Frosty, those are very interesting comments about the amps. I’m taking notes
I’m using just a normal USB cable. not something dirt cheap and falling apart, but nothing special. I don’t believe the cable will make a noticeable difference, at least for my ears, to be honest.
The LCD2 vs PS1000 showdown I went through the last couple weeks was very educational for me. Prior to getting both of these headphones, I had been going back and forth between the Denon D5000 (with J$ pads) and a Grado RS2. Tired of the recessed mids of the D5000, I sold them and listened to the RS2 but wanted some more bass
I had bought the LCD2 as I wanted a can with the bass quality of the D5000 but without the bloat and with better high frequency detail. I was pretty hyped due to head-fi reviews.
When I got the LCD2 my initial reaction was “where’s my mids, man?”. it was a big disappointment. It felt like the D5000 again but not quite as exaggerated. But knowing how forward the grados are, I figured it was just an issue with me getting too accustomed to an unnatural sound sig. So I stuck with the LCD2 for a couple weeks and listened to them almost exclusively to try to train my brain. without the reference of the RS2, I began to enjoy them more. But then one day I plugged in the RS2 and I immediately started enjoying the music more. Plus, to be frank, the LCD2 were man big and uncomfortable.
that was all I needed to know. If my brain really WANTED a Grado sound but with bass and some semblance of soundstage, I would need to suck it up and get the PS1000. It felt silly to have a pair of thousand dollar headphones and not be madly in love with them so I sold the LCD2 last weekend.
The PS1000 are exactly what I wanted and there was no need for my brain to adjust to them and then try to convince myself that this was a good sound (or EQ the phone to get it) as I had to do with the LCD2. Right out of the box it was exactly what I wanted. midrange dominated but not to the same extent as the RS2 plus it has great soundstage, incredible detail, very natural timbre, amazingly musical and powerful bass and it’s very comfy with the bowls on my head.
As I’ve listened to it more and more and as they’ve had a chance to break in, I continue to be impressed at the high frequency detail and its ability to get up
incredibly high without ever breaking up or faltering. it never seems to break a sweat with whatever range of music I throw at it.
I’m fairly sure that if these came in a wood box and cost 1400 dollars instead of 1700, head-fi, as a whole, would
love them.