Probably so Dinny, but honestly there are probably some things you're going to miss about the OII. As good as the LCD-2 is, it just can't match the stats in certain areas. However, for a headphone that can be driven by a multitude of dynamic amps (headphone as well as speaker), it's definitely something I could be very happy with. I've actually discovered that I seem to listen more now that I have just one headphone. I think it frees me up from overthinking which phone is gonna be best with a given genre of music.

^ This. I still do think they are damn good, as with a good 2W+ amp they have a magic presentation. However, their as-flat-as-possible frequency response (or rather, no mid-bass hump and treble peak) doesn't gel with a lot of people.

I took the grills off mine, which gives good results, but I feel there is something very slightly wrong with the sound, which may have something to do with the damping. It feels as if the wood is echoing, however crazy that may sound. Someone else suggested something like it and I thought it might be crazy at first but now I'm not so sure. I'm not particularly enthusiastic about adding weight to them to test theories though, as they are heavy enough already.

fffuuu

I'm wondering if I could live with a switch from stats to the LCD-2...

You could never do it. Question answered

I thought about buying one of the many used pairs, but I can't justify buying a dynamic amp after how much the estat amp is costing

Deepak, what stat amp are you getting?

I thought it was the BHSE.

DIYT2 I believe

Yep

Did I miss something.

^ This. I still do think they are damn good, as with a good 2W+ amp they have a magic presentation. However, their as-flat-as-possible frequency response (or rather, no mid-bass hump and treble peak) doesn't gel with a lot of people.

I took the grills off mine, which gives good results, but I feel there is something very slightly wrong with the sound, which may have something to do with the damping. It feels as if the wood is echoing, however crazy that may sound. Someone else suggested something like it and I thought it might be crazy at first but now I'm not so sure. I'm not particularly enthusiastic about adding weight to them to test theories though, as they are heavy enough already.

With all due respect, you are bringing Head-Fi here and that is not cool.

1) 2W into the LCD-2 would probably leave you permanently deaf (edit: nvm just mild hearing damage depending how long you listened).

2) They clearly do not measure flat stock, and definitely absolutely do not measure flat after you took the damping and grilles out

3) They sound echoey now because they are now underdamped, because you took the stock damping out

Edited March 27, 201115 yr by mypasswordis

There is this weird belief at HF that a 10W amp is really different from a 1W amp when putting out 1/10W.

I heard a pair of these at the NYC meet, and they sounded like PA speakers in a gym. All resonance and awful. Maybe the felt had fallen out, or maybe the amp was a bad match, or maybe I was just not in the mood, but it was not good. Very odd. I am itching to hear another pair now that are known good on a system I am familiar with as something definitely felt wrong.

With all due respect, you are bringing Head-Fi here and that is not cool.

No. Not my best post, but after plugging them into a bunch of amps it's what I think. If it's idiotic, please explain to me why. Some of the guys here have put me right with things, so I'm not pissing in your pocket in any way when I say this.

Pick your poison, drink it, put the LCD-2 on your noggin, press play, stop obsessing and start enjoying it for the flawed headphone that it obviously is.

I took the grills off mine, which gives good results, but I feel there is something very slightly wrong...

In what way was that "very slightly wrong" several good results?

I feel like I'm betraying the stats...

You could never do it. Question answered

Yeah, yeah, I know...

With all due respect, you are bringing Head-Fi here and that is not cool.

1) 2W into the LCD-2 would probably leave you permanently deaf (edit: nvm just mild hearing damage depending how long you listened).

2) They clearly do not measure flat stock, and definitely absolutely do not measure flat after you took the damping and grilles out

3) They sound echoey now because they are now underdamped, because you took the stock damping out

In response to Amos' claim that they sound better with more power. Well for a laugh I hooked them up to my Fi 2a3 amp and they sounded better than I've heard before. Now the hum is pretty unbearable when music is not playing but when the music starts it does sound great.

I'd love to have a 45/2a3 or 46 tube amp for these. Justin no one would listen at the full 2w just like no one listens at the full 500w that a McCormack DNA 500 delivers.

There is this weird belief at HF that a 10W amp is really different from a 1W amp when putting out 1/10W.

Let's assume both amps are Class A. The 10W amp biases the output into a more linear fashion than the 1W amp.

Also, mpwi remember that output power doesn't necessarily correlate to gain, so your comment wasn't exactly fair either.

Edited March 31, 201115 yr by luvdunhill

In response to Amos' claim that they sound better with more power. Well for a laugh I hooked them up to my Fi 2a3 amp and they sounded better than I've heard before. Now the hum is pretty unbearable when music is not playing but when the music starts it does sound great.

I'd love to have a 45/2a3 or 46 tube amp for these. Justin no one would listen at the full 2w just like no one listens at the full 500w that a McCormack DNA 500 delivers.

The issue with statements like that is that it is not the increased power rating that is responsible for the "better" sound - it is the different amp topology. Some people like a 15watt 300b amp for these headphones, but somehow refuse to accept that they like the sound of 300bs, instead claiming they like the "improvement from 15 watts."

Edited March 31, 201115 yr by El_Doug

Was in an audio shop today asking about headphones and they mentioned they had talked on the phone with Audeze and that there was a model 3 in prototype stage (shop had never heard or seen the LCD2s to compare). They knew both guys by name so giving this a bit a weight, though there could confusion. Anyone else hear of anything?

Edited April 1, 201115 yr by blessingx

Move over Apple.

Could be promising, in that HFers may be dumping their LCD2s at a good rate.

I've been biding my time for the FOTM to run it's usual short coarse over there.

they are a great buy at the retail and a steal at the now $900 used price.

I picked up a used pair for just over $900 over there last night. I'm looking forward to taking a serious listen. I don't have a good rig right now, though, as I've just been using the JH-13s straight out of a bunch of sub-par sources.

A few days ago I was PMing with someone over on the other site on the LCD2s, and he mentioned a 'resonance/reverb' issue with them that got in the way of his enjoyment. I immediately went into 'defective pair' mode suggesting tests, etc. as I never heard that. Friday I received a B22 and while testing the amp heard a strange 'reverb' on a couple violin pieces and since then all the time on different DACs and amps. It's slight, but seemingly layered on everything. It's my first LCD2 complaint, but it's actually been a little hard to enjoy them since. Hell, it's only been a couple days, but I've been listening to the HD580s more. Maybe it's psychosemantic audio illness, but anyone else hear this? He had tested his LCD2s against others and I have also (when comparing SE v. balanced) at a recent meet with little/no differences, so I really doubt these are lemons. Everyone (including myself) says these are slightly warm, organic sounding cans, but is that at least partially because of a exaggerated resonance-like issue often present? Or am I crazy?

do they have the newer or older grills?...

I doubt it's the grills, but these are the newer. It's really pretty integrated in the sound, not a say rattle.

Ric, that's an odd problem, please keep us posted. Any thoughts about how the beta/LCD2 compares to an 02 rig?

Maybe it's psychosemantic audio illness, but anyone else hear this?

Psychosomatic?

Sorry, being pedantic ... someone else's job?

Edited April 11, 201115 yr by jvlgato

Meh. Semantics.

A few days ago I was PMing with someone over on the other site on the LCD2s, and he mentioned a 'resonance/reverb' issue with them that got in the way of his enjoyment. I immediately went into 'defective pair' mode suggesting tests, etc. as I never heard that. Friday I received a B22 and while testing the amp heard a strange 'reverb' on a couple violin pieces and since then all the time on different DACs and amps. It's slight, but seemingly layered on everything. It's my first LCD2 complaint, but it's actually been a little hard to enjoy them since. Hell, it's only been a couple days, but I've been listening to the HD580s more. Maybe it's psychosemantic audio illness, but anyone else hear this? He had tested his LCD2s against others and I have also (when comparing SE v. balanced) at a recent meet with little/no differences, so I really doubt these are lemons. Everyone (including myself) says these are slightly warm, organic sounding cans, but is that at least partially because of a exaggerated resonance-like issue often present? Or am I crazy?

I reported this in my first impressions, so yeah, it's there in the background.