[3rdear]

After a while I acclimated to that and it didn't really bother me, since it did most other things right. I thought my IEMs, the Victor FX700, did a better job of a 3D presentation at the time.

 

[nothing4me]

Quote:

Very, very, very different signature from grado to LCD2. One's bright, one's warm to dark. Still I think OP's system is not juicy enough to provide the juice for LCD2. Those orthos need a greasy pricy juice to make them shine

.

O2 + ODAC is more than enough to drive them. And LCD-2 is an efficient headphone anyway.

 

[OPR8R]

Quote:

Very, very, very different signature from grado to LCD2. One's bright, one's warm to dark. Still I think OP's system is not juicy enough to provide the juice for LCD2. Those orthos need a greasy pricy juice to make them shine

.

I tend to agree here.  Ortho's and LCD's have their shortcomings, but OP's description of his experience leads me to believe his amp wasn't up to the task. 
 
Also, I tried Spotifiy and hated the way it sounds on my system.  It's fine for my M50's at work, but through LCD's it can sound pretty bad, IMO.

 

[Errymoose]

As has been said, you're almost certainly not amping the LCD2s right to get the best out of them... that said, if you do like the grado "house sound" they probably aren't the headphone for you too.
 
I'm somewhat the same, and while I can see the LCD2s do sound pretty good, I don't really like them   I currently use a Beyerdynamic T1 and love it.  Plenty of energy in the treble sounds great with rock music.  Bit more bass impact than the woody grado's at least and a whole lot more comfortable than any grado.

 

[Massacare]

O2 + ODAC is more than enough to drive them. And LCD-2 is an efficient headphone anyway.

Yes it has the power to drive them loud enough. But if you drive the LCD2 using only O2/ODAC, the dynamic range and the resolution is not as good as you drive them from......let's say asus xonar essence one. Even that asus thingy drives that big heavy ortho better than the O2/ODAC. And moving from Grado sound siganture to LCD2 is just like moving from an open shiny place to a dark big palace. Both of them is good, but they're on different league. Very very different league.

My suggest is, try the LCD2 on different better setup. Or if you have chance, drive those bigass LCD2 on liquid fire amp (with plenty good dac and etc). It still can't match the bright world like grado, but still they're freaking awesome in term of taking the LCD2's treble to a different world.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

I purchased a pair of Audeze LCD2s last week and I am seriously considering returning them and eating the $150 restocking fee  The LCD2's are paired with an O2 ODAC and the source is CDs and Spotify premium.  The LCD2s replaced the Grado SR-225is.
 
Compared to the Grado SR225is....the LCD2s sound muffled and flat. There's no punch or energy... I was expecting a night and day difference, with much more detail and expected the music to sound much better (when I went from Grado SR-60s to SR-225is the difference was huge!)
 
I have been reading around the forum a little bit and some people say that this is what Ortho headphones are like this and you have to adapt to them.  I am having a difficult time accepting this....the Grado's should sound like trash in comparison....
 
.....or am I so used to the Grados that I will never be happy with anything else?
 
....if I am used to the Grado's sound...and I return the LCD2s can someone recommend me a headphone which has the dynamic kind of sound that I like?

 
There's your problem methinks. The shelved down treble is to account for the close proximity of the drivers to your ears and with some time, you should find it more "natural" sounding (at least I do) than say the hooped up / ear piercing treble that is a Grado headphone (except for the HF-2/PS500).

 

[Noobmachine]

I think that a fundamental problem here is that maybe your tastes in genres and music, as well as your preferred sound is more tailored to that of the Grado sound signature. I've had people listen to the LCD-2s and be absolutely floored by its clarity and transparency and midrange, which works very well with my favorite vocal and acoustic genres, and I've had people absolutely turned off by the sound and find it "stuffy", "muffled", and of course "dark". Furthermore, I've learnt that on the lower end amps I've tried, the bass and treble are almost totally shelved, you'd probably need a better amp for these cans as well.
 
But most importantly, the LCD-2s are a dark headphone, few Grado treblehead's in their right mind would pick the LCD-2's over even a pair of SR80's. 
 
IMHO, return the LCD-2, buy an RS1i or maybe a PS500. If the LCD-2 sound isn't for you, don't force yourself to enjoy them if you just don't find them to your tastes.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

I think that a fundamental problem here is that maybe your tastes in genres and music, as well as your preferred sound is more tailored to that of the Grado sound signature. I've had people listen to the LCD-2s and be absolutely floored by its clarity and transparency and midrange, which works very well with my favorite vocal and acoustic genres, and I've had people absolutely turned off by the sound and find it "stuffy", "muffled", and of course "dark". Furthermore, I've learnt that on the lower end amps I've tried, the bass and treble are almost totally shelved, you'd probably need a better amp for these cans as well.
 
But most importantly, the LCD-2s are a dark headphone, few Grado treblehead's in their right mind would pick the LCD-2's over even a pair of SR80's. 
 
IMHO, return the LCD-2, buy an RS1i or maybe a PS500. If the LCD-2 sound isn't for you, don't force yourself to enjoy them if you just don't find them to your tastes.

I've owned the RS1s (twice) and currently own the PS500s, the LCD-2s smoke them both by HUGE margins to my ears and technically. 

 

[TMRaven]

If you're looking for a better Grado then get the PS500.  All of the lesser grados dont even sound that good.
 
It is an instance of being used to a sound.  Just as a person like yourself who's used to the grado sound would find the LCD2 flat and dull sounding, a person used to an LCD2 would find a grado thin and offensively shrill sounding.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

If you're looking for a better Grado then get the PS500.  All of the lesser grados dont even sound that good.
 
It is an instance of being used to a sound.  Just as a person like yourself who's used to the grado sound would find the LCD2 flat and dull sounding, a person used to an LCD2 would find a grado thin and offensively shrill sounding.

^ Very well stated.

 

[stacker45]

I find it funny to see how when someone prefers Grados over, in this case LCD2, they're has to be something wrong somewhere, his amp is too weak, not enough burn in time, believe it or not, it is possible for someone to just prefer the way Grados sound.
 
And why is it that Noobmachine can call people who like Grados, ''trebleheads'' without anyone saying something, and yes, if someone called LCD owners 'bassheads', i would find it equally as offensive.
 
I have heard the LCD2/3 and i think that even my GS1000 smokes them both by a ''HUGE'' margin, no need to take out the big guns (PS/HP1000) for this one.
 
Of course, unlike some, i was kidding in that last phrase, i meant BIG, instead of HUGE

 

[KimChee]

I've owned the LCD-2s and it's like other people were saying, it's an amazing phone for what it is, just not in my tastes.  It's all about figuring out what sound you like best, doing the research and going after those.  Headphone wise I prefer the Denon D7000.  It's not the most resolving, neutral, accurate phone, but it's fun and has some high end sound...

 

[TMRaven]

Quote:

And why is it that Noobmachine can call people who like Grados, ''trebleheads'' without anyone saying something, and yes, if someone called LCD owners 'bassheads', i would find it equally as offensive.

 
Because I can only think of 2-3 headphones with a more energetic top-end than grados!  LCD2 however has less bass than 2/3 headphones on the market.

 

[MohawkUS]

I'd say it's one of two things:

A. Like myself you don't like dark headphones, though if the headphones didn't impress you technicality wise that might not be it. I was impressed with the Senn HD598s and Ultrasone PRO2900 though I found one too dark and one too bright. Unfortunatly if you're a fan of Grado there are very few headphones you will find as exciting.

B. I'd be looking for a new DAC and/or amp. It's generally good practice to spend about half as much on the DAC as you do the headphones(in my experience). I found the Schiit Bifrost held back my STAX SR-5s quite considerably and considering the Odac is said to be on the same level as the Magni I really can't say it's too surprising you were disappointed. An easy way to test this would be to try and find a good old CD player. Old CD players(like the Toshiba XR-35 I have) tend to be quite detailed and throw an amazing soundstage; their flaws are more in the field of them sounding a bit rough, icy, and thin. 'sterile' as some call it. On what they can pull off the disc I've found some of them to be quite comparable to high end DACs.

 

[sling5s]

Personally I have both Grados and LCD-2.  It gives me options for the type of music or the mood that I'm in.  
It's never an either or.  Learn the strengths of both and enjoy both.  That's why this hobby is fun.  You don't have to choose one.  
Sometimes the in your face Grados are just what you want and sometimes the dark, warm yet magical sound of the LCD-2 is what you want. 
As you grow in this hobby, you learn to appreciate the different types of headphones, amps and dacs for what they are and what they do best. 
Yes, somethings are for you and sometimes aren't.  But your taste will expand and grow.