Audeze LCD2C Measurements and Impressions

Discussion in 'Headphone Measurements' started by purr1n, Dec 18, 2017.

  1. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Elex has a relatively small driver with little surface area. Compounded by small effective baffle width. The area just around the driver is vented and open to the back. This means more and more excursion as we go lower in the bass. Dynamic drivers are most linear when centered in the gap. Even the best motor designs can only do so much. This is why I like 15" woofers.
     
  2. Ringingears

    Ringingears Honorary BFF

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    I knew they have felt like fake boobs. Like that first girlfriend in college. Great at first.......then you realize..... there’re hard on the head.
     
  3. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Should mention the following:
    1. Headstage is a smidge more narrow and a smidge deeper than HD650. Despite tiny bit deeper stage, tends to suffer a bit of the hole in the middle two blob effect. We all know this and Audeze fans don't have a problem with it. Overall sense of openness seems superior to LCD2r2 from memory.
    2. Timbre is nice. The timbre of the LCD-X and Fazor LCD-2 was a step backwards, sounding more plasticky like HE560. Glad to report that things are back to normal.
    3. 8kHz bump is slightly troublesome with some bright recordings. Just slighty. Sharp and bright, but not painfully peircing or sibilant.
    4. Great resolution for a planar or even for any of driver, but we always knew the potential of grade A Audezes.
    5. OMFG amazing sub and low bass. Daft Punk's Doin' It Right must be heard! The low note bass drops are thunderous and clean. Words cannot describe the joy! The bass lines on Eva Cassidy's renditions of Wayfaring Stranger and People Get Ready have such a gutteral heft and sustain.
     
  4. Koth Ganesh

    Koth Ganesh Friend

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    Marv, what amp are you using please?
     
  5. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    Daaaaaaamn, stax level amounts of distortion. I cant wait to see what the LCD-4 looks like if they are doing this with the classic.

    I dont join too many loaners, but I'm definitely going to give these a listen.
     
  6. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Top secret solid state amp that attempts to bring the magic of the Pioneer M-22 to 2018. No idea if this specific design will make production, but perhaps a hybrid version of this may.

    To your question in Profile Post. Yes, great classic rock headphone. And of course great for electronic / dance.
     
  7. songmic

    songmic Gear cycler East Asia edition

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    So... any direct comparisons to the Unicorn Edition?
     
  8. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    This is so good that LCD4 isn't far. LCD4 more resolving, nuanced, refined, and more even frequency response. The LCD4 is the perfected Audeze.
     
  9. Koth Ganesh

    Koth Ganesh Friend

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    Sounds like Massdrop is working hard on this already....thanks for the suspense ;). In the meanwhile, I suppose the likes of the BW and Jot should work well with this?
     
  10. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    LCD2C is 20% faster with 10% less heft. Otherwise very similar. In same category of unicorn-ness - Grade A Audeze.
     
    Last edited: Dec 18, 2017
  11. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    BW or Jot should be fine, but BW would be better match. The LCD2C has extended non-rolled subbass, but isn't particularly warm. Lush yes. Warm no. BW warmth might not be a bad thing. Jot's staging might make worse two blob hole in center tendencies of LCD2C.
     
  12. FlySweep

    FlySweep Friend

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    Eitr-ed Modi Multibit a good match for the LCD-2C, Marv? Too dark? Any good D/S options? Would something like a MCTH or other decent hybrid tube amp grip the drivers on this thing or should we look at high current ss amps?
     
  13. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I'm using Modi Multibit now with CDP on a neutral amp. Gungnir Multibit works well too. LCD2C isn't so as much dark but rather scooped in upper mids. There is actuslly plenty of treble.

    Transient performance is good enough that we don't need an amp to do it for us. MCTH I don't think would mesh with the LCD2C highs.
     
  14. Ringingears

    Ringingears Honorary BFF

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    O.k. Say I take one more leap of faith. Do you know what the warranty period is going to be. Three years at least.
     
  15. FlySweep

    FlySweep Friend

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    Considering you haven't mentioned it, I'm assuming grain (more specifically, treble grain) ins't an issue?
     
  16. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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  17. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    How scooped? There's an issue with busy classical where upper-mid scoopage causes the strings to vanish in the morass, especially under brass. It's something that the HD650 and Utopia seems to avoid, but a lot of lesser headphones seem to fail hard with.

    A really good test piece for the phenomenon is the last movement of this:

    [​IMG]

    (Credit to @Muse Wanderer for exposing this bear of a test.)
     
  18. starence

    starence Facebook Friend

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    How do these bad boys compare with the AFO?
     
  19. HAL9000

    HAL9000 Almost "Made"

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    I was chatting with Dragoslav, Audeze CTO at the CanJam SoCal about the problems of fabricating conductors on very thin membranes for the LCD-4. He said it was a real PITA and that they developed a method for laser etching, described in this patent: https://patents.google.com/patent/US9432788B2/en. He also said that without it, the LCDi4s would not have been possible.

    Perhaps this approach has trickled down to the LCD-2Cs? Every pair a Unicorn?
     
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2017
  20. Olor1n

    Olor1n Friend

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    The second LCD-2 I owned was a pre-fazor, rev. 2.5. It was a significant improvement over the rev. 2 it replaced and may have had unicorn DNA.

    The LCD2C looks great but I’m still wary of Audeze unit variation and QC. Hoping for confirmation that Marv’s unit is typical of this new line and that the $599 pricing lasts until then.
     

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