[Zoom25]

As I said before, the full review of O2 + Emotiva with HE-500 and LCD-2 will come later. Although without going into much details, I don't recommend the LCD-2 with O2 as I can with the HE-500. The HE-500 pairs better with the O2 than the LCD-2 does. The vocals on both are very transparent, but a little bit more forward on the LCD-2. The vocals on both of these cans are absolutely natural - take your pick. The HE-500 kills the LCD-2 on treble....it's not even close IMO. The LCD-2 doesn't seem to have the full extension on O2 as the HE-500 does. More bass quantity with HE-500 as well as texture. Although the LCD-2 sounds more aggressive and has more of that bass kick (good for electronic). For electronic music through O2, either headphone can work, although I would probably take the HE-500.
 
I'll get the balanced cable to run the LCD-2 off the Emotiva and report back. I already have the female XLR to banana plugs adapter....this is what I'll plug the new balanced cable into. My adapter is silver wire from when I got it done for HE-500.
 
Does anybody have any experience with silver wires and LCD-2. I might go for a silver balanced cable for LCD-2 or I can just stick with Audeze's balanced cable for $80 

 

[preproman]

Quote:

As I said before, the full review of O2 + Emotiva with HE-500 and LCD-2 will come later. Although without going into much details, I don't recommend the LCD-2 with O2 as I can with the HE-500. The HE-500 pairs better with the O2 than the LCD-2 does. The vocals on both are very transparent, but a little bit more forward on the LCD-2. The vocals on both of these cans are absolutely natural - take your pick. The HE-500 kills the LCD-2 on treble....it's not even close IMO. The LCD-2 doesn't seem to have the full extension on O2 as the HE-500 does. More bass quantity with HE-500 as well as texture. Although the LCD-2 sounds more aggressive and has more of that bass kick (good for electronic). For electronic music through O2, either headphone can work, although I would probably take the HE-500.
 
I'll get the balanced cable to run the LCD-2 off the Emotiva and report back. I already have the female XLR to banana plugs adapter....this is what I'll plug the new balanced cable into. My adapter is silver wire from when I got it done for HE-500.
 
Does anybody have any experience with silver wires and LCD-2. I might go for a silver balanced cable for LCD-2 or I can just stick with Audeze's balanced cable for $80 

 
 
IMO as well.  The bass I feel a little different though.  Very interesting so far.  

 

[Zoom25]

Quote:

 
 
IMO as well.  The bass I feel a little different though.  Very interesting so far.  

 
I can see the bass potential of the LCD-2's at times with O2, just as I did with the HE-500. When I switched over to Emotiva, bass was finally the way I wanted it to be....well not fully there, but good enough. I'm expecting something similar with the LCD-2 when I pair it with the Emotiva. The treble on the other hand was leagues apart. I'm pretty sure even the Emotiva won't be able to pull the treble level to that of the HE-500. For a $1000 phone, the treble of LCD-2 is quite...unsatisfying. Nonetheless, it still sounds quite good and not tiring at all so far. Although on the other hand I am not getting any fatigue either with the HE-500 even though it has all the treble. So take it any way you want to.
 
The one thing I did find was that the center image was excellent with LCD-2 and O2 combination. Also good enough depth, works nicely with movies.

 

[preproman]

Quote:

 
I can see the bass potential of the LCD-2's at times with O2, just as I did with the HE-500. When I switched over to Emotiva, bass was finally the way I wanted it to be....well not fully there, but good enough. I'm expecting something similar with the LCD-2 when I pair it with the Emotiva. The treble on the other hand was leagues apart. I'm pretty sure even the Emotiva won't be able to pull the treble level to that of the HE-500. For a $1000 phone, the treble of LCD-2 is quite...unsatisfying. Nonetheless, it still sounds quite good and not tiring at all so far. Although on the other hand I am not getting any fatigue either with the HE-500 even though it has all the treble. So take it any way you want to.
 
The one thing I did find was that the center image was excellent with LCD-2 and O2 combination. Also good enough depth, works nicely with movies.

 
 
Who me? 

  I thought I was agreeing with you about the treble.

 

[Zoom25]

Quote:

 
 
Who me? 

  I thought I was agreeing with you about the treble.

 
LOL no, no. I meant "you" as in to the general population of head-fi reading this. Sorry for the confusion 

 
I can see why some people might say the LCD-2 are boxed in. They aren't really airy. They have some sense of air, but it can feel artificial. If only I hadn't heard the HE-500 first. I also think that for this reason people might find the vocals better on the LCD-2 because there's pretty much no treble to obstruct and the bass is so well controlled. Me on the other hand, vocals on both are fine - I honestly can't find a winner here. They both come out just as they should. No preservatives added.

 

[zilch0md]

Quote:

[snip]
 
Does anybody have any experience with silver wires and LCD-2. I might go for a silver balanced cable for LCD-2 or I can just stick with Audeze's balanced cable for $80 

 
I have the Toxic Cables' Silver Poison for my LCD-2 rev.1 - it's brighter than the default ADZ-5 cable, but only just a little.  The difference is detectable, but subtle.  I can get brighter trebles in the LCD-2 just by switching sources or amps.  
 
My DACmini CX has the 1-Ohm output impedance mod, for example, which makes the DACmini CX amp section more neutral, less warm, and a little brighter than the default DACmini CX with 10-Ohm output impedance.  
 
And the Sony PCM-M10 (DAP/recorder) has a proprietary 96/24-capable sigma-delta DAC (accessible via Line Out to bypass its weak, built-in headphone amp) that's brighter than most DACs - perfect for adding some sparkle to the LCD-2.
 
 
 

 
Mike

 

[Zoom25]

Thanks for the info Mike. Sweet looking pic there. I bet you probably bought that couch to match your LCD-2's 

 

[preproman]

Quote:

 
I have the Toxic Cables' Silver Poison for my LCD-2 rev.1 - it's brighter than the default ADZ-5 cable, but only just a little.  The difference is detectable, but subtle.  I can get brighter trebles in the LCD-2 just by switching sources or amps.  
 
My DACmini CX has the 1-Ohm output impedance mod, for example, which makes the DACmini CX amp section more neutral, less warm, and a little brighter than the default DACmini CX with 10-Ohm output impedance.  
 
And the Sony PCM-M10 (DAP/recorder) has a proprietary 96/24-capable sigma-delta DAC (accessible via Line Out to bypass its weak, built-in headphone amp) that's brighter than most DACs - perfect for adding some sparkle to the LCD-2.
 
 
Mike

 
And the LCD-2s treble is still no match for the HE-500s treble..  Just like IMO the HE-500s bass is no match for the LCD-2s bass.
 
There's three amps that I've heard that will make the LCD-2s treble close to the HE-500s.  They are the BHA-1, the Mjolinr and the mini X.
 
Still    Close but no Cigar ..

 

[zilch0md]

Quote:

 
And the LCD-2s treble is still no match for the HE-500s treble..  Just like IMO the HE-500s bass is no match for the LCD-2s bass.
 
There's three amps that I've heard that will make the LCD-2s treble close to the HE-500s.  They are the BHA-1, the Mjolinr and the mini X.
 
Still    Close but no Cigar ..

 
Your comments are supported by what I've read about those amps, elsewhere - as making the LCD-2 brighter.  And although I've never heard the HD-500, I can read your comment substituting "T1" and it makes sense to my personal experience.  
 
So, yes, the LCD-2 is dark.  Brighten is as much as you can with silver cables, and your choice of amps, and it still won't be as bright as a long list of headphones that includes the HE-500.  
 
But the question remains:  What signature do I personally enjoy?  (I'm getting the cigar, after all.)
 
Mike

 

[preproman]

Quote:

 
Your comments are supported by what I've read about those amps, elsewhere - as making the LCD-2 brighter.  And although I've never heard the HD-500, I can read your comment substituting "T1" and it makes sense to my personal experience.  
 
So, yes, the LCD-2 is dark.  Brighten is as much as you can with silver cables, and your choice of amps, and it still won't be as bright as a long list of headphones that includes the HE-500.  
 
But the question remains:  What signature do I personally enjoy?  (I'm getting the cigar, after all.)
 
Mike

 
 
Yea Mike,  we all will get the Cigar sooner or later.  For me, my Cigar came when I got my First Watt F1J to pair with my HE-6.  I love the T1s sometimes even more so than the HE-500s.  The T1s is a perfect match for the B22 IMO..  I also prefer the LCD-3 to the LCD-2 by a far margin.  

 

[snip3r77]

So do you mean the O2/ODAC is able to drive the HE-500 properly?  
Quote:

As I said before, the full review of O2 + Emotiva with HE-500 and LCD-2 will come later. Although without going into much details, I don't recommend the LCD-2 with O2 as I can with the HE-500. The HE-500 pairs better with the O2 than the LCD-2 does. The vocals on both are very transparent, but a little bit more forward on the LCD-2. The vocals on both of these cans are absolutely natural - take your pick. The HE-500 kills the LCD-2 on treble....it's not even close IMO. The LCD-2 doesn't seem to have the full extension on O2 as the HE-500 does. More bass quantity with HE-500 as well as texture. Although the LCD-2 sounds more aggressive and has more of that bass kick (good for electronic). For electronic music through O2, either headphone can work, although I would probably take the HE-500.
 
I'll get the balanced cable to run the LCD-2 off the Emotiva and report back. I already have the female XLR to banana plugs adapter....this is what I'll plug the new balanced cable into. My adapter is silver wire from when I got it done for HE-500.
 
Does anybody have any experience with silver wires and LCD-2. I might go for a silver balanced cable for LCD-2 or I can just stick with Audeze's balanced cable for $80 

 

[Zoom25]

Quote:

So do you mean the O2/ODAC is able to drive the HE-500 properly?  

 
I haven't heard the ODAC personally, but from what I've gathered it seems to be one of the better values out there. I don't find my E10 enough to bring out the potential of either of my planars. My CD5004 is a bit brighter that can really make the HE-500 shine and also help out with the treble and airyness for LCD-2. I am not sure where the ODAC fits in.
 
Regarding the O2, for both LCD-2 and HE-500 I keep the volume knob anywhere from 11 to 1'o clock. Only rarely do I go past it on both. On my initial review I said that the O2 with HE-500 was really good with really good recordings. So far I've noticed the same thing with LCD-2. Average recordings can seem to be lacking bass on both phones and on good recordings it can even times go as far being a basshead amp. I am not sure why this amp has this tendency to do that, I quite haven't figured it out yet. I also try to keep the dB and other levels across the tracks/CD to match it for consistency, but even after doing that the O2 still seems to show that.
 
The O2 on the plus side always has good soundstage and imaging. The vocals on both HE-500 and LCD-2 come out very, very clean. It's just like the real singer with no added flavour.
 
The LCD-2 with good recording can also do great things with the O2 and give solid bass, but I still feel that it's less close to its potential than HE-500. HE-500 seems to be getting more out of the O2 than the LCD-2.
 
The Emotiva on the other hand never seems to be lacking bass. Still need balanced cables to test out the LCD-2 with the emotiva and see how it fits in with the O2.

 

[Zoom25]

Also the O2 is still the most flexible amp in my collection - drives Iphone buds, Denon 2K, and even planars. Also the O2 for movies is superb

 

[snip3r77]

Quote:

Also the O2 is still the most flexible amp in my collection - drives Iphone buds, Denon 2K, and even planars. Also the O2 for movies is superb

Is the emotiva an upgrade or a sidegrade if one has an o2? 

 

[preproman]

Upgrade no doubt.  Really it depends on the headphones you use.