[SP Wild]

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Do you have a frequency response chart for your LCD-2? If those gigantic pads to anything in particular it might have shown up on there?
 

Mine came from the same batch as Red Jacket Mike's. Here is a picture showing the pads and a copy of the FR graph.

That is a very noticeable thicker pad than on my pair.  Surely this will affect sonics, possibly a slight leaning out in tonal balance?

 

[Skylab]

They sure LOOK thicker than mine, too. I also notice the treble in the response graph looks rougher than mine.  I wonder if they are related.

 

[mrspeakers]

Unless the phone is measured on a dummy head, the pad wouldn't effect the HF response, I think.  
 
On a real head it might increase the seal to improve LF response, and/or the greater distance to the head would move reflections to a lower frequency, which would make the "ragged" response shift to the left a bit.  They may also have done this to respond to complaints of pad crush or ear pressure vs. sonics.  

 

[BebopMcJiggy]

I mean it says right at the bottom measured on Neumann KU100 (dummy head).

 

[mrspeakers]

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I mean it says right at the bottom measured on Neumann KU100 (dummy head).

Doh.  I should look at the legend.  My bad.  Guess I had my "dummy head on."  

  Never post before imbibing caffeine.  
 
At least the theory was right: further from head = a bit more ragged at lower frequencies.  

 

[yossi126]

His pair sounds a little different no matter how you turn it.
If the pads were immune to wear and thinness over time we all had the same sound coming out of the lcd-2.

 

[jax]

 
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I got my LCD-2's in the mail yesterday and out of curiosity today I decided to measure the impedance of the headphones. Turns out the right channel measures at ~43.2 Ohms and the left channel measures at ~47.8 Ohms...interesting. I haven't seemed to notice any channel level imbalances when listening so far, however.
 
Any thoughts?
 
Note: These measurements were taken with an Amprobe 5XP-A multimeter using the Silver Dragon V3 cable. With the stock cable I get measurements of ~42.8 Ohms for the right channel and ~47.4 Ohms for the left channel.

 
They're supposed to be rated at 50 ohms, so on the WA6SE, they definitely should be plugged into the low impedance jack, right? I tried them briefly in the high impedance jack last night, and for a minute I thought I was getting more volume at 9 o'clock than from the same position on the low side; it seemed that there might have been more bass, too--but, later, after plugging them back into the low side, it seemed about the same to me, so it must have just been my ears at the time.
 
Somewhere I read what the impedance guidelines were for the Woo WA6SE, as far as what should be plugged in to the low or high side, but I can't seem to find those numbers anymore.
 

I had them paired with a WA6SEm for months and a whole lot of listening.  On my rig they definitely sounded better out of the high output.  It seemed to give a tonally richer presentation.  Ultimately I did not like the pairing of that amp with those cans because I felt I was loosing out on the extension both ways (big time on the high end where the highs tended to sound a bit softened and recessed).  I've already wrote about this in a previous post - I had blamed the LCD-2 for the AWOL highs, but it was in fact the pairing of the amp with those cans.  I think the WA6SSE is a fine amp and paired off brilliantly with other dynamic cans I've had and tried it with, but not at all with the LCD-2.  YMMV, of course.  I did not realize just how much was missing there until I heard them with a more optimal pairing.  The one thing the WA6SEm did brilliantly was vocals - they were seductively present and natural and were probably the thing that kept me listening hour after hour.  Ultimately I really missed too much of the music to keep using it and I sold it.  If you want to hear the full potential of the LCD-2's the Apex Peak Volcano and the Violectric V181 in balanced do a brilliant job with them.  The difference between how the LCD-2 sounds with either of those two amps, and the WA6SEm is almost like you were listening to a different pair of cans. But as to your question, try it yourself, but I think the High output sounded markedly better. 

 

[jax]

 
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Do you have a frequency response chart for your LCD-2? If those gigantic pads to anything in particular it might have shown up on there?
 

Mine came from the same batch as Red Jacket Mike's. Here is a picture showing the pads and a copy of the FR graph.

That is a very noticeable thicker pad than on my pair.  Surely this will affect sonics, possibly a slight leaning out in tonal balance?

Mine also have a thinner pad than that and my response graph has what appears to be a slightly deeper drop in the highs.  Not by much, but it's there.

 

[Red Jacket Mike]

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Do you have a frequency response chart for your LCD-2? If those gigantic pads to anything in particular it might have shown up on there?
 

Mine came from the same batch as Red Jacket Mike's. Here is a picture showing the pads and a copy of the FR graph.

And here are similar photos of my pads, and my response chart; looks like I have a bit more of a dip at 2K, but a less extreme one at 8K.  These pads do seem thick, but I think these phones are extremely comfortable.  You know you are wearing something, though--I had them on for nearly two hours straight last night, which is a long session for me without a break.  No discomfort at all.

 

[Red Jacket Mike]

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I got my LCD-2's in the mail yesterday and out of curiosity today I decided to measure the impedance of the headphones. Turns out the right channel measures at ~43.2 Ohms and the left channel measures at ~47.8 Ohms...interesting. I haven't seemed to notice any channel level imbalances when listening so far, however.
 
Any thoughts?
 
Note: These measurements were taken with an Amprobe 5XP-A multimeter using the Silver Dragon V3 cable. With the stock cable I get measurements of ~42.8 Ohms for the right channel and ~47.4 Ohms for the left channel.

 
They're supposed to be rated at 50 ohms, so on the WA6SE, they definitely should be plugged into the low impedance jack, right? I tried them briefly in the high impedance jack last night, and for a minute I thought I was getting more volume at 9 o'clock than from the same position on the low side; it seemed that there might have been more bass, too--but, later, after plugging them back into the low side, it seemed about the same to me, so it must have just been my ears at the time.
 
Somewhere I read what the impedance guidelines were for the Woo WA6SE, as far as what should be plugged in to the low or high side, but I can't seem to find those numbers anymore.
 

I had them paired with a WA6SEm for months and a whole lot of listening.  On my rig they definitely sounded better out of the high output.  It seemed to give a tonally richer presentation.  Ultimately I did not like the pairing of that amp with those cans because I felt I was loosing out on the extension both ways (big time on the high end where the highs tended to sound a bit softened and recessed).  I've already wrote about this in a previous post - I had blamed the LCD-2 for the AWOL highs, but it was in fact the pairing of the amp with those cans.  I think the WA6SSE is a fine amp and paired off brilliantly with other dynamic cans I've had and tried it with, but not at all with the LCD-2.  YMMV, of course.  I did not realize just how much was missing there until I heard them with a more optimal pairing.  The one thing the WA6SEm did brilliantly was vocals - they were seductively present and natural and were probably the thing that kept me listening hour after hour.  Ultimately I really missed too much of the music to keep using it and I sold it.  If you want to hear the full potential of the LCD-2's the Apex Peak Volcano and the Violectric V181 in balanced do a brilliant job with them.  The difference between how the LCD-2 sounds with either of those two amps, and the WA6SEm is almost like you were listening to a different pair of cans. But as to your question, try it yourself, but I think the High output sounded markedly better. 

I have a Meier StageDAC and Concerto on order, and I'm anxious to hear if the highs are a bit better with that combination; I like the WA6SE a lot, but, like you, I want a bit more in the treble extension.  Also, as I've posted before, the Woo is not completely silent when operating.  I'll have to compare the low and high jacks again this evening; I do know that the very faint hum I hear from the Woo between tracks sometimes is less present through the high impedance jack.
 
At any rate, I'll probably keep the Woo since it sounds great through the high output with my HD-800s.  No problem with treble extension there.

 

[spart1cle]

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And here are similar photos of my pads, and my response chart; looks like I have a bit more of a dip at 2K, but a less extreme one at 8K.  These pads do seem thick, but I think these phones are extremely comfortable.  You know you are wearing something, though--I had them on for nearly two hours straight last night, which is a long session for me without a break.  No discomfort at all.

I agree. I was surprised to feel just how comfortable these headphones are given the comments I had read about them being too heavy. Others have made note of how well these headphones distribute their weight, and they are right. The leather used on the pads is very soft and the cups are large enough to fit around my ears without feeling cramped for space. So, as far as comfort is concerned, I'm happy.
 
The pairing with my HeadRoom Ultra Micro amp is a different story. It certainly can drive them to very loud volumes, but just seems to be lacking in dynamics....alas I'm not really in the market for an amp upgrade at this point. Guess its something to look forward to!
 

 

[sokolov91]

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And here are similar photos of my pads, and my response chart; looks like I have a bit more of a dip at 2K, but a less extreme one at 8K.  These pads do seem thick, but I think these phones are extremely comfortable.  You know you are wearing something, though--I had them on for nearly two hours straight last night, which is a long session for me without a break.  No discomfort at all.

I agree. I was surprised to feel just how comfortable these headphones are given the comments I had read about them being too heavy. Others have made note of how well these headphones distribute their weight, and they are right. The leather used on the pads is very soft and the cups are large enough to fit around my ears without feeling cramped for space. So, as far as comfort is concerned, I'm happy.
 
The pairing with my HeadRoom Ultra Micro amp is a different story. It certainly can drive them to very loud volumes, but just seems to be lacking in dynamics....alas I'm not really in the market for an amp upgrade at this point. Guess its something to look forward to!
 

Yup very comfy indeed and the weight distribution is good. I find they gently hug the head.
 
4 hours in my neck starts to complain a bit though
 
I never heard mine as ever lacking dynamics. Can't say its what actually did it, but once I got my Class A phoenix the LCD-2 have since spanked like no other headphone.
 

 

[spart1cle]

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...and my response chart; looks like I have a bit more of a dip at 2K, but a less extreme one at 8K...
 

I've overlaid the two FR graphs to make comparisons easier (mine is blue, Red Jacket Mike's is purple). Ignore the misalignment of the Audez'e Logo, they used different graphics on each print out.
 

 

[jax]

 
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I have a Meier StageDAC and Concerto on order, and I'm anxious to hear if the highs are a bit better with that combination; I like the WA6SE a lot, but, like you, I want a bit more in the treble extension.  Also, as I've posted before, the Woo is not completely silent when operating.  I'll have to compare the low and high jacks again this evening; I do know that the very faint hum I hear from the Woo between tracks sometimes is less present through the high impedance jack.
 
At any rate, I'll probably keep the Woo since it sounds great through the high output with my HD-800s.  No problem with treble extension there.

I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on the Concerto/WA6SE comparison.  My Woo had no hum issues whatsoever with any can I threw at it.  It was dead silent.  You have the Mapleshade weights on there I saw, but I wonder how effective those are since they have to be placed on the tranny covers rather than the actual transformers.  I have had hum issues with other amps which were eliminated by weights on the transformers.  Also, have you checked the mounting bolts for the transformers?  Have you tried using an entirely different circuit in your house to power the amp?  I did have one pair of mono amps that responded that way to being plugged into a different circuit (and no it was not and amp-grounding as these particular SET amps had no grounding on their fixed power cords).  I think in that case it was actual noise on the circuit itself - someone else with more knowledge of such things might chime in.  I thought the WA6SEm sounded great with HD800's too, and also did quite well with T1's.  They actually produced very nice results from a AKG701's which was entirely unexpected as I previously did not care for those cans. 

 

[Red Jacket Mike]

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I have a Meier StageDAC and Concerto on order, and I'm anxious to hear if the highs are a bit better with that combination; I like the WA6SE a lot, but, like you, I want a bit more in the treble extension.  Also, as I've posted before, the Woo is not completely silent when operating.  I'll have to compare the low and high jacks again this evening; I do know that the very faint hum I hear from the Woo between tracks sometimes is less present through the high impedance jack.
 
At any rate, I'll probably keep the Woo since it sounds great through the high output with my HD-800s.  No problem with treble extension there.

I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on the Concerto/WA6SE comparison.  My Woo had no hum issues whatsoever with any can I threw at it.  It was dead silent.  You have the Mapleshade weights on there I saw, but I wonder how effective those are since they have to be placed on the tranny covers rather than the actual transformers.  I have had hum issues with other amps which were eliminated by weights on the transformers.  Also, have you checked the mounting bolts for the transformers?  Have you tried using an entirely different circuit in your house to power the amp?  I did have one pair of mono amps that responded that way to being plugged into a different circuit (and no it was not and amp-grounding as these particular SET amps had no grounding on their fixed power cords).  I think in that case it was actual noise on the circuit itself - someone else with more knowledge of such things might chime in.  I thought the WA6SEm sounded great with HD800's too, and also did quite well with T1's.  They actually produced very nice results from a AKG701's which was entirely unexpected as I previously did not care for those cans. 

The weights actually help with vibration noise I can hear outside the headphones; if you get really close to the amp when it's running, you can hear this; placing the weights diminishes this noise, but it's not the same hum I hear through the headphones.  I have disconnected everything from the amp except AC power, power umbilical, and headphones, and taken it to various areas of my house, and the hum is always present.  Very faint, but definitely there.  I've also tried lifting the ground with a 3/2 adapter, and reversing the polarity.  I have not checked the transformer mounting bolts, however.
 
The hum is most noticeable with my D7000s out of the low impedance jack, but it is there with all my headphones, using either output.  The main reason I've ordered the Concerto is because every review or comment I've read about this amp is that it's background is totally silent and black.  If I can have that silence, I'll put up with a sound signature that might be slightly different--and possibly I'll even like it better.