As an LCD-2 rev.2 owner, I've been tweaking the sound recently using a parametric EQ to make the frequency response more neutral, and with some very pleasing results. Yesterday, as part of my Easter holidays in Germany, I had the opportunity to pass a couple of hours with the HD 800 and willingly did so. Basically, I was very, very impressed by what I heard and even considered replacing my LCD-2 with the HD 800. Never thought I'd type that...
The clarity of the HD 800 was like crystal - albeit one that reflected a slightly uncomfortable shiny glare - and the timbre of the instruments on the recordings I played (a selection of CDs of various quality ranging from bebop to pop/rock) was the clearest I can ever recall hear music sounding through any headphone. The last time I heard the HD 800 it sounded too trebly and lacking in bass weight, and whilst a few hours ago it still sounded a little sibilant in the treble region but still very neutral sounding, the bass really impressed me. The quality of the recordings I played was very evident in that respect - an old CD of Led Zep II had plentiful top end presence though sounded lacking in definition in the lower bass region, but with newer recordings such as Steely Dan's 'Two Against Nature' and Clapton/Winwood 'Live at Madison Square Garden' the HD 800 It seemed to have much more low end bass depth and definition than I previously identified, probably a result of being distracted by the prominent treble.
Something else I heard with the HD800 today but didn't really appreciate the last time I heard it was the sonic pressure it presents recordings with. I think that the impact of the LCD-2, which I'm used to, is largely influenced by the sonic pressure it implements, which can be intense and weighty at times. The HD 800 seemed to have more sonic clarity with less sonic pressure, which - in combination with the fantastic soundstage performance - seemed to make it easier for me to sit back and listen to the whole picture of the music being played through it without the sound being too intense. I also loved the clarity of the lead vocal with the HD 800 as well the clear instrument separation.
It seems obvious that high quality recordings are an important factor in getting the most out of the HD 800. That said, the HD 800 seems the kind of headphone that reveals any recording clearly, so it can also be said that the highly revealing qualities of the HD 800 definitely get the most out of your recordings (if a revealing listen is your thing).
When I got back to the UK and tried my LCD-2 again (fed by lossless files and a Lavry DA10) it seemed evident that the clarity was not quite in the same league as the HD 800. The LCD-2 is a different-sounding headphone and still very enjoyable, much more so with EQing (more on my experiments in that regard
here), but after yesterday I'm again impressed with the HD 800 and may do a side-by-side comparison of the two headphones soon. Right now I'm very much enjoying the rev.2 and enjoying typing this; we'll see what happens.
Much respect to all of the headphones cited in this post!
