Beginner looking for loud headphones without compromises

Headphones Headphone Discussion / Help
106

Fostex T50RPs can also give you a taste of what planars can do for bass. Shure 840 pads will make em sound V-shaped. Foam can reduce the treble too, if needed. But I don’t think you’ll need to – you’ll just get a… more “violent” version of DT 1990s, maybe? (Planar speed – you just have to hear it to believe it)

But T50RPs, above all, are just… “versatile” headphones. Grab 10 pairs of inexpensive pads and it will change the sound 10 times. There’s a reason why T50RPs are really well known, but it’s hard to find a stock frequency response graph of these, lol. Everyone mods em.

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107

Yeah, I really wanted the MKIII Argons. I like how planars are described as being able to get really loud without distorting. And that you can EQ the bass up a lot.

I’m watching Zeos’s review of the T50RP MKIII again and now I remember why I didn’t want to get the stock versions. They take a ton of power to get loud.

I’m kind of set on the Topping A90 amp as it got really good reviews, but it’s not a really powerful single ended amp.

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I just bought the Topping A90 amp, based on reviews. It seems to be able to drive really hard to drive planars. The specs on the amp seem much lower than they actually are. Their 250 ohm performance for example is about half that of my Schiit Magni 3 which is only $100. (The A90 is $500) But if it can drive 200 ohm planar magnetic LCD-4s then I’m sure it will have no problem with my 250 ohm DT 1990 Pro.

I want to see how the DT 1990 Pro sounds first on that amp, but I’ll probably end up buying the T20RP with 1840 Shure pads. I really think I’ll be impressed with planar headphones, and they can get ridiculously loud (130 dB). It’s just a matter of if they can get close to the sound quality of the DT 1990 Pro.

(The T50RPs are too hyped up so they sell for around $350 on Amazon which is unacceptable. That’s like paying for Argons but not getting Argons lol.)

109

Huh? They’re supposed to be 150 or 160$. Look on eBay, maybe.

Also the A90 is… fucking endgame, according to Soundnews, lol. Benchmark HPA4-like for 500$. Enjoy!

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110

I’m on Zeos’s patreon and he recommended that amp. :smile: That’s the first time I heard about it.

I then checked out his review and others like Soundnews. Soundnews really sold me on it because of how well he addressed concerns a lot of people have. Like with driving planar headphones. I really like how he does his reviews, they’re extremely informative. :+1:

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111

The price seems reasonable for what is inside. Spec wise (of the hardware inside, not the whole device), it should be pretty good.

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Here’s the link to the Soundnews review, by the way:

113

I just saw Zeos review the Schiit Modius DAC and he used the TH909s to test, and also confirmed that the 909s sound great on the Topping A90. So… once again I’m waffling back to the 909s lol. It will just be about a month before I get them.

I really like the bass on the DT 1990 Pro with the Dekoni Elite pads. I was just listening to Drake - In My Feelings and the low end and sub-bass impact was so good. It just didn’t get loud enough to the point I would really like. Another 10 dB and they would be perfect. But that’s when they start distorting and rattling.

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Does anyone know how the A90 compares to the RNHP?

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Might be better to ask this in the official A90 or RNHP threads.

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I don’t know what 10DB sound like in comparison, but man… from what I’ve heard on my post and what I’ve tested, you really should test the HyperX Cloud Flight. I know that Amazon is taking back headphones even if you’ve opened it. Give it a try. (with a DAC and AMP) and I’m pretty sure you’ll get the volume, the bass, the mid and the highs you need.

If you like the signature of the beyerd, I’m sure you’ll love the Cloud flight. Its cheaper too.

118

I’ve been bouncing around to different headphone choices, every time hitting a wall where it’s out of stock, ships months from now, used but no returns/refund allowed, etc., which makes all of them unattractive.

I kept going back to the Fostex TH909 but the price is now too steep (I’ve invested a lot more already than I thought I would need to).

From the reviews of the LCD-2C I think I will really enjoy it, so I’ve ordered those with some Periapt balanced cables (compatible with Audeze headphones). The only question is if the Topping A90 amp will drive them loud enough.

119

I just hope you search for loudness because you already got hearing problems, otherwise you’ll be deaf soon. :stuck_out_tongue:

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120

I’ve never had any hearing problems, and my previous car audio system was crazy loud, which I listened to for years:
(1) 4" and 1" midrange set
(3) 6" and 1" midbass set
(9) 12" subs

But I think in life, in general, people’s issue is not a lack of hearing, but with listening. I’m a very good listener. So in the context of music, I like it louder because I’m listening critically (albeit, according to my own standards), so I appreciate more. Not louder because I can’t hear the music well enough. :laughing:

It’s like what I heard Zeos say one time in a review, “These make music sound so good, I keep turning up the volume to get more of it.”

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121

This is pretty normal with great speakers. :slight_smile:
I notice myself doing it at home, specifically with songs that give cold chills every time, they just so good.

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I just received the LCD-2C. These are LOUD AF !! :astonished: :raised_hands: :heart_eyes: But still maintain dynamic range without that compressed sound at high volume. (I’m sure the Topping A90 has something to do with that)

I agree with all the points in the reviews for these headphones. Although I don’t really notice the midrange and treble roll off to the point where I feel the music sounds weird as a result. (Like my Sennheiser HD8 DJ’s which were awful) The center image is also kind of missing as reviews stated, when instruments move from one side to the other, it kind of disappears in the center where it’s not really focused.

The DT 1990 Pro definitely is better in frequency response, imaging, and has a lot more detail. For example Queensryche - Silent Lucidity, there’s a build up in the song where a male voice speaks and then it “climaxes” with a female voice whispering “love me…” Which always gives me chills on the DT 1990 Pro. WIth the LCD-2C I don’t have that reaction and the voices seem kind of muted or distant, by comparison. (This might improve slightly with some EQ’ing)

The sub-bass with the LCD-2C I think is indicative of planars, having a roll off in the low end. They remind me of my old JBL 12" sub that had a low Qms value which resulted in low excursion distance and a highly damped, detailed sub-bass sound, but also a steep roll off in the low end around 30 Hz. By comparison to my JL Audio 12" sub that has looser bass, and much greater driver excursion, giving it that nice boomy sound with a lot more energy (moving more air).

EQ’ing the sub-bass didn’t help much because again we’re dealing with driver limitations. So I doubt I’ll get that boomy driver sound I like from dynamic drivers, which I’m sure I would get with the Fostex TH909.

However the sub-bass and upper bass slam is still better than the DT 1990 Pro at loud volume, because it doesn’t suffer from driver excursion distortion/noise. In fact the low end in some songs that is very present, around 30 Hz, sounds stronger and louder with these planar headphones.

So overall the LCD-2C are more fun without the hassle of driver distortion with some bass heavy tracks. I think I would enjoy the Fostex TH909’s more but at this point they’re beyond my reach/budget. I also just really love how planars can get really loud without the typical compressed sound I’m used to. So it sounds more like listening to larger drivers in a room.

Edit: Found the EQ settings, they are great! https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/9oa9u6/lcd2c_eq_based_on_oratorys_eq_profile_and_the/

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123

Did we find a winner from LCD-2C or could the Fostex TH909 be the cherry on the cake?

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I think the TH909’s would sound better, especially with sub-bass. But they wouldn’t get nearly as loud. The TH909 is rated at 100 dB SPL. The LCD-2C is 137 dB. And the Topping A90 (in current balanced input and single ended output) is rated around 135 dB dynamic range. (Or about 145 dB with balanced input and balanced output) BTW I forget if I mentioned it but I have a custom balanced cable on order from Periapt cables, but it will take a few weeks to deliver them.

Initially I started out looking for “big concert sound.” I feel like I’ve reached the end of my journey as the LCD-2C’s perform exactly to my preferences. I don’t feel like there’s anything really missing (after EQ’ing) from the frequency response, until I compare it to something like the DT 1990 Pro.

Which is like most audio upgrades, you don’t really realize what you’re missing until you experience something that exceeds your expectations.

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125

The Oratory 1990 EQ settings really makes the LCD2-C great. I use it aswell since a few weeks and it sounds awesome ! Have fun with them :slight_smile:

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Planars like the HE-6, LCD-2.1, and LCD-2.2 (latter two prefazors) are pretty much flat from 1kHz down to 10Hz.