Seeking Amp Recommendation for LCD-XC and Focal Stellia

[kjrs85]

Hello ASR community,

I'm in need of some advice on choosing a headphone amp for my Audeze LCD-XC and Focal Stellia. I work on mixing video game trailers and require an amp that delivers a punchy sound with lots of clean slam to handle micro transients effectively.

Currently, I'm torn between keeping the LCD-XC or the Stellia. The LCD-XC is more detailed, but it lacks the punch that the Stellia offers. I'm hoping to find an amp that can give the LCD-XC the punch it needs, so I can potentially keep it over the Stellia.

I've considered the Burson 3XP, which is available for $500, but its specs seem underwhelming. The Singxer SA1 was another option, but I've heard it lacks punch. My budget is ideally $500-$1,000, but I can stretch up to $2,000 if necessary.

I would greatly appreciate any recommendations for a clean, powerful amp that can bring out the best in these headphones.

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

[Mr Swing King]

First of all no amplifier is going to bring slam or punch to either of those headphones. If you want more slam aka bass out of your Audeze, you’ll need to equalise it.
Furthermore both of your headphones are very easy to drive meaning a simple dongle will bring them to earblistering volumes.

What I would suggest is looking for an amplifier with great gain settings. The Burson is overkill and if it’s anything like my last one, you’re going to struggle with volume control big time - most likely playing around at 8 to 9 o clock on the pot. Not fun at all.

I see this is your first post on ASR, welcome aboard. What you will find here is a more scientific approach to the hobby completely removed from say Head-Fi. What that also means is that a lot of us have tried blindtests in order to sniff out the real differences between gear…and well you’re going to have to look long and hard to find either a dac or amp that sounds different to any other. That is the beauty of digital audio and just how far we’ve come. Even the cheap gear out there is transparent.
What can bring a slight difference with regards to the Stellia is picking an amp with high output impedance. This will most likely bring about an impedance hump in the bass alongside some distortion. Personally I’ve never been a fan of that, so I can’t recommend in good conscience.

500-1000$ is going to get you a whole lot of amp that you’re never going to use 5% of with your current headphone stash - even if you start equalising.
Even so I recommend the Topping A90. It’s well inside your budget and can also handle whatever headphone you care to throw at - even if you decide to spring for a Hifiman HE-6 or DCA Stealth down the line.
It will however not make your headphones sound different. Like I mentioned earlier, if you are wanting for more bass, ‘slam’ or whathaveyou, equalisation is the way forth.
Best of luck going forth
Edith: I changed my mind because your headphones are so easy to drive that it’s probably better if you go for something like the A90, which has a better low gain setting:

Topping A90 Headphone Amplifier Review

This is a review and detailed measurements the Topping A90 Balanced and Unbalanced Headphone Amplifier. It was kindly sent to me by the company. The A90 is available for ordering and I am told ships by end of this month. It costs US $499. The A90 is one of the best executions of the Topping...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[kjrs85]

Thank you for your thoughtful reply, Mr Swing King.

I appreciate this community's scientific approach, as I prefer facts over potentially misleading subjective impressions.

I use extensive EQ for both headphones to address their suboptimal stock tuning, particularly the Stellia which sound muddy and muffled without correction. While I love the LCD-XC, they lack the punch of the Stellia, though the trade-off is less detail. I'm struggling to decide which is more suitable for mixing trailers.

My interest in amplifiers stemmed from noticing a substantial difference in impact between my RME UFX headphone amp and a dedicated Furman unit, both using the same DAC. The hits and explosions had noticeably more punch with the Furman. However, my limited knowledge of amplifiers left me confused about the cause.

I have the opportunity to acquire the Singxer and Burson at good prices, and can also test a friend's Schiit Heresy and older CEC 8W. I plan to compare them all to determine if I perceive meaningful differences, then sell any unnecessary units.

My research into why one amp might provide more punch than another mostly pointed to power differences, though as you noted, both headphones are easy to drive. There was discussion about punch being related to bass response, but that's not quite what I'm after since I can adjust bass via EQ.

I realize I may be falling into the classic audiophile trap of chasing diminishing returns.

Thank you again for your insights!

 

[Mr Swing King]

What I can say with regards to comparing gear is that we often hear what we see. In a direct sighted comparison between amps we have a tendency to create differences in our minds and evenmore, the likelyhood of one amp being slightly louder than the other is almost a given, if you are not levelmatching the two units properly….and well louder is always better.
Trust me I’ve been down the sighted comparison route way too many times, and I’d probably still hear differences where there are none.
Usually amps that look futuristic or implement shiny metals feel more clinical, detailed or brighter whereas more natural looking amps with wood and darker colours feel more…well natural. However once levelmatched and hid behind a big box, they tend to lose their ‘sound’ and end up completely identical.
We’ve been making amps for a hundred years and have reached a point where even the cheapest ones come with distortion numbers that are way below audability. Simply put, they merely turn up and down the volume.
My guess to what you’re experiencing with regards to ‘punch’ is most likely a combination of unchecked bias and the fact that you’re comparing a planar vs a dynamic driver headphone.
If it’s not the bass, it’s probably somewhere up in the uppermids/low treble that also can give an altogether different sense of presentation. The Audeze fx is very forward in the uppermids akin to what you find over old school AKGs. If you’re not rolling that back, I imagine the LCD-XC can feel a little to bright. I know from trying it on a number of times that I find it way too forward there. I recommend taking a look at various EQ suggestions on this forum.
Playing around with equalisation is a much better way to find the sound you’re looking for compared to trying out a new amp - most especially if you’re not listening blind. The mind is a powerful thing and almost impossible to override, if we’re not implementing some ways to keep out biases in check.
Again best of luck going forth.

 

[kjrs85]

Thank you for sharing your insights on comparing audio gear!

Your observations about the challenges of sighted comparisons and level-matching are spot on. It's fascinating how our perceptions can be influenced by visual cues and slight volume differences.

I love your idea of doing blind tests in a box - that would be an excellent way to eliminate visual biases and focus purely on the sound. As audio enthusiasts, we're always chasing that elusive "perfect" listening experience, but it's important to remember how powerful our minds can be in shaping what we hear.

You're absolutely right about the inherent differences between planar and dynamic drivers too. The Stellia's punchy dynamic drivers are in a league of their own compared to planars.

In my quest to find a detailed headphone with more punch I tried comparing the Stealth and E3 - while the E3's tuning was more pleasing out of the box, I noticed that distortion creeping in at high volumes with both. Quite surprising for such high-end headphones! And both were not as nearly punchy as the drivers in the Stellia.

Your point about EQ is spot on. I've found that with some careful EQ, I can get my LCD-XC sounding remarkably close to the E3. It's amazing how much you can shape the sound.

I'm looking forward to doing some more listening tests when I get all my amps set up. At the end of the day, I'll probably just pick one and be done with it. No use chasing that last 1% of performance forever!

Thanks again for the great discussion. It's always fun to geek out about this stuff with fellow audio enthusiasts. Let me know if you have any other insights to share as I continue my listening journey!