[Pirakaphile]

I don't know why, but I find the LCD-2's treble just right. I think the differences in opinion/hearing is due to the cups placement in your ears. Large driver it has, so if your ears' flaps are covering the drivers, treble would be SUBSTANTIALLY reduced, hence it would sound overly bassy. I've discovered this early on when I had the LCD-2F (which I bought first before the LCD-2.2).

So to hear the real intended tuning design of the LCD-2.2s, you've got to place the cups as forward and as down as possible (so that the ears are as far back and up as possible, hence not getting in the way of the huge drivers).

I've found that whenever I do this, the treble is there, in fact I find it just right, neither emphasizing nor reducing. The bass isn't affected at all.

It doesn't affect the comfort at all to have the drivers so forward? I try to center my ears of my headphones for some reason. Symmetry I guess.

 

[porridgecup]

I don't know why, but I find the LCD-2's treble just right. I think the differences in opinion/hearing is due to the cups placement in your ears. Large driver it has, so if your ears' flaps are covering the drivers, treble would be SUBSTANTIALLY reduced, hence it would sound overly bassy. I've discovered this early on when I had the LCD-2F (which I bought first before the LCD-2.2).

So to hear the real intended tuning design of the LCD-2.2s, you've got to place the cups as forward and as down as possible (so that the ears are as far back and up as possible, hence not getting in the way of the huge drivers).

I've found that whenever I do this, the treble is there, in fact I find it just right, neither emphasizing nor reducing. The bass isn't affected at all.

 
After several weeks of experimenting, I've come to the exact same conclusion. To me they sound best when doing this. When I first got them, I felt like the bass was covering up the treble a fair bit, but now the bass pretty much seems the same but the highs are a lot stronger and sound just right. I've set the gimbals to the least tight fit possible while still fitting my head, which prevents my ears from covering the drivers.

 

[moriez]

If there's anyone considering to get rid of his LCD-2F send me a PM. I have an AKG K3003i for trade.

 

[Ratio]

Just joined the Audeze hypetrain, got my rev 2. ones used for a crazy price 

 I did notice that I'm pretty familiar with the sound characteristic of LCD-2 from using HE-500 as my main headphones. Then looked into the freq. response and boom they are pretty similar 

 

[diamondears]

It doesn't affect the comfort at all to have the drivers so forward? I try to center my ears of my headphones for some reason. Symmetry I guess.

Not me. I have a big head though, so it just goes towards my cheeks more. If you do what you do, your ears would block out a substantial portion of the drivers and therefore treble.

 

[Malfunkt]

Early Impressions of LCD2 versus HD650 (cross posted from HD650 Impressions thread)

Well, along came an LCD-2 (rev1) into my hands. I got it for a price too amazing to pass up. It had some cracks in the Rosewood, very minor, and otherwise is great condition.

Over the past year I've come to absolutely love the HD-650. I did feel bass wan't quite right with the. Not bad, but just missing that extension. Also, the HD650 while detailed somehow didn't seem to have the same clarity as some other headphones I've had (MDR-EX600, Ah-D600, Amperior, MDR-7550). 

My immediate impressions is that the LCD 2.1 is like opening a few extra doors, one that is subterraneous in its depth of bass extension. It is also clearer. There are transients I wasn't even hearing with the HD650 made apparent.  And as we all know, they are less comfortable.. much less comfortable but they do settle in. Mind you my HD650 had vice grip of death before I gently flexed the metal frame until it loosened up. Perhaps the LCD will relax in time. 
 
The HD650, perhaps because of its bass roll-off - but also because I have a rev1 LCD2 - has more 'air'. I don't mind the 'dark' sound of the LCD. 
 
Mid range on both is excellent with the LCD again just having a bit more detail. Guitars just a bit more alive. 
 
Presentation - the LCD2 is more upfront and immediate. Its quicker paced. 
 
Did a test with binaural environmental recordings that I am very familiar with. The LCD, although recessed in treble, was more realistic. You could pick out more detail. Sounds separated themselves better with the LCD. With the HD650, a bird sound blended with gusts of winds, whereas with the LCD these same winds were more gentle, distant and transparent with the birds being able to actually be placed in front of you, in trees. A campfire recording with crickets in the back, never quite did it for me with the 650. The better transients of the LCD renders those crackles and pops of the fire, the flutter of the flames, just a bit more convincingly. With the same campfire track,  the nighttime crickets extend further and 'sit' within a horizontal plane. The same sounds with the HD650 are just a bit less focused. The biggest difference would be a recording of thunder and down pour. The low rumbles are rendered exceptionally on the LCD2 and you can hear them move across the sky above - incredibly realistic. The crack of thunder just has the right attack to it. Little pitter patters of rain also benefit from these better transient details, and are less dimensional with the 650. With the LCD2, not only can you hear the water hitting the ground and tarp around you, but you can hear it drip and flow afterward. This last test with the rain and thunder, the LCD2 pulled quite ahead in terms of realism. But all said the HD650 is still performing well in this test and up to now was my favourite headphone for binaural. Also some may prefer it. That bit of 'air' the HD650 has almost makes you feel it. 
 
As to which one is more enjoyable.. I can't answer that quite yet. I'm so used to the HD650. The 650 is so agreeable in so many ways. But it is apparent that the LCD just has a bit more. I am interested in trying it out some higher end amps/gear (but something tells me that what I'm hearing is pretty true to the character of the headphone). Was actually quite surprised after reading about its amp requirements, that my little JDS Labs C5D is able to get the LCD2 loud with room to spare. It doesn't appear to be missing anything or stressed. The low end is there and I'm not sure if I'd want 'more'. My Rotel RA-01, which has a very nice headphone out, 1/3 of the way up is as much I'd go on the volume pot. I'm more of transducer first guy, but open to hearing what all the fuss is about regarding expensive amps/dacs.
 
The more I listening to the LCD2 the more it is pulling me away from a familiar friend.

The HD650 is incredibly good, especially for the prices you can get them at. The only other headphone that I got along with so well with was a Denon AH-D600. The Denon didn't present as realistically as the 650, were even comfier, and had better bass extension. With the LCD-2 I feel like I've got my bass back - what should be there. 
 
Still all said, these cans are comparable. Now I can understand why its recommended to HD650 fans. They are both very good and I can honestly say it may come to preference. So the 650 can hold its own against the LCD2. 

 

[CanadianMaestro]

Malfunkt, I'm with you on this. LCD-2.2 for me, is just more lifelike. But 650 is more soothing, like cashmere for my eardrums. The weight of LCD is a bummer for me, though.

 

[jmotyka]

Me and two of my friends have been trying to come up with ideas on how to reduce the weight of these while keeping the sound signature the same and improve comfort. Weve come up with ideas about just custom building the entire headphone and keeping the drivers to changing out the wood for another material like carbon fiber. IDK we will see what happens. But before we do all that im still getting my impressions together so i can write my review.

 

[Lohb]

  Me and two of my friends have been trying to come up with ideas on how to reduce the weight of these while keeping the sound signature the same and improve comfort. Weve come up with ideas about just custom building the entire headphone and keeping the drivers to changing out the wood for another material like carbon fiber. IDK we will see what happens. But before we do all that im still getting my impressions together so i can write my review.

All the weight or pretty much 90% is in the planars. I've torn a set down.
 
The cups are next-to-nothing in weight, as is the headband.

 

[Rayoki]

 
All the weight or pretty much 90% is in the planars. I've torn a set down.
 
The cups are next-to-nothing in weight, as is the headband.

I've contemplated a well built suspension system, it might distribute the weight better. I have the suspension strap and the extended rods added to mine and it fixed the issue i was having with them pressing down.

 

[CanadianMaestro]

   
After several weeks of experimenting, I've come to the exact same conclusion. To me they sound best when doing this. When I first got them, I felt like the bass was covering up the treble a fair bit, but now the bass pretty much seems the same but the highs are a lot stronger and sound just right. I've set the gimbals to the least tight fit possible while still fitting my head, which prevents my ears from covering the drivers.

Good to know. I've never found LCD-2.2 to be even slightly off balance in tonality (flat graph), so the treble is just fine with me. Might even try adjusting the ear pads a bit to tilt the earcups/drivers slightly off axis with eardrums.

 

[CanadianMaestro]

 
All the weight or pretty much 90% is in the planars. I've torn a set down.
 
The cups are next-to-nothing in weight, as is the headband.

If that's true, there's little chance of reducing weight by 30% without destroying/altering the SQ of LCD-2.2.

 

[Malfunkt]

A bit late to the LCD2 party, I just posted a review and comparison here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/765538/bandwidth-isolation-tests-with-lcd2-hd650-mdr7550-hd25-comparisons-and-review
 
What may be of interest is that I isolated certain bandwidths of the frequency spectrum to compare performance. The LCD2 performed very well.

 

[CanadianMaestro]

  What may be of interest is that I isolated certain bandwidths of the frequency spectrum to compare performance.
The LCD2 performed very well.

 
It would have to perform very well since it has so many fans here and elsewhere.

 

[Lohb]

  A bit late to the LCD2 party, I just posted a review and comparison here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/765538/bandwidth-isolation-tests-with-lcd2-hd650-mdr7550-hd25-comparisons-and-review
 
What may be of interest is that I isolated certain bandwidths of the frequency spectrum to compare performance. The LCD2 performed very well.

I saw you used Tipper for your music source, I was just emailing a friend last night to use it with his planars for test tracks as that Tipper guy's mastering is amazing. It just shows that there is nothing limiting about 16/44 when people put the effort and know-how in.