Best closed backs?

[bagwell359]

All my headphones I run without EQ - I have to like a headphone stock or I won't keep it.

I have to be attracted to a headphone for sound and price in order to put down the money. I should hope most agree with that.

But over time, I find the holes in any audio set-up. Can't afford to change equipment like underwear, and after 42 years of swearing off EQ (fixed), I discovered parametric EQ, after I discovered mods and for me, and the folks that have heard my tunings, its worth the effort. If i had unlimited resources I'd be in your camp to save time, if nothing else.

I buy headphones with the expectation the manufacturer tunes them well - better than I can.

Do you own HFM cans? Except for the massively overpriced Susvara, I find every one I've owned or had in my hands (12) to have big issues with pads, cables, and in the case of the older 500/OG 6 to require action be taken to cut down the issues by the front facing wide stators (cancellations/reflections). The 1.8k dip appears to be connected to the distance from the driver to the rear edge of the cup, change the distance, and the big dip moves. HFM makes great drivers, but the rest of it seems very ad hoc to save costs. This isn't true of say DCA, ZMF, and others.

I swapped to the "vegan" pads because to me they sound more neutral than the stock Merino leather pads but many people like those too.

There you go!

I had the LCD XC while ago. Was not a fan. They lacked bass was what I remember off the top and were super heavy. The Master is far more reasonable in weight and has beautiful sound.

Most of my headphones are all open outside of a few closed I have which are basically all Ultrasones.

Yes, it takes effort and money to tune a closed back to neutral. And what is draw for that? Big bass has been the watchword for some years - insistence on timbre and accuracy is passe. And with most buyers probably 25-55 yrs old, I find a definite taste for excess treble too. Poor mids - the old saying the "music is in the mids" is also passing out of fashion.

 

[bagwell359]

im as you. all headphones run without EQ. i dont like change factory tune,as after tune you get strange sound. now have audeze lcd-2closed back. mostly neutral sound with slightly maybe V shape curve. month ago got beyerdynamic aventho bt and compared to audeze i like more sound from aventho-better dynamics,same bass,better highs and mids. . aventho is on-ear light headphone. keeper. but now investigating similar sound or maybe a bit better on ear closed heads.

Wow, that's got to be the best curve I've seen in any LCD-2. Two spikes in the treble, a mild dip in the mids, and perhaps a slight bass shelf from 50 Hz (like 2.5 db) down. Now for the CSD plots, they show that while the two treble peaks haven't hit the red light in ms, they are probably not totally still, so an EQ for FR, and and another 1.8-2.4 db added to the decrease (please dont even bother with a fixed EQ unless its like 31 or more bands) might get you a pretty relaxed but accurate sound,

Would be interesting to get hold of one for a bit

 

[Ieonasj]

Wow, that's got to be the best curve I've seen in any LCD-2. Two spikes in the treble, a mild dip in the mids, and perhaps a slight bass shelf from 50 Hz (like 2.5 db) down. Now for the CSD plots, they show that while the two treble peaks haven't hit the red light in ms, they are probably not totally still, so an EQ for FR, and and another 1.8-2.4 db added to the decrease (please dont even bother with a fixed EQ unless its like 31 or more bands) might get you a pretty relaxed but accurate sound,

Would be interesting to get hold of one for a bit

i have new 2021 lcd-2closed with new pads ,carbon caps and new model vs old bit changed first models fr curve .

 

[Ieonasj]

im go for stellia to complete my focal bathys

 

[inthere]

The Atrium closed blew my socks off at Can Jam-Definitely going to look into those.

 

[recincarnate]

These opinions relate to my own closed back usage, which is almost entirely for EDM and some metal (I often use open back cans for most other genres)...

1. With EQ (bass shelf), the not-listed 2021 LCD-XC gets my vote. Genuinely remarkable. If you can put up with the weight.
2. Without EQ, the TH-900 gets my vote. If you put on a pair of TH-909 pads to better isolate and tame treble (EX-EP-99), and if you're happy with a little sound leakage.

 

[Ieonasj]

does this 1) stand not impact of pads? or better use second one pictured? but second collect dust in dynamics? second bad too for dust?