[goldendarko]

Have you thought about a Burson Conductor? It's one of the best DAC/AMP combo pairings with Audeze headphones.

 

[inter voice]

  Hi,
 
I just received my set of LCD-X's 2 days ago and I am not sure that my current amplifier is a good fit for them. I have a HeadRoom Ultra Desktop with dedicated power supply.  To my ears the sound is just not as emotionally involving as I had expected it would be based on all the posts I have read in this forum.
 
I am using a portable Sony dvd player as a inexpensive transport and sending the digital output to the HeadRoom amplifier, which has its own dac.  I really don't believe the dvd player is the problem.   I concede that a good transport might make some difference (because of less jitter, etc.), but I generally subscribe to the belief that  "numbers are numbers" and that the dac and amplification are much more important to good sound.   Also, I would like to stay with a dac/amp combo rather than buy separate components.
 
I would really appreciate any recommendations for a dac/amp combo which would sound significantly better with these headphones than what I am currently using.  If possible, I would like to keep the price to around $1500 or less.  Any suggestions, or am I just being unrealistic?  Much thanks!

Have you tried other input sources?  I still believe good CDP makes a lot of differences.

 

[Milton61]

Have you thought about a Burson Conductor? It's one of the best DAC/AMP combo pairings with Audeze headphones.

Thanks for this suggestion. I will do some research on this component.

 

[Milton61]

Have you tried other input sources?  I still believe good CDP makes a lot of differences.

I have used other input sources, but nothing I would consider better than the DVD player. I have used an iPad Air, a portable Panasonic CD player, and an iPod Classic. These only provide analog output, which is why I consider them inferior to the DVD player, which at least uses a standard cd and also provides digital output.

 

[leesure]

I have used other input sources, but nothing I would consider better than the DVD player. I have used an iPad Air, a portable Panasonic CD player, and an iPod Classic. These only provide analog output, which is why I consider them inferior to the DVD player, which at least uses a standard cd and also provides digital output.

FWIW, for $29 you can get a digital output from the iPad Air via the Lightning-to-USB adapter.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD821ZM/A/lightning-to-usb-camera-adapter?fnode=3a

 

[Milton61]

FWIW, for $29 you can get a digital output from the iPad Air via the Lightning-to-USB adapter.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD821ZM/A/lightning-to-usb-camera-adapter?fnode=3a

Thanks, but the most that gets me (assuming I start using lossless music files) is an iPad Air that sounds as good as the Sony DVD player/HeadRoom amp combination. My goal here is to improve on that sound for $1500 or less, if possible.

 

[leesure]

Thanks, but the most that gets me (assuming I start using lossless music files) is an iPad Air that sounds as good as the Sony DVD player/HeadRoom amp combination. My goal here is to improve on that sound for $1500 or less, if possible.

That's fine...I was simply offering an alternative for digital source using what you already have. As to your original question, it's been asked and answered about 100x in this thread...on fact, it was asked and answered within the last page or two.

 

[Milton61]

That's fine...I was simply offering an alternative for digital source using what you already have. As to your original question, it's been asked and answered about 100x in this thread...on fact, it was asked and answered within the last page or two.

I have read many (but certainly not all) the posts here and I have seen lots of discussions and recommendations for the best matching amps and dacs for these headphones. However my question was specifically about dac/amp combos. Some of the equipment recommended may well have fallen into that category; but if it was not so stated in the discussion, I would not have known. If you can point me to one or two possibilities that you would recommend, I would really appreciate it.

 

[leesure]

I have read many (but certainly not all) the posts here and I have seen lots of discussions and recommendations for the best matching amps and dacs for these headphones. However my question was specifically about dac/amp combos. Some of the equipment recommended may well have fallen into that category; but if it was not so stated in the discussion, I would not have known. If you can point me to one or two possibilities that you would recommend, I would really appreciate it.

One page ago, the same question was asked and received at least 4 recommendations.

I don't mean to seem rude, and you seem a decent fellow, it's just a pet peeve of mine when people want to be spoon fed without doing at least a bit of research.

Here's where the last person asked the same question and was answered...

http://www.head-fi.org/t/684394/audeze-lcd-x/3660#post_10400040

Among the suggestions were the Chord Hugo, Woo WA7, Burson Conductor and Benchmark DAC2 HGC.

 

[Milton61]

One page ago, the same question was asked and received at least 4 recommendations.

I don't mean to seem rude, and you seem a decent fellow, it's just a pet peeve of mine when people want to be spoon fed without doing at least a bit of research.

Here's where the last person asked the same question and was answered...

http://www.head-fi.org/t/684394/audeze-lcd-x/3660#post_10400040

Among the suggestions were the Chord Hugo, Woo WA7, Burson Conductor and Benchmark DAC2 HGC.

Thanks for the links.

 

[ascNYC]

Thanks for the links.

Milton61,
 
Regarding your question on getting better sound that what you're currently getting from your CD player Benchmark published an interesting article yesterday on "What is high resolution audio" that can be found here: http://benchmarkmedia.com/blogs/news/13174001-what-is-high-resolution-audio?mc_cid=25eeb65974&mc_eid=351ba02cd8
 
Although it doesn't specifically answer your question about specific equipment recommendations (that, as others have written, has been answered many times over) it does provide some additional food for thought on achieving better resolution in listening to your music.
 
-andrew

 

[Milton61]

  Milton61,
 
Regarding your question on getting better sound that what you're currently getting from your CD player Benchmark published an interesting article yesterday on "What is high resolution audio" that can be found here: http://benchmarkmedia.com/blogs/news/13174001-what-is-high-resolution-audio?mc_cid=25eeb65974&mc_eid=351ba02cd8
 
Although it doesn't specifically answer your question about specific equipment recommendations (that, as others have written, has been answered many times over) it does provide some additional food for thought on achieving better resolution in listening to your music.
 
-andrew

Andrew,
 
Thanks very much for the link to the article.  I enjoyed it.  I will definitely be doing some critical listening and decision making within the next month.  There is a place relatively close to me which sells Audeze products, and had demos of the lcd 2's and 3's.  At the time they did not (and still do not) have the X's in stock.  But based largely on what I read here, I decided to order the lcd-x's anyway, from a store online.  I have a little less than a month to return them or trade them in for other phones. So far my impression is that I liked the sound of the lcd-3's at the store better. So now I need to figure out if it is the phones or the electronics that make me like the 3's.

 

[inter voice]

Comparison of LCD-X; HD-800 and HE-500 using Hifiman EF-5 Headphone amplifier​

 
Recently I have completed modding my Hifiman EF-5 and used it to run the LCD-X; HD-800 and HE-500 for a comparison.
 
If you are interested you can find my impression of the three different CANs in the following link:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/711004/hifiman-ef-5-headphone-amplifier-mods-and-rolls#post_10406452

 

[eantala]

my pair of lcd x should be coming in Thursday.
I love the hd800 on classical/jazz/film score and this will be my hp for electronica/rock/rap replacing the hd650 / he500 / lcd2 as I wanted something that was a clear upgrade and not a sideway step.
 
once I get these I'll have to decide what to do as far as amping.  Are there any amps that are really excellent with boht hd800 and lcd X so that its the only amp one would need?
I hate having all these boxes around would love to replace it with one.

 

[reddyxm]

  my pair of lcd x should be coming in Thursday.

 
Yes! Same here. Can't wait to receive my LCD-X Thursday or Friday.