LCD-2

Grado SR-225 about 23 years ago were the first *headphones* that made me care about *headphone* sound. I already cared about speaker sound long before that (although couldn't afford really good gear until more recently). Mids were great, highs were ok, but I quickly came to realize that they had basically zero bass, and were exceedingly uncomfortable in so many ways (bad headband, bad pads (open-cell foam coated with some heavy-duty rubberized shit like plasti-dip? wtf?) and REALLY bad cable...) 3 years later I snagged a Sennheiser HD600 for $50 and my eyes were REALLY opened to just how good headphones could sound. Stuck with those for 13 years, then hopped to the LCD-2 for 6 years (which have oodles of bass, probably too much, but their treble response sucks donkey nuts), and just recently sold them and yoinked an HD820 for less than half price. Edit: yikes, major typo! hope nobody noticed... 😬

For the love of all that's good and holy, avoid those bell-shaped headphone stands at all costs, especially where planars are concerned. They look nice, but they can denigrate both your pads, and drivers. >To me, headphone is more like personal preference than money game(e.g. more expensive gear = better sound) This is spot on. Perfect example, I vehemently dislike the 800S and strongly prefer the HD 490s. Same with the Utopia; I prefer the Radiance and the Stellia. Prefer the LCD-X and LCD-2 to the LCD-5. Meze 109 Pros over the Elites, the Liric II's over the Empyrean IIs. The Bokeh Closed and Atrium over the Caldera. The list goes on. Most brands are obsessed with focusing on technical performance as they push toward summit-fi, prioritizing upper mid and treble clarity and detail, soundstage, etc. I need low frequency energy in my headphones; not just extension, but emphasis. I've learned, the hard way, that, with a couple of exceptions, anything from that 3.5-5k region is not going to be tuned to my preferences.

Yes, very strongly prefer closed backs. This isn't a hard and fast rule (e.g., I prefer the LCD-X to the LCD-XC), but in general I reach for my closed backs most of the time. I prefer the Focal Radiance to Utopia, ZMF Bokeh Closed to Atrium/Caldera Open, MDR-M1 to MDR-MV1, Fostex TH900MK2/TH-X00 to the 9XX and 1X00 series open backs, FT1 to FT1 Pro, DCA Stealth to the Expanse (or the E3, Noire, etc.), the list goes on. This is mostly due to low frequency performance; some planars break this rule, like LCD-X and LCD-2, some of HiFiMan's sets. With a bit of EQ these sets can hit hard. My favorite set in the hobby is probably the Bokeh Closed; I bought one when they launched the Black Limba models, and it has pretty much overtaken every other set in my rotation. They need a bit of EQ to improve resolution/detail, but it's a damn near perfect headphone for the price.

I have had my HD650 for 15 years or more and bought them used. I can easily recommend them. Based on the Senn 6 series house sound I want to try the 600 and 660s2. I upgraded to some Audeze LCD-2 rev 2 from 2012. Hated them at first but I think the pads broke in after time and they’re the exact same as the hd650’s but better in all the ways that make the 650’s great. However the Audeze’s are heavy and costed more so they’re not everyday wear anywhere throw on the desk day after day year after year headphones like the 650’s are.

neutral bright or mild v-shape ig found the lcd 2's and worn hd600s boring, hd800 was interesting but too bright. liked 560s, ed xs, arya and sus though currently running an eq'd ed xs, plan to eventually upgrade to the arya stealth/organic

Audeze LCD-2, DePhazz