Lucid Air Stereo "Surreal Sound" Test Impressions

[copper]

Also! Another track for you all with cars already here @hydbob @borski @dawktah LucidGT @bunnylebowski - pop this on right now: Tamacun by Rodrigo y Gabriela

You can thank me later…

 

[Dortreo]

I keep hearing it (Dune Soundtrack) on Cinemagic. I want to watch the old Dune Movie, then watch the new version. 6 hours of my life gone...

I know this is off topic but I am listening to my Oppo BDP-103 directly into my Chord TT2 playing discs and I feel it sounds better than FLAC. Maybe my imagination. Moving server to new house this coming weekend. I am hoping to get a pair of VOCE this year!


I have heard no update on whether they fixed ability for my Astell & Kern to play...

@dawktah LucidGT Just curious. How good is that Astell & Kern? And what makes it so good? I’ve got a stupid collection of portable (Dragonfly Red and a Chord PolyMojo amongst others) and not-so-portable DACs (ADI, Benchmark and more) but have never encountered the Astell & Kern. Do I need a new toy?

 

[Dortreo]

Also! Another track for you all with cars already here @hydbob @borski @dawktah LucidGT @bunnylebowski - pop this on right now: Tamacun by Rodrigo y Gabriela

You can thank me later…

Hanuman FTW! Playing it at full blast now and scaring the dog.

 

[copper]

Hanuman FTW! Playing it at full blast now and scaring the dog.

It is So Good! Glad you’re enjoying.

Once I get my car and have spent some time with it I should make “Copper’s entirely-too-in-depth Lucid Stereo Review and Guide”

 

[dawktah LucidGT]

@dawktah LucidGT Just curious. How good is that Astell & Kern? And what makes it so good? I’ve got a stupid collection of portable (Dragonfly Red and a Chord PolyMojo amongst others) and not-so-portable DACs (ADI, Benchmark and more) but have never encountered the Astell & Kern. Do I need a new toy?

Nothing in particular. I just bought a few items from Moon Audio. The GOAT is the Chord TT2

 

[Dortreo]

Nothing in particular. I just bought a few items from Moon Audio. The GOAT is the Chord TT2

Yeah, that Chord TT2 is supposed to be amazing. I would have sprung for that if I had a bit more dough. Benchmark will have to do.

 

[dawktah LucidGT]

Yeah, that Chord TT2 is supposed to be amazing. I would have sprung for that if I had a bit more dough. Benchmark will have to do.

I have taken my headphones off numerous times thinking someone is in the house. You'll hear things on tracks. Some point I'll grab the mScaler. Post COVID, may hit CanJam Chicago

 

[hydbob]

Also! Another track for you all with cars already here @hydbob @borski @dawktah LucidGT @bunnylebowski - pop this on right now: Tamacun by Rodrigo y Gabriela

You can thank me later…

Hmm....the quality on Spotify would probably not do this track justice...

 

[dawktah LucidGT]

I just can't wait to playin AGT:

Paul Hardcastle, "Eclipse" this track will help me get across Utah
Pat Metheny, "Sign of the Season"
Pat Metheny, "Zenith Blue" changing to Zenith Red
Paul Hardcastle, "Shelbi"
Tenet Soundtrack
Interstellar Soundtrack
Fifth Element Soundtrack
Black Panther Soundtrack
...just to name a few...

 

[hydbob]

I just can't wait to playin AGT:

Paul Hardcastle, "Eclipse" this track will help me get across Utah
Pat Metheny, "Sign of the Season"
Pat Metheny, "Zenith Blue" changing to Zenith Red
Paul Hardcastle, "Shelbi"
Tenet Soundtrack
Interstellar Soundtrack
Fifth Element Soundtrack
Black Panther Soundtrack
...just to name a few...

Does the high school musical soundtrack count?

 

[copper]

I just can't wait to playin AGT:

Paul Hardcastle, "Eclipse" this track will help me get across Utah
Pat Metheny, "Sign of the Season"
Pat Metheny, "Zenith Blue" changing to Zenith Red
Paul Hardcastle, "Shelbi"
Tenet Soundtrack
Interstellar Soundtrack
Fifth Element Soundtrack
Black Panther Soundtrack
...just to name a few...

Fifth Element ftw! Eric Serra made masterpiece there.

 

[EVCar]

Hmm....the quality on Spotify would probably not do this track justice...

Color me old-fashioned and possibly even wrong, but I'm of the belief that streaming in a car can't be as good as a sonically well produced CD in a decent home system.

 

[EVCar]

Also! Another track for you all with cars already here @hydbob @borski @dawktah LucidGT @bunnylebowski - pop this on right now: Tamacun by Rodrigo y Gabriela

You can thank me later…

Just bought the CD on Amazon. Thanks for the suggestion. @copper.

 

[copper]

Color me old-fashioned and possibly even wrong, but I'm of the belief that streaming in a car can't be as good as a sonically well produced CD in a decent home system.

Nothing old fashioned about that. A car will have to work really hard to come close to a well done home system, which is what makes the Lucid so exceptional.

Like you, I’m a stereo purist for home. In my case I run the best quality inputs I can get, no separate subs, no multichannel. Two speakers, full range, and my own crossovers (though I’m now moving to fully active speakers instead).

If you take all the fluff away you’re left with the whole sonic experience distilled down to the core components - this is where I believe the real experience resides.

 

[copper]

Just bought the CD on Amazon. Thanks for the suggestion. @copper.

It’s fantastic. Introduced to me by a friend of a family member years ago and is now an essential reference track.

 

[EVCar]

Nothing old fashioned about that. A car will have to work really hard to come close to a well done home system, which is what makes the Lucid so exceptional.

Like you, I’m a stereo purist for home. In my case I run the best quality inputs I can get, no separate subs, no multichannel. Two speakers, full range, and my own crossovers (though I’m now moving to fully active speakers instead).

If you take all the fluff away you’re left with the whole sonic experience distilled down to the core components - this is where I believe the real experience resides.

Can't agree more. There's a reason why the term fidelity was used for music reproduction.

 

[hydbob]

Color me old-fashioned and possibly even wrong, but I'm of the belief that streaming in a car can't be as good as a sonically well produced CD in a decent home system.

If only there were a way to get Master tracks into the Lucid...

 

[noobzilla]

@copper many thanks for this post! Exactly what I was looking for as an audio enthusiast (mostly into headphones but have a somewhat decent stereo set up as well). I've mostly thought of these Dolby virtual surround stuff as gimmicky and stick to old fashioned stereo settings but based on your reviews it sounds like they're doing something right with Air's audio whether or not it's gimmick. I suppose we have to wait until non Pro version comes out so you can test to see if the $2900 upgrade is worth it. I was thinking if perhaps $2900 on custom upgrades would be better.

My main concern though with car audio is road noise which can easily drown out all those extra details we hope to hear from expensive equipment (diminishing returns). How's your overall experience with the Air's road noise? Is it quiet enough where you can hear all the details while driving on the highway and totally immerse yourself with music?

 

[borski]

@copper many thanks for this post! Exactly what I was looking for as an audio enthusiast (mostly into headphones but have a somewhat decent stereo set up as well). I've mostly thought of these Dolby virtual surround stuff as gimmicky and stick to old fashioned stereo settings but based on your reviews it sounds like they're doing something right with Air's audio whether or not it's gimmick. I suppose we have to wait until non Pro version comes out so you can test to see if the $2900 upgrade is worth it. I was thinking if perhaps $2900 on custom upgrades would be better.

My main concern though with car audio is road noise which can easily drown out all those extra details we hope to hear from expensive equipment (diminishing returns). How's your overall experience with the Air's road noise? Is it quiet enough where you can hear all the details while driving on the highway and totally immerse yourself with music?

Below about 70 you’re fully immersed. 75 you’ll start hearing a little wind, and at 85 the wind is mildly distracting but still OK - much quieter than most cars still. Above 85 you should be paying more attention to the road than the sound.

 

[noobzilla]

Below about 70 you’re fully immersed. 75 you’ll start hearing a little wind, and at 85 the wind is mildly distracting but still OK - much quieter than most cars still. Above 85 you should be paying more attention to the road than the sound.

I drive 80-83mph if freeway isn't busy which is majority of the time. I try to cap at 83mph sustained. I generally find the slower lanes more dangerous because of cars more frequently switching lanes and slowing down suddenly so imho I should be paying more attention to the road at 70 in slow lanes