[MrViolin]

Quote:

I think the point was more within the OP's stated budget and conditions - not deciding what is the best headphone overall.

Also, shouldn't the Cambridge mentioned earlier be suitable with the HE-6? (I know a few users have enjoyed them with other brands of IAs). I'm honestly asking this - I know the specsheet says 20 mW, but a lot of people tend to want/need a lot more than 20 mW.

woops :s sorry. I was completely wrong in this case. 1st part I was messing a bit (but I guess sarcasm and such doesn't transfer well across the screen). 20mW for the HE-6? I've just searched for it and couldn't find the capacity. Most phones that I've seen are around a watt or 2 in capacity (just what I've seen, but I haven't seen much). HE-6's aren't very efficient, so maybe that's the reason? That's what I've seen at least. You're much more knowledgeable than I am in headphones obobskivich >_< ah, I've for got to say this, but thanks for the help on the rec! 

 

[obobskivich]

woops :s sorry. I was completely wrong in this case. 1st part I was messing a bit (but I guess sarcasm and such doesn't transfer well across the screen). 20mW for the HE-6? I've just searched for it and couldn't find the capacity. Most phones that I've seen are around a watt or 2 in capacity (just what I've seen, but I haven't seen much). HE-6's aren't very efficient, so maybe that's the reason? That's what I've seen at least. You're much more knowledgeable than I am in headphones obobskivich >_< ah, I've for got to say this, but thanks for the help on the rec! 

No no, I think the HE-6 take like a few watts before they blow up (I know I've heard the LCD-2's quoted as being 8W/ch max); I mean in terms of "you need this much to ride this ride" - based on Tyll's data:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/HiFiMANHE6.pdf

But there's *a lot* of amplifiers that can provide 20 mW/ch (my Musical Fidelity for example can provide 250 mW/ch), but HE-6 owners tend to suggest MUCH more powerful amplifiers (in some cases up to 20-30W/ch); hence why I was curious if the Cambridge would or wouldn't be a suitable companion for them. For the "lesser" (as in less demanding) planar magnetics, as well as basically every other headphone out there, I would expect it to do just fine. But I always get a feeling when a lot of people are doing something the same way, maybe they're doing it for a reason, and that other people should pay attention - like people using massive amplifiers with the HE-6.

 

[briskly]

Just noting, the LCD-2 will officially take 15W@60ohms. Why you would want it to go past the threshold of pain, even for a transient, is beyond me though.
 
 
Tyll's result is interesting in that his HE-6 has an incredibly low sensitivity: about 77 db/mw. If this holds true for other samples, that could justify the use of some of the ridiculous power being poured into the headphone. On the other hand, KG was doing some testing on the Dynahi and found his HE-6 pretty much on spec (83.5 db/mw). I'm not really sure what to make of this.

 

[obobskivich]

Just noting, the LCD-2 will officially take 15W@60ohms. Why you would want it to go past the threshold of pain, even for a transient, is beyond me though.

And I thought 8W was scary to think about. Especially because the LCD-2 aren't really that insensitive...http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/AudezeLCD2.pdf

Let's see, .25mW/ch for 90 dB, distortion goes DOWN for the 100 dB run. And they're able to take around what? 60,000x more power before they blow up? I don't even...

Tyll's result is interesting in that his HE-6 has an incredibly low sensitivity: about 77 db/mw. If this holds true for other samples, that could justify the use of some of the ridiculous power being poured into the headphone. On the other hand, KG was doing some testing on the Dynahi and found his HE-6 pretty much on spec (83.5 db/mw). I'm not really sure what to make of this.

No idea - I haven't owned the HE-6, I was just posing it as a question based on having seen those measurements, and user claims I've seen over time. *shrug*

 

[briskly]

Quote:

And I thought 8W was scary to think about. Especially because the LCD-2 aren't really that insensitive...http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/AudezeLCD2.pdf

Audeze's design principle: stick speakers drivers in a cup and call it a headphone. Seriously.

Let's see, .25mW/ch for 90 dB, distortion goes DOWN for the 100 dB run. And they're able to take around what? 60,000x more power before they blow up? I don't even...
No idea - I haven't owned the HE-6, I was just posing it as a question based on having seen those measurements, and user claims I've seen over time. *shrug*

Well, no experience with the HE-6 either on my end.

 

[obobskivich]

briskly,

I've heard headphones that are built from tweeters or mini-woofers; they universally sound like crud. I'm guessing there's at least a little more thought going into the LCD-2 (I haven't heard them, but they don't measure as terribad as some of those "tweeter -> haedphone" setups sound). But yeah, 15W/ch - you could probably use those drivers as tweeters in a bookshelf speaker easily (but then again, Grado has used RS-1 drivers (of course multiples, but still) for the same thing; so it's not like it's out of the question).

 

[funkydandy]

Final round:

1. GS1000i
2. LCD2 rev 2
3. HE500

 
Headphones must:

1. pair with Schiit amplifier: Asgard, Valhalla or Lyr.
2. have detailled sound even at low volume.
3. sound natural.
4. have real voices.
5. adapt to different music: jazz, electonic, lounge, acid jazz...

 
Thank you very much.
 
Note: Guys, did I say thank you?

 

[RustA]

Quote:

Final round:

1. GS1000i
2. LCD2 rev 2
3. HE500

 
Headphones must:

1. pair with Schiit amplifier: Asgard, Valhalla or Lyr.
2. have detailled sound even at low volume.
3. sound natural.
4. have real voices.
5. adapt to different music: jazz, electonic, lounge, acid jazz...

 
Thank you very much.
 
Note: Guys, did I say thank you?

 
LCD-2 rev2 along with Lyr... Real voices, natural sound, the best for jazz and extremely good for electronic music, should be nice even at low volumes (however for the very deepest detail, you need to turn up the volume a bit) and the Lyr is well-known as an excellent pairing, one of the best under 1000 USD.
 
One thing worth considering - even though the LCD-2 are open-back, their isolation is nice (better than of HE-500 as far as I know). I can listen to music loud and still it does not bother people in the same room. However, don't expect you being isolated from the environment around you. In reality, the isolation is ALMOST the same as of Denon D7000 which are semiclosed.

 

[MEDO]

didn't hear the GS1000i, but i can assure the details will be more apparent on the LCD-2 than the HE-500. Don't get me wrong, both are very detailed sounding headphones but the LCD-2 is sharper in details and smoother in the overall sound. Yeah i know it's very subtle but if you focus you'll definitely notice.But i think the Grados will give you sharper details along with the sharp treble as well. If you listen mostly to modern music I'd say get the LCD-2 because they're the best for it, and with schiit lyr ... be aware of the addiction that could happen to you.

 

[Greed]

I agree with the above posters, you can't get much more smooth than the LCD-2. Probably the most natural sounding of those three headphones you mentioned as well. I own both LCD-2 and HE-500 and agree that the detail is slightly better on the Audeze's. One thing I believe the HE-500 come out on top though is treble, they can be a bit sparkly with certain recordings but if you tend to like more sparkly highs than the HE-500 will deliver that better. I would say that the HE-500 is a more balenced and neutral LCD-2. For the kinds of music you listen to though, you are calling for the LCD-2s and I think you will be happy with that investment for years to come. I have been reading countless posts about what amp synergizes well with the LCD-2. There are a lot of controversies on which is the best, but for one on a budget, you can't get much better than the Lyr+LCD-2. Personally, I like a bit of warmth to my sound, so that would fit my bill almost perfectly. I love to listen to instrumental jazz when lying in bed to calm my nerves and my LCD-2s deliver that quite well. I will say that you won't get the full amount of detail at low volumes, but you will find them incredibly detailed even at low volumes. I can't speak for the Grados, as I haven't heard them, but if they sound anything like the classic grado sound... than I would say they don't fit your bill as well as the LCD-2 or HE-500.

 

[NZtechfreak]

Quote:

 I can't speak for the Grados, as I haven't heard them, but if they sound anything like the classic grado sound... than I would say they don't fit your bill as well as the LCD-2 or HE-500.

 
They don't sound like the classic Grado sound, although they do have some its qualities like good detail retrieval and excellent reproduction or guitars.
 
Here is some of what Tyll had to say about them, from http://www.headphone.com/rightbetweenyourears/?p=1440 :
 
Very early on, when we first had a chance to measure the GS1000, I noticed the strongly curved frequency response of the GS1000 with an accentuated bass and treble, and it reminded me of the Fletcher-Munsen Equal Loudness Contour curves. What these curves show is that as you lower the average volume of music, you have to change the EQ to accentuate the bass and treble because your hearing system isn’t as sensitive in the bass and treble at the volume lowers. That’s what the “Loudness” button does on some of the older stereos out there, it raises the bass and treble so that it sounds more normal when you listen at low volume. Since the bass and treble of the GS1000 and PS1000 are accentuated, I surmised they’d be a good headphone for listening at low volumes. It turns out this is true, and many people have commented how great these cans are at low volume.
I play background music at low volumes all day long as I write. I tend to listen on speakers, because headphones aren’t usually very satisfying at low volumes and because I listen to a lot of overseas internet radio which has wretched sound quality. (I just love the amazing variety of tunes you get exposed to and the sense of another culture you feel when immersed in foreign sounds. A few samples: FIP France, ABC Jazz Australia, and Radio Silver Rain Moskow.) I’m a big fan of old school jazz, so I’ve gotten over obsessing about sound quality a long time ago, but 96kbs internet streams can be a physically miserable experience on headphones.  Oddly, this is almost never the case with the Grado GS1000. As I worked on this review, I just kept wearing and listening to the GS1000 even when I didn’t need to for evaluation purposes.
Why take them off when the music is so fun? I’ve never experienced completely involving listening sessions of crappy internet radio at low listening levels like this before. I’ve never experienced of getting sucked this hard into the music and away from work.  It’s not that the music is better on this day, but that it just sounds so damn good.
The GS1000 is smooth and lush; inviting and warm; it bounces along merrily tickling at your eardrum for attention; and all day long I just smiled and bobbed my head as the music played. The PS1000 is a quite similar listening experience, but brings a bit more detail and resolution into the picture. Both are just lovely to hear, and both made everything I listened to a complete joy.

 

[Greed]

Quote:

 
They don't sound like the classic Grado sound, although they do have some its qualities like good detail retrieval and excellent reproduction or guitars.
 
Here is some of what Tyll had to say about them, from http://www.headphone.com/rightbetweenyourears/?p=1440 :
 
Very early on, when we first had a chance to measure the GS1000, I noticed the strongly curved frequency response of the GS1000 with an accentuated bass and treble, and it reminded me of the Fletcher-Munsen Equal Loudness Contour curves. What these curves show is that as you lower the average volume of music, you have to change the EQ to accentuate the bass and treble because your hearing system isn’t as sensitive in the bass and treble at the volume lowers. That’s what the “Loudness” button does on some of the older stereos out there, it raises the bass and treble so that it sounds more normal when you listen at low volume. Since the bass and treble of the GS1000 and PS1000 are accentuated, I surmised they’d be a good headphone for listening at low volumes. It turns out this is true, and many people have commented how great these cans are at low volume.
I play background music at low volumes all day long as I write. I tend to listen on speakers, because headphones aren’t usually very satisfying at low volumes and because I listen to a lot of overseas internet radio which has wretched sound quality. (I just love the amazing variety of tunes you get exposed to and the sense of another culture you feel when immersed in foreign sounds. A few samples: FIP France, ABC Jazz Australia, and Radio Silver Rain Moskow.) I’m a big fan of old school jazz, so I’ve gotten over obsessing about sound quality a long time ago, but 96kbs internet streams can be a physically miserable experience on headphones.  Oddly, this is almost never the case with the Grado GS1000. As I worked on this review, I just kept wearing and listening to the GS1000 even when I didn’t need to for evaluation purposes.
Why take them off when the music is so fun? I’ve never experienced completely involving listening sessions of crappy internet radio at low listening levels like this before. I’ve never experienced of getting sucked this hard into the music and away from work.  It’s not that the music is better on this day, but that it just sounds so damn good.
The GS1000 is smooth and lush; inviting and warm; it bounces along merrily tickling at your eardrum for attention; and all day long I just smiled and bobbed my head as the music played. The PS1000 is a quite similar listening experience, but brings a bit more detail and resolution into the picture. Both are just lovely to hear, and both made everything I listened to a complete joy.

There you go... tough decision imo, but one only you can make. I would say which ever headphone you decide to get will serve you well. They are all well-regarded headphones. You might want to look at other reasons to get one of these headphones such as, amp pickiness, aesthetics, and build. Again I can't speak on the Grados, but the LCD-2s aren't picky whatsoever when it comes to amps. You can basically plug it in to anything with decent power and have it sound amazing (obviously some better matches than others). The HE-500 are a bit more picky imo, but still sounds amazing from the amps I have and some I have auditioned.

 

[NZtechfreak]

 
Quote:

There you go... tough decision imo, but one only you can make. I would say which ever headphone you decide to get will serve you well. They are all well-regarded headphones. You might want to look at other reasons to get one of these headphones such as, amp pickiness, aesthetics, and build. Again I can't speak on the Grados, but the LCD-2s aren't picky whatsoever when it comes to amps. You can basically plug it in to anything with decent power and have it sound amazing (obviously some better matches than others). The HE-500 are a bit more picky imo, but still sounds amazing from the amps I have and some I have auditioned.

 
Yep, tough call indeed, particularly if there is no opportunity to audition the respective headphones. The GS1000i aren't particularly picky either, with an adapter into a 3.5mm jack you could probably run them to fairly satisfyingly (unamped) straight out of an iPhone. FWIW I really like both and at this point wouldn't part with either.

 

[LugBug1]

Great posts guys. Yeah I thought the RS1's were really good for low level listening. I think Grado's in general are able give you little vibrations even at low listening levels that make music fun. Also because they are quite coloured to begin with they tend to play well with not so good recordings.
The LCD2's are even better at making bad recordings or low bitrates sound good and this is actually surprising considering the flat FR. But I also listen to a lot of old Jazz and more than any other hp I've tried I'm able to enjoy old Duke and Monk etc without wincing with the high notes hah!    

 

[DefQon]

Unless you have the money for the rest of your setup to be high end, the LCD2's and T1 are inferior to the HD800 and HE6 on many levels.