RD-X - rhythmdevils modded LCD-X reviews and measurements

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by purr1n, Jun 20, 2022.

  1. caute

    caute Lana Del Gayer than you

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    Best planar for the price—I will die on this hill.

    I got my LCD-X for $875 used on Amazon (couldn't wait for the Audeze b-stock sale) and they were indistinguishable (to me) from a BNIB model. Get a Forza cable or reterminate the stock Audeze cable to XLR and when RD gets rolling, you're good to go. The RD-X is a special hp, even in a world where the RD-4 exists.
     
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2023
  2. dasman66

    dasman66 Self proclaimed lazy ass - friend

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    Yep... went the same route after hearing the first couple iterations of the mod. Now its just a waiting game (although I'm told that I'm #1 on the waiting list):punk:
     
  3. HeyWaj10

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    Very curious question for those of you who have listened to the RD-X, especially now that I have gotten a chance to hear a pair of Rosson Audio RAD-0's: if you've heard both (I imagine not in A:B directly), could anyone offer some perspective on whether the RD-X bridges the gap between, say, an LCD-X and the RAD-0's? Or are the RD-X potentially even better performing? When listening to the RAD-0's this weekend, to me they sounded very much like my LCD-X with full EQ applied. That said, realizing that the RAD-0's are still $2,600 headphones, the value proposition of the RD-X is even more substantial at ~$600 for the mods on my LCD-X. If the performance delta is minimal between RD-X and RAD-0, then that is a really eye-opening possibility for me to consider the RD-X even more.
     
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  4. Tchoupitoulas

    Tchoupitoulas Friend

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    I’m overdue in posting my impressions of the RD-X and will do so soon. I didn’t get to compare it directly to the RAD-0 but I’ve heard both in my system for a decent amount of time, but not at the same time.

    The RD-X has a more neutral, less warm tuning. Where the RAD-0 has a thick, slightly wet, and weighty sound, the RD-X is lighter, tonally, and is perhaps drier (but not dry, per se). The RAD-0’s staging is on the intimate side; the RD-X is more open and airy sounding - and, indeed, the lack of space and air made the RAD-0 overly claustrophobic for me, whereas the RD-X sounds much more expansive and open, with better separation and layering, too. The RAD-0 is more resolving. The RD-X is more impactful and has better bass slam.

    I’m leery about making claims about the value proposition of the RD-X over the RAD-0 as it’s more a matter of preference than one being better than the other. There are good reasons to favor one over the other, depending on what’s more important to you. If intimate staging bothers you (as it does me), go with the RD-X. If neutrality is important to you, the RD-X might be the way forward. If resolution matters most, go with the RAD-0.*

    While the modded RD-X at $1,800 is a significant saving over the RAD-0, the latter can be had b-stock for $2,000 (with the risk of a dodgy color scheme).

    I’m sorry I can’t offer more detailed comparisons than this, but I’m going off memory. Also, I’ve not heard a stock pair of LCD-X. Sorry.


    ---
    * if resolution is a priority, I’d say get the RD-4 or RD-4z instead (they'd cost between $2,400 and $3,200, inc. mods, depending on used prices for the stock Audezes).
     
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  5. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    RAD-0 reminds me a little bit like the LCD-2 OG, like the OG OG LCD-2. Not LCD-2r1. Not LCD-2r2. Not sure if the RAD-0 is more resolving though.
     
  6. M3NTAL

    M3NTAL Friend

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    Would love to hear that. The LCD-1 Craig rolled around with was pretty special for me. It felt like an evolution had finally happened.
     
  7. HeyWaj10

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    Actually, this is far more helpful than you may realize, thank you! From that description, the RD-X seems to be more aligned with what I'd like my LCD-X to become, and from there could gain some of that "wetness" through selective component matching...all while being much less expensive than RAD-0's. Now I just really hope I can get the OK to audition the RD-X!
     
  8. StandUp713

    StandUp713 Friend

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    Got a chance to listen to this upgraded, not mod-ed, but upgraded LCD-X.

    Had a stock LCD-X daily driver from 2015-2019, and this was defiantly an upgrade.

    Vail... Gone.
    Getting hot after an hour ...Gone.

    Felt much lighter, although I think the carbon band would have worked a bit better, but the new pads were like warm kittens on my ears. I do not mind leather, but defiantly prefer the LCD-X RD.

    I did say hello to my old friend, LCD-X bass and sub bass. I am glad RD kept the heft. Also enjoyed the treble, but did find a few song a bit shouty. After a few tweaks in EQ, I fixed the shouty-ness, but it did not take much.

    Bravo RD, kept the good, removed the bad.
     
  9. Pancakes

    Pancakes Friend

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    Big thanks to @rhythmdevils for this loaner.

    IMG_5091.jpeg

    Mac/Audirvana (ALAC, Qobuz) -> Pi2AES -> Yggdrasil OG/A2 -> ACA mini monoblocks w/Khozmo attenuator. Daily drivers are HD600 and Diana V2. Personal preferences/biases: I'm most sensitive in the mid region - if it's not right for me, the rest of the presentation becomes a moot point and I lose interest very quickly.

    RD-X <> Diana V2
    Low bass - RD-X wins all day. SO incredibly satisfying :)
    Overall bass - Diana is a little tighter.
    There is no midbass muddying up the mids on either.
    Midrange is a bit of an inverse where the Diana can verge on bright at times while the RD-X has a slight dip in the upper mids that can verge on nasal at times. These are both very minor variations from what would be ideal for me. I'm not sure which "offense" I prefer. The Diana timbre is better.
    RD-X highs are bit more extended.
    RD-X has a more even stage. The extreme L and R of both headphones is very similar but the RD-X is better spread across while the Diana is a smaller sphere with wide extremes.
    RD-X does separation better and is more 3 dimensional.
    Diana has better overall resolution and imaging.
    Diana is not quite as forgiving on bad recordings.
    Diana does both micro and macro dynamics a tad better.
    RD-X is a bit better at busy passages.

    If they cost the same and I had to choose, I'd buy the RD-X. Because, on the last night of the audition I decided to try them on the SW51+. This added some wetness that was incredibly pleasant and things got a bit more 3D. I didn't pay any attention to the details of what exactly changed and how because I was too busy having an eargasm. I know very well that electromechanically these aren't an appropriate match and there's coloring going on but I don't care.
     
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    Last edited: Nov 10, 2023
  10. HeyWaj10

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    I'm chomping at the f*ing bit to hear these things. If everything the impressions in this thread suggests is true in my eventual experience with them, it would mean that I can ultimately have a set of LCD-X, in hardware form, that meet and exceed the performance of my EQ'd LCD-X. That's important to me because it would also mean that I could finally untether from the computer audio playback chain - which is really my goal in the long run.
     
  11. chesebert

    chesebert Acquaintance

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    Here is my controversial hot take on RD-X. The amps used were CFA3, AMB M3, GSX mk2 and dacs used were Linn Klimax DS/1 and NewOntech DAC07. Streamer used was Emm Labs NS-1 (for the NewOntech dac). I bought my LCD-X a couple of months ago from a retail store after having demoed some units and picked the one I liked the best -- isn't this how we bought Audeze cans back in the days o_O

    I echo most of what has already been posted here, such as RD-X being superior to LCD-X from a pure technical perspective in terms of bass, treble, frequency response, overall tonal balance, comfort, soundstage. However, I value mid range over everything else and the ability of the equipment to draw me into the music being paramount to how I evaluate any gear. And in those respects, my LCD-X is superior to the sample RD-X, primary due to LCD-X having more liquid mids, fuller sounding with notes having a bit more weight and overall more musical reproduction (i.e., less "hi-fi" sounding). I also noticed a slight hint of upper mid harshness which can be heard/felt from time to time with RD-X and perhaps a "badly recorded track"

    I will acknowledge that had I paired RD-X with the matching tube amp or another amp like Zana Deux, my conclusion may be flipped 180 degrees.
     
  12. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    thanks for being honest and taking the time to write a review @chesebert even though you wound up preferring them stock. I still really appreciate it and I'm glad you got to hear my RD-X. [​IMG]
     
  13. Jinxy245

    Jinxy245 Vegan Puss

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    As always, many Thanks to @rhythmdevils and SBAF for organizing this loaner. Having the opportunity to participate in these loaners is incredibly helpful in navigating my audio journey, and more often than not extremely pleasurable as well.

    There has been a helluvalot already written about these, so I'll be mostly brief. I'm not the best at parsing audio minutia anyway, but I do know when I like something, and I do indeed really like the RD-X.

    My audio chain is various FLAC/ MP3 files from my HP Elite Desk playing JRiver> Gustard U12> Bifrost 2 M/B via Coax > the OG ifi iCAN Pro or OG ZMF Pendant> RD-X. Both amps sounded fantastic with the RD-X, changing between them was more motivated by mood than synergy. Note: I made the mistake of trying these out without much in the way of warming up my amp (in my haste to hear them ofc). This resulted in them sounding like they didn't have much in the way of slam, but that went away with proper amp warm up.

    Getting back to liking the RD-X, That might be an understatement. I don't want to be too effusive, but I honestly find these to be a wholly engaging listen. Given how much I do enjoy these, I'd probably be best off starting with the negatives.

    • As previously mentioned, there is some sub-bass roll off. It's not egregious by any means, but if you're looking for that sub bass rumble, these aren't the headphones that are going to deliver that.

    • By the same token, I don't think these would please self proclaimed treble heads either. There is plenty for my tastes, but those who prefer a steep rise from the presence to the brilliance range won't find that here either.

    • These also do have more slam than I initially thought, but they're not going to hit like a Fostex or ZMF biodynamic driver either.
    That's about all I can really come up with. IDK how much of a change @rhythmdevils last tweak made to the headstage, but I'm hearing a coherent fairly wide stage with decent (if not class leading) depth & height. Nothing bothersome to my ears at all.

    Getting on with what I do like, I am very much like @chesebert in that I value being drawn into the music more than any graphs or technical information, but unlike his experience the RD-X grabbed me from 1st listen and held tight.

    I did find these to be pretty neutral in the best possible way, not a vanilla boring neutral. @Pharmaboy and I often talk about neutral being similar to what you hear live, and that's the kind of neutral I'm talking about.

    Bass with balls when called for while still being unobtrusive when they're not. Mids that I don't struggle to hear, but aren't shouty or strident. Treble that's lively and airy without stabbing my eardrums. That's what I'm hearing.

    Timbre and tone are spot on to my ears as well. Everything sounds as it should to me, no plasticky sounding cymbals or flubby smeared bass.

    I'm not the best at noting plankton, but these are at least as resolving as my Atrium (open).

    Speaking of, the AO are my daily driver and I'm intimately familiar with them. I find the Atrium Open more lush overall, mid bass a bit more pronounced with the stock pads (and full closed mesh) and a smidge darker sounding in general. The mids have a different emphasis, with the AO I'm hearing an edging up the upper mids, and the RD-X offering more of lower-mid energy. Neither would I call overdone. Treble rolls off more rapidly with the Atrium and not surprising to note that the Atrium's headstage is bigger all around, but the RD-X is the more 'open' sounding of the two open back headphones.What others noted about the RD-X being able to "breathe" is spot on, I imagine those tubes Whitney used helped here.

    I thought for sure I was team dynamic ride or die until I heard the Caldera. Now that I've heard the RD-X, I believe that just like amps and DACs, implementation is more important than topology, or in this case driver type.

    IMO that would probably be the most interesting comparison, and because I had the Caldera on loaner my impressions should be taken with a grain of salt here. From memory the Caldera generally has a bit more weight to the notes and the RD-X is a bit faster though I'm not sure how much. Caldera reaches deeper in the bass and hits even harder with a larger headstage, though I don't think it's a grand difference. Resolution would be about on par I think. An SBAF shootout from trusted ears would be very revealing IMO.

    I only wish I had heard the OG LCD-X so I could tell how much different they are from one another. I suspect they are worlds different. So yeah, I think what Whitney has done here is really something special. I'm not ready to get another headphone (yet) but I'd be lying if I said I won't be keeping my eyes out for used 2020 LCD-X headphones in the future. If you have an itch for a headphone in this price range, the RD-X would be in the top 3 for my tastes.
     
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  14. Ksorota

    Ksorota Friend

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  15. TheloniuSnoop

    TheloniuSnoop Friend

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  16. loadexfa

    loadexfa MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    I can send you the amp if you're interested in hearing that combo. We're OK with the loaner going slower if that means everyone is able to get a sense of the capabilities of the RD-X. Send me a DM if you're interested.
     
  17. TheloniuSnoop

    TheloniuSnoop Friend

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    Thanks, but I sent them on months ago. Rhythmdevils' recent post reminded me I hadn't yet posted impressions.
     
  18. loadexfa

    loadexfa MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Ahh right, I forgot where we are in the loaner. You're welcome to rejoin the loaner at the end with the amp and headphones if you'd like. I think we win an award for the longest loaner or something so we're trying to make it last forever. (Not really but I imagine it looks that way from the outside ;) )
     
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  19. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Yeah that pair of RD-X was made for the loaner tour and can be on loan permanently, so anyone is welcome to hear them. And I'll pay shipping to send you the LGX if you want to hear them together.

    Really, it's not a favor, I want people to hear them, they were made to be shared and listened to.
     
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  20. jaker782

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    I had the RD-X on loan a week or so before Christmas and was so impressed by what I was hearing from this headphone out of the Piety that I have since picked up a used LAUX and stock LCD-X to bide my time until I can get mine modded.

    I would describe the RD-X as a "fun-neutral" tuning that I feel is highly sought after but rarely achieved. What immediately struck me was how balanced these sound from top to bottom with a very even tonality from bass through treble. 9 times out of 10 I find a neutral, flatish tuning to be "boring" with a low engagement factor that doesn't really tug my heartstrings, but RD-X somehow seems to buck that trend. I hear these as neutral for sure, but there is just enough of that meaty planar low-end and tastefully elevated lower midrange that makes these a highly engaging, yet extremely well-balanced listen. Sure bass could slam a bit more, but there is excellent extension down low and I wonder if much more would disrupt the magic balance I hear across the entire frequency range. On the other end of the spectrum, I anticipated I would take issue with the treble tuning, but I was mistaken. Upper frequencies are detailed and shimmery with high-hats sounding very life-like and natural with none of the tizz or metallic quality you hear with artificially boosted highs. I am very sensitive to treble fatigue and I am pleased to say that after a few multi-hour sessions nothing I heard gave me any issues. On to the midrange... a majority of what I listen to is indie and classic rock with male vocals so lower mids tuning is extremely important to me. These really do exhibit that kind of magical quality to vocals that I hear with the HD650, but on the RD-X they don't stand out like a sore thumb since the well extended, high quality bass and treble seems to balance everything out.

    Maybe I should have led with this, but other than the balance, the other thing that immediately stood out to me on the RD-X is the stage, openness, and overall clarity of these headphones. I hear a lot of space and separation that allows the music to breath without forcing you to focus on details and technicalities. I still hear RD-X as a smooth headphone overall, but the details present themselves in a non-analytical way that I really like.

    Now, I mentioned I picked up an LAUX and stock LCD-X after I sent the RD-X on to the next person, so I will close with some quick thoughts on the Piety/RD-X pairing vs. the LAUX/LCD-X pairing. I did not have both on hand at the same time, so please take this with a grain of salt. Overall, the RD-X seems to tease out more details, is more open, and contains much better balance that the stock LCD-X. Conversely, I do think the LCD-X slams better and does have a meatier lower midrange, but the upper mids sound really wonky and unnatural to me. The balance of the RD-X is lost and the sense of space is constricted. I could see some people preferring these in stock form, but I am not one of them. To me, the RD-X is like an album mastered with a dynamic range of 9, and the LCD-X is that same album compressed into a dynamic range of 5. If you only hear the latter it can sound pretty darn good, but once you hear the former, you never want to go back. Don't get me wrong, LCD-X is a great headphone, I just think Rhythmdevils mod takes them to another level.

    Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to hear these!
     
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    Last edited: Jan 7, 2024

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