Audeze LCD-X 1st impressions
 

OK I pulled the trigger and purchased the Audeze LCD-X that Ivan had listed and from what I have read, the reviews and Ivan was the deciding vote, but it took little to tilt me to purchase these. I had saw the listing for a week+ and last Sunday was the day I decided to go for it :) Thanks Ivan! great price, hell amazing price! I had seen but not listened to these, but wanted to, but man Ivan has to much to listen to at the Cape, that and all you great folks, I need a week there :)

So anyway, I used to own and sold my HD650s, and now own HD800s, HD700s and have a pretty nice Woo Audio WA-6SE with Sophia Princess & matched pair of 6GL7/6EM tubes and a few other top end tweaks that Woo performs on these tube amps. It is a beast and I can drive the 700s and 800s at the same time to levels that you don't want to if you value your ears . it has a high and a low impedance port on the WA-6SE.

Before I give a very quick 1st impression on the LCD-X let me say that I really do like the 700s and the 800s and even upgraded the 700s with a better cable and I feel the the upper mids and top end highs on these modded 700s are as good if not better than the 800s, but have less lower mids and less overall bass as compared to the 800s.

Also the 800s have more detail, timing is better, seperation, placement etc. My negatives on the 800s is that even though you can even hear the bottom end notes and I mean from say 150Hz even down to 20Hz, it seems to me that they are a good -db from 150-80Hz and at least a -4 -5 db from 80 down to 20Hz. That said even at lower volumes and in critical listing I always feel that I really really have to be focused to point of looking for the bottom end.

I am not looking for a JL sub on my head, but I have found that I desire to drive the Woo via the MX150 so that I can do a +2 or sometimes a +3 on the bass to make then sound more even and less subdued on the bottom end.

OK so two issues I think about, one the MX150 while good is not the C500C C500T preamp sending the signal to the Woo and also that +2 or 3 on the bass not only helps the bass but IMOP clouds the lower mids some and that makes the drums and male voices take a hit.



So that said onto the the Audeze LCD-X headphones. I just unboxed them 4 hours ago all 3 levels of boxes and they are in a sealed mounted final box that let out a woosh when open. They seem vacuum packed :), Nice factory cables, construction is top notch, leather is way impressive I see no corners cut. Yep they are heavy as far as headphones go, but i adjusted them and made sure looking into the mirror that the cups center on the ears and also that the band was sitting well across the top of my head. After that I plugged in the cable and sat with them to get the feel, moved around etc.

Got say that even for the weight they do not feel that heavy and I think it has to do with the cups, angles of design the great leather feel etc.

Next and at last I plugged them into the low impedance port on the Woo since the LCD-X is a very very efficient set of headphones, and I will do more listing to on the high impedance port later on. Also the Woo had a good 30 minutes playing time to warm up to the normal playing levels etc.

My absolute impression at 1st was a grin and smile ear to ear. They sound like well... musical :thumbsup: No strain on the bass, wekness, booming bass at all! The music is there and not lacking at all, yet it does not override the mids or the top end. Even though we are talking stock cables, less that 4 hours to date they are very open, detained and warm, yet not over bright. Lee Ritenour would be proud I feel, and I was am feeling like the River Man :)

I would say that maybe to me, at least so far the only area the HD800s stand out is the larger sound stage but only a bit not a lot! So next is to switch back to the C500C C500t preamp and not the MX150 st flat in pure stereo mode. I stayed with the MX150 to do a best test apples to apples.

After more time, tweaking levels and or switching ports from high to low on the Woo and driving with the better real 2ch preamp I will be able to get details for you all.

Also I did get the Wireworld Nano Platinum cables from Ivan, they will be here too in a few days, and i will do that as kind of a part 2 review. But I think and feel from what Ivan has said and agree that this is going to get the sound stage and air that will race the HD800s to the finish line :thumbsup:

PS Hell even ipad or itouch could drive these decent, will ry that to and report back. Can you imagine sitting on a flight next to a guy wearing Beats.. a yeah :D

A few pics stock one of course.

http://cdn.stereophile.com/images/st...?itok=5fYh3xNY


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Dave.......You are becoming quite the headphone aficionado. Congratulations on the new Audeze.

Dave... very happy to read your initial impressions. Wait till the WW nano Platinum arrives... :drool:

Way loving these new Headphones, even the heart beat on the Dark Side of the Moon SACD feels and sounds so real... I want nothing, they are that good :)

PS they are very wearable even after 4 hours at a sitting

thanks guys

Superb first review Dave! :thumbsup::thumbsup:
The Audeze hype on AA is getting stronger and stronger!

I also have the LCD-X and love them, together with the Chord Hugo it's a great combination. (it's only costing me a lot of sleep, difficult to stop listening :-)

Have fun

About another 20 hrs run time and they are even cleaner than my opening review. I would say that the sound stage is larger and to me more 3d like.

This week I will be installing the nano platinum wireworld cables. I told Ivan I want to not work and sip scotch while listening to much of my library.

Sent from my iPad using A.Aficionado

Oh yeah, sounds like a sick day for sure! :wine:

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FREAKING KIDDING ME!

So I connected the new Wireworld Nano Platinum today, they only have about 1 hr and I am telling you from the 1st track I was like... this is SICK and I mean wow good, not subtle better I mean like I went from fantastically loving these new LCD-x's to gaga land :banana:
OK immediately wider sound stage, more depth and imaging and the slightest of slightest timbers are so right there. Bass it tighter which I thought could not get any better and the mids are so clear I thought when I was listening to the SACD Dire Straights Brothers in Arms 20 year 5.1 edition on the K03 that Mark was in the room live singing unplugged to me. and even the backing vocals from his brother David were so distinguishable from Mark. No haze what so ever.

I would say I have heard very few speakers systems and not a single headphone that sounds this good!

OK I am going back to the studio and put in some serious 4-5 hours tonight and I am sure another 2-3 in the morning before I leave for work.

I will give these babies some time to break in and listen for changes etc. But for now these were a great investment for the Audeze :thumbsup:

Side note on design, construction etc.
So even the tapping on the cables lightly while listening as sometimes you rub or bump a headphone cable yields dead silence, the stock cables a slight tap was like tapping the base on the turntable noise wise not a hard tap or loud but for sure cable noise. WW nada zip zereo :D

Dave... my experiences with the WW Nano Platinums mirror yours; they are hands down the best I ever heard at any price point.

These are so popular that I try to keep them in stock. I'm very glad I was able to turn you on to this fabulous combo! :ok:

BTW, they will get even better... Really! :yes: I also love the way the nano feels, and is so flexible.