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blorg t1_ja1p289 wrote

Reply to comment by Zero_Aspect in Finally added an Audeze headphone to the collection by om3gapro

I have the Clear OG, HD800S and Arya Stealth (and for that matter the 6XX) as well, the LCD-X is a good complement IMO and has better bass than any of them, that's what I bought it for and it delivers on that. It's actually different.

For me, it's unlistenable without EQ, incredibly muffled, but EQ fixes it. It took a bit of tweaking, there may also be unit variance but Oratory1990's EQ pushes the upper mids too high for me, it's becomes a bit harsh.

I use a modified Oratory Harman EQ, just a bit less in the upper mids/lower treble. The overall shape of Oratory's EQ is similar to Resolve's EQ, it's fixing the same issues, just the shape and exact heights of some of the peaks are different, Resolve's EQ is a little less but also spikier. Mine is less again, Oratory1990's straight Harman EQ makes it too intense in the upper mids for me so I pull that back. With this it is distinctly darker than something like the HD800S or Arya but it's not totally muffled and veiled either.

I definitely would not buy this if you are not willing to EQ. Without EQ for me, it's flat out bad. If you are willing to EQ though, it's a great headphone.

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Zero_Aspect t1_ja1se0n wrote

Does the LCD-X sound best when EQ'd to be that dark as in wouldn't it drown out the mids? If the bass is different enough from the Arya's/Clears than it might still be worth looking at - especially since it can be EQ'd real low at 20hz which the other three can't do well.

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blorg t1_ja1vwv3 wrote

These are the EQ curves, not the frequency response of the headphone after EQ. So all of them, it's bringing up the upper mids substantially over stock. I just do it a bit less than Oratory or Resolve in my last one, my EQ is smoother/darker than Oratory's EQ. It's substantially less dark than the stock tonality which is much too dark.

How much exactly is personal preference, I found Oratory1990's Harman just a bit too much. I don't on most other headphones, I use his Harman presets extensively. But on this one, a bit too much. I found it just a bit better without quite as much of a boost. But exactly the level is personal preference, the bands I reduced by -2dB were the treble high shelf which raises everything over 1,800Hz and the presence/sharpness at 3,850Hz.

The one other headphone I brought Oratory's preset down in the upper mids was the HE6SEV2. Most of them I am good with his Harman preset as is in the upper mids, I usually just add a bit more air (his presets often cut the air, I usually leave this out).

The LCD-X is a lot punchier than than the Arya or HD800, and I think also even than the Clear, while also having much better sub-bass extension than the Clear.

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thms0 t1_ja317uq wrote

So you always listen to your headphones on the same computer/place ?
Never in bed ?
How do you manage EQs especially if you have different profiles/headphones ?

I have my smartphone + XDUoo 05 Plus, as well as work laptop, personal laptop, personal computer. Too much of a hassle for me to EQ.

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blorg t1_ja39238 wrote

I use Equalizer APO on my computer, and Qudelix 5K for mobile. I also have a second Qudelix 5K connected to my bedside amp for Bluetooth input and EQ.

I don't tend to need to listen to all my headphones everywhere though anyway. I have quite a lot of different headphones, and some are better for some scenarios than others.

The LCD-X I bought knowing it needed EQ, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless they are going to EQ it. It's pretty heavy and one of the headphones I wouldn't pick so much for lying in bed, I tend to use IEMs in bed as they are a lot easier for that. I do have another headphone amp by the bed with the Qudelix so I can use whatever if I wanted to... but usually IEMs. If I am using an over-ear it's usually something smaller/lighter, like the R70X or HD650. But usually IEMs.

Most IEMs I don't EQ anyway, as they tend to be better tuned stock and I tend to just use them stock. There are a few that do need EQ, the Shure KSE1500 has an EQ built in to its DAC/energizer and I use that, the Audeze Euclid, I use the Qudelix. But the vast majority of my IEMs, I don't EQ at all.

There certainly are things that don't need EQ. I don't usually EQ the HD650, it's one of the few overears that is tonally near perfect stock and doesn't need it. I sometimes use that on a tube amp where the high output impedance adds bass/warmth. I'm certainly not EQ absolutely everything. But I would not have bought the LCD-X if I couldn't EQ it, because it sounds crap to me without EQ, and I could tell that from the reviews/graph before I got it, it sounds like it graphs, with muffled recessed upper mids.

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