[Andrey2019]

Hi @JNKM

Very great comment and very detailed experience description!
After this comment I also want to listen ZMFAtticus and see how they sounds to me!
By the way - weight of Atticus is 600g. and weight of LCD2c is 550g. - I have just measured weight of my LCD2c specifically for this comment
So it might be a headband that is just not for you. Or you should try to listen to planar headphones without an EQ for a while - to get used to their sound.

Some time ago I have first time tried open back headphones (not LCD). I had only closed back models for several years before that. And I totally disliked open back ones.
But my friend who gave me these open back pair to test for some time said: "Do not be in a hurry - listen to them for a week or two and then make your conclusions."

And indeed - after a 2 weeks I found them attractive. Open backs and closed ones just sounded differently - but both of them could be quite good.
Maybe you have the same situation with planars and dynamic headphones? If you dislike headband of LCD - you could try planars form different manufacturer and could find them appealing to you

 

[Andrey2019]

@JNKM , @BrotherKathos

Recently I did some research for a best amp synergy for LCD2c.
And indeed, I found that Lyr 3 is the most mentioned match/good pair for LCD2c. (according to the description of other people)
Now I'm thinking how I personally could try to listen this pair... (Lyr 3 is not available in audio shops in my city right now...)

 

[JNKM]

Nice and meticulous analysis of your experience, thanks. I couldn't live without the sub-bass extension, slam and detail of the 2C. HD650 simply can't match this bass quality. The natural timbre of the 650s though can be quite appealing. IMO this is mostly music genre dependent.
I really liked the NightHawks before I bought the 2C, and like all dynamic drivers they've got a huge mid-bass hump too. I haven't really realised this mid-bass hump until I get to know the flat bass response of planars, extending lower than any dynamic drivers. Even though I love my bass, I can't really go back to these mid-bass emphasised dynamic drivers anymore, they just sound unnatural. Planar bass feels much more natural, and the slam the 2Cs give is more satisfying than any mid-bass quantity. I think it is perhaps educating your ears as well? Like you can educate your taste buds with high quality cheeses/wines or oysters.
Anyway, it is great to have so many wonderful headphone options. Everyone can find a pair that suits their taste.

Thanks for the feedback! I very much agree with what you're saying (and I too once owned and loved the Nighthawks), and with sufficient time, I'm sure I would've gotten so acclimated to the sound of ruler-flat bass that I would find it completely natural-sounding. I will say, however, that there is still something so viscerally pleasing about a bump in the bass frequencies above flat, that I think the time to adjust to that particular sonic profile would always come easier to me than adjusting to perfectly flat bass down to 20hz. And again, I absolutely appreciated and enjoyed the sound of the LCD-2Cs on the whole, as they sounded so unique and smooth to me, in a way I had never really encountered before.

But the comfort again limited me from spending the time I would really need to fall deeply in love with these headphones. I would have kept these for sure, but figuring in comfort as well as cost (as I'm on a very limited budget), I had to part with them, unfortunately. In other words, yes, appreciating different wines/cheese/oysters is very much about education and experience, but at the end of the day, everyone still has their favorites, and sometimes/oftentimes, guilty pleasures!

 

[JNKM]

Hi @JNKM

Very great comment and very detailed experience description!
After this comment I also want to listen ZMFAtticus and see how they sounds to me!
By the way - weight of Atticus is 600g. and weight of LCD2c is 550g. - I have just measured weight of my LCD2c specifically for this comment
So it might be a headband that is just not for you. Or you should try to listen to planar headphones without an EQ for a while - to get used to their sound.

Some time ago I have first time tried open back headphones (not LCD). I had only closed back models for several years before that. And I totally disliked open back ones.
But my friend who gave me these open back pair to test for some time said: "Do not be in a hurry - listen to them for a week or two and then make your conclusions."

And indeed - after a 2 weeks I found them attractive. Open backs and closed ones just sounded differently - but both of them could be quite good.
Maybe you have the same situation with planars and dynamic headphones? If you dislike headband of LCD - you could try planars form different manufacturer and could find them appealing to you

Hi @Audrey2019 -- Thanks for your response! Yeah, you're absolutely right that the Atticus might be the same weight or even heavier than the LCD-2C, and yes, I do think it's a matter of the headband being more amenable to my physical quirks for my skull. It took me a lot of fiddling to get the headphone on the Atticus perfectly shaped so that it distributed the weight perfectly. Now, miraculously, I feel zero discomfort. (Just to give you a sense of how weird my head is: even the extremely light Sony MDR-MA900 gave me a tiny hotspot right at the top of my head!)

And again, as I said above, I think I already do appreciate and enjoy the planar sound, despite my quibbles with certain aspects of it. I think I may give the Aeons (Closed/Open) a shot in the future, or perhaps the new Verum Audio Verum 1, which got a nice evaluation from Earphiles (but that headphone looks so comical...).

If you ever do try the Atticus, and if you find the the LCD-2C's bass to be perfectly natural, then the Atticus will sound unnaturally boomy and caricatured (though you might be surprised by its soundstage). But for me, that colored sound gets me every single time.

Recently I did some research for a best amp synergy for LCD2c.
And indeed, I found that Lyr 3 is the most mentioned match/good pair for LCD2c. (according to the description of other people)
Now I'm thinking how I personally could try to listen this pair... (Lyr 3 is not available in audio shops in my city right now...)

With regard to Lyr 3 and LCD-2C, I think it's a great combo because the amp has a nice amount of power it can put into these planars, and I think the tube opens up the sound a bit more and adds nuances of depth and dimensionality without sacrificing the tonality too much (at least, compared to the Lyr 3 in solid-state mode with LISST tube).

And yeah, re: auditioning the Lyr 3, that's the difficult part about this hobby for me. I too live in a rather remote area without access to hifi shops that carry good headphones, so I've had to just take huge risks in buying gear without auditioning them first (of course, according to my limited budget as well). I've gotten lucky many times, and for the times I haven't, I've been able to sell. It's a laborious process for sure, but it's a labor of love!

 

[Andrey2019]

I think I may give the Aeons (Closed/Open) a shot in the future

By the way - I was able to listen Aeon headphones. My first impression was "Where is the bass???"
They could be quite cool - but I think they are designed definitely not for "bass heads"

 

[Peterson2K4]

I'm late to this CV party but, I have some feedback some may find helpful.

I am currently auditioning headphones and the first round was between the LCD 2C and the Beyerdynamic T1 2nd Gen. Heads up though, I'm a newbie at this game.

Tested on Schiit Magni/ Modi 3 and Fulla 2

Beyerdynamic T1
I love how clear the mids and highs are. The trebble isn't too high that it bring the dogs to your door like I expected. The sound stage was great too.

I didn't like the lack of any real bass. I'm not a bass head but, these things felt dead on the low end. Also, everything felts a little far away and veiled. That may be my Amp/DAC though. I've heard the T1 gets better with better equipment. For me it left me wanting.


LCD2 Classic.
These were everything that the T1 were not and vis versa. I love the bass. It's not OP, but it is so lively and strong when it needs to be. It makes everything come to life in ways the T1 didn't.

However, the highs and upper mids have nothing on the T1. Everything isislightly muddy. Up front and lively, but when the bass is strong everything else takes a back seat. These boys are heavy too. I didn't know they made headphones this heavy and I sorta wish they didn't.

I returned the T1 and am going to try out the Focal Clear next.

 

[Andrey2019]

but when the bass is strong everything else takes a back seat

After auditioning about 12-15 pairs of different headphones before purchase I decided that personally I like exactly this kind of sound. And one more note here - bass is not boomy and not fatiguing at the same time.

I think you could also try Aeon headphones - just to listen and share your impressions with us. They have more evenly redistributed sound.

And it is also very important - what kind of music do you like the most? Personally I like electronic music and rock.
So I suggest you to try to search through internet what headphones are more popular among people who like exactly the same kind of music that you like

 

[Tsukuyomi]

I'm still stuck between the LCD2C and the new updated version of the LCD-X with the new headband.
what do you guys think of the sound compare, also, matched up against the DT1990 Pro ?

 

[Peterson2K4]

After auditioning about 12-15 pairs of different headphones before purchase I decided that personally I like exactly this kind of sound. And one more note here - bass is not boomy and not fatiguing at the same time.

I think you could also try Aeon headphones - just to listen and share your impressions with us. They have more evenly redistributed sound.

And it is also very important - what kind of music do you like the most? Personally I like electronic music and rock.
So I suggest you to try to search through internet what headphones are more popular among people who like exactly the same kind of music that you like

Thanks for the tip. I'm trying out a few in my budget of around $1000. I've seen a lot of love for HiFiman and Mr Speakers so, they are also on my radar.

As far as music, I tend to like music with strings and horns. I also like rock with some synth.

 

[Andrey2019]

I'm still stuck between the LCD2C and the new updated version of the LCD-X with the new headband.
what do you guys think of the sound compare, also, matched up against the DT1990 Pro ?

Hi. About DT 1990 - salesman in shop said to me that they are quite intense headphones. LCD2c are relaxed/laid back.
And I really like those qualities of LCD2c a lot. As my main usage scenario for them - is relaxing after work while listening to music.

About different headphone models. This video helped me to choose. So maybe you will find it useful too:
Audeze LCD-2C, LCD-X & LCD-3 Comparison:
Also there are some more useful specific reviews by this reviewer on his channel.

 

[Tsukuyomi]

hey guys would my Fostex HPA4 amp/dac run the LCD2C ? i think they're only 70ohms which isnt so bad considering my DT1990 Pro are 250 ohm.

 

[betula]

hey guys would my Fostex HPA4 amp/dac run the LCD2C ? i think they're only 70ohms which isnt so bad considering my DT1990 Pro are 250 ohm.

Reading the specs of the Fostex amp it says the max power output is 100mW. Audeze recommends 1-4W for their headphones. That amp might drive them loud enough but it is more than likely that there is room for improvement. (Even with your DT1990).

 

[Terozzzz]

Anyone done some modding on these LCD 2Cs?

 

[chef8489]

Anyone done some modding on these LCD 2Cs?

Other than people swapping pads why would you mod them.

 

[omniweltall]

Heresy!!