The Audeze LCD-2 Ortho thread (New) - Page 247

The stock GE tubes are a little aggressive on the high end and a tad grainy. I don't think it's a bad sound at all, but it can definitely be changed with a set of good tubes. I have Amperex orange globe A-frames and they're very smooth and warm without any upper end harshness. There are some other moderately priced choices that are also reputed to be smoother. I did notice that the GE tubes mellow out with some use, but only to a point. It shouldn't be that difficult to smooth out the Lyr with the LCD2.2.

I've been him hawing over getting HD800s or LCD-2 Bamboo and I'm still on the fence. Right now my only front end available is an Audio-GD NFB 12. I've had Schiit Bifrost, Asgard, Valhalla, and a Cambridge DM+, but I've found more value in the NFB-12 so I kept that. I will update it at some point, but for right now, I will only be using the Audio-GD NFB-12 to power whichever headphone I choose. 

 

I am currently using Fostex T50RP with only an ear pad upgrade. I love these headphones for their sound signature and astonishing value. I've spent some time listening to Sennheiser HD595, Sennheiser HD650, Beyerdynamic DT880 250ohm and 600ohm, Beyerdynamic T70, and Denon AH-D5000 *EDIT* I forgot to add the HiFiMan HE-500, but I did not spend a lot of time with it. I thought it sounded very good, but it didn't "wow" me for $700. I still found the Fostex T50RP to have a better sound for its value, so I stuck with it. Out of those headphones I loved the Beyer T70 but wished it had more bass. I also loved the AH-D5000, but at the time I didn't feel $500 was reasonable. The Fotex T50RP really "wows" me every time I listen to it. 

 

Well, now I have the itch to buy something new so I'm looking at the HD800 or LCD-2 Bamboo. I am not sure that I will like the sound signature of the LCD-2. I want to point out that I DO NOT like the sound signature of the Sennheiser HD650 at all. It is too "dark" for me. I want to have a better treble signature, similar to the AH-D5000 or Beyer T70.  I have seen some people say that the LCD-2 has a treble similar to the HD650. Is this correct? If it is correct then I really can't consider spending $1000 on it. My next consideration is the HD800, but it's $500 more than the LCD-2. That means I cannot order the HD800 next week, like I can with the LCD-2. 

 

So my question is, how similar is the treble of the LCD-2 Bamboo to the Sennheiser HD650? I don't like the lack of treble of the Sennheiser HD650. 

Edited by Greg121986 - 12/23/12 at 7:49pm

Very similar, indeed.

Do I need to look at the LCD-3? I really don't want to spend $2000 on headphones, but if the LCD-3 gives a better defined and "less dark" (I don't want too bright) treble, I would have to consider it. 

That's a tough call, honestly. Seeing as you DID NOT like the HD650's sig, 

I see dark headphones as being FLAT OUT a bad pairing for you.

 

It's just hard to gauge what your likability of a dark (LCD-2) but "less dark" (LCD-3) can would be be.

 Shopping for headphones without being able to hear them is a difficult gig. I've spent lots of time auditioning stereo gear and I know what my favorites are. Too much trial and error and dollars lost in the headphone realm. 

 

How about "natural" sound? That may be the most subjective term that exists, but my favorite stereo experiences have always been what I find to sound completely natural. The biggest quality I want is natural vocals. Something I've received from Vivid loudspeakers with MSB Diamond DAC IV front end. I'm not sure if I've auditioned a headphone that I thought sounded completely "natural" to my ears. 

LCD-2 is dark but natural, HD800 is bright and sterile sounding depending on upstream gear. The Paradox is sounding like something you

maybe interested in. Although, it sounds a little dull, IMO.

 

It may be better if other's chime in to give you more perspective. 

If you didn't like the HD-650, the LCD-2 may not be a good match for you. While there are some people that don't like the HD-650 and love the LCD-2, I find they have similar signatures. The LCD-2 and LCD-3 are more alike than different. The HD800 is bright, really bright--not what I'd call a natural sound, at least by my taste. I have a feeling you might like the HE-6. It's a big step up from the HE-500 and has a very airy sound. A little bright, but not like the HD-800. You could probably run it off the speaker taps of your loudspeaker amp, as long as it's not too powerful. The NFB-12 probably doesn't have the juice to run the HE-6 properly.

Steering him to the HE-6 may not be a good thing off the bat.  The HE-500s are a better way to get acclimated with the HFiMan sound.  Then once he finds out whats needed to drive the HE-6 then he can decide if he wants to go down that rabbit hole.  

 

Just IMO

I think Greg needs to audition some of the high end headphones he mentioned, but I figure he's already decided to go down the rabbit hole. . My (possibly warped) reasoning:

He's talking about $1K-2K cans

The NFB-12 is probably not the greatest match for anything he's mentioned.

He may already have a suitable speaker amp for the HE-6.

He already auditioned the HE-500, although maybe he didn't give it enough of a chance.

My impression is that the HE-6 is a departure from what you might expect listening to the HE400/HE500. I didn't warm up to the HE-500, but thought the HE-6 was at another level.

Just shuffling in the dark here, but he should at least throw the HE-6 into the mix.

I actually forgot that I spent a few days with the HE-500 so I edited my last post. :) The HE-500 had great bass, very open and transparent sound. It did not completely blow me away, though. I felt like it wasn't better enough compared to my Fostex T50RP which cost me less than a Benjamin. But again, I only had my Audio-GD NFB-12 as a source. 

 

My current speaker amp is an Anthem PVA7 at 125W per channel. I do not intend to keep this, however. I will probably go with Emotiva stuff because I no longer have a multi-channel system, and I'm looking to reduce my stereo system into a mid-fi stereo with more cost effective equipment. 

 

Should I look at upgrading my source components before getting the headphones? I had determined that I should get a new headphone and then upgrade the front-end. My candidates have been mostly the Audio-GD Reference 10.32. I've also considered Wyred4Sound DAC 2, and I'm not really sure what amplifier I would look at if I needed a separate. I can basically commit to about $1000-1500 in the next few weeks. After that, it will likely be several months before I can complete the package, whether that's DAC, Amp, or headphones. 

 

Are there still websites that do the "loaner" programs? 

Edited by Greg121986 - 12/24/12 at 8:24am

 

I know The Cable Company does: http://www.thecableco.com/Product/NEW-Headphone-Lending-Library

 

Personally, if I had not heard talk of the LCD-2 being 'dark' before listening to them I would have never considered using that word to describe them (and my first audition was with the 'darker' first version too). To me they sound very natural, and if anything I find some of the other flagships have too much treble for my taste.

I think I will contact TheCableCo after the holiday and see about getting HD800 and LCD-2 Bamboo.  I wish they had an SPL Auditor. 

Edited by Greg121986 - 12/24/12 at 10:23am

I would say that the treble quality of the LCD-2.2 is much greater than that of the HD-650.  I loved my HD-650, but with good amplification, the treble on the LCD-2.2 is much more detailed without being brittle.  The HD-650s are indeed very warm headphones, but the little treble they do have I found to be of poor quality.  So having said that, I'm not so sure I can say that liking the signature of the HD-650 is a prerequisite of being able to enjoy the LCD-2.2 thoroughly.  

I'd agree that you don't have to like the the HD-650 to like the LCD-2, but if you do like the HD-650, there's a good chance you'll love the LCD-2. The HD-650 has accurate detailed treble, but it's pulled back a bit--at least compared to bright signature headphones. It's clear that people have very different sensitivities to upper mid/treble energy. If you get too much, it comes across as harsh and often sibilant. If you're not getting enough, a headphone may seem like it's muddy or lacking detail or air.

It has everything to do with psychoacoustics--how you perceive sounds. My observation is that although there are a lot of fine-grained preferences when it comes to headphones, the tolerance to treble energy is the least negotiable aspect for the majority of people.
Edited by Barry S - 12/25/12 at 9:00pm