[Anaxilus]

Spectral decay is a better indicator of true detail than boosted treble.  The LCD2 and LCD3 are still slower than the 800.  Or at least are more inconsistent on the 300hz square waves and impulse responses.  They only really excel at the 30hz (up to perhaps 80-100hz based on my ear and fondness for kick drums).  Even though the LCDs have better distortion characteristics in lower bass which enable more texture and detail they often sound slower to me on faster more complex passages because of that inconsistent response.  It's just easier for me to 'confuse' an LCD driver than an HD800 driver.  It could be an acoustic bass resonance part of the housing that makes the LCDs seem slower in such cases rather than the driver too.  We can't get proper CSDs below 500hz yet due to the test bed.  Either way, the LCds are not cut and dry better in bass response IME.  The HE500 is at best a mid-fi phone by today's ToTL standards in bass response.  Slow and muddy compared to these big boys (except T1).
 
These are at -40dB.  The effects are even greater the lower you drop the noise floor.
 
HD800

LCD3

LCD2

T1 (good version)

HE500

 

[ac500]

Very interesting ^. Where do you get the spectral decay graphs? I'm really interested in seeing other headphones too.

 

[Saintly]

Holy crap, what's going on with that T1?!
 
I had a T1 prior to the HD 800 and honestly really liked it.  I did not find the impulse response lackluster at all.  Sure, it wasn't as fast as the HD 800 but it certainly didn't sound messy as the graph suggests.
 
How many pairs of T1s have you and Purrin tested?

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

Spectral decay is a better indicator of true detail than boosted treble.

I forgot about that somehow.  The HD800s are better in that area but the LCD-2 are certainly in the same league if the ringing doesn't bother you.  I don't remember hearing it though...

 

[DivergeUnify]

Can someone explain how to interpret those graphs?

 

[Bolardito]

I got so excited when I saw two new pages since yesterday only to find out people discussing the HD650 vs. LCD2 vs. HD800..guys there are thousands of threads regarding such topics..we should try to keep this thread on topic.

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

Can someone explain how to interpret those graphs?

Here.

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

I don't like dark headphones. Going back from my HD800s to my HD650s sounds like going back to having normal ears to having your ears filled with wax, or having pillows stuffed in your ears. It's good for bassy songs, but for almost everything I really appreciate the HD800s greater neutrality (with my amp which removes about 2db treble).

HD650 is not a dark headphone. Not at all. And let's tame the hyper-exaggeration, shall we?
 
 
 

I think I'm a pretty good judge of true treble detail

 
Really?
 

 

[ac500]

In case anyone is confused, Beagle got really upset when I said the HD800 was better in every way than the Shure SRH940, and I think he's still mad at me.
 
As for the question, HD650s are definitely dark. They're darker on my amp (which is itself dark) than normal, but even on a neutral amp I doubt you'd find more than 1 in 100 who find the HD650 treble to be neutral or bright.

 

[Saintly]

Quote:

In case anyone is confused, Beagle got really upset when I said the HD800 was better in every way than the Shure SRH940, and I think he's still mad at me.
 

 
Haha, I cracked up so hard at this!
 
Btw, that's an intense computer set-up you have.  SLI GTX 580?  What's all that graphics power for?

 

[olor1n]

Quote:

In some ways I envy having ears sufficiently impaired that KSC75 sounds as good as an HD800.
 
> Does that make the XB700's bass more detailed than the HD800's?  
 
That's a good point that volume does matter if you wouldn't ordinarily have ears capable of hearing it. Or it could mean the HD800 isn't reproducing the sound the XB700s are at all, but I doubt it. It's probably just quieter.

 
 
Quote:

I think I'm a pretty good judge of true treble detail (mostly because I usually focus on the treble when it comes to detail, obviously mids/bass matter too) because despite finding DT880s bright, I found both my HD650 and SRH940 to be more detailed in the upper upper treble. Most people say the DT880s are more detailed than the HD650 but I only find them to seem that way due to being brighter, but they don't actually let me hear any more than I don't hear in the others.
 
My HD800s are by far the most detailed headphones I've ever heard in treble, but granted, the only other flagship I've heard is the LCD2 and I didn't listen long enough to try to analyze its detailedness. I just remember the LCD2 sounded so similar to my HD650, was very uncomfortable to the point of mild pain, and I didn't recall a particularly huge improvement in sound quality -- so it must be subtle.
 
I will say this though... when people say a headphone has "detail but you can't hear it because it's subtle", I'm suspicious. The definition of detail is being able to hear things you wouldn't with a lesser headphone. Of course boosting treble makes a headphone more sparkly, but a DT880 or treble boosted HD650 is sparkly but still the treble doesn't really give you any more information you didn't hear already -- at least to my ears. I'd like to treble-boost an LCD-2 and see what happens. I know this wouldn't be fair because EQ can reduce sound quality potentially, but it would be interesting anyway.
 
In terms of LCD2 vs HD800, I enjoyed the HD800 much more on my first impression than the LCD2, and now that I own it I am only liking it more and more (similar to how I grew to like the HD650 more and more over time). It's too bad the LCD2 ignores soundstage, because IMO that's one of the most important things my music listening. The problem is I'm not sure if dark headphones are even capable of good soundstage, by nature of their FR.
 
I don't like dark headphones. Going back from my HD800s to my HD650s sounds like going back to having normal ears to having your ears filled with wax, or having pillows stuffed in your ears. It's good for bassy songs, but for almost everything I really appreciate the HD800s greater neutrality (with my amp which removes about 2db treble).

LOL. In some ways I envy ears sufficiently impaired that the improvement in sound quality the LCD-2 offers over the HD650 is perceived as subtle. By your own admission you've only heard the LCD-2 for 10 minutes. Please stop the misleading embellishments. 
 

 

[ac500]

Subtlety is not a bad thing ^. I never said it was a bad thing, sorry if it sounded like I meant that as though I was putting down the LCD2.
 
Quote:

Btw, that's an intense computer set-up you have.  SLI GTX 580?  What's all that graphics power for?

Battlefield 3 on a 3D monitor 

 
Also computer science research.

 

[khaos974]

Just in case no one noticed, the frequency responses of the SRH1840 and 1440 are available at innerfidelity.

 

[marts30]

edit

 

[Saintly]

Quote:

Battlefield 3 on a 3D monitor 

 
Also computer science research.

I like how comp sci research came second, haha.
 
Do you find BF 3 more demanding to run than Crysis?  How do you like the Nvidia 3D glasses?