I believe, based off of the interviews and post made in the head-fi forum by Audeze engineers, that they are aiming for reduced reflections and refractions with this new design. This FR response might just be a happy medium in their efforts to create a sonically accurate headphone. We know from the past Audeze headphones that they actively encourage their customers to use EQ with their headphones, so this headphone will likely be no different.
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You may be interested in listening to a RAD-0.
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The RAD-0 tuning crossed my mind as well when I was reading that. But many trade-offs with the RAD-0 still. If only it was the RAD-0 tuning in the LCD-5 frame…
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I tried one at CanJam 2019/NYC. It was high on my list. But the second I put it on, I knew the comfort issues took it out of the running for me:
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I have a large/tall head, and the frame of the Rosson (if memory serves) came close to not accommodating my vertical adjustment requirement
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Worse (and the dealbreaker for me) was that insane inside-of-headband padding that bumped downward at the center, exactly where it would touch the skull. So the designers, in effect, put a cushioned speed bump right where the headband contacts the head. That’s hopeless for me & only made the above issue worse.
I know I could buy this HP, forcibly remove the under-headband-padding, and replace it (to very good effect) w/a ZMF Pilot Pad. But that would render it un-resellable and probably void the warranty.
I really wanted the Rosson to be the one for me, but it just couldn’t be.
FWIW, I had it on such a short time (and in such a noisy place) that I couldn’t really hear its tuning. But I never sought it out again to check the sound, for reasons given above.
I since got a gently used Final D8000 and despite its comfort quirks, I’m finding it to be a TOTL planar very much to my liking.
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I asked in another forum and have been doing some research on possible budget amp/dacs or combos for my first solution. Wanted to get a couple more options from those experienced before pulling the trigger as this will be my first major headphone.
Someone suggested a Chord Hugo 2. I have always been intrigued by it, but felt the color indicators bizarre and the micro usb putting me off. Not to mention the scathing review by the Verge. I liked the portability aspect, but it doesn’t have to be a transportable. I looked at the Woo Audio WA11 Topaz and wasn’t really sure about it and the limit of 24-bit/384kHz. Open to desk rigs if it’s better in terms of sq and power in the same price range.
Could some of you recommend some other great options in the 1-2k range?
Have you ever seen the Verge’s video tutorial on how to build a PC? In short, I wouldn’t take their advice/opinions too seriously.
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In this case, they had a point. They were directly comparing the Hugo2 to their experience with a Mojo, and felt it had lost the magic. They ain’t wrong, the two do sound different, with the Hugo2 being more revealing, and less warm. For some people this is a bad deal. It is easy to assume that spending more makes things sound “better” when in fact, depending on your preferences and experiences, it may not.
They also called out the user interface, and they ARE NOT WRONG. I liked the thing so much I forced myself to learn it, but that’s is by no means a recommendation.
EDIT: I was using it with ZMF Autuers, not exactly bright headphones.
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I have the full range of Chord DACs (except TT2), and just wanted to add a voice of support to the Hugo 2. While I 100% agree that it’s a super awkward design, I don’t find it to be annoying day-to-day. The volume wheel on the Hugo 2 is much less annoying than continually clicking the buttons on the Mojo, and I found the sound to be a major improvement (for my tastes). As others have said, DACs all have their own signature, and what I like may not be what you like. You will absolutely hear the differences with an Audeze flagship headphone, though.
However, I’m not sure the Hugo 2 (or almost any DAC/amp combo) will sufficiently power an LCD-5 (see @Torq 's comments). You’ll want to dig in a bit more, here.
Other options in this price range that folks on this forum seem to really like are the Schiit Yggdrasil and RME ADI-2 (but I haven’t heard either long enough to have an informed opinion myself).
If you find a recording with a higher sample depth or rate, let me know! You should be totally fine with that limit.
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As a person who reluctantly deals with Chord’s counter intuitive interfaces (I had a Hugo 1, a Hugo 2 and now a DAVE) in order to appreciate Chord’s unique sound profile, I wouldn’t sweat the Hugo 2s idiosyncrasies because despite the colour wheels and micro USB it brings desktop performance to a miniature device. Nor would I consider the Verge’s opinion on Audio as anything other than another days’ article to fill space in a mainstream website. As a counterpoint to the Verge I remember @Torq to have a high opinion of the H2.
I can’t really speak to whether the following will be powerful enough to for the LCD 5. You might consider WooAudio’s WA8 (my friend uses one to power his LCD 4 and is happy with the pairing) or the very recently announced 3rd generation of Woo’s WA7 Fireflies, both are tube amps with built in DACs. The WA8, like the Hugo 2 is transportable.
What I’m sure is powerful enough though perhaps stretching your budget, Chord has just announced a tiny desktop amp called Anni which mates with and is the same size as their tiny desktop DAC called the Qutest. I don’t know the US prices on these but in the UK the combo comes out around £2500 including VAT (value added tax of 20%). The Anni has something like a 10 watt output and is said to be capable of driving even hard to drive planar magnetic headphones. The Qutest DAC is a close relative of the DAC part of Hugo 2. Chord’s website is Anni - Chord Electronics Ltd which I mention because there is also an unrelated UK firm called Chord which only makes cables.
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I just remembered the other day watching a video put out by the makers of Abyss headphones where they discuss the WooAudio Gen 3 WA7 driving their Diana Phi planar magnetic HP which are relatively power hungry. If you’re interested here’s the link This amp is GREAT!! *NEW* WA7 Gen3! - YouTube Abyss owner Joe Skubinski does have a business relationship with Jack Woo of WooAudio for what that’s worth.
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Oh I hear ya. I was simply alluding to the fact that one should trust their ears and own experiences over a website author’s opinion. For many, the sound quality that the Hugo 2 offers may be well worth dealing with the quirky interface.
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Thanks for that! What are your thoughts compared to a used H2? Power comparable?
First, a used H2 has an advantage that if you’re not happy with it you can resell it with only a small financial loss. On paper all of the amps above can easily produce enough wattage to drive the ‘5’s (90 dB/1mW) but there may be issues dealing with the unusually low impedence of the ‘5’s (14ohms) that I don’t understand (I slept through most of HS physics) so I’m reluctant to do more than offer that you do more research or hope someone here can clarify the effect of low impedance on the power issues. It might be helpful to let people know what type of music you listen to and how loud you listen.
Well, thanks to you I just pulled the trigger on the 3rd gen WA7. Got in on early bird price and it was less than I could find an H2 used. Power output over 1.5w of power per channel @4 Ohms, impedance compatible range 8–600 Ohms.
Plus tubes!
Someone talk me out of it!
If you want something that’s fairly cheap, I wonder if the Schiit Jot 2 would meet your needs. I don’t have any low impedance planars so I can’t say from experience, but I’ve seen other members post that the Jot 2 has an affinity for planars.
If others can confirm that they’ve successfully used the Jot 2 with low impedance planars, then you can add the DAC of your choice and remain well under your budget.
Or if you want to spend more, the Burson Soloist 3XP (I personally prefer this over the Jot 2) or the Headamp GSX-Mini (I haven’t heard this, but others on the forum have stated a preference over the Burson) are possibilities.
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I’ve had same order in the woo audio website basket since early today waiting to pull the trigger. Just to mention that they sell vintage matched NOS 12Au7 tubes for $200 and you can get them much cheaper on eBay. Try searching for 12au7 tubes and look for a seller named n7rk, he has good credentials. And tube rolling is an entirely new way to spend your kids’ inheritance.
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Can we get this back on lcd-5?
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Yes! I haven’t got mine yet. What would you like to discuss?
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I think this conversation is relevant. @EminentOne has ordered an LCD-5 and wants to know if he needs something special to be able to drive it.
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That sign up sheet is gonna be a mile long. We better get there early.