[matthewh133]

I made the payment just over 2 weeks ago now. Still waiting for them to show up, it's killing me! Will be interesting to see if I prefer my AD2K's better after ready the previous couple of pages.

 

[grokit]

 
Quote:

The AD2000's seemed to improve dramatically, when I completed the pad mod to lift the drivers from my ears - no longer had honky upper mids.   And... they mate very well with the WA6 SEm... and... if I recall correctly, the X-Can v8.  With my set up, they sound very, very similar to my Stax Stuff... and... may have a bit better bass.

If you're talking about the "phatpad" mod (and it sounds like you are), I have done that to both my AD2K and the W5K that I had. I found that it did help the upped mids spike as you said, as well as improving physical comfort and perceived soundstage by giving my ears a bit of breathing space.
 
But moving the drivers further away from the ears was at the expense of bass impact. I noticed this in particular with the W5K, as the AD2K is has more low end in it's original, un-modded sound signature than any of AT's other offerings that I have heard. This is analogous to Grado users switching to flat pads for the opposite effect, bringing the drivers closer to increase bass impact.
 
With the AD2K I keep the pad mod in place for physical comfort, but when I press the drivers closer to my ears the bass improves.
 
The LCD-2 OTOH has all the bass you could ever need while giving your ears plenty of room. If it doesn't have the right kind of amplification and source, that bass impact can take over the rest of the sound signature, but when you feed it right the LCD-2's frequency response is very evenly distributed and the soundstage really opens up as well.

 

[Duckman]

RE the B22 and LCD2: my guess is that it it more about synergy than simple power and linearity. I liked the LCD2 with my single ended B22. However it lacked that ultimate instrument separation and air that I hope for in a phone. It was very good, but I can imagine how the O2/BHSE would easily beat it.
 
I'm with those who say the O2 and LCD2 should be compared on similarly synergistic amps. The O2 has the BHSE. I vote for the Leben CS600 for the LCD2. To my ears it was clearly a step or two above both the B22 and Leben CS300XS, but I admit, this is going on a mere 15 minute session I had with it.
 
Still, you can get awesome sound from a $450 Lyr, whereas the O2 would struggle to keep up on a similarly priced budget Stax amp.

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Ok, tks for that, I will look into this pad mod what it is.
 


 

 
It's in the AD2000 thread.  It's just the insertion of polyvinyl gap filler (rope used to fill gaps for home caulking projects) under the pads to lift the driver from your ears, which otherwise rest to close to your ears.  You can get it at Home Depot, or Lowes, in the weather strip section in various sizes - I think I used 1/2" diameter, or maybe 5/8".  I inserted it to the rear of the phones, angling them out at the rear. 
 
I didn't notice any loss of bass, but a big improvement in the upper mids and in soundstage. 
 
They also benefit from burn in, and a good match with an amp.  Mine also have an upgraded 1/4" plug. 
 

 
 

 

[Gradofan2]

 
Quote:

Most people don't mod, if you have to mod your headphones to get them sounding appropriate then they are by design flawed imo and should be reworked and re-released based on what works best.  Most people also don't have the time to properly match an amp or the sufficient funding making that point kind of moot as well.
 
Not trying to attack you, just my opinion.
 
Doesn't mean its wrong to mod them, or pair them with the right amp to make them epic.  It just means they are not really worthy of much to most people.


 

Well… that’s not been my experience, nor the experience of many, if not most, on this forum.  

No phones are “perfect” in all respects.  I know of no phones, which do not benefit from a careful matching of the front end components (source, amp, tubes, op amps, etc.) to achieve their optimum sound quality - some more, some less.  And many benefit from various mods.  It’s a matter of the electrical properties of all components, and the sound qualities of each component, as well as the personal preferences of the user.  

I expect, you’ll eventually agree, when you’ve had more experience with more phones and components.
 
 

 

[LostChild1]

I seem to remember hearing that for people who like the HD650, but who don't like the HD800, that the Audeze LCD-2 is the way to go. Would anyone like to comment on the validity (Or invalidity) of such a statement?

 

[grokit]

 
Quote:

It's in the AD2000 thread.  It's just the insertion of polyvinyl gap filler (rope used to fill gaps for home caulking projects) under the pads to lift the driver from your ears, which otherwise rest to close to your ears.  You can get it at Home Depot, or Lowes, in the weather strip section in various sizes - I think I used 1/2" diameter, or maybe 5/8".  I inserted it to the rear of the phones, angling them out at the rear. 
 
I didn't notice any loss of bass, but a big improvement in the upper mids and in soundstage.

I definitely don't notice the loss of bass as much with the AD2K as I did with the W5K. Maybe it has a bigger impact with closed cans in that respect. But what I used was silicon tubing, same effect I'm sure but perhaps more forgiving/comfortable. Sorry about so OT, can't figure a way to bring this post back to the LCD-2.

 

[GMF2010]

Just received Trevor's (Norse Audio) new Caribbean Rosewood LCD-2 cable. I'm really liking the matching splitter!
 
 

 


 
 

 

[jamato8]

That is some serious wire. I look forward to your impressions. 

 

[grokit]

Beautiful cable, Norse is kicking butt and grabbing a share of the market!

 

[Mr.Sneis]

Quote:

I made the payment just over 2 weeks ago now. Still waiting for them to show up, it's killing me! Will be interesting to see if I prefer my AD2K's better after ready the previous couple of pages.

 
Yeah I feel like I've waited so long that by the time I finally get th LCD2 they won't be fotm/foty any more heh.

 

[Asr]

I've done a few formal listening comparisons of the LCD-2 in balanced mode on the GS-X versus single-ended mode on the B22, so this may or may not be valid yet, but the difference between the two is less than what I thought it would be. Marginal might be a good word to describe, and I can't say if one is "better" than the other. It "seems" like the GS-X offers more treble tilt but that's only because it doesn't push as much bass/mid-bass as the B22. On the B22, the LCD-2 really exudes powerful bass; on the GS-X not so much. But it has slightly more treble tilt on the GS-X. Aside from that, the two amps are really close to each other, almost identical. I might even claim that the GS-X has no trouble driving the LCD-2 in balanced mode - it sounds like nothing is really lacking (with the obvious exception of deep powerful bass compared to the B22).
 
Quote:

I agree the AD2Ks are very nice phones and the only ones I kept after selling of all my other cans including the T1,HD800 and HE5LEs, but I still wonder what you consider a properly matched amp, can you give an example of one you think makes the AD2Ks shine?
Have you heard the LCD-2s with a "suitable" amp, they sound very nice with my APL amp, dont know what you used with them?

The Dynalo is THE best inexpensive amp I've heard for the AD2K. I've said it before and I'll continue to say it again, no one has heard the AD2K until they've heard it on a Dynalo.
 
Quote:

Since Ive not heard the O2/BHSE combo I dont know how I would find there sound, but the LCD-2s gel quite well with the amp I own and I use the AD2Ks with the same, so if Id venture a guess Id say you find the AD2Ks somewhat faster on electronica? Im not familiar with the B22, but if I recall correctly it uses feedback? Isnt it possible that if youd use the LCD-2 with an amp of the calibre of the BHSE or better that you might percieve them as equal of the O2s?

I wouldn't say the AD2K sounds faster than the LCD-2. They're approximately equal in impulse response, IMO. It's more that I've gotten used to the AD2K after about 5 years of owning it and it's hard to acclimate to another headphone at this point. (The AD2K has been my electronica headphone for all of those 5 years.) As I have no idea how much further the LCD-2 might improve with other amps, I can't say if I would find them close to the OII.

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

I wouldn't say the AD2K sounds faster than the LCD-2. They're approximately equal in impulse response, IMO. It's more that I've gotten used to the AD2K after about 5 years of owning it and it's hard to acclimate to another headphone at this point. (The AD2K has been my electronica headphone for all of those 5 years.) As I have no idea how much further the LCD-2 might improve with other amps, I can't say if I would find them close to the OII.

Actually, look at the risetime for the Audio Technica ATH-AD2000 vs. the LCD-2;
 
Guess which is which?  Which can shows faster risetimes? Which can rings like a bell at around 1800Hz?
 
Can A

 
Can B

 

 

[llama_egg]

God those Norse cables are beautiful, without a doubt. I haven't even received my pair of LCD-2's yet and I already want one.
 
Maybe I'll shoot him a message on payday. Hmmm...

 

[Jian]

Those cables looks nice!