[Jalo]

Quote:

Rob, you definitely has a valid point that I will agree.  I really don't mean that there is such a thing as the perfect phone.  However, improvement can happen regardless of  the fact there is no such things as ultimate phone or one phone for all.  For instance, seems like there is a consensus that the LCD2 has a little recess or laid back treble and a little smaller sound stage than desire.  So if the next version comes out with improved treble and bigger sound stage, I would call that as improvement and not just a different taste.  Or if the HE-6 can improve on its efficiency while maintaining the same performance level will be a much welcoming revision.  But your point is very well taken. 

Quote:

Listening preferences aside, I think that perfection is definitely an asymptote, not some hard limit that can be reached.  Better headphones can always be made.

Quote:

No offence intended, but to me this question is a bit odd. To me there seems to be a lot of groupthink especially regarding the LCD-2 here. The LCD-2 is basically the first real effort by the Audeze guys. They are a small company - now they have more money, more resources etc. Same with Hifiman. Of course they can and will be improved. If you enjoy the LCD-2, be happy - someday you´ll get something even better Personally I feel headphones have a long way to go, just look at what the current flagships did to the older top models. 

 
I have given a few thoughts to my own quote above with regard to perfection with headphone as well as the comments from the other posts here and I started to realized how wrong I was. The word "groupthink from Vrin's post really jumped out at me.  It seems like every time when somebody asks the question "what is the best headphone for............?"  The answer always come back from everyone on the forum loud and clear "There is no such thing as the best.......or there is no perfect phone for......."  As a result, most headfiers either became indoctrinated with this concept or so afraid that everyone is going to jump on them if they insist on the fact that there can be perfection with headphone.  Overtime, the so call Groupthinking started to form and anyone that think otherwise is in violation of the group norm and should be chastized, sanctioned, or be instructed how wrong their belief system are.  
 
So I ask why are we afraid to recognize the standard of perfection is so far beyond our reach?  Or may be we have been told so many times that it can't be reached so we are afraid to think otherwise.  In fact, what is the ultimate goal of listening to music through a headphone systems?  Isn't it to bring us as close to the music as in vivo as possible?  If a headphone system can achieve that goal, then whether it needs more bass or treble does not matter.  Because whatever that is not in the life performance is just personal preference so long as the headphone reproduce what is there in the live performance it has achievement perfection.  We may not like the live performance but that is not the job of the headphone. In fact, I was watching a concert in blue ray video and throughout the  two hours video, there were several moments I felt I was placed in the concert.  There was a sense of realism and I thought to myself, this  is just simply amazing that a headphone can do that.  And if a headphone can do that most of the times, I think it has reached perfection.  Really, it doesn't matter whether a headphone is warm or cold, fast or slow, close or distance so long if it can capture everything that is in the live performance, it is a perfect phone and I have listened to some moment of these with the LCD2 and I think eventually it can be improved to the point that it can consistently do so.  In other words, if one is being blindfolded and is being led to a place to listen to some music and yet cannot tell live from recordings, that should be the standard of perfection and I think most of us  have experienced that to varying degree.  Finally, and yes I realized to achieve that goal, it will require the whole system works together perfectly, no just the headphone by itself.
 

 

[baka1969]

Perfection just doesn't exist. If that were the case we'd all be listening to the same equipment. Or all the equipment would sound the same. None of the top tier headphones sound the same. As excellent as they all are there are strengths and weaknesses in each. There never will be perfection. We're all just chasing ghosts. That's not to say that there aren't superlative examples like the HE6 and LCD2. Next month, next year or several years from now there will be a new generation of "bests". People will claim them to be the ultimate in sound reproduction. Until the next one comes along. And the cycle will continue. I'll just have fun in the process.