I did a comparison of the LCD-X, LCD-2 and LCD-3 in a local shop yesterday. I ran the LCDs off my
Linnenberg u:c:a MK2 DAC/HeadAmp using a MacBook with Audirvana software. The LCD-2 was a shop demo, so it was probably broken in fairly well. The LCD-X was broken in specifically for the test by playing music over night. The LCD-3 was fresh out of the box, not broken in. I first listened to the LCD-2, then the LCD-X, then the LCD-3. I did my best to adjust the volumes after changing from one LCD to another in order to compensate for sensitivity differences of the LCDs.
Here's what I found (spoiler alert: my findings are somewhat different from the mainstream):
Going from LCD-2 to LCD-X: The LCD-X had more drive and ‘speed’ than LCD-2. The LCD-X sounded brighter and therefore (objectively) more balanced than the LCD-2, but that was not important to me (I don't mind the somewhat dark presentation of the LCD-2 at all). In fact, the LCD-X sounded a wee bit harsh compared to the LCD-2. ’S’ sounds sometimes sounded like ‘Z’. For instance, this was very obvious with the famous Christy Baron / Ain’t no Sunshine track.
Going from LCD-X to LCD-3: The LCD-3 sounds warmer than the LCD-X. The tonal balance is somewhere in between LCD-2 and LCD-X (again, not an important point for me). The LCD-3 sound has more air, the presentation is more relaxed and light-footed at the same time. The LCD-3 retains the 'speed' of the LCD-X, but lacks the the tendency for harshness observed with the LCD-X.
Further tests (switching between the three headphones) confirmed the above impressions. Overall, I preferred the LCD-2 and LCD-3 over the LCD-X, especially when it comes to 'listening fatigue' when listening for a long time (more than an hour or so). The LCD-2 sounds lame compared to LCD-3 (ok, that's a gross exaggeration). Music shines more with LCD-3, has more glow, emotion, and expression. With the LCD-3 I felt closer to the musicians than with the LCD-2.
In conclusion, the tonal balance of the LCD-X may be better than with the LCD-2 in 'objective' HiFi terms (if that exists). However, I would not be happy with the LCD-X in the long term due to it's tendency for harsh 'S' sounds. From the three LCDs, I clearly preferred the (not yet broken-in!) LCD-3. This conclusion may have rather negative effects on my wallet.
Cheers
mbrennwa