Audeze LCD2 Classic Closed Back Headphones

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by Huhnkopf, Jul 10, 2018.

  1. Huhnkopf

    Huhnkopf Friend

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    Last edited: Jul 13, 2018
  2. xsuperxapplex

    xsuperxapplex Acquaintance

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    Here's the release link: https://www.audeze.com/products/lcd-collection/lcd2-closed-back. Specs state that it has the Fazor array which the LCD2C does not have. Listed for $899, $100 up from the LCD2C, but $100 below the LCD2. The entry level LCD collection is getting a bit cramped at this rate.

    Edit: pretty sure that it's mislabeled as having Fazor on the site. A reddit post by someone from TheSourceAV that has the headphones on hand seems to suggest that it doesn't have the array. Also, that would explain the pricing if Audeze wants to keep Fazor'd headphones as the "premium" ones.
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2018
  3. westermac

    westermac Friend

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    I hope there's more going on here than meets the eye, and that they didn't just slap a composite version of the LCD-XC's shell onto the LCD2C. The LCD-X has some good things going for it but my time owning a LCD-XC is not nearly as fond a memory... typical Audeze FR but with a 5kHz peak that stuck out like a sore thumb. At least this one should be lighter.
     
  4. willsw

    willsw Friend

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    Did you have the original or the revised LCD-XC? I never had the X, but the revised XC was significantly improved over the original.

    If nothing else I'm glad to see development in the area of closed-back planars.
     
  5. westermac

    westermac Friend

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    I owned within a year of their introduction, so it was very likely the original. I wasn't aware of a revision (I sold them quickly and moved on) but I'm glad to hear they were able to make some improvements.
     
  6. Ishcabible

    Ishcabible Friend

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    I have one on loan.

    EDIT: Ignore the following, Audeze is taking these back because they put the wrong damping material in them.

    B286E0CE-49CB-4CFE-907E-0A789A777E63.jpeg


    Some quick measurements before impressions.

    On an EARS with an experimental diffuse field compensation using a 4128C HATS as reference:
    C12BC206-83B6-4493-9AF4-0894655823AB.png

    Flat plate:
    246E46CF-EA74-444C-8F0A-C627545A9221.jpeg

    Bass sounds elevated; they rumble a lot but it’s not particularly clean.

    The midrange sounds like it measures. Male vocals sound really thin but shouty at the same time.

    The treble sounds rough, kinda grainy.

    They’re not the worst thing in the world, but I don’t think they’re particularly good. They leak far too much to be considered closed, isolation isn’t great too. They’re fun if you really like EDM I guess.

    Compared to the LCD2C, the midrange doesn’t sound as plastic and hollow and the treble sounds more even.

    I don’t believe I’ve posted measurements here before so I’ll post HD600 ones as reference.

    EARS (green and pink is the comp I used, red and blue is the supplied comp):
    E68667A0-0569-441B-9619-CF7DBA9CD1B0.png

    Flat plate:

    A2438D24-7720-417E-9ADD-A0104F98C2FF.jpeg
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Jul 17, 2018
  7. Garuspik

    Garuspik Tovarisch Ukrainian Terminator MOT - Verum

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    Thanks. Very interesting what's inside that plastic semi-sphere that made LCD2 closed back. From your impressions and measurement I think it's a naked plastic ;(
     
  8. Jerry

    Jerry Friend

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    Looks cheap from pics. LCD2C looks real handsome. How does it look in real life beside the LCD2C?
     
  9. Ishcabible

    Ishcabible Friend

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    I actually opened them up because I thought just that but interestingly...

    FD154A1B-B492-4952-8BAB-72382071A513.jpeg

    I’m going to bypass the filter when I get some free time later today but I believe it’s a low pass filter. There’s another square of felt damping on top of the RLC.

    EF69C0FB-15A9-4C22-A041-D8E4D981D0CD.jpeg

    This is how it measures with (green) and without (grey) cups.

    The cups feel better than they look. They’re textured but the downside is that they’re textured in a way that feels almost like 2000 grit sandpaper. The “A” logo is painted on too and it’s not painted on perfectly. Other than the cups, they’re the same though. They don’t seem to measure quite the same without the cups though.

    84EDEB26-4587-4D3F-9EE4-7E1122AC5396.jpeg

    Green is LCD2C and grey is LCD2 Closed without cups.
     
    Last edited: Jul 14, 2018
  10. Jerry

    Jerry Friend

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    How's that 7k peak on the closed-back?
     
  11. BenjaminBore

    BenjaminBore Friend

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    Good stuff, @Ishcabible. Can you confirm which is with and without cups. The second graph states without cups but matches the with cups response on the first. Looks like the first graph is swapped.
     
    Last edited: Jul 14, 2018
  12. Ishcabible

    Ishcabible Friend

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    It’s not painful. I wouldn’t call them sibilant but the treble unevenness shows.

    Whoops thanks yeah I switched those around somehow. Fixed that.
     
  13. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Worthy of loaner?
     
  14. Thenewerguy009

    Thenewerguy009 Friend

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    So another closed back headphone that isn't actually closed?


    How is the soundstage at least? The LCD-2 was very narrow & intimate, that coming from a fully open back.
     
  15. Ishcabible

    Ishcabible Friend

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    It’s interesting as a concept and I’m sure it’ll find its fans, but since it doesn’t really do its closed back function and makes so much music sound like shit with the low mid hole, I wouldn’t say it is worthy unless you want something new to make fun of. It’s a review unit that in passing along on Tuesday and I’d be totally content if I never hear another one again. I don’t think it sounds irredeemably bad since the bass can be fun and the upper midrange does sound less hollow than the 2C, but for my preferences the mid dip is so severe that I think $900 is almost insulting. I’m sure someone at Audeze heard this, and from the filter (probably won’t get to bypassing that to see what it does until tomorrow) I can see they attempted to do something, but this really just sounds like an unfinished product and I’m disappointed that they just phoned it in with this since the market could use more <$1k options. @dBel84 can attest to this. He didn’t seem to like it much either.

    I will say this is a step up from the early run LCD-XC I heard. I couldn’t use that for more than 30 seconds but I can use these for a couple hours playing lo-fi background music. The best compliment I can give is that the upper mid spike isn’t even close to as harsh as the Blumenstein Orcas are.

    Yeah it’s really just a bassy vented headphone rather than a fully closed headphone. It leaks more than a TH900 from memory, but I’d have to check that again before saying that confidently.

    It’s closed in and with bass-heavy music it sounds congested but I’d consider it about average for a closed headphone. It’s not in the same level as ZMF dynamic stuff but maybe somewhere around the Sony Z7? Comparing back to back with the LCD-2C I hear a bit more depth but about the same width.
     
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2018
  16. dBel84

    dBel84 Friend

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    I was really looking forward to hearing these as I have always been a fan of Audeze. I primarily used closed headphones due to the nature of when I tend to have time to listen - as I am winding down in bed before lights out and open headphones were established as a no go early on. When @Ishcabible mentioned that he had a review pair and could bring them along to our little meet, I was looking forward to spending some time with them. I had high expectations going in and very quickly realized that these missed the mark for a well balanced closed headphone. The midbass bleeds into the music and upper mids are not clean and tend to be piercing. Compared to the $24 closed bluetooth monoprice headphones I picked up for giggles, they are certainly not worthy. Sad as the open LCD2 actually sounded reasonably good - had a little "echoiness" going on in the mids but nothing offensive but also none of that trademark sub-bass.

    ..dB
     
  17. Ishcabible

    Ishcabible Friend

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    Apparently this is from a bad batch, so I’ll have a new one soonish
     
  18. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    Ah, that old chestnut. Excellent.

    [​IMG]

    I want these to not suck, as I'd be tempted, but I am tired of this crap from certain headphone manufs, not to mention people tolerating and tacitly encouraging it. Hopefully, your cherrypicked unit will be less dire, but beware drawing definite conclusions before you've heard several- the curse of Audeze lives.
     
  19. netforce

    netforce MOT: Headphones.com

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    Thought our sample sounded off, everyone I had demo it wasn't a fan of it. If the measurement Audeze posted on Head-Fi are accurate then I am sure it will get a more positive reception.
     
  20. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    (Sorry @dBel84 - wasn't sending you a message with an unexplained dislike, think I fat-fingered on my phone.)
     

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