[the finisher]

Just as suspected on the Auteur. They look beautiful, but really if they don't best the 4z by some amount then I can't justify them at this time. Subjectivity aside, I think it is going to be fairly difficult to edge out the i4 and the 4z IMHO. Plus with more hours accumulating on the 4z, it seems they are mellowing out into a bit more cohesive and sweet mids etc. Life is good!

You're gona make me buy these damit

 

[HungryPanda]

 

[Dan Lee]

I just gotta say to those of you using sonarworks with your LCD-X how is it that you are able to handle the distortion that follows it? I downloaded the trial and yes there is an obvious difference in sound but I am inclined to believe that the true sound of the LCD-X is lost just having the software running as when I disabled it but it was still in use and then uninstalled it there was a change in sound that was almost as close to that of the enabled version of the software only minus any distortion in sound. I have tried so many EQs and have yet to find a single one in which I do not notice the distortion that seems to come in the lower frequency ranges. Granted I enjoy listening at higher volumes but still If the EQ is doing something worth spending $100 bucks on you would think that distortion wouldnt be an issue. I dunno maybe Im sensitive to it and will always believe that this hobby is a to each his own hobby but for me I love the stock sound of the X its just God Damn Beautiful and has only gotten better as the gear that I have run it through has gotten better. It truly makes me covet the LCD-4s but it will be a little while before I go for those not to mention the difficult as hell decision I will have to make between those and the Utopias.

 

[the finisher]

If you boost the bass on any speaker/HP your going to get more distortion.
With Ref 4 I can lower the bass to stock level and still kill the mid dip.

Doing that and wet/dry at 80% is nice. All this makes it good to me, and these features are not in True-fi
Also I only paid the $79 Tru-fi costs for Ref 4 HP.

I can A/B simply by switching from the Sonarworks VAD to the actual output device.
I can't hear the difference this way or with calibration bypassed as I use it for speakers.
However if I do this the limiter does not work, and I like the limiter in Ref 4, bypassing correction with my monitors.

This software is used by many pros in studio. YMMV,ASAP, VIP, AARP and RIP.

 

[Dan Lee]

If you boost the bass on any speaker/HP your going to get more distortion.
With Ref 4 I can lower the bass to stock level and still kill the mid dip.

Doing that and wet/dry at 80% is nice. All this makes it good to me, and these features are not in True-fi
Also I only paid the $79 Tru-fi costs for Ref 4 HP.

I can A/B simply by switching from the Sonarworks VAD to the actual output device.
I can't hear the difference this way or with calibration bypassed as I use it for speakers.
However if I do this the limiter does not work, and I like the limiter in Ref 4, bypassing correction with my monitors.

This software is used by many pros in studio. YMMV,ASAP, VIP, AARP and RIP.

maybe ref 4 is better but that wasnt the one I demoed I used the other one that was what they called for the music lover or listener or something like that and I did try it with the bass down and still heard distortion in the sound it wasnt as bad but definitely still noticeable to me and again I am not suggesting that people shouldnt use it but just that it was unusable for me. I have heard others say they cant stand the LCD-X without it but thats just not me I much prefer the house sound. Although it is also possible that the ref 4 is just better Im not sure cause I didnt try that one but prolly not going to as I do plan to step in to the LCD-4 or Utopia at somepoint in the next year or so.

 

[the finisher]

It's not that I hate the X without for damn sure. And I use Ref 4 to tweak it less than Tru-fi can do.
You can set it to sound terrible or damn good, I'm still playing with it, but I use it always now.

There is a pro monitor room measurement/correction Ref 4 I will upgrade to soon as well.
I already use DSP to tame the bass/subs in my room, I'll be moving that unit elsewhere, and need a replacement.

 

[Dan Lee]

Ive thought about using dsp but havent tried it yet. Any recomendations?

 

[the finisher]

Sonarworks is DSP, mini-DSP has hardware/software solutions all over the price map.

I currently use a SVS AEQ-1 sub EQ, it uses Audyssey XT MultEQ and can measure up to 35 positions.
I use 27 in my current setup, this is for subs only, and will EQ each sub separately or together. It's old but very functional.

Sonarworks Ref 4 for speakers has a calibrated mic like mini-DSP, but uses your PC to do the DSP instead of hardware.
It has plugin support and many pros trust it.
However mini-DSP has quite the following, and after my recent visit to the site I can see why with many new products.
The Dirac live is supposed to be good stuff. https://www.minidsp.com/

And this new HP measuring device! Hmm https://www.minidsp.com/products/acoustic-measurement/ears-headphone-jig

 

[Dan Lee]

Sonarworks is DSP, mini-DSP has hardware/software solutions all over the price map.

I currently use a SVS AEQ-1 sub EQ, it uses Audyssey XT MultEQ and can measure up to 35 positions.
I use 27 in my current setup, this is for subs only, and will EQ each sub separately or together. It's old but very functional.

Sonarworks Ref 4 for speakers has a calibrated mic like mini-DSP, but uses your PC to do the DSP instead of hardware.
It has plugin support and many pros trust it.
However mini-DSP has quite the following, and after my recent visit to the site I can see why with many new products.
The Dirac live is supposed to be good stuff. https://www.minidsp.com/

And this new HP measuring device! Hmm https://www.minidsp.com/products/acoustic-measurement/ears-headphone-jig

Well that clears things up a bit. I have heard of mini-DSP but havent been able to justify the purchase as of yet. Partly cause Im still hopin Schiit will make a larger and more complex version of the Loki tonal control which I would prolly jump on as long as I could get it to function without adding a lot of noise to the system like the little Loki did when I had my magni and modi stack.

 

[thebkt]

Well that clears things up a bit. I have heard of mini-DSP but havent been able to justify the purchase as of yet. Partly cause Im still hopin Schiit will make a larger and more complex version of the Loki tonal control which I would prolly jump on as long as I could get it to function without adding a lot of noise to the system like the little Loki did when I had my magni and modi stack.

So I haven't actually heard any distortion with my X's, but I did read about some people who experienced it. So it's probably worth noting that you need to reduce the output gain quite a bit to avoid any distortion.

If you're using True-Fi it might be a little trickier, as I can only remember there being a toggle to reduce gain.

If you're using Reference 4 however, as you can see below, you can modify the gain manually. Even at 75% wet with the LCD-X the correction is upwards of 5db at 3khz and 10hz. As such, the safe headroom knocks it down by 6.6db which is a nice little buffer.

Hope that helps, I'm very satisfied with Ref 4 so far.

 

[Reckless95]

Anyone using True-Fi, try this out and turn it up... Literally, it shakes my head. Feels like my head is pulsing... lmao

 

[the finisher]

@Reckless95

Try Tidal: Trip Hop Download, The bass is incredible, watch the volume. The sub bass is unreal.
This stuff will wreck 5 to 6.5" woofer speakers. It make the HD6xx distort without much volume.
Reference 4 comes in nice hera to tame the bass a bit.
The X handles it fine, I like to listen with my subs on.

Literally, it shakes my head

I can feel my brain shaking in my head

 

[devante1977]

Using the trial version of Reference 4. Wow.

 

[commtrd]

I have a sneaking suspicion that the beautiful renditions of both LCDi4 and LCD4z are exactly what you guys keep trying to achieve with all the EQ etc.
Just sayin'...

Should I don the flame suit?

 

[NucRad]

Just downloaded True-Fi... Wow!