Are the LCD-3s Really the Last Headphones I Will Need?

You should check out the soon to be released Audeze EL-8 closed and open backed - lighter also.

 

Until the OP hears the upper echelon Stax models (e.g. the 30 year old Stax Sigma Pro, the Lambda Nova Signature the SR-007 or the SR-009).

 

Good grief, I'm an idiot. I have a Marantz SR7009, not a Marantz 8005. VERY sorry about that - obviously senility is setting in earlier than expected. I USED to own a Marantz SACD player.

 

I saw the EL-8s, but I think I want to go one step up. I've almost convinced myself to go with the LCD-Xs, after hours of reading. As a previous poster stated, they seem to fit my profile. I should have added - I'll be sitting in a comfortable chair and not moving around, while using these, so I'm not concerned about portability or looks. Headphones don't bother me much, so I don't think comfort will be much of an issue.

 

The advice to go 2nd hand if possible is a good. No matter how long any trial in a shop is it's not going to replicate having the phones in your home for a bare minimum of a couple of weeks use. Like any hardware item you really need to live with them daily for a time for a true test. Buying 2nd hand means you miss out on the original devaluation from new if you don't like the item and decide to sell.
Tastes and hearing changes over time also mean that often the headphone you loved at 40 doesn't work so well at 50. Ten years ago I was very much a Grado fan but now find them hard work for extended listening. Same with some of the AT range. For about 5 years the ATH-AD2000 was my default phone but sold it last year as my tastes had moved .

I had a Sr-007 system(phones and tube amp) on long term loan with an option to buy but passed in the end as I liked some of my other phones more. Not often you have the luxury of a couple of months home trial though.

 

What did you like more?

 

I thought the 800s were rather harsh sounding . I preferred the sound and the price of the 650s better. Considerably more comfortable too.

 

It was about 4 years ago that I had the Stax system and my hearing has under gone some changes(for the worse) since then but at that time I enjoyed the Yamamoto amp/ATH-AD2000 pairing more . I managed to get my wife to audition various setups and she preferred the Yamamoto/ATH-W5000 combo. That's one headphone I never really enjoyed(now gone).

 

The Cable Company has a headphone lending program (where the price is applied to future purchases)--has any tried them? They have a good selection it seems. It is unclear if they lend amps, too.

 

Nothing wrong with them at all - it's just that they didn't match my personal preferences. I didn't really make the point very well - Ham Sandwich said it better - but all headphones are different and my mistake was thinking that I'd be bound to be happy with a really expensive pair of headphones that everyone raves about. The lesson I learned is that it just doesn't work that way.

It's like loudspeakers (which, after all, is what headphones are). None of them have a flat frequency response so none of them are "right". They all have their own voice and character and the best you can do is find one you like - taking care to avoid being led by fashion or the herd.

There's an additional factor with headphones that doesn't apply with loudspeakers, and that's comfort. I was too dismissive of that but it's a real factor if you're going to take this seriously.

The things I personally didn't like about the LCD-2s were:

1. Their size and fit. To me, it was like putting this huge contraption on your head. It wasn't comfortable and I felt I must look really stupid wearing them.

2. Although they have a reputation for being warm, mine were tilted up at the top end of the frequency range and were painful to my over-sensitive ears when listening to badly-recorded rock music with sibilance or other nasty stuff going on at those frequencies. I find I get on much better with rolled-off headphones like HD650s but other people might find the HD650s dull or lacking air or detail.

3. I like plenty of very deep bass (but definitely not an excess of mid-bass which I strongly dislike.) Although the LCD-2s reached down very low in the frequency range - and much more effectively than the HD650s which were almost a bass-free zone by comparison - they didn't deliver enough power for me in those frequencies and I felt short-changed in light of their reputation for being warm, bassy headphones. But that's just me.

So, nothing wrong with the LCD-2s but they weren't for me. Moral: don't buy blind!

 

Back2vinyl, what amp did/do you use with the LCD-2s? The difference when I use them with my super-powered schitt Lyr 2 vs. the less powerful Vali I originally bought for my HD600s is pretty dramatic. If the 1/2 watt Vali was the only amp I had I would have returned the LCD-2.

 

So, what exactly is it that you need to hear?

 

Nothing is more personnel than headphones buy from a mail order company the you can return them to if you don't like them. If the Cable Co. still has a headphone library start with them. Reviews and opinions mean nothing when it comes to headphones.

 

I like the Oppo line of headphones. Very pleasant listen, easy load for the amplifier, comfy and not too expensive. The Oppo 2 in my opinion is the best deal.

 

Advice, anecdotes, things that should be considered - anything that a person would feel contributes to a decision like this. I understand it's a personal decision, but I've gotten some good advice and appreciate everyone's input. I've ordered a pair of LCD-Xs, based on a lot of research. I can return them no questions asked, if they aren't up to my expectations, and it only costs me postage. I liked the trip to Pittsburgh idea that someone suggested, but I can't get up there for a while, so I figured "what the heck?".

I'll report back when I get them! Thanks again, everyone.

P.S. I was going to be a smart-ass and respond "The headphones."

 

Enjoy them! I certainly do my LCD2"s.

 

Their site says there's a 15% "re-stocking" fee

I think your decision is ill advised, but it's too late now!

Good luck with them

 

Glad to learn that at least you didn't pay the $300 bucks for the little bits of wood
Hope they make you happy

 

It's not too late.

 

The LCD-X is a nice headphone. Hopefully its fit and sound will suit you.

I couldn't find any specs on the headphone output of your Marantz SR7009. No idea about how much power it has, and no reviews about how the headphone output sounds. Hopefully the amp will drive the LCD-X well enough for you to get the right idea about how it sounds and whether you'll like it. The LCD-X is efficient for the style of planar headphone it is, and its low 20 ohm impedance makes it easier to drive than the other Audeze headphones. But even with that the Audezes do like power. On the order of over a watt from a headphone amp. It is doubtful that the Marantz is able to do 1W at 20 ohms. A lot of AV receivers struggle to do just a couple hundred mW or less. The headphone amps I use with my LCD-2 are capable of around 4W.

If you like the fit and sound of the LCD-X you'll likely be looking at headphone amps next.

A potentially neat headphone amp announced just a few weeks ago is the Cavalli Liquid Carbon. Here's the head-fi thread about it: ***NEW*** Cavalli Audio's Liquid Carbon (mini desktop amp). It isn't ready for sale yet. It will be a few months, probably end of Summer. Projected price is around $700, which is a bargain considering Cavalli's other amps sell for around $3K. I want this amp even though I haven't heard it. Cavalli amps have a smooth, neutral and musical sound signature that I find very pleasing for me. The Liquid Carbon should have enough power for the LCD-X, though you'd likely need to use balanced headphones with it to get the best results (more power). Of course there's other amps that would work well for the LCD-X too.

 

I was thinking the same thing. I actually sent an email to Marantz and asked about the headphone jack, but no response yet. I'll have to wait a couple of months to save up the cash, anyway, so I'll check out the Cavalli. I'll be in touch, when the headphones arrive. So far, I have no buyer's remorse.

 

You know, just for fun I plugged my LCD-2's into my Marantz SA8004's headphone jack and it didn't sound half-bad. Also, that Cavalli is probably great, but I sure do love the pairing of the Schiit Lyr 2 which is about half the price and available now. I threw some NOS Mullard 6DJ8's in it recently and it's really singing.

 

Thanks for the suggestion but it was a Violectric V281 with around 4W of output so the LCD-2s certainly weren't underpowered.

To the OP: best of luck with the LCD-X! Sometimes, it's best just to jump in. And even if it doesn't work out, it's a great place to start.

 

Congratulations. You'll love em right off the bat, regardless of amp. Shockingly good. Be prepared for the Audeze sore neck break-in. Once you've broken your neck in (1 to 2 days), you'll never have another problem.