LCD-2 VS Grado RS1 for Rock - Page 5

I am LOVING my LCD-2...however they are a bit heavy...not overwhelming, that is the only bonus on the GRADO...and I am lucky to have a smaller head so neither of these two phones pushes very hard on my head either.

if you have the money get both...LOL

I have both and we do a lot of rock, most of what we do is in the rock vain, dont recommend the LCD-2 for rock.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sling5s 

 

But I would like to hear some comparative comments and opinions on those who have or had both and how they feel about Rock on these two headphones (especially for electric guitars). 

There's nothing I want less for an electric guitar than the piercing, strident, shoutty, peaky, resonant, distorted upper midrange of John Grados. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhythmdevils 

There's nothing I want less for an electric guitar than the piercing, strident, shoutty, peaky, resonant, distorted upper midrange of John Grados. 

Yeah right...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beagle 

I have both and we do a lot of rock, most of what we do is in the rock vain, dont recommend the LCD-2 for rock.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhythmdevils 

There's nothing I want less for an electric guitar than the piercing, strident, shoutty, peaky, resonant, distorted upper midrange of John Grados. 

Different strokes I guess? I personally love the RS1s for rock, but I'd take the LCD-2s over them for rock.

I think the LCD-2 and the RS1i do everything well, the LCD-2 (rev1 which is what I have) just does it a bit better

It is subjective but I think it is a much fuller phone

another thing is that the LCD2 is an open but over the ear phone and the grado is a REALLY open phone....so it is two very different presentations

So, I am glad I have both, I dont see myself selling either of these and really like to switch back and forth

the LCD-2 is an extremely personal phone and the RS1i is slightly less personal but very upfront too (and focused much more in the highs)

Again it all depends if you have the right amp to drive the LCD-2, its easy to say its not a good phone or as good at the RS1i if you have an inferior amp

For example just got the IBASSO D7

http://www.head-fi.org/t/587361/d7-sidewinder-initial-impressions/30#post_8033888

the LCD-2 is much better amped by the P4 than the D7 (and the RS1i gets some more soundstage from the more powerful amplification, but the D7 for the RS1i is a great little combo and a BARGAIN)

what mods have you done - my t50 still cant touch my LCD-2 at least for rock.  Not enough energy, bass impact and treble sounds a little smooth.  

I do agree though that the t50 midrange is excellent, very articulate and natural and more forward than LCD-2, but I'm still not convinced it is better overall for rock unless you do some super duper mod.  

IMO cables can balance the LCD-2 subjective frequency balance quite a lot also, and the R2 has a lot less recessed upper mids.

That reminds me mine haven't been opened in a while lol.

I really cannot see too many phones touching the LCD-2 with respect to not only sound but curb appeal too...they just look like a million bucks!

i like them both, lcd-2 is the better headphone. but i like how rock sounds with the rs1.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dubstep Girl 

i like them both, lcd-2 is the better headphone. but i like how rock sounds with the rs1.

I like them both too....however, I even contacted GRADO a couple weeks ago and told them that they lost their way a bit...the RS1 being a flagship, SHOULD have the extra amenities as the LCD-2 has, nice presentation box, headband, etc...however if you look at the RS1 upper and box, looks like every other grado phone....they could be sexier and treated like a 700 phone

While I'm sure GRADO appreciated you telling them how to fix their business the RS1 is not a flagship, the headband is perfect as it is a quality leather on a headphone that weighs nothing, and the box is just a box. The box has nothing to do with the sound. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulybatz 

I like them both too....however, I even contacted GRADO a couple weeks ago and told them that they lost their way a bit...the RS1 being a flagship, SHOULD have the extra amenities as the LCD-2 has, nice presentation box, headband, etc...however if you look at the RS1 upper and box, looks like every other grado phone....they could be sexier and treated like a 700 phone

I owned some LCD-2's for 2 weeks.

They're brilliant headphones, they work for everything and are a crowd pleaser. The upper midbass is fantastic and listening to well recorded studio albums (just artist, an instrument, and a mic) is like sitting on that persons lap listening to them play or sing. 

The Grados however... when you plug nothing but the headphone into an ipod playing some Diana Krall... see I'm not even getting to rock yet... it makes you question whether or not you're listening to headphones. The RS-2 I have has made me turn around several times thinking someone was breathing behind me when listening to Yo Yo Ma. Probably could be me not taking my meds again but... I jest both are very good at what they do and I don't see them being booted off the market anytime soon.

The LCD-2 eventually lost the battle despite it's positively amazing sound just because I wasn't passionate about it. Something about the way it looked, felt on my head, and sounded with music that normally blows me away just somehow came up slightly short. I listen to rather aggressive music from time to time and this is where I expect the most feedback from my headphones. The treble is dialed back so you don't fry your brain from the treble from bad recordings, but the Grado gives it to you full force. Now the LCD-2 is probably more true to life in how it sounds, but the RS series just plays music the way I want to hear it. It's strictly a matter of preference at the end of the day, they're both amazingly easy to power as well.

The LCD-2 felt like wearing car tires or a two beachballs on my head.. I felt sandwiched in there it was comical yet cushy. The Grado I've probably gotten used to, I like the light weight. Both are win-win to me. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by detoxguy 

While I'm sure GRADO appreciated you telling them how to fix their business the RS1 is not a flagship, the headband is perfect as it is a quality leather on a headphone that weighs nothing, and the box is just a box. The box has nothing to do with the sound. 

 

 

 

Thanks for flaming bro...but at $700, it is "one" of their top of the line phones and as I noted to them, to some people, like me, it is the little things, and they dont have an influence on the sound but...have you ever seen a pair of first gen vintage RS1...machined posts, now they use caps, the L/R plastic inserts look very cheap (though I did find out they make them them-self at GL)...

So I appreciate your critique of my critique detoxguy but where you might see perfection; I see room for improvement and while I do really like the RS-1i...if they were not a gift, I would have returned them because of those small things and would have waited for a pair of vintage to come along.

And back to the sound, I do like the grado sound...and CHRIS_HIMSELF makes a great point, that it take virtually nothing to get any grado in the series to sound good, especially with an iphone, as it has a pretty good HP out...

I enjoy owning both