[Gadget67]

I recently purchased the Mjolnir/Gungnir stack for my LCD-2's and love the obvious improvement (to me, anyway) of going the balanced route. Now, after reading all of the (mostly) positive reviews on the new LCD-X, I am considering an upgrade to either the LCD-X or LCD-3s. I have PM'd some respected members and asked for honest opinions and was a bit surprised at the results. Some felt that the LCD-2s paired with the M/G stack I have were as good or even better than the LCD-X and that the LCD-3s didn't offer enough of an improvement to justify paying twice as much. Others are suggesting the improvement is actually pretty significant and that the LCD-X represents a huge step up from the LCD-2. You know how it goes; there is always something better and I love new stuff as much as anyone. My own thoughts are as follows:

1. The LCD-X is still pretty new. I should wait to see how they mature and not jump in just yet.
2. The LCD-3 is a proven design and is only $250 more than the LCD-X. But what if there is an LCD-4 in the works?
3. I'm happy with the LCD-2 so why would I upgrade?

I listen to a wide variety of music, though not much classical. I am not a bass head, but I do like the LCD-2 bass and the overall rich full sound that the LCD-2s provide. I'm currently using an IMac, Itunes with Audirvana, and My files are mostly Apple lossless or AIFF.

I know people are passionate about their LCD headphones and I would love to hear more opinions before making a decision. Unfortunately, I don't have access to examples of each to listen to so I'm relying on you!

 

[dc-k]

I recently purchased the Mjolnir/Gungnir stack for my LCD-2's and love the obvious improvement (to me, anyway) of going the balanced route. Now, after reading all of the (mostly) positive reviews on the new LCD-X, I am considering an upgrade to either the LCD-X or LCD-3s. I have PM'd some respected members and asked for honest opinions and was a bit surprised at the results. Some felt that the LCD-2s paired with the M/G stack I have were as good or even better than the LCD-X and that the LCD-3s didn't offer enough of an improvement to justify paying twice as much. Others are suggesting the improvement is actually pretty significant and that the LCD-X represents a huge step up from the LCD-2. You know how it goes; there is always something better and I love new stuff as much as anyone. My own thoughts are as follows:

1. The LCD-X is still pretty new. I should wait to see how they mature and not jump in just yet.
2. The LCD-3 is a proven design and is only $250 more than the LCD-X. But what if there is an LCD-4 in the works?
3. I'm happy with the LCD-2 so why would I upgrade?

I listen to a wide variety of music, though not much classical. I am not a bass head, but I do like the LCD-2 bass and the overall rich full sound that the LCD-2s provide. I'm currently using an IMac, Itunes with Audirvana, and My files are mostly Apple lossless or AIFF.

I know people are passionate about their LCD headphones and I would love to hear more opinions before making a decision. Unfortunately, I don't have access to examples of each to listen to so I'm relying on you!

as a very happy LCD-2 owner myself, I'd be most interested to read any responses...

 

[Gadget67]

Wow...all those LCD owners and no comments! I'm leaning to the LCD 3 but could use some input.

 

[barid]

Id say go with number '1'. Wait it out a bit if you are happy with the lcd2. Or at least try and demo the X before jumping in.

Theyre good headphones for sure, but there is the new toy hype going with them right now as well. Plus, i like the deals via the FS forum here. I expect if you arent in a rush u can save some coin there.

 

[Gadget67]

Id say go with number '1'. Wait it out a bit if you are happy with the lcd2. Or at least try and demo the X before jumping in.

Theyre good headphones for sure, but there is the new toy hype going with them right now as well. Plus, i like the deals via the FS forum here. I expect if you arent in a rush u can save some coin there.

I ended up purchasing the LCD X. All the hype is justified; they are spectacular and a huge improvement over my LCD 2 headphones.

 

[barid]

I ended up purchasing the LCD X. All the hype is justified; they are spectacular and a huge improvement over my LCD 2 headphones.

Ya i was able to demo them last month. I see them more as a dif flavor and marginal upgrade. I definitely see why they get the praise they do though.

 

[Barra]

Congratulations on your new purchase. In case you are having second thoughts between the X and the 3, I posted this review on the LCD-X a week ago in the HeadAmp Headphone Demos thread:
 
Having the LCD-X tour unit for a few days, I decided to do an Audeze family shootout between the 2, 3, and the X – and added the Fostex TH900 for good measure. Using m2man’s $8K plus home setup including his Laptop > Off-Ramp 5 > PWDmkII > Schiit Mjolnir – not to mention a lot of power conditioning – we plugged two in at a time to quickly switch back and forth. With the LCD-X’s lower impedance, it made it harder to volume match, but the results were consistent up and down the volume range as we adjusted the volume.
 
IMO, compared to my LCD2.2, m2man’s LCD3 sound very similar in signature to the LCD2.2 but faster for a little more clarity, extended a little more on top, and a little sweeter especially in the mid frequency range. The LCD-X on the other hand, while retaining the Audeze house sound, seems to have a shifted signature. It feels shifted up in the frequency range and a little faster yet providing even greater clarity than my LCD2.2 or the m2man’s LCD3s. It’s not that the LCD-X is lacking in the bass department either, but the bass seems to be turned down a notch keeping it from getting in the way of the rest of the frequency range. The result is a very realistic sounding sound stage that is even wider and closer to being there. However, to me the LCD-X is all about the mids - the have sweeter sounding mids than I have ever heard before while integrating seamlessly into the rest of the frequency range. The Fostex TH900 is a very nice sounding headphone, but IMO the LCD-X was the clear winner. In fact, both m2man and I felt that the LCD-X swept the shootout easily.
 
As an added point of interest, I happened to have the X5 DAP tour unit at the same time so we took a listen on it as well. While using a DAP is an obvious step down from a good desktop setup, it is nice to be able to listen to quality sound without being chained to the desktop. The short of it is that the LCD-X scales down extraordinarily well providing a sound quality far closer to the m2man’s desktop sound that any other in the lineup. While this bodes well for the LCD-X, it also speaks to how high quality and authoritative of a sound that the X5 really puts out. I was quite impressed with the X5 and will be getting on at their launch. Scaling down is an often overlooked value point for a headphone, but one that is of particular importance for the LCD-X. For anyone interested in more details with the X5, you can find my X5 review with headphone pairings at:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/fiio-x5-high-res-portable-music-player/reviews/10579
 
NOTE: As much as it pains my heart to send away these headphones, they are being sent out today to claybum who is next on the tour.