PLEASE provide some feedback on how the X sound with the Mjolnir! I am on the ragged edge of trading in my LCD3(C) for the X if for no other reason than to satisfy my curiosity about more air, sound stage, attack, and neutrality than my LCD3 provide. Not that they don't sound good (they sound great) but I just think they could be better. The other option is sending them in to get fazored... Would greatly appreciate some info on how the X work with the Mjolnir.
I purchased my Xs a few months ago and have had the (expensive) opportunity to own three separate amps for them: the mjolnir, the audio gd phoenix, and the bryston bha-1.
First, a little bit of back story. I demo'd a pair at Hanson Audio in Dayton, OH. I was able to demo the LCD-Xs, 2s, 3s, as well as the HD800s and some Grados. I went in thinking I would get the 2s. At first I hooked up my Fiio X3 with all FLAC files to one of their smaller amps (I forget what it was). I listened to the 2s and was surprised at how veiled they sounded. Next I went to the 3s just so that I could honestly say that I demo'd them. I was again surprised to find that they didn't sound that great. Finally, I moved to the Xs. They were very good - much, much better than the 2s or 3s. I started to wonder why and noticed that the amp I was using seemed a bit puny. So I asked if I could unplug some of the inputs into the Bryston BHA-1 they had nearby. The salesman agreed and after letting it warm up during a nice conversation, I switched the Fiio into that. Let me say that the difference was extreme. I found that the LCD2s and 3s improved immensely. The 3s sounded amazing. They really needed the extra power to reach their full potential. At that point I was leaning heavily toward the 3s... until I swapped back to the Xs. I loved the extra air to the Xs and their more neutral sound.
Sorry for the rambling. Anyway, I ended up with the Xs. I already had a mjolnir at home that I bought only a week before. When the Xs arrived in the mail I hooked them up to the mjolnir and my fiio, but was a little disappointed in the sound - it wasn't quite what I remembered. I thought this might be due to burn-in, so I let them play for a few days. I came back and listened again and was still a bit disappointed as I remembered them sounding better in the store. I then saw an ad on the classifieds for the Audio GD Phoenix. I decided to buy it since it offers a much larger array of input/output options. A few days later I had the Phoenix to compare the mjolnir to. I actually found them to be somewhat similar. The Phoenix is a bit darker (just a tad), but nothing else really stood out. I was hoping the get the soundstage and imaging that I remembered when I first demo'd the Xs.
So just another few weeks later I saw another classified for the Bryston BHA-1 and, of course, jumped on it - desperately hoping that I could sell off the mjolnir. Only a few days later I had the BHA at home and hooked up to the same setup. I was relieved when I heard the Xs through it - it was exactly what I remembered. The soundstage was bigger, the imaging was better, and the music just sounded a bit more natural. I'm pretty bad with 'audiophile' descriptions. I won't say that the mids were luscious or chocolately or anything like that, but I can say that I found myself lost in the music again with the BHA.
Having said all this, all three of these amps are very good. I'm being a bit nit-picky with any differences as they are somewhat subtle. Also, I'm only speaking to my personal preferences. But I can say that I have also listened to the Xs straight out of my iPod, X3, and out of the X3/E12 and there is a noticeable improvement compared to the more powerful amps described above. So I think the general trend is that even though the Xs are efficient, they still love more power. Sure you can look good in a Ferrari driving down the highway, but it's not until you take it onto a racetrack that you really get to enjoy it. Same with the Xs and a powerful amp.
In short (just my opinion, mind you):
Mjolnir --> Phoenix (so many inputs/outputs) --> BHA
(I'm currently selling my like-new Mjolnir on the classifieds if anyone is interested, btw
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