Best I heard for this specific use is the Hifiman he6se v2, with a few physical mods and amped on a Ragnarok 2. Preferred it for metal over the Focal Clear OG or the LCDx, but it depends on your set up. The Focal and Audeze are both very easy to drive, but the Hifiman need a lot of voltage.
One must work with the source limitations for these genres. Rock and metal are generally highly distorted from the start – to include active (amplified) guitar pickups, overdriven recording amps, and a series of processing effects (pedals) that shift natural sounds to a fully arbitrary place. The quality isn’t technically great or comparable to a nuanced acoustic source, and it can never be the same.
In addition, post-1980s metal tends to be very fast with abrupt transitions and start-stop passages. (Pre-1980s metal such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin defined the genre with electrified and aggressive orchestral-like soft-to-loud passages.) The genre is thereby not suited for ‘slow’ playback setups that cannot keep up.
The Clear has known technical limitations, to include clipping with extreme volume, the top end disappears into air, and a metallic timbre. Still, the lack of distortion prior to clipping preserves whatever content was there at the start. If a person makes the Clear clip routinely, then they likely have hearing loss that moots the ‘audiophile’ goal.
If I play metal on my nuanced, delicate, and airy HD 800 S it sounds “fine” but lacks the bite and punch of the Clear. The Clear is exactly what works with these genres. It’s not technically the best, just complimentary.
I’m old having been in high school in the 80s-ouch! So, I’ve seen it all from late 70’s hard rock, to NWOBHM to thrash to grunge to-sadly Nu Metal (sorry my millennial friends-that era is just regrettable) to extreme metal. Ironically, now I think the best metal is in the underground or maybe always was.
I’m a bit of a genre whore and really enjoy experimental weird ass droney metal, OSDM, prog death/black, atmoblack, a little 2nd wave black metal, all of that…but doom/sludge/stoner is probably of my favorite over all genre.
Back on point, my LCD-3 and probably LCD-2 pre favor that I initially fell in love with at Head-Fi meets to my ears sounds great with low and slow and atmospheric doom/sludge/post metal and the like. It has a way of smoothing out the rough edges of low-fi ghetto production metal, but I think my LCD-3 is a little too laid back for highly technical, multi layered metal-brutal Nile influenced technical suff. That’s really where I have a gap which is why I had originally thought a LCD-X or Clear would give me an edge there. I’m intrigued by ZMF but from reviews that have mentioned detail retrieval is not it’s strong point, I’m not sure it would give me exactly what I want for this area-fast, multi layered, chaotic, insanity. But, I’m open to possibilities.
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Just tried to listen Nile - Chapter for Not Being Hung Upside Down on a Stake through Utopia and LCD-X (no EQ), for me both do well with this track, but it seems LCD-X sounds sharper, more intensive, with more pronounced treble, and with more noticeable instrument separation. I’d say this specific track sounds more fun through LCD-X. Through Utopia it’s a bit more laidback listening, probably because of less pronounced treble.
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I’d jump on the Clear if I could find one. I’ve been looking on Head-Fi classifies. Been on the wait list here on Headphones.com. Most of the HP’s are are waitlisted and seemed to have been unavailable for some time.
I’m looking at a Bokeh open and a LCD-X going for sale on Head-Fi right now. Both in the $700 range.
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$700 at TMR
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I may have to jump on that! I’ve never looked at the Music Room. Thanks! Dang, LCD-X $750, Clear $699, Bokeh $700…decisions
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Thanks again, Lou, I pulled the trigger on the Clear, OG, been looking for one for a few months. The Music Room looks like a very cool outfit. Now, I’m debating the LCD-X or Bokeh, leaning towards the LCD-X.
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Great! Let us know what you think of them.
I haven’t done a ton of business with TMR, but all my interactions with them have been good. Hope the Clear work well for you.
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Be sure it’s the LCD-X 2021 variant. The pre-2021 models have different pads and the tuning is much different; worse to my ears.
Thanks all, you’ve been very helpful. This was a big bite on the ole credit card, but two killer (hopefully) cans for about $1500 and I’m pretty stoked. I’m still intrigued by ZMF, but I had to think carefully about what gaps I have in my collection. I wanted to keep things under $2K to pay it off over the summer. I make a little extra coin in the summers teaching summer school and work part time as kayak instructor in the D.C area, a place with a great whitewater community by the way 
I know the Bokeh has a rep for good bass response, slam and beautiful mid range tone. I was certainly conflicted but here is my thinking…I get a lot of that with my LCD-3 and Arya Unveiled even though they are very different overall, and the Arya Unveiled isn’t optimized for metal. It sounds pretty good with classic rock and hard rock, maybe even run of the mill commercial melodic stuff like Judas Priest (throwing no shade on Priest-my favorite metal band from my adolescence) but definitely not extreme metal. And not great for super distorted guitar and metal with massive low end. No Electric Wizard or anything for my Arya. That’s where the LCD-3 becomes the god of thunder and rock and roll.
The LCD-3 is a dark horse and has a special, magical quality in my collection. It’s amazing with any bass forward genres of any kind including metal. It will do nasty, mid-paced chunk OSDM and just about anything…just not as good as I’ve mentioned with hyper technical, layered chaotic music, even though it’s serviceable. I was just listening to Opeth’s Ghost Reveries which I often use to assess gear, and Black/drone/doom metal band Miznor’s album, Prosaic (one of my favorite blackened doom outfits) with my LCD-3 with Schiit’s Lyr+ as a preamp fed into my Jotunheim 2. It’s a pretty good mid-fi set up that allows me two bounce back and forth between the tube/hybrid single ended input of the Lyr and the balanced XLR of the Jot preamped by the Lyr and it sounded awesome. Great punch and power with just a touch of extra smooth warmth from the Lyr. Great synergy there, IMO.
Even though I’ll have the LCD-X I don’t think I’ll get rid of the LCD-3 as it does low and slow & heavy atmospheric genres so well. It’s got a lovely, laid back sound but enough planar bass speed to work well with heavy music. It also sounds really nice with jazz, acoustic guitar, etc. with a gorgeous lush midrange.
I was careful to check the LCD-X and it is the 2021 version. The seller seems legit and has excellent feedback as a seller. He’s got a certificate of authenticity that’s included and from photos says 2021.
To be fair, having both the LCD-X and Clear may have been doubling down on my desire to have fast, detailed cans for metal but from demoing them in the past, I think they have different enough qualities to earn their keep, I’ll be listening to a lot of non metal on both. I listen to fair amount of alt rock, indie folk, jazz, singer songwriter genres and so on. I also have a respectable classical classical collection-which a strong point for the Arya.
I haven’t had a chance to hear the HE1000SE which is out of my budget now for sure, but that’s also a can I’d like to hear at some point. And maybe think of the ZMF closeback as I’d like to upgrade my Meze 99 at some point for those environments where a closed back would be preferable.
I’ll let y’all know what I think of these two. But, with the LCD-X, Clear, LCD-3 and Arya unveiled , I’ve stepped up my small HP collection in a significant way that just might be endgame for me.
Again, want to say how much I appreciate everyone’s input.
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Congrats - that’s really exciting! I hope you enjoy the Clear and LCD-X as much as I previously have. Happy listening and rock on \m/
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If you find them overly similar, you still have the 30-day return (- 5% restock fee) for the Clear at TMR, so you won’t be out much. You could probably move your LCD-X for close to what you paid as well.
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Personally, I wouldn’t recommend a ZMF Bokeh if you’re already buying a Clear OG because you’d end up with 2 similar sounding headphones.
In my opinion, the Bokeh sounds like a ZMF version of a Focal, and I say that as a compliment (I own a lot of ZMF and Focal headphones). @robson, I think you’ve said something similar in the past, haven’t you?
If you don’t like the Clear and decide to return it, the Bokeh is an option because you can tweak the sound by changing the pads.
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Thanks, that’s good beta. My thinking was to to potentially upgrade my Mezze 99 to a better closed back headphone for work and listening upstairs while my wife is watching TV and I want to block out some sound, travel, etc.
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You are correct sir, I said the Bokeh Open sounds like a Focal Clear and Atrium Open had a baby! 
Which was me being flippant but also I feel is true. It combines the best qualities of both, so it’s a compliment.
Also, fwiw I think Bokeh Open is different enough from the Clear that there is a place for both, but don’t listen to me since I have too many headphones. They have similarities, but are not the same…
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Ah, yes! Your earlier post put the Bokeh idea in my head.
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I received the Clear and LCD-X. It’s like audiophile Christmas or maybe winning a small lottery. I like them both but have choices to make with the LCD-X and LCD-3 in 'da house that offer different flavors, particularly the LCD-3’s lush mids/bass for my love of all things atmospheric, low and slow and doomy yet also very similar, maybe too similar to keep both, but not sure yet.
I’ll post some analysis later after I have more time, but like everyone I covet additional gear…upgrades to my source; an upgrade to my closed back listening, interest in a ZMF and then potential rabbit holes with tube amplification. But for now, between the two Audeze and the Clear, my rock/metal options have been massively multiplied.
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That’s awesome. Enjoy! \m/
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I’d suggest Audeze MM-500 with EQ as one more option for consideration.
I’ve been listening to them for a couple of weeks and I like it.
Pleasant balanced sound, with good articulation and clarity.
Without EQ it’s fine, but too midrange focused for me, less fun.
Comfort is slightly worse than on Focal Utopia, more noticeable pressure on top of my head and less breathable ear cups.