Audez'e LCD-2 rev 2

The LCD-2 has a very special sound. Everything sounds very natural and organic. I guess the best way to describe the sound is that there is nothing digital about it. No harsh treble, no grain, nothing that sticks out.

Design, build, comfort
These are very large and heavy headphones built like tanks. Metall, wood and leather - no plastic. They are put together extremely well and breathe much higher quality than the Hifiman headphones. 

I like the look, the grilles and the angled pads make for a cool appearance on your head and the wood is beautiful. 

I have one issue though - comfort! These press VERY hard on your head (more so than the monster beats pro for example) and it just feels like your'e wearing a helmet the first 5 minutes. Since the weight is very well distributed they feel better after a while but I wish the pads were as soft as on the LCD-3. Comfort is very important to me as I can't focus on the sound or relax if I'm constantly irritated on the fit.

The weight is not really a problem for me but these are not headphones you headbang with. 

Treble
The LCD-2 sounds slightly dark with a slightly muted treble. Don't take me wrong as the treble extension is very good, coherency is excellent and treble sounds come through with natural timbre. What I do lack is some airiness. It feels like the treble performs well, but is "hidden away" and not allowed to breathe. It's not as bad as you may think but compared to electrostats or the HD 800 these fall several notches behind. 

Mids
The midrange on the LCD-2s is unique. Like the Stax O2 has it's unique sound so does the LCD-2. It's really hard to describe but there is some kind of wooden coloration to it - which is not a bad thing. Like planars usually do well, the midrange is very smooth and organic but at the same time very clean and natural. You won't hear the inner details in the recording, the echos on the walls or the 3D layering of instruments in an orchestra nearly as well here as you will with the HD 800, Beyerdynamic T1 or a STAX headphone. But what you will get in return is a lot of fun. A lush, beautiful, powerful and addictive midrange sound that fits every genre very well. 

Bass
If it's one thing these guys do that makes them stand out - it's bass reproduction. The LCD-2 (and the LCD-3) punch hard, they go all the way down to the bottom octave and they do both without any hint of confusion, muddiness or bloat. You just get TRUE bass, bass that breathes freely. These cans really are the ultimate in headphone bass reproduction. No headphone can do the same. The SR-009 is even cleaner in the bass and the Omega 2 mk1 goes very low as well. But neither can reproduce that pure, natural tone or the realistic heft. If it's bass you want, Audez'e will deliver. 

Soundstage
Soundstage is pretty small, and not really well defined. The music is just all over the place, with limited width and especially depth. Center image is good (angled drivers - yay) but the soundstage just isn't precise. 

Final words
These are wonderful planar magnetic cans, no doubt. They do bass quality/quantity and midrange tonality in a way that just makes you relax and connect to the music - no matter the genre. If only they had a bit more open sound with finer resolution and the LCD-3 pads I would buy them and be happy for years. I heard the LCD-3 as being more grainy, with more recessed midrange and thicker mid-bass. I think these are better. But those LCD-3s might have been faulty, or "veiled". Soundstage was definitely more open and comfort very much improved but thats about it. I hope I get to experience the perfected Audez'e sound some day as I'm really enjoying these cans and the direction Audez'e has been going with the sound.