a 4500 dollar HP isnt meant to be used with a phone
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yes, the hugo 2…seriously the best choice in the market
Thank you for this invaluable insight.
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Had a chance to listen to this at canjam. Here are some brief thoughts…
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What was driving the lcd5?
The end of the cable was hidden from view. I only saw a DAC there but I couldn’t tell what it was. I listened towards the end of the show so maybe it was shown earlier.
There were 2 setups at that table. The one I was at had the stuff I talked about above, and the other one had a Bryston BD-1 (forgot the model but it was the one that you had). I didn’t see it connected to an LCD-5 though.
Edit: DAC used was a Weiss DAC502 according to Resolve’s impressions
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Based on what I heard over the last two days with the LCD 5 (in crappy listening conditions) I likely wouldn’t pair the the Jot2 with the LCD 5 strictly from the way the Jot2 is voiced, unless you had a more relaxed dac, the Jot2 may have the current. The Burson Soloist could be a similar situation having the power and current requirements but might end up not being a synergistic match audibly for my preferences. Listening conditions were not optimal again so please keep that in mind with my initial 5 listens, as there were generally large lines of people talking waiting to hear it. I will drop more impressions on my YouTube channel about Can Jam and the LCD 5. Initial impressions, they are a well built, lightweight design with a bit more clamp than other LCD models, they are highly detailed, dynamic, transparent sounding signature. They are greatly transparent of the source amp/dac. I strongly preferred them with the the Chord Cutest DAC and Bryston amp in the chain when they started running the second demo pair on day 2 with one today over their demo Weiss dac and the other amp who’s name is escaping me. They didn’t have the same level of bass qty as most all the LCD headphones I have heard, however the detail and texture of the bass was excellent. They did sound better in the lower end and upper midrange with the Chord in the chain vs their other Weiss DAC/AMP that doesn’t present the best match IMO for the LCD 5 for My personal preferences. I think they need 1-2 DB bump in the bass regions for my preferences.
Personally, I am inquisitive and considering getting one to review on my channel just because they have so much potential from a detail, speed, transparency perspective with the right amp/dac they could be spectacular for what I like. Vocals sounded beautiful on them, both male and female. I think what I would personally do is pair them with a smoother ESS Dac or a slightly warmer relaxed DAC depending on your personal preferences. As far as amplification, I think they would be very interesting with the right tube amp. Unfortunately we were only able to hear them with one amp and personally it wouldn’t have been my top choice for those headphones. I will go into more as I have more time to review my notes and go through my film 
from the event. It was great getting to meet so Many of you!
Edit: The Melody Gardot, Nils Frahm, Cat Stevens, Billie Eilish, Eagles tracks I listened too impressed me. They have me very curious and would like more time with them on my own audio chains.
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Well crap…after getting Marcello and the Headphones.com folk’s impression, I now want the LCD-5. 
In light of that, here’s the most important question: is it worth dealing with the extreme non-WAF that I’ll be receiving if I buy them? 
Seriously, though, I’ll probably stick to my plan of ordering the LCD-X when it’s back in stock, but the initial impressions of the LCD-5 from the people I actually trust have me quite excited. LCD-4 sound quality (or better) with actual comfort and a smaller form factor? Winner winner chicken dinner!
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I don’t see how WAF applies to headphones unless you’re talking about your partner accepting your audio budget. 
I’ve had mine on pre-order, despite my wife saying the tortoiseshell is ugly (have to agree), but headphones aren’t like watches or other accessories – unless you intend to try and be fashionable with these in public. Just accept the fact that audiophile headphones will make anyone look dorky. They have to prioritize too many other variables, so they’re not the trendy, fashionable cans (Apple, Beats, Bose, etc). Personally, I prioritize sound and comfort.
All that being said, you may be relieved to hear that several folks mentioned the tortoiseshell is not nearly as prominent in person.
Now, floor-standing speakers on the other hand… 
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That’s exactly what I mean! haha
If it was something she would use, like a new 65" OLED, she’d probably approve. But a $4500 headphone? Well…
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Haha I know what you mean.
I just remind her that headphones are like my version of luxury bags and shoes, and then had her listen to some and she was like “oh. Wow. I didn’t know it could sound this good… Okay, I get it now.” 
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i had the same impressions, I listened to it twice on sunday, first time on the bryston amp and it was like the most amazing headphone i ever heard. Than i listened to it second time on the weiss and…i was like why does it sound so bass lite and felt very undefined in upper midrange / lower treble and did not like it at all.
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I’ve spent a lot of time with the Weiss in the past and it is not a unit that you go ‘wow’ at a show with. It is very much an incredibly transparent studio tool - it’s so transparent that it’s actually kind of underwhelming when you first listen to it, because it scrubs away any extraneous texture that isn’t part of the recording. But it isn’t flattering. The Bryston and Chord setup was much warmer and had more obvious midbass bloom and texture.
For my studio? Few things could even come close to beating the Weiss.
For enjoyment, I would far prefer many other less expensive choices.
For what it’s worth, other than what I consider a noticeable decrease in resolution in the Bryston/Chord versus the Weiss, I thought both setups sounded good. I do get the impression that LCD-5 will sound great on anything, and will be fairly revealing of sources. I suspect pairings will take this headphone to a lot of different places.
LCD-5 + Agartha could be the ticket…
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Thanks to everyone who has shared initial impressions from the show. I’m certainly looking forward to hearing them.
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Wonder how the LCD-5 would do with the FORGE, I’ve liked what it does to the Ether 2’s which aren’t known for their slam or dynamics normally.
Anyone heard the LCD-5 able to compare to Hifiman Susvara?
Similar weights and prices.
Thinking of upgrading/changing already?
How goes the Susvaras (two or more?!?) ? heh
Grass is always greener bud.
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$6K is similar to $4.5K? Man, see this is how they get you haha
I haven’t heard any direct technical comp but probably have heard about the same number of “I like the LCD5 better” as I’ve heard “I like the Susvara better”. I think folks are hesitant to compare them out of the noisy CanJam environment.
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