Audeze LCD-1 just landed!

[HeadphoneAddict]

^ Is he achieving a state of Martian ecstasy from the ZDT?

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[morphsci]

Well I finished modding the LCD-1's. I did a slight modification of dbels mod. In addition to the yellow insulation I used some thin felt on the inside of the cups as well as another density of thin felt with an adhesive layer on the outside of the insulation. Then I used the thick dense felt pad between the screws holding the driver. Lastly I sealed the pads to the drivers using some (actually quite a bit of) special orthosealing (electrical) tape. It was a lot to stuff in there but they do sound better balanced. Can't really say if it has helped in their handling of complex musical passages as I haven't listened to anything that complex yet. Definitely an easy and worthwhile thing to do and it is infinitely customizable.

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

I've only done a (foam) gasket mod, and I imagine that there is now deep bass at lower volume levels. It's really hard to A/B though. (I wasn't going to mod these but it's so hard to resist....)

I've also tried the thin (p)leather pads again. Headstage then collapses to a thin line.

So far I haven't heard any issues with complex music passages. When I hear it I'll probably want to do something about it...

[Wmcmanus]

Any word on when the LCD-2 will be available? I'll probably pick up a pair to compare them to the HF-5 and a bunch of other cans. The headband gizmo is butt ugly for sure, but I don't ever look at myself when I'm listening to music (and as little as possible otherwise).

[Icarium]

Dunno I should talk to Alex tonight I'll check with him.

Just got my first set of foam and put it in.. listening now Hrm I think I can hear 17khz now, but it's tough to say I need a longer test tone grr.

Oh yeah this definitely helps.. I guess I am now a full believer in headphone modding grumble.

Now to move on to dbel84 mods ;p

Edited October 16, 2009 by Icarium

[mypasswordis]

Hrm I think I can hear 17khz now, but it's tough to say I need a longer test tone grr.

Can't you just set it on repeat?

Oh yeah this definitely helps.. I guess I am now a full believer in headphone modding grumble.

Now to move on to dbel84 mods ;p

Did you think we ortho modders were just a bunch of nutters before this?

[Icarium]

Can't you just set it on repeat?/quote]

It's not the same there's always a little bit of lower frequency noise right when the clip starts and it's like 2 seconds long so it's tough to tell if I'm just hearing that and if I'm hearing any of the tone at all.

Yes

[dBel84]

we aren't? ..dB

[swt61]

That's OK, we think un-modders are weirdos.

[Icarium]

Just talked to Alex and he says 1 month from now +- 1 week. Larger production run than with the LCD-1s should be plenty to go around. There are going to be some cosmetic changes from the prototype.. hopefully for the better

The last piece of the equation is yet again the cable... they are still exploring options as far as wire and if anyone has suggestions if they could shoot them an email or pm me about it and I can forward it to them.

In fact they are somewhat interested in farming out the assembly if anyone is interested ;p Let me know and I can pass details.

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

I didn't much like the gasket mod of the lCD-1. But it's completely reversible, so in reverse it goes.

[morphsci]

I agree. I reversed back to an electrical tape mod from a thicker gasket mod. That's where I am at now and I think I'll be staying there for a while.

[luvdunhill]

dropped the orthos in the mail yesterday before the mail went out, sent them priority.

Do you ever get the sinking feeling that you did a really rushed job at packing? I shoved everything in a box more or less and went to ship them and noticed that something was bulging out the bottom and the box wouldn't sit flat on the table... probably a cup or something

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

I shoved everything in a box more or less and went to ship them and noticed that something was bulging out the bottom and the box wouldn't sit flat on the table... probably a cup or something

If you are lucky it's the crazy stiff huge cable causing the bulge. (If that's the LCD1 you packed down.)

[luvdunhill]

If you are lucky it's the crazy stiff huge cable causing the bulge. (If that's the LCD1 you packed down.)

not that lucky, as that cable is long gone.

[mypasswordis]

You're sure you didn't put anything weird in there? Is Colin going to find a half-rotten squirrel corpse buried in the box?

Praying nothing gets damaged in transit... should be fine as long as you used some bubble wrap. I wouldn't mind having some squirrel meat as long as it isn't rancid.

[swt61]

My guess is his partial fell into the box. He lives on oatmeal, so he'd probably never notice.

Fingers crossed Marc!

[Frihed89]

Any word on when the LCD-2 will be available? I'll probably pick up a pair to compare them to the HF-5 and a bunch of other cans. The headband gizmo is butt ugly for sure, but I don't ever look at myself when I'm listening to music (and as little as possible otherwise).

It's almost November and they still have not hit the street, as far as I know. I'm on "the list" and I have not heard a word except that I will hear from them when the LCdD-2 goes to market.

I did not find them all that comfortable, but loved the sound.

[mypasswordis]

If you are lucky it's the crazy stiff huge cable causing the bulge.

TWSS. Cancer would be bad.

I did not find them all that comfortable, but loved the sound.

Mind elaborating, both on comfort and sound?

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

After a few months of enjoying the LCD-1 I am still amazed that it sounds so good. I am getting use to the lack of boom in the bass region too. It still beats all my other cans (none being more expensive than the LCD-1 though), and one old Pioneer can even got destroyed in an effort to sound a bit more acceptable in comparison. Maybe it's not the most neutral can around, but it sure brings the good stuff out of my music.

[cetoole]

Didn't you do some sort of mod to your LCD1?

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

I did. But I changed it back like it was when I got it.

The cups leak a lot of sound to the sides, just at the baffle joint. I sealed it up with some soft dense foam. I also tried pleather pads. Much more bass boom (no particular increase of deep bass I thought), but headstage and overall sound became nothing special. So I thought that it was pointless to mod it.

[Kabeer]

I did. But I changed it back like it was when I got it.

The cups leak a lot of sound to the sides, just at the baffle joint. I sealed it up with some soft dense foam. I also tried pleather pads. Much more bass boom (no particular increase of deep bass I thought), but headstage and overall sound became nothing special. So I thought that it was pointless to mod it.

Interestingly enough, the ID1 leaks a lot out of the sides. Since the baffle has practically zero seal with the cup. And its a rather spacious sounding headphone too.

Im wondering though how treble the LCD1 is....might have to read back on the impressions again.

The Audeze website is semi-up again, man I hope their delay doesnt last too much longer :/

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

I finally got to A/B the LCD-1 with a HD800 in a store.

The setup was radiohead - hail to the thief, through a laptop cd player - VLC -> xcan V8 through USB, with the x-psu.

I plugged in both headphones into the Xcanv8 and had a listen, for about 10 minutes in the shop. The HD800 sounded better. Better headstage, more bass. The LCD-1 even managed to sound worse than I recall from at home.

[mypasswordis]

Was it a quiet enough listening environment for you to properly compare? And did you try doing the backwave/comb filter test that wualta mentioned?