[Andrew_WOT]

Here you go.

 

[bagwell359]

For me frequency response i.e tonal balance is just as important as any other parameter.
I have an hd6xx and an audeze lcd2c planar magnetic headphone and their tonal balances are very different.
The hd6xx has a more elevated upper bass and a more accurate midrange. Although the lcd2c has more extended, flatter, low distortion bass down to 20 hz., it's too low in overall level for my taste. I like elevated bass.
The lcd2c has a slight elevation between approx. 500 hz. And 1.25 kHz. There's more energy here in the midrange than any frequencies above or below that. They're not particularly hard to drive.
The point is just because a headphone is a planar magnetic doesn't mean it's better. Of course that depends on one's sound preferences.
If someone wants a different flavor from the hd6xx then a planar magnetic would be a nice flavor change.
A lot of people like the hifiman sundara, although I've never heard one.

LCD-2 have a big dip in the upper mids ( like a lot of HFM cans but unlike the HFM's the highs over 10 kHz are very reticent on the Audeze. I owned a pair before I got into EQ. If I still had it I wouldn't listen w/o EQ it simply editorializes too much. The 650 is well more neutral above where the bass appears.

It's true. Planars are not better per se. But over the past 10 years more really good ones have come out than estats, ribbons, AMT, and dynamics combined from what I hear.