Ableton Forum

Wassup

Anyone care to shed some light on this question (have limited knowledge on headphone amps & haven't dived into research yet)?

Im about to purchase the Audeze LCD-X headphones. I also need to purchase a new interface.
Im leaning towards getting the Audeze Deckard (Amp) & a Focusrite Scarlett Interface (roughly AU$1400).

My question: Could I just buy an interface in that price range that would cancel out the need for getting the Audeze Deckard (Amp) while still providing equal results as the Deckard?

Cheers

I recently picked up the Apogee groove. It drives my Sennheiser HD-650s just fine. Sort of expensive but works well and takes almost no space.

gummy wrote:I recently picked up the Apogee groove. It drives my Sennheiser HD-650s just fine. Sort of expensive but works well and takes almost no space.

Mad, cheers. Thats within my price range fo sho. And could be a good combo with a cheaper interface.
The man at the Hifi store said don't even bother going for anything cheaper then the Audeze Deckard Amp as it just isn't worth the money. (Apogee Groove for eg is half the price).

Is he just tryna sell me more expeno shit or is there really a significant jump in quality which warrants an Headphone amp double the price of the Apogee Groove? Anyone?
(Yeh I know I gotta go research amps )

oh my lord thats alot of cash.

im sure those headphones sound great and all.. but try some high quality MUSIC PRODUCTION headphones + a good interface out too... compare.. trust your ears . not what your hifi salesman says.

swishniak wrote:oh my lord thats alot of cash.

im sure those headphones sound great and all.. but try some high quality MUSIC PRODUCTION headphones + a good interface out too... compare.. trust your ears . not what your hifi salesman says.

Yeh the Audeze LCD-X just seem to surpass everything from what I've read and some reputable artists seem to swear by them to which is always promising especially when you can tell they ain't just doing it for promo nonsense. unfortunatley I don't live near a store that sells them so I can't try the headphones out with different amps to as you say "trust my ears". I wish I could

I think it's time to dive deep into seeing how amps work and differ. Thanks for the replys

I would say a headphone amp is a waste of money with the LCD-X, since they are highly efficient headphones made specifically to work well even with portable gear such as iphones without a headphone amp. So a decent audio interface should not have any trouble driving them. Their sibling, the LCD-3, is the exact opposite, being high impedance headphones that really require a headphone amp to perform well. Perhaps the sales guy mixed them up?

To judge from reviews, they really seem excellent for enjoying music. According to this very detailed and technical review, their characteristics make them unsuitable for tracking and mixing/mastering, though. To quote the review, "These are so smooth and reserved that you'll be tricked into making harsh, forward mixes and masters".

I actually demoed a number of headphones in a store before buying the LCD-X headphones. They are so much better than the others I tried including Sennheiser and Beyer Dynamics.

As mentioned you don't need a headphone amp for these, I think that would be a waste of money personally. Yes they would probably improve a little but you should not be hampered in any way using them with a good interface.