[vkalia]

I dont know where this whole "tube amps and LCDs dont mix" canard comes from.
 
One of the best combos, as per many reviews, is the LCD-2 and Alo Pan Am.
 
And as I type this, I am listening to the LCD2s on a 2A3 single-ended tube amp right now and I can assure you - it sounds absolutely gorgeous!    If you want bright, in-your-face highs, you wont get it.  But if you want a sound that comes close to what you hear in a concert hall, this is the way to go.     I have Ozawa's "Rite of Spring" playing right now and it sounds *divine*.
 
Try the LCDs with a pair of single-ended triode tube amps.   Single stage, zero feedback designs, preferably off a 2A3 or a 45 tube.   Avoid the push-pull designs.    You might be surprised.

 

[Shaka]

  I dont know where this whole "tube amps and LCDs dont mix" canard comes from.
 
One of the best combos, as per many reviews, is the LCD-2 and Alo Pan Am.
 
And as I type this, I am listening to the LCD2s on a 2A3 single-ended tube amp right now and I can assure you - it sounds absolutely gorgeous!    If you want bright, in-your-face highs, you wont get it.  But if you want a sound that comes close to what you hear in a concert hall, this is the way to go.     I have Ozawa's "Rite of Spring" playing right now and it sounds *divine*.
 
Try the LCDs with a pair of single-ended triode tube amps.   Single stage, zero feedback designs, preferably off a 2A3 or a 45 tube.   Avoid the push-pull designs.    You might be surprised.

 
I don't know and can't say either way because this is pretty much unknown territory for me. This is just what I've picked up from reading these forums over the past couple of months.
If there was a Woo Audio dealer in UK, I'd love the opportunity to try the WA6-SE and compare it against the Burson Conductor, Naim and Pathos Aurium. As there isn't one, I can only get information about it's performance with the LCD-3 based on other people's views on this forum.
I actually emailed Woo Audio and got a reply stating that WA6-SE is a great match for the LCD-3 and that Audeze often use it during their final testing.... Damn I wish I could have a listen to this.
 
I'm currently listening to the LCD-3 straight out of my MacBook and it sounds pretty damn fine. I can currently only imagine how good it will sound with an amp and a dac 

 

[Makiah S]

Actually, try the Audio GD 10ES3. A power unit, but the balanced output sound is very clean! I really love it. It pairs nicely with all of my headphones. And the Dac in the unit is a step above the O2, which I owned! A great combo unit at about $700 or so dollars 

 

[vkalia]

   
I don't know and can't say either way because this is pretty much unknown territory for me. This is just what I've picked up from reading these forums over the past couple of months.
If there was a Woo Audio dealer in UK, I'd love the opportunity to try the WA6-SE and compare it against the Burson Conductor, Naim and Pathos Aurium. As there isn't one, I can only get information about it's performance with the LCD-3 based on other people's views on this forum.
I actually emailed Woo Audio and got a reply stating that WA6-SE is a great match for the LCD-3 and that Audeze often use it during their final testing.... Damn I wish I could have a listen to this.
 
I'm currently listening to the LCD-3 straight out of my MacBook and it sounds pretty damn fine. I can currently only imagine how good it will sound with an amp and a dac 

 
I listened to the LCD2s with both the WA6-SEs and a Bakoon this past weekend.     While the listening sessions were quite short and some time apart, my sense is that both the amps are fairly close in terms of overall level of performance (which isnt much of a surprise, given diminishing returns).
 
I'll suggest you take a 2-step process to upgrade:
- get a good amp for the time being and a HifimeDIY DAC (which is around $60), which will more than suffice for the time being
- later, get yourself a good DAC

 

[Shaka]

   
I listened to the LCD2s with both the WA6-SEs and a Bakoon this past weekend.     While the listening sessions were quite short and some time apart, my sense is that both the amps are fairly close in terms of overall level of performance (which isnt much of a surprise, given diminishing returns).
 
I'll suggest you take a 2-step process to upgrade:
- get a good amp for the time being and a HifimeDIY DAC (which is around $60), which will more than suffice for the time being
- later, get yourself a good DAC

Thanks vkalia,
 
That's sound advice (excuse the pun).
Regarding the Bakoon - it's a brand I've not read too much about. I'm assuming you listened to the HPA-21? It sounds pretty interesting, I'll try to read more about it.
 
Shaka

 

[formula1]

   
 
I'm currently listening to the LCD-3 straight out of my MacBook and it sounds pretty damn fine. I can currently only imagine how good it will sound with an amp and a dac 

 
Indeed. They can get pretty loud listening levels, but with a proper amp/dac it's a new headphone in different ways. 

 

[Shaka]

   
Indeed. They can get pretty loud listening levels, but with a proper amp/dac it's a new headphone in different ways. 

 
Yeah, I'm counting on it 

 

 

[majkel]

I haven't tried the LCD-3 but I liked the LCD-2 with the Sonic Pearl more than anything different. This amp just opened them. Shipped to the UK there would be no duty or taxes added by customs.

 

[Cavcalade]

Sorry if this sounds ridiculous, I'm new to this. What about the Logitech Squeezebox Touch as DAC & source?

 

[migasson]

LCD's + tubes = trust me on this one... I've had a LCD-2 with a WA22...

 

[vkalia]

LCD's + tubes =

trust me on this one... I've had a LCD-2 with a WA22...

 
^^ IAWTP.
 
I have mine with a single-ended triode amp (2A3 design) and it sounds divine.

 

[Shaka]

Apologies I haven't posted anything here for ages. Unfortunately life got in the way so I've been out of the picture for a while. Sadly my amp/dac budget got used up by other priorities.
I have now started looking again and trying to catch up with any worthwhile news or new products that I may have missed.
 
I still have my LCD-3's which I absolutely adore. And yes, sadly, I'm still only running them directly from my MacBook, BUT ... I am honestly really enjoying the sound.
During this time, I have also been able to find a few DSD files (SACD iso's) and try them with Audirvana. The MacBook's internal DAC limits playback to 24/88.2, but the music STILL sounded heavenly. I have the same files as 16/44.1 flacs and even though the flacs sound great, the difference in quality between the flac and DSD files is night and day. This has caused me to reconsider my original choices, and I would now very much like to have the option of DSD playback.
 
A few options are:
Mytek Stereo 192 DSD DAC - I'd use this as a DAC and a headphone amp, and after a few months, add a Burson Soloist or another similarly priced headphone amp (Pathos Aurium anyone?).
Benchmark DAC2 HGC - again I'd use this on it's own and eventually add a dedicated headphone amp.
 
I know some will say that DSD is not important and that good quality 24/96 or 24/192 recordings can sound equally as good as DSD.
I can believe that, and with that in mind I still have the Burson Conductor (with CM6631A module upgrade) on my shortlist. Although over the past few months I have been slightly put off the Conductor due to various comments I have read. However for now it'll stay on my short-list.
 
I've decided against the Bakoon, as it is (and was) over my budget to start with, but also because I'd then have to spend more to get a DAC too.
 
Shaka

 

[Shaka]

Forgot to say, WA-22 would be lovely to have, but by the time you cost in any tube upgrades and a separate DAC, the overall cost is too high .... for now.
Also there is no local Woo Audio distributor here, so it would have to be imported, something which puts me off due to import duty and difficulty with any warranty claims etc

 

[Shaka]

Ok I've had a few days to catch up with some of the recent going-ons.
I must say I'm very excited about the Chord Hugo. A supposedly excellent DAC and a decent headphone amp in one unit for approximately £1400 .......
That was until I saw a couple of reviews for the Ayre Acoustic QB-9 DSD ....... (I think surfski picked up a used QB9 a few months ago??).
 
One thing I love about the QB-9 DSD is the balanced analogue outputs.
The downside is that in the UK I've only seen it on one website and its' about £2500. I would then have to buy a headphone amp too. The amps I'd probably consider (at the moment) would be the Pathos Aurium (approx £850 and balanced inputs, but no balanced out for headphones) or the Burson Soloist (about £800). So in total I'd be spending around £3300 .......... I'd have to save for a good few months to afford this setup.
 
For less than half this price I can get the Chord Hugo, which probably give me a reasonably close experience .....
 
.... yet for some perverse reason I keep getting drawn towards the QB-9 DSD.....
 
Why o why did I get into this game

 

[Cavcalade]

  Sorry if this sounds ridiculous, I'm new to this. What about the Logitech Squeezebox Touch as DAC & source?