[DoomForce]

Hi guys,

I'll get straight to the point, I was hoping you could recommend an open can for listening to metal music, that does not have crazy needs for amplification (I have a Meridian Explorer to power it). My budget is maximum 700$. Is LCD-2 still a good idea, or should I be looking elsewhere?

If possible, it should be fairly comfortable (no clamp of death please).

Thanks much in advance!

 

[serman005]

Have not heard an LCD-2 but I do like a Fidelio X2 quite a bit for you. Maybe read about it and see what you think. It is possible it could work for you.

 

[Rhamnetin]

The LCD-2 might be a tad too laid back, and lacks realism in general due to its upper mid/lower treble recession (makes a lot of things sound oddly veiled and fake including vocals and various instruments).

I would get the HiFiMan Sundara since to me, it's by far the most realistic sounding and best technically performing open back headphone for under $1,000. It's also fairly easy to drive but since you'll have some money left over, you will want to save up for a better DAC/amp because the Meridian Explorer will hold back ANY headphone in this price range.

The Sundara's bass extension is probably top 3 for an open back sub $1k headphone (that's where the LCD-2 is #1), very nice bass texture and detail, very impressive sound stage and imaging (probably unmatched for under $1k), unmatched transparency for under $1k I believe, nice articulate mids, and less treble flaws than most. It's not a hard hitting headphone though, but I listen to a lot of metal and the Sundara would be my #1 choice for an open back sub $1k headphone (but not my #1 choice overall).

 

[Monsterzero]

Try asking in this thread

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/headphones-for-metal-music-ultimate-solution.715478/

Also,metal is such a wide genre with nearly a hundred different sub-genres. What sounds good with doom,for example,might not sound so great with melodeath.

I know zero about your amp,but the headphones I own that are great for metal are:

AKG K240 sextetts-Needs a powerful solid state amp. I use vintage receivers for mine.
ZMF Atticus-closed back and above your price point
ATH AD2000(non-X-version) Very rare and hard to find. Sounds great from an AGD R2R-11.
HE-500-Needs a powerful amp.

What all these suggestions have in common are sublime mids and decent thump,which is what you want for most metal.

With all due respect to Serman,I own the X1 and do not find it to be a good match for metal with its recessed mids,unless youre into neumetal.

 

[Monsterzero]

Is LCD-2 still a good idea

I used to own a LCD-2.2 pre fazor and while it wasnt 'bad' for metal per se,its strongest point,sub bass extension,was essentially wasted on metal. For trance and psybient it was phenomenal. I sold my pair to fund my Atticus and couldnt be happier.

I owned it at the same time as my HE500s and I preferred it over the Audezes for metal.

 

[ScareDe2]

I second the above message. And I am sorry for the LCD2 lovers but this headphone, while easily the richest and most detailed sound I have heard - surpassing any dynamic flagships in that regard - has an uneven tone and lacks treble extention making it unsuitable for music with electric guitar. It is an headphone that sounded best with pop music that do not requires any special crunch. Also the soundstage is very intimate. Although modern rock recordings do not have big soundstage, the relation between instruments and listener is important. Sometimes I had the impression that the snare drum was hitting me right in the middle of my face. I recall that when listening to Superman's Dead by Our Lady Peace.

I don't have any recommendation for open back, but for on-ear closed back: Sennheiser Amperior. Best so far for guitar music. Best for everything, really.

 

[cantsleep]

what kinda rock? if you are okay with small soundstage and midcentric sound, grado rocks.

 

[ScareDe2]

Grados are recommended for rock by those who do not even listen to rock. They think that because Grados have super "exciting" treble with tons of peaks that it makes them suitable for rock music. Pass.

 

[Monsterzero]

I like love rock/metal and if it werent for the on-ear build of Grados I'd own them. As is the pads pin my upper ears against my skull and I hate that. Tried the bowl pads and it changed the sound too much.

That being said,Grados arent for everybody. You either love em,or hate em.

 

[cantsleep]

I never thought the grado treble was exciting. But i think i get what youre saying.

I know grado headphones are not the most comfortable headphones out there but they do pretty good job in what and how they want to reproduce music. Do i love grado, no. But i do think that you need to visit or own grado if you love rock music. I listen to rock/metal and i do recommend trying then

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I'll get straight to the point, I was hoping you could recommend an open can for listening to metal music, that does not have crazy needs for amplification (I have a Meridian Explorer to power it). My budget is maximum 700$. Is LCD-2 still a good idea, or should I be looking elsewhere?

HE400S. The LCD-2 response is relatively smooth in that it isn't jagged, but since it's stronger below 1000hz than above it, so some need to really crank it up for these to hear the treble and for the vocals to pop out more from the rest of the instruments, and your Explorer only has 130mW (and not sure if even has that much at 90ohms).

If you don't listen to power/symphonic metal, Grado RS1e is an option. It just has a problem with layered rock and metal because it will feel like they're throwing everything at you instead of laying them out neatly along a stage. Think of playing against E.Honda or Chun-Li in Street Fighter (or Charlotte in Samurai Showdown) as an FPS VR game and you have to look at those hand slaps and fast kicks (or a fencing sword) in first person perspective; although the SR and PS series can be worse than the RS series.

I like love rock/metal and if it werent for the on-ear build of Grados I'd own them. As is the pads pin my upper ears against my skull and I hate that. Tried the bowl pads and it changed the sound too much.

There was a fix for that but really expensive - Headphile has Beyer earpad adapters but they cost $200 for the pair, which sounds like a crap ton of money relative to the cost of the SR series. That said, for those who have an RS, they're worth a shot.

Alternately, if you can rent a 3D scanner and printer, you can just scan the earcup and the lip width on a Beyer, and then print the adapter. Just make sure it's around 2mm thick though otherwise you might end up dealing with some flex on the plastic.

 

[DoomForce]

Thanks so much for the replies guys and for clearing my misconception about the LCD-2. So far we have gathered these suggestions:
Hifiman HE400s
Hifiman HE500
Hifiman Sundara
(I see a trend in hifiman here)
Grado RS-1e
Philips Fidelio X2

Do you have something more to recommend? The only reason I put open cans is because I have never owned one, and would like to see how superior they are in terms of soundstage -- but I welcome good closed cans suggestions as well.
I am also wondering (don't burn me) about those new bluetooth headphones like the Bowers and Wilkins PX, and how those fair with metal music.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Do you have something more to recommend? The only reason I put open cans is because I have never owned one, and wouldl ike to see how superiror they are to soundstage -- but I welcome good closed cans suggestions as well.

Main thing there is the Explorer's 130mW (that they don't even state at what impedance), and given 93dB/1mW on the Sundara and HE500, I wouldn't use those either.

If you'll get a different amplifier to drive them you can include the Sundara and HE500, along with a few others like the K702 and HD58X.

 

[Monsterzero]

Or you can grab a nice 40-75wpc vintage receiver for about $250.00 from that auction site,use that as a headphone amp(and can drive desktop speakers/EQ/preamp) and then you can consider pretty much any planar headphone,the Sextetts and any other hard to drive headphone.

The only downside to vintage receivers is they take up some real estate.

 

[Monsterzero]

wouldl ike to see how superiror they are to soundstage

Most metal,except for some prog,have narrow staging,so I wouldnt ignore closed backs for that reason alone.