[JmanOfIsrael]

I guess I should of made that more clear. The XB500s are not controlled in the least bit. They are boomy and sloppy which is why I got them: they are fun every now and then. I just dont hear them accurately reproducing a bass guitar or instruments like a cello. I believe it is the "sub bass" they like to react to (i.e. the kind of boomy bass produced electronically--music I don't spend a ton of time listening to). I picked up the D5000s for $400 and between my D5000s and HD 598s I feel like I've got my bases nicely covered. I was originally looking to replace my HD 598s with the LCDs but ended up liking the soundstage better on the 598s (something I think they excel at, IMO).

 

[Dubstep Girl]

Quote:

 
 
You might have a different taste in bass, if you find the Denons to be very tight, and even the XB500 to be controlled.  There also might be some amping issues with some of the people who negatively remarked on the LCD bass, but I have not read said threads.
 
As for low rumble, many people say the LCD2s hit the region around 20hz the best, but I wouldn't be so sure unless I tried them for myself-- the graphs certainly seem to back it up, though.  Many movies have lfe far below 20hz.  Take the one scene in War of the Worlds where the tripods emerge from the ground, it's a constant 10hz rumble that only the best subs could hope to recreate faithfully.  For scenes like that, I don't think any headphone could give you adequate air movement.

having owned 2 denons and the LCD-2, heres what i've seen when it comes to the LCD-2 bass....
 
 
the LCD-2 does 20hz and below pretty well. no headphone does a better job at reproducing lfe like the LCD-2. it just gets u. all those rumbles are very nice on the LCD-2, they're my number 1 headphone for movies for that reason. they are like a mini home theater basically.
 
the denons go this low, but its not as controlled as with the LCD-2, doesn't sound as clean or controlled.
 
umm for 30hz-50hz subbass, like the kind in rap songs and such, the LCD-2 will not have as much bass quantity as headphones like the denons. this is true of my d7000 and was also true of my d2000. the LCD-2 are tight and never bloaty, muddy, or boomy in the bass. it has excellent bass texture, control, and tightness. while the denons will have a little less control in the bass to have more bass quantity. this is why not everyone likes the LCD-2, they feel it lacks sub-bass at times because its not exaggerated like the denons.  so in this regard, the denons are better. 
the LCD-2 will have much more accurate and cleaner bass in this range. other headphones like the ultrasone pro 900 will do ok here, but tend to roll off below 30hz.
 
the LCD-2 do however, have amazing midbass capabilities. its just super tight, fast, and well controlled. this give it alot of punch and slam that the denons (d2000, and d7000, dunno about d5000) lack. when it comes to electronic and especially house music, the LCD-2 are the best headphones i've heard. having much tighter, cleaner, and even more bass impact than the pro 900. anyone with LCD-2 should listen to Deadmau5 - the veldt, or Dinka - elements to see what i mean. i do not like these types of genres with the denons, they simply lack punch and tightness in the midbass. this alone made it enough to sell the pro 900s, the LCD-2 do have as much mid-bass punch as the pro 900,  but its much tighter and cleaner while the pro 900 tends to make the midbass envelop the entire sound spectrum
 
 
of course, this only happens when the LCD-2 are properly driven and are played at somewhat loud volumes, if not, the bass can be somewhat lacking.

 

[hekeli]

Quote:

of course, this only happens when the LCD-2 are properly driven and are played at somewhat loud volumes, if not, the bass can be somewhat lacking.

 
And again, there is no shame in EQing especially when using computer. I guess this is pointless to mention, but then again all reviews and comments usually are based on what something are by default and not what they are capable of delivering. If home theatres need massive DSP/EQ to get good bass etc, it's no different with headphones. But you need decend hardware to start with that can handle it.
 
edit: Ok for fun I tested the famous War of the Worlds pods arriving scene at LOUD volume.. first of all let's say that it's a fact that headphones are lightyears away from even a bad subwoofer experience. Since ahem they don't shake your body and the building. But let's just say that the visceral and clean rumble of up to 100dB peaks (according to my radioshack meter) to your head is amazing. I didn't test this when I had my Denons, but I'm pretty sure they are capable of nothing like this (even the graphs show massive distortion at 20hz when loud). I had about +8dB @ 20hz gradually sloping down to +0 @ 100hz... you really need something like this since otherwise you would blow your ears from mids/treble. It could be that my O2 might be even running out of juice, but it's nice to know that my G109 is soon coming.. 

It's really time to start experimenting with some proper EQ/DSP stuff then.
 
much later edit: In case you are wondering, O2 pretty much held up to the same levels as G109.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

Quote:

 
And again, there is no shame in EQing especially when using computer. I guess this is pointless to mention, but then again all reviews and comments usually are based on what something are by default and not what they are capable of delivering. If home theatres need massive DSP/EQ to get good bass etc, it's no different with headphones. But you need decend hardware to start with that can handle it.

^ most important thing imo to avoid ruining the sound when EQing.

 

[brokenthumb]

Quote:

having owned 2 denons and the LCD-2, heres what i've seen when it comes to the LCD-2 bass....
 
 
the LCD-2 does 20hz and below pretty well. no headphone does a better job at reproducing lfe like the LCD-2. it just gets u. all those rumbles are very nice on the LCD-2, they're my number 1 headphone for movies for that reason. they are like a mini home theater basically.
 
the denons go this low, but its not as controlled as with the LCD-2, doesn't sound as clean or controlled.
 
umm for 30hz-50hz subbass, like the kind in rap songs and such, the LCD-2 will not have as much bass quantity as headphones like the denons. this is true of my d7000 and was also true of my d2000. the LCD-2 are tight and never bloaty, muddy, or boomy in the bass. it has excellent bass texture, control, and tightness. while the denons will have a little less control in the bass to have more bass quantity. this is why not everyone likes the LCD-2, they feel it lacks sub-bass at times because its not exaggerated like the denons.  so in this regard, the denons are better. 
the LCD-2 will have much more accurate and cleaner bass in this range. other headphones like the ultrasone pro 900 will do ok here, but tend to roll off below 30hz.
 
the LCD-2 do however, have amazing midbass capabilities. its just super tight, fast, and well controlled. this give it alot of punch and slam that the denons (d2000, and d7000, dunno about d5000) lack. when it comes to electronic and especially house music, the LCD-2 are the best headphones i've heard. having much tighter, cleaner, and even more bass impact than the pro 900. anyone with LCD-2 should listen to Deadmau5 - the veldt, or Dinka - elements to see what i mean. i do not like these types of genres with the denons, they simply lack punch and tightness in the midbass. this alone made it enough to sell the pro 900s, the LCD-2 do have as much mid-bass punch as the pro 900,  but its much tighter and cleaner while the pro 900 tends to make the midbass envelop the entire sound spectrum
 
 
of course, this only happens when the LCD-2 are properly driven and are played at somewhat loud volumes, if not, the bass can be somewhat lacking.

 
Agree with everything you said here Dubstep Girl.  LCD-2 bass is perfect to me, extremely tight and textured and lighting quick to boot.
 
I have to say that I listen with peaks around 70dB (used spl meter to measure loudest part of the song) and the bass is still really impressive at lower listening levels.

 

[tev]

I've owned two D5000's and the LCD2 and completely agree with Dubstep Girl's comments on the LCD Denon comparison.
 
The D5000 is a great headphone, but its strengths are from the midbass and above (ie. tonality, ease, intimacy, etc.)
In comparison, the unique strength of the LCD2 is in the lower half of the frequency range where it provides a solidity and sense of space that's completely different and much more lifelike than the D5000 in this area. I like them both, but they are very different.
 

 

[Drastion]

Is the o2 really capable of powering the lcd2. I know its not electrostat material but I didn't think it was lcd2 material either.

 

[dukeskd]

I agree with Dubstep Girl, the presence of sub-bass with the Denons is larger than what the LCD-2 can offer. It is above 50hz where the LCD-2 have more quality, but the D7000 is very very close.

 

[Matt head 777]

The LCD-2 r2 are bass kings. Undisputed they have the quality and control, and they also have the headroom provided your not not too stingy to have inadequate amp, (who would you just spent 1k on headphones?). Don't be afraid of abit of eq if you like the bass increased. It can do it. I had a D5k vergin on distortion these lcd-2 have the power handling and the xmax for loud and big bass. xD
 

 

[nicholars]

Quote:

 
And again, there is no shame in EQing especially when using computer. I guess this is pointless to mention, but then again all reviews and comments usually are based on what something are by default and not what they are capable of delivering. If home theatres need massive DSP/EQ to get good bass etc, it's no different with headphones. But you need decend hardware to start with that can handle it.
 

 
Does it make any difference using a seperate EQ or something compared to just using the EQ function on Foobar2k?
 
Is there a better way than using the Foobar EQ?

 

[Matt head 777]

Quote:

 
Does it make any difference using a seperate EQ or something compared to just using the EQ function on Foobar2k?
 
Is there a better way than using the Foobar EQ?

you can eq with foobar fine imo, you don't need a hardware eq.

 

[nicholars]

Why does the EQ in foobar does not go below 55hz?

 

[Matt head 777]

Quote:

Why does the EQ in foobar does not go below 55hz?

 
 
not sure of the eq in foobar your using, but you can eq below that with say electri-q in foobar.

 

[nicholars]

Is that one better than the default one then?
 
I am using the stock foobar2k EQ at the moment.

 

[Matt head 777]

it's respected and it's free. It's a parametric eq.
http://www.aixcoustic.com/index.php/Electri-Q-posihfopit/30/0/