DefectiveAudioComponent

This links to a picture of the Micromega, from someone trying to sell one with Burson opamps installed: http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/image.php?image=1225964&is_user=0 ( I think the Burson opamps is the boards at the back, but I could be wrong. I could be even more wrong, if the picture is of the CD transport... but I can't see any disc drive in the picture.) How does it look?

I'll leave that particular Adcom alone then... How about a Micromega DAC 1? Or an MSB Digital Link 3? Those two would also fall into the right price range for me.

I've been looking at some old reviews and listening impressions from other people of the amplifier I use with the LCD-1 (the XCANv3), and they all mention that the sub bass is rolled off - exactly the area that I've thought maybe the LCD-1 might need improvement on (and some of my other orthodynamic headphones too, come to think of it...). So maybe I've mixed up the sound of the headphone and the sound of the amp here even worse than I thought....

How odd! The pictures were there in the preview... well, I'll try again: [ATTACH=CONFIG]2966[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]2967[/ATTACH]

I need to get a new DAC after damaging my E-MU 0404 USB dac. There are nice new (used) DACs out there for about 200 euro, the E-MU, the V-DAC, and the cambridge audio DAC magic. But there are also vintage DACs, like this ADCOM 700 (that someone seems to have done some strange mods to) [ATTACH=CONFIG]2965[/ATTACH] or the Parasound D/AC 1000, or this Orelle DAC [ATTACH=CONFIG]2964[/ATTACH] What do you people think? Should I go vintage or almost new?

I'm trying to drive the LCD-1 from the XCANv3, which is rated at 1 W, powering it with the 500mA wall wart. The LCD-1 is specified to accept somewhat higher power levels (like many other orthos) Power Handling: 5 W RMS, 10W program, 50W peak, 100 ms. Sensitivity: 96 dB, 1 mW Impedance: 40 Ohms Output: 126 dB, 1W; 133 dB, 5W My main problem is that it all ends up being a bit bright with stock tubes and when paired with the E-MU 0404 usb. At low volume listening it becomes a bit... veiled... and low bass only comes out at higher volumes (that could be either due to the xcan, the EMU, or the LCD1).

Opening it up.... what's that supposed to mean? Right now, I'm pairing the LCD-1 with an underpowered bright amp (The bright XCANv3 tube amp with its weak wall-wart) and (before an accident happened to it) the bright EMU 0404 USB dac. Now, if the LCD-1 is also on the bright side, I was thinking this might be too much of the bright hifi-sound when all is added up. That didn't perhaps need a great thinker to figure out, but what to do about it? Have anybody around here heard about any dac around the same price as the 404usb that could be a better match for this setup?

I bought a Little Pinkie PSU and a bag of peanuts. I hope it will breathe some life into my XCANv3 amp. If not, then at least it's got a fine grey plastic enclosure and an on-off switch.

At this particular listening occasion, the main difference in headstage between the LCD-1 and the HD800 was that the HD800 had the instruments more evenly distributed left-right, whereas the LCD-1 had a tighter group in the middle, and then ambient sounds further out. Also, the LCD-1 appeared to be more up front, the instruments appeared a bit more distant on the HD800. But I also think that the LCD-1 performed unusually poor. Perhaps the MF xcan hybrid tube amp isn't the best match with the LCD-1? Ideas? I also am considering what dac unit to connect. I used to have the 0404 USB, which is quite detailed... does anyone have an opinion about other units with good synergy with the LCD-1?

I certainly don't hear anything wrong with the LCD-1 here at home, connected to my NAD preamp. I would like another listen in the store to pinpoint the difference. It could be that the HD800 is actually better, but it was a very short listen so I am far from sure yet.

I forgot the comb test ( No, the environment was not silent, and I am not sure the xcan could actually drive both the LCD-1 and the HD800 at the same time. But there was another guy there who wanted to listen as well so I couldn't use just one can at a time. He also preferred the HD800 in the quick comparison. I think I'll have another go at it when I pick my own xcan up after repairs.

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.

Now: Whitesnake - Here I go again From the complete "tracks" hit list 1984-2006.

What amazing modded ortho is that? (A secret? Like to share the secret in here?)

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.

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.

I visited the store again today and yet again the content on the cheaper models were all cable TV or similar low-quality. On the very expensive models, they played cartoons from blu-ray players. None of the TV:s showed fast panning scenes with immense blackness. I decided to go for a quite cheap 42" LG that got good consumer reviews. In any case, the specifications for it is a lot better than more expensive models from 2007 that were on sale there. The black isn't completely black, but it would have cost me three times as much to get extra blackness.

I've been looking at a cheap full HD 42" LG tv that have gotten good comments from buyers (whatever that's worth...) It's supposedly got good contrast around 50 000:1, reasonably fast 5ms, but the update speed is not specified. The model one step up is 100 hz, 80 000:1. Then assuming this model is 50hz, does the additional 50hz matter really? I was trying to see for myself in three different stores, but the demo content wasn't the high-speed action movies that the sellers told me would reveal differences.... instead it was slow-paced or low-quality. The sellers in all three stores seemed to know roughly what was written on the TVs, sometimes less, so I don't trust them much. Should I spend 100-200 euro on adding 50hz? LG 42LH3000 Televisions TV/Audio/Video

I've been listening a lot to the LCD-1 now, and what's lacking, after all, is low bass presence (with my amplifier). Really low notes are slightly too weak I think, especially when I play at low volume, on the XcanV3. If the LCD-2 improves on that but maintains the air, and wonderful deep and wide presentation of the music... then I'd find it hard to resist.

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

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

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...

It falls apart with fast indie? What tune is that? How should it sound and what happens instead? (I haven't noticed the problem yet, so I'd like to listen specifically for it....)

So they would take the LCD-1 back for 325.... I distinctly remember paying 410 for mine so I am not floored by this deal....

( what horrible deed did Lawton Audio do to some poor piece of wood earlier? I must have missed that episode ) The LCD-2 does look cool. I wonder if the leather pads increase bass at the cost of highs/headstage. If not then I'll need to grow a bigger wallet.