You seem to be latching onto people and name dropping quite a bit. I'm afraid Bob Katz was black catted to me when he said all of the headphones on the big sound were unlistenable without an EQ and that if you like the 009's you're deaf. A man of experience but clearly makes some of the most subjective statements I've ever heard.
Something you've completely overlooked.
I didn't and won't ignore the measurements for Abyss. They don't measure that well.
You're obviously not picking up what I'm putting down for you so I'll try another way:
The Abyss to me is clearly better on all fronts technically compared to LCD X. The soundstage is more realistic, much larger with better imaging, they are more transparent, they are quicker, the bass is better on all accounts, the treble is far more detailed and airy, the midrange is far more nuonced and lifelike and the list goes on. The Abyss is technically far better on all accounts. Therefore in a different league. Will you prefer its presentation over the X's? Who knows. Will you see (hear) all the large steps up in all of the aforementioned areas when compared? I don't see how you couldn't without buyers bias.
'My' (not on preference) leagues in separation of technical ability would look something like this:
League 1 (examples) 009, 007, Abyss
League 2 (examples) HD800, HE1000, LCD 3/X
League 3 (examples) NAD HP50
I like my momentums but I wouldn't argue that the Abyss despite poorer measurements sound in a different league all together. In fact I don't think anyone would.
I would pick my momentums over the HD800 but would be living on a meta-plane if I said that the HD800 wasn't in different leagues technically.
And lol at needing to do a blind test with a room full of people to make the argument that the Abyss is better than the X. This wouldn't change the measurements so why would that sway you into allowing me to now make my original claim?
Fell on your face a bit with that one.