[UntilThen]

There was only one weird incident several years ago that occur in this same study of mine. A friend from Abu Dahbi visited me and he brought his HD600. I had NAD d1050 > Feliks Elise and I let him try the HD600. He turn around and told me he could hear the TV program from the lounge, which is 2 rooms away. I didn't believe him so I listen for myself and lo and behold I could hear the TV program loud and clear on the HD600 !

I've never ever experience that again. I mean I want to. That would be great ! but try as I would, I could not hear the TV again.

 

[sahmen]

I reckon it's time for a little TLC for your LCD-X. Stop pampering your Susvara.

Just before Christmas I dropped my LCD-3f when the agent called on the phone. I could almost swore at her but I'll be nice after all she brought good news. The metal yoke was slightly bend. My pads were the original brown and very seasoned but like old shoes, they are so comfy. The headband is also brown.

So I brought it to Minidisc and ask them to order the yoke, steel suspension headband and new Audeze leather pads. Even paid them to replace all that because the screw on the yoke is so tight. Driver and wooden cups are perfect. Not a scratch.

Now I can't wait for it to come back to me. Then 6 months later I'll sell the LCD3-f and LCD-X for a LCD-4 or maybe I won't because as soon as I get the LCD4, there will be a LCD-5.

It's funny because I have had a set of replacement pads for the X sitting on the shelf for more than a year now, so I ought to have replaced the old pads a long time ago. It is just that those older pads feel glued on so hard that it looks as if it might take a whole elaborate surgical procedure to remove and replace them, which seems quite intimidating at times. To be fair, I have not considered the replacement to be an urgent matter, because the old pads are still very usable and even comfortable. They just look somewhat ravaged and weathered, yet not really damaged, in spite of some visible "wrinkles: on them, if you see what I mean.

 

[Honeypot]

I Once had LCD-X and encountered the problem that this guy had, same like him, just in different dac/amp



Is there any explanation, i wonder why, my other low impedance dynamic headphone i had didnot have the problem i;m still curious, if the problem is really grounding loop, then is the headphone really is to be to blamed !?

Mine do have the hum when touching the rim. Only right side and only with single ended cord. It doesn't always have it either.

I have done some research, it's a common thing to happen. It's ground leakage and as long as it only happens when you touch it, then don't touch it.

https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=28726

 

[kith86]

Mine do have the hum when touching the rim. Only right side and only with single ended cord. It doesn't always have it either.

I have done some research, it's a common thing to happen. It's ground leakage and as long as it only happens when you touch it, then don't touch it.

https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=28726

Yep, only when it touched, just weird the other headphone didnot have the issue with same amp/dac when touched (i have habit touching one of my cup when playing music, makes me comfortable sometimes), thats why i just confuse, as i conclude then definitely this cans kindda sensitive to ground leakage (if there's any since some other ppl didnot)

 

[Honeypot]

Yes, that is exactly what I thought. The low resistance the headphones produce, makes the electrons runs the way up. If you hook your amp dac to an even lower impedance ground, it will be over.
I haven't found the exact conditions on which to trigger this issue on my setup. As far as I see it's intermitent. That's why i don't bother, and i do have a similar habit as yours but o can't hear the hum when music is on.
Btw, i have a nice power brick with ac filters providing power to all the audio gear. Will try later if plugging the dx7-pro to another socket it improves or goes worse.

 

[betula]

Yep, only when it touched, just weird the other headphone didnot have the issue with same amp/dac when touched (i have habit touching one of my cup when playing music, makes me comfortable sometimes), thats why i just confuse, as i conclude then definitely this cans kindda sensitive to ground leakage (if there's any since some other ppl didnot)

I have the same setup (ADI-2 + LCDX) and I can't hear any hum when I touch the earcups. It has something to do with the grounding in your electricity system.

 

[UntilThen]

I have the same setup (ADI-2 + LCDX) and I can't hear any hum when I touch the earcups. It has something to do with the grounding in your electricity system.

That's my conclusion because my LCD-X does not have that issue with any of the 5 amps I have here and I don't have a power conditioner here as I said. Don't even use the Schiit Wyrd or Eitr that I have because the USB connection on the Questyle CMA Twelve is solid and doesn't need any help.

 

[UntilThen]

I have not considered the replacement to be an urgent matter, because the old pads are still very usable and even comfortable.

I was just kidding you. I felt the same with my seasoned brown pads on my LCD-3f and would not have replace it if I didn't bend the yoke slightly. The old pads was getting very comfortable and even the old brown headband has been relaxed in it's grip over the years. However I wanted to make it all 'new' again so decided to change everything bar the wooden cups and drivers.

Then the whole process of wearing them in starts all over again - which I hate.

 

[UntilThen]

Mine do have the hum when touching the rim. Only right side and only with single ended cord. It doesn't always have it either.

I have done some research, it's a common thing to happen. It's ground leakage and as long as it only happens when you touch it, then don't touch it.

https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=28726

I would be annoyed if my system have that issue. I can't stand noise, microphonic or hum if it exist in my system. My tube amps and my tubes have to be quiet. The not so quiet ones are sold. That said, even the cheap SMSL SP200 here is absolutely quiet. No noise.

The other thing I don't like is a very hot amp. I like the La Figaro 339 sound but that amp sure is very hot.... and Ragnarok, another furnace.

 

[UntilThen]

I will talk about the LCD-X again. Even though I love my Hekse sound, when I put on my LCD-X, I'm just in love with the tonality of this more neutral Audeze. It's also very interesting that with each of the amps I have here, the LCD-X sounds lovely but different in each of them.

With the Wa22, there's that lovely all over tube tone and 3D stage. With the v280, it's tighter and faster yet the slight 'tube tone' is still prevalent. Yes the v280 has a touch of tube tone but it's solid state. With Mjolnir 2, the X becomes a bit of both - I seem to get the best effects of both tubes and ss combination. However, sometimes it's better to have one or the other. The middle ground is good but just different. With the Questyle CMA Twelve, it's really a very exciting sound but it doesn't stand out neither does it stand down.

The last SMSL SP200 is a surprise. I don't care for measurements. Never have. How it sounds to my ears is all that matters. Yggdrasil doesn't measure well but it's favourite dac and I have never felt the need to find 'better'. Ok back to the SP200, in a blind test, I would have been wowed by it but obviously when I look at the tiny amp and the el cheapo and poorly executed volume knob and the equally el cheapo price, my bias automatically kicks in. The best part is I actually like how this el cheapo amp sound with the LCD-X. Most audiophile wouldn't be caught dead saying that but I'm no audiophile. I just love my music and I know what sonic signatures I like.

So based on that, I'm quite keen to get my hands on the Benchmarks HPA4 - this is the expensive brother of the SMSL SP200. You can say that the SMSL SP200 is a cheap, cheap cousin of the HPA4 and SMSL will probably sue me ! A friend has the HPA4 and it's just beautiful in it's looks and execution. The 256 steps remote controllable attenuator is a joy to use.

So many amps to turn the LCD-X into a LCD-5 and I'm only scratching the surface here.

 

[phthora]

I will talk about the LCD-X again. Even though I love my Hekse sound, when I put on my LCD-X, I'm just in love with the tonality of this more neutral Audeze. It's also very interesting that with each of the amps I have here, the LCD-X sounds lovely but different in each of them.

With the Wa22, there's that lovely all over tube tone and 3D stage. With the v280, it's tighter and faster yet the slight 'tube tone' is still prevalent. Yes the v280 has a touch of tube tone but it's solid state. With Mjolnir 2, the X becomes a bit of both - I seem to get the best effects of both tubes and ss combination. However, sometimes it's better to have one or the other. The middle ground is good but just different. With the Questyle CMA Twelve, it's really a very exciting sound but it doesn't stand out neither does it stand down.

The last SMSL SP200 is a surprise. I don't care for measurements. Never have. How it sounds to my ears is all that matters. Yggdrasil doesn't measure well but it's favourite dac and I have never felt the need to find 'better'. Ok back to the SP200, in a blind test, I would have been wowed by it but obviously when I look at the tiny amp and the el cheapo and poorly executed volume knob and the equally el cheapo price, my bias automatically kicks in. The best part is I actually like how this el cheapo amp sound with the LCD-X. Most audiophile wouldn't be caught dead saying that but I'm no audiophile. I just love my music and I know what sonic signatures I like.

So based on that, I'm quite keen to get my hands on the Benchmarks HPA4 - this is the expensive brother of the SMSL SP200. You can say that the SMSL SP200 is a cheap, cheap cousin of the HPA4 and SMSL will probably sue me ! A friend has the HPA4 and it's just beautiful in it's looks and execution. The 256 steps remote controllable attenuator is a joy to use.

So many amps to turn the LCD-X into a LCD-5 and I'm only scratching the surface here.

I looooove my HPA4. It's definitely endgame for me, worth the cost relative to the 789, 887, SP200, or A90, and it also beats them in sound quality to my ears. At this point, the only other amp I'm interested in is... the WA22, but I just haven't been able to pull the trigger given that I have only two high impedance cans. Plus, I really love clean sound.

 

[Honeypot]

It's not like you can't hook lower impedance headphones to a high impedance output like wa22. The lcd-x and my otl sound delicious

 

[UntilThen]

It's not like you can't hook lower impedance headphones to a high impedance output like wa22. The lcd-x and my otl sound delicious

Wa22 suit both low and high impedance headphones. There's a switch for high and low impedance. Also it's not an OTL but it's transformer couple tube amp. This is where the quality of the output transformer is important.

 

[UntilThen]

I looooove my HPA4. It's definitely endgame for me, worth the cost relative to the 789, 887, SP200, or A90, and it also beats them in sound quality to my ears. At this point, the only other amp I'm interested in is... the WA22, but I just haven't been able to pull the trigger given that I have only two high impedance cans. Plus, I really love clean sound.

Interesting. I have Wa22 and want a HPA4 and you have HAP4 but want a Wa22.

The catch in loving the HPA4 is that you need to love clean, transparent sound but it's not boring - there's energy if the SP200 is any indication.

It might be sooner than I had plan in my getting a HPA4. Just spoke to Geoff and he has a good price on the HPA4. However I need to cull some of my amps first. There's no space on the desk !
https://www.heynowhifi.com.au/produ...ne-line-amplifier?_pos=1&_sid=ecf3ba782&_ss=r

 

[UntilThen]

I'm doomed as I listen to Hekse & LCD-4 with SMSL SP200. I'm embarrassed that it sound so good but I shouldn't be because it's my ears. A $4500 headphone paired with a $300 amp and it sounded lovely to me.

What sounded great in the v280 > Hekse, has another contender here with a very different flavour. However it's not the SP200 I have in mind. This is the gateway to the THX technology and for the record, I don't really want that association but hey if it sound good, I couldn't care less. George Lucas has my respect now.

So the SP200 leads me to really consider the Benchmark HPA4 and for the record, I couldn't care less that another forum praised it so much and again I rather not have that association. Reading reviews here of HPA4 with Susvara and Abyss ab 1266 Phi TC has make me really itch to get my hands on one.

Again reviews means not much to me but I did gain an idea to what the HPA4 can do by the unlikely means of the SMSL SP200, which many says have some sonic signature of the HPA4.

However once I get the HPA4 then I would want the LCD4 and it would pair perfectly with the Hekse. After which I only need another v281 and a gorgeous tube amp and I'm ready to ride off into the sunset.

https://benchmarkmedia.com/products/hpa4

https://headphone.guru/the-benchmark-hpa4-headphone-amplifier-the-leader-in-transparency/