[mikemercer]

   
Mike - You just have to decide the most neutral way of doing so.  I have not spent a lot of time with the XC, just 15 minutes or so at a meet.  I came away feeling the sound signature of the Alpha Dogs was my preference over the XC's.  I suspect the Alpha Prime house sound will have me feeling roughly the same about the Primes.  However.... My XC experience is meet conditions, unfamiliar rig, noisy, trying to be critical, and being well familiar with the AD's, and unfamiliar with the XC's.  You have had the chance to live with both of them.  Your comments will be interesting. You (and most here at head-fi) have a greater love for the Audeze house sound than I do (except for the LCD3 - I lust after that one).  It will be hard to be unbiased, but it will be interesting to see what you find are the relative strengths and weakness of each can.  One man's point of view so to speak.  I say give it a go - it will be fun for us peanut gallery folk.  It wouldn't even have to be long and involved.  For the record - I am sending my AD's in for the upgrade today or tomorrow.  I'm looking forward to getting them back.  Mr. Speakers voicing really suits my sonic preferences, so I expect to be happy with the upgrade.

I just sent in my Alpha Primes for an update as well!
And I wholly appreciated this response  - Re: Alpha Prime vs. LCD-XCs  - I'm gonna tackle it for the fun of it here.
 
I think I shouldv'e said, at least, in my last response about this - that the LCD-XCs have remained my #1 preference in closed-back planar cans because of their ability to, at times, sound more open and airy than the Prime. They also, to my ears, reach farther into the frequency extremes at BOTH than the Prime.
 
HOWEVER:
As I've been using the Prime more than ever recently, and they MAY have just broken-in - or hit that magic hour - but they are slowly starting to run neck and neck with my XCs!
 
So I'm pumped to hear my Prime after the update!!!
and then I'll tackle this shoot-out of sorts...
 
 

Thanks for the impression. I am just using shure 846 IEM at the moment, not sure what to expect from using the prime. You reckon i will gain a lot apart from soundstage?

OH - if you decide to pull the trigger on the Alpha Prime - you're going to experience a whole new world sonically, IMO - and NOT just with regard to wider and deeper sound-staging (wich you WILL experience). I think you should go for it! After all, you can always return the Prime if you need to.
But, I have a feeling they won't be going anywhere cept the top of your head! 

 
BTW guys:
 
I'm SO SORRY for the late responses.
I'll be sure to keep monitoring this Thread more closely from now on!!
 
My wifeys health took a nose-dive around Thanksgiving and hasn't let up!!
 
So I'm sorry I left MANY of you hangin...
 
So I don't waste your time: 
As I see some people with questions when ahead and took action Already (justifiable) - 
 
Are there any posts from here (back in Nov) that you are still seeking an answer to?????
 
I feel terrible for not getting back to this Group in-time.

 

[mikemercer]

 
Could you also include the LCD-2f in that comparison? Simply because they are the same price, and I'm looking to either upgrade to a 2f, or just go for the prime because they are closed back. So a comparison of them would be cool to see what is better for the same money. Example being: go 2f, even though the open sound can get annoying when everything is not dead silent in my room, but put up with it because sonically its better. or go prime because closed keeps everything quieter, and sonically they are better. It would help figuring out what is what. thanks in advance!

Looks like you went with Prime in your signature.
Anything you need help with now??
 
 

  I just purchased the LCD-XC... But I am very curious about the Prime. I may have to make the purchase, LCD-XC leaks a lot of sound, and not sure its gonna work out for a work headphone. Anyone have info on sound leakage with the Prime?
 
Also how easy is it to drive?

I haven't had an issue with sound leakage on either set of cans - but I could say with confidence that IF I did crank things enough where there would be leakage, I'd imagine it would be w/ the XCs before the Prime. The Primes earpads make such a good seal for me that I can't imagine them leaking at all!! 

 
 

  The Primes don't leak at all for me.  I am in a room with two other people at work, and they haven't heard a thing when I am wearing them.

YUP!! My wifey LOVES the Primes! Not only does she love the sound - but she says they are the "quietest high-end headphones you own" 
 
OH - and before I sent my Primes back for the update today - I had an all-night listening sesh with em on this system:
 
MacBook Pro SSD/Amarra Symphony as source
iFi Micro iDSD as DAC
Woo Audio WA7 Fireflies - amp
w/ Nordost Heimdall2 RCA interconnects + headphone cable on the Primes
Locus Design Nucleus USB cable
and (YUP - I discovered this GEM from Monster a couple years ago - and its GREAT):
Monster Powerline 300 power cable on the Woo power supply
 
W/ - of course, my Alpha Primes!!!
 
This system was glorious, period. I enjoyed everything from Jason Mraz to Artificial Intelligence on this rig - and it was so captivating I couldn't pull myself away from it:
 

 

[saxelrod92]

  Looks like you went with Prime in your signature.
Anything you need help with now??

Yea went with the primes, sold my old lcd-2, and even have a Norne Solv cable in the works for the primes lol. Been using them pretty much daily for at least a few hours since I got them. theres prob like 300 hours on them by now if not more lol. At first I had a comfort issue, but once the pads broke in after a couple weeks it became all good. They also seriously open up and become way more dynamic and organic after their initial burn in time. They are really one of the best headphones I've ever heard. I still wish the ear cups tilted a bit more so the top of the pads didnt squish as much, but that would take a redesign of the gimble system entirely, so that it didnt attach to the back of the ear-cup. oh well lol. Thanks for the reply though! I still appreciate it

 

[mikemercer]

  Yea went with the primes, sold my old lcd-2, and even have a Norne Solv cable in the works for the primes lol. Been using them pretty much daily for at least a few hours since I got them. theres prob like 300 hours on them by now if not more lol. At first I had a comfort issue, but once the pads broke in after a couple weeks it became all good. They also seriously open up and become way more dynamic and organic after their initial burn in time. They are really one of the best headphones I've ever heard. I still wish the ear cups tilted a bit more so the top of the pads didnt squish as much, but that would take a redesign of the gimble system entirely, so that it didnt attach to the back of the ear-cup. oh well lol. Thanks for the reply though! I still appreciate it

SO glad to hear you're happy with em!!!!
 
and lemme know what you think of the Norne cable when you get it

 

[CasperBxl]

...  
BTW guys:
  ...
 
My wifeys health took a nose-dive around Thanksgiving and hasn't let up!!
 
....
I feel terrible for not getting back to this Group in-time.

 
Hi Mike,
 
The most important thing is health and family.
I hope and wish that your wife will be better soon.
 
 
Very best regards and wishes from Belgium.
Take good care of her.
 
In the mean time i wrote this: http://www.head-fi.org/products/mrspeakers-alpha-prime/reviews/11939

 

[reddog]

Hope your wife gets better fast sir.

 

[muziq]

  I still wish the ear cups tilted a bit more so the top of the pads didnt squish as much, but that would take a redesign of the gimble system entirely,

 
Maybe not.  I had this same problem and Dan gave me a few suggestions:
 
1. Try tilting or rotating the pads a little so that the thicker part is closer to the bottom of the cup (this and #3 worked for me)
 
2. Adjust risers to the point that the cups start to feel loose (didn't work for me)
 
3. Change the bend on the headband (youtube vid).
 
I was in the initial group of upgrades, sending in my Alpha Dogs to become Primes.  My Dogs fit perfect and at first I was a little disappointed about the fit being so different with the Primes; they seemed to be clamping very hard at the top of the pads, thus bowing the bottom of the pads and cups out--causing lackluster bass response and depth.  Rebending the headband and slightly rotating the pads down just a hair has not only improved comfort, but significantly improved bass response and depth.  I've been listening for over an hour this morning with zero fatigue, and all smiles.  

 

[saxelrod92]

  SO glad to hear you're happy with em!!!!
 
and lemme know what you think of the Norne cable when you get it

I'll be sure to share my impressions of the cable when it arrives

 

[saxelrod92]

   
Maybe not.  I had this same problem and Dan gave me a few suggestions:
 
1. Try tilting or rotating the pads a little so that the thicker part is closer to the bottom of the cup (this and #3 worked for me)
 
2. Adjust risers to the point that the cups start to feel loose (didn't work for me)
 
3. Change the bend on the headband (youtube vid).
 
I was in the initial group of upgrades, sending in my Alpha Dogs to become Primes.  My Dogs fit perfect and at first I was a little disappointed about the fit being so different with the Primes; they seemed to be clamping very hard at the top of the pads, thus bowing the bottom of the pads and cups out--causing lackluster bass response and depth.  Rebending the headband and slightly rotating the pads down just a hair has not only improved comfort, but significantly improved bass response and depth.  I've been listening for over an hour this morning with zero fatigue, and all smiles.  

Yea I've done all those things, even talked to Dan about it. They seal just fine, I titled the pads back, and messed with the headband. They are perfectly comfortable, for me it's just more of an ocd thing of knowing they cant tilt any further than they are, when on my face, and even though the pads squish comfortably and make a great seal, its just an ocd thing of wanting the ear cup itself to tilt into position instead of the ear pads molding to my face lol. It's not a big deal, just a small pet peeve.

 

[Tony1110]

Yea I've done all those things, even talked to Dan about it. They seal just fine, I titled the pads back, and messed with the headband. They are perfectly comfortable, for me it's just more of an ocd thing of knowing they cant tilt any further than they are, when on my face, and even though the pads squish comfortably and make a great seal, its just an ocd thing of wanting the ear cup itself to tilt into position instead of the ear pads molding to my face lol. It's not a big deal, just a small pet peeve.

I've done all those things too. I think the most important thing to remember is that the thick part of the pad should sit below the ear lobe as that's where most of the leakage seems to occur. Having said that, I can't help altering things even when I know the seal is good.

 

[Frank I]

Working on the review-Very impressed with what Dan was able to accomplish with this headphone. The Prime bass  is excellent . The treble is much more developed and the midrange is exceptional.

 

[Tony1110]

I thought you'd already reviewed them?

 

[Frank I]

I did not review them . Michael Mercer did. There was another mod  done to these Primes since then that Mercer did not have done on his pair. Dan asked me to do the review with the new mods. As you know Dan is always tweaking and modding this design. I did the alpha dog.

 

[Tony1110]

I did not review them . Michael Mercer did. There was another mod  done to these Primes since then that Mercer did not have done on his pair. Dan asked me to do the review with the new mods. As you know Dan is always tweaking and modding this design. I did the alpha dog.

So Michael Mercer reviewed the Prime and now there's a Prime MKII?

 

[Frank I]

 no just another modded Prime like the Dogs. Perhaps you can ask Dan what changed with this Prime.