Digital: computer --> Cambridge audio dacmagic --> schiit Asgard --> hifiman he-500 Analogue: rega p1 --> marantz pm5004 --> he-500
I got the Audeze LCD-2 in on loan. After one listening session I'll start out with these two features: OPEN HEADPHONES WITH BIG BASS TRANSPARENCY I really love the sound of these things already. My only issue is the comfort. They are heavy which is ok but the damn headband isn't thick or soft enough. We'll see how this affects me throughout the week. TRANSPARENCY Holy hell they are clear and clean.
Also, if anyone is wondering my set up. Windows 7 desktop > Foobar 2k music player > Schiit Bifrost > Schiit Asgard
Just so I have an idea, is adding in the Bifrost and Asgard worth the $? Is it a night and day difference or just a refinement?
Adding them in over what? Not having a DAC or amp? An amp is going to provide more noticeable improvements. A lot of these headphones particularly higher end ones just plain need an amp. Most headphones benefit from an amp too even these closed dj style headphones a lot of times will benefit. The DAC may be less noticeable depending on if you are listening to mp3s or FLAC and how good your sound card or cd player is. I had a decent sound card before but I really like this DAC and do feel like there has been some clarity added although it is more subtle and I'm not the best at describing or differentiating DACs. Others will tell you it helps a lot.
With the DJ1s it won't be a big difference but it will probably control the bass more and might even make the bass louder. Other headphones would have a more noticeable improvement. DJ headphones are designed to not need an amp but can still benefit.
Can't stop listening to these headphones. Never really had quite that experience before. They work with anything I listen to.
Taques , how is the Asgard driving your HE 500s? It seems to be doing well with the LCD-2 but of course I can't say how much better another amp would be.
Asgard is running the hifimans pretty great. I'd imagine you'd rather pair the LCD-2s with a lyr but that's pure speculation
Could say the same for the HE 500s but I already have an asgard and don't feel like shelling out for a Lyr when this is working quite well. Some people have said they don't like the Lyr. As ridiculous as headphones can be amps can be even worse. Some people would have you believe you need to spend like $2,000 to amp some of these headphones to sound their best or even good enough.
For those of you not looking to spend much money but are thinking about an amp or even a dac I have something you should consider. Objective2 amp http://www.jdslabs.com/item.php?fetchitem=O2Full&gclid=CNbrzaqm4bMCFcaiPAodMzQAyw Odac http://www.jdslabs.com/item.php?fetchitem=46 These cost very little as far as quality amps go and can compete with amps much higher in price. They were built to measure very well, work with a ton of different types of headphones and be very neutral (don't add anything to the sound). They can also be battery powered so you can take them other places although they aren't small enough be using on the go like a true portable amp. If I was buying my first amp or DAC I'd probably go with these since they are so cheap and highly regarded. Not that I haven't been happy and recommending the stuff I have but these are even cheaper and some people think they are better than the Schiit stuff.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._ATH_M50_Professional_Closed_Back_Studio.html M50s for 99.00 via slickdeals.
http://www.adorama.com/FIE10.html?u...ate&utm_campaign=Other&utm_source=rflaid62905 The FiiO e10 for $45
Seems like a good deal. http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-CX...?ie=UTF8&qid=1353714457&sr=8-1&keywords=CX870 $29
Yes, it wasn't a great price for the regulars, and frankly the true blood name is what the difference was, so my daughter will like them. You can get the regulars for $5 more right now.
Having not heard them I couldn't say. Might have better sounding treble from Tyll's review. He is very sensitive to treble yet liked these despite them being V shaped.
Bought ear plug beats for $20 today to use while running. Yea they're knock offs but I doubt I find a better sounding pair of $20 headphones.
Thoughts on HD-598's? Amazon is selling them for $229 and giving a $30 gift card. I don't own any over ear or open and want to spend less than $250. Head-fi rates them 5th.
Had a pair for a couple weeks and ended up returning them for Denon D2000's (got B&H down to $200 on the D2's, couldn't pass it up). Great headphones, especially in that price range... if you're not going to listen to anything bassy on them, of course. ~$200 with the gift card seems like a pretty average deal on them. I think I got mine for around 170 this time last year.
v-moda m80's regular are on amazon lightning at 8:30PM. Should be a better deal than the True Blood's. I ordered the 598's. Figured I would give them a try.
About the 598s. They are decent but at that price range you might think about something more like these http://www.amazon.com/beyerdynamic-DT-880-Premium-250/dp/B000F2BLTM or http://www.amazon.com/AKG-K702-Headphones/dp/B001RCD2DW Which are widely held to be superior. I would have included the Sennheiser old school flagships 600 and 650 a year ago but now they are higher in price and not really in the same range.
Bought Sennheiser HD 428s for $23.50 OTD on Black friday. They came today. Really fucking sexy sounding. Nice upgrade from my overachieving HD 203's.
Glad you like them. They have some nice qualities. Everyone raves about the soundstage. Have you noticed that? Also, it's funny you say they are easy on the ears because I've read a lot of comments saying they are pretty forward for Sennheisers.
Love the soundstage. Worth it for that alone. When I say easy on the ears it may not be comparative to things most people would make the statement about. I am talking about comfort and being able to listen for a few hours without any type of discomfort. The sound is not harsh. I am guessing an open design is easier in general? I would type more but it is tough with one arm.
Well, yeah the comfort on those headphones is some of the best you can get. I've got the older model that is similar the HD555, and it is by far the most comfortable headphone I've ever worn. Sennheiser usually makes their headphones comfortable and those models are they best they have in that area.
Review: Audeze LCD-2 Build Quality and Look: I think these have always looked quite nice with their wood material, leather headband and leather pads that come on the latest version of the LCD-2. They also feel quite solidly built. There were some issues with previous versions having wood cracking or other durability problems but with the latest design and materials these seem quite well made. They come with a detachable cable and mini-XLR connectors which is a high quality connection making switching to balanced cables as easy as purchasing an after market balanced cable. Comfort: Initially I had problems with the comfort of the headband but after the first day or two the headband stopped hurting the top of my head and comfort has actually been good. They are heavy but the pads are quite large and soft. I can wear them for multiple hours at a time and still feel comfortable. The pads are angled to be thicker at the back of your head an thinnest at the front. This is an interesting design and helps keep this heavy headphone on your head in the correct position. There has been a lot said about the problems this headphone has with comfort but with the latest version most of these problems are gone. They are reasonably comfortable. Amp Requirements: I used this headphone with the Schiit Asgard desktop amplifier which Schiit says has enough power to drive the LCD-2. The Asgard has driven these headphones quite well in my opinion. While I don't have more expensive or more powerful amplifiers to compare with the Asgard I never found it lacking in ability to supply the proper volume levels and the sound quality has been great. For anyone not familiar with orthodynamic headphones they usually have high power requirements. Portable devices and laptops will struggle to power the LCD-2. Sound Quality: The first thing I noticed with these headphones was the bass. In general open headphones tend to have less bass than closed headphones. These have both the most and the best sounding bass I have heard on open headphones. They have no bass boost or emphasis yet there is plenty of quality and no part of the bass frequency spectrum is emphasized as they are almost completely flat in that area. They also have some of the best bass extension you can get in headphones. It extends down to at least 20hz with the same volume level as any other bass frequency in the music. The next thing I notice is that they sound extremely transparent. The music just sounds natural and very lifelike. Many headphones have too much emphasis on certain sound frequencies or they sound very unnatural. The LCD-2 is the most transparent headphone I have tried. Instruments sound like they should. Different genres of music sound right which is a big problem with a lot of headphones that only sound natural with certain genres but the LCD-2 sounds very natural with almost any genre. The mids are almost as good as the bass. The sound stays flat into the mids. Vocals sound very natural and are not pushed back into the mix as you might find on headphones with recessed mids. The sound stays flat transitioning from bass to mids and this makes the sound quite coherent in these areas. Other headphones with bass emphasis can drown out the midrange or make for a jumbled mess when transitioning from bass to mid sounds. Another thing I like about these headphones is they are not fatiguing. They are slightly dark and the highs sound quite smooth. I can listen to Heavy Metal or Rock music without the fatigue I would get on the Grado RS1i. I want to emphasize that they are only slightly dark. The highs are great in my opinion. They are as present as anything else in the mix. The only thing I think they are lacking and the reason why I do think they are ever so slightly dark is they don't have the sparkle or any bit of bite in the treble that I think I would want on some songs. Then again if they did they would be more fatiguing and wouldn't do as well with poorly recorded material. I especially appreciate that I can crank up electronic music a little louder if I want to get more bass impact without worrying about the treble getting to me. Orthodynamic headphones are inherently faster sounding than dynamic headphones and this is very helpful with fast paced music. The LCD-2 keep the pace of faster music much better than my Sennheiser HD650 which is quite nice as I do like to listen to fast Heavy Metal. Overall I find they have very good pace, rhythm and timing. They make me bob my head, tap my feet and just want to dance. They do all this without sounding colored like the Grado RS1i or like bass heavy DJ headphones. They do all this but also sound just as nice with slower or more relaxing types of music. You get the best of both worlds here. They have been described as liquid, lush and have a nice smooth sound that works just as well with acoustic music or anything mellow. Finally, one of the only other weaknesses I could find was the soundstage. I suspect at least part of this is due to the lack of a bit of air that exists due to the treble. The soundstage is small for an open headphone. That said, this is a flaw I'll take over many others. I'd like a bit more air or room in the sound but that is low on my sound priority list. It's still better than most closed headphones or say a pair of Grados in soundstage size. Also, despite a smaller soundstage I found instrument separation to be quite good. Conclusion: I honestly have never had as much fun listening to music on headphones as I have with these. They make me want to sit at my desk and not move at all. Every type of music I listen to sounds great. I don't need to switch headphones or think about how this might sound better with something else when I'm using these. Of the headphones I have tried these are the best. Gear used and other headphones I own: Windows 7 > Foobar2k > Schiit Bifrost DAC > Schiit Asgard solid state desktop amplifier Sennheiser HD650, Grado RS1i, Ultrasone Pro 900, Sennheiser HD25-1 II and various other basshead headphones.
I was planning to loan out the HE-500 next to decide which I prefer between the two but they aren't available for a few weeks so in the meantime I loaned out the LCD-3 . I'll review those next.