[Guy 13]

Hi all Audio Circle members.

According to head-fi

it's the Audeze LCD-2 that is the best of the best ?

What do you think ?

Have a look at their website. Link below and comment.

http://www.head-fi.org/products/category/over-ear

Guy 13

[saisunil]

These rankings are not relative to each other but based on some algorithm ...
Someone could be perfectly happy with their first headphone and they may not have had a chance to hear anything better ...

Regardless LCD-2s are most likely among top 10 headphones and are probably best phones for $1000.

Audeze have a better model LCD-3 that is better than LCD-2 ...

Then of course we have Stax 009 (probably sitting on top of the pyramid) and offerings from hifiman, Senn, Beyer, Grado ...

When you compare their flagship products it boils down to the amp pairing and personal preferences at that time ...

Cheers

[JohnR]

I was going to complain about the ranking but mine came out #2 

[eclein]

I own several of the listings and for me those rankings are skewed, screwed, and just wrong on so many levels. I agree with choice for number 1 but after that its really shaky for me. Here are my rankings.........nevermind.....lol.

[Guy 13]

I own several of the listings and for me those rankings are skewed, screwed, and just wrong on so many levels. I agree with choice for number 1 but after that its really shaky for me. Here are my rankings.........nevermind.....lol.

Hi eclein and all Audio Circle members.

Please, please tell us your personal ranking !

I want to compare it with head-fi and
see if my dream headphones are in your list.

Guy 13

[JohnR]

I listened to some Stax last week and really enjoyed the experience. Whether they are better than what I have now - honestly I couldn't say. I think so, but I would have to take my laptop and the same DAC in there and connect it up to see.

[eclein]

I have only heard a handful of cans so my ability to make a list, a good list, even a bad list is nil!!!  LOL.....I love the sound though. I broke out some older Sony's I have today
for my walk to some doctors appts and enjoyed them thoroughly. I always forget the number...LOL....I'll dig it up and post it....they are one of my top 5 IEM's and they are older.
I want to hear the new, new Sony's. Armature drivers or whatever they label it...they are a big chunk of change though.

[adydula]

This list is as about as accurate as a sundial at the bottom of the Marianas Trench during an eclispe and I own a pair of
LCD2's....

The 4th set on this list I also own, this should tell you it all.....OMG...

This may be an unscientific ranking....but the 50's are no way the top 4th set of cans, at least not to me....

There are cans like the AKG 702 way down the list that are an order of magnitude better than the 50's.

Please...please dont use this list as the end all for can selection...go listen first!!

Alex
(still laughing....)

[DaveNote]

Thanks for posting this Head-Fi poll, which is very interesting. Like JohnR, I can't complain. I own the #1 ranked LCD2!

But I do agree that it is skewed, which is probably unavoidable in these kinds of polls. Nevertheless they are fun.

For those who had the time and patience to read my three postings today, they will see that although I own #1, I am thrilled by the lowly ranked AKG Q701. This kind of variance naturally can't be captured in a poll.

So the irony is while I am the proud owner of #1, I prefer #75.

But this is not surprising. I seldom am in sync with majority opinions. 

Dave

[Guy 13]

Hi all Audio Circle members.

According to head-fi

it's the Audeze LCD-2 that is the best of the best ?

What do you think ?

Have a look at their website. Link below and comment.

http://www.head-fi.org/products/category/over-ear

Guy 13

Hi all Audio Circle members.

I am curious to know how head-fi came up with his ranking.

Even if one or several persons have lots of experience with headphones, each one have some criteria
and personal taste that could/can bias the ranking.

For those reviewers, their main goal is to find a pair of headphones that are neutral as much as possible over the entire audible spectrum.

However, sometime, even without knowing it, each person as some personal preferences.

How can the reviewers be neutral ?

It’s even worst when users give their opinion on a product.
 
I say that, according to the dozens of posts I read over the past year.

Some history.

My first pair of headphones (That’s 45 years ago) was Pioneer.

At that time, I did not know much about hi-fidelity,
but for a 20 years old kid, those were good enough.

A few years later, I bought a pair of Sennheiser model HD-414 (Over the ear open type) I was satisfied with them,
except for one thing,
to get good bass,
I had to push them on my ears with my hands,
annoying when you want to relax and you have to continuously push on the headphones.

Then, many years later, I made the jump and bought a pair of STAX (Forgot the model) they were driven by a 30 wpc Naim SS amplifier.

WOW ! Holly cow…

I was in heaven.

Good bass, mids and highs and lots of punch.

Then for a reason I don’t even know today,
I sold them and lived for a few years without any headphones.

Then, I bought a pair of Sony closed type from a Sony store,
but the leatherette padding peels off and…
Nothing, I threw them away.

Then, when I was at my favorite hi-fi store,
I bought a pair of used open Grado for 100USD
(Again, forgot the model)
They did not sound good, my fault, I did not tried them when I bought them and the surrounding foam dried up within two years, I made myself replacement foam and give them to my wife,
so she could use them with her Discman.

I saw that she was not using them, so I asked her why and she told me that they sounded terrible.

The Grado are now somewhere in the house and don’t care to know where exactly they are.

Then, 10 years ago, I bought for 100 USD a new pair of Sennheiser model HD-570. (Open over the ears)
I still have them, I still use them, and I still enjoy them.
I am sure I could find dozens of better sounding headphones,
but they are paid for, they still sound good
and they still bring me satisfaction.

However, after reading lots of post on headphones, I was considering the Sennheiser HD-650.

My budget is less than 500USD.

I don’t think I would do a favor to my ears and wallet if I would buy a pair of Sennheiser HD-800 or a pair of STAX…

My 65 years old ears would not hear the improvement anyway.

I was also considering the Audio Technica ATH-M50S at a lower cost than the Sennheiser HD-650 but the reviewers are not all agreeing on the performances.

At one time, I was considering the Beyers Dynamics DT-990,
but I changed my mind because…
Well, I don’t really know why.

Therefore, I will find a store where I can bring my Sennheiser HD-570 and compare them with the Sennheiser HD-650,
if there is (To my ears) a big improvement, I will buy them
and at the same time, I will also buy a Schiit Valhalla to drive them.

Anyone agree or disagree with me, now it’s the time to speak up or be silent forever.

Guy 13   
   
 
   
 

[JohnR]

This list is as about as accurate as a sundial at the bottom of the Marianas Trench during an eclispe and I own a pair of
LCD2's....

The 4th set on this list I also own, this should tell you it all.....OMG...

Oh, I didn't get that far But I used to own those, they are OK and work well with phones and stuff. I didn't keep them.

I guess it's more like a popularity rating than a quality rating.

Therefore, I will find a store where I can bring my Sennheiser HD-570 and compare them with the Sennheiser HD-650,
if there is (To my ears) a big improvement, I will buy them

Hey Guy, that's a good idea. That's why I bought my 650s, I directly compared them to my 598s and decided it was worth it. For all I know I might like HE-500s better but without an opportunity to hear them first, decided against it. No reason to limit yourself to the 650s though, they have been around a fair while and are very well known. Sennheiser has produced more expensive models but continues to make the 650. Actually, they seem to be still making the 600s as well....

Be sure to take along your own music, the 650s have their charm (to me anyway) but are not best at everything.

[Guy 13]

Oh, I didn't get that far But I used to own those, they are OK and work well with phones and stuff. I didn't keep them.

I guess it's more like a popularity rating than a quality rating.

Hey Guy, that's a good idea. That's why I bought my 650s, I directly compared them to my 598s and decided it was worth it. For all I know I might like HE-500s better but without an opportunity to hear them first, decided against it. No reason to limit yourself to the 650s though, they have been around a fair while and are very well known. Sennheiser has produced more expensive models but continues to make the 650. Actually, they seem to be still making the 600s as well....

Be sure to take along your own music, the 650s have their charm (to me anyway) but are not best at everything.

Thanks for the advice John.

Guy 13

[DaveNote]

I believe I have an answer for Guy13 asking about the neutrality of reviewers who may be seeking neutrality in headphones.

As I wrote in my review on this circle, "A Headphone Journey," all reviews are opinions and are never neutral. To the degree that they can be objective, they do so by reporting on testing and ensuring readers, implicitly or explicitly, that they are expressing opinions, not bringing Tablets from the Mount. In giving us a thumbnail history of his reaction to various headphones Guy 13 is doing the same thing.

Applied to audio, neutral means a completely different thing.

As to the poll, fun as it may be, I think Guy is on the money. It is a collection of opinions. But then, again, aren't forums like this about sharing, sharing information and experiences, and, yes, opinions?

Dave

[adydula]

Guy...take a look at the Objective 2 headphone amp at jdslabs....before spending the bucks on the Valhalla.

http://www.jdslabs.com/item.php?fetchitem=O2Full

Alex
 

[elwappo99]

Hi all!

This is my first posting over here at audio circle. I've been reading a lot, learning a lot, but never felt like I could contribute. But headphones, here I am!

Those ratings on head-fi are based on individual reviews. The individual posts their review rating various categories (SQ, design, value, etc.) and then those are averaged to an overall star value they give them. Everyone's reviews are averaged together and then 'ranked' based on the best ratings.

Head-fi is such a large community with different opinions on headphones, that getting a consensus on anything would be impossible. However, based on my experience with just about every can on the first page of that list, those headphones generally represent the "value for money" headphones. I would definitely arrange them differently, but you get the idea. Clearly, the HD800 are a better can than the HD650.

Onto your later questions !  The HD650 are a step up from the HD570. I owned the HD590 and HD650 at the same time, and clearly the HD650 outperform it.

The Valhalla is a good amp as well. Really, any Schiit amp is pretty darn solid. The O2 listed above, is also an excellent amp. However, they can sound a little 'cold' and not as engaging as a Schiit amp.