[rpaul]

  "Don’t let the naysayer force you out of this thread. They are showing up EVERYWERE and think that they have the correct answer and the right to preach it, often without even testing/hearing the gear we are talking about (role nr1). Some of them don’t believe in SQ difference in DACs others in AMPs and others in cables. That’s ok by me.

 

Why they feel the need to ventilate there disbelief of gear they have not heard I cannot understand. It’s like I would I say something about a headphone or speakers I haven’t heard.  

 

If they really believed in the “science” they so often refer to they should be perfectly happy with gears that can be bought at prices far lower than what we are talking about here. Philips for example makes some nice hifi gear with good quality that also measuring well."

 

 

 

+1.
 
They always seem to crawl out of the woodwork when anyone has a opinion on SQ and cables.

 
Might stem from the fact that pricing for cables can seem ludicrously high, given that they're just conductive wires wrapped in protective fabric/plastic. I would not debate whether they change the sound of headphones, I have experienced that they can certainly do that in a subtle way (in my case with HD650); the question of whether that different subtle change is better and worth the cost is purely subjective.
 
In any case, so far I'm really enjoying the LCD-X. I'm glad I waited to finally jump into a pair of Audeze until these were introduced. The weight issue didn't bother me as much as I had expected given everything I had read.

 

[HiFiChris]

Folks, why can't we just stop that silly discussion and let everybody have his own opinion without trying to convert others?
Audio is a highly subjective hobby and all of those discussions will lead nowhere.

Let's just agree that all of us enjoy our LCD-Xs and should stop trying to convert others' opinions (this goes for both the people saying cables are snake oil and the ones saying they make a difference).

 

[mogulmaster]

Can IEMs get on this level of SQ?

 

[groovyd]

Folks, why can't we just stop that silly discussion and let everybody have his own opinion without trying to convert others?
Audio is a highly subjective hobby and all of those discussions will lead nowhere.

Let's just agree that all of us enjoy our LCD-Xs and should stop trying to convert others' opinions (this goes for both the people saying cables are snake oil and the ones saying they make a difference).

but shaping opinions is 90% of what head-fi is about.

 

[karthiksn]

Alright guys and gals, we should get back on topic about the LCD-X
 
It really seems like the only way to decide this is to simply try out the cables. I'm sure that everybody here knows that snake-oil salesmen exist in this business.
 
I think it's important to note that everyone here has good intentions. The folks who say no to cables are trying to avoid the snake-oil. The folks who say yes are trying to say that the naysayers could benefit. Nobody here is being a troll; from what I see, everybody here is simply ardent about what they believe.
 
Anyways! My LCD-X's just arrived, but they sound pretty bad unamped from a Macbook Pro. Bad, as in they don't sound any better than my PSB M4U1's. I tried out the iFi iDSD Micro + LCD-X at a local audio store here, which sounded fantastic. Hoping that they sound just as good once my iDSD Micro arrives!

 

[Skyfall]

This makes me happy and sad at the same time.
I just discovered that the lowest sub harmonic bass and the punchiest I've ever heard from LCD X is not from Hugo, not my AK120ii and not from my amps.
 
It's my Samsung Note > Viper > Tidal > LCD X
Set the Viper:
Dynamic system :enabled
Listening device: unknown type IV
Dynamic Bass : 15% and above (basshead level)
 
Play your EDM, hip hop, techno or whatever you like and tell me if you don't hear that subterranean hard hitting clubby bass 

 
 
Ps: i have Audeze stock cables, Q-audio, Black Dragon and silver litz from Ted and they all sound different.

 

[Skyfall]

Oh..
and if you add Portaphile in the chain it's simply amazing ! It exceeds my AK-Hugo set ups.

 

[midnightwalker]

 Ps: i have Audeze stock cables, Q-audio, Black Dragon and silver litz from Ted and they all sound different.

Q-cables sound fantastic with all LCDs. Highly recommend those cables.

 

[Skyfall]

Q-cables sound fantastic with all LCDs. Highly recommend those cables.

Ditto.
That's the one I choose most of the time.

 

[moneyhor]

My LCD-X's been sounding a bit too harsh in the highs lately. I never really noticed it but now I notice it all the time. Is this normal?

 

[HiFiChris]

My LCD-X's been sounding a bit too harsh in the highs lately. I never really noticed it but now I notice it all the time. Is this normal?

Does your frequency response chart show kind of a peek in the area around 5 kHz? Mine does somehow, that's why I also perceive this area as slightly sharp, kind of. Though, I am not saying that I don't like it like that.
On the other hand, if the recording shows some emphasis in that area it will also be audible and possibly slightly annoying, though the LCD-X is a bit more forgiving than other headphones when there is too much treble on the recording.

 

[rmsanger]

Q-cables sound fantastic with all LCDs. Highly recommend those cables.

this..
 
I have the black dragons on the LCDx and Silver Dragons on LCD3Fs and each cable is a significant improvement.   I did demo a 2x more expensive kimber cable and ALO and for the money they didn't really substantially improve over the dragons.
 
After the headphones themselves the single biggest change in the audio chain I made was getting the holy grail tubes my my Lyr1.  Easily the tube made 2-3x the improvement impact over the cables.

 

[Audiowood]

Love my LCD x with Ted Allen litz silver cable. Is there a diff in sound quality, oh yes, but it's subtle at best. Cable upgrade is the last upgrade I will do after fixing amp, dac, getting the right impedance, upgrading files to higher resolution and then finally cable.

I be honest here, I have been buying quite a lot of cables and not all cables makes a diff, some cables sound the same. For example a cardas cable and stock hd800 sound almost identical in sound. I also find its much easier to tell a diff with low impedance IEM or CIEM than headphones. The main question is, is there a diff, I will say from experience it's a yes. But if u blind fold me and ask me which of these 3 cables are from which brand, I will fail for sure, and if I get them all correct, it's just math at works like winning the lottery.

Sometimes upgrading a cable is a reassuring thing that u just squeeze out very single improvement there is to the best of your wallet ability and the act of doing put to rest the itch to upgrade for a long while.

 

[RCBinTN]

  Alright guys and gals, we should get back on topic about the LCD-X
 
It really seems like the only way to decide this is to simply try out the cables. I'm sure that everybody here knows that snake-oil salesmen exist in this business.
 
I think it's important to note that everyone here has good intentions. The folks who say no to cables are trying to avoid the snake-oil. The folks who say yes are trying to say that the naysayers could benefit. Nobody here is being a troll; from what I see, everybody here is simply ardent about what they believe.
 
Anyways! My LCD-X's just arrived, but they sound pretty bad unamped from a Macbook Pro. Bad, as in they don't sound any better than my PSB M4U1's. I tried out the iFi iDSD Micro + LCD-X at a local audio store here, which sounded fantastic. Hoping that they sound just as good once my iDSD Micro arrives!

 
IMO, it's an interesting path we take to HP high fidelity.  It's different for everyone.  These threads help.
 
Personally, I started by purchasing the LCD-X cans.  When I heard how good they sounded, just with a computer DAC, I started to wonder how far they could go.  What would really improve their SQ?  Then I began to read the threads here on Head-Fi and learned from other members' experience.  There are a ton of opinions, of course.  But those opinions led me first to modest upgrades, like a USB-DAC,  then to a small desktop DAC/amp stack, then to a mid-range balanced DAC/amp, then to better cables, then to hi-res music.  The LCD-X sounded better with each upgrade, which of course was the goal.  My conclusion was these discussions, while sometimes off-track, are quite valuable especially to folks who've just acquired their X and are wondering where to go next.
 
It's up to you experienced Head-Fi folks to steer them in the right direction!
 
There are still a ton of potential upgrades out there for me, but now they are getting more expensive.  After time, you will reach the plateau of diminishing returns.  Depends on your personal situation.
 
Enjoy your music!!
RCBinTN

 

[pippen99]

   
IMO, it's an interesting path we take to HP high fidelity.  It's different for everyone.  These threads help.
 
Personally, I started by purchasing the LCD-X cans.  When I heard how good they sounded, just with a computer DAC, I started to wonder how far they could go.  What would really improve their SQ?  Then I began to read the threads here on Head-Fi and learned from other members' experience.  There are a ton of opinions, of course.  But those opinions led me first to modest upgrades, like a USB-DAC,  then to a small desktop DAC/amp stack, then to a mid-range balanced DAC/amp, then to better cables, then to hi-res music.  The LCD-X sounded better with each upgrade, which of course was the goal.  My conclusion was these discussions, while sometimes off-track, are quite valuable especially to folks who've just acquired their X and are wondering where to go next.
 
 
 
Enjoy your music!!
RCBinTN

Received my new(to me) Auralic Vega today.  Did a driver update and hooked it up to the Gustard H10.  Started out with some Steely Dan Gaucho and the moved on to Dire Straits debut album.  The LCD-X sounded better than ever.  The Vega has widened the soundstage noticeably.  SQ is clearer with more punch in all areas.  Another 6 weeks or so to the Liquid Carbon.  Can the X's sound even better?  I'm hoping so.