Is the LCD-2 the high end headphone for me?

Just a warning, this is a bit of a large post.

I've recently been trying to work out the direction I will be taking with my home rig. I am looking at spending around $2000 for a nice dac/amp/headphone setup. The LCD-2 have been on my list for a while, and I am closing in on taking the plunge. I was wondering if you guys think I am making the right choice, or if there are better choices out there for me.

My music tastes span across a variety of genres, from rock/indie, to acoustic/folk, death metal, ambient/post-rock, classical and drum n bass. My favorite band is Sigur Ros and I think they sound brilliant through my AD900s, though I am not happy with a speicific parts of the AD900 sound and I am looking to take it to a new level.

Is the LCD-2 for me? Can the LCD-2 make me a 1 headphone man and be happy with everything it will give me? Or am I better off getting a couple of cheaper headphone like the RS1i for my rock/metal/acoustic, then something else cheaper for the ambient/drum n bass/classical? 

One of the main requirements I am looking for from my new headphones is a thumping/punchy kick drum. I have a speaker system in my car with a sub, predominately because I love the sound of a thumping kick drum, especially for rock/metal (as long as it does not impede on the rest of the frequency spectrum and have a negative impact on other aspects of the music.) 

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, as well as any comments about the LCD-2 with each of the genres I have listed. I am leaning towards the LCD-2 slightly over the HE-6 currently as I am not liking the kind of power requirements needed for the HE-6, though the $1299 HE-6/EF-5 deal looks pretty decent also. Is the LCD-2 a headphone that I would be missing out on a massive amount from if I were to use something like the new NFB-3 DAC and a EF-5 amp, rather than forking out a lot more? Or will the differences be minute, still allowing the LCD-2 to really sing, and DAC/Amp upgrades would be something to work towards upgrading later next year.

Really sorry about the extensive post, but I am sure we all want to find out as much information as possible before forking out this kind of money.

If I hold out I may end up trying to find a second hand concerto, or getting a HA160, so $1600 may end up being around $1900-$2000 if I hold out a few months. I have heard the EF-5 is a very good match for a cheap price.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Currawong 

The closest you might get with your budget, if you're already considering Audio-gd, is the NFB-10, unless you particularly want separates.  I highly recommend using them balanced.

 

What you say about drums sounds about spot-on for the LCD-2s. I tend to think that, say, Ultrasones and Denons overdo it (if you have experience with either). The LCD-2s have both speed and impact throughout the entire frequency spectrum, which is a rare trait.  Going by what you have, I think the LCD-2s will be quite a different experience for you regardless.

I do not have experience with the Ultrasone's or Denons. I have been interested in a couple of Ultrasones, but the Denon's sound like they are much too boomy, as well as reports of them having recessed mids which I would hate. I am also not really too interested in amp/dac combos, so I was thinking something like the NFB-2 or 3 as a DAC, and then save up a tiny bit extra for a Concerto. That would all come in at just under $2000. I am not too interested personally in balanced, but I see it as something to upgrade to in the future. Thanks for the info!

I have also changed the budget to $2000 maximum in the OP, though finding out if the headphones are right for me over other products at the same price or cheaper is the main focus of this thread.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik 

You're going to have to budget for an appropriate amp, as well.

The Concerto/HA-160 aren't appropriate amps?

The Gilmore Lite is another possible option if I went the LCD-2 route, but finding a 240V version is quite hard.