[AdrianDS]

Hi there!
 
I have recently received a pair of Fostex TH-600, and am looking into the LCD 2s from Audeze. This means I need an amp that can accommodate easy and hard to drive headphones (also maybe on the warmer side?). I have been driving my TH-600s with an Audiolab Q-DAC, which sounds quite nice, but I dont think it will be able to do the LCD 2s justice. Any suggestions?
 
Budget=$1000 
 
Thx!

 

[Makiah S]

  Hi there!
 
I have recently received a pair of Fostex TH-600, and am looking into the LCD 2s from Audeze. This means I need an amp that can accommodate easy and hard to drive headphones (also maybe on the warmer side?). I have been driving my TH-600s with an Audiolab Q-DAC, which sounds quite nice, but I dont think it will be able to do the LCD 2s justice. Any suggestions?
 
Thx!

Honestly, I enjoyed teh LCD 2 with my Audio GD NFB 10ES2, plenty of power and the amp is very transparent, I enjoyed it with both my HE 4 and my LCD and I also really liked it with my Modded D2k! 
 
So any one of the Balanced Ess Audio GD Balanced Amps Dacs would work nicely 

 

[AdrianDS]

  Honestly, I enjoyed teh LCD 2 with my Audio GD NFB 10ES2, plenty of power and the amp is very transparent, I enjoyed it with both my HE 4 and my LCD and I also really liked it with my Modded D2k! 
 
So any one of the Balanced Ess Audio GD Balanced Amps Dacs would work nicely 

i couldnt seem to find the price on their website? How much did you pay for it? (i forgot to mention my budget of $1000. Oops)

 

[bobby12]

There's a nice sale on the dacmini cx. It works well with the lcd 2. Usually $800, but you can get it for $400 on a certain website that isn't allowed to be named here, but google works wonders

 

[Makiah S]

There's a nice sale on the dacmini cx. It works well with the lcd 2. Usually $800, but you can get it for $400 on a certain website that isn't allowed to be named here, but google works wonders

Do you know why they don't name it :3
 

  i couldnt seem to find the price on their website? How much did you pay for it? (i forgot to mention my budget of $1000. Oops)

http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB28/NFB28EN.htm
 
Price is at 680, shipping is 50 and it takes about 4 days to ship

 

[AdrianDS]

Has anyone listened to the schiit lyr 2? How does it compare to the amps mentioned above?

 

[bobby12]

group buy sitse arent allowed unfortunately. there's only 5 units left with 115 sold

 

[Head Injury]

Best amp on a budget is probably the Objective2, since that was its design goal from the beginning and the host of measurements back it up. It has enough power for virtual any headphone, but has low current so low impedance headphones like the TH-600 don't get too much more than they need. It'll still be ear-splitting loud and you'll have to turn the volume way down unless you get custom gain settings like 1x and 2.5x. Low output impedance also keeps things sounding transparent and neutral on low impedances. It's portable too, in case you feel the urge to dance in the streets when you put on the LCD-2 (or go running to the store to find a neck brace

)
 
By the way, if you'd rather just stick with the Q-DAC it should do the LCD-2 plenty of justice. The manual says the headphone out volume goes up to "+5 dB" but I don't know if that's in reference to the Q-DAC's line out voltage or 1 dBV or something completely different.  Either one will be enough, though. If you tell me your volume setting with the TH-600 I may be able to figure out what volume you'll get.

 

[AdrianDS]

 
http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB28/NFB28EN.htm
 
Price is at 680, shipping is 50 and it takes about 4 days to ship

Looks very appealing especially for that price..

 

[Makiah S]

  Best amp on a budget is probably the Objective2, since that was its design goal from the beginning and the host of measurements back it up. It has enough power for virtual any headphone, but has low current so low impedance headphones like the TH-600 don't get too much more than they need. It'll still be ear-splitting loud and you'll have to turn the volume way down unless you get custom gain settings like 1x and 2.5x. Low output impedance also keeps things sounding transparent and neutral on low impedances. It's portable too, in case you feel the urge to dance in the streets when you put on the LCD-2 (or go running to the store to find a neck brace

)
 
By the way, if you'd rather just stick with the Q-DAC it should do the LCD-2 plenty of justice. The manual says the headphone out volume goes up to "+5 dB" but I don't know if that's in reference to the Q-DAC's line out voltage or 1 dBV or something completely different.  Either one will be enough, though. If you tell me your volume setting with the TH-600 I may be able to figure out what volume you'll get.

The O2 is nice, but it's not on the level of a proper balanced Solid State, schiit has some offerings but they start at about $700 or $1500 for the set, Dac an Amp 
 
I had n oDac and a Matrix M stage, with LME 4960 OP Amps that I enjoyed for a long time, it was simmilar in sound to the O2 oDac. How ever Audeze them selvs recommend what, at least  1,000 mWpc for the LCD 2 do they not? So I think if you've got a budget you should go for Balanced solid states, I enjoyed the upgrade my self and I think you will to! The Audio GD Units happen to be some of best bang for buck amps. But they r not "end all" so your welcome to explore some options. I'm not farmilliar with the Q-Dac though

  Looks very appealing especially for that price..

yup, I have teh NFB 10ES2 which is an older model and honestly not even as good as the NFB 28 [Has less overall power] and I paid like $720 total for mine about a year ago q.q, but they are great units, as I said before some of the best for the money. 

 

[AdrianDS]

  Best amp on a budget is probably the Objective2, since that was its design goal from the beginning and the host of measurements back it up. It has enough power for virtual any headphone, but has low current so low impedance headphones like the TH-600 don't get too much more than they need. It'll still be ear-splitting loud and you'll have to turn the volume way down unless you get custom gain settings like 1x and 2.5x. Low output impedance also keeps things sounding transparent and neutral on low impedances. It's portable too, in case you feel the urge to dance in the streets when you put on the LCD-2 (or go running to the store to find a neck brace

)
 
By the way, if you'd rather just stick with the Q-DAC it should do the LCD-2 plenty of justice. The manual says the headphone out volume goes up to "+5 dB" but I don't know if that's in reference to the Q-DAC's line out voltage or 1 dBV or something completely different.  Either one will be enough, though. If you tell me your volume setting with the TH-600 I may be able to figure out what volume you'll get.

Im not worried about listening levels with the LCD 2 on the Q-DAC, im worried the sound quality wont be at its best with the headphone amp's output.

 

[zhenya]

Since Headamp no longer offers the GS-1, I'd say in your price range maybe the Violectric V200.

 

[AdrianDS]

Since Headamp no longer offers the GS-1, I'd say in your price range maybe the Violectric V200.

this is an amp i have been really interested in. Hopefully it goes on sale soon with the holidays coming up

 

[Head Injury]

  The O2 is nice, but it's not on the level of a proper balanced Solid State, schiit has some offerings but they start at about $700 or $1500 for the set, Dac an Amp 
 
I had n oDac and a Matrix M stage, with LME 4960 OP Amps that I enjoyed for a long time, it was simmilar in sound to the O2 oDac. How ever Audeze them selvs recommend what, at least  1,000 mWpc for the LCD 2 do they not? So I think if you've got a budget you should go for Balanced solid states, I enjoyed the upgrade my self and I think you will to! The Audio GD Units happen to be some of best bang for buck amps. But they r not "end all" so your welcome to explore some options. I'm not farmilliar with the Q-Dac though
yup, I have teh NFB 10ES2 which is an older model and honestly not even as good as the NFB 28 [Has less overall power] and I paid like $720 total for mine about a year ago q.q, but they are great units, as I said before some of the best for the money. 

You don't need 1 Watt for the LCD-2. You need about 50 mW to reach 110 dB peaks according to manufacturer specs, which is all anyone will ever realistically need unless they're cranking classical at damaging volumes. Most people will only need around 100 dB, but the extra 10 is good padding. At 70 ohms (again manufacturer specs) 50 mW amounts to only 1.87 V. Lots of amps can do that with room to spare. The Q-DAC will do about 1.78 if the headphone amp volume is based off dBV, enough for 45 mW and 109.5 dB (yes, half a decibel shy of 110

)
 
Lots of amps, including the O2, priced below $200 are on the level you're talking about. Really the only advantage paying more might get you (and no guarantee) is:

1. More connection options
2. Better specs (which are inaudible, as even an iPod is transparent with most loads)
3. More power (which you don't need for headphones, and will only result in potential channel balance and noise issues at low volume)
4. Inaccuracies and flaws which result in "euphonic" distortion like tubes are infamous for
5. Lots of cognitive biases
6. Bragging rights

 
If these are worth the money to you, go for it! I'm just here to offer an alternative.
 

  Im not worried about listening levels with the LCD 2 on the Q-DAC, im worried the sound quality wont be at its best with the headphone amp's output.

 
Don't worry, the two are exactly linked. If an amp generates enough power, and has inaudible noise and distortion, both of which the Q-DAC seem to do, the headphone will sound its best. Amps are not magic, their only goal is to alter the voltage of the signal. If one can do so without introducing unwanted THD+N, it's doing as good a job as it needs to do.
 
Likewise expensive headphones aren't magic. They have the same needs every other headphone has: power. Nothing about price, or "levels" of performance they imply, determines power requirements. The LCD-2 isn't even that tough a load, the AKG K701 is tougher.

 

[Sam21]

violectric v200 or inferior models....