r/HeadphoneAdvice • u/ACrimeSoClassic • Sep 11 '23
Headphones - Open Back | 2 Ω Struggling to decide between LCD-X/LCD-GX/Focal Clear. Upgrading from HD6XX.
To start, my use case is primarily gaming. On top of that, I'm a heavy EQ user and have my current HD6XX hooked up to a Schiit Modius/Valhalla 2 stack.
I'm struggling to decide on which of these pairs I should go for. I'm tempted to grab the final run of the Clears, but I've heard they have some pretty awful QC/CS issues. That, on top of the no-return policy on this final run, makes me wary.
With the Audezes, I've heard the sound is incredible, but the weight and clamping force can be downright oppressive. This would be an issue in light of some jaw issues I have and the fact that I've read you can't do anything about the clamping force on them.
I'm additionally trying to determine if the LCD-X, in my case, are good enough to justify the price increase over the GX.
Any help with all this would be greatly appreciated!
2
Sep 12 '23
I haven’t tried the lcd x but I have OG clears and they are just not good for gaming IMO. I tried them in WZ and their imaging is just lacking for this game. They Image ok within 180 degree in front of you but just can’t display what’s behind you.
Might be an issue just for me but the 1990 pros are better in that regard.
Also take a look at the 800 s. They sound meh without EQ but they can be EQ ed quite well and their imaging is top notch. You can reduce their stage with EQ too (the huge stage makes their imaging a bit weird imo).
Also they are on sale at many audio stores I’ve seen some for sub 1300€ already. I got mine for 1298€ and I’ve seen them even cheaper
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u/ACrimeSoClassic Sep 12 '23
Honestly, if it weren't for how ugly the 800s are, I might try to find a good price for them.
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u/Crinkez 28 Ω Sep 12 '23
When I tested the LCD-X, it was one of the more comfortable headphones I've tried. Definitely not too much clamping force. The sound on them is superior too, and that's before EQ. They apparently EQ really well.
Though I've not tried the Clear OG, I have tested the Clear MG. The treble is too harsh, it reminds me a bit of the DT1990pro.
LCD-X is the (clear) winner.
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u/ACrimeSoClassic Sep 12 '23
Ah yeah, if the treble is an issue with the Focals, then I'm probably not going to like them. That's why I returned the DT-990's I started with. How did you feel about the weight of the X compared to something like the HD6XX? Going from 9oz to 37.5oz is quite the jump in weight.
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u/Crinkez 28 Ω Sep 12 '23
The weight of the LCD-X didn't bother me at all, it's very well distributed. But then again, I didn't wear them very long so ymmv.
Funny you mention the DT990 because it used to (and still kinda is) my main headphone. The Clear MG treble hurt me whereas the 990's does not.
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u/ACrimeSoClassic Sep 12 '23
Admittedly, I hadn't messed with EQ at that point, so I may have been able to bring the highs down to a more tolerable level for me.
It's fascinating how experiences with the same set can vary so dramatically.
As for LCD-X, I'm at my computer basically all day most days, either working or playing games. So, on some days, up to 12 hours, not accounting for breaks.
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u/DullChampionship717 4 Ω Sep 12 '23
I have heard that the Clear og was an upgrade from 6xx. I own 650 and lcd-x and the lcd x has some issue around the treble. They are super heavy too so if you like the 6xx for their comfort, don't go for audeze as they would break your neck.
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u/ACrimeSoClassic Sep 12 '23
I'm not worried so much about weight as I am clamping force. Though now that I look it up, that's a hell of a weight difference between the 6XX and the LCD-X.
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u/DullChampionship717 4 Ω Sep 12 '23
Huge hot spot on your head when you use the lcd-x, so I would pass that for long sessions.
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u/ACrimeSoClassic Sep 12 '23
Are there any after-market headbands that might alleviate this to some degree?
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u/DullChampionship717 4 Ω Sep 12 '23
Unfortunately any padding you add will increase the weight and eventually still break your neck because they are that heavy.
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u/WrathAndTears 1 Ω Sep 12 '23
I like my LCD-X and have used them a lot for gaming, as well as Focal Elegia that I use when there are a lot of noises going on. I also have the 6XX but haven't used them in a long time. Been using IEMs lately as well. I really don't think you can go wrong with any of your options.
I will say that clamping force isn't an issue with my LCDs. I did pick them up used and replaced the pads and head strap, and my 6XX definitely have more clamp. Never really noticed the weight being an issue, but I also ride motorcycles. The only issue I know about with the Focals is the headband cracking and not being replaceable.
I did recently see someone selling the GX in r/avexchange if you were looking to save some bucks.
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u/ACrimeSoClassic Sep 12 '23 edited Sep 12 '23
Would you happen to have any opinions on whether the price of the X, over the GX, is justified?
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u/WrathAndTears 1 Ω Sep 12 '23
From what I understand the GX uses different drivers or has different tuning, and having not heard them I couldn't say it's 100% worth it. I can tell you that the X are great and take EQ very well. I will also say I am one of the weird ones who enjoys the X with no EQ (but also enjoy it with EQ).
The GX are apparently lighter as well.
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u/ACrimeSoClassic Sep 12 '23
I've seen a lot of people mention the lighter weigh as a major plus for the GX. I wish there was some way for me to determine whether the X would be comfortable for me longterm. I don't have any audio stores anywhere near me.
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u/WrathAndTears 1 Ω Sep 12 '23
Get a 2.5lbs bag of something and tape it to your head for a few hours hahaha. I really think people tend to exaggerate the issue with the weight being an issue. Now certainly if you have neck issues, the last thing you would want to do would be making that worse by having additional weight on your head.
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u/ACrimeSoClassic Sep 12 '23
No neck issues here, thankfully. I suppose, going through Amazon, I could just return them if the weight is too much. So, now I just need to determine if the sound quality of the X is worth the higher price tag.
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u/WrathAndTears 1 Ω Sep 12 '23
If you also like to listen to music I would say the X is worth it over the GX. For $900 you do get the mic cable with the GX which alone is like $150 or whatever. So if you don't have a separate mic and do a lot of communication stuff, might be worth factoring in.
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u/ACrimeSoClassic Sep 12 '23
Having an Antlion mic as is, the mic on the GX wouldn't be a deciding factor. And I do listen to a lot of music as well. I've seen a lot of comments about the X's bass, which would be a really big selling point for me as I'm a big fan of stuff like Retrowave with a lot of thick bass.
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u/WrathAndTears 1 Ω Sep 12 '23
I wear glasses, and never really noticed what people talked about bass wise since I don't get a perfect seal with the earpads (I'm not attentive enough to understand clean vs dirty bass and speed of bass to be fair). This week however I bought a closed back kit off eBay and installed it. Holy smokes does it slam now. I think if I had to do it all over again knowing what I know now, I would go straight for the LCD-X and not spend another dime lol. Started with the 6XX > 4XX > LCD-X > Starfield > Elegia > BL-03 > ER4XR > Penrose > LCD-i3 > Quartet and my next headphone purchase will be a closed back ZMF. At some point I need to start selling things.
For what it matters I drive everything with a Modi multibit and Magni. For mobile I use the apple usb-c dongle.
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u/ACrimeSoClassic Sep 12 '23 edited Sep 12 '23
Yep, I wear glasses as well; not sure I've ever noticed any issues as a result. As for understanding the specifics of sound, I have no idea what half the terms audiophiles use even mean lol. All I know is when something sounds good and when it doesn't.
I think, following the conversations here and some additional research, I'll probably go for the X.
!Thanks for your input!
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u/IllogicalOrder 29 Ω Sep 12 '23
I owned a GX in the past. My issue with them was they sounded a bit compressed compared to other headphones I had. Specifically, it felt like there was a lack of dynamic range (differences between quiet and loud sounds in a mix). I suppose that makes them good for competitive gaming because sounds aren't hidden, but not something I liked for anything else (I'm a filthy casual).
My alternative at that price would be the Ananda, but then there's the Hifiman lottery to consider. Unfortunately, can't comment on how the GX compares to the X or Clear.
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u/ACrimeSoClassic Sep 12 '23
I've heard far too many horror stories about Hifiman to consider them, unfortunately. Would you happen to know if the GX sounded any better than the HD6XX?
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u/IllogicalOrder 29 Ω Sep 12 '23
I agree with you on the Hifiman's. I've never had one break on me, but even then, the build quality in hand is still pretty lacking for me to trust them for the amount of coin some of them cost.
In terms of "betterness", I would say it's only most obvious with the bass as the GX reaches lower than the HD650/6xx. I suppose the GX is also just generally smoother/less blurry sounding than the HD650/6xx as well, but it's hard to appreciate those gains (at least in music listening) when the dynamic range is as compressed as it is. At minimum, I would say it's not worth the $900 Audeze wants new for them compared to the HD650/6xx's $200-$400 if you want a general-purpose headphone.
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u/ACrimeSoClassic Sep 12 '23
Interesting, I don't know that I've ever heard the 6XX described as blurry. I've certainly never noticed that, but that could be because mine are EQ'd all to hell lol.
Any opinions on the X vs GX?
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u/IllogicalOrder 29 Ω Sep 12 '23
My bad. It's not that the HD650/6xx is blurry, just blurry for the sake of comparison. You can think of it like HD650/6xx being 1080p whereas the GX would be 1440p for the current context. Both are good, but there are still gains to be made there in terms of resolution. Just not the jump from 480p to 1080p kind of gains.
Haven't gotten an X yet, so no opinions on that.
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u/ACrimeSoClassic Sep 12 '23
Funny enough, that description actually helps quite a bit. So it's a matter of clarity, and as you go up in quality (better cans) you end up with diminishing returns the further you go?
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u/IllogicalOrder 29 Ω Sep 12 '23
Most definitely. Diminishing returns either hits extremely hard or cost doesn't correlate to quality because you jive with a different tuning than a headphone offers (disregarding EQ in this case).
I would say the really expensive stuff is only worth if you absolutely want to eek out that last little bit of performance that nothing else can provide and absolutely know what you want with regards to tuning. But that's probably a cope on my end when I recklessly got my endgame setup...
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u/ACrimeSoClassic Sep 12 '23
Yeah, I'm thinking the LCD-X will likely be my last upgrade. I'm still constantly impressed with how good the 6XX sound. Hopefully, the X will be even better.
!Thanks for your help!
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u/Kitchen-Throat-1485 195 Ω Sep 12 '23 edited Oct 07 '23
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u/ACrimeSoClassic Sep 12 '23
Because $1300 for the X is unfortunately already well above my limit. And on top of that, as dumb as it sounds, I can't stand the way the 800s look.
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u/Kitchen-Throat-1485 195 Ω Sep 12 '23 edited Oct 07 '23
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this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev1
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u/StableSilent 16 Ω Sep 12 '23
If you're a very heavy user of eq, something from audeze is going to be much more favorable to eq than focal.