[WarriorAnt]

Quote:

It's subjective up to a point. Subtle aspects can be subjective, but my point is that this isn't subtle. The difference between the sound of acoustic instruments on the LCD-2 and all other top headphones that I have (T1, HD800, HE-6, SR-007, ATH-W5000) is so significant to me that I would expect pretty much anyone with normal hearing who pays attention to detail to hear it. The LCD-2 gloss over the details of the rich texture of the sound of these instruments. It's very evident with brass instruments and violin, but also noticeable with pretty much all acoustic instruments. A few people seem to share this impression (including Tyll who generally likes the LCD-2 and seems to think that his latest one doesn't suffer from this problem), but I'm amazed when people report that the LCD-2 are fine in that area.
 
I'd love to hear the Anedio some day, and thanks for offering that, but I already have way too much equipment lying around, and no shortage of DACs.
 

You wouldn't have an Apex Peak/Volcano hanging around for sale would you?

 

[Permagrin]

It's subjective up to a point. Subtle aspects can be subjective, but my point is that this isn't subtle. The difference between the sound of acoustic instruments on the LCD-2 and all other top headphones that I have (T1, HD800, HE-6, SR-007, ATH-W5000) is so significant to me that I would expect pretty much anyone with normal hearing who pays attention to detail to hear it. The LCD-2 gloss over the details of the rich texture of the sound of these instruments. It's very evident with brass instruments and violin, but also noticeable with pretty much all acoustic instruments. A few people seem to share this impression (including Tyll who generally likes the LCD-2 and seems to think that his latest one doesn't suffer from this problem), but I'm amazed when people report that the LCD-2 are fine in that area.
 
I'd love to hear the Anedio some day, and thanks for offering that, but I already have way too much equipment lying around, and no shortage of DACs.
 

Then you've already discounted the LCD-2 owners here who have disagreed with you on this point previously as having poor hearing. C'mon...

 

[visualguy]

Quote:

Then you've already discounted the LCD-2 owners here who have disagreed with you on this point previously as having poor hearing. C'mon...
 

Not at all. I think they simply haven't really tried to make a side-by-side comparison on that music between the LCD-2 and other top headphones, just like you and WarriorAnt haven't done such a comparison. I'm sure they would hear it if they did the comparison.
 

 

[visualguy]

 
Quote:

You wouldn't have an Apex Peak/Volcano hanging around for sale would you?

Sorry, no - I avoid tubes when I can...
 

 

[Alghazanth]

Quote:

 

Sorry, no - I avoid tubes when I can...
 

How come?
 
 

 

[Monsieur]

Hi I was wondering what would be the minimum price for an amp that would go well with these? I don't want to spend too much. Maybe $400 maximum thanks.

 

[Ynoskire]

The Lyr is like 450 I believe and has gathered quite a fuzz around here lately. I suggest you check out the Schiit Lyr threads.

 

[pekingduck]

Heard good things about the Matrix M-Stage ($250)
 
Quote:

Hi I was wondering what would be the minimum price for an amp that would go well with these? I don't want to spend too much. Maybe $400 maximum thanks.

 

 

[WarriorAnt]

Quote:

Not at all. I think they simply haven't really tried to make a side-by-side comparison on that music between the LCD-2 and other top headphones, just like you and WarriorAnt haven't done such a comparison. I'm sure they would hear it if they did the comparison.
 

I suppose I'm an odd element in all this, perhaps unlike many other enthusiasts.  I've never heard another pair of headphones and the thing is I don't want to nor do I care to hear another pair.  I have no curiosity to hear another pair of headphones. I've listened to the following genres: Ambient, Electronic, Dance, Industrial, New Age, Country,  Folk, Pop, Acoustic, House, Rock, Electronica, Jazz, Jazz Vocals, Trance, Club, Disco, Downtempo, Avant Garde, Goa, Psychedelic, Dub, Hip hop, Tri Hop, Latin, Latin Jazz, Psybient, Psytrance, Acid Jazz, Soul, Blues, World, R&B, Post Bop, alternative, Reggae, Drum & Bass, Nu Jazz, Classical, Opera, and my own compositions.   I've sampled some songs from all these genres between the two pairs of LCDs I've had.  
 
The LCD's may have it's faults but I really don't care what they are, I simply like what I hear from these cans and I'm glad I do because I took a real chance buying $1K cans with no experience with cans or having heard any other cans. I'm 54 now and retired and I have a lot of time to listen to music.  when I was 24 and collecting high end gear I spent at least 15 years worrying whether or not I was getting all the detail from the reed of Coltrane's Saxophone.   30 years later I just have all this music to get through.   I don't know why I'm babbling on about all this except perhaps to say leave me out as an example for comparison of one can to another.  I'm an oddity. I'm not qualified. I have no curiosity to do it. I have this one set and I'm going to live in ignorant bliss with them (providing they hold up).  

 

[Alghazanth]

Quote:

I suppose I'm an odd element in all this, perhaps unlike many other enthusiasts.  I've never heard another pair of headphones and the thing is I don't want to nor do I care to hear another pair.  I have no curiosity to hear another pair of headphones. I've listened to the following genres: Ambient, Electronic, Dance, Industrial, New Age, Country,  Folk, Pop, Acoustic, House, Rock, Electronica, Jazz, Jazz Vocals, Trance, Club, Disco, Downtempo, Avant Garde, Goa, Psychedelic, Dub, Hip hop, Tri Hop, Latin, Latin Jazz, Psybient, Psytrance, Acid Jazz, Soul, Blues, World, R&B, Post Bop, alternative, Reggae, Drum & Bass, Nu Jazz, Classical, Opera, and my own compositions.   I've sampled some songs from all these genres between the two pairs of LCDs I've had.  
 
The LCD's may have it's faults but I really don't care what they are, I simply like what I hear from these cans and I'm glad I do because I took a real chance buying $1K cans with no experience with cans or having heard any other cans. I'm 54 now and retired and I have a lot of time to listen to music.  when I was 24 and collecting high end gear I spent at least 15 years worrying whether or not I was getting all the detail from the reed of Coltrane's Saxophone.   30 years later I just have all this music to get through.   I don't know why I'm babbling on about all this except perhaps to say leave me out as an example for comparison of one can to another.  I'm an oddity. I'm not qualified. I have no curiosity to do it. I have this one set and I'm going to live in ignorant bliss with them (providing they hold up).  

Bravo good sir, bravo.
 

 

[Zinterax]

I'm curious Zinterax how often have you disconnected your cable and then connected them again? I'm wondering if the drivers are bad or if it's related to connecting/disconnecting the cable.
 
My serial number is  5312331.  41 units higher than yours yet we got our pairs on the same day.
 

The cables were only removed once or twice in the time that I was using them. So I don't think that is the issue. I was listening to them the night before and they were working beautifully. I went to work yesterday and when I came home and put them on, the right cup no longer worked. They failed without anyone touching them overnight.

 

[pp312]

Quote:

The LCD's may have it's faults but I really don't care what they are, I simply like what I hear from these cans and I'm glad I do because I took a real chance buying $1K cans with no experience with cans or having heard any other cans. I'm 54 now and retired and I have a lot of time to listen to music.  when I was 24 and collecting high end gear I spent at least 15 years worrying whether or not I was getting all the detail from the reed of Coltrane's Saxophone.   30 years later I just have all this music to get through.   I don't know why I'm babbling on about all this except perhaps to say leave me out as an example for comparison of one can to another.  I'm an oddity. I'm not qualified. I have no curiosity to do it. I have this one set and I'm going to live in ignorant bliss with them (providing they hold up).  

Good post, WarriorAnt. I'm in much the same situation as you, except I'm 64 and my taste doesn't stray much beyond classical. I also haven't heard other top end phones; my choice was based entirely on comments on this forum from people I trust, like Lunatique. To my ears the LCD-2s sound like the real thing and that's all I care about--I don't hear any less detail from them than in the concert hall (a little more actually, given the proximity of studio mics). As for them being less bright than other phones, I would only repeat to the critics what's already been said: that comparison to other phones proves little. When I used the HD650 I tried, purely out of curiousity, just about every mid-price competitor going, including the K702, D2000, and DT880, and found them all much brighter. Did that mean the 650 was unnaturally dull? A little dull, maybe, but it still sounded far more naturally balanced to my ears than just about anything going. So I'd never use other phones as a yardstick now. Headphones are a business, and manufacturers know the value of a little extra sparkle (just ask Grado). My only criteria is the memory of live music and just what sounds right.  
 

 

[jax]

Well, I have heard a few top-tier phones, but certainly not all, and certainly not in every permutation.  There are clearly others posting here who have very direct experience comparing LCD-2's directly with other top-tier cans, and my own experience is pretty basic in comparison.  Having been in this hobby for some thirty years (mostly the speaker world and live music), and having been a music lover since I can remember understanding what music was, I will be happy to respond to Visualguy's posts, as well as anyone else claiming any understanding of some sort of 'absolute sound' that "should" be everyone's universal preference, or which correlates most directly with "truth":
 

 
 
Thus far, the LCD-2's work the best for me as an open conduit to the music I enjoy.  They engage me and I consistently enjoy them.  FWIW I listen to MOSTLY acoustic, un-amplified music, with plenty of classical in that mix.  No cans, (with the possible exception of Stax) I've heard thus far cover as wide a range of program material so well, so much so that I don't have any yearning to have an alternate.  I'll always go for speakers if I have a choice, but as far as headphones, the only phones I've heard that are more compelling have been Stax 007's, but they do not occur to me as so much better as to justify the price difference of cans and a proper amp to drive them (easily double my current rig).  I totally get that someone might prefer other cans, and have a different opinion.  I don't get, and have no respect whatsoever, for someone who is so misguided as to believe their opinion is fact.

 

[K3cT]

I agree with visualguy that the LCD2 is not suitable for classical (I assume he means classical orchestra here since that's a very wide genre after all) but I disagree that it's not good for acoustics. I also agree that a Stax Omega 007MK1 is generally better than the LCD2 but here we are already looking at a system that costs at least twice as much as the LCD2 does so, as Asr alluded in his review the performance increase should not come as a surprise. That being said, I would also say that there are certain areas that the LCD2 does better than the 007MK1 mainly in impact and directness. The 007 is unparalleled in transient response, transparency and layering though.

 

[ianmedium]

I must admit I am not getting why classical is not a strong point for the LCD's. I have a pretty large collection of classical including two versions of the complete ring cycle and I find the LCD's recreate the drama and atmosphere superbly, also when it comes to more intimate classical such as lara StJohn's wonderful Bach renditions I do not think I have ever heard violin like I have with the LCD's, the accuracy of reproduction of what I hear live is the closest I have come in listening to reproduction equipment.

Sometimes I wonder if I have the same ears as most folks here!

In comparison, the HD800's gave a more thrilling ride in some respects but that does not mean an accurate ride, thrilling in the sense I could hear every detail.. At times painfully, but that is not what I experience live and as the musician intended. For that the LCD's give me a far more accurate interpretation of what the feeling is like to hear a live musician.

i suppose it comes down to what we regard as accurate, For me what the musician intended as an experience to enjoy the music is more accurate than what the studio engineer wants to hear! The LCD's give me the former, the 800's the latter. I can see why HiFi folk love the 800's and I can see why people who simply want to hear every album they own replicate the live experience to the very best possible like the LCD's!