I wanted to add a quick follow-up to my previous posts in this thread. Recently I acquired the rosewood LCD-2s. To my n00b ear, the pairing with the HP-A4 is impressive. The HP-A4 usually functions as my DAC with the RCA output to a WA6 with the Sophia Princess and 6GL7 upgrades. The HE-500s are brilliant in this setup.
However, the LCD-2s work better, I think, right out of the HP-A4’s native amplifier. There’s an increase in bass impact, clarity in the mids and highs, and overall punchiness. When I connect the LCD-2s to the WA6 with the Sophia Princess and 6GL7 upgrades, the sound is a bit out of focus, almost impressionistic.