Wondering if I can get some help with optimal set up for my system… Currently running Roon from my windows 10 pc- USB to Unison Yggdrasil A2- xlr to SPL Phonitor X - 4 pin balanced to LCD-4’s.
I am running the Audeze roon preset which to my understanding makes some changes in the DSP EQ. with this it does introduce clipping at times unless I decrease the headroom ( Roon set to Device volume in the volume control) If I change the volume control to DSP volume I no longer need to decrease the headroom and only alters the headroom if clipping would take place.
Best for sound quality is to not use software volume control. In Roon, set “Fixed Volume” for your device, and use “SPL Phonitor X” manual volume control.
Also, since you use “SPL Phonitor X”, I would disable Audeze preset from Roon, and also any DSP that is not mandatory to you.
Thank you Daniel. I appreciate you taking the time to respond! Im running fixed volume now and will try the LCD-4s without the reveal preset… I was running it becuase it does help w/ more natural tonality… pro’s and cons to everything though!
Ok, but in this case, the Audeze presets are designed by the Audeze team, specific for each headphone model, based on their knowledge of the phase and amplitude characteristics of that product. So the Audeze team has designed and delivered to Roon a convolution filter based on those characteristics.
It would be very difficult for anybody else to design filters that would do the same thing.
Plus the Phonitor filters, excellent as they reportedly are, operate in the analog domain and would be limited in their ability to do the level of processing that a digital convolution can do.
I used Audeze LCD-2 with iFi micro iDSD Black Label. I tried the Audeze filters, but I clearly preferred the filterless version: it seemed much closer to what I mean by “sound quality”.
But this was my personal choice. I encourage you to try whatever you have available and choose what you like.
Thanks everyone who has pitched in here. After playing with it for a few hours here’s where I’ve settled things. Volume output is now set to fixed volume.
I tried w/o the audeze preset and while that does still sound good I do much prefer the Audeze preset at 100% wet with a -2.5 Db headroom adjustment.This fixes some of the tonality issues of the LCD-4 while creating the smoothest mids I have ever heard!
I prefer the Linear filter… sound quality is notably better over the low latency filter. The delay is the only downside; having gotten use to a delay when switching bit rate with my Yggdrasil a delay really doesn’t bother me anymore though
