[Sma0815]

They are now on the way!

Also got the mail this night. Hope the UPS forecast is correct this time, then they should be here on friday

 

[vkenz]

Alright guys and gals, I just started listening to my LCD-R's.

My initial impressions after A/B'ing with them with the susvara's:

This thing actually does indeed trade blows with the Susy's, at least with acoustic music, and on the Cayin IHA-6. The spacial qualities might actually flat out best the susvara. It's certainly warmer in the mids, but without being muddy like the Lcd-4.

Stay tuned, I've got more music to dive into!

It's a good thing that it is not on the same level of the 1266 because that is the one I am planning to buy. Hehe.

 

[ThanatosVI]

It's a good thing that it is not on the same level of the 1266 because that is the one I am planning to buy. Hehe.

Yeah right...

 

[gKalkin]

Still haven't had too much opportunity to really sit and listen for an extended period but I can share some of my impressions so far. I do not have much listening time with high end rigs. Only a couple of hours at The Source AV where I had the opportunity to listen with LCD-4s and Utopias. I would not say that I can recall those in any meaningful way, however.

Anyway, here are some of my impressions with ~5 hours of listening time:

Bass is taught and controlled. Definitely not overpowering. Not too thick. (Comparing here to my Z1Rs which seem to have a bit more bloom / fullness in the bass. LCD-Rs seem more controlled, though.)

Mids are lush and engaging.

Treble is smooth yet detailed.

Staging does seem to have a holographic quality that projects in an interesting way. Has a fair amount of depth and width. I have heard an HD800S but I can't really compare the two as I have not owned one. Either way, it seems to present the stage in a way that is different from my other cans. (A2C, Z1R, Aeolus)

Imaging is excellent. No three blob effect.

For reference my chain is Modius (Bal out) -> Lokius (SE out) -> Saga S (SE out) -> Jot-A -> LCD-R (Bal)

Edit: Primarily been listening with no EQ applied and Lokius in bypass mode.

I did try fully balanced from Modius -> Jot-A but couldn't really tell a difference. Since I couldn't tell a difference is it nice to have a bit more volume control seeing as I cannot push Jot-A much past 9 o'clock before my skull is rattling.

Overall, these have been a pleasure to listen with so far. No regrets.

Also, @Jason Stoddard , is it normal that I hear a popping sound when I initially switch the bass compensation on? Anyone else experience this?

 

[ThanatosVI]

Is here someone who ordered them, who also owns a LCD-4?

 

[deafenears]

I wouldn't plan on that being the case. Depending on what the actual pin out is yhere is a chance of shorting the different channels together. Its not something hard to check with a multimeter to avoid destroying the cans and/or the amp tbh

@Currawong mentioned, either in this thread or another, that that was what he did to try it out on his Audio-GD.

Ah, here it is

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sch...bable-start-up.701900/page-5318#post-16467365

 

[chargedcapacitor]

It's a good thing that it is not on the same level of the 1266 because that is the one I am planning to buy. Hehe.

I have not heard the 1266, so I cannot comment on that. I would imagine the bass / slam would not be on par, but the tonality is quite good, especially for an Audeze headphone.

Is here someone who ordered them, who also owns a LCD-4?

I owned the LCD-4 (B-stock) for a few months before exchanging them for a new pair of Diana Phi's.

The LCD-4's certainly have better bass qualities, in texture and amount present. However, as is the case with most LCD models, I always found the upper mids a bit lacking when compared to the Susvaras. Even after applying EQ on the LCD-4, I was unable to get the same clarity and tonality as I can get with the Susvara. Not even close. The LCD-R does indeed take a good bass EQ to match the LCD-4, and once you compare the two, the differences become much more subtle.

The LCD-R, on the other hand, has excellent tonality. Right out of the box the LCD-R sounded much cleaner in the upper mids than the LCD-4 ever could. Not quite as nice as the susvara, but close. I actually played around with the EQ from 3k-6k, and was very pleased with the results. With proper EQ, these headphones can sound quite superb, and almost equal to the susvara in terms of upper mids and treble tonality. I even found several songs that sounded much fuller, smoother, and more spacious than on the susvara. I will have to listen a bit more to both to determine which has the best instrument separation, but both are very good.

All that being said, the susvara still has the better tonality in most cases, if just by a hair. I would really like to try these on a different amp to see if the Jot-A is holding them back. I would imagine it is. But for $2500, less than half the price of a USED susvara / decent amp, the LCD-R is a knockout for the value. If this is the direction Audeze is going, then Hifiman will have a bit of a race on their hands.

I plan on A/B comparing the Arya next! That is a headphone I have a ton of experience with, so I think I already know how things will go down.

 

[gKalkin]

The LCD-R, on the other hand, has excellent tonality. Right out of the box the LCD-R sounded much cleaner in the upper mids than the LCD-4 ever could.

Definitely agree that LCD-R has great tonality. I have listened to an LCD-X before and I recall things just feeling kinda wonky right away. Once I applied the audeze EQ through roon, it sounded much more natural. I don't feel like the LCD-R needs that. If you're really a bass head then maybe a couple db bass shelf would be nice.

 

[chargedcapacitor]

Definitely agree that LCD-R has great tonality. I have listened to an LCD-X before and I recall things just feeling kinda wonky right away. Once I applied the audeze EQ through roon, it sounded much more natural. I don't feel like the LCD-R needs that. If you're really a bass head then maybe a couple db bass shelf would be nice.

I agree; I owned the LCD-X 2021v for a while, and that was the first thing I noticed. While the bass was excellent, my sundaras had a better tonality and frequency response.

The LCD-R had none of that wonkiness, all the frequencies seemed to be present (albeit, in a warmer distribution than what HiFiMan offers). That's the thing that gets me about the LCD-Rs the most, they are so detailed, yet very warm and inviting compared to the susvara. I guess that's the "smoothness" they keep going on about in the launch ad. If this headphone had LCD-4 level bass, I would sell my susvara right this instant.

 

[M3NTAL]

I only have about 4-5 hours of very revealing listening - and boy has it been special. These are indeed on par, or in my personal preference, better than the Susvara if you are looking for that magic blend of holographic speed + detail plus the timbre of a planar.

The Susvara reminds me of a planar trying to be an electrostat, while the LCD-R sounds like a really friggen' good planar. The best Planar I've heard. It reminds me a bit of a modded HE-6, but with more resolve, better timbre, smoother treble with just as much extension.

The presentation reminds me quite a bit of the Stax SR-007 - very holographic. The timbre reminds me mostly of a LCD, but the most tonally correct LCD I've heard out of the box. The bass shelf is a nice touch and reminds me a little of the Reveal tuning for the LCD-i4.

I'm not going to compare it to the Abyys like some dude is pining in here for because frankly, its a different monster that scratches a different itch. The LCD-R is reference, the Abyys is rock n' roll and dub step.

Thank you @Audeze + @Jason Stoddard for this awesome project.

 

[ThanatosVI]

If this headphone had LCD-4 level bass, I would sell my susvara right this instant

Let's hope the "even more radical" release will be able to combine those traits

 

[Undun]

Let's hope the "even more radical" release will be able to combine those traits

If it does, I might have to leave a big Audeze-sized dent in my wallet .

 

[M3NTAL]

I don't think you all realize that this is the radical headphone. No normal person has an amplifier to power this thing.

 

[ThanatosVI]

I don't think you all realize that this is the radical headphone. No normal person has an amplifier to power this thing.

Well theoretically it should be possible to build a similar Box as the Raal has.

Furthermore it comes with its own amplifier anyways.

Also considering the great Reputation of those, I wouldn't be surprised if Ribbon headphones (or headphones with extremely low impedance) become a new popular headphone type, like planars and electrostats

 

[sahmen]

I only have about 4-5 hours of very revealing listening - and boy has it been special. These are indeed on par, or in my personal preference, better than the Susvara if you are looking for that magic blend of holographic speed + detail plus the timbre of a planar.

The Susvara reminds me of a planar trying to be an electrostat, while the LCD-R sounds like a really friggen' good planar. The best Planar I've heard. It reminds me a bit of a modded HE-6, but with more resolve, better timbre, smoother treble with just as much extension.

The presentation reminds me quite a bit of the Stax SR-007 - very holographic. The timbre reminds me mostly of a LCD, but the most tonally correct LCD I've heard out of the box. The bass shelf is a nice touch and reminds me a little of the Reveal tuning for the LCD-i4.

I'm not going to compare it to the Abyys like some dude is pining in here for because frankly, its a different monster that scratches a different itch. The LCD-R is reference, the Abyys is rock n' roll and dub step.

Thank you @Audeze + @Jason Stoddard for this awesome project.

The declaration of your personal preferences is noted, but I also notice you're saying very little. (if anything at all) about how the LCD-R does bass, especially, as compared to the Susvara which you also mention here, and actually seem to "bash" or ridicule as a planar (which seems to me like a pretty bold, but inexplicable, move, but I digress).

I am asking, not simply because the Susvara, which you use as your "whipping boy," does bass very well, when properly driven, of course (IMHO), but I also I think the configuration of bass response is one of the major cornerstones of any headphone tuning, so your assessment which seems to neglect a discussion of that topic feels somewhat incomplete to me... I'd appreciate your impressions in that area, if you do not mind.