[Asr]

Quote:

The biggest flaw with the sound of the LCD-2 is something I never noticed until I had them in my home. These headphones do not know what dynamics are. It's as if, hidden in the cups, there is a normalization circuit that puts everything on the same volume level. Obviously this is a bit of an exagerration, but not far from true. When there are multiple sound sources playing at the same time, they are all roughly the same volume. This makes listening to solo concertos challenging to say the least.

 
I feel somehow validated that you've mentioned this about the LCD-2 as well and wanted to quote it to bring more attention to it.

That was one of the things that bothered me most about both the LCD-2 and LCD-3 when I tried to listen to classical music on them. I've actually found that true musical dynamics are lost on most headphones and only a very few headphones I've heard accurately portray "quiet" and "loud".

 

[Maxvla]

Yes. It was unexpected. I was sitting there listening, then all of the sudden I thought 'I've heard this song before.. those backup instruments aren't supposed to be this loud...' Then I paid more attention and realized it was happening with everything. Really ruined their chances of sticking around. I could forgive everything else as 'flavor' but this is not accurate reproduction at all.

 

[Girls Generation]

Quote:

Yes. It was unexpected to say the least. I was sitting there listening, then all of the sudden I thought 'I've heard this song before.. those backup instruments aren't supposed to be this loud...' Then I paid more attention and realized it was happening with everything. Really ruined their chances of sticking around. I could forgive everything else as 'flavor' but this is not accurate reproduction at all.

Are you considering the HE6 at all by any chance?

 

[Maxvla]

Had them when they first came out. Were not my cup of tea. Willing to give them another chance because I now believe my DAC and amp were not up to the task, but I won't be purchasing them to do so. Then you have to factor in the awful Hifiman fit.. even if they sounded good, I don't know if I could deal with that again...

 

[drez]

Had them when they first came out. Were not my cup of tea. Willing to give them another chance because I now believe my DAC and amp were not up to the task, but I won't be purchasing them to do so. Then you have to factor in the awful Hifiman fit.. even if they sounded good, I don't know if I could deal with that again...

I found HE6 had similar dynamic compression with my amplifier, even clipped on some tracks, I had a decision to buy a power amp and crush my desk, and maybe still be disappointed, or switch to hd800. Maybe if you already have speaker amps for speakers HE6 is a good idea. HE6 also has that "everywhere bass" at least in my setup. Hifiman industrial design is pretty rough and ready, especially with the mods I was using on them...

I agree with pretty much all points of your review, except that I also found LCD2 to lack speed and agility compared to even my underpowered HE6. For my current musical tastes I think it is found wanting on too many aspects. Vocal tonality is beautiful (with rev1) but you lose the small inflections and finer points of singing technique that also constitute the performance of the artist.

Compared to Hd800 I also found the HE6 very lush and smooth, again with my setup, but its overall still more talented than the LCD2; HE6 meets more of my criteria for listening. I just wish I had the equipment to hear the HE6 at it's [hypothetical] best.

 

[jeffreyfranz]

Very fine job. You have a nice writing style. Keep it up.

 

[Lorspeaker]

Quote:

Well written review.
 
Can't say that it makes me want to swap my LCD2's for an HD800 though. If your descritions had been less dramatic it could have been more believable. It reads like someone who doesn't like the LCD2's at all. Your false objectivism has fooled some, but not all
 
The LCD2 for me is not about technicalities. Its simply not! It is about the pure and intimate enjoyment of music. Only it; delivers the music in a warm liquid like gloop, encompassing the listener in a way that renders them numb to artificiality's that wouldn't normally show up in the music. Artificiality's that can easily become distracting and focused upon more so than the more important emotional aspects.
These leather clad predators envelope the listeners ears (and most of their face) like two gorillas hands, holding the recipient helpless as it induces an allegoric fusion where component and animal almost transmogrify in an illusionary state of consciousness. You become the headphone. Or indeed, the headphone becomes you.
The Bass is what bass should be, it is deep and impactful, warm and seductive. It cups its leathery hand on your scrotum and gently squeezes when the double bass is slapped, or the cello's crunch in unison. The mids suck you into a small but perfectly assembled stage. A stage that is lined with dark red velvet on all sides and candle lit. Light shines through the dimly lit room. But not too much. Not enough to see the dirt.
A warm intimacy befriends the lonely here, a place for everyone to hold hands and hold each other naked. Not far away there is a sweet voice calling out. The treble is your best friend. It will never get angry, no matter how bad you treat it. It is there when you need it, but never more so.  But be warned my children, as given half the chance it will and without hesitation gently caress your whole body with a wet and oily tongue- leaving nothing but goosebumps in it's wake.
A whole is present here. Every 'thing' is one. There is not a 'wall of sound' but a 'whole'. A whole that carries your weary mind away at the end of long days. Held as in a mothers arms and protected. Protected from a cruel world below. A world where robots have the rule. A cold place.
 
Just saying..
 
(and not to be taken seriously under any circumstances)

 
LMAO.... the best ever....sore did those balls get....ear wax lyrical. i love this post. 

 

[arturo71]

This review is a fine piece of writing. Thank you very much.
 
I own both LCD2 and HD800 and my preliminary findings are similar to yours as for the strenghts and weaknesses of each model. However I am still waiting for the right amp to give the best of my HD800.
 
I see in your profile you had a Stax 007 MK2 and you got rid of it. May I ask why?
 
Arturo
 
PS: Your avatar is also a spoiler before starting the reading.

 

[dan.gheorghe]

Nice review. I will also be writing my impressions on LCD2 and HD800 soon. For now I must say I love them both. They sound so different, but they both are very enjoyable. They are the perfect yin and yang to each other.

I love everything the HD800 does differently than Lcd2 and everything the LCD2 does differently than HD800. 

 

[Maxvla]

I see in your profile you had a Stax 007 MK2 and you got rid of it. May I ask why?

Strangely enough because of a treble peak that gave the sound an unnatural feeling. I think it may be that the HD800 having the treble remain higher throughout the treble while the SR-007 rolls downwards then shoots up precipitously is to blame.

 

[Shahrose]

Quote:

The Silver does not endanger the HD800 to become brighter? Only curious, not trying to make a statement.

 
Depends on the ancillaries. On my system, both copper and silver sound around the same in terms of treble energy, both of which have less than stock.

 

[Silent One]

Thanks, Shahrose.

 

[BRAC]

Very nice review.

I'm actually comparing the same 2 headphones as I type this. I agree with the majority of your review regarding the technical merits of each headphone. You really only lost me on one major point, that being that the LCD2.2 can't do dynamics. I can easily hear the dynamics. In comparing the two headphones back to back volume levels on backup instruments seem to be about right on both. The HD800 may be a hair better in that regard, but to suggest that LCD2.2 can't do dynamics is a bit unfair, imho.

No doubt these are both fantastic headphones, but overall I'm finding the LCD2.2 to be a more engaging listen with most of my music. I would say that the only genre that I consistently prefer on the HD800 is classical.

 

[drez]

I interpret dynamics to be the difference between very soft and very loud sounds, but I would go further to say that there should be a sense of delicacy to the very soft sounds against the louder and more robust sounds. IMO LCD2 cant render these soft and delicate elements convincingly enough. I think the speed and accuracy of the HD800 is what allows it to better render this robust vs delicate. I find rendering these elements are important for jazz and classical, while dynamically compressed recordings probably don't have this nuance there to be rendered.

 

[BRAC]

I interpret dynamics to be the difference between very soft and very loud sounds, but I would go further to say that there should be a sense of delicacy to the very soft sounds against the louder and more robust sounds. IMO LCD2 cant render these soft and delicate elements convincingly enough. I think the speed and accuracy of the HD800 is what allows it to better render this robust vs delicate. I find rendering these elements are important for jazz and classical, while dynamically compressed recordings probably don't have this nuance there to be rendered.

Well said. Now that I can agree with. I perceive it to be more of a difference in delicacy and finesse. This is where that extra body may actually hurt the LCD2.2 because it just makes it so much harder to hear those subtle little details. Again, this is kind of a genre specific issue, since there are many genres where that extra body in the LCD2.2 is really appreciated. I'm starting to think I'm going to need at least 2 headphones going forward. The plan was to replace both of these guys with the LCD3, but now I'm not so sure. My wallet sure hopes the LCD3 can get me enough of that HD800 flavor...