Is the KU 100 more, or less accurate than a Mini DSP EARs?
Fantastic question, and unfortunately I donât know for sure so I will defer to oratory1990 on that one. I think he has written about acoustic impedance on his subreddit before, and I believe he mentioned the KU100 in that blurb, but I donât have a link to it at the moment.
Would they be unreliable even relative to other KU100 graphs?
Thatâs what weâre talking about though, right? QC as in making sure that produced units are within spec. These are after all supposed to be identical products, but those graphs vary a fair bit.
Now, if the KU100 isnât precise enough for a trained operator to produce repeatable measurements, then it would seem to be unsuited to QC as well.
I was thinking this as well.
Why would Audeze use an inaccurate tool for QC? Perhaps this is the reason why theyâve had so many units variances.
@Resolve, are you familiar with the Neumann KU 100? Is it known for being inaccurate?
From the product literature, it looks like the Neumann unit isnât designed for headphone measuring but rather for binaural recording.
When he said âQCâ, that likely doesnât refer to its accuracy but more so consistency and driver matching. So itâs probably not something youâd use to show deviation/adherence to a target like we do with the GRAS.
In general, stick with GRAS measurements for getting a sense of how the tuning is, because at least with that we have a well established reference point. To be clear, there are reasons why youâd use other rigs - and even in-ear mics - but that always requires qualification beyond simply showing the graph. So in short, itâs not necessarily about whatâs better (looking at you 5128), but rather whatâs the most useful to us for understanding tonal balance, and that is still the 711 couplers.
I think the original point that @pwjazz and I were trying to make that got a bit lost in the thread was that while yes, the Neumann KU100 (or any measurement tool) are imperfect and will not give you a âtrueâ response graph, it should be able to consistently reproduce itâs own results when measuring the same headphone - which, as you mentioned, is necessary trait for QC equipment. So, going back to the different graphs for different 2021 LCD-X units, either:
a) The Neumann KU100 is producing different results for headphones that actually sound the same (IMO very unlikely, which was my original question), or:
b) The driver variance in LCD-X has not been resolved whatsoever, and the sound change is due to the new pads brightening up the sound + getting a âgoodâ driver in the lottery (the more likely conclusion)
Driver variances do seem to have been solved - even since 2016 apparently - so this has way more to do with the pad change than anything else. According to the post they updated the magnetic circuit, but to what extent Iâm not sure. But⌠just a note on the pads, you will see way more measured variation once the pads are on the headphone with headphones like these, or any other that have really thick pads. DCA stuff is another example of that.
Would you recommend a Focal Celestee over an LCD XC?
Just thought I would share photos of the new vs old fazor array that may be indicative of differences in magnet placement as well as the number of magnets. disclaimer These photos are not mine and were shared on Head-fi.
My LCD-2f that I received recently does not have memory foam pads (which makes me think it is part of the pad update). Unfortunately, because there is no information on how these measure I donât really feel confident keeping them. I wish there would be information as (or before) changes are rolled out and not after. Iâd hate to exchange for an LCD-X and then find out later that mine were part of some revision. Only seeing graphs months later and left guessing as far as EQ until then.
All, where would Resolve post his EQs from the live session on 4/3/2021?
Thanks!
Thanks, the xc is on the way so I can compare it to the x.
A head-fi member is claiming Audeze confirmed that the pad change was made universally. Iâm wondering if @Resolve has any plans to measure the LCD-2f, LCD-4 etc. with the new pads!
Edit: If not⌠can I send you my set? Iâm located in Canada as well.
Update: Audeze has confirmed⌠all models received a pad update.
Would be nice to get a date or a serial number to identify which units have the updated pads.
Wow! Hopefully the measurement gurus get their hands on the full model lineup and are able to measure them.
Copypasted from the Head-Fi thread:
For those who may be curious, here are the start dates and serials for the new configuration:
11/23/20 LCD-X Leather-Free 7527615
11/9/20 LCD-XC Leather 8523700
11/23/20 LCD-X Leather 7527600
11/23/20 LCD-XC Leather-Free 8523710
Any serial after those numbers is a new version, previous to those numbers is an older model.