I feel like dropping impressions/reviews to some headphones that I got and thought I start with the one on which I might have the most controversial take on. I already have the DCA Stealth which are my favorite headphones but I still have an unhealthy craving for additions to my collection.
The LCD2 were on my radar for being somewhat reasonably priced, having fancy wood (though I wish could have gotten the Rosewood in EU) and generally good looks, good built quality and bass that is often praised. I got them as return model for 1000€.
They definitely feel very nice to hold but the wood finish makes it feel a bit like plastic. The pads look extremely cool but are unfortunately not very comfortable . The weight is actually no problem to me at all but I simply can't find a position in which the pads don't have awkward pressure points or the drivers don't touch my ears. The cable is pretty cool by the way.
At first I obviously listened to them without EQ and my main setup is the Topping A/D30 Pro Stack. I was kind of baffled at how bad the vocals sound on some songs. The bass also didn't really sound the way that the frequency response would suggest. I really had to scratch my head at that tonality that even with songs where it wouldn't be that problematic didn't sound that good for the money.
Since I like to EQ to the Harman target and nothing kept me to the stock sound, I applied oratory1990's profile which completely fixed the vocals, spatial qualities and the bass. I don't want to bash on anyone but it's beyond my comprehension how anybody would use these without EQ.
Best thing about the bass with EQ is that it makes my ears vibrate in a way that no other headphones do which makes the LCD2 very fun to listen to rock/metal. Dynamics are pretty good too and they sound wide enough. Equalization to the Harman target unfortunately demands quite a bit more juice out of your amplifier.
I have things to praise about these headphones but I would only recommend them to people who have a high priority on aesthetics. The comfort is pretty lacking for me but I guess that's related to my specific head. Now if you don't have a need for wood and know the pads don't hurt your ears, you're better off getting the cheaper LCD2C which you can get for 800€.
I don't hate the LCD2 though. I use them from time to time when I want that earthquake bass and they are pretty to look at on my shelf.
Hifiman Arya