[M3NTAL]

Not sure, but Aegir 2 is on the way soon - mono those and I bet it will be amazing also.

In other semi-related news: Audeze + Mjolnir 3 with- my LCD 2.1* sounds quite nice balanced out of the MJ3

*pre-fazor, spring bar headband

 

[unfitstew]

Could anyone that has heard the LCD-5 and LCD-R tell me how they compare? I have the LCD-5 and am wonderinf if it it worth having both or replacing my 5 with the LCD-R.

 

[Tchoupitoulas]

I've only heard the LCD-5 briefly and at Canjam, so I can't offer detailed comparative impressions. But I'll say they're really quite different headphones.

The LCD-R is closer to the older, warmer/darker Audeze tuning of the LCD-2, 3 and 4. The 5 is a significant departure from that old house sound, instead having a lighter tonal weight and a more neutral/bright sound. I found the 5 to be too up-front in its presentation, and too emphasized in the upper-mids/lower treble for my tastes (I'd go so far as to call it borderline shouty).

The LCD-R, by contrast, is more mellow. The bass rolls off more than the LCD-5, which has much better sub-bass depth. The R is more about mid-bass punch. Its bass is slightly thick and bloomy, more about texture than tightness/speed.

The R's treble is also slightly rolled off, contributing further to the warm tuning, which verges on sounding a bit closed-in at times.

The beauty of the R lies in its mids, which are rich and slightly wet. (People often described the LCD-4's mids as "liquid" and the same can be said for the R).

The overall sound of the R is very smooth but also lively and engaging, thanks to its snappy, fast transients. I can't remember if it's as snappy and fast as the LCD-5 but I remember the 5 as being more aggressive generally.

I'm not sure the R is a good replacement for the 5, if you like the sound of the 5. If you're looking for a different listening experience, the R could work well (as might the 4z). If you can swing it, having both would make for a good combination insofar as you'd have two headphones with contrasting presentations.

 

[unfitstew]

I've only heard the LCD-5 briefly and at Canjam, so I can't offer detailed comparative impressions. But I'll say they're really quite different headphones.

The LCD-R is closer to the older, warmer/darker Audeze tuning of the LCD-2, 3 and 4. The 5 is a significant departure from that old house sound, instead having a lighter tonal weight and a more neutral/bright sound. I found the 5 to be too up-front in its presentation, and too emphasized in the upper-mids/lower treble for my tastes (I'd go so far as to call it borderline shouty).

The LCD-R, by contrast, is more mellow. The bass rolls off more than the LCD-5, which has much better sub-bass depth. The R is more about mid-bass punch. Its bass is slightly thick and bloomy, more about texture than tightness/speed.

The R's treble is also slightly rolled off, contributing further to the warm tuning, which verges on sounding a bit closed-in at times.

The beauty of the R lies in its mids, which are rich and slightly wet. (People often described the LCD-4's mids as "liquid" and the same can be said for the R).

The overall sound of the R is very smooth but also lively and engaging, thanks to its snappy, fast transients. I can't remember if it's as snappy and fast as the LCD-5 but I remember the 5 as being more aggressive generally.

I'm not sure the R is a good replacement for the 5, if you like the sound of the 5. If you're looking for a different listening experience, the R could work well (as might the 4z). If you can swing it, having both would make for a good combination insofar as you'd have two headphones with contrasting presentations.

Thanks!

I actually don't care for the LCD-5 non EQd for that reason. Its upper mids are shouty to me and it doesn't have enough bass or treble to balance that out. I usually EQ the 5s bass up a bit while lowering the upper mids some. I do sometimes raise the treble too a bit but I am quite treble sensitive so that only works for tracks that won't cause issues. My main actual problem with LCD-5 is it is too clampy.

Anyways. Yeah the smooth sound of the LCD-R does sound a lot to my taste. I value mids over treble and especially bass. Though I would take a warm signature over an overly bright one just cause of my sensitivity. Other LCD I am considering as a pair/replacement is the LCD-4. I found someone willing to sell me an LCD-R for $2200 though. So I am quite considering that.

Edit: Well I found someone to trade my EE Odyssey for the LCD-R. Probably will go that route

 

[M3NTAL]

It blows my mind that a little piece of acrylic with drivers made all over the place can cost anywhere near what has been accomplished by Schiit & Audeze with the LCD-R. Way to score big in my opinion. Something only few can replicate or an IEM that is new and improved every 3 3/4 weeks.

 

[ThanatosVI]

It blows my mind that a little piece of acrylic with drivers made all over the place can cost anywhere near what has been accomplished by Schiit & Audeze with the LCD-R. Way to score big in my opinion. Something only few can replicate or an IEM that is new and improved every 3 3/4 weeks.

I Wish they gave us "new and improved" LCD-4 a little more frequently.
It's been 7 years now

 

[unfitstew]

I Wish they gave us "new and improved" LCD-4 a little more frequently.
It's been 7 years now

I don't understand why they didn't keep selling it. It for sure has a sound that some will prefer over the LCD-5s stock tuning.

 

[M3NTAL]

I think the MM-500, MM-100, and Maxwell might be the line-up that was the LCD-2 - LCD-3/X. LCD-5 replaces LCD-4 and CRBN enters into a new direction - I like that it is something you can just buy - pretty cool some of the nano-tech stuff going on.

 

[GiBGUN]

I've only heard the LCD-5 briefly and at Canjam, so I can't offer detailed comparative impressions. But I'll say they're really quite different headphones.

The LCD-R is closer to the older, warmer/darker Audeze tuning of the LCD-2, 3 and 4. The 5 is a significant departure from that old house sound, instead having a lighter tonal weight and a more neutral/bright sound. I found the 5 to be too up-front in its presentation, and too emphasized in the upper-mids/lower treble for my tastes (I'd go so far as to call it borderline shouty).

The LCD-R, by contrast, is more mellow. The bass rolls off more than the LCD-5, which has much better sub-bass depth. The R is more about mid-bass punch. Its bass is slightly thick and bloomy, more about texture than tightness/speed.

The R's treble is also slightly rolled off, contributing further to the warm tuning, which verges on sounding a bit closed-in at times.

The beauty of the R lies in its mids, which are rich and slightly wet. (People often described the LCD-4's mids as "liquid" and the same can be said for the R).

The overall sound of the R is very smooth but also lively and engaging, thanks to its snappy, fast transients. I can't remember if it's as snappy and fast as the LCD-5 but I remember the 5 as being more aggressive generally.

I'm not sure the R is a good replacement for the 5, if you like the sound of the 5. If you're looking for a different listening experience, the R could work well (as might the 4z). If you can swing it, having both would make for a good combination insofar as you'd have two headphones with contrasting presentations.

Yep bang on. The 'R' and '5' compliment each other all too well. Aside from the sonic differences that I'm in total agreement with, the '5' are just brutal with poor recordings, whereas the 'R' are a fair bit more forgiving.

I was planning to sell one/keep one, but decided not to part with either (although I'd prefer to sell the '5' as Audeze may bring out a revision at some point. Hard to tell what their roadmap will be with flagships since the acquisition, though).

Also, the 'R' is above all else a collectors item at this point.

 

[unfitstew]

Got the R!
First impressions are very positive! It has a very nice energetic and pleasing tonality to it. Very smooth. The bass is clear and punchy. It does have that older school Audeze tuning but I don't think its upper mids and treble are as recessed as say my LCD-2 pre fazer.

How do I change the gain on the Jotenheim-A? It is super loud even when the volume knob is low.

 

[M3NTAL]

HA HA HA - good luck with the gain. But seriously, it just is crazy high. I'm going to try a Freya in front of it for more volume control.

Some people are team (bass shelf) - switch on = less resolution & less dynamics, and team switch off = more resolution and more dynamics plus better extension.

Personally, I'm "team" that is what happens when you put a bass shelf in the mix. Everything else suddenly looses 'pop' and 'detail', but it is just a volume shift and how our ears work with different tonal shifts. You can software or hardware EQ it back out to hear for yourselves.

At this date - I currently think an adapter / junction box is the best bet. Something to put between your speaker amp and the LCD-R.

Eventually I'll be able to afford something like that so that I could add something from RAAL or other crazy, high-current headphone. People don't realize that this headphone is very similar to the maybe the HE-60 / HE-90. Other manufacturers (specifically : Ray Samuels Audio, Headamp Justin/Kevin, SinglePower Mikhail, EC/Moth, Cavalli, and Woo (sorry whoever I missed) created stock++ type amplifiers to push the limits of those drivers. I've only seen RAAL create a specific amplifier.

I think the world is in a different time/place now, so things like this (LCD-R) just kind of pass through as hidden-gems. "They did what to wood?" "99.X% electrical trace coverage?" "OUCH FAZORS"

Use EQ as you wish and have a very nice mono tube setup - you should be rockin'

 

[cwoo]

HA HA HA - good luck with the gain. But seriously, it just is crazy high. I'm going to try a Freya in front of it for more volume control.

Some people are team (bass shelf) - switch on = less resolution & less dynamics, and team switch off = more resolution and more dynamics plus better extension.

Personally, I'm "team" that is what happens when you put a bass shelf in the mix. Everything else suddenly looses 'pop' and 'detail', but it is just a volume shift and how our ears work with different tonal shifts. You can software or hardware EQ it back out to hear for yourselves.

At this date - I currently think an adapter / junction box is the best bet. Something to put between your speaker amp and the LCD-R.

Eventually I'll be able to afford something like that so that I could add something from RAAL or other crazy, high-current headphone. People don't realize that this headphone is very similar to the maybe the HE-60 / HE-90. Other manufacturers (specifically : Ray Samuels Audio, Headamp Justin/Kevin, SinglePower Mikhail, EC/Moth, Cavalli, and Woo (sorry whoever I missed) created stock++ type amplifiers to push the limits of those drivers. I've only seen RAAL create a specific amplifier.

I think the world is in a different time/place now, so things like this (LCD-R) just kind of pass through as hidden-gems. "They did what to wood?" "99.X% electrical trace coverage?" "OUCH FAZORS"

Use EQ as you wish and have a very nice mono tube setup - you should be rockin'

Yep @unfitstew , the gain is very high out of the Jot-A.

@M3NTAL, I am a "bass boost off" kinda guy too, and then use software EQ through Roon to adjust the sound without crushing all the other frequencies. I also drop the headroom gain via Roon to allow for a bit more play in the volume knob on the Jot-A.

 

[unfitstew]

HA HA HA - good luck with the gain. But seriously, it just is crazy high. I'm going to try a Freya in front of it for more volume control.

Some people are team (bass shelf) - switch on = less resolution & less dynamics, and team switch off = more resolution and more dynamics plus better extension.

Personally, I'm "team" that is what happens when you put a bass shelf in the mix. Everything else suddenly looses 'pop' and 'detail', but it is just a volume shift and how our ears work with different tonal shifts. You can software or hardware EQ it back out to hear for yourselves.

At this date - I currently think an adapter / junction box is the best bet. Something to put between your speaker amp and the LCD-R.

Eventually I'll be able to afford something like that so that I could add something from RAAL or other crazy, high-current headphone. People don't realize that this headphone is very similar to the maybe the HE-60 / HE-90. Other manufacturers (specifically : Ray Samuels Audio, Headamp Justin/Kevin, SinglePower Mikhail, EC/Moth, Cavalli, and Woo (sorry whoever I missed) created stock++ type amplifiers to push the limits of those drivers. I've only seen RAAL create a specific amplifier.

I think the world is in a different time/place now, so things like this (LCD-R) just kind of pass through as hidden-gems. "They did what to wood?" "99.X% electrical trace coverage?" "OUCH FAZORS"

Use EQ as you wish and have a very nice mono tube setup - you should be rockin'

I ended up just doing an EQ where I do nothing but lower the volume. It helped a lot.

Using another amp as a pre amp is a good idea. Thanks!

 

[cwoo]

I ended up just doing an EQ where I do nothing but lower the volume. It helped a lot.

Using another amp as a pre amp is a good idea. Thanks!

Nice, those are the only options I have found to give a little more play in the volume dial. While I haven't heard too much of a channel imbalance at low volumes on the Jot-A, I prefer to run my amps around 12 o'clock for normal listening volumes unless specified by the manufacturer or other knowledgeable users. I have been running a headroom gain reduction almost since I got the LCD-R, so it's hard for me to remember if I heard any issues with the volume knob on low.

 

[unfitstew]

Nice, those are the only options I have found to give a little more play in the volume dial. While I haven't heard too much of a channel imbalance at low volumes on the Jot-A, I prefer to run my amps around 12 o'clock for normal listening volumes unless specified by the manufacturer or other knowledgeable users. I have been running a headroom gain reduction almost since I got the LCD-R, so it's hard for me to remember if I heard any issues with the volume knob on low.

The Jot-A that I got with the LCD-R has a lot of channel imbalance at low volume. The volume of the left side of the R basically completely cuts out while there is still some on right side.