I'm listening to Spotify via the Taboo MK III and Audeze LCD 2.2 headphones. This Patrica Barber album has her doing very different versions of Cole Porter songs, like Casandra Wilson did with the songs associated with Billie Holiday. I listened to a couple more of Wilson's songs and still can't warm to them yet but the recording is stellar. I'll listen to more later.
Lon, I'm looking forward to your impressions of the Oppo 1 headphones. I spent some time last night reading reviews and it sounds like they share much with the Audeze LCD line sonically. The quote you gave doesn't really make sense to me. The word "Gritty" shouldn't be used when describing the LCD 2.2s sound but perhaps it is a function of the reviewer's other equipment. As I've learned the sound you get is greatly dependent on your gear. So with the Taboo MK III with stock tubes except for a 50's RCA 5U4G in the rectifier position (No Lucid Modes) and after market Toxic Cable's "Silver Widows" (Silver and Gold wire) with a Balanced XLR connector...they are warm with nice deep Bass and the treble, while not as bright as with my HD 800's, is all there in a non-fatiguing and pleasant way...the Midrange, Gritty? far from it...smooth as silk.
Lon, I hope someday you have the opportunity to listen to some LCD 2.2 or 3s with a Taboo or other Amp designed for Orthos. I know you'd love them. I'm not a salesman though, just a happy owner. Mark.
PS...I'm reading some more reviews. This one describes the new "Fazor" technology that mine don't have...mine are the second revision bought the summer of 2013. At the end it mentions that the reviewer compared the LCD 2s to the Oppo 1...see quote as well as the link to the review on Audeze's site. "I also compared the new LCD-2 with the Oppo PM-1 planar magnetic headphones (with the recently revised earpads), and the new LCD-2 was more open and spacious-sounding. The PM-1 is brighter and more forward, and played louder at the same volume setting, compared with the LCD-2." Different Strokes for Different Folks...Your mileage may vary.
http://www.cnet.com/news/ear-candy-audeze-improves-its-already-great-headphones/...