Sorry, a bit late in replying.
Because I didn't end up having the 13Pro's and LCD-2's in the house at the same time any impressions will have to be from memory and even though I had the 13Pro's up until the day I got the LCD-2's I hadn't really listened to them much in the last while. I should also note that I'm using the LCD-2's with a Gilmore Lite whereas I never used the 13Pro's with the Lite for any length of time.
Up until I heard the LCD-2's the 13Pro's were by far the best headphone I had heard and my feeling after spending a few days with the LCD-2 is, while they're in the same league making it pretty hard to say one is better than the other, I do think the LCD-2 suits my preferences even moreso than the 13Pro's did. Trying to quantify the reasons and differences has proven a bit elusive though but I'll give it a try.
On a whole I think the easiest way to describe the difference is the 13Pro's are drier and more clinical in their presentation whereas the LCD-2 is more vivid and lifelike. There's something very tactile about the LCD-2's presentation that I've not experienced with headphones before. And, that's not to say that I think 13Pro's are dry and clinical, only in comparison to the LCD-2.
From my memory of the 13Pro's I've felt the LCD-2's are fuller bodied, richer, more textured and there's a weight to the music that the 13Pro's didn't quite achieve. They're both very good tonally with the LCD-2 coming across as a tad thick on some instruments and the 13Pro a touch thin on some. I also want to say that the LCD-2's are more transparent but without having them side by side I wouldn't want to say for certain. At the risk of sounding cliche it does seem like I'm hearing things with the LCD-2's that I hadn't heard or hadn't noticed before but then the same could be said of the 13Pro's when I first got those.
There are a few areas I think the 13Pro's have a slight advantage, the first is speed. While the LCD-2 doesn't come across as slow by any means transients are smoother than the 13Pro's, the 13Pro's seemed a bit snappier. Second is treble, I personally don't think I've heard a better treble than that of the 13Pro's, incredibly clean and detailed and always seemed to have just the right amount of presence, never obtrusive and never lacking. By contrast the LCD-2's can lack a bit of that presence and it's treble isn't quite as clean. I've also noticed a very slight amount of sibilance smearing on a few tracks with the LCD-2 which never happened on the 13Pro's. Third, I think at least in some regards the 13Pro's had a bit better soundstaging. This is particularly noticeable on The Tiger Lillies "Urine Palace" a very well recorded live album where the 13Pro's seem to give a better sense of depth and space than LCD-2's.
By contrast, that same recording does a good job at illustrating what it is that grabs me about the LCD-2. Soundstage aside, the realism with which LCD-2's portray the recording is simply stunning. The 13Pro's do a wonderful job as well but somehow the LCD-2's have that extra something that creates an even more lifelike presentation.
It's too bad customs didn't work out for me, I envy those of you who are able to have both the LCD-2 and 13Pro's because I think both are wonderful and even though both are in the $1000 range they offer tremendous value for what you get. The 13Pro's probably moreso because of their versatility and that they sound good out of just about anything.
Again, these are still only initial impressions of the LCD-2 and subject to change and the two weren't directly compared so comparisons should be taken with a grain of salt.
On separate note, I was very glad to find the weight of the LCD-2's much less than I anticipated and it doesn't seem to bother me and neither does the clamping force which was a particular concern because of the problems I've had with my jaw.
