It really is a different story with the new revisions of the LCD-X. I owned one last year and sold it because of how odd it sounded - I didn’t want to have to bother with EQ. Then recently I decided to try again as I kept hearing how EQ could potentially transform the LCD-X, and this new revision sounds totally different and doesn’t need EQ at all.
There’s a post from Audeze about it on Headfi.
Ooof that’s quite the range… I’ve read before how Audeze seems to be struggling when it comes to consistency -.-
Are they your main HP now?
I’ve read about these a bunch before, but I was hesitant after I realized how gigantic they are… Should def be on the list though, I agree.
It’s just one of those “If you know, you know”. I know that some people like myself avoid bringing any of those points up because we are simply not trying to argue. I know that I understand that the people who hear the “difference” really do hear it. Their brain perceives this “difference” and thus it is real to them, but anyone that doesn’t have their brain will not get the same perception. I can’t convince and lie to myself that I hear the same difference as them if I don’t.
I have said this multiple times, and it feels like I am repeating myself, but the human brain is much more powerful than you would think. I think that doing some research about hallucination will allow you to understand how similar they are to the audio perception field. A hallucination has qualities of a real stimuli, but a hallucination itself is a false perception. False perception is the key part. “Qualities of a real stimuli” basically means that it is real for the person experiencing it, this is because the brain is receiving the qualities of a real stimuli, it feels real to the brain, so it is real for that person.
Only the person experiencing the hallucination can feel those real qualities, other people can’t, unless they somehow share the hallucinations (perhaps this can be the case in schizophrenia). In the case of audiophiles, if they believe and are convinced that there is a certain audio difference, they absolutely hear it, but not everybody will be able to hear. What is also possible is that a person’s brain can create this “difference” under the influence of others. Let’s say that the person hearing the “difference” explain the qualities of it, then another person’s brain can perceive those differences — much like a false memory is created. You can even see it as a collective hallucination since one person’s “hallucination” is causing another person to experience the same hallucination.
The placebo effect is also something that this can be categorized as.
It is a complex and controversial topic, and many do not like to discuss it. I just enjoy music and let others enjoy it in their own way. I am not trying to affect their experience, and I am absolutely fine with everyone as long as they do not start trying to affect my personal experience.
Hope I didn’t thrash this thread with one of my usual rants… I just want to give you a different look on things before you go to the next stage in this hobby =)
It’s ok. It’s a legit topic and also probably why I approach this hobby more hesitantly than others. When buying electronics, for example, filtering out reviewer opinion is much easier. - I’m rarely surprised by a purchase. It can happen, of course, but it’s usually the outlier.’
To get back on track in this thread though… 
I am struggling to make a choice, but I have narrowed down my options a little bit. I think I’ll stay clear from HPs like the Ether CX. I read a lot of comments around them lacking bass and being more clinical - there’s nothing wrong with that, obviously, but I don’t think I’ll get wowed by it, personally.
Trying to put it into words, I think what I may be looking for is the feeling of a large soundstage that somehow manages to remain warm and intimate.
I think this is what I experienced in my one wow moment years ago. I also suspect it was the LCD-XC, but I’m not sure. I’m almost ready to get a pair to find out, but I am a little concerned about the weight…
I think it will not be hard to find a headphone with a large soundstage that is warm, but I’m not sure how to interpret large soundstage and intimate. For me those terms are at the opposite ends of the spectrum. When I hear “intimate” I think of forward presentation.
I experienced something similar with the iBasso SR2. The presentation is forward, vocals were in the middle, while other elements were in their own space. The recordings where the vocals are in the middle and other elements are far out on each side are the recordings which amazed me the most.
From what you are saying, you might be looking for a warm mid-centric headphone with a wide soundstage.
Just some thoughts.
I think going from Sundara to higher end models will not give you the “wow effect” that you maybe
experienced when going from budget headphones → Sundara.
Differences can be quite subtle & Sundara is a great headphones already.
However, you seem to be looking for headphones that have a bit more impact & warmth compared to Sundara - I think that’s a good approach. Looking for “better”, but also “different”.
Like others said - audeze and ZMF are probably headphones you have to try before buying.
If I had the Sundara and wanted something planar/different/warm… I’d probably look at something by Dan Clark Audio… Aeon Flow 2… maybe Flow RT.
Or a different direction - impactful dynamic drivers, like the Denon AH-D9200, Fostex TH-X00.
Not to harp on about the LCD-X, but Headphones.com did a livestream yesterday with the new versions of the LCD-X and XC, and they’re going to be coming out with new reviews for them in the coming week. The highlights are that neither of the new revisions require EQ - it’s entirely optional and both sound great out of the box. Andrew also actually said that in his opinion the XC is the best closed-backed headphone there is (comparing to the Stellia, Verite Closed).
Apperantley the Audeze LCD-X’s and LCD-XC’s with the newest pads and driver revisions have been in production since late 2020.
My biggest concern with the LCD is the weight, to be honest. It might be worth waiting until I get vaccinated then go try them out somewhere.
I’m also not a huge fan of the “AUDEZE” cups, but that is a minor issue.