[pedalhead]

Headphones are for losers,

You need to put this as your sig. If you don't, I will

 

[conquerator2]

Is there a mic-fi section somewhere?

 

[money4me247]

hey guys, I wrote up a quick HE-560 vs LCD-X initial impression comparison over at the LCD-X thread if anyone is interested  http://www.head-fi.org/t/684394/audeze-lcd-x/5820#post_11317754
 

Spoiler: for people too lazy to click the link =P

Quick Initial Comparison Impressions between the HE-560 & the LCD-X
 
Sonically, the most obvious thing is the LCD-X has a lot more bass impact & bass quantity compared to the HE-560s. The LCD-X also runs at a much higher volume at the same settings due to its lower impedance. Makes volume-matched testing a bit more difficult.
 
The LCD-X's sound signature is more colored compared to the HE-560, but very enjoyable. I have gotten a chance to audition the HD800, LCD-X, and LCD-3 directly against each other multiple times, and my personal favorite out of those three was the LCD-X.
 
Build-quality wise, the LCD-X feels much nicer than the HE-560 due to its mostly aluminum and metal construction. The HE-560's build quality is perfectly acceptable, but the LCD-X does have a more premium feel to them. On par (or maybe a bit better depending on your POV) than the Oppo PM-1s. Very solid construction.
 
Comfort-wise, the HE-560 kills the LCD-X for me. At 380g, the HE-560 feels like you are wearing nothing compared to the LCD-X's 600g hefty weight. You will never forget that you are wearing the LCD-X, that's for sure. The suspension design of the HE-560 is much more comfortable than the bumpy headband of the LCD-X. How well you tolerate the weight and headband design of the LCD-X will be a personal thing, but it is definitely something you will need to tolerate. On the personal comfort scale, the LCD-X is closer to the side of one of the most uncomfortable headphones while the HE-560 sits as one of the most comfortable headphones. I have the vegan LCD-X as I found the lambskin leather version gets quite hot & sweaty even after short usage during my demos. The black lambskin leather version does seem more premium in terms of looks & matches the overall color scheme of the LCD-X much better, but the vegans provides much better comfort in my experience. The vegans are more grey than black to my eye though the description says black.
 
Earpads for both headphones were both extremely comfortable for me without any complaints. Both have angled earpads. Despite the LCD-X being much wider in overall width of the whole headphone, the earcups depth are actually a lot more similar than I expected. Remeasured quite a few times as the LCD-X just look a lot bigger.
 
HE-560 Earcup Measurements: inner depth = 1in/2.5cm to 0.50in/1.25cm. inner diameter = 2.25in/5.5cm, 
LCD-X Earcup Measurements: inner depth = 1.20in/3cm to 0.75in/1.9cm, inner height = 2.55in/6.5cm, inner width = 2in/5cm
*edit: remeasured quite a few times. should be pretty accurate.
finally figured out why the looks & measurements seem so different. The LCD-X earpads has about 1/2 inch of extra outer depth compared to the inner depth.
 
 
My initial recommendation is that if you are looking for a neutral orthodynamic pair of headphones or have comfort as a high priority, go with the HE-560. If you really enjoyed the bass of the HE-400 (like me!) and are looking to upgrade towards an audiophile grade version, the LCD-X is a great choice, sharing many of the strengths of the HE-400s without any of the HE-400's sonic weakness (so far as I can tell during my first day of listening).
 
More detailed sonic comparisons will follow later after more head time.
 
edit: paired with the Schiit Lyr 2 & Bifrost Uber
 

 

[rawrster]

That's a fair assessment. For the same reasons you like the LCD-X is why it is not for me. The weight of most orthos is also something that's hard to me to accept. The only comfortable ones I've had are the HE-4 and HE-560. The HE-6 was acceptable and everything else was too much.

 

[nos024]

Woot, just got my HE-560 with 10hrs of burn-in so far.  Initial impresssion:  sound signature is similar to a Beyer DT770 600Ohms if I remember correctly, although the highs on the HE-560 is not as "hot" and ear piercing.  The HE-560 is definitely more airy and has wider soundstage than the HE-4; and not as power hungry.  I sat down to play Tomb Raider, using Xonar Essence STX II+HE-560, for about an hour and it was a positive experience...very detailed and positioning audio were spot on.  It doesn't sound as congested as the HE-4, but not as airy and spacious as the AKG 712Pro.  Seems the STX II provided enough power (set to 600Ohms) to get loud enough at 50% volume setting.  I listened to some music using foobar2000 and the STXII for an hour or so.  The HE-560  seems to reveal some stuff that the DT770/HE-4/AKG712Pro didn't.  This is especially true for the bass quality. 
 
I really dig the design of the HE-560 (Compared to the HE-4) and it doesn't feel "CHEAP" like some reviewer had mentioned. 
 
Is the cans worth $900?  Hmm...not sure.  My end-game is a headphone that is good for music and games.  So far so good.  I'll hook it up to my TT and fire it up.  Sometimes, I wonder if the HE-400i would've worked out for me for a lot less, but I am not complaining...I had saved enough for the HE-560 and I've been eyeing it since Fall of last year.

 

[Sonic Defender]

  Woot, just got my HE-560 with 10hrs of burn-in so far.  Initial impresssion:  sound signature is similar to a Beyer DT770 600Ohms if I remember correctly, although the highs on the HE-560 is not as "hot" and ear piercing.  The HE-560 is definitely more airy and has wider soundstage than the HE-4; and not as power hungry.  I sat down to play Tomb Raider, using Xonar Essence STX II+HE-560, for about an hour and it was a positive experience...very detailed and positioning audio were spot on.  It doesn't sound as congested as the HE-4, but not as airy and spacious as the AKG 712Pro.  Seems the STX II provided enough power (set to 600Ohms) to get loud enough at 50% volume setting.  I listened to some music using foobar2000 and the STXII for an hour or so.  The HE-560  seems to reveal some stuff that the DT770/HE-4/AKG712Pro didn't.  This is especially true for the bass quality. 
 
I really dig the design of the HE-560 (Compared to the HE-4) and it doesn't feel "CHEAP" like some reviewer had mentioned. 
 
Is the cans worth $900?  Hmm...not sure.  My end-game is a headphone that is good for music and games.  So far so good.  I'll hook it up to my TT and fire it up.  Sometimes, I wonder if the HE-400i would've worked out for me for a lot less, but I am not complaining...I had saved enough for the HE-560 and I've been eyeing it since Fall of last year.

Not to mention the 560 will scale very nicely if you ever use different gear with it. I owned a DT770 for about 2 years and I can't say I would give it enough praise to put it on a similar level to the 560. Very good as it was, the 770 had no where near the instrument separation and resolution capabilities as the 560. I know you weren't saying they were that similar in ability as opposed to signature.

 

[Stillhart]

  hey guys, I wrote up a quick HE-560 vs LCD-X initial impression comparison over at the LCD-X thread if anyone is interested  http://www.head-fi.org/t/684394/audeze-lcd-x/5820#post_11317754
 

Spoiler: for people too lazy to click the link =P

Quick Initial Comparison Impressions between the HE-560 & the LCD-X
 
Sonically, the most obvious thing is the LCD-X has a lot more bass impact & bass quantity compared to the HE-560s. The LCD-X also runs at a much higher volume at the same settings due to its lower impedance. Makes volume-matched testing a bit more difficult.
 
The LCD-X's sound signature is more colored compared to the HE-560, but very enjoyable. I have gotten a chance to audition the HD800, LCD-X, and LCD-3 directly against each other multiple times, and my personal favorite out of those three was the LCD-X.
 
Build-quality wise, the LCD-X feels much nicer than the HE-560 due to its mostly aluminum and metal construction. The HE-560's build quality is perfectly acceptable, but the LCD-X does have a more premium feel to them. On par (or maybe a bit better depending on your POV) than the Oppo PM-1s. Very solid construction.
 
Comfort-wise, the HE-560 kills the LCD-X for me. At 380g, the HE-560 feels like you are wearing nothing compared to the LCD-X's 600g hefty weight. You will never forget that you are wearing the LCD-X, that's for sure. The suspension design of the HE-560 is much more comfortable than the bumpy headband of the LCD-X. How well you tolerate the weight and headband design of the LCD-X will be a personal thing, but it is definitely something you will need to tolerate. On the personal comfort scale, the LCD-X is closer to the side of one of the most uncomfortable headphones while the HE-560 sits as one of the most comfortable headphones. I have the vegan LCD-X as I found the lambskin leather version gets quite hot & sweaty even after short usage during my demos. The black lambskin leather version does seem more premium in terms of looks & matches the overall color scheme of the LCD-X much better, but the vegans provides much better comfort in my experience. The vegans are more grey than black to my eye though the description says black.
 
Earpads for both headphones were both extremely comfortable for me without any complaints. Both have angled earpads. Despite the LCD-X being much wider in overall width of the whole headphone, the earcups depth are actually a lot more similar than I expected. Remeasured quite a few times as the LCD-X just look a lot bigger.
 
HE-560 Earcup Measurements: inner depth = 1in/2.5cm to 0.50in/1.25cm. inner diameter = 2.25in/5.5cm, 
LCD-X Earcup Measurements: inner depth = 1.20in/3cm to 0.75in/1.9cm, inner height = 2.55in/6.5cm, inner width = 2in/5cm
*edit: remeasured quite a few times. should be pretty accurate.
finally figured out why the looks & measurements seem so different. The LCD-X earpads has about 1/2 inch of extra outer depth compared to the inner depth.
 
 
My initial recommendation is that if you are looking for a neutral orthodynamic pair of headphones or have comfort as a high priority, go with the HE-560. If you really enjoyed the bass of the HE-400 (like me!) and are looking to upgrade towards an audiophile grade version, the LCD-X is a great choice, sharing many of the strengths of the HE-400s without any of the HE-400's sonic weakness (so far as I can tell during my first day of listening).
 
More detailed sonic comparisons will follow later after more head time.
 
edit: paired with the Schiit Lyr 2 & Bifrost Uber
 

 
Nice, gratz on getting one my my dream headphones.  Are you planning on keeping both?  
 

  Woot, just got my HE-560 with 10hrs of burn-in so far.  Initial impresssion:  sound signature is similar to a Beyer DT770 600Ohms if I remember correctly, although the highs on the HE-560 is not as "hot" and ear piercing.  The HE-560 is definitely more airy and has wider soundstage than the HE-4; and not as power hungry.  I sat down to play Tomb Raider, using Xonar Essence STX II+HE-560, for about an hour and it was a positive experience...very detailed and positioning audio were spot on.  It doesn't sound as congested as the HE-4, but not as airy and spacious as the AKG 712Pro.  Seems the STX II provided enough power (set to 600Ohms) to get loud enough at 50% volume setting.  I listened to some music using foobar2000 and the STXII for an hour or so.  The HE-560  seems to reveal some stuff that the DT770/HE-4/AKG712Pro didn't.  This is especially true for the bass quality. 
 
I really dig the design of the HE-560 (Compared to the HE-4) and it doesn't feel "CHEAP" like some reviewer had mentioned. 
 
Is the cans worth $900?  Hmm...not sure.  My end-game is a headphone that is good for music and games.  So far so good.  I'll hook it up to my TT and fire it up.  Sometimes, I wonder if the HE-400i would've worked out for me for a lot less, but I am not complaining...I had saved enough for the HE-560 and I've been eyeing it since Fall of last year.

 
Just thought I'd throw it out there that when I demoed the HE-560 and HE-400i at CES (on the same gear with the same songs), the 560 was an obvious step up from the 400i.
 
My 560's should be in today, along with my NFB-28.  Can't wait!

 

[money4me247]

Nice, gratz on getting one my my dream headphones.  Are you planning on keeping both?  

hahah thanks! i dunno. strongly considering it tho. tbh right now im thinkin the he560 is a much better value (imo) with its sonics, price, and comfort. most audiophiles do claim they want high quality reference neutral sound which the he560 provides.

their sound sigs are different enough that i can justify keeping both. the he560 as my reference pair and the lcd-x as the fun pair. however, it wld have been a lot less expensive for me just to have not sold my old he400 (and used it as my fun pair). the he400 with focus pads is actually more comfy than the lcdx in my personal experience (better weight & headband). lol tho i never thought i'd say be comparin the he400s comfort positively against smtg else.

i guess my mind isnt made up abt the lcd-x yet. my favorite sound out of all the current flagships ive tried, but terrible in terms of real-world comfort =S

got a lil headband mod type thing for the lcd-x & hope it works out. if not i'll may sell it or wait for audeze to release new headbands (rumored from the lcd-z thread).

maybe i shlda been patient & just waited for the he1000 as a true endgame upgrade (but damn that color scheme is silly). just have issues resisting deals hahaha!

 

[Stillhart]

hahah thanks! i dunno. strongly considering it tho. tbh right now im thinkin the he560 is a much better value (imo) with its sonics, price, and comfort. most audiophiles do claim they want high quality reference neutral sound which the he560 provides.

their sound sigs are different enough that i can justify keeping both. the he560 as my reference pair and the lcd-x as the fun pair. however, it wld have been a lot less expensive for me just to have not sold my old he400 (and used it as my fun pair). the he400 with focus pads is actually more comfy than the lcdx in my personal experience (better weight & headband). lol tho i never thought i'd say be comparin the he400s comfort positively against smtg else.

i guess my mind isnt made up abt the lcd-x yet. my favorite sound out of all the current flagships ive tried, but terrible in terms of real-world comfort =S

got a lil headband mod type thing for the lcd-x & hope it works out. if not i'll may sell it or wait for audeze to release new headbands (rumored from the lcd-z thread).

maybe i shlda been patient & just waited for the he1000 as a true endgame upgrade (but damn that color scheme is silly). just have issues resisting deals hahaha!

 
Well as someone who owned the LCD-2, I can say that the comfort thing didn't really bother me.  The Q701 headband is a lot worse.  I fixed it with a $10 reversible mod:
 
smile.amazon.com/JJ-Cole-Collections-Strap-Graphite/dp/B0013IGZIE
 
Take your time and let brain burn-in settle a bit.  Who knows how you'll feel in a week.
 

---

 
Man, we really do get off-topic in this thread!  A few more hours until I be be much more on topic!  

 

[money4me247]

 
Well as someone who owned the LCD-2, I can say that the comfort thing didn't really bother me.  The Q701 headband is a lot worse.  I fixed it with a $10 reversible mod:
 
smile.amazon.com/JJ-Cole-Collections-Strap-Graphite/dp/B0013IGZIE
 
Take your time and let brain burn-in settle a bit.  Who knows how you'll feel in a week.
 

---

 
Man, we really do get off-topic in this thread!  A few more hours until I be be much more on topic!  

Nice!!! Thanks for the tip for fixing that. Will look into that if the Diono seatbelt wraps don't work out. Who knew the applications of seatbelt wraps could extend to the head-fi world? hahah!!
 
btw, Congrats on the he560!!! great flagship level sound at a very competitive price & amazing comfort. I don't think you'll regret that decision at all

 

[Stillhart]

New flash!  The HE-560 sounds really ******* good.  
 
We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.  I'm gonna go listen to more music.
 

 

[Sonic Defender]

  New flash!  The HE-560 sounds really ******* good.  
 
We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.  I'm gonna go listen to more music.
 

Yes, it does. Seems to be the better part of flagship sound for a decent reduction in price. I just purchased a newly update set of ZMF Vibro's to add to my collection. I wanted a new sound signature and a closed headphone. It was between the Sony Z7 and the Vibro and the Vibro won my vote. Now I just have to wait for a week or so.

 

[olegausany]

 New flash!  The HE-560 sounds really ******* good.  
 
We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.  I'm gonna go listen to more music.
 

Yes, it does. Seems to be the better part of flagship sound for a decent reduction in price. I just purchased a newly update set of ZMF Vibro's to add to my collection. I wanted a new sound signature and a closed headphone. It was between the Sony Z7 and the Vibro and the Vibro won my vote. Now I just have to wait for a week or so.

Congratulations on new revision of X vibro, they sound really good and even Dan said they sound close to Alpha Dogs

 

[Sonic Defender]

Congratulations on new revision of X vibro, they sound really good and even Dan said they sound close to Alpha Dogs

Thanks, and it comes with upgraded internal wiring and a decent looking balanced cable to boot. The seller literally lives right next door to Zach who makes the ZMF and he just had this can updated to the newest specs only a week ago. The damn exchange rate made the price a little higher, but I still feel it will be a great headphone to contrast with the 560 in many ways. If it isn't for me, I can sell it at a small loss so not a huge risk. I like the deep bass plunge of closed cans from time to time.

 

[olegausany]

Yes they sound differently to HE-560 so for some people it would be well justified to own both but honestly if you want best sound with closed headphones it would be Alpha Prime for me