[xRaptorxPunisher]

That's your experience with them. It also depends what you're coming from. Personally my experience with listening to many sets of LCD-2's I Put the F at the bottom of the pile.

 

[droido256]

That's your experience with them. It also depends what you're coming from. Personally my experience with listening to many sets of LCD-2's I Put the F at the bottom of the pile.

Im coming from a hd-650, he-400, v6, m50, and a Ikiz. Not exactly light weights. The LCD spanks all of them. I literally havent found (yet) a single flaw, and contrary to everything Ive read, they are purring along fine sans amp.

 

[xRaptorxPunisher]

Im coming from a hd-650, he-400, v6, m50, and a Ikiz. Not exactly light weights. The LCD spanks all of them. I literally havent found (yet) a single flaw, and contrary to everything Ive read, they are purring along fine sans amp.

So you've owned basic headphones? Apart from the HD650 which I'm guessing you don't have decent amplification for? The rest are absolutely dreadful headphones. You're not going to find flaws if you don't even know what you're listening for, I mean you can't even hear the upper mid issues. Sometimes it's better to ne oblivious in this game though, I wish I was.

 

[droido256]

So you've owned basic headphones? Apart from the HD650 which I'm guessing you don't have decent amplification for? The rest are absolutely dreadful headphones. You're not going to find flaws if you don't even know what you're listening for, I mean you can't even hear the upper mid issues. Sometimes it's better to ne oblivious in this game though, I wish I was.

I don’t think Ive ever heard anyone claim any of those headphones are dreadful. Yes I have good amping for all of them. From your posts here, like this one, I know I cannot take you seriously.

 

[flailure]

I have to agree with a lot of what droido256 says. My experience was similar, I used to have a large selection of headphones and amps back a decade or so, included among them were some of the nicer grados, a hd800 (got them the first year they were released), had a nice set of beyerdynamics, and a few others. Amps I had were a DIY otl tube amp, the wa22 from woo audio, and a balanced beta 22. I had to sell most everything to pay for my wife's surgeries when she lost her eyesight. I ended up at some point getting a closed back set of vmoda m80s I think they were and to a treble head like myself, they were truly horrible, but all I had for a long time, but you know, they came in very handy as I spent a lot of time back then in the hospital waiting room, and they were perfect for that.


Fast forward to a couple of years ago, I got most of the bills back under control and I wanted to get back into good sound again and while I wanted to pick up where I left off and grab a pair of hd800 again, I decided to take a different road and I'm glad I did, I got my lcd 2f used on a payment plan, and maybe my time spent listening to those damn vmodas ruined my hearing (its possible), but for whatever reason I love my lcd 2f, they are pretty neutral, I could enjoy my orchestral music again (something I could not do on the vmodas), bass is very satisfying but not overwhelming, life is good.

I'm not saying they are tops either, I recently purchased a used pair of hd820's and have spent a lot of time with them and may be posting a review on them after I spend more time, but the hd820's are incredible, definitely outclass the lcd2f, but they should at more than double the price. But going back and forth between those two and the headphones I have been borrowing for my review, I have to say the lcd 2f hold their own, they dont have any real weaknesses, a good Jack of all trades headphones and I could be satisfied with them as my end game.

Ymmv

 

[droido256]

I have to agree with a lot of what droido256 says. My experience was similar, I used to have a large selection of headphones and amps back a decade or so, included among them were some of the nicer grados, a hd800 (got them the first year they were released), had a nice set of beyerdynamics, and a few others. Amps I had were a DIY otl tube amp, the wa22 from woo audio, and a balanced beta 22. I had to sell most everything to pay for my wife's surgeries when she lost her eyesight. I ended up at some point getting a closed back set of vmoda m80s I think they were and to a treble head like myself, they were truly horrible, but all I had for a long time, but you know, they came in very handy as I spent a lot of time back then in the hospital waiting room, and they were perfect for that.


Fast forward to a couple of years ago, I got most of the bills back under control and I wanted to get back into good sound again and while I wanted to pick up where I left off and grab a pair of hd800 again, I decided to take a different road and I'm glad I did, I got my lcd 2f used on a payment plan, and maybe my time spent listening to those damn vmodas ruined my hearing (its possible), but for whatever reason I love my lcd 2f, they are pretty neutral, I could enjoy my orchestral music again (something I could not do on the vmodas), bass is very satisfying but not overwhelming, life is good.

I'm not saying they are tops either, I recently purchased a used pair of hd820's and have spent a lot of time with them and may be posting a review on them after I spend more time, but the hd820's are incredible, definitely outclass the lcd2f, but they should at more than double the price. But going back and forth between those two and the headphones I have been borrowing for my review, I have to say the lcd 2f hold their own, they dont have any real weaknesses, a good Jack of all trades headphones and I could be satisfied with them as my end game.

Ymmv

I would say the LCD-2 per buck offers the most overall. No it isnt the best, and Id be lying if I did say that. There are better headphones out there, however youre looking at $2k-6k easy and needing a sometimes equally expensive amp. So theres a steep diminishing return. I think the LCD-2 is the end point before you get into diminishing returns. It handles all genres well, is forgiving if you just run it just from the phone.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

The LCD-2F(At least the many number of Sheduas and Alu's from 2016-2019) is so far from neutral it's not even funny, apart form sounding like plastic crap they sound compressed and voices sound like the singer has bronchitis. The LCD-2 pre 2014, fantastic timbre, still not neutral but what a sound it produces.

Interesting point sir.

I had worked in headphone industry around 7-8 years and never heard any version of LCD-2 like a plastic crap nor bronchitis kind of sound. Something might be wrong in your chain, or perhaps even defect.

Personally, I really enjoy LCD 2 Classic more than any other 2 series though. Also, ZMF Aeolus is a pretty damn good rival against 2F.

 

[droido256]

I seriously cannot enough of these bad boys.

 

[Rattle]

I have both LCD2F and a pair of LCD2C both from early-mid 2019, I love them both out of 3 different amps no less. They really do display different amps capabilities and "sound" they all come right through. LCD2F with stock pads seems much more refined on the top end and lows are extended and very clean. I do not find them plastic sounding at all. That may have something to do with modi multibit and my amps though. LCD2C in comparison with dekoni velour pads is more about the mids for me. They are not as clean up top but it's not a negative depending on source material and amp. More thump and thicker mid range with less clean low extension. I love the way bass guitar sounds on LCD2C !

 

[droido256]

I have both LCD2F and a pair of LCD2C both from early-mid 2019, I love them both out of 3 different amps no less. They really do display different amps capabilities and "sound" they all come right through. LCD2F with stock pads seems much more refined on the top end and lows are extended and very clean. I do not find them plastic sounding at all. That may have something to do with modi multibit and my amps though. LCD2C in comparison with dekoni velour pads is more about the mids for me. They are not as clean up top but it's not a negative depending on source material and amp. More thump and thicker mid range with less clean low extension. I love the way bass guitar sounds on LCD2C !

Im amazed at how well my LCD-2f is working with my iphone unamped. The little dot mk2 performs the best, but direct from the iphone just shocks me lol. Really perplexes me.

 

[metal571]

Im amazed at how well my LCD-2f is working with my iphone unamped. The little dot mk2 performs the best, but direct from the iphone just shocks me lol. Really perplexes me.

They're really quite efficient headphones. The sensitivity and impedance is similar to Porta Pro, for example.

 

[Rattle]

I have a dx120 dap and I was surprised it sounded decent enough but it's no contest with a good amp. Asgard 3 and modi multibit is a great pairing for me and LCD2F even compared to my $315 SET tube amp and $600 hybrid amp.

 

[trellus]

Im amazed at how well my LCD-2f is working with my iphone unamped. The little dot mk2 performs the best, but direct from the iphone just shocks me lol. Really perplexes me.

LOL, you just forced me to pull them out of the box again (they were boxed up to transport elsewhere in my domain) to see if you were nuts cuz I've had these for several months (got them during the Audeze B-stock sale last year) and I had literally NEVER attempted that cuz I thought that would be extraordinarily silly but I swear this is the second time you've said that ....

..and by golly, you are right, it was surprisingly decent out of this puny iPhone SE (the only iPhone I still possess still with headphone jack internally!).

Definitely not living to their potential but I thought it would sound like total garbage or not have enough volume at all by a mile, but funny that it's even listenable and enjoyable!

 

[droido256]

They're really quite efficient headphones. The sensitivity and impedance is similar to Porta Pro, for example.

See I always heard and was told that a beefy amp was required for the lcd’s. That a iphone didnt have enough power or control to handle them. (Or really any double magnet array planar). Shows I still have much to learn.

 

[droido256]

I have a dx120 dap and I was surprised it sounded decent enough but it's no contest with a good amp. Asgard 3 and modi multibit is a great pairing for me and LCD2F even compared to my $315 SET tube amp and $600 hybrid amp.

Oh my main listening will be on the little dot, however if Im feeling restless and need to move around good to know I can just hook em up direct and rock out!