[xRaptorxPunisher]

I've listened or read so many reviews that are completely of the mask that sometimes I think they were listening to different headphones

As another chap said most of the reviews, in-fact I'd say easily 80-90% of the reviews you'll read are older LCD-2's. If you hear terms such as warm, lush, smooth then that's the older LCD-2's. The newer LCD-2's are on the grainy, rough side, 1k peak then some weird peaks at 6k and beyond. The upper mid recession is much more noticeable too, the older ones were much smooth free from weird peaks until the higher treble which then gently rolled off.

My friend is an Audeze dealer and often sends me whatever I want to use as long as I want and he sent me a Shedua LCD-2 made in 2020 and it sounded horrible, needed EQ badly. I thought it was a bad unit so he sent me a few more, which also sounded horrible but at least consistent. I always check back because Audeze always make little changes here and there or just production variation but the current made ones to my ears now sound a bit more consistent; they just need EQ to fix the weird FR.

 

[pofofo]

Agree on the velours. The bass sounds less impactful and muddier to me. On the upside, they're way more comfortable than stock pads. I can wear the velour for hours whereas the stock pads would hurt my ears and get hot real quick. Good to know that the sheepskins are a major improvement.

The Dekoni sheepskins are softer than the stock ones. I felt that the velours lowered the bass, sucked the midrange out and had a high almost hissing treble, it was a major upgrade to Dekoni sheepskins for me.

 

[MRC001]

It's a shame that Audeze revises these drivers without changing the model number. So it's like, is that LCD-2 a Fazor, and if so, is it the 2012 version, the 2014, the 2016 or the 2020 drivers?

 

[Deolum]

I'm kinda interested in buying a used LCD 2. However i have absolutely no clue which version i'd buy then. There are so much different out there. Does buying a used one even make sense? What about those different wood colors? The darker are named woodrose and whats about the brighter ones?

 

[MRC001]

I've had 2 pair of LCD-2F and both have been quite reliable. One came with the 2016 drivers, the other had 2014 drivers that I later upgraded to the 2016 drivers. The 2016 drivers were a subtle improvement. I sold one pair and kept the other. I've read of people having problems with the drivers dying, but I never encountered that. Mine are still going strong after 6+ years of daily use. Regarding colors, Bamboo is light colored, Shedua is a medium brown. Both look great, I didn't have a preference.

 

[phthora]

I'm kinda interested in buying a used LCD 2. However i have absolutely no clue which version i'd buy then. There are so much different out there. Does buying a used one even make sense? What about those different wood colors? The darker are named woodrose and whats about the brighter ones?

For wood, there's shedua and bamboo, as well. I've also seen some maple, but those may have been modded, I don't know. The wood is purely an aesthetic choice since it does not interact with the sound at all. Personally, I went with the most durable wood of them all: aluminum.

If you want the easiest to find LCD-2, get a post-2016 version. It's most neutral/less colored and more resolving than earlier versions. There are a couple of different pre-fazor versions out there and while they have differences, the common trait is lush, thick sound. These headphones pop up in the sales pages only rarely and go very fast, so it's hard to be very particular about exactly which version you buy. Lastly, there is the pre-2016 fazor version. This one is awfully hard to find, but if that's the one you want, you'll have to buy used and ask for receipt/serial number to verify its date of production. This version is sort of the sonic middle ground between the other two versions, and it seems the least desirable.

Buying a used Audeze does make sense. In fact, given their transferable warranty, the fact that the service headphones out of warranty for a fee, and their durability of build, Audeze is likely the most sensible headphone to buy used.

 

[pofofo]

Ive got a rosewood LCD-2.2 from 2012 which I really like. They are very dark sounding with muted treble, fat bass and surupy mids, perfect for late night listening. Ive also got a pair of LCD-2 Closed backs, which I bought used. They where just under 3 years old and I heard some volume imbalance, contacted Audeze per mail and they gladly took them in for a check. I got new drivers and pads, and got them back pretty fast, very good service.

I would think the closed backs are more like the newer LCD-2s. They are way more neutral than the LCD-2.2 2012s, but still have that Audeze bass, pretty good for mixing/mastering IMO.

 

[Deolum]

For wood, there's shedua and bamboo, as well. I've also seen some maple, but those may have been modded, I don't know. The wood is purely an aesthetic choice since it does not interact with the sound at all. Personally, I went with the most durable wood of them all: aluminum.

If you want the easiest to find LCD-2, get a post-2016 version. It's most neutral/less colored and more resolving than earlier versions. There are a couple of different pre-fazor versions out there and while they have differences, the common trait is lush, thick sound. These headphones pop up in the sales pages only rarely and go very fast, so it's hard to be very particular about exactly which version you buy. Lastly, there is the pre-2016 fazor version. This one is awfully hard to find, but if that's the one you want, you'll have to buy used and ask for receipt/serial number to verify it's date of production. This version is sort of the sonic middle ground between the other two versions, and it seems the least desirable.

Buying a used Audeze does make sense. In fact, given their transferable warranty, the fact that the service headphones out of warranty for a fee, and their durability of build, Audeze is likely the most sensible headphone to buy used.

Maybe i'll just go for the classic.

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

I am experimenting a bit with micro suction tape on the ear pads for an easy pad swap. (Not yet fastened finally, the tape-side of the micro suction material does not stick so well to the fabric of the ear pads, so for good looks they still need to be slightly adjusted). The stock pads do give a somewhat different sound (a bit fatter bass, a bit more muted highs) compare to the newer pads (that are slightly more comfortable), so it is nice to be able to swap quickly. The micro suction material sticks perfectly to the metal of the headphones.

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

Sorry if this has been asked,but I cant seem to find the info in this lengthy thread.Have the leather pads changed over the years?I have a pre fazor LCD-2 that I’m considering a pad change with,would the current pads on Audeze’s website be a little different than my older set?I would hate to lose any of the sound characteristics just for a cosmetic upgrade.Thought I read somewhere the newer ones are a little softer,not sure how they would effect the sound.

They might sound a bit different, depending on exactly how old they are (I both have new and stock pads and they do not sound the same). Note that the 2010 editions are tuned for the pads that they were equiped with... but you might prefer the new-pad sound, so you might want to try it out also. My 2010 pads look like new, so there is no reason to swap them out for wear. I think they look slightly better than the new pads also. Great quality

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

Still sounding as great as 10 years ago

 

[MRC001]

For comparison, here's the LCD-2F 2014 (red) vs. 2016 (grey). This is from Audeze, and I believe their baseline for HRTF is not Harman, but diffuse or free-field.

 

[droido256]

Still sounding as great as 10 years ago

Hopefully in 2040 my 2020 variants are still going on and will last for decades more. They’re my fave headphone

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

For comparison, here's the LCD-2F 2014 (red) vs. 2016 (grey). This is from Audeze, and I believe their baseline for HRTF is not Harman, but diffuse or free-field.

These newer ones seem to be tuned somewhat differently, looking at the graph. But I wouldn't change the older pair that I have at all. The strong deep bass is needed in so many songs that I like, to give some warmth to balance out a colder upper part.

Hopefully in 2040 my 2020 variants are still going on and will last for decades more. They’re my fave headphone

I am not saying that the Audeze drivers will last forever, but these old LCD-1 still work. (from 2009)
( ... with its very light headset and enormous cable. Stills sounds terrific except for the weaker deep bass compared to the LCD-2, (mostly due to the velour pads if I recall the effect of my pad swap test correctly).)

 

[hikaru12]

As another chap said most of the reviews, in-fact I'd say easily 80-90% of the reviews you'll read are older LCD-2's. If you hear terms such as warm, lush, smooth then that's the older LCD-2's. The newer LCD-2's are on the grainy, rough side, 1k peak then some weird peaks at 6k and beyond. The upper mid recession is much more noticeable too, the older ones were much smooth free from weird peaks until the higher treble which then gently rolled off.

My friend is an Audeze dealer and often sends me whatever I want to use as long as I want and he sent me a Shedua LCD-2 made in 2020 and it sounded horrible, needed EQ badly. I thought it was a bad unit so he sent me a few more, which also sounded horrible but at least consistent. I always check back because Audeze always make little changes here and there or just production variation but the current made ones to my ears now sound a bit more consistent; they just need EQ to fix the weird FR.

Ahh man don't tell me that! I just bought a pair from a HFier here. The LCD 2's were my favorite <$1k can. If so, really disappointing that Audeze is making all these changes and not telling anyone.