guitarlp
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 15, 2013
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I was torn between both headphones so I picked up both and am trying them out to see which one I want to keep. I swore I'd prefer the LCD2's based on the overwhelming great reviews over all other headphones except for maybe the LCD3's, HD800's, and even HE-6's. I'm not a bass head, but I do like some bass when a tune calls for it.
I do like the LCD2's, but I really prefer the HE-500's. Besides the fact that the headband on the LCD2's really hurts the top of my head (the clamping pressure is fine however), the sound just doesn't get me excited. The bass is great, but everything blends in a little bit too well. It's harder for me to hear the separation between each of the instruments. The LCD2's have a very silky smooth warmth to them that I love, but they also sound a bit sterile/dull.
Maybe it's because I've been using studio monitors for music for the past 5 or so years and I'm used to that type of sound now? What I mean is, being able to hear all the instruments in great detail, as well as a nice even sound from lows to highs.
The HE-500's make it easier to track each instrument. While I can hear guitars on the LCD2's, I can hear the 5 different guitar tracks with the HE-500's. The HE-500's get me more into the music and I find myself tapping my feet and bobbing my head on each song. The LCD2's sound good, but I'm usually just sitting there listening. The HE-500's are brighter and more open. I actually like the darkness of the LCD2's, but I think I prefer the openness of the HE-500's. While the bass is better on the LCD2's, it's not that much better. But the treble on the HE-500's is much better then the LCD2's.
I guess this is a good thing as it will save me a couple hundred dollars (maybe to spend on some cables!). I know there are people out there that don't like the LCD2's, but I was pretty confident that I would prefer them over the HE-500's based on everything I read online. Just goes to show that reading about other peoples experiences is helpful and educational, but you can't rely on that to make a decision on a pair of cans. You really need to try out the ones that fit your budget and go from there.
Just as a reference, I used both headphones through a Lyr amp as was as an Apogee Duet 2 (the Lyr was much better on both headphones).
I do like the LCD2's, but I really prefer the HE-500's. Besides the fact that the headband on the LCD2's really hurts the top of my head (the clamping pressure is fine however), the sound just doesn't get me excited. The bass is great, but everything blends in a little bit too well. It's harder for me to hear the separation between each of the instruments. The LCD2's have a very silky smooth warmth to them that I love, but they also sound a bit sterile/dull.
Maybe it's because I've been using studio monitors for music for the past 5 or so years and I'm used to that type of sound now? What I mean is, being able to hear all the instruments in great detail, as well as a nice even sound from lows to highs.
The HE-500's make it easier to track each instrument. While I can hear guitars on the LCD2's, I can hear the 5 different guitar tracks with the HE-500's. The HE-500's get me more into the music and I find myself tapping my feet and bobbing my head on each song. The LCD2's sound good, but I'm usually just sitting there listening. The HE-500's are brighter and more open. I actually like the darkness of the LCD2's, but I think I prefer the openness of the HE-500's. While the bass is better on the LCD2's, it's not that much better. But the treble on the HE-500's is much better then the LCD2's.
I guess this is a good thing as it will save me a couple hundred dollars (maybe to spend on some cables!). I know there are people out there that don't like the LCD2's, but I was pretty confident that I would prefer them over the HE-500's based on everything I read online. Just goes to show that reading about other peoples experiences is helpful and educational, but you can't rely on that to make a decision on a pair of cans. You really need to try out the ones that fit your budget and go from there.
Just as a reference, I used both headphones through a Lyr amp as was as an Apogee Duet 2 (the Lyr was much better on both headphones).