My Week With Audio Heaven (LCD-2 impressions)

[jacobffeldman]

I understand that the forum is not dedicated to high end audio, and is rather bitter about expensive equipment after the whole teksyndicate "Audio myths" fiasco. However, I feel like the forum could still benefit from the opinion of someone who took the time to try it all out.

 

About two weeks ago, while browsing the interwebs for audio equipment I came upon a rather interesting sight called "the cable company." While I am not proponent of high end cables, that is I detest people who claim to hear drastic differences from high end cables, they had a service that allowed customers to audition high end audio equipment for up to two weeks with a 5% money down deposit. A deposit that turns into credit if you choose to purchase the equipment. I had been considering upgrading my audio setup so i decided to just see what a true audiophile setup really sounded like so I could gauge my spending. My choices came down to this: The Audeze Lcd-2 (MSRP $1000 or so) and the cheapest desktop amp they offered for auditioning, the Centrance DACmini CX (MSRP around $700). Now before mayflower electronics hunts me down I would like to make it clear that i got something simple that allowed me to drive the headphones and if I were to buy this setup I would undoubtedly go for the ODAC. That said I made the deposit, and two days later, because of how close I am to their headquarters, received the items. Here now are the impressions from my point of view, from the perspective of someone who is taking his first dip into hifi equipment.

 

The first thing i noticed was the outstanding build quality of the headphones, for years I have used cheeper "plasticy" headphones and these simply blew them away with the wood and aluminum elements that really felt expensive (I am not exaggerating, you could tell). However the real nirvana came when I began to listen, while the huge ear cups on the LCD-2 make for some rather clunky listening, however the soundstage that the large, orthodynamic drivers produced, was simply outstanding. Certainly comparable to the imaging of a set of nice speakers. Moreover the "imersiveness" and "musicality" (you will notice that I use the strange audiophile terms in quotations) was out of this world. I felt more connected and engulfed in the harmonies and vibrato than ever before. For example listening to my least favorite genre of music, Dubstep, allowed me to appreciate the nuances and huge sounds that they produce in their music. While listening to my normal stuff such as Yes's Symphonic Live album gave me the huge sense of space and power that they convey with Wakeman's keyboard and Anderson's airy vocals. 

 

I will briefly go into the sound of the headphones themselves for anyone interested in buying a pair, which I find unlikely for this sight. The Audeze LCD-2s have been praised many times for their mid range awesomeness, something I could appreciate. Where as replacing cables or amps will produce marginal differences, a good pair of headphones is a huge jump into music that I could never imagine otherwise. They had outstanding mids, controlled highs, and the bass was realistic and neutral, something I liked quite a bit. Overall they are a grat set for anyone looking for a really "fun and exciting" experience.

 

In conclusion, the week I had to audition these headphones was a blast. I used them not only for home listening but also for some recordings for a show I was working on (I am a sound engineer, part of the reason this made sense). Although they were a burden to carry around and often worried me because of their value, I found I appreciated the awesome audio in every facet of my life. As stated before, music became alive, and although I tried using different bit rates of music, with no noticeable result, good recordings really were critical to the experience. Overall, for anyone who is considering investing in audio, it is something you will not regret, and something I plan to pursue even though I returned the headphones. Moreover if you are like me and you need to be on the move, maybe consider a pair of custom IEM's from either JH audio, Westone, or Ultimate Ears. Specifically the JH-13's, which I am considering buying, have been said to bring similar quality and precision to a more reasonable size(however similarly outrageous price). Lastly, If you want to have this same experience I would absolutely recommend the cable company for auditioning, especially if you live in the North East. They have excellent customer service and were very lenient when I sent the headphones back a day late. Furthermore, with them every penny you pay for a set of headphones turns into credit so if you choose to buy it you get your money back.

 

Hope you enjoyed this review,

 

Jacob Feldman

[Shd0w2]

Great review! 

[ShearMe]

I understand that the forum is not dedicated to high end audio, and is rather bitter about expensive equipment after the whole teksyndicate "Audio myths" fiasco. 

 

We were "rather bitter about expensive equipment" way before that video, thank you very much. 

[EmoRarity]

Tyler isn't one to force his products
on people. Buy one he is happy,
don't and he doesn't care. 

[mr moose]

, and although I tried using different bit rates of music, with no noticeable result, good recordings really were critical to the experience.

 

 

Thank you, again confirmation that even with what is regarded by some as an endgame product you only need good file's as opposed to only high bit-rate files.