Best headphone of the past 2 years.....with poll - Page 3

You're probably right, Sennheiser has the biggest budget and more retail channels than the others. Though the LCD2 and JH13 got a fair amount of votes, too, and I think highly of them. If the T1 didn't have too much bass, I'd have probably jumped at a pair.

Quick, lock the thread before more poeple find it and the HD800 loses it's lead........

I have no idea how to sort the threads by view count, but I bet the poll results pretty much reflect thread popularity.

I haven't spent as much time with the LCD2 as I would like to, but to me, the bass sounded a lot flatter and tighter than the T1 did.  The T1 almost seemed to have a little bloat, which was fun with some electronic music, but I'm not going to spend over $1,000 for something I'm not entirely happy with.  I listened to it on a few of the HeadRoom rigs and a couple of the Woo Audio amps, but I don't remember which ones.  At the next meet, I'll spend more time with both.

I probably listened to the T1 on the same amps you did Uncle E. I thought it sounded remarkably like a well driven HD650,

which I like very much. But at the same time is a little disappointing for the $1000 price point. The T1 is, to my taste, the

best built phone of the last two years. Not quite as comfortable as the HD800, but much nicer looking. If it was $500-$600,

I'd sell my old trusty HD650 and buy a pair. At $1000 there isn't as much urgency.

 

The LCD-2 was tighter than the T1. I was very impressed by the sound overall. They probably are at least as true to the

music as the HD800, maybe more so. Not quite as "referency" as a well driven O2, maybe halfway between the midrange 

color of the HD800 and the flatish O2. From the sound, they are pretty compelling. The build quality didn't wow me, which

isn't a deal breaker, but I didn't like the ergonomics. If a headphone is uncomfortable in the first 10-15 minutes of headtime,

it needs some work. I'll wait for a year or two for the LCD3 to maybe adress the issues. 

 

If the LCD drivers could be installed in a T1 frame and sold for $1200, then you'd have the headphone that could take my vote

for "the headphone of the last two years" away from the HD800. 

Edited by bada bing - 9/7/10 at 10:48pm

is this actually a "the best audio quality" poll or what is the best value?

 

because not one of those listed in the poll are fantastic values

For me personally, any headphone that cannot sound like a full-range pair of speakers with subwoofers that can go down to at least 30Hz + or - 3dB, is not even worth bringing up in conversations about "the best" or "high-end" or "top whatever." Not only does it have to be able to measure that low, it has to actually SOUND like there's a subwoofer, with substantial sense of bass weight that feels authoritative. There are way too many headphones out there that does pretty well in mid-range and treble, but the minute you listen to the bass and it just sounds bass-shy and insubstantial. For this reason alone, the HD800 is disqualified (IMHO). Not that the other ones don't have problems, but I'm just saying. The D7000 doesn't qualify either because it's got a recessed mid-range that takes the body out of all the vocals and instruments, and it's got a squeezed and shrill treble range as well. The bass is weighty and punchy, but it might be a tad too much on some music, although I can forgive it since it sounds really satisfying. I haven't hear any of the other ones on the list, but my LCD2 will be arriving soon.

 

On a related note, the best headphones I've ever heard in my life thus far is the Stax 007MKII. Nothing even comes close--they all sound like toys compared to the 007MKII.

Edited by Lunatique - 9/8/10 at 5:17am

Lunatique I see the Stax in your very near future. You will not be satisfied with anything less.

To be honest, I'd rather not spend $5,000+ on a pair of headphones/amp if I can help it. I'm hoping the LCD2 will come close enough to the 007MKII that my headphone journey ends at the LCD2. If it doesn't satisfy me the way 007MKII did, then my wallet will burst into tears and start trembling in fear. :(

Edited by Lunatique - 9/8/10 at 11:32am

LMAO start saving as the Stax is becoming a clear vision. Then you will done as long as you dont come to this insane place(meant in fun way).

 

Just get the O2mk1 with the SRM-717 Simple. Find a pristine set second hand for $2400 or better and buy them. Own them for as long as you want to own them, and sell them for (drumroll please....) exactly what you payed when your done with them. Its amazingly easy to own a world class system for the cost of shipping if you have cash and buy it second hand. A very convincing argument could be made that its actually less expensive to buy the world class headphones you want rather than mucking about with every mid-tier FOTM (not to call the Audeez FOTM, but other headphones have stood the test of time and sell for exactly as much as you payed 2 years ago today...) Considering shipping costs, depretiation for buying new, and the fact that the prices of FOTMs fluctuates like whoa its a very easy argument to make.

 

As much as people like to fap over amps, it reallllllly is the last 1% in the equation. If you hear the headphones on a decent amp, and dont like them a really good amp wont help. If the amp is poopy, a better amp *may* help, but the 717 isnt that bad at all.

Edited by nikongod - 9/8/10 at 9:33am