It is refreshing to hear someone else pointing out that many TOTL cans have more in common with each other than differences relative to the vast majority of cans out there. It is the nature of the beast that when we try to explain differences in writing, it exaggerates them.
Having said that, it is important to point out the the so called "troublesome treble etch" of the classic is a feature on well recorded acoustic music, often delightfully sharpening the instrument separation and and air around the instruments. You give a little of that up on the S.Take this next part with a grain of salt if you wish, because of the significant variation between pairs of LCDs that are supposedly the same model, but you give even more of that up on any LCD I have ever heard including X and 3F. However,I haven't heard these headphones back to back with the S.The differences between young dude and classic are slight but easily detectable. But the difference between sounstage HD800 classic (which is the same as the S) and LCD 3f or X is easily detectable as different and isn't that subtle, the LCD being smaller. Bass slam on the LCDs is much greater than either Senn. Delineation between instruments is more different on the HD800 vs LCD than Classic vs. the young dude. Inner detail is generally noticeably better on the HD800 than either LCD, the price being the over emphasis of silbilants on the classic. Since the S is 98% of the classic (w/o the overemphasis) in this regard I would be surprised to find it is closer to an LCD that the classic.
In short, I thought the most accurate piano was on the classic until I heard the S. For me, the LCD was definitely behind.
