Vitaly2017
Headphoneus Supremus
Hey I dont want to spoil the fun of a brand new lcd 2 classic closed. But I am also really considering the zmf ori any one got thoughts on those?
Audeze LCD-2 Closed
- Thread starter Ishcabible
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Vitaly2017
Headphoneus Supremus
Hey I dont want to spoil the fun of a brand new lcd 2 classic closed. But I am also really considering the zmf ori any one got thoughts on those?
sweetben
100+ Head-Fier
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Well it turns out the pair sent to me was one of the defective pairs...oh well.
Vitaly2017
Headphoneus Supremus
Boy that sucks. If it was me I probably wouldnt know if i got the good or bad and might dislike the pruduct cause of the bad tuning
good thing you saw it.For closed backs, consider the Fostex TH-900 (Sapphire Blues are newly tuned).
Having owned the LCD-4 and listened to the rest of the LCD lineup (fazored only though), I'd go with the ZMF Ori over any LCD. I greatly preferred it to my LCD-4 due to its more natural sound; similar sound signature but no upper mid/lower treble recession that creates a really odd, unnatural veil around vocals and many instruments (piano most of all). I could never get over that.
How V-shaped is it? The standard one is one of the most V-shaped tuned headphones ever; basically no mids, just heavily boosted bass and treble. Such a weird unnatural sound.
Vitaly2017
Headphoneus Supremus
Boy lcd-4 under the ori hehe in that case its almost a bargain kind of for 900us $ vs 4000$.
Any feedback how cpmfortable that huge headband on ori? The headband from lcd looks very comfy.
The LCD-2 Closed headband looks similar to the LCD-4 which was awful for comfort. Hopefully it is improved, but with the LCD-4 the suspension design fails to suspend, leaving all the weight on your head still, potentially causing sore spots on the top of your head.
While the Ori (I wonder which weighs less between the two?) has a fully functional suspension headband; the top headband won't make contact with your head at all, unlike the LCD-4. So it ends up being very light on your head, with a moderate clamp.
Vitaly2017
Headphoneus Supremus
Aa well thats good cause I was wondering how that headband on zmf works. Technicaly its a fostex band with leather wraped around?
I tried the lcd old headband and not that its hugely uncomfortable but in mind I always toght the new band would be a really good solution. But have you tried both of them to confirm the comfort?
A lot of photos on ZMF's website are outdated and show the old headband design which is indeed just the stock Fostex pad with a leather piece wrapped around it. The current one is this:
Top one is the original Fostex band with something wrapped around it, inner one is a more flexible material creating a suspension design.
As for Audeze, the only Audeze suspension headband I've used is the LCD-4. Haven't used the LCD-2/X/3 since before they had suspension headbands.
Vitaly2017
Headphoneus Supremus
A lot of photos on ZMF's website are outdated and show the old headband design which is indeed just the stock Fostex pad with a leather piece wrapped around it. The current one is this:
Top one is the original Fostex band with something wrapped around it, inner one is a more flexible material creating a suspension design.
As for Audeze, the only Audeze suspension headband I've used is the LCD-4. Haven't used the LCD-2/X/3 since before they had suspension headbands.
Oh wow I actualy it was the old headband on zmf with fostex wrap this is the picture of it and its true thats what you see on there website is outdated then. The new headband looks like the new audeze style to with a thin layer beneath the main band. It should be very comfortable in that case.
frankraindog
100+ Head-Fier
looking forword for some more impressions of the closed lcd-2. as I've an eye an this one now.
This new LCD-2 Closed has the same headband as the LCD-2C, even though it looks similar to the LCD-4 there's a huge difference. It's much more comfortable now to the point where I would not hesitate to say the LCD-2C's are one of the best feeling headphones to just put on your head. The headphones themselves are still heavy compared to most of course, but the new headband design in combination with the new memory foam earcups feel very nice. I never felt any discomfort on the top of my head or ears with the new headband, but considering the general weight of the headphones it could make your neck strain after a couple of hours or so.
Spedinfargo
New Head-Fier
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Yeah, hoping to keep this thread on topic as well. I've had eyes (and one listen session worth of ears) on the LCD-XC and was VERY tempted to purchase when they went down to $1300. I had a suspicion that they were going to introduce a new closed-back and I'm now SUPER interested in these esp. at the $900 price... My second try at the LCD (not specifically the XC) made me wonder if they were going to be too heavy, though, so interested in the comfort of these new ones in comparison.
Going to the big city this weekend - hoping to get a demo the LCD-2 Closed. If my dealer has a pair in stock, how will I be able to tell if they are a flawed pre-release model?
Going to the big city this weekend - hoping to get a demo the LCD-2 Closed. If my dealer has a pair in stock, how will I be able to tell if they are a flawed pre-release model?
I had a brief listen to it in New York about two weeks ago. Audio46 was among the first store to have them. I was comparing the LCD-2 Closed (which I was really keen and wishing a lot, as I want the LCD house sound + closed back + the affordable price) to the AFC, and to the LCD-XC.
Admittedly, I don't think that is a demo unit-- looks like they took all those headphones I asked to try out of the box--- so I am pretty sure they have close to zero run-in time. (but none of the 3 were thoroughly run-in either)
I tried the AFC first. Well, while it wasn't as good as my HD800s (especially when it comes to imaging and details), it was quite decent. Balanced, a bit lean on bass but okay for the genre I listen to, and bass is well-extended. A bit too bright for me, but the filter corrected that. Still, overall, it wasn't close to an open back. (my Hifiman HE500 is clearly superior to it overall, let alone my HD800s)
So, I put on the Audeze, seeing if I can hear the LCD-2 sound in a closed back (in which case I would immediately buy it!) The result is utterly disappointing! The presentation is different from the AFC, but what matters is the overall SQ: it just sounds like a $200 headphone (and an open back HD650, the massdrop version costs less than $200, will totally destroy it!!): bloated, VERY muffled. Yes it is dark, like the LCD-2/3. But while the LCD-2/3 is dark AND detailed, layered and clean AT THE SAME TIME (which is not easy at all), the LCD-2 closed is just muffled. Layerings is totally gone , having just listened to the AFC. In fact the difference in details was so vast that with 2 seconds I know this is crap(no I don't think I simply mistaken the focus on high frequencies on the AFC for details. In fact I was looking for a dark but detailed headphone in closed form,), although I still listened for a while. Anyways, it was one of the most disappointing headphone I have listened to regardless of price.
To make sure it wasn't just a bias from listening to the brighter AFC, I asked for the LCD-XC to compare. Well, I can find darkness done right again! It is darker than the AFC, but that doesn't make it muffled. Good layering, etc. Even if it is 3 times the price of the LCD-2 closed, it will still be worth the price. Let alone the close gap now.
Again, my impression is based on units that I suspect have zero run-in time. (but then, so was the LCD-XC) So, take it with a grain of salt.
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