K3cT

http://goo.gl/UW5euz I don't like it though because that particular procedure seems to turn the HD800 into something which it's not but of course YMMV. Tyll's comment about applying minimum material in the cavity seems to yield the best results.

Just a ring around the immediate area of the driver should probably suffice.

Are you still running your HD800 modded, Tyll?

I haven't been following headphone-related stuff in the past few months but didn't Sennheiser slightly change the tuning of the later editions of the HD800? I know a friend who sold his 2009 version to get the latest because he swears that the newer version has a more prominent bass and less upper-mid peak.

Do you really need a balanced out? I thought the Fostex HP-A8 fits all your requirements (lightweight, DSD capable, SD card playback support) except that it has no balanced out. For such a small unit the thing sounds mighty impressive though: I had compared it with the good old stalwart Lavry DA11 and the Fostex is significantly better.

Interesting... in terms of dimensions, I recall the LCD3 pads to have similar measurements with the LCD2's but they compressed more on your ears as opposed to the firmer LCD2's pads.

I find it ironic that unintentional comedy like that is the sole reason to visit Head-Fi these days.

@purrin I'm disappointed that it's as flawed as the pre-production version and they didn't do anything to fix the issues.

It will be interesting to see the graphs of the pre-release and final versions.

You like them better than the HD800, Monkey?

No idea about the commercial version. The one that I've heard was a pre-release version.

Indeed. It has been a while since I've heard such an excruciatingly bright headphone like the HD700, not since the age of DT990 I guess? Man, it makes the HD800's treble sounds like the LCD2 in comparison.

I currently have a loaner HD800 and I agree, midrange is the weakest aspect of this headphone. Hard to describe but the midrange almost sounds veiled in comparison with the Stax Lambda and LCD2. Since it's a loaner I probably won't tamper with it but what does the mod do exactly? Other than a very slight ringing in the upper mid, I think this sounds fine enough. Mine is serial #05157 BTW.

Fucking seriously? That delicious hypocrisy. Also love that list of "evil" corporations and designers, very tactful.

Back then the "hi-end" affordable headphones were dominated by the HD600/650, K701 and the Beyer DT880/600 Ohm. Those were the days...

I've never seen penne that big before. Is the noodle home-made?

Some close-up shots from ALO. I have to say I prefer the overall aesthetics of these than the LCD3 although the wood choice is a bit suspect. I definitely prefer the older rosewood's looks but if this bamboo composite is lighter then I guess the trade-off is worth it.

Although the HD800 has grown with me lately, I can agree that the midrange tonality (vocal component) is a bit off. Very hard to describe but I'd say it's a bit brittle and thin sounding which lends to an unnatural slant. @purrin I honestly think you're not getting the best out of the LCD3 with the BA. I remain convinced that hi-current solid state is the way to go with this particular planar and If only I live stateside I would gladly send my β22 for you to take a prolonged listen. @spritzer That's good to hear. What source you're using with the 009? From various impressions around here, it seems a warmer, more forgiving DAC seems to be the way to go with these.

I guess I will have to try them again once I complete my HV although this will take some time. Apparently it's a big improvement from the normal version no? I've heard the O2 a couple of times already so I'm sure I got the fit right. The LCD2/3 seems to be a bit sensitive to this as well as vintage orthos like the RP18 and T50RP. I guess it's a planar thing! 2011 has been a really interesting audio journey for me. Like spritzer said, I got the LCD2 in the first place precisely because it's a mini-O2 but after hearing the HD800 for many, many times my opinions seems to change from an utter dislike to a new-found respect and ergo, I definitely want some aspects of them in my next upgrade. I also seem to develop a preference for a Lambda sound as opposed to the O2 house sound as IMHO, they are far more exciting-sounding despite the relative technical drawbacks. Well, 009 seems to fit the bills but I will never be sure until I've actually heard them and I fear that it has that symptomatic upper-midrange etch that most Lambdas seem to have.

Surely the KGSS is good enough to sufficiently drive the MK1? And my bad if I wasn't too clear but I was speaking in relative terms from one to the other. I don't think by itself the 007 MK1 is dark and laid-back sounding but when you have something like say, the SR-202 Lambda or HD800 by its side then the differences become more apparent.

Yeah, despite the questionable QC their customer service is top-notch fortunately. Sankar and co. have always been a pleasure to deal with. Comparing the LCD3 to the 007 MK1 is quite curious. I think ultimately the 007 wins in terms of detail retrieval, transient and finesse (impossible to beat an electrostatic in these aspects) but I definitely dig the overall tonal balance in LCD3 more. It's not as dark and laid-back sounding as the MK1. If you ask me, the closest equivalent to the LCD3 is probably the custom IEM JH13 but with a much better extension, air and tauter bass and similarly, the LCD3 can be very real/live-sounding. I find that live effect very musically engaging. I dunno though, I'm still not happy that they re-use the arc assembly design from the LCD2. I would want something far more comfortable to wear at that price point.

Have you tried switching back the old thin felt into the new unveiled LCD3? Wait for the LCD3 R3. You know it's coming sooner or later.

dsavitsk, thank you for the helpful explanation. And to all, my bad if I caused a little confusion because I used the term "hybrid" quite loosely back then. I just thought that the L-2 doesn't look like a "traditional" tube amplifier so I went ahead with that term.

Nice write-up, Nate! Short, concise and informative just the way I like it although it would be even nicer to have some tech specs around like output impedance or how much power the amplifier pumps into a 32 ohm load for example. I really would like to hear the L2 as I have yet to hear a hybrid amplifier that rocks my socks off. The Apex/Peak probably came closest to this regard but with the wrong headphones, it can be a bit too aggressive-sounding.

Well, I do think that the LCD3 (unveiled version, lol) is a significant improvement from the LCD2 in those areas you mentioned but with QC being all over the place and ergonomics/design still a bit lacking just like what you said, I will probably stick around with what I have now and see what the market offers in the future. Why the 009 has to be so bloody expensive?