The Closed-Back Headphone Thread (Plus Comparisons & Reviews)

[Malevolent]

Doing some rough ABing tonight with VC and Stellia. Obviously both are spectacular for unique reasons.

-I seem to be able to appreciate the Stellia more out of my mojo (compared to VC out of mojo).

-and I give the nod to the VC out of Qutest/GS-X mini.

I think that with the Stellia on Mojo, I’m able to listen louder than I can with the Stellia from the Qutest/Mini. Out of Mini, it can get a little sharp.

With the VC from Qutest/Mini, this set up really is beautiful, tons of detail and slam and able to listen for hours. I’ve had this set up for months and have really loved it. Only reason I was experimenting with the Stellia is ...

Recently with a newborn girl, I’ve only been able to do portable listening from Mojo so I acquired the Stellia to see if it was a better match for the Mojo than the VC (on mojo just felt like something was missing) which indeed from quick impressions, Stellia-Mojo is the better match there.

*listening to the new Future Islands album out of Qobuz stream. A great album btw.

It is a perfect night's work if your task is to compare the Stellia and the Vérité Closed.

Enjoy!

 

[trellus]

'd wholeheartedly recommend the LCD-2 Closed Back, but it's above your stated budget. If you're willing to spend close to a $1,000, the Audeze is an easy choice. It's a well-balanced headphone with a typical planar bass presentation. It's not the most fun headphone, but it's not an analytical one, either. It hovers somewhere in the middle, merging great technicalities with a warm and pleasant tonality.

Would you say this characterization of the LCD-2 also applies to the LCD-XC? Is there a significant enough improvement from LCD-2 to LCD-XC to justify the extra dollars?

 

[veloaudio]

Sorry, did you mean the ATH-WP900? If so, yes, it's a good choice, albeit one that's skewed toward fun rather than balance, with a heavier bass emphasis, and a scooped midrange. It's a thoroughly enjoyable headphone, though.

I'd wholeheartedly recommend the LCD-2 Closed Back, but it's above your stated budget. If you're willing to spend close to a $1,000, the Audeze is an easy choice. It's a well-balanced headphone with a typical planar bass presentation. It's not the most fun headphone, but it's not an analytical one, either. It hovers somewhere in the middle, merging great technicalities with a warm and pleasant tonality.

If you can score the Elegia at its discounted price (less than $450), it's a great deal. Otherwise, at its MSRP, the LCD-2 Closed Back is the (much) better choice.

Yes, I meant WP900

Buying new, I have been able to find the Elegia for $520 (open box) and the LCD-2 closed for $900. I’m will omg to stretch the budget for the LCD2 closed as I’ve read it is a really good match for my amp.

Thanks again for your responses!

 

[Malevolent]

Would you say this characterization of the LCD-2 also applies to the LCD-XC? Is there a significant enough improvement from LCD-2 to LCD-XC to justify the extra dollars?

In a nutshell, no. Let me see if I can explain myself.

The LCD-2 Closed Back has a comparatively balanced sound with great technical capabilities. In contrast, the LCD-XC has a colored tonality; it is more "w-shaped" than it is "v-shaped", with a recessed lower-midrange relative to the upper-midrange. This results in vocals sounding quite disjointed - male vocals lose a lot of authority. In contrast, female vocalists actually sound more prominent and distinct.

The bass on the LCD-XC is also heavier, with a greater mid-bass punch than the LCD-2 Closed Back. However, the younger sibling has tighter bass, with better decay and faster transients than the LCD-XC. The LCD-2 Closed has a brighter and clearer treble region, too; it retains a good sense of articulation and clarity throughout. On the other hand, the LCD-XC has relatively subdued highs.

Taken as a whole, the LCD-2 Closed exemplifies the best parts of a typical planar-magnetic headphone. Good technical qualities, with bass that is impactful, yet fast and tight. In contrast, the LCD-XC has an odd tonality, with a heavier bass, recessed lower-mids, a prominent upper-midrange presence, and an attenuated treble section. This makes for a sound that can be difficult to enjoy, especially if you favor a more balanced approach to your music.

In conclusion, unless you really enjoy a "w-shaped" sound, the LCD-2 Closed Back is the better option between the 2.

 

[Malevolent]

Yes, I meant WP900

Buying new, I have been able to find the Elegia for $520 (open box) and the LCD-2 closed for $900. I’m will omg to stretch the budget for the LCD2 closed as I’ve read it is a really good match for my amp.

Thanks again for your responses!

I got my Elegia for about $500, during a recent Adorama sale (few months back). They have been discontinued, so stores are looking to liquidate their stock, I reckon. If you hunt around, you might be able to score a brand-new unit for around the same price.

Let us know what you eventually decide to purchase.

 

[GREQ]

the LCD-XC has an odd tonality,

That's definitely the polite, diplomatic version.
I certainly wouldn't be as kind with my description.

 

[Xero the Banana]

Yes, I meant WP900

Buying new, I have been able to find the Elegia for $520 (open box) and the LCD-2 closed for $900. I’m will omg to stretch the budget for the LCD2 closed as I’ve read it is a really good match for my amp.

Thanks again for your responses!

Perhaps you can wait for Black Friday if you’re considering Audeze? They tend to do pretty significant Black Friday sales.

 

[feverfive]

Do the LCD-2 closed still come with that awful Audeze lettering/branding on the outside of the cups? (or am I confusing these with another set)

 

[trellus]

Do the LCD-2 closed still come with that awful Audeze lettering/branding on the outside of the cups? (or am I confusing these with another set)

It has that big, white, sorta-A on each black cup, if that's what you mean by "awful Audeze lettering"

 

[Richardhoos]

If I love the very punchy bass of the 9200 and it’s great clarity, versus say the Stellia (which to me has great resolution but the bass just isn’t as impactful... meaning I can tell the bass is there but just can’t quite feel it)...

BUT I find the highs a little too crisp/shrill on the 9200. Is there another headphone that embodies these traits? Or maybe there is a way to modify the 9200 to tame the highs?

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[GREQ]

If I love the very punchy bass of the 9200 and it’s great clarity, versus say the Stellia (which to me has great resolution but the bass just isn’t as impactful... meaning I can tell the bass is there but just can’t quite feel it)...

BUT I find the highs a little too crisp/shrill on the 9200. Is there another headphone that embodies these traits? Or maybe there is a way to modify the 9200 to tame the highs?

Thanks for your thoughts!

The first step to modding a touch less treble and at the same time a bit more bass is always going to be ear-side acoustic foam pads.
Like these:
- https://www.thomann.de/gb/beyerdynamic_schaumstoffscheibe.htm
- https://www.thomann.de/gb/sennheiser_hd600_650_foam_net_pad.htm
- https://www.thomann.de/gb/akg_foam_net_pad_piece_k_240.htm

The thicker the foam, the stronger the effect.
I would cut them to the size of the ear pad opening and try rolling a few.
You might even like to tune it with different foam depending on what you're listening to.

 

[Richardhoos]

Thanks Greq! In your experience, does this work well with the 9200?

 

[GREQ]

I don't own the 9200, but it's a modding technique that I've used on many headphones.
It never fails to bring results.
But of course, results vary from headphone to headphone.

 

[DJ XtAzY]

I wrote some quick impressions on the VC thread on the DSHA-3F amp, but I'll add it to here as well.

The amp arrived this past Tuesday and I've been A/Bing against my much much cheaper Asgard 3 for a few hours. While this amp is aimed to pair well with the Focal Utopia, I really wanted to see how it'll be like with the VC. Thankfully the Bifrost 2 can output both the single ended and balanced at the same time, allowing me to swap back and forth quite quickly to discern the differences. Overall I'd say the sound improved slightly across the spectrum. Notice I mentioned the word "slight" a lot, but each of these subtle improvements do a add up to make the overall experience much better (to me at least). It's not an insane night and day difference, but I do enjoy the 3F quite a lot as I have longer sessions with it. So here are my quick thoughts coming from the Asgard 3 (with EDM music):

• My unit came with nickel transformers, and I can hear slightly warmer tonality with more weight and texture to the bass. Apparently from most people, the nickel transformers give tube like characteristics, although I never heard a tube amp before, so I can't comment on this.
• With the slight emphasis on the bass, depending on some songs, I can hear this nice tight and controlled rumble at the end of each kick drum. I definitely enjoy the slam more on this amp.
• I like how it made my VC slightly less congested, especially in busy passages. It's likely due to the improvement in image separation, and I can easily identify the location each instrument more effortlessly.
• Because of better image separation, I can hear the vocals slight more opened up.
• There is slightly more stage depth.

Now I'm trying to find a seller that has the amorphous transformers, where it supposed to enhance the "3D holographic" effects (curious how this will sound like with the Universe pads), brings some air in the treble region and being slightly colder. I find this amp really knows how to fully utilize the driver capabilities, although I'm still quite happy with the Asgard 3 too. I mean especially for its current price point. So yea I think the VC pairs well with either of these two amps, and possibly other closed backs as well.

 

[Malevolent]

Do the LCD-2 closed still come with that awful Audeze lettering/branding on the outside of the cups? (or am I confusing these with another set)

There are 2 versions of the LCD-2 Closed Back.

The original, with the 'A' logo emblazoned on the side of the cups -

And here's the new design, which supersedes the original -

Personally, I prefer the look of the original. The understated 'A' on a monotone background is pretty classy. The new design has pretty nice-looking cups; however, I think the bold 'Audeze' brand spoils the look.