[MattTCG]

I'm usually not gun shy about hp's and pulling the trigger. But I can't seem to make a decision here and would appreciate some help. Maybe it's because of the price. I've never spent $1k+ on a pair of hp's. Ever. Here are my random thoughts that have been circulating in my head for the past week. My chain is uberfrost>lyr (telefunkens), crack (ts5998) and hp's. My only current hp is the hd650. The price discrepancy is inconsequential. My music library is 60% flac, 30% hi-res and 10% mp3-320. 
 
1. After being in the hp game for several years, one thing that has become paramount to me is comfort. Comfort is King. I've auditioned both of these hp's and I find the hd800 supremely comfy and the lcd2 not very comfortable. 
 
2. The lcd2 is certainly closer to my preferred signature. I like darker hp's with good mids and good bass extension...not bloomy  though...textured bass with a slight warm tilt is what I like best. I've auditioned the lcd2 twice once...once pre-fazor and one with fazor. I liked the pre-fazor better. I can still get a pre-fazor pair NIB, maybe. I worry that the current iteration of the lcd2 gets too far away from my preferred signature. 
 
3. I auditoned the hd800 once before when I had the lyr. I didn't find the pairing very good, but neither do most people. I feel that that crack is much better suited to bring out the best in the hd800 as opposed to the lyr. 
 
4. The hd650 with the crack is a very very good hp. But maybe it's just too close to the lcd2 to be a truly "complementary" second hp. The lcd2 is certainly better at everything minus the comfort factor. But is it different enough or rather better enough? 
 
5. Recently I added a borrowed "quickie' pre-amp to the chain and was really impressed with what it did for the sub bass on the hd650...very impressed. My concern is that the hd800 bass won't hit hard enough and that it might sound bright but possibly with the crack and quickie it would be more than good enough. 
 
All help and suggestions are appreciated. 
 
Matt

 

[jackskelly]

I agree with you that the Lyr is better with the LCD-2 and the Crack will give the HD 800s some warmth, and thus be the better pairing of the two. Honestly, the HD 800 is the overall better headphone IMO, especially when it comes to scaling (if you decide to upgrade your amp in the future).

 

[MattTCG]

I don't want to make this decision with the idea that I'd get a better amp for the hd800 later. Please help make this decision with the crack as THE amp that I plan to use with the hd800.

 

[MattTCG]

I'll throw in the he560 as a wildcard as it's release it eminent and seems to provide some competition to the other two hp's. 

 

[TontonJoK]

I sold my HD 650 a year ago and was using it with a lake people amp which I was using with lcd 2 too

I prefer the audeze for the music I listen to (edm, soul, pop)

The voices are more upfront and the bass hit harder, the sennheiser is more laid back
I feel more air between instruments

I didn't like the hd 650 signature that much and love the audeze

To me it's a nice upgrade and your lyr should sound great with the lcd2

 

[TontonJoK]

The Hifiman he 560 seems to be very attractive too, it won't be easy to pull the trigger

 

[MattTCG]

^^ thanks for the advice. 

 

[superjawes]

I tried the LCD-3, and it was comfortable. The pads vere very soft and fit my head well (and I have a big head). The catch is that it is heavy (much heavier than the 800). If you're just kicked back and listening, I don't think that the weight will be too much of an issue.

Have you actually tried the 800's with the Crack? It seems that everyone generally loves how the 800's sound, but I also hear "picky" as a common criticism. That is, how good the experience is will be determined by what you pair with it. At the very least you should try the 800's with your current intended amp.

 

[MattTCG]

I have heard that hd800 on the lyr but not the crack. That is part of the dilemma. 

 

[superjawes]

Well then I hope you can find a friend with a pair. Otherwise, you could choose wisely and purchase from someone with a good return policy. I don't think you're going to solve your dilemma without putting the two together first =/

EDIT: is anyone rolling Lyr tubes to favor the 800's? You might check them out and get a little more insurance/peace of mind. You probably won't get a night/day change, but it might give you another option on the amp side.

 

[MattTCG]

I rolled a few different sets of good aftermarket tubes with the lyr for the hd800. It just didn't do much for me. The crack should be much better though. 

 

[Claritas]

If comfort is king, Audezes aren't for you. Sure there are worse, such as Hifimans (the new ones are supposed to have fixed that, but I don't know yet).

The question I would ask is why only those two? I'm asking because it doesn't sound like a fun choice, choosing between comfort and the sound you prefer.

In this respect, it's sensible to add the new Hifimans. Why didn't the Oppo work out? What are you trying to improve on from HD650.

 

[MattTCG]

I've already owned owned the he400/4/500 and found them all pretty comfortable. Although the he500 was a little on the heavy side for me. So I don't think that there is any question that the new hifiman would meet me comfort requirements. I've already thrown both the he400i and he560 on the list for consideration. TBH it might be prudent to wait till these are in the hands of many and quality can really be put to the test. 
 
I don't have a planar mag right now and actually downsized to just the hd650. So I'm looking to add one or maybe two hp's. I like the sound of the lcd2 but the question of comfort keeps coming up. The hd800 would give me a very different sound from the 650. More resolving, better imaging, and soundstage...and great comfort. You can add built quality and no worries of revisions to that list. 

 

[Claritas]

If you could live with HE500, I don't think you'll find Audezes a problem as I find the weight to be better distributed between the headband and the leather earpads. So if you know you like their house sound more than HD800, go for it.

 

[nikongod]

HD800. 
Soundstage from LCD2 is a sad joke. HD800 are pretty true to source, as much as any headphone is anyways.