Hi everyone. I have three headphone amps. I wonder which one to keep or sell all of them and have a single one. I got Stellia for half its price, and it sounds nice even with the dragonfly. Amps are Liquid Platinum, A30Pro, and Monoprice THX AAA. I want to keep Liquid Platinum for Audeze LCD X 2021, but I am also open to different suggestions. I appreciate any help you can provide.
Focal Arche? Should be relatively cheap still and matched to Focal headphones (individual output impedance matching with different headphones). And a rather natty headphone stand.
Finding a single high endish headphone amp that has sonic synergy with both the Audeze headphones and the Focal headphones is tough ask. The Audeze want a high power amp with a particular sonic flavor, while the Focals want a low power amp with a different sonic flavor. It's easier to find two good separate amps rather than one that does sonic magic with both Audeze and Focal. The Liquid Platinum is a very good amp that has some special sonic synergy with Audeze headphones. But as you've likely noticed it has too much power and too much gain to be ideal with the Focals like Stellia and Utopia. Plus the general sonic flavor of the Liquid Platinum in the bass and midrange isn't what the Stellia really need help with. On the other end of the spectrum there are amps like the DSHA-3F that are optimized for the needs of the Focal headphones. The "F" in the model name is for Focal. It is a solid state amp with some almost tubish style sound that is great with the Focals. It's a lower power amp. Plenty of power for Focals and HD800 and similar dynamics, but not enough for Audeze headphones. The DSHA-3F is out of production. It was a limited run amp by ECP Audio and was around $3200 when released. The amp is getting a new run but this time by Nitsch and for only $2600. If you're looking to give the Stellia or Utopia what they crave this is the style and level of amp for that. I mention the DSHA-3F more as an example of how optimizing an amp choice for both Audeze and Focal is going to put you at opposite ends of the amp spectrum. The Audeze want power, the Focals want lower power and lower gain. Finding a single amp that is optimal for both Audeze and Focals is going to be challenging. Easier to find two amps with one optimized for Audeze and the other for Focal. My entire headphone setup is optimized around Audeze and similar planar headphones. Powerful Cavalli amps. The Cavalli amps are great with Audeze planars. I don't have any good amps that are well suited for Focals like the Stellia or Utopia. I had a little meetup with a local headphone guy who has optimized his system around Focals and Chord DACs. He brought over the Stellia and Utopia to try on my gear and all my amps have too much power and gain to be well suited for the Focals. Then I tried my Audeze headphones on his Chord Dave and Hugo and not enough power for the Audeze. We are two different audiophiles with gear optimized for two different systems and preferences. My gear doesn't work well in his system and his gear doesn't work well in my system. And that's the challenge of optimizing for both Audeze and Focal. I'd suggest keeping the Liquid Platinum for the Audeze and then finding the best suited amp for the Focal that you can justify spending the money for.
Ham Sandwich or anyone else, I am thinking of getting the liquid platinum at its now $499 price. I have sundara and thinking of upgrading to the XS or Ananda. Would these go well with the liquid platinum also or is it truly the Audeze that they work best with? Second, has anyone used them with the Meze 109 or too much power for those?
It's been some time, and I am still using liquid platinum. It's funny, but LP enabled me to listen to 800S, LCD X (2021), and Utopia for different genres. I even enjoy w Stellias with this a lot. Once you get used to this, it works really well. Don't worry about the power. (I also drive my Radience & Clear MG from time to time). I started using my A30 Pro only for IEMs.
The Liquid Platinum will pair well with the HiFiMan headphones. It's an amp that pairs very well with planar magnetic headphones. Just make sure to also order balanced headphones cables for whatever headphones you get. The Liquid Platinum should be thought of as an amp that only has a balanced headphone output. And ignore the 1/4" jack. The other issue with the Liquid Platinum is the high-ish gain. Which can make it inconvenient to use with efficient headphones. Especially if you're using a DAC that has a high output (more than 2V RCA or 4V XLR).
Thank you both. The DAC I am using at the moment is also a headphone amp but I like tube and tube hybrid amps so I use it just as a DAC. That said, I can change the output from line level to use more like a preamp with volume control if I need to manage any volume issues. I do want to upgrade that DAC at some point but at least it will allow me to get used to the LP If I go with this I may give the LCD 2 a shot along with the higher caliber hifiman based on all your feedback on that combination, Ham Sandwich. In the meantime, can grab a balanced cable for my HD6xx to try that as well.
The current sale price of $499.99 is a very good deal for that amp. A bargain. I own two Liquid Platinum amps. One purchased at full retail right at release. A second purchased for around $530 which I considered a good deal at the time. The second amp is a backup in case the first one dies after Monoprice stops selling them. I like the amp that much and want to make sure I can listen to it long after Monoprice stops selling it. The HD6xx do need balanced cables if you're going to use them with the Liquid Platinum. They won't be driven well enough from the 1/4" jack. The only other issue with the Liquid Platinum is that it uses 6922 tubes. And the good current production 6922 tubes are made in Russia. Which presents some issues. Fortunately JJ Electronic makes a reasonably good 6922 in Slovakia. They're not as good as the Electro Harmonix or Genalix Gold Lion tubes that are made in Russia, but still good enough that I'd still buy the Liquid Platinum if the JJ 6922 tubes were the only tubes available for it. And there are NOS tube options that will work with the Liquid Platinum. A very affordable NOS tube that is compatible with the LP is the GE 5670W with adapter available from TubeDepot. That tube isn't an exact equivalent of the 6922 but is close enough to be used with the Liquid Platinum within its operational specs. And it's the tube I'm now using in the Liquid Platinum. It's $54 a pair with matching, while the Genelex Gold Lion new production (made in Russia) was $95 a pair (with matching) before Russian invaded Ukraine and are around $155 a pair (with matching) now. The two issues with using the GE 5670W as a 6922 substitute is that they have a different pin-out so need an adapter that re-wires the pins correctly. The other issue is that the Liquid Platinum has recessed tube sockets. If you plug in the GE 5670W tubes with adapter in the LP and then pull the tube out the adapter is almost certainly going to be left stuck to the tube socket. Down inside the amp. And you'll need to disassemble the case to get access to remove the adapter. As long as you're willing to deal with that and also remember that if you plug a 6922 tube into that adapter you'll fry the amp, and if you plug a GE 5670W tube in the amp without an adapter you'll fry the amp then that tube is a very good alternative. I'm using the GE 5670W in my Liquid Platinum now. I like the tube in the LP and think it sounds a little bit better than the Genelex Gold Lion and costs less. The other issue with the 5670W is that it takes about 5 to 10 minutes to warm up. During the warm up period it will cause the sound from the amp to have a background hum. The hum goes away after 5-10 minutes. The 6922 tubes don't do that and don't need the longer warm-up period. The Electro Harmonix and Gold Lion 6922 and JJ 6922 and other 6922 tubes are ready to go after about a minute after turning the amp on. But the 5670W will take about 5-10 minutes to get suitable for listening. I'm no longer willing to buy a new production Russian tube made after the Ukraine invasion. And it will be a minimum of 10 years before I will reconsider. And that depends on what happens over the next 10 years. I'm not optimistic. The only good thing about the invasion is that it got me to try the 5670W as a 6922 substitute and to find out that I actually prefer the sound to the Genelex Gold Lion 6922 I was using (other than the 5-10 minute warm up time with audible hum). Fortunately there are new production JJ 6922 tubes available that are good enough, and NOS 6922 tubes available that can be used. Along with substitutes like the GE 5670W. It would be nice if finding tubes for tube amps wasn't so complicated. The good tube amps and hybrid amps make it worth it, but be aware of what you're getting yourself in to.
Yeah it’s unfortunate it can be a pain in the ass to find tubes. Assuming I like it (which I should based on what I have read about it) I’ll give it a little time and then explore tube rolling. Really appreciate all the insight, one other question if you don’t mind: If I give the LCD-2 a shot based on all the feedback you have provided, does it matter which one? Classic or the current model? Or do I want to find a used older version?
The LCD-2 Classic is composite and has no fazors over the magnets. The LCD-2 is wood and has fazors and leather pads (the leather pads will last longer than the leather-free pads). Here's an explanation of the fazor guides: Why do Fazor wave guides improve the sound? - Audeze LLC The fazor guides do improve the sound. The non-fazor LCD-2 Classic has a slightly more impactful sub-bass. The fazor LCD-2 has a slightly better overall sound. You want the current production versions. The older versions have their fans, but don't sound as good. The new versions are generally more transparent and cleaner sounding and the drivers have gotten better.
Thanks again, Ham Sandwich. I pulled the trigger. It went on sale for $339, wasn’t going to pass that up. Have my hdxx through balanced for now and then will look at a new planar. I know I need to let the tubes burn in a little bit but certainly noticing some good detail immediately. Any specific song/album you would recommend that shows off the strengths of the amp I should check out?
$339 is an amazing deal for that amp. I didn't realize Monoprice has them on sale for that low of a price. Wow! I should buy a third one to save even more money. $339 is a crazy good deal and a no brainer to buy the amp over the alternatives. Recommended album would be Leonard Cohen's "Various Positions". Especially the first track "Dance Me to the End of Love". The Liquid Platinum has a little bit of sonic glow and sonic bloom in the midrange and lower midrange that has perfect synergy with Leonard's voice and the sound production of the album. There is some magical synergy going on between the sonic characteristics of the amp and the sonic characteristics album production with "Various Positions".
I have heard the LP and LCD, great combo and sounds incredible to me. I’d keep that combo. I see a lot of reviews on the AAA and it’s a completely different sounding than the LP and not a good thing. But that’s based on reviews and not experience.
I have nothing of substance to add to this thread but clicked on it because my only headphones are Stellias - which I'm very happy with (got mine for 33.33% off). I'm fortunate to a have a headphone jack in my integrated amp which is a rolled Primaluna 300 Evo.
