Lear LCM-5 - new entry into the "reference" class custom IEM segment (FINAL REVIEW ADDED 10-3-12)

[tomscy2000]

Thanks project86. I was interested before, but now I really am interested.

 

[project86]

Quote:

Thanks project86. I was interested before, but now I really am interested.

 
Cool. Definitely worth checking out if you are a fan of the somewhat brighter sound signature (but not overly so!). I find that I listen to these at reasonable volumes too - usually IEMs with a more bright presentation force me to listen more quietly to avoid fatigue. But these are just soooooo clear and transparent. I still play smooth IEMs like the Heir 8.A and 1964 V3 at higher volumes, but not by as much as I would have expected. 
 
Did you say you were in the area and could go check out a demo? That might be worth doing. I wonder if the demo sounds as good as the real thing though. 

 

[tomscy2000]

I tend to try to listen at the lowest volumes possible, so it works for me. Also, I have an amp that tends to warm up the midrange a little. But clear and transparent sounds good to me! I liked how you compared it against the 6.A (and by association, the 4.A); also, your thoughts closely coincide with how I would've predicted that they sound.

 

[project86]

Quote:

I tend to try to listen at the lowest volumes possible, so it works for me. Also, I have an amp that tends to warm up the midrange a little. But clear and transparent sounds good to me! I liked how you compared it against the 6.A (and by association, the 4.A); also, your thoughts closely coincide with how I would've predicted that they sound.

 
Yeah I kind of suspected this type of sound based on the drivers I saw in the pics (which I still can't positively identify). It could go either way but it seems they put enough bass emphasis, and enough coherency between the drivers, that it sounds good and not overly analytical (most of the time). 
 
The 4.A/6.A is still different enough to justify owning both. 

 

[Swimsonny]

Awesome review and these sound awesome, I live a nice transparent earphone and I loved with the DBA-02 so can deal with brightness and even if it too bright at any times, my amp can sort that out.

Can't wait for mine!

 

[ClieOS]

Excellent review, you pretty much said everything I want to say about LCM-5.

 

[fhuang]

i finally get a chance to go to their store but i didn't see their demo version of lcm5.  maybe next time.

 

[project86]

i finally get a chance to go to their store but i didn't see their demo version of lcm5.  maybe next time.

Too bad. From the pics I've seen the store looks like fun - we don't have anything like that anywhere near me. Do they have demos from their own customs as well as other brands that they carry like JH Audio?

Excellent review, you pretty much said everything I want to say about LCM-5.

Thanks! But don't let that stop you from posting your own impressions. You've heard more IEMs than me and I really trust your opinions.

 

[fhuang]

i didn't ask because i already have jh's iem and my mind was set to try their lineup, lcm1 - 3.

 

[Swimsonny]

Quote:

Too bad. From the pics I've seen the store looks like fun - we don't have anything like that anywhere near me. Do they have demos from their own customs as well as other brands that they carry like JH Audio?
 

Tell me about it, in the UK the only headphones you can demo are beats, Bose and cheap sennys

 

[ClieOS]

I do remember they already said that they will not make a demo version of LCM-5. They did try but it comes out much more inferior sounding than the real thing so they decided it is not worth the effort.

 

[project86]

Quote:

I do remember they already said that they will not make a demo version of LCM-5. They did try but it comes out much more inferior sounding than the real thing so they decided it is not worth the effort.

 
That makes sense I guess. The universal Merlin I had at one point sounded pretty uninspiring for a flagship model. Not just compared to my real Merlins either, but just in general. They sounded like average quality $300 CIEMs: not terrible but certainly not top-level. If I had heard those first and assumed that was the way Merlin sounded, I would have looked elsewhere. So perhaps Lear is making the right call here.  

 

[7nationarmy]

Since you have listened to UM Miracle and JH13 , how about a short comparison between LCM-5 and those two? Thanks in advance

 

[project86]

Quote:

Since you have listened to UM Miracle and JH13 , how about a short comparison between LCM-5 and those two? Thanks in advance

 
 
I'm getting the new "FreqPhase" JH13pro in the next month or so, and I'll be able to make some more relevant comparisons at that point.
 
Regarding the Miracle: I think the LCM-5 might be very similar overall. They both have lots of sparkle, with that nice accent around 6kHz. The LCM-5 might have a little more of a bump in the mid/upper mid transition area around 2kHz which can really make vocals sound present and clear. But it's not a huge difference. The Miracle possibly has more sub-bass impact, but again this is not for sure since I don't have them here for a direct comparison. 
 
In short, I'd say that someone who wanted the Miracle-type sound would probably be very happy with the LCM-5, and vice versa. You almost would just choose based on brand, build options, price, and that sort of thing rather than sound. 

 

[7nationarmy]

I'm getting the new "FreqPhase" JH13pro in the next month or so, and I'll be able to make some more relevant comparisons at that point.

Regarding the Miracle: I think the LCM-5 might be very similar overall. They both have lots of sparkle, with that nice accent around 6kHz. The LCM-5 might have a little more of a bump in the mid/upper mid transition area around 2kHz which can really make vocals sound present and clear. But it's not a huge difference. The Miracle possibly has more sub-bass impact, but again this is not for sure since I don't have them here for a direct comparison. 

In short, I'd say that someone who wanted the Miracle-type sound would probably be very happy with the LCM-5, and vice versa. You almost would just choose based on brand, build options, price, and that sort of thing rather than sound. 

hmm... which one performs better with cheaper sources like Clip+? Cos I do not plan to upgrade source anytime soon.