[zerolight]

Is there an aftermarket padded cover for the headband to provide a bit more padding for these?

Edit: Obligatory photo of new headphones.

 

[sludgeogre]

Your taste in music is almost custom built for the 2. Thank you for reminding me of those albums.

Thanks man! I feel that way sometimes. It really is a perfect fit for me, even the slightly shelved treble is great for tinnitus, heh. I haven't bought an open headphone in 2 years, since I bought these.
 
Speaking of custom built for the 2, this album feels like it is just that. I think Khemmis should be sponsored by Audeze, it's a beautiful experience. https://khemmis.bandcamp.com/album/absolution

 

[Malfunkt]

  Thanks man! I feel that way sometimes. It really is a perfect fit for me, even the slightly shelved treble is great for tinnitus, heh. I haven't bought an open headphone in 2 years, since I bought these.
 
Speaking of custom built for the 2, this album feels like it is just that. I think Khemmis should be sponsored by Audeze, it's a beautiful experience. https://khemmis.bandcamp.com/album/absolution

Listened to this on both HD700 and LCD2. Sounded great on both, the HD700 brought the guitars forward  more, the LCD2 evened it out and brought majesty. Btw - production on this is very good. This sounds to have a combination of dynamic compression techniques and more wide dynamic mic recording - resulting in a very layered sound.

 

[Zyklonius]

  Wow! That is a journey, but bet it was fun  
 
I've been out of the metal world for a while. Any recommendations for something that would blow my mind from a production quality standpoint? anything intensely grand, or with vast emotional depth? I'm more of a classical music head but will take time to immerse myself in genres like metal once and while (usually once a decade) just to check in. In the past I've like stuff from Opeth, At the Drive In, Mastadon, Ruins, Slayer, Megadeth, Napalm Death, some Dream Theater. But if there is something even more psychadelic or mind-altering, even if its instrumental I'm game. 
 

 
My best of 2016 list includes a lot of stuff that meets your criteria (psychedelic, mind-altering, intensely grand and/or with vast emotional depth): https://ninecircles.co/2016/12/26/best-of-2016-zyklonius-list/
 
I'd single out The Morningside (should appeal to Opeth fans), 40 Watt Sun (dictionary definition for vast emotional depth, even as it barely qualifies as metal), Cult of Luna & Julie Christmas (intensely grand post-metal), Lotus Thief (psychedelic and mind-altering), Mare Cognitum (psychedelic, intensely grand black metal in space), Aluk Todolo (extremely psychedelic and mind-altering instrumental stuff), Schammasch (yes, a triple album with a grand vision and depth), Mithras (psychedelic, intensely grand death metal in space), Mammoth Weed Wizard person (massive and psychedelic), Inter Arma (fits every stylistic criteria you listed), Obsidian Kingdom (vast emotional depth and grandiosity).
 
Some of the above are on the extreme side (although your history with Napalm Death should prepare you for anything), so The Morningside, 40 Watt Sun and Obsidian Kingdom should be the least grating in that regard. Aluk Todolo could be of particular interest for fans of classical music, albeit in a strange way.
 
From a production quality standpoint, I'd recommend the following albums with high dynamic range and generally thoughtful production:
 
https://vainaja.bandcamp.com/album/verenvalaja-hdr-24-bit-master (included in my 2016 list)
https://auric.bandcamp.com/album/empty-seas
https://mithrasuk.bandcamp.com/album/on-strange-loops-the-hi-res-full-dynamic-range-edition (included in my 2016 list)
https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/starspawn (included in my 2016 list)
https://theruinsofbeverast.bandcamp.com/album/takitum-tootem
https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ii-morphosis
https://demilich.bandcamp.com/album/20th-adversary-of-emptiness
 
Pallbearer recently released a new album (Heartless) which has received heaps of praise. Personally, I don't think it reaches the majestic, epic heights of their sophomore album which could be of interest to you as a gateway album for a glorious comeback to the world of metal: https://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/foundations-of-burden
 
Earache has released full dynamic range editions of 1990s death metal classics (e.g. Carcass, Entombed, Bolt Thrower), which you can find here: https://earache.bandcamp.com/artists
 
To tie all this back to the topic of this thread, I've found LCD-2 (mine is Fazor from 2014/2015) to be the ultimate weapon for any kind of extreme metal, both horribly and well produced material. Lots of body and oomph for doom and death metal. Stellar bass and midrange without any sibilance caused by the icy tremolo of black metal. Laid-back yet with limitless authority that will get your head banging and feet tapping.
 

   
@Zyklonius needs to come back. He's the coolest. I see him lurking on the currently viewing. What have you been listening to?

 
You rang, I arrived. I've been away, focusing on Nine Circles writing duties and enjoying the addition of iFi Pro iCan  to my rig (LCD-2F + Schiit Gumby) and the ensuing nirvana. Music-wise, trying to keep my head above the rising flood of recent killer releases. So far this year, Emptiness, Aversio Humanitatis, Fen and Fides Inversa have had the greatest impact. Really stoked for Psudoku's new album that should be out next week.
 
Btw, give Sunless' Urraca a go (beautifully produced dissonant DM with an organic sound, courtesy of - you guessed it - Colin Marston): https://sunlessband.bandcamp.com/

 

[Tom Blake]

@Zyklonius- cool we have exactly the same system! Gumby -> iCAN Pro -> LCD-2F (2016 model). Love it - wonderful synergy. I also have TH900's for when I need more isolation. Speakers are Genelec M040's which I also love.
 
I will have to check out your site and some of your recommendations. However, I am a child of the 70's so like classic metal/hard rock and prog. Can't really take any metal with "Cookie Monster" vocals. For example love clean Opeth, but the stuff where Mikael growls - not so much. LCD-2's (and TH900's) do great with this material as well.

 

[MRC001]

Originally Posted by Malfunkt /img/forum/go_quote.gif
... I'm more of a classical music head but will take time to immerse myself in genres like metal once and while (usually once a decade) just to check in. In the past I've like stuff from Opeth, At the Drive In, Mastadon, Ruins, Slayer, Megadeth, Napalm Death, some Dream Theater. But if there is something even more psychadelic or mind-altering, even if its instrumental I'm game. 

Like you, 90% of my listening is classical or other types of natural acoustic music. But some hard rock can be expressive with artistic merit. I tried a band/abum called Swans, The Seer from Stereophile's "Records to Die For" list. I found it pretty hard-core and dark, but ultimately expressive with solid musicianship. I wouldn't call it enjoyable, but intense and musically satisfying. They have something compelling to say. On the other hand, I tried Scott Walker, Soused, and didn't find it nearly as interesting.

 

[SP Wild]

Maybe if you could bypass the internal x-over and use a MicroDSP? I'd like to try one, one of these days...but for now my Active X-over does wonders for my AudioEngine speakers.

I find active crossovers and built in amps pump the bass much lower whilst being flatter than passive speakers.

I will not waste more time with the Fpx7s... They sound good in the medium field in my room where the bass can balance its uppermid K701 like emphasis. In the nearfield it was far to unbalanced in the uppermid. Using the eq at back to reduce the treble further exposed the weakness in the woofer... And the upper mid emphasis remains.

Thus the Sennheiser's Neumann KH120s claims it's first victim.

I introduce the next contender for the throne...



Adam A7Xs... The Clash if the Titans. Stay tuned.

 

[WayTooCrazy]

Adam A7Xs... The Clash if the Titans. Stay tuned.

Those are nice! Congrats!

 

[thecrow]

SP Wild(and others)
I notice you have a lehmann bcl and some audio gd products.

How do they pair with the lcd2?
I was considering the nfb1 amp (maybe the master 9). Im thinking they might be too dry. Whats been your experience?

I do gave the woo wa2 for my hd800 and the lcd2 does ok with it. Not bad, not exceptional but good, quite good,but wondering about other options

Thanks

 

[SP Wild]

SP Wild(and others)
I notice you have a lehmann bcl and some audio gd products.

How do they pair with the lcd2?
I was considering the nfb1 amp (maybe the master 9). Im thinking they might be too dry. Whats been your experience?

I do gave the woo wa2 for my hd800 and the lcd2 does ok with it. Not bad, not exceptional but good, quite good,but wondering about other options

Thanks

When you say dry I think of grained sibilance and treble. The LCD2s are anything but dry. I don't think amping them for good sound is so difficult.

Those are nice! Congrats!

Straight out of the box the woofer is definitely better than on the FPX7s.

I actually highly recommend the FPX7s if that is your maximum budget. I already preferred the tweeter in the FPX7s than on the formidable KH120s.

The tweeters on the A7Xs hurt my ears... But wait... After several hours... No they don't. Same thing happened to me with the FPX7s tweeter. Burn in matters big time.

Only the tweeters on the Adams are even better... PHWOAR! WOW!

KH120s tweeters have dynamic driver grain...

 

[thecrow]

When you say dry I think of grained sibilance and treble. The LCD2s are anything but dry. I don't think amping them for good sound is so difficult.


.

I'm looking to keep/enrich further those mids and lows

Do you have a reccomendation of the bcl v audio gd at all?
What do you usually use?

Any general tips in choosing a suitable amp for them

Thanks
Peter

 

[SP Wild]

I'm looking to keep/enrich further those mids and lows

Do you have a reccomendation of the bcl v audio gd at all?
What do you usually use?

Any general tips in choosing a suitable amp for them

Thanks
Peter

Audio GD is your ticket to enrich those mids and bass. The Lehmann can run out if steam at very high volumes... Which I never recommend to listen so high anyway. The Lehmann is old and poor value.

Schiit amps would lean out the mids whilst furthering the bass qualities.

 

[thecrow]

Audio GD is your ticket to enrich those mids and bass. The Lehmann can run out if steam at very high volumes... Which I never recommend to listen so high anyway. The Lehmann is old and poor value.

Schiit amps would lean out the mids whilst furthering the bass qualities.

Thanks for the reply

What do you mean "would lean out"?

 

[SP Wild]

Because of the LCD2s immense capacity to resolve thoughout the midrange... It resolves the lower midrange too well, in a way that some recording engineers never expected you to.

This thickens the sound if the LCD2... Makes them warm.

I have no problems with the extra resolution down in the lower mids. Some do and want to de-emphasise this. Hence to have a 'leaner' less 'thick' less lower midrange emphasis.

 

[thecrow]

Because of the LCD2s immense capacity to resolve thoughout the midrange... It resolves the lower midrange too well, in a way that some recording engineers never expected you to.

This thickens the sound if the LCD2... Makes them warm.

I have no problems with the extra resolution down in the lower mids. Some do and want to de-emphasise this. Hence to have a 'leaner' less 'thick' less lower midrange emphasis.

So if ive got this right (and ive never heard any schiit gear), the audio gd are the more neutral of the two. Higher level of resolution. Hence higher resolution in the mids too. And when an amp like that with high resolution comes in board that allows the mids and lower end of the lcd 2 to come up rich and NOT lean.

Is that what you mean?