[hikaru12]

Huge thanks for this. Do you happen to know if the Hypsos actually has an appreciable effect on SQ? Found a good deal in Oor only and wondering if it would be a mistake not to hold out for the combo.

If it helps at all I've heard the Oor with Hypsos - it sounded very neutral and smooth. I personally didn't hear as much slam as I like. I do agree with the black background and it sounds very detailed. I just don't think it highlights all of the 4's strengths imo.

 

[dfiled]

If it helps at all I've heard the Oor with Hypsos - it sounded very neutral and smooth. I personally didn't hear as much slam as I like. I do agree with the black background and it sounds very detailed. I just don't think it highlights all of the 4's strengths imo.

Appreciate this feedback @hikaru12 What has been your preferred amp for the LCD4?

 

[hikaru12]

Appreciate this feedback @hikaru12 What has been your preferred amp for the LCD4?

So far I'm listening to a custom tube amp based around low distortion TV tubes designed by Eric McChanson (it's called the Super Mini) - https://www.ebay.com.au/usr/mcchanson (he ships to the US if you want to go through the trouble). It's detailed and has plenty of slam especially with the Sylvania power tubes and Tung-Sol driver tube I'm using. That being said, I think tube amps like the Odyssey or even the old ZMF Pendant would be an even better fit and give you more detail and slam. Large selection of tubes to choose from.

 

[puppypatrol]

I really liked the Bryston BHA-1 when I had my LCD-4s

 

[hikaru12]

I really liked the Bryston BHA-1 when I had my LCD-4s

That's good to hear - the slighter brighter Bryston with it's hefty bass should complement the 4's tonality. I think for the price that's what I'll settle on.

 

[vonBaron]

BHA-1 have awful volume control, watch out!

 

[KaiSc]

New LCD-4 owner here. Looking for amp recommendations. What’s the best amp I can get if I prioritize dynamics/slam/impact? Budget roughly 4/5k, though I’d be happy to spend less.

RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE
https://www.rme-audio.de/adi-2-4-pro-se.html


Unique package of DAC, preamp (including vinyl pre), headphone amp and DSP functions like Equalizer, Crossfeed, Loudness Correction etc. etc.
Balanced out’s power up to 2000 mW @ 200 Ohm, more than you’ll ever need.

Just listening from it with my LCD-4 plugged.
Great to have the EQ handy.
I first listened to an older album - Carmel, The Drum Is Everything - sounding nice without EQ.
Then one of their latest, “Wild Country”, which sounds much darker, too dark for LCD-4.
Click– switched on an EQ preset with some 3dB boost here and there and all is nice again.

 

[The Hawk]

I will say I really liked the Burson 3X when I had it - very good slam and detail but a tiny bit etchy at times.

I can’t speak to the LCD-4 but I use a 2021 LCD-X running off a Burson Soloist 3XP fed from Schiit Bifrost 2/64.

I’ve loved the Burson since I got it but being a bit treble sensitive I found that the highs could be a bit “etchy” on a lot of the material I listen to. Based on feedback I’d seen of others I swapped out the OpAmps of the volume control side from the stock V6 Vivids to V6 Classics. That for me was the perfect ticket to warm up the sound slightly and took that etch away while still maintaining all the attributes I enjoyed about the Burson‘s sound with the only sacrifice being a VERY slight reduction in soundstage width.

 

[hikaru12]

I can’t speak to the LCD-4 but I use a 2021 LCD-X running off a Burson Soloist 3XP fed from Schiit Bifrost 2/64.

I’ve loved the Burson since I got it but being a bit treble sensitive I found that the highs could be a bit “etchy” on a lot of the material I listen to. Based on feedback I’d seen of others I swapped out the OpAmps of the volume control side from the stock V6 Vivids to V6 Classics. That for me was the perfect ticket to warm up the sound slightly and took that etch away while still maintaining all the attributes I enjoyed about the Burson‘s sound with the only sacrifice being a VERY slight reduction in soundstage width.

I thought about changing them to some orange Op-amps. Did you notice any decrease in detail when changing to the Classics?

 

[The Hawk]

I thought about changing them to some orange Op-amps. Did you notice any decrease in detail when changing to the Classics?

No I did not.

Obviously very difficult to ascertain as direct A-B comparisons aren’t reliable whatsoever IMHO because of the time it takes to swap out the OpAmps but based on recordings that I listen to that I’m extremely familiar with I never found myself missing anything.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: When one swaps out OpAmps on the Burson Soloist 3XP using Burson Vivid/Classic OpAmps that they shouldn’t expect it to transform the sound of it…….think of it as like tweaking an EQ in a sense.

Its worth noting too that I only changed the OpAmps on the volume stage, the input stage still retain the stock Vivids. I‘ve heard feedback from folks who swapped out all the Vivids for Classics and it warmed up the sound noticeably and I would imagine the resolution and detail likely takes a bit of a hit in that scenario. I wasn’t interested in going that far as I wanted to keep as much of the resolution and detail the Soloist has with its stock Vivid OpAmp array but lose the “etch” I was experiencing. As mentioned the Classics on the volume stage did that for me. It also added the benefit of making vocals sound a touch richer and the bass got a bit of a bump. Again, nothing dramatic…..just different enough to notice.

 

[marcan]

That's good to hear - the slighter brighter Bryston with it's hefty bass should complement the 4's tonality. I think for the price that's what I'll settle on.

I had a BHA-1 and it is a bit short power wise for the LCD-4.

 

[curvz]

Is the Bryston BHA-1 still a good value buy (used or new) for the LCD 4's? I'd like a mixture of bass slam and depth and overall micro-detail retrieval. $2-3K budget. I will say I really liked the Burson 3X when I had it - very good slam and detail but a tiny bit etchy at times.

If you are still undecided, at your price point I would suggest looking at the Violectric V550. I personally strongly considered the V590 (same amp, but with built in DAC), though I ended up getting the higher end US4+ as I was able to get a good deal.

Any of the Lake People gear is generally considered to work very well with planars and Audeze in particular. I owned a Violectric V280 before, which I think used to be a common pairing with high end Audeze headphones and I used it and loved it with the LCD-3 and LCD-XC. I haven't heard the V550 myself, but my US4+ has excellent impact, staging and detail retrieval and I like it very much with the LCD-4, and I would reckon the V550 to be quite similar generally.

Added benefit of the V550 (and most Lake People gear in general, like the US4/US5) is that they are usually well balanced and slightly warm, with plenty of power on tap, meaning they'll work well with a large variety of headphones. Not sure how it compares with some of the other suggestions here, but I'm sure you can find some impressions in the V550 or V590 threads.

 

[vonBaron]

V550 is better in everything compared to Bryston.

 

[dfiled]

Really appreciate all the helpful feedback on amp pairings. Have an Oor-Hypsos on the way, which I am eagerly anticipating.

 

[AcousticMatt]

Really appreciate all the helpful feedback on amp pairings. Have an Oor-Hypsos on the way, which I am eagerly anticipating.

Sweet! I don't think you'll be disappointed.