[Sonic Defender]

 
Got the email, love the music and I'm very impressed with the Ypsilon driver, it goes almost as low as the HE-560 and makes the LCD-2f seem bass lite.  I know that sounds like I have too much to drink but I can see why the others are really hyped about the Ypsilon driver, there was one guy who used the housing from a LCD-3 and made a custom mount to use the Ypsilon driver and said he was very impressed: http://www.head-fi.org/t/793136/grado-modders-go-ypsilon-elleven-acoustica-drivers-and-builds-thread/255#post_12666254.

Very sweet. I do think you've had too much to drink, but I still believe you.  

 

[bavinck]

  I think the 3 is a solid step up
 
More fleshed out midrange, better textured and detailed bass, and more resolving overall
 
Not worth $1000 more, but LCD3s go for $1350 used, which is $600 more than a new LCD2

I have read people comparing the LCD2 2016 to the original LCD3, so I doubt the there is a very big step with the newer drivers....

 

[Sonic Defender]

  I have read people comparing the LCD2 2016 to the original LCD3, so I doubt the there is a very big step with the newer drivers....

I suspect the differences are more tuned in and not likely major, but heck if somebody has the extra cash and likes the LCD 3 signature better why not. I'm pretty darn happy with the 2 so far.

 

[DivergeUnify]

I have read people comparing the LCD2 2016 to the original LCD3, so I doubt the there is a very big step with the newer drivers....

Hear them for yourself through Lumoid. They have almost identical signatures, the 3 just takes everything about the 2 and makes it a bit better

I've also read that Audeze is horrible, but that didnt stop me from enjoying the LCD 2/3/4

 

[Sonic Defender]

I've also read that Audeze is horrible, but that just stopped me from enjoying the LCD 2/3/4

I don't understand, did you mean that didn't stop you from enjoying them, or are you saying because others wrote that Audeze is bad you didn't enjoy them?

 

[DivergeUnify]

I don't understand, did you mean that didn't stop you from enjoying them, or are you saying because others wrote that Audeze is bad you didn't enjoy them?

sorry, edited

 

[bourbonhoova]

Hi,
I have just sold my HiFiMAN HE-500s, and should be buying a new LCD-2 in a couple of weeks. It looks as though there is one shop in my city that has them in stock and I will be going there to audition them properly before buying, ..but anyway I have a couple of questions - in an effort to try to make my expectations realistic (as I will probably be in quite an excited state when I go to the shop).
1). Can anyone comment on how the bass of the latest revision, LCD-2 Faser compares to the bass put out by the HE-500s? Or if not, maybe how much it's changed from the earlier LCD-2s from several years back?  
2). Given that this shop I will be going to is listed as an authorized, recommended retailer by Audeze... (and this is a relatively isolated city) is it realistic to go in there demanding that I won't settle for anything but a current model Dec '2015-onwards unit? Do you think I can just take their word for it on this, or should I expect to see the factory quality inspected certificate dated post-November 2015? - any advice?
I was persuaded to have a listen to an LCD-2 and a T1 a few years back (despite me protesting that they were way over my spending limit at the time so there didn't seem to be much point). I loved the Audeze sound - truly hifi, but with that really effortless, full-bodied bass that puts a big smile on my face. Like pretty-much all of us, I listen to various different genres.. but my favourite are electronic-based. I guess I could describe myself as an entry-level audiophile with a bass-head leaning. I think the Hifiman HE-500 wasn't a bad choice at the time. I think they are a great value headphone at $700AUS... but they just don't do that sub-woofer-like bass. I know that some people on head-fi that clearly know what they're talking about really rate the HE-500 specifically for electronic music, and yeah I can understand that to a degree, but actually I'm pretty sure I enjoy listening to my IE80's more (for electronic). Now, I've read through a lot of this thread, and I'm aware that the LCD-2 has gone through a couple of revisions that have changed it's sound significantly... but what I'm ultimately looking for in my hopefully 'end-game' headphone is quite specific. More recently I've found out that the higher frequencies in my hearing are a bit lower than what you would expect. So I now know that I should definitely steer clear of particularly warm sounding headphones. (I now have a good 2-channel system and a good collection of CD-quality music, as well as a few pretty decent pairs of headphones... so I guess I'm reasonably discerning in wanting proper hifi resolution in my music enjoyment. But I also LOVE quality, impact-full bass that goes down really low. So I'm really hoping that these LCD-2s are going to be my end-game home-listening heaphones, and will last me for a good, long time. $1600(AUS) is a serious purchase (going higher up into full-on 'summit-fi' territory is pretty-much out of the question for me - at least for the time being). 
I will be using them with an Audio-GD SA-31SE and a M2Tech 'Hiface' DAC. (Could look at possibly up-grading my DAC a bit further down the line.
Would be really interested to read any comments.

 

[fiascogarcia]

  Hi,
I have just sold my HiFiMAN HE-500s, and should be buying a new LCD-2 in a couple of weeks. It looks as though there is one shop in my city that has them in stock and I will be going there to audition them properly before buying, ..but anyway I have a couple of questions - in an effort to try to make my expectations realistic (as I will probably be in quite an excited state when I go to the shop).
1). Can anyone comment on how the bass of the latest revision, LCD-2 Faser compares to the bass put out by the HE-500s? Or if not, maybe how much it's changed from the earlier LCD-2s from several years back?  
2). Given that this shop I will be going to is listed as an authorized, recommended retailer by Audeze... (and this is a relatively isolated city) is it realistic to go in there demanding that I won't settle for anything but a current model Dec '2015-onwards unit? Do you think I can just take their word for it on this, or should I expect to see the factory quality inspected certificate dated post-November 2015? - any advice?
I was persuaded to have a listen to an LCD-2 and a T1 a few years back (despite me protesting that they were way over my spending limit at the time so there didn't seem to be much point). I loved the Audeze sound - truly hifi, but with that really effortless, full-bodied bass that puts a big smile on my face. Like pretty-much all of us, I listen to various different genres.. but my favourite are electronic-based. I guess I could describe myself as an entry-level audiophile with a bass-head leaning. I think the Hifiman HE-500 wasn't a bad choice at the time. I think they are a great value headphone at $700AUS... but they just don't do that sub-woofer-like bass. I know that some people on head-fi that clearly know what they're talking about really rate the HE-500 specifically for electronic music, and yeah I can understand that to a degree, but actually I'm pretty sure I enjoy listening to my IE80's more (for electronic). Now, I've read through a lot of this thread, and I'm aware that the LCD-2 has gone through a couple of revisions that have changed it's sound significantly... but what I'm ultimately looking for in my hopefully 'end-game' headphone is quite specific. More recently I've found out that the higher frequencies in my hearing are a bit lower than what you would expect. So I now know that I should definitely steer clear of particularly warm sounding headphones. (I now have a good 2-channel system and a good collection of CD-quality music, as well as a few pretty decent pairs of headphones... so I guess I'm reasonably discerning in wanting proper hifi resolution in my music enjoyment. But I also LOVE quality, impact-full bass that goes down really low. So I'm really hoping that these LCD-2s are going to be my end-game home-listening heaphones, and will last me for a good, long time. $1600(AUS) is a serious purchase (going higher up into full-on 'summit-fi' territory is pretty-much out of the question for me - at least for the time being). 
I will be using them with an Audio-GD SA-31SE and a M2Tech 'Hiface' DAC. (Could look at possibly up-grading my DAC a bit further down the line.
Would be really interested to read any comments.

My LCD2s are Nov. 2015 models, so I presume they are the newest generation model, and the first pair I've owned, so I can't respond to questions about those vs previous models.  I was a little pensive about the reputation of Audeze being a "darker" sounding phone, but I've not really had that impression so far.  They do have a wonderful bass.  Not overpowering, but solid and tight.  More surprising to me was that the upper registers really hold their own, as there is great treble detail with no sibilance.  I've been quite happy with mine.  I'm sure that the equipment you use will have an impact on the overall sq, so it is great that you actually have a dealer you can work with to audition them before purchase, assuming they have a return policy.  As far as the mfg. date on them, I suggest that if you decide to buy a set, use your phone to go to the Audeze website, key in the serial number of the set you intend to purchase, and it will give you the mfg. date.  I'm going by memory but I believe its in the part of their website where you verify that your LCD's are authentic and not a stolen set.

 

[DavidA]

@bourbonhoova, you might want to try the TH-X00 (currently on MassDrop), or a TH-600/610.  If you are a bass-head leaning listener then I think you might be happier with the Fostex TH-X00/600.  I have a TH-600 and its one of the more fun headphones with great bass, the mids are slightly recessed but not that bad, the highs can be a bit much for some but to me they are quite good.
 
I have a LCD-2f but its the first generation but it still sounds great to me, I've been thinking about sending it back to have the drivers updated but haven't done so yet.
 
If I had to take only one it would be the TH-600 over the LCD-2f at this time, maybe if I get the new drivers for the LCD-2f I might change.

 

[Sonic Defender]

I find that so far for me it is a tie between the TH 600 and the LCD 2F I have, but I haven't been as able to test as much as I need to so that may change yet. My impression is that the bass with the LCD 2F is a little richer than with the TH 600, but the TH 600 has more impact and I believe extends deeper. I am also leaning toward bass-head territory and listen to a fair amount of electronica, but I do like versatile headphones. Anyway, both are excellent and once I get more time to test I will try some real comparisons. I am preparing to write a review of the new ONKYO A800 open backed headphone so I'm giving it almost all of my head time these days. The A800 is excellent by the way, very much so.

 

[bourbonhoova]

Thanks heaps fiascogarcia, DavidA and Sonic Defender for taking the time to offer comments on my query. 
fiascogarcia - "they do have a wonderful bass" - this sounds encouraging, that's the sort of thing I want to read about the current LCD-2. I will definitely use your suggestion and try using the Audeze website to confirm the manufacture date - great advice. Yeah, I gather from my research that the treble has been improved in the recent one or two iterations (of the LCD-2).. so there shouldn't be any disappointment for me in that area as I thought the version I listened to about 3 years ago sounded great.
DavidA - I did check out these TH-600, TH-610 & TH-X00... I get what you're saying: for you, they edge out the Audeze on electronica.. but it sounds like you're also very happy with the Audeze. Also this will be my 'do-it-all' home listening headphone so versatility is important. There aren't many places you can get these Fostex models from over here - definitely no option to go and try them.. so although those '610s do look interesting, I think I'll stick with the LCDs (but I appreciate your advice).  
Sonic Defender - evidently this TH-600 sounds like a bit of a bass-head's delight. I'm not sure I totally understand what you mean by 'richer' bass - but I'm assuming it's something along the lines of the lower-frequency instruments in say for example an orchestra, the headphones convey that bass sound in a very natural way such that (almost) nothing's getting lost in the re-production of the original sound. Like as in the opposite of boomy, one-note mass-consumer-targeted bass.    "listen to a fair amount of electronica.... anyway, both are excellent" .. it doesn't sound like I'm going to be disappointed with the LCD-2F. As long as they give the bass a somewhat bigger presence than the HE-500s do, I'm pretty sure I'll be happy with them.
Thanks again for the comments guys. 

 

[MRC001]

I've owned the LCD-2 for just over a couple of years now, bought them when the Fazor just came out so mine are one of the first Fazor models. I use them in 2 different systems. One is my audio system, which uses the Oppo HA-1. The other is my computer, which uses the Juli@ sound card and the Corda Jazz amp. The LCD-2 sound excellent on both. I've been an audiophile for over 20 years and I'm an amateur classical musician, hear the "real thing" nearly every day in practice and rehearsal. The LCD-2 captures the sound of real acoustic instruments playing in natural spaces better than any headphone I've ever heard.
 
This is my original review of the LCD-2, compared to the HE-500 which I auditioned previously:
http://www.mclements.net/Mike/mrc-blog/blog-140403.html
 
The only sonic limitation I've found with the LCD-2 is they have a slight recess from around 2 to 9 kHz. It is smooth and linear, so it doesn't sound like the midrange suckout of the HE-500 and some other heaphones. It's like being in the 5th row instead of the 1st row. The LCD-3 have the same thing. If you want perfectly neutral sound, the LCD-X may be a better pick. However, I recently discovered a simple way to make the LCD-2 more neutral. I tried a digital equalizer as a final step to fine-tune my listening room, after tube traps and other treatments had made it pretty darn good (http://mclements.net/blogWP/index.php/2016/05/27/the-power-of-the-dark-side/). Well, I thought, now that I have this digital EQ, what else can I use it for? I created a parametric EQ centered at 4,500 Hz, +3 dB, 2 octaves wide, or 3 dB / octave, or Q=0.67. This is a subtle EQ that offsets its recess, restores a touch of detail, yet doesn't change the wonderful character of the LCD-2 sound.

 

[Sonic Defender]

  I'm not sure I totally understand what you mean by 'richer' bass - but I'm assuming it's something along the lines of the lower-frequency instruments in say for example an orchestra, the headphones convey that bass sound in a very natural way such that (almost) nothing's getting lost in the re-production of the original sound. Like as in the opposite of boomy, one-note mass-consumer-targeted bass.
 
   "listen to a fair amount of electronica.... anyway, both are excellent" .. it doesn't sound like I'm going to be disappointed with the LCD-2F. As long as they give the bass a somewhat bigger presence than the HE-500s do, I'm pretty sure I'll be happy with them.
Thanks again for the comments guys. 

Yes, that is essentially what I feel about the LCD 2 bass quality. It has a slight warmth and a nice tonality to it. It seems easier to hear the detail and timbre of the instruments with the bass - richer sounding. The TH 600 is no slouch, but I would still suggest the bass is perceived as slightly less detailed. I say perceived as the TH 600 has more quantity of bass and it does have some chamber reverberation effects due to being closed. I also think that the mids on the LCD 2 are quite lovely and more forward than the Fostex so they actually assist the tone of the bass which I think is no surprise.
 
I would say the bass gets some colour from the tuning of the LCD 2, same as with the TH 600, the tuning is very nice on both, but I might slightly prefer the bass character of the Audeze; however, the impact of the TH 600 seems greater and I do feel it can extend deeper than the LCD 2, but again, I think the character of the bass all the way down with the LCD 2 is again, just slightly more to my tatse. I am starting to like some warmth in my signatures, but warmth when combined with chamber refraction/reverberation does make bass a little less differentiated sounding so more similar and less ability to portray tonality.
 
Anyway, that has frequently been my experience, real or imagined, but typically I hear open back designs as having the edge in bass quality where tonality and timbre is concerned. And unsurprisingly I'm sure, bass impact and slam seems to be superior in my experience with closed designs, at least among the headphones I have owned.
 
I think you will really like the LCD 2, but if you can find a TH 600 to listen to, it isn't exactly to be scoffed at. Different flavours, but both very good headphones and given the price a used TH 600 can be had for, from a financial point of view, the used TH 600 is a better value than a new LCD 2F, again, assuming signature preferences align.

 

[MRC001]

... however, the impact of the TH 600 seems greater and I do feel it can extend deeper than the LCD 2

 
If by "deeper" you mean frequency, the TH 600 can't have deeper bass; it's simply not possible. The LCD-2 bass is ruler flat down into sub-sonics well below 20 Hz.
 
Yet when people say "deeper" they don't always mean "lower in frequency" - the subjective perception of "deeper" bass doesn't necessarily imply lower frequencies. A speaker or headphone can accentuate the bass in a way that sounds like it goes deeper, even when it doesn't in fact go any lower in frequency. This sonic illusion is most likely what people are describing as "deeper" bass.
 
In my view "deeper bass" in this subjective sense is not necessarily a good thing. Accentuated bass might suit some people's preferences. But to people who want music to sound like the real thing (acoustic instruments played live in natural spaces), accentuated bass sounds artificial, clouding the true timbre of the instruments. When I first listened to the LCD-2 I was concerned that people said it had "big bass". It doesn't. Its bass is neither "big" nor "small", but exactly what the engineer put into the recording. What it has is "good bass". Totally natural, linear response down to sub-sonic levels with no distortion. I don't think human engineering has yet devised more accurate, linear, distortion-free bass reproduction than provided by planar magnetic headphones in general - like the LCD-2, among others.

 

[bavinck]

If by "deeper" you mean frequency, the TH 600 can't have deeper bass; it's simply not possible. The LCD-2 bass is ruler flat down into sub-sonics well below 20 Hz.

Yet when people say "deeper" they don't always mean "lower in frequency" - the subjective perception of "deeper" bass doesn't necessarily imply lower frequencies. A speaker or headphone can accentuate the bass in a way that sounds like it goes deeper, even when it doesn't in fact go any lower in frequency. This sonic illusion is most likely what people are describing as "deeper" bass.

In my view "deeper bass" in this subjective sense is not necessarily a good thing. Accentuated bass might suit some people's preferences. But to people who want music to sound like the real thing (acoustic instruments played live in natural spaces), accentuated bass sounds artificial, clouding the true timbre of the instruments. When I first listened to the LCD-2 I was concerned that people said it had "big bass". It doesn't. Its bass is neither "big" nor "small", but exactly what the engineer put into the recording. What it has is "good bass". Totally natural, linear response down to sub-sonic levels with no distortion. I don't think human engineering has yet devised more accurate, linear, distortion-free bass reproduction than provided by planar magnetic headphones in general - like the LCD-2, among others.

Well said.