SP Wild
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2009
- Posts
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- 295
Good evening ladies and gentlemen,
Today has been an especially good day for me, and what better way to cap the day by sharing with you fine folks my experience of having auditioned a pair of Audeze LCD-2's for 12 hours. These are mine, purchased off a fellow head-fi'er, so kind as to be able to part away with these cans, even though they were held in high regards by him. His words of praise so persuasive, I was determined to own a pair, and in his kindess - my wish was fulfilled. They arrived at my doorstep this morning.
I was in the process of evaluating my Musical Fidelity X CAN V3 with matching external PSU when they arrived. I had not used this amp in a long time and I had dragged them out of my cupboard because I was curious as to how they'd perform with my Denon D7000s - as I've never given this pairing a serious evaluation. The D7000's being notoriously difficult to drive with tube amps - I was hoping perhaps I can receive some tube magic via a hybrid solution. This amplifier was prime candidate for elimination - to raise funds for a new amplifier that would supersede my Lehmann Black Cube Linear as my top solid state amplifier - perhaps a balanced or more correctly "bridged" design, with remote operation. The problem was that the X Can acquitted itself with the D7000 very well indeed.
In the midst of this analysis the door bell rings - a package from the good ol' US of A had arrived. I knew what it was. I teared open the packaging, revealed the wooden case - opened that ... and low and behold - the promise to the end of my insanity with my pursuit of audio excellence. I held them in my hands and this is what I thought:
Aesthetics and build quality:
The headband was tiny. The foam cushioning looked decidedly DIY. The cups were impressive in size, style and presence. These were the heaviest can in my collection by far. The whole thing looked "hand assembled" to put it nicely - they certainly didn't have the feel of modern mass production tolerances - some will see this as a good thing (ortho heads probably) some will see it as bad (mass consumers). The cable was hefty - but short...no remote control necessary for these cans, you're tethered to the amp.
I put them on my head - they did have a more noticeable clamp than my other cans - including my HD650, although my HD650s are now quite old and had seen the most time on my head of all my cans. Though they clamped a little more than the HD650s - I found them to be more comfortable, no discomfort was discerned in todays marathon session - this is not possible with HD650, the clamp eventually digs into the skull. The reason for this contradictory observation is quite simple. The surface are of the pads making contact with the skull is greater on the LCD2s than HD650 hence per square inch pressure was in fact lower.
......................................................... Some pictures of my setup as requested................
Xcanv3 with XPSU, LehmannBCL with Dacmagic on top (dacmagic is powered by XPSU as well) The Cayin HA-1A. The bottom right is an industrial grade, slow switching power invertor that generates pure sinewaves that I set to 230V (10v down from Aussie spec 240v) Furutech power lines and connectors can be seen connected. AudioQuest Cheetah solid silver ICs can be seen poking from the Xcans.
The AC regeneration is purely battery driven - 2 X 70 ah sealed lead acid batteries wired with 2 gauge auto cables. A two Farad capacitor from car audio is inserted into the mix - just for the fun of it. Safety is a main concern - so the whole lot is safeguarded from shorts with a hi-amperage breaker switch.
The MingDa tube amp and the Gennari hybrid - a rebadged Vincent hybrid amp with dual volume controls.
The Bryston BDA-1 dac on the bottom. On top is an Australian made Thor PS10 powerstation (a huge motorised variac that maintains a steady 240 volts and filtration from the dirty power grid. When I am not using battery power, the Thor takes over power duties.
The mighty LCD-2s - lets just say I don't think the Stax Omega II's no matter how exotically amped can approach a modest LCD2 setup - The LCD2 is not hard to drive - any solid state amp that can drive HD650 or K701 will be relieved to drive the easy-to-drive LCD2s - be careful with tubes though.
.........................More to come.......................................................................................
So how do the LCD2's sound? What improvements can one expect when upgrading from mid-level cans? I will answer these questions in part 2 of this comprehensive overview of these David-like cans (as in David and Goliath).
When upgrading components downstream of the LCD2's, to exploit the technical merits, how should one approach this problem? These are the questions that I'll be able to answer, from a strictly subjective point of view, as my experience with these cans develop, in part 3.
Part 2
First up, sound quality. As a form of reference, I shall draw upon my experience with Shure SE530 IEMs, HD650, HD595, K701 and D7000s. These are all audiophile grade cans that are quite popular in head-fi. There is no shortage of information regarding these cans, this should hopefully be able to give you a frame of reference.
To start off, when I first received the LCD2s I was in the process of evaluating my XcanV3 - they have been in storage for at least a year as their initial purpose of driving the HD650's were superseded a long time ago by the Lehmann Black Cube Linear and both my full tube MingDa and Cayin amplifiers. I had a very low opinion of the Xcans and was ready to liquidate them, but seeing they were warmed up, connected to the Bryston BDA-1 dac and ready for action, I wasted no time plugging the LCD2s straight in.
I smiled as the music trickled through and onto my ears. Slowly but surely, as the music continued, the smile gradually ceased. Not because of dissatisfaction, but because as the music continued, and different aspect of the LCD2s capabilities were revealed - things got serious. My friends, these cans in the space of two minutes, transformed my opinions about the limits of audio reproduction - I kid you not, they are that good.
Lets start with tonality, and how they differ from other cans in my collection:
SE530: This is my definition of what constitutes a "dark" can, or excessively rolled off treble. The strength of these cans are in their articulate bass and magical mids. The LCD2s match the SE530 in bass levels and extension and significantly surpasses the quality of bass - in articulation, speed and natural dissipation of the lowest of notes into the atmosphere. I have never heard any speaker manage bass like this - this is beyond speaker - like and I would classify it as a new benchmark in bass realism - in my experience. If you always wanted an open version of SE530 that weren't so rolled-off in the treble - take a look at the LCD2s.
HD650: These cans in my definition are a very "natural" sounding can. They are generally praised for their midrange, but often critcised for being a little dark, with a midbass bloat and poor subbass extension. If you ever wanted a can like the HD650, with better treble extension and presence and subbass extension - The LCD2s should be considered. As a bonus, the midbass bloat is removed, the midrange qualities are matched and surpassed - the treble is lifted and extended and de-veiling comes with the package.
D7000: Earthquake shake - thats what comes to my mind with these cans. These cans are the only cans that will entertain your inner basshead, without being ridiculed as an immature ignorant with no idea of what constitutes audiophile. The LCD2s give closet bassheads unprecedented immunity from ridicule - in fact, the LCD2s restore bassheads to their rightfull position as legitimate audiophiles - whose only crime - is to wonder why the sounds of a Detriot V8 or Italian V12 isn't recognised as musical instruments, as their sounds stir emotions in people throughout the globe. But...the D7000s often cross that line with bass bloat, recessed mids, and a peaky treble - all three of which are eradicated with the LCD2s.
Any Head-Fier that retains a love for any of those above cans - can jump right on board, and not worry about ifs or buts. Make no mistake - bass plays a major factor in all those cans - the LCD2s herald a new era in bass reproduction - that alone will guarantee a worthwhile experience. But the LCD2s is not a one trick pony - bass is but a part of its repoirtoire.
From my experience, there is the other side of the neutral debate to contend with. On this otherside, I have owned only one can to draw upon and have extensively auditioned another. The analysis goes a little something like this, yo check this out:
K701: I own these cans and really enjoy them as a part of my collection - make no mistake, on the tonal scale - the K701 and LCD2s are on opposing fronts. But lets continue on the formula that has already been established. The K701 is an incredible can with attributes that have since been imitated - it's sound signature heralded a new era in audio reproduction in which the focus was in the expose of any and all audio data that is stored in any medium. The focus is on honing into the noise floor leaving no rock unturned in the search for audio data - Audio engineers love this sort of presentation - error elimination is of utmost importance and you cannot eliminate errors if the can is unable to draw them to attention. The core strength of the K701s are transparency, spacious soundstage, agility, treble extension and midrange illumination. The LCD2s surpass the K701 in all of these attributes - except treble presence - it is more extended, but overall presence is significantly less so - with the help of a significant bass presence doubling the perception.
I cannot guarantee that a hardcore fan of a K701 will find the LCD2 satisfactory to preferences - but I do urge not to dismiss the LCD2s on these grounds alone, without an audition.
For those that wished for a K701 with more bass, and the elimination of a perceived upper-mid discontinuity - whilst retaining the benefits of soundstaging, error detection and air articulation one must audition the LCD2s - as they will address these fore-mentioned shortfalls and supersede the latter mentioned attributes.
The HD800s can only be brushed upon as I do not own these - but have auditioned extensively with tube and solid state amplification. The HD800s have an incredibly smooth midrange for which the LCD2s from memory - will match. On paper, transient response of the LCD2s will surpass HD800s, but from memory, I call it even with the exception of LCD2 bass transient and extension slightly ahead. The LCD2s have much, much more bass presence and much, much less treble presence. The soundstage of the HD800 trajects the sound wider and further forward than the LCD2s. But I have the LCD2s ahead in overall soundstage volume, ie, top, bottom, front, back, up and down combined is more voluminous than the combined width, forward trajectory, back, up and down of the HD800 soundstage volume. The forward trajectory of the HD800 is as yet unmatched from my experience - overall detail retrieval, aided by the increased treble presence, is also unmatched from my experience. These two cans are similar on a technical basis, but are of opposing signatures - I cannot whole-heartedly recommend the LCD2 to those that believe the HD800s are tonally accurate.
Join me in the future chapter of this intrigueing can where we can explore the issue of powering and sourcing these cans - to the best of my knowledge, perhaps we might see some examples of how these cans perform and relate it to specific performances...I would be happy to cater for any suggestions of how I could make this more informative and easier to ingest. Until next time...happy listening!
More to come
Today has been an especially good day for me, and what better way to cap the day by sharing with you fine folks my experience of having auditioned a pair of Audeze LCD-2's for 12 hours. These are mine, purchased off a fellow head-fi'er, so kind as to be able to part away with these cans, even though they were held in high regards by him. His words of praise so persuasive, I was determined to own a pair, and in his kindess - my wish was fulfilled. They arrived at my doorstep this morning.
I was in the process of evaluating my Musical Fidelity X CAN V3 with matching external PSU when they arrived. I had not used this amp in a long time and I had dragged them out of my cupboard because I was curious as to how they'd perform with my Denon D7000s - as I've never given this pairing a serious evaluation. The D7000's being notoriously difficult to drive with tube amps - I was hoping perhaps I can receive some tube magic via a hybrid solution. This amplifier was prime candidate for elimination - to raise funds for a new amplifier that would supersede my Lehmann Black Cube Linear as my top solid state amplifier - perhaps a balanced or more correctly "bridged" design, with remote operation. The problem was that the X Can acquitted itself with the D7000 very well indeed.
In the midst of this analysis the door bell rings - a package from the good ol' US of A had arrived. I knew what it was. I teared open the packaging, revealed the wooden case - opened that ... and low and behold - the promise to the end of my insanity with my pursuit of audio excellence. I held them in my hands and this is what I thought:
Aesthetics and build quality:
The headband was tiny. The foam cushioning looked decidedly DIY. The cups were impressive in size, style and presence. These were the heaviest can in my collection by far. The whole thing looked "hand assembled" to put it nicely - they certainly didn't have the feel of modern mass production tolerances - some will see this as a good thing (ortho heads probably) some will see it as bad (mass consumers). The cable was hefty - but short...no remote control necessary for these cans, you're tethered to the amp.
I put them on my head - they did have a more noticeable clamp than my other cans - including my HD650, although my HD650s are now quite old and had seen the most time on my head of all my cans. Though they clamped a little more than the HD650s - I found them to be more comfortable, no discomfort was discerned in todays marathon session - this is not possible with HD650, the clamp eventually digs into the skull. The reason for this contradictory observation is quite simple. The surface are of the pads making contact with the skull is greater on the LCD2s than HD650 hence per square inch pressure was in fact lower.
......................................................... Some pictures of my setup as requested................
Xcanv3 with XPSU, LehmannBCL with Dacmagic on top (dacmagic is powered by XPSU as well) The Cayin HA-1A. The bottom right is an industrial grade, slow switching power invertor that generates pure sinewaves that I set to 230V (10v down from Aussie spec 240v) Furutech power lines and connectors can be seen connected. AudioQuest Cheetah solid silver ICs can be seen poking from the Xcans.
The AC regeneration is purely battery driven - 2 X 70 ah sealed lead acid batteries wired with 2 gauge auto cables. A two Farad capacitor from car audio is inserted into the mix - just for the fun of it. Safety is a main concern - so the whole lot is safeguarded from shorts with a hi-amperage breaker switch.
The MingDa tube amp and the Gennari hybrid - a rebadged Vincent hybrid amp with dual volume controls.
The Bryston BDA-1 dac on the bottom. On top is an Australian made Thor PS10 powerstation (a huge motorised variac that maintains a steady 240 volts and filtration from the dirty power grid. When I am not using battery power, the Thor takes over power duties.
The mighty LCD-2s - lets just say I don't think the Stax Omega II's no matter how exotically amped can approach a modest LCD2 setup - The LCD2 is not hard to drive - any solid state amp that can drive HD650 or K701 will be relieved to drive the easy-to-drive LCD2s - be careful with tubes though.
.........................More to come.......................................................................................
So how do the LCD2's sound? What improvements can one expect when upgrading from mid-level cans? I will answer these questions in part 2 of this comprehensive overview of these David-like cans (as in David and Goliath).
When upgrading components downstream of the LCD2's, to exploit the technical merits, how should one approach this problem? These are the questions that I'll be able to answer, from a strictly subjective point of view, as my experience with these cans develop, in part 3.
Part 2
First up, sound quality. As a form of reference, I shall draw upon my experience with Shure SE530 IEMs, HD650, HD595, K701 and D7000s. These are all audiophile grade cans that are quite popular in head-fi. There is no shortage of information regarding these cans, this should hopefully be able to give you a frame of reference.
To start off, when I first received the LCD2s I was in the process of evaluating my XcanV3 - they have been in storage for at least a year as their initial purpose of driving the HD650's were superseded a long time ago by the Lehmann Black Cube Linear and both my full tube MingDa and Cayin amplifiers. I had a very low opinion of the Xcans and was ready to liquidate them, but seeing they were warmed up, connected to the Bryston BDA-1 dac and ready for action, I wasted no time plugging the LCD2s straight in.
I smiled as the music trickled through and onto my ears. Slowly but surely, as the music continued, the smile gradually ceased. Not because of dissatisfaction, but because as the music continued, and different aspect of the LCD2s capabilities were revealed - things got serious. My friends, these cans in the space of two minutes, transformed my opinions about the limits of audio reproduction - I kid you not, they are that good.
Lets start with tonality, and how they differ from other cans in my collection:
SE530: This is my definition of what constitutes a "dark" can, or excessively rolled off treble. The strength of these cans are in their articulate bass and magical mids. The LCD2s match the SE530 in bass levels and extension and significantly surpasses the quality of bass - in articulation, speed and natural dissipation of the lowest of notes into the atmosphere. I have never heard any speaker manage bass like this - this is beyond speaker - like and I would classify it as a new benchmark in bass realism - in my experience. If you always wanted an open version of SE530 that weren't so rolled-off in the treble - take a look at the LCD2s.
HD650: These cans in my definition are a very "natural" sounding can. They are generally praised for their midrange, but often critcised for being a little dark, with a midbass bloat and poor subbass extension. If you ever wanted a can like the HD650, with better treble extension and presence and subbass extension - The LCD2s should be considered. As a bonus, the midbass bloat is removed, the midrange qualities are matched and surpassed - the treble is lifted and extended and de-veiling comes with the package.
D7000: Earthquake shake - thats what comes to my mind with these cans. These cans are the only cans that will entertain your inner basshead, without being ridiculed as an immature ignorant with no idea of what constitutes audiophile. The LCD2s give closet bassheads unprecedented immunity from ridicule - in fact, the LCD2s restore bassheads to their rightfull position as legitimate audiophiles - whose only crime - is to wonder why the sounds of a Detriot V8 or Italian V12 isn't recognised as musical instruments, as their sounds stir emotions in people throughout the globe. But...the D7000s often cross that line with bass bloat, recessed mids, and a peaky treble - all three of which are eradicated with the LCD2s.
Any Head-Fier that retains a love for any of those above cans - can jump right on board, and not worry about ifs or buts. Make no mistake - bass plays a major factor in all those cans - the LCD2s herald a new era in bass reproduction - that alone will guarantee a worthwhile experience. But the LCD2s is not a one trick pony - bass is but a part of its repoirtoire.
From my experience, there is the other side of the neutral debate to contend with. On this otherside, I have owned only one can to draw upon and have extensively auditioned another. The analysis goes a little something like this, yo check this out:
K701: I own these cans and really enjoy them as a part of my collection - make no mistake, on the tonal scale - the K701 and LCD2s are on opposing fronts. But lets continue on the formula that has already been established. The K701 is an incredible can with attributes that have since been imitated - it's sound signature heralded a new era in audio reproduction in which the focus was in the expose of any and all audio data that is stored in any medium. The focus is on honing into the noise floor leaving no rock unturned in the search for audio data - Audio engineers love this sort of presentation - error elimination is of utmost importance and you cannot eliminate errors if the can is unable to draw them to attention. The core strength of the K701s are transparency, spacious soundstage, agility, treble extension and midrange illumination. The LCD2s surpass the K701 in all of these attributes - except treble presence - it is more extended, but overall presence is significantly less so - with the help of a significant bass presence doubling the perception.
I cannot guarantee that a hardcore fan of a K701 will find the LCD2 satisfactory to preferences - but I do urge not to dismiss the LCD2s on these grounds alone, without an audition.
For those that wished for a K701 with more bass, and the elimination of a perceived upper-mid discontinuity - whilst retaining the benefits of soundstaging, error detection and air articulation one must audition the LCD2s - as they will address these fore-mentioned shortfalls and supersede the latter mentioned attributes.
The HD800s can only be brushed upon as I do not own these - but have auditioned extensively with tube and solid state amplification. The HD800s have an incredibly smooth midrange for which the LCD2s from memory - will match. On paper, transient response of the LCD2s will surpass HD800s, but from memory, I call it even with the exception of LCD2 bass transient and extension slightly ahead. The LCD2s have much, much more bass presence and much, much less treble presence. The soundstage of the HD800 trajects the sound wider and further forward than the LCD2s. But I have the LCD2s ahead in overall soundstage volume, ie, top, bottom, front, back, up and down combined is more voluminous than the combined width, forward trajectory, back, up and down of the HD800 soundstage volume. The forward trajectory of the HD800 is as yet unmatched from my experience - overall detail retrieval, aided by the increased treble presence, is also unmatched from my experience. These two cans are similar on a technical basis, but are of opposing signatures - I cannot whole-heartedly recommend the LCD2 to those that believe the HD800s are tonally accurate.
Join me in the future chapter of this intrigueing can where we can explore the issue of powering and sourcing these cans - to the best of my knowledge, perhaps we might see some examples of how these cans perform and relate it to specific performances...I would be happy to cater for any suggestions of how I could make this more informative and easier to ingest. Until next time...happy listening!
More to come
