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‘Lear LCM BD4.2’ Review: It’s a Big, Big World

The Lear Flagship CIEM is a hybrid Dynamic + Balanced Armateur offering

Mon Aug. 3, 2015

By jelt2359

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Lear LCM BD4.2

The best experiences find a way to become more- more than themselves. A soldier and a nurse- strangers, too- share a kiss in immortal Times Square, and a single photograph comes alive with endless layers of emotion. In the genius hands of Leonardo Da Vinci, Mona Lisa looks more human, more lifelike, than if she were there in the flesh. And as if the spoken word were a prison, Chaplin breaks free into silence, invoking tears of joy and sorrow from a place deeper than life.

The Lear LCM BD4.2 is not the next Charlie Chaplin, but this IEM reaches within you and finds, buried underneath, something more. Music is an auditory experience, but the Lear makes it a metaphysical one as well. It constructs a tall, soaring dome of sound around you- a technicolor movie that you’re seeing in IMAX for the first time. Musical notes appear all over, as clouds of air capably fill the stage with sound. It is a rich, involving episode- the sort that, at the last, makes you sigh wistfully at what could have been. Like a Sunday-afternoon trip to the flea market, you never know what you’re gonna get with the Lear, as delightfully standout traits and middling performances are displayed unassumingly side by side. The Lear transports you to an IMAX theatre, but, like a devout member of the old guard, refuses to focus on 3D imaging, focusing on 2D breath over 3D depth. Clouds of air form everywhere, but at the same time they congregate in pockets- some empty, some oversaturated. At the last, some people will RSVP on account of the standout traits; others will end up deleting their copy of Flappy Bird in frustration.

Da Vinci creates a better reality on canvas. The Lear, on the other hand, is virtual reality. You can hear (and see) what its trying to do, but in this case art imitates life, and never quite nails it completely. So where does it excel? Let me count the ways…

[box type=”shadow” align=”aligncenter” ]

IEM: Lear Audio LCM BD4.2

Form Factor: Acrylic Custom In-Ear Monitor

Damage: $1290 USD

Build Quality: OK. A bit “rough” around the edges. Not literally rough, but this is not jewelry.

Fit: Perfect. Ear Impressions matter a lot. After getting my Lear back (with a perfect fit), I decided to reuse the impressions for my JH13. Perfect as well. I’ve been sold on this guy ever since (and he’s not even an audiologist- he’s just a shop assistant at the CIEM place!)

Accessories: Standard hardcase, jeweler’s screwdriver to adjust the bass, and stock cable with memory wire turned the other way due to reversed polarity on the CIEM.[/box]

Page 2: Sound (Bass, Midrange, Treble, Spatial, General Qualities)

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ABOUT AUTHOR

jelt2359

jelt2359

When jelt2359's Shure earphones stopped working ten years ago he was forced, kicking and screaming, to replace them. He ended up with more than 20 new IEMs. Oops! jelt2359 flies to a different city almost every week for work, and is always looking for the perfect audio setup to bring along.

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4 Responses

  1. Thank you for the great read! I was always interested to see how dynamic drivers would do when paired with BA drivers. When will the next one be out?

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