Oh man I am really busy until next Wednesday. I post something not long ago, nothing conclusive. A lot of tubes have slight microphonics, even the NOS Amperex 6922 (USA USN version). I am just listening to the Siemens E188CC for now, as overall I think they sound the best. When I feel like I need a more focused listening, where I will be listening to more female vocals, I might swap in the Amperex 6922. The Valvo E88CC (not NOS tubes) didn't particularly impressed me on anything, I might have to go back and swap it a few more rounds.
Oh one more thing, I have a pair of Amperex 7308 that is pretty well matched, even though I don't think they have the same color of paint (one might be white and one is orange), I find that pair to be really pleasing to listen to. It's just real smooth, but it does not force/push the vocal in front, in other words, the mid range is not as forward. The slightly drier and detailed Siemens E188CC demands more attention, as it conveys better sense of ambiance. As for pairing with the headphone, since I am biased towards tubes that do not have microphonics, I find that Siemens E188CC pairs well with the LCD-3 for now. It might be due to the nature of planar magnetic headphones, since I do not find that the LCD-3 portrays that wide of a soundstage, and the imaging is although great, I think this is one of its weakness. I believe Skylab mentioned something about imaging on his review thread, and although I do not believe him at first, I can get a sense of what he means now. Due to the good sense of space (which might contribute to better separation, in part), good imaging of E188CC makes it my favorite tubes for now.
LCD-3 for me is not like revelation, it doesn't really wow me when I heard it (usually means the response is pretty even, as no part of spectrum stood out), except the treble, which has an edge in it (very smooth nonetheless), giving guitar and certain acoustic instruments the 'Twang' they should have. In some ways, I can relate the timbre to the FX-700 earphone that I sold some time ago, except that the LCD-3 is much smoother. In certain subtle ways the LCD-3 improves upon the sound quality I get from my JH16. Coming from a good customs does have its downside, as I won't really get wow'ed that easily, which is sad
. Maybe I should have a listen to other headphones from some high end amps to get a benchmark of how headphones should sound.
Few things that I can easily point out that the LCD-3 outdoes the JH16 are midrange clarity, treble naturalness, low bass texture (due to the LCD-3 huge diaphragm and tight clamp, you can really feel the air movement). And yes, there are occasions where I actually hear more details (or more like soft background ambiance) from the LCD-3 compared to the JH 16. Mind you, my impression is nowhere as accurate as the impressions from other people here, as LCD-3 is officially and technically my first full size headphone
.
