[Shane D]

Did you try already with Nickelback??

I rarely ever play Nickleback specifically. They just come up in my playlists. I probably have more than 20 of their songs, but rarely go on a Nickleback tear.

 

[Slaphead]

So basically you are saying that instead of enjoying "the best sound to my ears ever", thanks to PEQ (i.e. PEQ LCD2C vs stock LCD2C, which I can't listen to without PEQ vs stock HD650), I should instead settle for something that I enjoy less (HD650), only to favor not having to use PEQ, even when I have no problem integrating PEQ into my system?

Logic? Please explain. And, no, spending $3k, $5k, $10k on a headphone doesn't solve this equation, since you can have the same problem at any price point.

Just keep in mind that I'm not saying the LCD2C is worth buying over any and all other headphones in its price range. I still find it a broken headphone without PEQ. It's just an example how fixing a headphone tonality can reveal it's true potential, even make it the best, the true endgame.

Look I'm sorry, but if you can't listen to the LCD2C without EQ then you've bought the wrong headphone for your ears and personal preference. It's great that you can make up the perceived shortcomings you experience with EQ and have a good experience with it.

As I said, if it's unlistenable flat, walk away and find something else. I can listen to all of my headphones flat and appreciate the tonality differences between them and what they bring to the listening experience. EQ is really only for minor adjustments to account for an unfavourable mastering or mixing, and even then + or - 3db is the max you should really be looking at.

If you've found your nivana through EQ that's great. However I don't want people here buying headphones because everybody has said they're great and then find that they sound crap without EQ - and unfortunately it appears from this forum that most people have no idea what EQ is, and even less know how to apply it.

 

[roskodan]

I gave you a perfect real practical example why what you are proposing as some kind of philosophy against EQ doesn't make any sense. You refuse to back up your anti EQ philosophy with a practical example, I don't really care, I'm perfectly fine and used to folks' random nonsense.

 

[Lolito]

Both opinions can be right in their own way. These planars and many others get their 100% when you eq them. Sundara without eq has no bass, so you gtta eq those too. All cans need a certain eq, all the decent ones.

 

[inventionlws]

Just got in what I believe is the newest 2021 batch LCD-2 classic from Audio46. Changes from the 2018 version that I have had and sold:
1) head strap seems to be real leather now, identical to LCD-X. So thicker and less prone to stretching comparing with the previous thin synthetic strap
2) earpads are non-memory foam. They are plusher and slightly thinner than the previous memory foam pads. More comfy for me
3) metal mesh underneath the metal grill. This is a well-known revision that happened before this year
4) quarter inch jack is changed to a newer style and do not have the big Audeze logo.
I do not find the sound to change noticeably, at least without direct AB.

 

[phthora]

Look I'm sorry, but if you can't listen to the LCD2C without EQ then you've bought the wrong headphone for your ears and personal preference. It's great that you can make up the perceived shortcomings you experience with EQ and have a good experience with it.

As I said, if it's unlistenable flat, walk away and find something else. I can listen to all of my headphones flat and appreciate the tonality differences between them and what they bring to the listening experience. EQ is really only for minor adjustments to account for an unfavourable mastering or mixing, and even then + or - 3db is the max you should really be looking at.

If you've found your nivana through EQ that's great. However I don't want people here buying headphones because everybody has said they're great and then find that they sound crap without EQ - and unfortunately it appears from this forum that most people have no idea what EQ is, and even less know how to apply it.

I gave you a perfect real practical example why what you are proposing as some kind of philosophy against EQ doesn't make any sense. You refuse to back up your anti EQ philosophy with a practical example, I don't really care, I'm perfectly fine and used to folks' random nonsense.

If I may, I think @Slaphead is offering something more like practical advice. At least, it's very helpful as advice. Here's what I'm taking away from what he's said. Buying a headphone that is far off of your own sound preferences is going to mean there is much more work to do in EQ'ing it. Sure, you can download someone's else's presets, but then you only really end up with someone else's preferred sound. If that doesn't work for you AND you aren't great at doing the EQ yourself, then it's going to be a frustrating experience trying to get it right. For those sorts of people, it seems best to get closest to the sound you want out of the box and then use EQ to fine tune. That way, even if you never get it quite right you're only stuck with a headphone that is pretty close without any EQ. Practically speaking, I think that's a wise approach.

Adding my own thoughts here... I don't EQ (generally) because no frequency response is ever going to be perfect for all my music, all my moods, all my preferences. I have earphones that I consider my ideal sound signature, but I don't listen to them exclusively, or even the most, because often I want a slightly imperfect or colored presentation and reveals things in the music that I don't notice otherwise or draws my attention to particular characteristics of the sound or takes the edge off of bad recordings or allows me to better relax at the end of the day or for many other reasons. But hey, that's me. Some people want to EQ. Moreover, some people out there bought the 2C and just don't love it quite like they thought they would and in my opinion @roskodan is doing them a service by providing a free means of potentially improving the sound. Even if I don't use that EQ, it's a great benefit to the community. I also disagree with him about the sound of the 2C being 'broken' by default, but that's his opinion and there's nothing wrong with his sharing it courteously, as he has done.

 

[roskodan]

Our discussion here reminds of this.

LCD2C + PEQ trumps all ya heard

Spoiler: Am I right or am I right?

But let's be real. None of you actually used PEQ with the AutoEQ oratory1990 presets for Audeze headphones. Else you would know what it's all about. Probably you don't even understand it, the difference between PEQ based on actual standardized measurements and you using some fixed band graphic equalizer at random. Am I right or am I right?

 

[Slaphead]

I gave you a perfect real practical example why what you are proposing as some kind of philosophy against EQ doesn't make any sense. You refuse to back up your anti EQ philosophy with a practical example, I don't really care, I'm perfectly fine and used to folks' random nonsense.

I don't have anything against EQ at all - I use it all the time in production. I'm just saying that if you buy headphones or speakers (speakers get a joker card here for room correction) and you have to EQ the crap out of them to make them sound good to your ears then it wasn't the right purchase.

I really really don't have anything against EQ, in fact it can enhance the listening experience, but by that I mean going from good to very good. However if you're using it to go from bad to good then it's the wrong application of EQ, and you're probably losing a lot of fidelity in the process.

 

[roskodan]

Yada yada yada~ Honk that horn. Here is where you are wrong. I'm not going from "bad" to "good", I'm going from "awful piece of broken schiit I can't be bothered putting on my head vs my favorite headphones" to "dang this is as great as any of my favorite headphones". Basically $500 + PEQ gets you a better performance than any sub $2000 planar out of the box. Wasn't the right purchase? Nope it wasn't, well, at least till I found this, the rest is history, best spent $500 ever. Not thanks to Audeze tho.

Our discussion here reminds of this.

Spoiler: Am I right or am I right?

But let's be real. None of you actually used PEQ with the AutoEQ oratory1990 presets for Audeze headphones. Else you would know what it's all about. Probably you don't even understand it, the difference between PEQ based on actual standardized measurements and you using some fixed band graphic equalizer at random. Am I right or am I right?

 

[Flognuts]

I just used the graphic eq settings from oratory not bad, I put them in on Foobar and it does sound great

Problem is I didn't buy these to equalize..... I use them on PC, MOJO and just wanna listen to music not play around with settings.

 

[omniweltall]

Just got in what I believe is the newest 2021 batch LCD-2 classic from Audio46. Changes from the 2018 version that I have had and sold:
1) head strap seems to be real leather now, identical to LCD-X. So thicker and less prone to stretching comparing with the previous thin synthetic strap
2) earpads are non-memory foam. They are plusher and slightly thinner than the previous memory foam pads. More comfy for me
3) metal mesh underneath the metal grill. This is a well-known revision that happened before this year
4) quarter inch jack is changed to a newer style and do not have the big Audeze logo.
I do not find the sound to change noticeably, at least without direct AB.

Possible to show us pics, mate? Seems like it is a positive revision. Pretty sure there should be positive change in sound as well.

 

[inventionlws]

Possible to show us pics, mate? Seems like it is a positive revision. Pretty sure there should be positive change in sound as well.

Here are some pics of these cans:

new style jack:

Here is the 2018 version with memory foam pads:

You can see the pads are thinner now. I sold my old pair to upgrade to the newest LCD-X but found my ears touching the fazors. So I have to switch back to the good-old LCD-2 classic, which still rocks

 

[ThanatosVI]

Here are some pics of these cans:

new style jack:

Here is the 2018 version with memory foam pads:


You can see the pads are thinner now. I sold my old pair to upgrade to the newest LCD-X but found my ears touching the fazors. So I have to switch back to the good-old LCD-2 classic, which still rocks

So the headband is thicker and more durable now, and the Pads thunder.
I had the 2018 Version as well, really liked the Pad comfort.

Do you have both at the same time so that you can compare if the sound changes?
Hopefully they still sound as good as the 2018 version

 

[inventionlws]

So the headband is thicker and more durable now, and the Pads thunder.
I had the 2018 Version as well, really liked the Pad comfort.

Do you have both at the same time so that you can compare if the sound changes?
Hopefully they still sound as good as the 2018 version

I much prefer the newer pads, because they have more give. Also, due to the reduction in thickness the clamp force is less. Downside is that ears will be more likely to touch fazors on fazored models.
I did not have them at the same time. I can only confirm they sound as good as the 2018 version. Based on my sonic memory, it seems that the newer pads leads to slightly less 800-1k shout, thus a slightly more perceived bass quantity. High treble (~10kHz) seems a touch brighter but this could be unity variation. 6 kHz peak is still there. Of course, take these impression with a massive grain of salt.

 

[Shane D]

It looks like I am giving up on the Classic's. I am going to be trading them for a set of Beyerdynamic T5's, 3rd generation.

I never hated the Classic's, but never loved them either.

I used to own the Beyer T5p.2's, but found the treble Too much and the bass too little. Supposedly the new generation addresses both issues.