[Koolpep]

   
I agree.  These revisions are so one foot forward, one foot back.  The newest fazors have fantastic bass: low, tight, textured.  The midrange however seems not only less forward and magic-y, but overall less smooth.  They are overall more detailed, but less smooth and correct in the midrange.  I think the LCD2 drivers are too limited- Audeze trying to make them a more neutral,detailed headphone to compete with the newest headphones isn't working- it only highlights the imbalances of the treble more  
 
I might upgrade to the LCD3 as its a more capable design and can probably better handle Audeze's shift towards neutral mids

I am totally lost at the moment:
 
I have the LCD2f purchased April 2014 which had the then current fazor drivers.
 
Now, for $250 I can swap them to the new and updated current fazor drivers. The only thing I missed form my current ones is the bass impact. I just wish they had a bit more. Will the new drivers improve on that , without loosing what I love about them in the other areas?
 
It's so hard to find out. Maybe I should take mine to a dealership and compare them (if I can find one that has a demo unit that is the new driver - hard to find out). It's complicated to say the least.
 
Cheers.

 

[DavidA]

 
I am totally lost at the moment:
 
I have the LCD2f purchased April 2014 which had the then current fazor drivers.
 
Now, for $250 I can swap them to the new and updated current fazor drivers. The only thing I missed form my current ones is the bass impact. I just wish they had a bit more. Will the new drivers improve on that , without loosing what I love about them in the other areas?
 
It's so hard to find out. Maybe I should take mine to a dealership and compare them (if I can find one that has a demo unit that is the new driver - hard to find out). It's complicated to say the least.
 
Cheers.

If you ever get the chance to compare please post back here as I'm thinking about getting the new drivers also but have the same concerns about the mids as others have noted.

 

[Koolpep]

 
If you ever get the change to compare please post back here as I'm thinking about getting the new drivers also but have the same concerns about the mids as others have noted.

Will do. I will visit the local distributor/dealership this week and see if they have a new driver model demo here. 

 

[Sonic Defender]

   
 I think the LCD2 drivers are too limited- Audeze trying to make them a more neutral,detailed headphone to compete with the newest headphones isn't working- it only highlights the imbalances of the treble more  
 

What technical information about the drivers do you possess that you can make that conclusion, or are you speculating? I'm assuming that because ultimately a headphone is tuned by a group of people making a decision that the final sound signature reflects their interpretation of what the signature should be. The driver may or may not also be limited technically, but having a particular sound signature doesn't necessarily mean it is due to a limitation in the driver does it? 

 

[DivergeUnify]

What technical information about the drivers do you possess that you can make that conclusion, or are you speculating? I'm assuming that because ultimately a headphone is tuned by a group of people making a decision that the final sound signature reflects their interpretation of what the signature should be. The driver may or may not also be limited technically, but having a particular sound signature doesn't necessarily mean it is due to a limitation in the driver does it? 

I'm speculating. In the same way I'd speculate Sennheiser Hd800 ring drivers aren't capable of planar like bass.

 

[Sonic Defender]

I'm speculating. In the same way I'd speculate Sennheiser Hd800 ring drivers aren't capable of planar like bass.

Gotcha, wasn't sure if what you were saying was based on some known limitations of the LCD 2 that I hadn't read about. Cheers.

 

[DavidA]

  Gotcha, wasn't sure if what you were saying was based on some known limitations of the LCD 2 that I hadn't read about. Cheers.

Its Monday, did your LCD's come in yet?

 

[waifu]

Hi guys. I recently bought myself a pair of Audeze LCD-2 Aluminum edition. 
 
It's been a while since I've tried Audeze. I actually owned an LCD-2 3-4 years ago. At the time, I was in love with the sound. I tend to prefer a warm/dark sound signature. The bass was sublime etc. But I also still wanted to try other brands at the time, so I sold them. I eventually landed with the HD-800 etc. I've been using that as my main rig (had to EQ it though to avoid ear fatigue). Lately though, I've been wanting more options to pick from. The HD-800 does a lot of amazing things. But my fav genre of music is electronic centered. So I love bass. But the other issue in all honesty, I just wanted to give my ears a rest. I'm only a 28, but I have really sensitive ears (it's not the volume, I practice responsible levels of listening). My ears are super sensitive to certain treble and highs/peaks. 
 
Well anyways, in my quest to give myself another option, I dipped my toes back into the Grado line. Specifically the PS500E, since they are more on the warm/dark side. And I really enjoyed them, as I appreciated them bringing a warm/bass + energy that I was missing. But apart of me still wanted to give Audeze another go, because of how much I loved the bass back in the day, and because I knew the sound  sig was very comfy for my ears.
 
Long story short, I really love my Aluminum LCD-2s. I do miss the wood look, but I think the Aluminum actually looks really sexy in person. I love the silver/black look. I can't believe how good the bass is on these! One of the reasons I shyed away from the Audeze back in the day, was because I'm a pretty petite woman, and the weight of the audeze hurt my scalp/neck. I don't think anything has changed in terms of production (these are still heavy headphoens), but for whatever reason, I've had no issues with clamping/ or it hurting my neck/scalp. I've listened to these for 8 hours a day, for about a week too. And so far so good. Don't know why, but I remember my old LCD-2 being much more uncomfortable. While I do feel weight/pressure on my ears, it's honestly pretty comfy! Not as comfy as the HD-800, but comfy enough given all the benefits.
 
To wrap this up, I'm just really glad I've gone this direction. Because I really love the silky/smooth sound sig of this. It's very musical and fun. It's not harsh on my ears. It finally has given my ears a break. The bass is so good! So the way I see it, I have really fun headphones to listen to (with great detail) + the best bass I've ever heard. It's such a good companion headphone to my HD-800.  I'm also keeping my Grado, because I really enjoy their sound for what they are. 
 
The only question I have is, I was considering getting the Upgraded Carbon Fiber headband from Audeze. The reason I wanted to get this (besides it making my headphoens look even sexier with the already grey and black design), was to make sure my headphones are strong for years to come. The question I have is:
 
I. Is it hard swapping out my current headband for it? I assume it's just taking out the screws?
 
II. Do you guys think the carbon fiber headband is the same as the stock in terms of comfort? I don't care if it's the same as the stock one, just want to make sure it's not LESS comfy and doesn't add more weight (don't want it hurting my scalp). 

 

[drews]

I got the CF headband for my aluminum LCD2 and I find it more comfortable (it's lighter than the stock headband).  It was pretty easy to install, just screws...  Matches the aluminum nicely I think:
 

 

[Ampeezy]

  I got the CF headband for my aluminum LCD2 and I find it more comfortable (it's lighter than the stock headband).  It was pretty easy to install, just screws...  Matches the aluminum nicely I think:
 

looking good 

 

[fiascogarcia]

  I got the CF headband for my aluminum LCD2 and I find it more comfortable (it's lighter than the stock headband).  It was pretty easy to install, just screws...  Matches the aluminum nicely I think:
 
 

 
Nice.  So does it eliminate those annoying hot spots?  Thanks!

 

[Sonic Defender]

Retracted, need to test a little more.

 

[fiascogarcia]

  Just my luck, LCD 2 arrived today with a bad left driver. Cuts in and out (not the cable and tried it on two amps as well) and if the left driver is working perfectly if I move my head side to side it shorts out. I can bang on the connector at the cup to make it cut out and sometimes go on so obviously the connector is the issue. Super bummed. I had read about Audeze quality issues so I knew I was taking a chance, but this still does suck. Well, I liked what I heard when both drivers were playing! Now I get to see how well Audeze takes care of their customers. Wish me luck.

Brand new?  Ouch!  Please let us know how Audeze responds.  Glad mine have been trouble free.  Good luck!

 

[drews]

   
Nice.  So does it eliminate those annoying hot spots?  Thanks!

 
I haven't had that problem, but I didn't with the suede headbands I've had on previous LCD2s either...

 

[HPiper]

I am glad I don't read these forums very often, that way I can be completely oblivious to all the changes/upgrades/side-grades that Audeze puts out for the LCD2. I like my LCD's and have since day one and have nothing but praise for the audio I get from them. I am probably at least 6 revisions behind the curve by now and I don't care. I am just glad I have them and unlike others here, I have not had the drivers die on me.