[baka1969]

Frank I will get to spend some extended time comparinf his LCD-2 with the HE6 soon. I listened to both of them again at the meet this past Saturday and I must say that there is no clear winner. If anyone has ever had both Carolina and Memphis ribs will attest, even if you have a preference of one over the other, they're both really friggin good.  

 
There's no need for me to rehash the sound sig of each one as there is plenty to read about that. Properly amped they are both excellent headphones.Better than excellent. Along with the HD800 and T1 both the HE6 and LCD-2 are quite amazing.

 

[jamato8]

I have heard reference to the bass of the HE-6 as being lighter though well defined when compared to the LCD-2. I find a preference for neither and I like both. Different venues, different days. 
 
These are both the real thing, no FOTM here, IMO. 

 

[DannyBuoy]

Quote:

 
I can't do direct comparisons really though because the LCD's sound better out of the Woo6se and the HE6 balanced out of the Roc.
Still waiting for balanced TWAG cable for the LCD's.
 

 
On pre-order list and waiting since 1/3/2011. Doing my reading, looking for Woo Amp users.
I see you use the LCD with WA6SE, that is the amp I have.
In your sig it now shows Balanced cable for LCDs. Does that mean you now use the LCD with the Roc and not with 6SE anymore?
If so, can you compare bal vs unbal with LCD?
I am really concerned over not have balanced Amp. I have Audio-GD NFB2 (kind of balanced, if using Audio-gd amp and cables) and use RSA Nighthawk with my TT which can be considered balanced, but everything terminates to SE on Amp. I am assuming there is no way to open WA6SE and rewire for balanced, right?
 
The balanced sound is growing on me now that I wired my UE TF 10s to balanced with Null Audio Enyo and HiRose 6 pin to iBasso PB1 Toucan. The headstage is significantly better than TRS sound. I love my WA6SE (with Sophia of course) and do not like the thought of going with Audio-gd balanced setup as I am not that happy with my NFB2 sound. I bought because I like the Wolfson DAC voicing but am not impressed when A/B same songs (flac or 256K MP3) with same in vinyl (ProJect rm6sb and Denon103 and AT33EV cart).
 
So I would like to plan now, before the LCD2 arrive to get my setup in good shape. I know it is subject to ones personal taste, but in your opinion(s) is balanced going to open the head stage and placement that the LCD2 lack, and if it is perceivable, what would you recommend in DAC/AMP considering I have no fear in selling off NFB2 or WA6SE to achieve better sound (I'll sell my D7000 and HM601 to raise cash if needed). I am sincerely concerned on the issue of balanced output and even if the source is not truly balanced (2 PS, full mono, separate path all the way) but shares PS or OTL than I am OK as long as it opens up the sound. It is sad that I now like the experience of my portable rig costing under $900 to my desktop rig costing almost five times that. If I add the LCD2 to existing rig and still prefer the head stage and placement, I will scream out in anguish (I know, kind of dramatic) but it's true. The SQ of the TF10s is not better, but the staging certainly is.
 
Please excuse the length of this. Having read through 50 pages of posts on the LCD2 in the past couple weeks, I am getting a head full of thoughts (not that anyone else would ever understand that...). Thanks anyone, and all.

 

[nigeljames]

 
Quote:

 
"On pre-order list and waiting since 1/3/2011. Doing my reading, looking for Woo Amp users. I see you use the LCD with WA6SE, that is the amp I have.
In your sig it now shows Balanced cable for LCDs. Does that mean you now use the LCD with the Roc and not with 6SE anymore?"
 
I am using the LCD's with the Roc more at the moment because I just received my balanced TWAG cable. Trying to burn in the cable and get used to the differences. I have only briefly listened on the Woo since I got the cable. The Woo still sounds excellent with the LCD's and will probably sound better than I remember with the new cable even without being balanced.
 
 
"If so, can you compare bal vs unbal with LCD?"
 
Its difficult to compare balanced vs unbalanced in my system because it would mean either using different amps or just using the Roc when in SE mode only half the amp is being used so its just like using two different amps again. I can say say that using the Roc/TWAG balanced leads to more dynamic,detailed,cleaner,defined sound with more prominent hf's (although I have never considered the LCD's as 'dark' sounding). But that is just as much as a comparison of the Roc single ended vs balanced. The Woo6se is better than the Roc single ended although the differences are very slight using easy to drive phones like my ALO-780's.
 
 
"I am really concerned over not have balanced Amp. I have Audio-GD NFB2 (kind of balanced, if using Audio-gd amp and cables) and use RSA Nighthawk with my TT which can be considered balanced, but everything terminates to SE on Amp."
 
The NFB-2 as no balanced output so I don't understand when you say 'kind of balanced'. Yes a balanced Audio-gd amp will balance the signal but I would expect the Roc/Pheonix to sound better when used with a proper balanced source.
 
"I am assuming there is no way to open WA6SE and rewire for balanced, right?"
 
No!
 
"The balanced sound is growing on me now that I wired my UE TF 10s to balanced with Null Audio Enyo and HiRose 6 pin to iBasso PB1 Toucan. The headstage is significantly better than TRS sound. I love my WA6SE (with Sophia of course) and do not like the thought of going with Audio-gd balanced setup as I am not that happy with my NFB2 sound. I bought because I like the Wolfson DAC voicing but am not impressed when A/B same songs (flac or 256K MP3) with same in vinyl (ProJect rm6sb and Denon103 and AT33EV cart)."
 
If its balanced route you want to go down then you will need to change your DAC. There are some tube based DAC's that sound more like vinyl but most are not balanced. The Audio-gd Ref series dac's are supposed to sound abit like vinyl so maybe the Ref 5/7 if in budget.
 
"So I would like to plan now, before the LCD2 arrive to get my setup in good shape. I know it is subject to ones personal taste, but in your opinion(s) is balanced going to open the head stage and placement that the LCD2 lack, and if it is perceivable, what would you recommend in DAC/AMP considering I have no fear in selling off NFB2 or WA6SE to achieve better sound (I'll sell my D7000 and HM601 to raise cash if needed). I am sincerely concerned on the issue of balanced output and even if the source is not truly balanced (2 PS, full mono, separate path all the way) but shares PS or OTL than I am OK as long as it opens up the sound. It is sad that I now like the experience of my portable rig costing under $900 to my desktop rig costing almost five times that. If I add the LCD2 to existing rig and still prefer the head stage and placement, I will scream out in anguish (I know, kind of dramatic) but it's true. The SQ of the TF10s is not better, but the staging certainly is."
 
If you want a very wide and deep soundstage then maybe you have picked the wrong phone in the LCD's. The soundstage is never going to reach HD800 or T1 width or depth (although I have not heard the HD800's), but for me thats not a problem. I would prefer a more closed in soundstage rather than one that makes performers sound as though they are playing on different
continents!
 
If you have no problems selling of your woo/nfb/d7000/hm601 then maybe the Woo22 with a balanced dac would be a good choice.
 
Good luck

 

[Fido2]

Anyone know how long it's taking to get the LCD-2's out? I have been on waiting list since b4 Christmas.

 

[Jian]

You might need to wait for 3 more weeks.

 

[Fido2]

Thanks Jian! Waiting....

 

[DannyBuoy]

Thank-you very much for the time you put into replying. Based on what you say, I am going to sit tight until the LCD arrive and listen to them SE with the WA6 for some time. It may be such a significant step up in SQ from the D7000 that I will be happy for some time just like that.
I will see how they sound with the NFB2 but I have always wanted to try a ref5 or 7 since they use r2r instead of sigma and as I understand it, I should have a more analog (more accurate sinewave) sound than the sigma dacs.
Again, sincere thanks for the feedback. It was just the kind of advice I was hoping to get from someone farther down the road than I.
Quote:

 
Quote:

 
"On pre-order list and waiting since 1/3/2011. Doing my reading, looking for Woo Amp users. I see you use the LCD with WA6SE, that is the amp I have.
In your sig it now shows Balanced cable for LCDs. Does that mean you now use the LCD with the Roc and not with 6SE anymore?"
 
I am using the LCD's with the Roc more at the moment because I just received my balanced TWAG cable. Trying to burn in the cable and get used to the differences. I have only briefly listened on the Woo since I got the cable. The Woo still sounds excellent with the LCD's and will probably sound better than I remember with the new cable even without being balanced.
 
 
"If so, can you compare bal vs unbal with LCD?"
 
Its difficult to compare balanced vs unbalanced in my system because it would mean either using different amps or just using the Roc when in SE mode only half the amp is being used so its just like using two different amps again. I can say say that using the Roc/TWAG balanced leads to more dynamic,detailed,cleaner,defined sound with more prominent hf's (although I have never considered the LCD's as 'dark' sounding). But that is just as much as a comparison of the Roc single ended vs balanced. The Woo6se is better than the Roc single ended although the differences are very slight using easy to drive phones like my ALO-780's.
 
 
"I am really concerned over not have balanced Amp. I have Audio-GD NFB2 (kind of balanced, if using Audio-gd amp and cables) and use RSA Nighthawk with my TT which can be considered balanced, but everything terminates to SE on Amp."
 
The NFB-2 as no balanced output so I don't understand when you say 'kind of balanced'. Yes a balanced Audio-gd amp will balance the signal but I would expect the Roc/Pheonix to sound better when used with a proper balanced source.
 
"I am assuming there is no way to open WA6SE and rewire for balanced, right?"
 
No!
 
"The balanced sound is growing on me now that I wired my UE TF 10s to balanced with Null Audio Enyo and HiRose 6 pin to iBasso PB1 Toucan. The headstage is significantly better than TRS sound. I love my WA6SE (with Sophia of course) and do not like the thought of going with Audio-gd balanced setup as I am not that happy with my NFB2 sound. I bought because I like the Wolfson DAC voicing but am not impressed when A/B same songs (flac or 256K MP3) with same in vinyl (ProJect rm6sb and Denon103 and AT33EV cart)."
 
If its balanced route you want to go down then you will need to change your DAC. There are some tube based DAC's that sound more like vinyl but most are not balanced. The Audio-gd Ref series dac's are supposed to sound abit like vinyl so maybe the Ref 5/7 if in budget.
 
"So I would like to plan now, before the LCD2 arrive to get my setup in good shape. I know it is subject to ones personal taste, but in your opinion(s) is balanced going to open the head stage and placement that the LCD2 lack, and if it is perceivable, what would you recommend in DAC/AMP considering I have no fear in selling off NFB2 or WA6SE to achieve better sound (I'll sell my D7000 and HM601 to raise cash if needed). I am sincerely concerned on the issue of balanced output and even if the source is not truly balanced (2 PS, full mono, separate path all the way) but shares PS or OTL than I am OK as long as it opens up the sound. It is sad that I now like the experience of my portable rig costing under $900 to my desktop rig costing almost five times that. If I add the LCD2 to existing rig and still prefer the head stage and placement, I will scream out in anguish (I know, kind of dramatic) but it's true. The SQ of the TF10s is not better, but the staging certainly is."
 
If you want a very wide and deep soundstage then maybe you have picked the wrong phone in the LCD's. The soundstage is never going to reach HD800 or T1 width or depth (although I have not heard the HD800's), but for me thats not a problem. I would prefer a more closed in soundstage rather than one that makes performers sound as though they are playing on different
continents!
 
If you have no problems selling of your woo/nfb/d7000/hm601 then maybe the Woo22 with a balanced dac would be a good choice.
 
Good luck

 

[Frank I]

I heard the LCD2 on the Woo 6SE at my mini meet and I liked what I heard driving the LCD2 very nice amp and IMO is a great match with the LCD2 and also the HD800 and T1

 

[Happy Camper]

They also sound good on the SP Extreme. I like the otl sound with the LCD-2.

 

[Frank I]

While I enjoyed my LCD with the CSP-2 OTL I much prefer the Taboo CSP-2 combo. The biggest difference for me has been no congestion with a bigger sound stage and I can say the LCD2 gets more headroom with the Taboo combo then it did on the CSP-2 OTL.  Many are enjoying the LCD2 with the Woo wa2 which I still have not heard and the 6SE was magical with them also and also for the HD800

 

[grokit]

>

 

[Riku540]

Having a hard time finding the answer to a rather simple question; which of these two would most likely sound better with electronica/rock? From what I've read it sounds like the LCD-2 would have the better bass of the two, but I'm worried about this supposed reverb effect that could lag down the pace of fast, high energy music. If it helps my current headphone of choice is the Ultrasone PRO 900.
 
In any case I don't think I'll be able to afford either of these anytime soon anyway.

 

[K3cT]

I can confirm that the LCD2's bass presentation is as clean as one can get and it doesn't bleed into the midrange like some headphones do. The damn thing is also blazing fast. Slipknot with this headphone sounds amazing. 

 

[jamato8]

I hear no reverb effect with the LCD-2. The HE-6 are a little more aggressive and might be a little better with electronica/rock. IMO.