[JHex2]

Hi peeps,
 
I'm in the market for an upgrade to my LCD-2 R1s. My stack is a Auralic Aries connected to a  Audio-GD Master 7 DAC with a Master 6 amp for good measure. 
 
I could get those HE-1000s on sale at Adorama for 2100, but i'm in NJ and have to pay tax, and on top of that I would have to get a new cable.
 
I could also buy some used LCD-3s, but I question if those are a true upgrade over the LCD-2. Also they look the same, so the shinyness factor isnt there.
 
3rd option I could get some HD 800s. Also not sure if they're an upgrade, and not sure if I want to go through all the effort to make them sound good.
 
 
Any other suggestions would be much appreciated. I listen to a lot of country and pop. I like good detail and warmth, something I can sit with for hours without too much strain.
 
Thanks for all your help!

 

[money4me247]

consider the new HD800S over the HD800 if you like warmth and don't want to deal with mods. consider the HE-X if you think the HE-1k is too pricey.
 
If you can handle the LCD-2's weight, all other brands will be like wearing a feather. Their other models are heavier but you can get the new headband to help with that. I would say the LCD-X is warmer than the LCD-3 and may be more suitable option for you depending on sound signature preferences. also, the X looks a bit different with its metal and black color. The LCD-4 is another option if you have the budget and wants something that looks really nice.
 
other than that, I think the Ether open or closed are quite nice for a flagship. Do note that all the options listed will not be as dark as the LCD-2s.
 
The new focal headphones are getting some buzz if you want to see if you can demo them. Elear is at $1k and Utopia at $4k.
 
From my personal auditions and direct comparisons (my subjective view only) I'd say in terms of warmth, I think Audeze and HE-1k/HE-X are the warmest out of that bunch. HD800S and Ether Open has a subtly brighter sound sig in direct comparison. Detail-wise, I think the HD800S and HE-1k win on that front. All relatively well-balanced in general and highly resolving though.
 
I personally like the HE-1k the best and think Audeze products are a bit too colored, pricey, and heavy in general for my needs. I really respect the HD800S and Ether. Can't really go wrong with any of them honestly. Just depends on the sound signature you are looking for.

 

[JHex2]

  consider the new HD800S over the HD800 if you like warmth and don't want to deal with mods. consider the HE-X if you think the HE-1k is too pricey.
 
If you can handle the LCD-2's weight, all other brands will be like wearing a feather. Their other models are heavier but you can get the new headband to help with that. I would say the LCD-X is warmer than the LCD-3 and may be more suitable option for you depending on sound signature preferences. also, the X looks a bit different with its metal and black color. The LCD-4 is another option if you have the budget and wants something that looks really nice.
 
other than that, I think the Ether open or closed are quite nice for a flagship. Do note that all the options listed will not be as dark as the LCD-2s.
 
The new focal headphones are getting some buzz if you want to see if you can demo them. Elear is at $1k and Utopia at $4k.
 
From my personal auditions and direct comparisons (my subjective view only) I'd say in terms of warmth, I think Audeze and HE-1k/HE-X are the warmest out of that bunch. HD800S and Ether Open has a subtly brighter sound sig in direct comparison. Detail-wise, I think the HD800S and HE-1k win on that front. All relatively well-balanced in general and highly resolving though.
 
I personally like the HE-1k the best and think Audeze products are a bit too colored, pricey, and heavy in general for my needs. I really respect the HD800S and Ether. Can't really go wrong with any of them honestly. Just depends on the sound signature you are looking for.

How would you compare the HE-X to the HE-1K? Is it that much of an upgrade? Edit: Thanks for the great feedback already!

 

[money4me247]

  How would you compare the HE-X to the HE-1K? Is it that much of an upgrade? Edit: Thanks for the great feedback already!

you're welcome.
 
I think the HE-1k is hard to beat, esp if you can get a good deal on them and they are within your budget. do read some of the critical reviews on it though to see if there is anything that may bother you on it as it would be quite a pricey purchase. I personally did feel like the HE-1k is a worthwhile upgrade from the HE-X, but at the same time, when you get this high up in price range, you hit really large diminishing returns so it is hard to generalize. Really I think it's just finding the right sound signature that suits you and staying within your budget. 
 
from my auditions, I did think that the HE-X is warmer than the HE-1k, so that may play a role as it sounds like you like a warmer sound sig. If you want a good deal on the HE-X or some other headphones, contact Brian at Razordogaudio.
 
If possible, the best way to see if a headphone is worth the price is to listen to them. sorry I am not able to give you a yes or no, but I think this is honestly a incredibly subjective area whether a certain headphone is worth the monetary upgrade. just know that at this price point, it is pretty difficult to dislike a pair of headphones and I could live happily with any of those headphones as my main.

 

[Me x3]

Originally Posted by money4me247 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Really I think it's just finding the right sound signature that suits you and staying within your budget. 

Spot on.
 
You might find that you prefer your LCD-2 over some of the flagships, so be careful.
All of them will provide improvements in one way or the other, but they'll sound different as well, and you might prefer the new sound or not.
 
HD800 is cool and analytical. I woudn't pick it for your preferred genres.
HD800S might work, but coming from LCD-2 you might find it cool as well.
 
If you really like the Audeze sound then Audeze is your safe bet.
Both LCD-X and LCD-3 (and LCD-4) should provide a similar but more detailed presentation.
 
If you want something different, and you can describe what you want, we'll be able to help.
There's no such a thing as a true upgrade at this point, these are all quality headphones and upgrade/downgrade is more a matter of taste, personal recordings, preferred listening levels, and so on...

 

[Music Alchemist]

I think the HE1000 is the best all-rounder that sounds good with all types of music. For me, however, that's a downside, because it sounds like it's wrapping my music in caramel. Since you said you wanted warmth, that shouldn't be a problem, though.
 
Still, if you don't want to spend so much, the HD 800 gives you impressive technical performance at a lower price, and you can equalize it to your liking. The HD 800 is available on Amazon for $1,000 now whereas the HD 800 S is $700 more. I'm sure it provides certain benefits that cannot be attained through EQ alone, but personally, I'm not willing to pay that much extra for a revision of the same headphone.
 
Above all else, try hearing the headphones before making a purchase. You may want to consider this program that lets you borrow them:
 
https://www.thecableco.com/product/new-headphone-lending-library