Table of TonCext: ///////////////////////////////// Reason #1 Not To Buy: 0:44 Reason #2 Not To Buy: 1:27 Actual footage of me in 1973: 2:29 Reason #3 Not To Buy: 2:47 ///////////////////////////////// Reason #1 TO Buy: 5:00 Reason #2 TO Buy: 5:52 Reason #3 TO Buy: 7:58 ///////////////////////////////// On The Fence: #1: 8:28 Hehe: 8:56 #2: 9:25 ///////////////////////////////// Wrap-Up: 9:40
@@HomeStudioBasics I’m crazy about tonal balance and sub bass presence, you said lcd3s are the one that good for that reason no? As for not to buy, I don’t mind feeling uncomfortable, if the sound is good:)
I recently went stimulus on a pair of LCD-2's. Being a gigantic dude with a monster melon I didn't really notice the weight. Couldn't be happier with my purchase. Paired them up with a IFI Zen stack, also ridin' balanced with a Hart cable and the overpriced IFI penticon connector in the back. First listen was Talk Talk's "Happiness Is Easy" from the Colour Of Spring album on Qobuz. When the bass dropped my "oh face" was on full display-my wife rolled her eyes and walked outta the room. Yer killing it lately, Stu. Love ya, b.
I also dropped my stimulus on a big ass planar (Ananda) but my head is tiny. The earcups are almost the size of my entire head, though they're only half the weight of an Audeze. I'm very happy with my choice but I also really want to try out an LCD-2C or LCD-4 just to understand the hype.
@@willywonka3050 I almost got the Ananda's. I still might. My LCD-2's improved tenfold from the Audeze Legacy plugin. Even though it took me forever to figure out how to get it working through a DAW.
@@Keeper414LCD-2 is amazing once EQ’d. I’m glad Audeze offers the old Reveal DAW plugin for free. I also picked up the Elex, and I’ll be using that for my studio/DAW work. The Ananda is only good for consuming content, not creating it.
I absolutely am in love with my LCD X 2021. It’s a bit lighter than the original. The headphone design is genius with the strap. They are so comfortable with little clamp and great seal. Feels like a premium product. I wear them for hours with no problems. I use them to mix my electronic music and they’re a game changer. The tuning is Harmon but they can take so much bass and treble in EQ. The mix really translates to speakers incredibly. The bass feels amazing and impactful and I get nice sparkly treble without fatigue. Highly recommended for mixing on. One of my best purchases ever.
glad to hear this..... been doing a lot of research on the x... a lot of cash but as they say, you would need to buy 20,000 euros and more for monitors to sound as good as they do.. and then you need to room fixed...
In the summer of 1977 I was involved in a major car wreck in the black hills of South Dakota. I was sixteen years old at the time and while I did recovery fairly rapidly it took decades to fully realize the long term damage done to my neck and spine. With the newly developed MRI and advancement of technology it's apparent that I nearly broke my neck. I purchased the LCD-2 about eight months ago in Shedua wood, a 585 gram headphone and within the first month or so developed a crack in the right wood ring around the earcup. I sent in back to Audeze under warranty and they returned it to me a couple of weeks later dressed up in Carribean Rosewood as the Shedua was unavailable. Now coming in at 595 grams I notice the difference. In color. At no time have I ever felt uncomfortable while wearing the LCD-2. The earpads and headband do a superb job of distributing that weight so that it's not burdensome in the least. I can wear them for hours without having to remove them unless to hear my wife and/or son, or to get up to go "powder my nose" while enjoying a few frosty ones. To be sure they are a heavy pair of headphones and that fact is never more obvious to me than when I pick up my Dan Clark Audio AEON Open X or Sennheiser HD-600, or even the Sundara for that matter. Those headphones weigh next to nothing by comparison. Still, and while I have read of the many weight complaints, I wouldn't discourage anyone from giving these headphones a listen. They sound phenomenal and take to a little EQ quite well, though I just do it by ear and tailor to my own taste. Look for a used pair if cost is a concern. Personally I can't see myself ever spending more on any pair of headphones than I did on the LCD-2 and think they are likely to be my end-game. I'm 60 years old now, I sold off all the vinyl a couple of decades ago because if you really want to appreciate what is heavy, try carrying 5500 LP's up and down stairs all day long when the friends you've helped move two or three times are never available to reciprocate when it's time for you to make a move!
Your first sentence reminded me of that song Rocky Raccoon by the Beatles. Opening line: Now somewhere in the black mining hills of Dakota there lived a young boy named Rocky Raccoon. Anyways glad you made it out and you're enjoying the LCD-2. Love the headphone!
Good video, wasn't even looking to purchase. BTW the new picture of the house behind you is great alongside the fantastic portrait of the doctor. Don't give up!
Careful with pushing those things together, depending on the model. Most of the LCD line are sealed against the ears, with exception of the LCD3 and 4 I believe. It can actually cause a type of driver failure they don't cover. I've got some LCD X's on the way and I'm already scared of hurting them lol
Hey man! Yeah Metal and some others alerted me to that if you go back through the thread. That footage was from a couple years ago but thanks for the head up. I had no idea about that.
@@HomeStudioBasics figured I wasnt the only one. Lol I also just learned about it and I think the majority of reviewers ive seen have done it tbh. Those Audeze pads look so damn squishy so I understand the temptation
My Audeze LCD-3 lasted 6-7 years, then one side stopped working, and repair is nearly $1000. My Bose QuietComfort headphones have been running for about 15 years with no issue.
That may be the case, but I'd rather fix that headphone for 1000 dollars than buy a shitty bose for 200 and be ok with consumer mediocrity. You gotta pay big for the nice items. 5 to 7 years for an LCD3 is pretty good too, considering you bought the worst LCD they make (dumb shit)
@@metal571 Ok, I get that. But the fact is you've been missed all this time.. and as I can see, you'll continue to be missing to us..😥 By the way, what's your full time job?
Honestly, at first I did not take your channel very seriously like DMS or Z Reviews and I just visited for fun. Turns out your channel and Badseed tech are the only ones that actually matter for me personally as a consumer.
That's dope man! Badseed is awesome. It really means a lot that you would throw him in because I really admire his work ethic, production, and integrity.
I think that most people who complain about the audeze weight either have medical issues or a neck the size of a pencil. Just recently brought the lcdx 2021 and did a 12hour session. I had no issues with the weight , and this is coming from a hifiman sundara's which feels extremely light but cheap in comparison
@@HomeStudioBasics hey, you plan on doing a singxer SA-1 amp review soon? In the process of upgrading my stack and can't decide between a schiit jotunhiem 2 or the singxer SA-1
I picked my lcd-2 on eBay years ago for $650. Didn't really care too much for it until this week when I finally got a decent amp. Holy crap I can't believe how much of a dummy I am for waiting.
Lol you drop that 770 now and BUY MORE HEADPHONES!!!! Nah, for people who are interested in Audeze but don't want to spend those ridiculously high price tags, I get it. I really do. By comparison, $800 is a bargain for the sound (LCD-2 Classic) vs. $1945 (LCD-3) or even a grand for the original LCD-2. Either that or get an Ananda.
@@HomeStudioBasics I will buy more in the future. I'm a student so i can't afford a lot right now. I worked all summer for my dt770 and zenDAC (they are about 50% more expensive in my country)
I've been listening through a dozen of different headphones over the last weekend from $500 to $4000, and I can tell that I just felt in love with LCD2C rating them over the Focal Clears or HiFiMan Arya which is at least double the price. So yes, for the price they are a great bargain. I'm also trying to leave my personal mid-fi hell now switching quantity to quality, so selling pretty much 90% of my entire headphones collection in order to cover spends on Audeze, and I have no regrets. DT770 are good headphones for the price, but just don't get to the same trap of having multiple mid-fi headphones over a single hi-fi.
Samsies man. Way too heavy. It's such a shame because the sound is so unique and interesting. I love the LCD-2 but couldn't wear it for more than 30 minutes. I have neck issues as well.
I don't own an Audeze headphone myself, but i do agree that planars are a different experience than dynamics. They really do feel more like you're inside the music rather than listening to headphones, i have Avantone planars (which have a similar sound signature to audeze) and once tuned right they sound stunning, planar magnetics are definitely some of the best headphone experiences you can have.
I have LCD-4's and LCD-X's with an Electrocompaniet ECD2 DAC and Pathos InPol Ear amp with source being an Aurender N200. The result is BLISS. They need POWER, especially the LCD-4's, and when you give them POWER, the sound is blissfully liquid on par with a two channel high end system costing many, many magnitudes more in cost. .
How exactly do you define dynamics? Because an Audeze to me has all of those qualities and thus why it tends to outclass other headphones sound-wise. It being "smooth" really has nothing to do with it imo.
@@HomeStudioBasics I think you understand what dynamics are.. I had a bad experience with the EL8 closed, I can't say about other Audezes, maybe they're great as you say, I don't know.. but the EL8 was way too smooth, which was bad..
I remember the EL8 open vividly as one of my favorites. It sounded incredibly natural and effortless. I demoed the EL8 closed, but not nearly as much time spent. I'd have to go back and listen again.
And what do you think about Focal headphones? I have a friend selling a Focal Elear for $360 and I'm really looking forward to getting it, have you tried the Elear?
Hey man! Definitely going to do a video on Focal headphones! I love most of them. For $360 I think that's a good deal, but I personally wasn't a fan of the Elear to be honest with you. Clear was a bit better, but it just wasn't my cup. There was something weird going on in the mid-range and the treble sounded kind of off. Don't let that dissuade you as it's just one opinion. But for whatever reason I didn't find it resolving enough for it's original asking price of around $800 IIRC.
I love the LCD-X, LOVE. I will say though the dac/amp that powers them best out of all of mine is a Micca Origen G2, and that's out of a Beyer A20, Meier Corda, coupled with a Schiit Bifrost. If you have an LCD-X try an Origen with it it loves that thing I don't know why. Awesome review man! You got a new fan.
It is very simple Stu. The perfect headphone just does not exist. You can go forever building models go up with the price forever. Do you really think companies would sell the perfect headphone. No. What they want is selling as much as possible. That is also why there is so much trash around. Hug from the netherlands Alex
Tried once a pair of LCD2C powered by ifi neo iDSD in a shop... test session of more than one hour, no discomfort due to weight; i fell in love with them (coming from high-piercing-HE400i-2020). But i rather not spend min. 899 euro to have a pair of LCD... i love the style too, so I’m considering OLLO S4x for that ;-)
Yeah, the price can be a bit steep, but I think 800 is a good middle ground between the really expensive Audeze's over 1k. Ananda and LCD-2 are both great upgrades from mid-fi. The Ananda for me would probably edge out an Audeze by a little bit because it's way more comfortable and less veiled.
Nice. Mine similar. 9500/30i > 6XX or Sundara > Ananda/LCD-2/2C > Utopia. I really want a Utopia for myself. I still haven't heard anything better. It's perfect in every way.
hey stu, since audeze doesn't seem like the right direction, what do you think the best headphone under 1k that has that planar extension and soundstage but clearer/brighter in the mid and treble areas? i'm bias towards hifiman but id like your take. i also already have a nice xlr cable with 3.5mm termination which is aa factor. bless up my man.
Hey man! Lol it's almost like you were coaxing me to say Ananda, which is what I'd recommend. I think it does represent a good and sensible upgrade. Check the review I wrote: homestudiobasics.com/hifiman-ananda-review/
@@HomeStudioBasics You posting a new video is the best thanks for me bro, SO DONT OVERTHINK IT! I got grammatically wrong and hard to understand what I meant the first time, so I corrected it. I done so because I didn’t OVERTHINKING IT!!
Hey man! It would be fine for power but I haven't actually listened to those 2 together but I love the K5 Pro. I really enjoyed the LCD-2 with the Black Label! homestudiobasics.com/ifi-idsd-micro-black-label-review/ If that isn't available just go with the new signature one I guess. I can't keep up with this stuff lol.
I had EL8 closed Titanium once, It didn't worth in my opinion. Poor dynamics, heavy, they were leaking sound quite a bit and they had clicking drivers issue, when I was moving my head slightly, I would hear lots of clicks from inside the drivers, It was very annoying.. So, returned them after all..
I didn't experience any of that but good to know I guess. All Audeze's I've tested sounded and performed fine. Haven't owned a pair though so there's that. All of the ones at Audio Advice stay in great condition and have since I've been visiting the store.
I still have their release model which h is basically just a piece of metal with close to zero cushion. I love the sound, but it does feel like they are giving me brain damage 😆 I can feel the motion of my jaw bones with them on. I might just get one of those carbon fiber bands for it, I love the sound of them, it's really something special.
A laugh track plays in my head when I watch your videos. You should add a few clips here and there, maybe some vintage laughs from All in the Family or something.
I listened to LCD2-CLASSIC and some other Audeze headphones in a shop, thinking to myself how reluctant I am to pay 700-1500$ for a pair that just sounds right, as it is supposed to sound - not mind-blowing, revealing or surprising even. I generally agree with your points but I'd look for something of a better value for sure.
I think the Ananda slightly edges out the Audeze for a mid-fi upgrade because it's less veiled and more comfortable. I still love the Audeze sound though for the most part. I think an LCD can be those things you mention actually.
@@HomeStudioBasics I have an opposite feelings about Ananda. Its egg-shaped earcups was putting noticeable pressure on my jaws, and the overall build quality feels like it was built from beer cans, rattling noises all over the headphones ($700 BTW), pads are also feels cheap and wrinkles fast. Sound very accurate, and detailed, but definitely lacking of bass (even lower tier Sundara has more), and overall was quite boring to listen to. I think their desire to put a bigger driver and hence increase the earcup size just doesn't allow to create enough pressure for convincing bass. For recreational listening or for those who know how to EQ I still believe LCD2C sounds better, more musical and engaging.
Could be! (Depending on who you ask). Most of the line is pretty expensive, yes. I think $800 makes the most sense for an upgrade from mid-fi, hence why I would steer people towards a Classic. The LCD-2 at $1000 may or may not be worth it. I think another great upgrade is an Ananda and it has come down in price over the last couple of years.
@@almagcope3569 Probably Sundara per my experience and 6xx. Did you see this? homestudiobasics.com/the-5-best-audiophile-headphones-for-under-500/ K702 is my daily driver fwiw as well ☺
How in the world did you find XC treble leaning towards dark?? I mean I don’t complain, it provides a certain air to the music but it’s no where near dark in my experience.
Hey man! I didn't actually say that. I said they all mostly lean towards dark, some more than others. The XC in the treble still leaned dark though and they all have the dip around 10k. But yeah I should have mentioned the XC more in depth because I really wanted to talk about that one. I didn't like it much because of the mid-range. It was too forward for me and ended up making it sound shouty and in your face. It was a weird sound signature for sure.
I see. It may sound fatiguing to some. I used to arrange my eq U shaped in the past but now I got used to that shouty midrange because of my Sines. So I love it. If it’s not there then the midrange of songs sound like they are coming from underwater. Isn’t it wonderful to have different tastes? 😛
Yeah comfort is awful with Sines. But Im not flap eared. Actually the opposite, my ears are almost completely flat. So the Sines hurt less than many others :)
@8:23 I experienced this effect with my Sundara on both ZEN DAC and ZEN CAN. Then I moved to another DAC and amp and... shit disappeared. So conclusion: ZEN was the issue. Btw it is extremely annoying when you want to listen to the music with very low volume and you move from stereo to mono like ;-) Btw: Good morning brother.
@@HomeStudioBasics lots of small boxes (like ZEN) have issues with potentiometers in the first 0-20% of the turn (from left) - sextillions articles about it everywhere...
@@zyghom i don't know man. I never have issues that other people have i guess. I tend to think ppl nitpick way too much in audio tbh. Like half the stuff i hear people complain about i just chuckle to myself.
Hey man! Probably something like a Black Label or at abs minimum an ATOM Stack/Topping stack would be fine I think. homestudiobasics.com/topping-e30-l30-review/
What DAC amp would you recommend to connect lcd-2c with a laptop? Dragonfly red, ifi zen/hip, fostex A4 or something else. Don't want chord mojo couse heard it hisses when charging and I want it to stay connected.
@@HomeStudioBasics just finished listening lots of DAC/amps Dragonfly Cobalt couldn't handle lcd-2c, ifi hip was a letdown. Ifi black label and some short version of it and 1/3 of its price sounded the same to me. It was very clear but the treble hurt my ears. I got to admit they were last so I was fetiged. Fiio q3 was ok. Standouts were fostex A4 and ifi zen. A4 was very clean and analytical, Zen more spacious and musical. So far zen is the best pair. Gonna try chord mojo. Would like to try Schiit and topping but can't. Probably will settle for zen.
I say we start to measure all headphones based on their "girth." We will collectively need new units to measure the girth.... ..... UNITS OF MEASUREMENT PEOPLE!!! Damn.
Prick waving contest. I'm not saying I'd come in first, but I def wouldn't come in last. I would come last though because I'm a beast. LMAO. May have to delete this comment. YOU STARTED IT! 😂
@@stuka78 I don't like semi-open or open-backs. I like only closed backs. I don't like the headband of m1060c and I think they don't clamp enough to give a great fit..
@@jimis3167 Hmm. Oppo PM-3 but it's no longer in circulation. I may be getting my hands on one soon though. The Audeze Sine is also an amazing headphone sound-wise but the comfort level is pretty meh. Dan Clark Aeon Flow Closed is probably my favorite as far as closed backs go. EL-8 closed as well. Those are the ones that immediately come to mind.
@@HomeStudioBasics Oppo pm-3 has stronger sub-bass than EL8 closed? An interesting pair of dynamic headphones are the Campfire Cascades, you should look for If someone can lend them to you for review..
Gosh man it's been so long since I've heard a PM-3. I remember the bass was amazing though. Def excellent sub-bass extension. No roll off really. Check out my article it will probably make you wanna buy one lol. I just remember how enamored I was with it. I'd have to go back and read it as well to remember some of my impressions. homestudiobasics.com/oppo-pm3-headphones-review-the-love-affair/
Update: Dekoni Nuggets are Amazecray!!! I don't like the 'old' headband rubbing on my thinning hair, and it lightens the load a bit. But the real surprise is that it enables you to lengthen the metal rod things, which lessens the 'clamping force'. I also use large Dekoni Tips whenever I need IEMs to stay in my ear. Lots of cheap fixes that the average person doesn't know about.
I kind of disagree. I've been looking for months for a headphone that can do what the LCD-X did for me and I can't find any. Also comfort for me is good, weight isn't, but that isn't really overpriced, it's just a part of their driver design. However if they made a as well performing less heavy headphone I'd buy it in a split second.
Focal Utopia is still the best headphone I've ever heard and it's not really close, but yeah, it can be hit and miss as far as a brand/whole. I didn't like the Elegia, Clear, or Elear that much to be honest. Elegia to me was abysmal. I remember the rep standing there a couple years ago anxious at my impressions (as it had just come out) and I felt bad because I was like "Yeah, it was alright." LOL. Stellia I've heard but haven't gotten as much time with.
@@HomeStudioBasics it’s a “super HD600” instead of a “Clear Junior.” It’s the same general sound as the Sennheiser HD6X0 line, but with the veil lifted and vastly improved imaging and instrument separation.
Get 660s that is lighter , better imaging , better dynamics, resolution , speed , Comfort, with No quality problems and last forever ? Or just buy some Full of problems heavy planars that even moving your hand close to the driver change the sound a lot ?
Yeah, it feels like an ad... And also a lot of opinions stated as facts. Planar magnetics are more natural sounding? Plain better? I'm not much of a hater normally, but you're dealing with people's wallets here.
Lol, really? I went through reasons why you should purchase and reasons not to, plus a couple of on the fence. Did you actually watch the entire video? This was as objective as I could possibly be. Ultimately it's up to the person to decide if it's worth it. I'm simply giving my own opinions and experience with the products.
@@HomeStudioBasics I woudn't criticize if I didn't watch the video. As a person who owns an Audeze and have owned another model in the past I know it's very possible to not find their sound signature and timbre "natural" for example. I'm just sorry for the poor folks spending their hard earned money expecting the pinacle of sound excelence. Audezes are a very particular take on sound and they are not for everybody, even if one has a very muscular neck.
@@Farazao Right and I said all of that in the video while also harping on the fact that I personally wouldn't invest in one because of the weight but also the price of most outside of the Classic is too much. The exact reason I made the video is to potentially warn people of their drawbacks but also highlight some of their strengths as well (per my own opinions/experience), so I'm still not really sure what exactly you're trying to "criticize" here. Again, it makes me think that you either watched it and didn't really absorb it, skimmed it, or just stopped watching at a certain point. Frankly, your initial comment was an insult to the work I put into going through the trouble of making it, but you seem to be the outlier so whatever. Pretty much nothing about it comes off as an ad if you're watching objectively. I personally do find the Timbre one of their strong suits, which is, again, my own opinion.
@@HomeStudioBasics look if my comment can make only one person think a bit more before pulling the trigger on what would be a rushed decision, I'm fine with you being offended. Didn't mean to offend you personally however.
@@Farazao But the point was that the video covered all that. You didn't need to needlessly chime in. Your critique made no sense in context. And I was offended by your ignorance, not anything you said in particular. One of my friends from Instagram showed me a screenshot of your comment like "really?" because it was so asinine.
