Hey Guys,
I’m in the market for a new set of headphones, my preference leans towards a neutral sound with good punch/slam in the bass region, budget can stretch to around £1500.
I’ve already demoed the LCD X 2021 and whilst I think it’s a great headphone, I would be looking for something a little bit less analytical.
Current using a chord mojo 2 so ideally the headphones need to be easy to drive.
Any recommendations would be very much appreciated.
Thanks.
Jacques
If you liked the LCD-X, in general, you may like the LCD-2C. Same comfort as the LCD-X, although they may be a smidge heavier, and they have a rich, warm bass with slightly rolled-off treble but still impressive detail.
how about the Focal Clear og? the new one’s are described as analytical, though one is more than the other. the og has to be purchased used, but that means you save a bunch or can put it into another item you’ve got on the list. 
just recalled the Campfire Cascades are real bass canons. @ShaneD has them and loves them.
then there are the Fostex 900 and 909, which are also well known for their bass performance.
I love my Cascades, but that headband is horrible. His budget is Way over anything I have bought so far.
I would check out the Focal Clear (OG), the HiFiman HE1000SE/V2, various Kennerton headphones and the ZMF headphones, if you have the cash.
ZMF Aeolus would be a great headphone for you or lcd2cb for similar to the X but a little warmer sounding. Both could be ran off the chord but when it comes to portable amps I like the ZMF more.
The only thing with most of the Audeze line is that they need a lot of EQ to sound good, I suppose the mojo 2 could fix the problem in the upper mids.
Did the 2C have a revision like the LCD-X did in 2021? Possibly this may have changed the frequency response.
Always been interested to try focal headphones but the reports of driver clipping/failure has always stopped me from buying one.
Not interested in any of the fostex models since they are quite v-shaped and that is not generally my preference.
What DAC and amp did you hear LCD-X on? The Gungnir I just got definitely improves bass and richness/smoothness, over pretty much all DACs I’ve owned so far below its cost, so getting a meatier, smoother DAC like Gungnir could also be a desirable option for you. From what I’ve heard, Mojo should sound warmer and smoother than Mojo 2, also.
2C is better, and/or warmer, than 2…? I think 2 and 4 were just discontinued, strangely. 3 is probably next, then. I have an LCD-X 2021 incoming soon, so I’ll see how analytical/warm I find it.
Haven’t heard them, but Rognir seems to be a winner!
Listened to them on the Naim uniti atom headphone edition, I also got the chance to take them home and listen on the chord mojo 2 since I work in that particular hifi shop.
I would say the LCD-X is not completely out of the equation just yet, I’m just trying to assess my options and see whether their might be an alternative.
I’ve also heard LCD-X bass is a little nicer on a balanced cable, so I’ll be testing that, as well. I am fully prepared for a sucky experience, however. The audio world is just FULL of disappointment, at every price level…! 
The thing is with LCD-X is that they fit their purpose, they are fantastic monitoring cans which will reproduce the recording in an accurate and articulate way.
However at times they like a “professional listen”, instead of just kicking back and enjoying the music I felt like I was analysing it, kinda like I was in the studio with the artist making sure the recording is set up correctly rather then being at a gig just enjoying the vibe.
Anyone have any thoughts on the Denon D9200? Their seems to be a bit of a cult following for this pair.
That’s subjective. I love my LCD-2C right out of the box, with no EQ. Then again, I let my ears and brain be the final arbiter of whether I like a headphone, not a frequency curve.
I know you said you feared Focals for driver issues, and I don’t blame you. But I owned a pair of Elegia, which had really funky mids tuning but surprising punch and slam in the bass.
I’ve heard and read the Elex have plenty of detail and punch and slam – a very engaging, energetic listen. But, like many Focal cans, there are more reports of driver failures than normal.
I would recommend Dan Clark Audio cans to you since their bass is very present but the transients and treble are a bit rolled off, at least with the Aeon X and Aeon 2 models. But the DCA bass is more warm, enveloping and constant than punchy and slammy.
Finally, the HiFiMan Edition XS have solid bass and terrific detail. Superb all-arounders that are pretty neutral with a slight treble peak. Slight.
But again, the HiFiMan bass doesn’t slam you in the head like the Focals. Plus there are quality control issues with HiFiMan, too. I’ve been lucky enough to own two HiFiMan models – HE400se and Edition XS – with no problems.
Good luck.
I am really enjoying FD7, if you wanna try something affordable in the IEM realm. Maybe the headphone sound you want doesn’t exist in that price range. Or you already heard it. 
Stellia, Rognir, some ZMF, LCD-X, AEON 2 NOIRE come to mind. Next might be a used Empyrium, Liric, HE6 v2 “SE” (but probably not, because nobody can drive them well enough), maybe R10D or Gjallarhorn? 
Edition XS was too neutral-bright and lacking bass & warmth for me. But some Audeze have blown me away, like LCD-4, LCD-3, Mobius was very good, LCD-2 is very good. Have you heard many LCD’s before? Or just LCD-X so far? If I had the spare cash, I would absolutely own LCD-4, 3, and 2. Stock EQ.
Got the chance to listen to an LCD-2 last year, think it was the 2020 version, lacked clarity/detail in the upper mids, not sure whether their has been a revision since then.
LCD-X 2021 came in today. I find it pretty good, much better than Argon. Good clarity, great tonality, great bass texture, meat & reach, good/OK spatial depth. Really nice with electronic. The treble has some bad hot spots, though… It’s not the most effortless or high-resolution sound. I think this will be an ‘EQ-or-sell’ situation, heh. (Gotta say, I am really looking forward to hearing AWAS, coming tomorrow…!)
I would prefer more refined & calm treble, and better spatial performance. More bass wouldn’t hurt; it’s rather flat sounding(like all planars), isn’t it?
I’m looking to buy Edition XS as a general purpose headphones (podcast, movie, minor non-competitive gaming) alongside listening to music. How does it fare for those activities?
It does well for it’s price. For 500 bucks it’s easily the best all rounder for content consumption. Please keep in mind you need a relatively powerful amp for them.
In the $500.00 price range there are also the ibasso SR2’s. I ordered a pair about a week ago. They are not as mainstream as Sennheiser, but maybe some users could pipe up about them for your uses. I got them on sale from Shenzhen Audio for $487.00, using some bonus points from a previous purchase. They are supposed to be very good. I guess I will find out next weekend. 