Amp + DAC combo for LCD-2 on a $600 budget?

[FatEskimo97]

Title says it all. Getting a new audio setup for my new PC build and I'll be getting the LDC-2s. I have $600 (I can go a little above but not too much) for amp and DAC. What would take the best advantage of these cans for the price?

If it matters I listen to a lot of fast rock/metal, rap, and EDM. I also like to be really analytical and hear all the parts of the music.

If I find a Schiit Mjolnir for around $600 should I just buy that and use my PC's onboard audio (not that bad actually) until I can buy an ODAC or something?

[GamerDude]

I may be criticized by some for recommending this, but watch this video, I've linked it at about the 4mins mark, watch Alexander Rosson (Co-founder and CEO of Audeze) using the device at about the 4:20 mark. He then spoke about it briefly at the 5 mins mark. No better testimonial than from THE man himself...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3TNp_w4988#t=246

 

Over the course of the vid, he and Mike Mercer spoke about the iFi Micro iDSD....

 

Specs on the Micro iDSD (take note, this is the MICRO iDSD, NOT the NANO iDSD):

http://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/micro-idsd/

 

It's a DAC/AMP combined in one, I've tried playing DSD64 files with it and it's amazing, trying to find even higher res audio since the unit is capable of more...oh yeah, playing it on my HD800. Will be getting a HiFiman HE400i so I can try planar mag goodness with it. It should retail for about 500USD in the U.S. of A.

[BoredErica]

 

I bet you don't even understand the specs you linked.

[Lays]

Start with an O2+ODAC IMO.

 

It'll make the headphones + music do all the work, it won't color the audio in anyway. 

If you want to make slight changes, like a tiny bit more bass or a bit more treble, etc, you can use EQ, or try something like a used tube amp, or different solid state unit.

People seem to like the burson soloist, the schiit Lyr/mjolnir, as well as the violetric v200 with the LCD-2, that's what I see most from my browsing around head-fi. 

I liked the O2+odac with my LCD-2 very much, but I like the aesthetics + features of my Lyr more, so I decided to get that.

 

 

The o2+odac is ~240$, so you'd have $360 to experiment on other amp's if you wanted to compare them to the o2, and continue using the ODAC as your dac.

[NannerBeans]

You should pretty much never need to spend more than like $300 on an amp and dac (o2/odac) unless you just have money to throw around and you want to try tubes.

[GamerDude]

I've read that the O2+ ODAC does have a wider soundstage, and is a fair bit cheaper. Lays is spot on actually, O2+ODAC is not available in my neck of the woods, so I'd not thought about it. Anyway, you're in good hands now that a couple of audio gurus are around to advise you.

[BoredErica]

O2/Odac is transparent performance. If it has "wider soundstage" that means whatever you're comparing it to has an artificially narrow soundstage. The FR is probably altered by the dac or amp (and most of the time it's simply placebo). The best way to think about a transparent device is to consider it the default sound because that's really what it is. Anything that deviates from it is distortion (hold your horses, keep reading before you rage)... without regards to whether you want distortion or not, I think it makes much more sense to say something has less or more "soundstage" relative to the O2/Odac than the other way around. So if I thought the Soloist has less wide soundstage and the O2 has a wider soundstage I'd say that the Soloist has a small soundstage, I wouldn't say that the O2 has a large soundstage. Just saying O2 has a wide soundstage tends to imply that O2 is doing something extra to make the soundstage sound "wider" than normal.

 

Nitpick?

Hell yes, because the rest of this I don't wanna address.

[creatip123]

With $600 to spend, it's much wiser to try something on, before buying it. 

 

From my experience, the LCD-2 is considered as a somewhat slow headphone. Very good for easy listening, laid back songs, etc. Of course no limitations to use it for more aggressive songs if you want.

 

What I'm saying is, it's better to get the LCD2 first, and have a listen for a while. Then determine, how you wanna 'tune' the sound. 

[FatEskimo97]

I don't really know of anywhere I'll be able to test them

[MayflowerElectronics]

O2+ODAC is not available in my neck of the woods, so I'd not thought about it.

Sure it is

[FatEskimo97]

Sure it is

Except you're out of stock lol

[MayflowerElectronics]

Except you're out of stock lol

 

Out of stock? Everything should be good to go as far as I know.

[Lays]

Out of stock? Everything should be good to go as far as I know.

 

y u no send me and shearme your hd700's for reviews?

 

q____q

 

also your site looks like it's workin to me

[MayflowerElectronics]

y u no send me and shearme your hd700's for reviews?

 

q____q

 

also your site looks like it's workin to me

 

I was supposed too? Oh, well if he wants to come to Logans and come get them he's welcome too lol.

[GamerDude]

Sure it is

As far as I know, whatever O2+ that's available here were bought online, What I was talking about physical units in stores. Many brands available in the US aren't distributed here I'm afraid as the market for such devices is rather small.

[Lays]

As far as I know, whatever O2+ that's available here were bought online, What I was talking about physical units in stores. Many brands available in the US aren't distributed here I'm afraid as the market for such devices is rather small.

 

 

I'm sure mayflower would sell you one if you paid shipping

 

he is a nice dood.

[MayflowerElectronics]

As far as I know, whatever O2+ that's available here were bought online, What I was talking about physical units in stores. Many brands available in the US aren't distributed here I'm afraid as the market for such devices is rather small.

 

Nothing that is good is sold on a box in a store

 

(except food if that's so important to you)

[NannerBeans]

As far as I know, whatever O2+ that's available here were bought online, What I was talking about physical units in stores. Many brands available in the US aren't distributed here I'm afraid as the market for such devices is rather small.

I'm just so flabbergasted at this post...

[BoredErica]

I'm just so flabbergasted at this post...

I'm flabbergasted too often in this forum sub.

[NannerBeans]

I'm flabbergasted too often in this forum sub.

*sub forum*

 

And yeah haha. I've actually never heard of anyone that actually wants to buy it in a brick and mortar store because you need to pay taxes and shipping is pretty fast these days. 

[BoredErica]

*sub forum*

 

And yeah haha. I've actually never heard of anyone that actually wants to buy it in a brick and mortar store because you need to pay taxes and shipping is pretty fast these days. 

I don't currently use the forum for anything other than the audio sub, I go to OCN for that. Last time I tried to make a thread discussing consoles and PCs... well... you can imagine how that went despite my best efforts.

[Valhallatier]

Shciit Lyr 2 is the SHIT!

[FatEskimo97]

Shciit Lyr 2 is the SHIT!

Only reason I'm even asking this question is because I was told this on Head-Fi:

"The Mjolnir will always be way better than the Lyr/Lyr 2, no matter how much tube rolling you do with them"

I was originally planning to just do Lyr with some Apmerex tubes and an ODAC, but after hearing that I wanted the Mjolnir. I'm just trying to find out if it'd be worth it to just buy the Mjolnir and just use it with my onboard audio until I get the money for an ODAC. Onboard for my new build isn't actually that bad because it's on the new Asus X99-Deluxe.

[Lays]

Only reason I'm even asking this question is because I was told this on Head-Fi:

"The Mjolnir will always be way better than the Lyr/Lyr 2, no matter how much tube rolling you do with them"

I was originally planning to just do Lyr with some Apmerex tubes and an ODAC, but after hearing that I wanted the Mjolnir. I'm just trying to find out if it'd be worth it to just buy the Mjolnir and just use it with my onboard audio until I get the money for an ODAC. Onboard for my new build isn't actually that bad because it's on the new Asus X99-Deluxe.

 

 

There isn't really "better" in terms of high end audio for the most part, there is only "different" (For the most part)

A lot of things on head-fi are just flat out stupid and over-exaggerated.

I've been using head-fi for quite a while now, and I can tell you with upmost confidence, 99% of the posts on there are utter bullshit lol.

 

Realistically, if the mjolnir is "better" it's very very small differences, blown out of proportion by old retired guys on head-fi that have nothing better to do with thousands of dollars.

From what I've seen about reviews on the mjolnir, it has a bit extra treble added, and people like it with the LCD-2 since the LCD-2 has a slightly rolled off treble.

[BoredErica]

If we're actually concerned about accuracy of the sound, you don't need to go above $240. If you want distortions from tubes you can try parametric EQ and tube plugins (software plugins, I mean).

 

And yes, headfi is full of bullshit. You need an above-average BS filter to seperate the good from the bad. For example the main man behind Schiit went out of his way to say the Ragnarok does not sound better. Will that prevent placebophile audiopeelz from claiming otherwise? You betcha butt it won't. It's more expensive, so it must sound better!

 

I think this chase for some sort of amp that will make music sound better than it was made involving gear that is much more expensive than it needs to be - is just silly. I'll stop ranting now.