[bmichels]

  I highly recommend the McIntosh D100 or MYTEK Stereo-192 DSD DAC (does everything)
those have been my two faves w/ my top reference - my LAu!
 
Congratulations!!
 

 
Mike, 
 
since you are such a fan of the D100, do you think it will also pair well with a tube AMP ? ( my Eddie Current 4-45 with MESH EML tubes)
 
As for the Mytek, I am really interested to hear what they have been to achieve with their new Manhattan !  have you heard any feedback yet ? 
 

 

[mikemercer]

   
Mike, 
 
since you are such a fan of the D100, do you think it will also pair well with a tube AMP ? ( my Eddie Current 4-45 with MESH EML tubes)
 
As for the Mytek, I am really interested to hear what they have been to achieve with their new Manhattan !  have you heard any feedback yet ? 
 

Oh yeah.
I think the D100 would have splendid musical synergy w/ the ED 445!
 
I lent Alex and the Audeze crew my dCs Delius DAC for Headfest at California Audio Show last year - and they had me install it w/ an Eddie Current amp: The Balancing Act maybe? I've since heard a few of their amps: Fantastic.
 
I like the D100 specifically for its stereo DAC. I actually enjoy the headphone output more, after it burned-in, but it's only great for easy-to-drive cans. I also use it on 2 tube amps! My 3 top reference headphones are the LAu of course, Studio Six and E.A.R HP4 - so my other two are tubes.
 
We all interpret differently - but I think you'd be happy.
 
The Mytek Manhattan however! I've heard it!! We got to hang w/ Chebon of Mytek and Michal too in D.C. For CanMania - my cousin works for Stevie Wonder, and they've been working with him too! He loves his Mytek DACs and Audeze LCD-Xs! I loved it w/ my LCD-X. However, that is merely a first-impression!

 
That's on another level. So, if that's something you can do. Whenever possible is what I say!
I hope to review one SOON.
 
That would be truly amazing w/ the LAu!
Man I had a killer sesh w/ my LAu this weekend actually. I'm reviewing the Liquid Crimson - so I gotta Cavalli Stack right now. It's NUTZBALLZ.

But I needed to get back to the main reference for a couple days in the testing period.

 

[alvin sawdust]

^^ What are your thoughts on the HOT I see you are using in the pic?

 

[mikemercer]

  ^^ What are your thoughts on the HOT I see you are using in the pic?

You know what? Ted from Synergistic Research has always had strange voodoo. Like Holger Stein of Stein Music.
I know Ted has advanced degrees in things like Physics and such, so even though they're not too open with info it's been RARE that I don't hear a difference with his products in a system. I just don't always like the change! 
 
Like his Tranquility Base - @warrenpchi and I did single blind tests with it, and could hear a distinctive difference - but we didn't always like it.
It was good for some amps and not for others.

 
I'm finding the same thing to be true w/ the HOT. It reacts differently with every amp: meaning the effect I hear is the same, but the degree of those changes vary with different equipment. On the Liquid Crimson I experienced what I have with other amps and the HOT - the HOT, to me, (and my friend Pete Davey from PFO heard the same thing in my hotel room at RMAF - and I refused to tell him about ANYTHING about what I'd experienced) - the soundstage widens, and deepens a bit as well, and, I know this sounds nuts, but micro and macro-dynamic detail seem slightly enhanced. But when I say slightly, it's misleading, as that change has an overall effect on the details and dimensionality of the sound as a whole.
 
Now, again, w/ the Liquid Crimson - which has broad soundstaging and fantastic detail retrieval, the effect is not as heavy as it is on this lil' Lambert hybrid headphone amp:

With the Lambert, which also does a good job with soundstaging and detail - but the HOT and the Lambert make for a killer combo because the HOT seems to interface with it on another level somehow.
 
These are ALL initial impressions too.
As I'm a big skeptic believe it or not, in high-end stereo tweaks - but I've heard a bunch work - 
again I just don't like what they do a majority of the time...
 
But - admittedly - the Liquid Crimson - with the right set of cans, source, and cabling - as I know I got off-topic here - 
I'd be working out how to buy my review sample if I didn't own a Cavalli LAu!! It's like it's little brother. 
 
But the LAu still does the frequency extremes better than headphone amp - to me.
Whenever I come back to it - man, it blows me away even more!

 
Bravo Dr. Cavalli 
Bravo

 

[ShySugarDaddy]

Hi sirs, may i ask... would you recommend a pure copper or a pure silver xlr interconnect for the Lau? im eyeing the silver dragon v2 xlr and the DHC copper xlr...
Can to be used is LCD-3f 

 

[isquirrel]

Hi sirs, may i ask... would you recommend a pure copper or a pure silver xlr interconnect for the Lau? im eyeing the silver dragon v2 xlr and the DHC copper xlr...
Can to be used is LCD-3f 

Probably wise move to use some cheap copper or silver interconnects 1st and determine which way you want to take the sound - do you want more sparkle & table or do you prefer a darker richer sound.

I have made many mistakes with cables that I could have avoided if I had properly addressed that question first. IMHO

 

[ShySugarDaddy]

Probably wise move to use some cheap copper or silver interconnects 1st and determine which way you want to take the sound - do you want more sparkle & table or do you prefer a darker richer sound.

I have made many mistakes with cables that I could have avoided if I had properly addressed that question first. IMHO

Ended up ordering a silver dragon v2 xlr. im going to try silver first, if its not to my liking ill try Double helix chaperone copper xlr.
but i'm still going to use the stock 4 pin balanced cable for the cans.

 

[mikemercer]

  Hi sirs, may i ask... would you recommend a pure copper or a pure silver xlr interconnect for the Lau? im eyeing the silver dragon v2 xlr and the DHC copper xlr...
Can to be used is LCD-3f 

For me (and I've tried many high-end cables w/ my LAu) I HIGHLY recommend Double Helix Cables  - s/w Peter there and and discuss the SQ you're looking for - 
I run either DHC Silver Peptide XLR, or Nordost Heimdall 2 XLR to my Lau...
 
 

  Ended up ordering a silver dragon v2 xlr. im going to try silver first, if its not to my liking ill try Double helix chaperone copper xlr.
but i'm still going to use the stock 4 pin balanced cable for the cans.

just saw this, I love the Silver Dragon on my headphones, LOD cables, etc...
Maybe you'll dig em on the LAu!!
Let us know!!
 

Probably wise move to use some cheap copper or silver interconnects 1st and determine which way you want to take the sound - do you want more sparkle & table or do you prefer a darker richer sound.

I have made many mistakes with cables that I could have avoided if I had properly addressed that question first. IMHO

 
this is ALWAYS applicable,
and great advice...

 

[ShySugarDaddy]

Hi sir markmercer. Which do you prefer Complement 3, complement 4/spore4, complement 2 or the molecule extreme for the Lau-LCD3f headphone cable combo?

 

[mikemercer]

Hi sir markmercer. Which do you prefer Complement 3, complement 4/spore4, complement 2 or the molecule extreme for the Lau-LCD3f headphone cable combo?

 
Hey Hey!!
 
For me, if I had to pick ONE to live with on my beloved LAu + LCD-3Fs or 2Fs, no doubt for me sir:
 
DHC Comp4 Dual XLR
 
This combo lives, IMO, at the edge of the personal audio arts...
I've had some of the greatest, wholeheartedly transcendent listening sessions with that precise combination
 

this used to be my top - and STLL GR8 - but the Comp4 - its also my #1 current reference w/ the LAu when comparing to other products:

 

[ShySugarDaddy]

   
Hey Hey!!
 
For me, if I had to pick ONE to live with on my beloved LAu + LCD-3Fs or 2Fs, no doubt for me sir:
 
DHC Comp4 Dual XLR
 
This combo lives, IMO, at the edge of the personal audio arts...
I've had some of the greatest, wholeheartedly transcendent listening sessions with that precise combination
 

this used to be my top - and STLL GR8 - but the Comp4 - its also my #1 current reference w/ the LAu when comparing to other products:

Thanks

 

[dclaz]

  You know what? Ted from Synergistic Research has always had strange voodoo. Like Holger Stein of Stein Music.
I know Ted has advanced degrees in things like Physics and such, so even though they're not too open with info it's been RARE that I don't hear a difference with his products in a system. I just don't always like the change! 
 
Like his Tranquility Base - @warrenpchi and I did single blind tests with it, and could hear a distinctive difference - but we didn't always like it.
It was good for some amps and not for others.

 
I'm finding the same thing to be true w/ the HOT. It reacts differently with every amp: meaning the effect I hear is the same, but the degree of those changes vary with different equipment. On the Liquid Crimson I experienced what I have with other amps and the HOT - the HOT, to me, (and my friend Pete Davey from PFO heard the same thing in my hotel room at RMAF - and I refused to tell him about ANYTHING about what I'd experienced) - the soundstage widens, and deepens a bit as well, and, I know this sounds nuts, but micro and macro-dynamic detail seem slightly enhanced. But when I say slightly, it's misleading, as that change has an overall effect on the details and dimensionality of the sound as a whole.
 
Now, again, w/ the Liquid Crimson - which has broad soundstaging and fantastic detail retrieval, the effect is not as heavy as it is on this lil' Lambert hybrid headphone amp:
 
With the Lambert, which also does a good job with soundstaging and detail - but the HOT and the Lambert make for a killer combo because the HOT seems to interface with it on another level somehow.
 
These are ALL initial impressions too.
As I'm a big skeptic believe it or not, in high-end stereo tweaks - but I've heard a bunch work - 
again I just don't like what they do a majority of the time...
 
But - admittedly - the Liquid Crimson - with the right set of cans, source, and cabling - as I know I got off-topic here - 
I'd be working out how to buy my review sample if I didn't own a Cavalli LAu!! It's like it's little brother. 
 
But the LAu still does the frequency extremes better than headphone amp - to me.
Whenever I come back to it - man, it blows me away even more!
 
 
Bravo Dr. Cavalli 
Bravo

 
What is the big black device on the table that everything is resting on?

 

[mikemercer]

   
What is the big black device on the table that everything is resting on?

That was the Synergistis Research Tranquility Base XL (WAY too big - but they just sent me one thats the perfect size for my LAu - or McIntosh D100, Studio Six..
 
Warren and I did single-blind tests with the Tranq Base - we always heared a difference, we just didn't always like it!!
But laying things like our cell phones, and DAPs, KILLER the bstteries!!
 
I've known Kevin at Synergistic for a long time - and he's SO excited about headphones now! 
I infected him w/ the bug  - and I'm psyched to see what he's gonna do in the next comothing
 
 
HOWEVER:
 
I wanted to pop in the LAu thread and say, pretty simply, that I'm having nothing short of a transcendent early-morning
Listening Session!! I changed the XLR interconnects on my LAU - 
 
From Nordost Heimdall 2 (my reference there) to the Double Helix Cables Comp4 Copper. The change was so dramatic,
I couldn't stop listening... Now the system below is:
 
Audeze LCD-3 w/ Fazor
Double Helix Cables Comp4 dual XLR
Cavali Liquid Gold
Nordost Heimdall 2 power cables
QRT / Quantum Power underneath
 
Sources:
MacBool Pro/Amarra Symphony 
TIDAL Hi-Fi streaming - w/ Amarra sQu1
VPI Traveler turntable w/ Ortofon 2 mBlue
Unison Research Simply Phono tube stage
 

The synergy here, with DHC cable at the input and output, is startling.
The music sounds effortless. There is greater dimensionality not just in the bass, but in the highs too.
 
It's silky, creamy, but it's NO congested. The lower mid-band is coherent, chrystal-clear - and the low-end
rumbles - but its not uncontrolled! I could sit here forever...
 
This rig glues me to music the moment it's fired up!!

 

[mikemercer]

OH MAN
 
This sounds, well, beyond my capacity for rational thought at the moment...
 
Audeze LCD-3 w/ Fazor
Double Helix Cables Comp4 Copper w/ adapter set
Double Helix Cables XLR input cables
McIntosh D100 DAC
MacBook Pro/Amarra as source...
 
 

Caribou's Our Love (reviewed it for Positive Feedback) is a wash of sound - and NOT a congested wash,
I mean a waterfall of sound, with space between all the elements, and the bass is Thunderous!!
 
This is FUN

 

[ShySugarDaddy]

The end game for my audeze cans have arrived

No burn in yet but already sounds awesome.