So I had to change earpads on my LCD2, second hand buy, and was shocked to see how dirty the drivers are, full of tiny black specks, possibly from old earpads or dried glue. There’s even what looks like proper deep cuts and scratches. Headphones sound fine though. Should I just enjoy them? Do things like that degrade sound?
Just enjoy them. Sound will not be degraded unless you hear buzzing or vibration in the upper frequencies (like windows ding will most obviously sound jacked up). I would not attempt to clean them by yourself as you are more liable to damage the unit. For the love of god do not use any air compressor. If you insist on cleaning it out, I would absolutely contact Audeze for instructions.