard the iCan but iFi makes great stuff so I can't imagine it'd disappoint!

 

[Slim1970]

The LCD-X is great out of the Pro iCan. Soon I’ll have the Pro iDSD to go with it. Right now the Hugo 2 has DAC duties. The sound is clean, transparent and dynamic.

 

[sahmen]

Since you have LH LABS product, may I know if it's very neutral and transparent. I would expect some warmth, thickness for mids and bass. Does V281 and Liquid Carbon provides this? IMHO, I feel the weak point of the LH LABS dac/amp is the amp section. Pls correct me if I'm wrong as I want to make a correct upgrade. Thanks

V281 and the Liquid Carbon are both warmish, and almost tubey, but they do not necessarily sound artificially colored to me either. The GO2PROSE plays nicely with the LCD-X, more so out of the balanced jack, to my ears. It has been my favorite go to portable DAC/AMP with the LCD-X, simply because of the convenience of using that combo with my laptop in an easily and conveniently transportable package. Still, I realize your question demands more of an immediate A/B comparison between the //LCD-X + GO2PROSE// vs //LCD-X + Yggy + V281// vs //LCD + Metrum Hex + Liquid Carbon//. Unfortunately the balanced jack on the GO2PROSE has developed some looseness, which has been causing drops and cutouts in listening from that jack, so I have sort of temporarily retired it, while waiting for an RMA servicing response from LH Labs, which is taking a whole eternity to materialize. I can tell you, however, and even without the A/Bing, and taking into account what I remember of the LCD-X + GO2PROSE combo, that it held/holds its own in the sq department against the two other combos, which is already high praise, given that those other combos are full-fledged desk-top rigs

Now since you ask about the GO2PROSE's amp section, I need to mention that it does not strike me as being particularly weak source at all, or compromised in any way,, although I hasten to add that i have only tried it with my LCD-X, which is one of the easiest cans to drive, so it did not pose any major challenges to the GO2PROSE. It is entirely possible that other more demanding cans, such as the HD800 or the HIFIMAn HeK, might produce a different experience with the Go2PROSE, but I really can't say for sure, because I have not tried them together yet, However on paper, the GO2PROSE seems more than well-equipped to handle even these latter cans, in a very capable way. Ironically, before getting the GO2PROSE, it was rather its status as a Saber DAC which was worrying me, given things I have heard about a certain "saber glare." However, all related anxieties were quickly dissipated when I got the unit in hand, because the DAC turned out to be very well implemented.

Generally, while I will normally rank the Violectric + Yggy combo ahead of the Metrum Hex LC combo, and the GO2PROSE, in that order, I hasten to add that there is really no bad combo among those three, and I have been very happy with them all. I wish I could be more helpful, but that's as far as I can go this evening.

 

[casper3127]

The LCD-X is great out of the Pro iCan. Soon I’ll have the Pro iDSD to go with it. Right now the Hugo 2 has DAC duties. The sound is clean, transparent and dynamic.

If you already have an Hugo2, I honestly don't see any point in spending more cash on an iDSD Pro to move your LCD-Xs, really.

 

[514077]

If you already have an Hugo2, I honestly don't see any point in spending more cash on an iDSD Pro to move your LCD-Xs, really.

I don't want to sound like a Hugo2 fanboy-which I am, I'm afraid. I use it directly with my X. But, I was also curious about why you might be picking up the IDSD as well. No criticism intended; just for info.

 

[commtrd]

I'd rather be a miserable sob first and actually happy later. Although come to think about it, if only I applied this to life.

I can't delude myself with certain things. Sonarworks is one indication that I'm not just hearing things no one else is. Clearly something isn't right if it makes a serious improvement. The difference between me and some others is that they already seemed ok with the LCD-X whereas I thought they just don't sound like $1k headphones. DACs and amps appear to have a major effect too, but you have to spend a lot of additional money and rely either on luck or experience too it seems. I've never really been able to get over my preconception, assuredly share by others, that for >$1k headphones better sound incredible plugged into your ass. But that's moot as I've embraced reality. I really wonder what the profit margins on this type of headphones are though.

Just a thought: have you considered getting an audiogram [hearing test] done? Maybe there is some issue with your hearing or ability to detect certain frequencies, especially in the treble range?