[shortstuff]

Bit of a tricky question. I want to upgrade from Philips X2 headphones. But I just want more of everything it offers. More bass, more slam, more highs, more mids... etc.
 
So far I have LCD-2 in mind.
 
Is there anything else? I listen about 50% drum and bass / dubstep and 50% ambient electronic. And occasionally Pink Floyd - TDSOTM.
 
I say tricky because I really don't want a thread full of answers referring me to the Boom thread - headphones that do great bass but nothing else. I have Dt770 PRO 80's for that heh.
 
Not put off by closed backs but I really like the wide soundstage that open ones bring.
 
Also I don't mind buying used if it is in perfect condition.
 
Amp wise - yamaha a-s700 for now. If I get some cheaper phones I will get better dac etc.
 
Budget £1k maybe £1250 which is $1200 maybe $1500.
 
Thanks.

 

[TMRaven]

LCD2 does not slam, it's more of an atmospheric bass.  It also is very linear with near no distortion, so it won't be as bass heavy as you think.  However the headphone itself has very excellent power handling, so you can EQ as much ass as you want and it probably wont' distort.  LCD-X is actually a better option in that regard.
 
I would think TH900 would be your best bet, but midrange will suffer.  TH-X00 is well balanced and still bassheady.  Its soundstage will suffer a little bit though.  Hard to get everything.

 

[shortstuff]

The other upgrade to consider is I listen like
 
foobar2k - realtek motherboard dac - yamaha amp - x2
 
What about spending £1k on a dac and dedicated headphone amp so
 
foobar2k - DAC - amp - X2?
 
Would this be a better option than upgrading the phones?
 
I use real bass exciter on these they are much flatter than the original x2's were!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  Bit of a tricky question. I want to upgrade from Philips X2 headphones. But I just want more of everything it offers. More bass, more slam, more highs, more mids... etc.

 

More bass, more mids, more highs basically means, literally, more of everything, but putting it that way just means you should play at a higher volume since you want more of all of it but without upsetting the balance. If you don't have an amp yet, then get a Schiit Vali2 for it. Or heck, try the Lyr2.
 

 
So far I have LCD-2 in mind.

 

That has more low bass but also a much flatter response curve from 1000hz down to 10hz, plus a smoother treble region. You might hear less

bass and less of a splash on the cymbals.
 

 
Amp wise - yamaha a-s700 for now. If I get some cheaper phones I will get better dac etc.

 

You might want to try a real headphone amp first. That's a speaker amp primarily and chances are even if it has enough power (not hard to do for a high sensitivity headphone like the X2), chances are the output impedance is also high.

 

That said, impedance mismatch can either trim or boost the bass, so if that amp is already doing the latter, you won't like the headphone amp.