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Member Reviews: Audeze LCD2 Planar Magnetic Headphones

Positive Reviews

dBel84

The ortho journey unveiled, my first glimpse at the LCD2

Posted
By dBel84

Pros: Natural, Fast, tonally rich, deep bass, seductive mids

Cons: i have to save up for them.

I felt extremely priveledged to be included in the first group of people to hear the long awaited and much anticipated release of Audeze's LCD2. Some history: I am not new to planar magnetic technology and have been an avid fan and disciple of planar magnetic headphones ever since I was lured into the murky waters by the vintage yamaha orthodynamic headphones. If not for the keen efforts of wualta on HeadFi, this dream would most likely not have been realised. I first heard about Audeze when a friend and fellow discple of orthodynamic headphones discovered this small company in California, managed to make contact with them and establish that initial dialogue which brought to us the LCD1...
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sachu

Usher in the ortho era.

Posted
By sachu

Pros: Tonal balance, low level listening, resolution, low distortion, Bass, godlike midrange

Cons: Need to save up..or rob a bank

  Caveat  I am an unabashed fan of orthodynamic headphones. Have been a dedicated orthohead for over two years now. All thanks to dBel84 for introducing me to some home made SFI driver based headphones at a meet. The Orthodynamic thread soon became a sanctuary and the folks who take part in the thread very close friends. We are dedicated group who share a passion for planar driven headphones and in our ideal world planar headphones would take back their rightful place at the head of the pack in audiophile headphone listening.                I have heard the best that the dynamic and electrostat headphones have to offer in the form of the HD800, T1 (not enough listening time...
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Negative Reviews

GeirTj

Are the LCD-2's really that good? Yes they are (Errata).

Posted
By GeirTj

Pros: Cool design

Cons: Muffled, closed sound with all type of low- and high- quality headamps

Errata 28.April 2012: I have to correct my initial and mainly negative review of my LCD-2. Due to purchase of an Auralic Taurus headamp for balanced drive, I discovered that the cabling (Moon Audio Silver Dragon) must have been wired wrongly. Redoing the whole termination to a balanced (4-pin) XLR contact did the trick and I have to sheepishly follow the herd of Audeze'ers :-P Running the new cabling via another adapter to a regular (non-balanced) 1/4" jack now also sound splendid. But I can truly recommend the Auralic headamp in balanced mode. Way too muffled and closed-in sound for my preference. Yes, they may be a bit more than little warm which can be acceptable but I find them...
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shawn_low

LCD2: They look great but comfort? Lacking.

Posted
By shawn_low

Pros: Looks fantastic.

Cons: Comfort level is low and cable is stiff. Needs good pairing.

OK, this is a quick placeholder review.   I didn't have more than a couple of hours with these and they were sitting in good company.   Dac was a Metric Halo ULN2.   Stax O2 out of an exstata. HD800 out of a B22 and SPL Auditor.   First off, the LCD2 comfort level was AWFUL! It's stiff and clamps onto my average-sized head with such force I had to continually adjust it. I couldn't listen to it for more than 5 to 10 minutes. Such was the level of pain it inflicted on the side of my head.   The O2 and HD800 were spades ahead in comfort-level. The LCD2 cable, a starquad cable (a microphone cable I believe) was stiff and just got in the way.   Sound is arguably...
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More Reviews

Skylab

REVIEW: Audez’e LCD-2 Planar Magnetic Headphones

Posted
By Skylab

Pros: Astonishingly good sound - among the very, very best

Cons: Comfort is only fair

Intro   Wow – another contender in the high-end headphone market!  Amazing.  I was pretty excited about the emergence of some planar magnetic headphones when I first heard about these and the HifiMan HE-5.  I was a Magneplanar speaker guy for many years – until my kids were born.  Loved them.  Sadly, they were too big a target for the kids, and so they got sold.  But I was very excited about being able to get some planar sound in headphones!  So excited that I rushed to pay just shy of $1,000 for the privilege…   They are very beautifully made, and ship in a beautiful wood box:       Sources used for this review:    VPI Scoutmaster with Benz LP-S > Eddie Current Transcription phono...
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monotune

At Long Last The Perfect Headphone

Posted
By monotune

Pros: Beautiful Design, Velvet top end, tight full bass. Mids to die for.

Cons: There Are None!

I have been reading these forums for over a year now. I feel like I should give back. They have helped me quite a lot. I thank Ken Ball for steering me here. He has been my guru on this quest for digital/personal/audio heaven.  I record and make music for a living. I love great sounding records. There is nothing more frustrating than listening to a great sounding record on a wretched sounding rig. You know it sounds good. It sounded good on your CD player in your car? Ugh. The iPod has been a savior and a demon in one swoop. The search begins. A lot of you came here looking for it. I imagine a lot of you have been Hi-Fi fanatics since you can remember. This is all a set up just tell...
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Lunatique

A fine pair of headphones, but does have issues

Posted
By Lunatique

Pros: Full-bodied sound, extended bass, non-fatiguing sonic signature

Cons: Very slightly recessed mids, physically heavy, slightly sloppy craftsmanship, odd design decisions

It's been about a month since I've received my Audez'e LCD-2 headphones (after being on the waiting list for almost three months). It's currently one of the most praised high-end headphones on the market, and before I jump into the review, I'll just get straight to the bottom line--it is a fine pair of headphones, but it's not without issues. Here's what the LCD-2 looks like: Cosmetics & Ergonomics First of all--the build is excellent. It looks every bit the high quality hand-made product that it is, but it has a quirky problem--one of the earcups came out of the frame upon arrival and my heart sank for a moment, but a quick look revealed that it was designed to be...
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MacedonianHero

Among the very best

Posted
By MacedonianHero

Pros: Incredible bass/mids with a true to life sound

Cons: Heavy and treble at times can be slightly recessed.

So I've had my pair for around a month and they have very quickly shown themselves to be deserving to be amongst some of the very best headphones I've ever heard.   Bass: Absolutely the best bass of any headphone I've ever heard. Deeper, more defined and controlled than anything out there. The amazing thing is just how scary good it is and with ZERO bleeding into the mids.   Mids: Along with the T1s, I consider the LCD-2's mids to be the best I've ever heard as well. Both male and female vocals excel exceptionally well with them. Incredibly organic and upfront with outstanding detail, presence and still very musical.   Treble: Very nice treble, but with some of my...
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WarriorAnt

LCD-2 Revision 2

Posted
By WarriorAnt
  Here are my impressions of the LCD-2 r.2   I will refer to the latest LCD-2 Revision2 as r.2 from this point on.   The r.2 has a thinner newly developed faster diaphragm and this new development has impacted the LCD in very beneficial ways in every aspect of its performance.  There is now more upper frequency extension than previous, this does not appear to be an increase or boost in treble amplitude but more an increase in the range of the r.2 itself in terms of portrayal and response.  Tonal characteristics of the r.2 are the same but the tonal range has been extended into the upper frequencies.  This upper frequency extension means more...
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kerniechng

Audeze LCD2: The Definition of Sound

Posted
By kerniechng
  Hello I thought I'd do a short review of the LCD2 since I just got the privilege of giving them an extended audition at home with my own equipment. Equipment used for the audition are:   Macbook Pro optical out --> Cambridge Audio DACMagic --> Schiit Asgard --> LCD2   For some background on my listening preferences, I own a Sennheiser HD650, an ESW10JPN, and a Fostex T50RP that I have done some damping modifications on. I've heard the HD800, the T1, the HE5, and many other headphones as well. My portable set up is a HM801 with either a Sleek CT6 or Westone UM3X. I've noticed that I dislike over-accentuated treble, and I tend to look out for midrange...
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Frank I

THE SUPER KID ON THE BLOCK

Posted
By Frank I

Pros: AMAZING CLARITY AND TRANSPARENCY,BASS

Cons: small sound stage, no space and air

LCD2 REVIEW Once in a great while in my 32 years in the hobby I have seen products come to market that can make a significant change in the way the game is played. Rarely if ever does one come to the market that completely changes the game and rewrites the rules such is the case with the LCD2. Audeze is a start up company that has two passionate owners who have somehow managed to bring to market a product which has challenged the majors in a big time way. The LCD2 is a planar headphone that not only competes with the flagship products offered by Sennheiser and Beyer but in many ways easily outpoints them in many of the categories important to many people who really enjoy music. Alex...
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DefectiveAudioComponent

Audeze LCD-2 orthodynamic headphones

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By DefectiveAudioComponent

Pros: Natural 3D rendering of the performance and the performers. deep detailed bass.

Cons: Not extremely comfortable to wear, at least initially

Immediately, when I put the Audeze LCD-2 on my head, I wasn't floored by the sound. Rather, as my head felt squeezed by a tight clamping force, I was wondering where all the excessive air had gone, that I was used to from the LCD-1. I also missed the pleasantly colored mids of my Yamaha orthodynamic headphone (that I had just sold). But, the LCD-2 have been growing on me for the last week, and the clamp has been softened up, while the pads have gotten more comfy. (To be honest, the initial clamping force is no worse than the terrible clamp of a new Sennheiser HD580) So, during my time off during the week, I have been enjoying some of my favorite music, on two setups, that are probably...
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othrondir

The finest headphones I've heard

Posted
By othrondir

Pros: Incredibly detailed yet smooth sound

Cons: hilariously massive, reveals mixing flaws in some of my favorite music

I visited 32 ohm audio in portland specifically to audition all of my candidate cans: the 800s, 650s, the LCD-2s and the T1s. I didn't get to listen to T1s, I did get to listen to T5s.   I'm using one of the early 32ohm cables for the LCD-2s. In order of preference:   LCD-2s: bought them. Incredible. Unbelievable detail but balanced across the range. Nothing is over (or under) represented. Normally sibilant voices (ssssssssss) sound great in these cans. The 800s accentuate sibilant voices unpleasantly. Not so with these. Worst thing I can say about them is they're a bit heavy and the foam (FOAM?) on the headband is stupid. It will wear away.   650s: damn good...
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JohnQbert

Great Sound, but dissapointing headband

Posted
By JohnQbert

Pros: Great bass

Cons: Uncomfortable headband

I'm no audiophile, but I was looking for top sound reproduction for listening to high quality music and watching movies. I purchased the Audeze LCD-2 over the Sennheiser HD 800 because I wanted a warmer sound with more bass (I own a set of Sennheiser HD 555's so I know somewhat what the review's state are the pro's of the HD 800 in regards to soundstage , but can be lacking in bass). The Audeze definitely have the bass I was missing from the Sennheiser 555's, but sound quality is on an entirely different level too (better). The real problem I wanted to mention with the Audeze LCD-2 is the headband. I read many many reviews before making my purchase and I took note of the...
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