Audeze lcd-2 vs Stax?
Mar 28, 2012 at 2:21 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 54

Deltron 3030

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I'm not getting either anytime soon, but Ive been strongly considering the lcd-2's as my "final" headphones. However, I've heard electrostatic headphones use superior technology to dynamics. So, I was wondering how the lcd-2's compare to the best similarly priced stax headphones. Oh and rap/hip-hop is my main genre.
 
Mar 28, 2012 at 8:25 AM Post #2 of 54
I kinda think that unless you go with the most exclusive 'stat rigs, the bass is not as great as dynamic setups, on average. I think that the best SQ feature of electrostatic headphones is their accuracy / resolving power... and that the LCD-2 has plenty of resolving power for rap & hip-hop. I also think you'd appreciate the bass from dynamic phones in general (again, on average).

For your genres, I feel like the LCD-2 would actually be the better buy. They're less expensive, and will give you the bass you want.

Plus, it will be easier to mix & match gear since there's a heck of a lot more dynamic gear than 'stat.

Some folks will always tell you 'stats are where you want to be, though...
 
Mar 28, 2012 at 8:37 AM Post #3 of 54
My experience with Stax is that the bass is very lean and thin. Really bad for rap/hip-hop. I don't think eletrostats are a superior technology but rather a very niche and rarely used technology, which of course bumps up the price for them alot.
 
Although I don't question the quality of Stax I doubt you will see any kind of upgrade from the LCD-2 so much as a very expensive sidegrade. Think of them as equals in terms of sound quality.
 
Mar 28, 2012 at 10:11 AM Post #4 of 54


Quote:
I'm not getting either anytime soon, but Ive been strongly considering the lcd-2's as my "final" headphones. However, I've heard electrostatic headphones use superior technology to dynamics. So, I was wondering how the lcd-2's compare to the best similarly priced stax headphones. Oh and rap/hip-hop is my main genre.



Electrostatic does give you very good bass but not very fleshy kind which dynamic headphones usually provide. Depends on which aspect of rap/hip hop you emjoy the most. If you tend to focus on lyrics then stats is a better choice but you are looking for sub wooferish bass then dynamic headphones are better.
 
 
Mar 28, 2012 at 10:23 AM Post #5 of 54
The LCD 2 will out do any Stax rig for Hip-hop, IMO. Unless you want Stax to rip apart poorly produced Hip-hop (unfortunately about 70% of Hip-hop is just...bad quality).
 
I don't think a lot of Hip-hop would even be enjoyable with a pair of Stax tearing through it...
 
 
 
Mar 29, 2012 at 1:53 AM Post #6 of 54
My focus is on the lyrics before the beat, but I think I'd want them to have more presence and aggressiveness, and it sounds like the Audeze would be superior in that regard. And the Stax being too revealing is worrisome. And the more fleshed out bass is something I've been looking for in headphones. So unless anyone has any new insight I think I'll stick with the Audeze
 
Mar 29, 2012 at 3:47 AM Post #7 of 54
My experience with Stax is that the bass is very lean and thin. Really bad for rap/hip-hop. I don't think eletrostats are a superior technology but rather a very niche and rarely used technology, which of course bumps up the price for them alot.

Although I don't question the quality of Stax I doubt you will see any kind of upgrade from the LCD-2 so much as a very expensive sidegrade. Think of them as equals in terms of sound quality.


So you compared the cheapest Stax and dynamic phones several times their cost (JH13) and decided all electrostats are not good? :rolleyes:
 
Mar 29, 2012 at 4:29 AM Post #8 of 54


Quote:
So you compared the cheapest Stax and dynamic phones several times their cost (JH13) and decided all electrostats are not good?
rolleyes.gif



No, I was emphasising that Stax are very bass light. He shouldn't buy a Stax expecting his hip-hop/rap beats to sound anything but lean and very polite.
 
Mar 29, 2012 at 9:45 AM Post #9 of 54
SR-007 is anything but lean and polite when it comes to bass. It's not exactly a bass head can, but it pulls off dubstep and other bass happy genres quite well.
 
Mar 29, 2012 at 12:36 PM Post #11 of 54
Not quite to LCD2 levels, but as you know I don't care for the significantly rolled off highs of the LCD2. With it being rolled off like that the bass will naturally be louder because you won't have the extra treble energy of the SR-007 keeping you from turning the volume up. If both sets were tuned the same way I'd bet the bass is pretty darn close, actually.
 
Mar 29, 2012 at 1:16 PM Post #12 of 54
Not quite to LCD2 levels, but as you know I don't care for the significantly rolled off highs of the LCD2. With it being rolled off like that the bass will naturally be louder because you won't have the extra treble energy of the SR-007 keeping you from turning the volume up. If both sets were tuned the same way I'd bet the bass is pretty darn close, actually.


But then you'd be missing that awesome LCD 2 meaty sound.

You'd be asking...where's the beef? :D

On a side but slightly related note..I want to hear an LCD 3...
 
Apr 15, 2012 at 6:47 PM Post #13 of 54
To add to this, the LCD-2's are orthodynamic (planar-magnetic), so isn't the speed and resolving power pretty close to electrostatic anywy? Or at least, generally above dynamic headphones in the same $ range?
 
Someone please confirm this.
 
Apr 15, 2012 at 7:11 PM Post #14 of 54


Quote:
To add to this, the LCD-2's are orthodynamic (planar-magnetic), so isn't the speed and resolving power pretty close to electrostatic anywy? Or at least, generally above dynamic headphones in the same $ range?
 
Someone please confirm this.



Not only not the same ballpark -- these two phones are not even playing the same game in terms of space, detail and resolution.  
 
Also, while I am not suggesting that Stax are best choice for the OP's apparent priorities, having lived with the SR-007 Mk2 for the past three weeks I can attest to the fact that they are anything but bass shy. They do not possess the same "slam" factor as LCD Rev2's I recently listened to, but they do play extremely deep and also deliver incredibly well articulated LF.  The same "family" contrast exists with the HE-500's which I currently own, although the HE-500's have less slam factor than the Audeze's IMO -- this last point in no way translates into detail that approaches the SR-007.
 
EDIT:  My main system speaker history has largely been comprised of various full sized magnetic planars, ribbon planars and esl's.  We're talking Maggies, Apogee, Sound Lab, Quad and Martin Logan.  In terms of absolute transparency, I have found nothing to equal esl's.   They just do the detail and transparency trick better than anything else.
 
 
 
Apr 19, 2012 at 9:15 PM Post #15 of 54
Are the lcd-2's as bad at treble as people say? Are they at least an improvement over my Denon AH-D2000's? How would they compare on a song like Jay Z's U Don't Know? Also the SR-007MK2 cost more than twice as much as the lcd-2's. I'm talking similary priced Stax headphones.
 

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