Hi there
As you know, I received the HE-6 last week, and have spent a lot of time with them.
They were plugged on a Meier Concerto, same as the LCD-2.
So I will not only make a rewiew, but a comparison as well.
This is my first review in english, so be lenient.
The Comfort
The HE-6 are very comfy with nice pressure around your ears.
They are quite heavy, but nothing appalling. The velvet pads are nice and of good quality.
VS LCD-2 :
It's up to your preference.
The LCD-2 are heavier with a stronger clamping, but the leather pads are so more confortable.
Beside, the Forward angled cable inputs is a good idea, because it can be annoying on the HE-6 (depending on your listening position)
Amp Requirement
The HE-6 need a lot of power. With the Concerto, it's just enough.
I have to put volume to the max, and I still feel the the HE-6 could do more with extra power.
VS LCD-2 :
The LCD-2 don't need a lot of power, just a good source.
The Build
I've always had some trouble with headphones which use plastic materials.
They always seem more fragile, and sometimes, you can hear some plastic crackle noise when you move your head. Fortunately, The HE-6 are well built, and the crackle noise are quite rare. The stock cable is also really nice.
VS LCD-2 :
For me, the LCD-2 are a piece of art. Well built and solid.
The stock cable is good, but would be more pleasant if it was less rigid.
The only real trouble is the block-band made in plastic (again) but Audeze are aware of this issue, and are fixing this by replacing them.
Now, let's talk about the sound
The Soundstage
Not as wide as I'm used to with dynamic headphones or stats, but quite enough.
Fair representation.
VS LCD-2 :
The LCD-2 have a smaller soundstage. Not a gap, but still. It's really surprinsing at first.
Less air too. Can be annoying on live concert recordings.
The Bass
I've bought a lot of headphones this year, including some Hi-End, and my conclusion was "if you want punchy and deep bass, buy closed headphones". Well, fortunately it's not the case with Orthos.
The bass response is amazing. far better than all the (open) dynamic and stats I had
VS LCD-2 :
In this area, the HE-6 are amazing, but the LCD-2 are better.
More quantity and more punch. Visceral !
The Mids
Really smooth and present, there is nothing else to say than great.
VS LCD-2 :
The LCD2 seem warmer, but just a bit. I can't really say wich one I prefer.
The Treble
These headphone offer beautiful treble. It can be harsh sometimes (for me), but is really enjoyable.
VS LCD-2 :
Not a lot to discuss here. Despite what a lot of people says, they really lack in treble.
It's very noticeable when you listen female singers like Tina Arena, and even more when you do direct comparison with the HE-6. For me, the major weakness of the LCD-2.
Global Sound & Conclusions
The HE-6 are really versatile headphones and offer a very realistic sound representaion.
They do everything well without any doubt.
If you don't want to buy many headphones but just one pair, it should be these ones.
They don't have any weakness, so you can enjoyed them with any kind of music.
I have just a few complaints about them.
1) The built
Even if they are well built, the plastic is definitly not a good idea.
2) They do everything well, but they don't shine in any area.
3) For that reason, I found them a little pricey.
I know that orthos are expensive (don't know why), but still...
VS LCD-2 :
If you've read my previous posts on the Audeze topic, you certainly know that I don't like the LCD-2 sound. If I admit that voices and bass are great, I find the presentation too congestionned, and because the lack of treble, totally irrealistic (resonance on piano for instance).
Fortunately, the LCD-2 respond well to a HTRF EQ. And you can get something really spectacular with them.
So my review is done. Hope you enjoyed it
Thanks to Phang and Jan for this interesting Loaner Program.
