[Sorgiulio]

IF the velours make them sound significantly brighter in the upper treble and lose a significant amount of the sub bass (also if they made the quality of the bass worse), then I could probably say that I would not like them, IF they only lose a very tiny amount of sub bass, do not significantly increase upper treble (above ~10Khz), that could be good.

To my ears, velour pads smoothen the treble slightly but with the result of having them lose energy as well. I prefer to decrease the treble of 1-2 dB's when a record calls for it using my analogue tone control and stock pads, but that's personal taste. Surely, treble is the region where swapping pads has the least negative trade-off.
Bass is a different story. It is is more present with velour pads but quality decreases as it gets much looser, defeating the purpose of having planar phones imo. Again, a couple of dBs added there and problem solved.

What I'm trying to say is that if your LCD2Cs need adjustments, you would achieve better results using a tone control for fine tuning rather than changing pads, for with the former you can change quantity without compromising on quality.
I'm back to the stock pads and I'm enjoying them more than ever. Also I feel that the seal is much less noticeable than it was when they were brand new. I don't know if others can confirm this but it doesn't bother me anymore.

 

[nicholars]

Also the Dekoni Hybrid pads look interesting, they have velour where it touches your face and Fenestrated leather on the insides, possibly this would maintain the bass while also smoothing the treble a bit? TBH the main reason for spending more on the LCD 2C compared to other headphones eg. HD660s, is the sub bass on the 2C.

BUT if as you say, the velours "make the bass much looser", hm I am not sure that is going to be any good.. as that is the main thing about the LCD that makes them better than other options. I have read this from a couple of other people, they said they went back to stock pads because of the bass. Only other option that looks interesting would be the hybrid pads? Possibly the "best of both worlds"? Still the good bass but with some improvement to the mids and treble? Surprised nobody has tried these?

 

[hakka]

The Dekoni LCD pads just became available on Massdrop.

 

[betula]

Also the Dekoni Hybrid pads look interesting, they have velour where it touches your face and Fenestrated leather on the insides, possibly this would maintain the bass while also smoothing the treble a bit? TBH the main reason for spending more on the LCD 2C compared to other headphones eg. HD660s, is the sub bass on the 2C.

BUT if as you say, the velours "make the bass much looser", hm I am not sure that is going to be any good.. as that is the main thing about the LCD that makes them better than other options. I have read this from a couple of other people, they said they went back to stock pads because of the bass. Only other option that looks interesting would be the hybrid pads? Possibly the "best of both worlds"? Still the good bass but with some improvement to the mids and treble? Surprised nobody has tried these?

I haven't tried any other pads as I am very happy with the stock pads. Many people who swapped for velour said the sound is similar to the stock pads when you break the seal slightly and let some air into the cups. I do find bass quantity increasing this way but on the expense of quality. This is not something I am interested in.
I am also not a big fan of pad swapping. These only bring relatively minor changes to the sound. You might want to look into other headphones to start with if you were unhappy with the 2C. You only get this bass extension from planars, and the 2C is one of the best value for money planar. Other options could be Hifiman Sundara/Ananda. I much prefer the 2C vs the Sundara though but it all comes down to personal preference and individual ear structure which influences hearing. Two treble sensitive people might like completely different headphones as they are sensitive to different treble frequencies.
Pad swapping might make the sound more acceptable for someone but don't expect another pair of headphones. HM5 pads for example did increase bass on my former HE400s but not to the extent that made me happy.
At the end of the day all these advises will help you very little. You must try it yourself to find out what you like. Some people will say french fries are the best with ketchup, some others swear for mayo, and some people like it with spicy salt only. It is a matter of taste. You must try.

 

[BrotherKathos]

For people who want a more comfortable planar, that has less treble spikes than the 2C, I'm going to have to agree with Betula on looking at another headphone instead of just swapping pads. Maybe a Mr. Speakers Ether 2? Supposedly extremely comfy, and with all the benefits of high quality musical and relaxing planar sound. I've never personally heard them though. All word of mouth, but they are on my short list as a potential upgrade from the 2C.

 

[betula]

For people who want a more comfortable planar, that has less treble spikes than the 2C, I'm going to have to agree with Betula on looking at another headphone instead of just swapping pads. Maybe a Mr. Speakers Ether 2? Supposedly extremely comfy, and with all the benefits of high quality musical and relaxing planar sound. I've never personally heard them though. All word of mouth, but they are on my short list as a potential upgrade from the 2C.

I would love to try the Ether 2 too, but I am even more interested in the Aeolus (quite different though). Also, from the price of the Ether 2 you can buy three LCD2Cs.

 

[omniweltall]

Also, from the price of the Ether 2 you can buy three LCD2Cs.

 

[BrotherKathos]

I would love to try the Ether 2 too, but I am even more interested in the Aeolus (quite different though). Also, from the price of the Ether 2 you can buy three LCD2Cs.

I don't know about the Aeolus. Is that a ZMF can? The Ether 2 is a bit pricy, but might be just what some are looking for that can't be gained by a earpad swap. But who knows, Audeze has really nice bass, and all planars don't do bass alike. I mean look at hifiman by comparison, even my hd6xx beats my he-400i in bass without eq. With eq the hifiman wins though. Much better headphone for tweaking.

One of my fav phones is my modded Beyerdynamic dt770 M drummer's edition though. Its got a dark sound to start with, but can be livened up a bit by removing the center felt in front of the driver. Then just remove a foam ring in the earcup and ad some damping to the earcup internals in the center and you've got a very very nice closed back imo.

 

[Kukuk]

I've got a pair of these coming in the mail today. I'm excited to hear how the bass will compare with my DT1770s. I'm also curious to see how my amps will drive them. I don't think my Marantz will have any issue, but I'm interested to see how my WA2 will do.

I remember hearing the original LCD-2 years ago at 32 Ohm Audio, but I remember virtually nothing about their sound.

 

[nicholars]

I also just demo'd the 660S and I do like those headphones a lot, they sound like an improved HD650 to me. BUT the LCD 2C does have very nice bass compared to the 660s, I would not say the LCD 2C are particularly better above 100hz compared to the 660s though. Lower mid a bit better on LCD 2C, upper mid better on the 660s, treble I would have to say I prefer the 660s, partly as the LCD 2C seems to make my tinnitus worse, but this could be due to the seal, which is why I was considering trying them again with different pads such as the Dekoni Velour or Dekoni hybrid, I am surprised I have not seen even one report of people trying the Dekoni hybrid on the 2C. Maybe it would improve the sound without losing any bass quality.

 

[betula]

I don't know about the Aeolus. Is that a ZMF can? The Ether 2 is a bit pricy, but might be just what some are looking for that can't be gained by a earpad swap. But who knows, Audeze has really nice bass, and all planars don't do bass alike. I mean look at hifiman by comparison, even my hd6xx beats my he-400i in bass without eq. With eq the hifiman wins though. Much better headphone for tweaking.

One of my fav phones is my modded Beyerdynamic dt770 M drummer's edition though. Its got a dark sound to start with, but can be livened up a bit by removing the center felt in front of the driver. Then just remove a foam ring in the earcup and ad some damping to the earcup internals in the center and you've got a very very nice closed back imo.

I owned both the Aeon Closed/Opened. While they sound nice, for my taste they were too thin and too polite. Initially I was very interested in Either 2 too, but I am not sure if it is for me after trying the Aeons. I just love the big and authoritative sound of Audeze.

 

[omniweltall]

I owned both the Aeon Closed/Opened. While they sound nice, for my taste they were too thin and too polite. Initially I was very interested in Either 2 too, but I am not sure if it is for me after trying the Aeons. I just love the big and authoritative sound of Audeze.

AFO is very thick, mate. Thicker than the 2C.

 

[betula]

I also just demo'd the 660S and I do like those headphones a lot, they sound like an improved HD650 to me. BUT the LCD 2C does have very nice bass compared to the 660s, I would not say the LCD 2C are particularly better above 100hz compared to the 660s though. Lower mid a bit better on LCD 2C, upper mid better on the 660s, treble I would have to say I prefer the 660s, partly as the LCD 2C seems to make my tinnitus worse, but this could be due to the seal, which is why I was considering trying them again with different pads such as the Dekoni Velour or Dekoni hybrid, I am surprised I have not seen even one report of people trying the Dekoni hybrid on the 2C. Maybe it would improve the sound without losing any bass quality.

I find interesting when people complain about Audeze treble as it is pretty much a big roll off above 1Khz. I am also treble sensitive with a very slight tinnitus and I find the 2C to have the second most gentle treble on a headphone I tried after the Nighthawks. I guess we are just sensitive for different frequencies.

 

[BrotherKathos]

AFO is very thick, mate. Thicker than the 2C.

Maybe he had a bad pairing with his other gear then to make it turn form thick to thin? Seems like it would take a pretty bad pairing to do that though if the AFO is thicker than the 2C. Maybe Mr speakers had QC issues like Hifiman? Some of the 400i are notorious for being allover the place with bass response. I've had to rma a pair for a driver getting a rattle at low frequencies as well. Good customer service from hifiman though.

 

[betula]

AFO is very thick, mate. Thicker than the 2C.

Maybe a thicker texture due to the slightly elevated mid-bass, but it does sound smaller and less authoritative. We probably think of slightly different things when mentioning thickness.