[dallan]

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I stopped listening after "From reading impressions threads...".
 
Seriously people, if you have never heard the headphone(s) in question, please don't try to provide impressions based on what you have heard/read.
 
It's completely pointless and you will just end up getting it all wrong like WalkmanMan did here.
 
 

Have to hear it. I have heard the LCD2 extensively and on several set ups and i still prefer the 800s sound quality and i listen mainly to rock and jam rock with some jazz...no classical at all.  I have done things around the 800 to make them shine as you taylor any system to a particular headphone of course.  Got to be careful or those impressions threads, they are good to a point but.........
 

 

[SP Wild]

I am developing an unusual love/hate relationship with the HD800s.  What I love about them the most...is exactly the same thing that drives me insane after a while.  Now its sounding like I have a sick fetish for the HD800s.  I was listening to them today and found them to sound glorious...I hated them last week.
 

 

[Danz03]

I know exactly what you mean, I was quite annoyed with them until I got my LCD-2s yesterday. And after doing a lot of comparisons between the two and I discovered that they are absolutely amazing for classical, jazz and light acoustic music. What's bad about them is that they are hopeless for dance, hip-hop and some rock music.
The LCD-2s are exactly what I'm looking for in a pair of headphones, they are very neutral and accurate, so I guess I can now indulge myself with a pair that's a bit colored but excel in certain types of music. 

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I am developing an unusual love/hate relationship with the HD800s.  What I love about them the most...is exactly the same thing that drives me insane after a while.  Now its sounding like I have a sick fetish for the HD800s.  I was listening to them today and found them to sound glorious...I hated them last week.
 

 

[SP Wild]

 
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I know exactly what you mean, I was quite annoyed with them until I got my LCD-2s yesterday. And after doing a lot of comparisons between the two and I discovered that they are absolutely amazing for classical, jazz and light acoustic music. What's bad about them is that they are hopeless for dance, hip-hop and some rock music.
The LCD-2s are exactly what I'm looking for in a pair of headphones, they are very neutral and accurate, so I guess I can now indulge myself with a pair that's a bit colored but excel in certain types of music. 

Yes, I agree with you all the way.  I could never own the HD800 as a primary headphone.  But I'd hate to be without them for those moments of indulgence.  At this stage, for me, the HD800 is like fine wine...a few glasses here and there, very exquisite...but to drink an the entire bottle everyday really isn't good for me.
 

 

[Orcin]

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I stopped listening after "From reading impressions threads...".
 
Seriously people, if you have never heard the headphone(s) in question, please don't try to provide impressions based on what you have heard/read.
 
It's completely pointless and you will just end up getting it all wrong like WalkmanMan did here.
 
 

x2

 

[Danz03]

It just goes to show that you can't have too much of a good thing. 

 
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Yes, I agree with you all the way.  I could never own the HD800 as a primary headphone.  But I'd hate to be without them for those moments of indulgence.  At this stage, for me, the HD800 is like fine wine...a few glasses here and there, very exquisite...but to drink an the entire bottle everyday really isn't good for me.
 

 

[aimlink]

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This is just what I've surmised from reading several detailed comparison threads. Hope it helped!
 
Personally I'm going for either the Beyerdynamic Tesla T1 if I decide I want something for home use only or the Beyerdynamic T5P if I decide I want something portable.

 
I've personally learnt not to surmise anything from what I read here on head-fi.  If I can't audition, I'll bight the bullet and have a go.  I all too often have a different POV from those posted here and that are all too often, heavily parroted.  For instance, I've found the HD800's to be a fabulous all-rounder.  I'd recommend it, no matter the genre one listens to.
 

 

[Dubwicht]

You should consider the HifimanHE-5E's. I haven't heard the HD 800's but have both the HE-5's and the D7000's. The Hifimans are breathtaking and the best I have heard and the value is incredible. Take the difference and buy some other gear. Several reviews have compared the HE-5E's favorably with the HD 800's.

 

[Shahrose]

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You should consider the HifimanHE-5E's. I haven't heard the HD 800's but have both the HE-5's and the D7000's. The Hifimans are breathtaking and the best I have heard and the value is incredible. Take the difference and buy some other gear. Several reviews have compared the HE-5E's favorably with the HD 800's.

I don't think the HE-5s are in the same class as the HD800s. I liked the HE-5s when I was using them with lower end equipment but they have too many flaws and are technically far inferior to the Senns. Some like its Grado-like bright and in-your-face presentation, so if that's the kind of sound you like, go for it otherwise stick with the 800s.

 

[geoffbrecker]

 
 

 
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I stopped listening after "From reading impressions threads...".

 

Seriously people, if you have never heard the headphone(s) in question, please don't try to provide impressions based on what you have heard/read.

 

It's completely pointless and you will just end up getting it all wrong like WalkmanMan did here.

 
 
Listening to music and having sex are actions best done off of forums.

 

[grokit]

I have the HD800s and I would say that they give you exactly what comes in to them, they are the most revealing headphone I haver ever heard. I wouldn't say that they excel at any particular genre more than another; they can rock out with the best of them. But if you are listening to a sub-par recording you will hear sub-par sound, that is the rub with these as they are not forgiving at all. But that is the ONLY weakness of the HD800's SQ, IMHO of course. Their soundstage, detail and neutrality are unmatched, the bass is deep and textured, the mids are sublime and the high end is extremely smooth yet extends fully. They are light, well-built, and extremely comfortable.
 
I sold off my LCD-2 to get the HD800, but I am considering getting another pair of them to complement the HD800. I am also considering an Edition 8 however, as they seem more versatile in respect to the quality of the recording. They are also closed, and they fold up so they would be great for portable use as well. Then I demoed the HE-6 prototype, that was probably the best of all worlds to me except they didn't do as well out of my $2K WA22 balanced headphone amp as they did out of my $300 speaker amp. Unfortunately I have never crossed paths with an Ultrasone or a Beyerdynamic yet.
 
Since the OP is on somewhat of a schedule, bear in mind that the HE-6 production model hasn't been released yet (but it is reportedly easier to drive than the prototype), and the waiting time for the LCD-2 is around seven weeks.

 

[Equus]

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I've personally learnt not to surmise anything from what I read here on head-fi.  If I can't audition, I'll bight the bullet and have a go.  I all too often have a different POV from those posted here and that are all too often, heavily parroted.  For instance, I've found the HD800's to be a fabulous all-rounder.  I'd recommend it, no matter the genre one listens to.
 

Yup...because it's all a matter of opinion.  I've heard the HD800 several times at very nice rigs, and I personally don't like them and love the LCD-2.  So I'm of the exact opposite opinion of dallan, but I would be dishonest if I didn't say the HD800's have their strengths, so in the end neither of us is really "wrong".  Just different opinions on a highly subjective hobby that also happens to have lots of variables.

 

[aimlink]

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I have the HD800s and I would say that they give you exactly what comes in to them, they are the most revealing headphone I haver ever heard. I wouldn't say that they excel at any particular genre more than another; they can rock out with the best of them. But if you are listening to a sub-par recording you will hear sub-par sound, that is the rub with these as they are not forgiving at all. But that is the ONLY weakness of the HD800's SQ, IMHO of course. Their soundstage, detail and neutrality are unmatched, the bass is deep and textured, the mids are sublime and the high end is extremely smooth yet extends fully. They are light, well-built, and extremely comfortable.
 
I sold off my LCD-2 to get the HD800, but I am considering getting another pair of them to complement the HD800. I am also considering an Edition 8 however, as they seem more versatile in respect to the quality of the recording. They are also closed, and they fold up so they would be great for portable use as well. Then I demoed the HE-6 prototype, that was probably the best of all worlds to me except they didn't do as well out of my $2K WA22 balanced headphone amp as they did out of my $300 speaker amp. Unfortunately I have never crossed paths with an Ultrasone or a Beyerdynamic yet.
 
Since the OP is on somewhat of a schedule, bear in mind that the HE-6 production model hasn't been released yet (but it is reportedly easier to drive than the prototype), and the waiting time for the LCD-2 is around seven weeks.

Concerning the Edition 8.  It doesn't fold, but they do sell them as portable since you get a 4ft cable with mini plug and a leather pullstring bag to store and carry them.  As to their sound, they're definitely different from the HD800's.  I never feel that I have to acclimatize the HD800's.  I usually <sigh> with a 'home sweet home' sort of feeling when I put them on after a period of not listening to them.  However, I have to 'tune in' so to speak, to the Ed8 sound.  Though it's full of detail and clarity, the balance can be great fun and certainly breath's life into some recordings, like say The Beatles, but they're not lasting for me.  However, I don't wish to part with them since I do take them out when I wish to take a vacation from home.  

 

[Danz03]

Anyone who has heard dance and hip-hop music with the HD800s should know how terrible it sounded. The treble was so dominating and bright it literally hurt my ears after a minute or so of listening. Of course one can use an EQ or other methods to trim the highs but that would also alter the sound stage and a lot of the nice things about the HD800s, so I definitely wouldn't say they are good for all genres. One thing that is true about the HD800s is that they are one of the most revealing headphones around, maybe even more revealing than the LCD-2s, but whether it's a good thing or not really depends on the user, as they don't just show up the flaws in bad recordings, they also show you all the flaws in some good-recordings too. For instant, I noticed editing on Hayley Westernra's voice which I've never noticed before with other phones or monitors. Or the musicians breathing, tiny noise from the throat of vocalists, background noise that one would not be able to hear with other headphones or monitors. However, when the HD800s are good, they are really good; with concerto or live acoustic music, the LCD-2s will give you a listening position about 10 rows from the stage, whereas with the HD800s, you would be in the front or 2nd row. With piano music, you'd be listening from the position of the pianist or right next to the soundboard. I think the HD800s are also particularly good for listening to recordings made from analogue tapes, it somehow put back those little bit of highs that are sometimes lost with analogue tape compression.
I wouldn't say the LCD-2s are good, I'd say they are accurate and exactly what I was looking for in a pair of headphones. They present you with whatever you put through them, no enhancement and no detraction, they are more like a pair of reference monitors than a pair of headphones. If the recording was made in a small recording studio, it will not give you the sound stage of a concert hall, whereas the HD800s would sometimes exaggerate, but in a nice way. If I could only have one pair of headphone, I would definitely choose the LCD-2s, but that's just me, I'm a purist.

 

[aimlink]

Hahahahaha.... you're a purist?  After reading what you've written all I can say is that you're just you.  

 
Doesn't make me a purist either, mind you. Would never claim to be one.
 
As to hip hop and dance.... what a landscape of lousy, loudness war recordings!!!  It's difficult to find a recent one that's genuinely good.  So, if the recording is lousy, then you need cans that will not show this up.  Righto....   When the recording is great, just about any can you throw at it will sound listenable at the minimum.   I'm quite picky with the hip hop I listen to and enjoy them immensely with the HD800's. 
 
I'd love to try the LCD-2's, but I can't seem to muster enough interest to get one.... My homely HD800's have killed the vibes to look further.  Let's see how long that lasts.  Maybe by then, there'll be another can that overshadows the LCD-2's.  I remember when the HE-5's were the rage..  Now they're long forgotten.... utterly incredible to witness.