Kameleon in-line filter from G1217!

filter modules in the article are updated.
Some modules added and some are changed slightly.
Errors in a few BOM lists have been corrected (Mouser order codes were wrong on 4k7 resistors in some modules)

picked up my Kameleon from the post office earlier.

just having my first listen to a filtered hd650, seems a profound difference to me.
going to struggle to get them off my head tonight, i think.

cracking bit of kit Jeremy/Frans!!!

and thanks again, Ian, for the deal on the 650's. reaping the benefit now.

cheers guys 

its early days but , my lcd2 may be "on their way".

I am (most likely) going to buy an LCD2 tomorrow. The LCD2.2F (fazor) that is.
At least when I feel it out performs my HD800 (Kameleon) and the weight isn't a deal breaker.

will be interested in your views on that.

for me there is little to choose between lcd2 r2 (none f) and original 650 when both filtered. 
if i had to choose, at the moment, the 650 wins on comfort.
wont make any rash decisions just yet, but if i needed a bit of cash for something else the audeze's still seem to demand good money. (and mine are mint, btw)

I just had a good listen to the LCD-2.2 Fazor.
Thought/assumed that one didn't need much filtering based on a quick listen in a shop a month ago.

Well, today I took a little more time and brought my HD800 + Kameleon along.

Yes, the bass right up to the mids is impressive and just a tad warmer than my HD800 (Kameleon)
Indeed, the LCD2.2 lacks clarity. The treble is O.K. but there is something 'zingy' there.

When they dropped in clarity over time the only reason I can give for that is pads.
HD650 pads, when compressed also 'boosts' the bass/mids and relatively makes it darker.
That's why current HD650 pads are slightly thicker and much firmer, so they don't compress over time and becomes darker.

I reckon a fresh set of pads may improve it somewhat.

Could also be you got used to the mids of your HD650 too much.

Anyway... had a good listen and decided NOT to buy the LCD2.2 despite the relatively low price.
Reasons: Too much head-clamp and too much weight... and too little clarity.
I am thinking a filter would bring the LCD2 back and improve it.
I suspect (not found out yet) that it could be improved to sound much better than stock LCD2.2

Especially with female voices it was quite obvious.
HD800 (Kameleon) slightly less 'body' (intend to look into this and maybe revert to my earlier HD800 filter design a bit) but above all you could easily hear details like lips opening and closing etc which were not present on the LCD2.
As far as I could see this is due to the absence of the upper mids/lower treble and suspect that some EQ in that area and addressing the possible slight treble peak could bring it to HD800 levels.
Meaning a wider soundstage and increased clarity.

The guy I visited had not heard a HD800 and was quite impressed with the sound from the Kameleon, didn't like the stock sound.
He also happened to have an LCD 2.2 pre-fazor and liked the treble on that one more than the fazor one, but liked the HD800 treble more.
I agree:
Bass-mids LCD2.2 > HD800
Mids to treble HD800 (kameleon) > LCD2

When I would have to buy either a stock HD800 or stock LCD2.2 both agreed it would be the LCD.
With the Kameleon it swung the other way around.


Yes, I now get oldsons remark.
Would prefer the HD650 (Kameleon) over LCD2.
Prefer the HD800 (Kameleon) over HD650 (Kameleon).

The LCD2.2F seller plans to contact me when he sold the 2.2F and has bought the HE500 again (his 3rd time).
Then I will measure his 2.2 (pre-fazor) and makes a filter for it.
After that I will measure the HE500 and filter that one too.

May take a few months before that happens though.

I had very similar impressions, with the D2000 but in my case I found that the effect of the filter was clearer with certain types of music than others. Whenever I listen to music dominated by drums the effect seems less apparent than when I listen to music with a lot of string instrument and voices. In the latter case the added clarity is great. The tuning of the treble is also very welcomed, I am kind of allergic to treble peaks ;-)

All these comments about the kameleonized HD650 are really encouraging. Sadly, I missed a really good deal on a pair of those (HD650) a few weeks ago and now the price has gone up a lot in Sweden (due to currency exchange rates?). I just wonder if the change from my kameleonized HE400i to filtered HD650 is actually large enough to justify the significant investment of money.