Audeze LCD3 Initial Impression - Page 3

+1 Too many!!

Thanks Jalo for the excellent impressions and the PM you sent me. Much appreciated, it's people like you who make this community so awesome :)

Hahaha so funny to see how many threads open about the LCD-3...lol I guess I'll just sub to all of them...lol  SUB!

 

 

 

+ 200% appreciation tax.............

This one is more civil than the other one.. so far that is.

 

Subscribed

 

Well, one of the compromises of the LCD 2 is that the soundstage and layering is not as good as any of the Stax, Sennheiser HE60/90/HD800, Sony R10, Qualia etc....

 

If we are looking at a $2000 for the LCD3 and Audeze want to compete in this space, then these are the areas that MUST be improved upon to justify such a cost.  I am a great fan of the existing LCD2, especially in relation to price vs performance, but the LCD3 has to be a substantial  improvement to come anywhere close to the Stax 009 or Sennheiser Orpheus.
 

The 009 and Orpheus arn't hype type headphones they are expensive and scarce.  They often don't impress at first listening and its only after extended use do you realise just how good the are  

 

 

 

 

I don't think anywhere in that impression that he said the 009 was beaten. He just said the 009 was bright...

 

Can someone ask Audeze tomorrow if the new LCD3 earpads are the same size as the LCD2's, so people with the 2s [that find the current pads uncomfortable] can replace their earpads with the new, more comfortable, ones?

It would be nice if the LCD3 could beat the 009, but I won't be holding my breath.  I just hope it could give me a taste of the 009 performance, because I could never afford a 009.  But, if I could afford a set - I would have bought a set already.  The LCD3s are within reach, barely, for people like me, I think.

Dear Jalo,

   thanks for your great review.

   However I may have different opinions even I have not heard the LCD3.  I own the LCD2 rev1 , rev2, HD800, HD600

SR009 and HE90, all the headphones listed in your review of course except LCD3.   I use the SR009 with 727A

Spritzer modded, I don't have BHSE but I have DIY T2 with stax and orpheus outlet.  I use the Balancing Act 300B

to drive the dynamic and orthodynamic headphoes with great result.

 

If I never hear the LCD3, I would say that the LCD2 v1 or v2 is a very enjoyable and engaging phone.  But unfortunately now that

I have heard the LCD3, the LCD2 V1 or V2 has has shown some graininess in comparison.  With the first sound

wave hitting my eardrum, I am at awe at how smooth, clear, balance, and yet very engaging the LCD3 sounded. 

The bass is still even tighter. Without question another layer of veil has been lifted from the LCD2

  Can these effects be because of different source, different amplifier?  Because all of the listed good points of the LCD3 over the LCD2

I can correct all those with the use of LCD2 rev 2 , rev1 with fully balanced setup  , good cable with Balancing Act and tube rolling.

Even if not, it does not seem to me that the LCD3 is a must in my system.  So I think before we will spend 2000$ for new headphone

should we consider about all these factors as well as the source and setup.

 

The difference to me is like the HD600 to the HD800

    This one I am not sure because I think both have different sound signature while by what you described the LCD3 seems

to have the same sound signature as you said  It still has the Audeze house sound but every aspect seems to clearly improved

When I see this it makes me think it's the same as LCD2 rev 2  vs LCD rev1 more than HD600 vs HD800.   However I can correct something

that rev2 is better than rev1 by adjusting the source, amplifier and tubes os I think LCD3 may not have significant change in my setup and I

have already cancelled my preorder

 

  I personally felt the difference was bigger than the difference between the HD800 and the HE90 (I compared the two only couple of months ago in a small meet and I have owned the HD800 for almost from the beginning). 

     Again this statement should be interpreted with care as you don't have much time to use both in proper set up. 

 

 I find myself enjoyed the LCD3 more so than the Stax 009 as I find the 009 a little brighter than the LCD3 which I worry may induce fatigue easier

     This one I wholeheartedly agree with you.  I found that Stax SR009 is in  bright tone  and seems brighter and brighter when you listened long time.  I also

cannot listen long time.  I think LCD 2 or LCD3 hold an edge over Stax SR009 in this aspect until we know which amplifier is appropriate for SR009.

Jalo, please pick up a pair there so that I don't have to wait for Audeze to deliver one to you in order to hear it. 

 

 

(BTW, you never responded to my response about borrowing my SAA cable.)

 

So basically the Lcd-3 would probably get smoked by a Stax 407 and 323 in sound quality.

HAHA, absolutely, if that's what you prefer.

Edited by SP Wild - 10/15/11 at 8:15pm

 

Total speculation and innuendo.

Which is totally on par with what gets posted so prevalently by those without facts and too much time on their hands...............................

Let's try to keep this thread CLEAN please.

So far, the LCD3's first impressions seem to suggest many improvements over the LCD2.

Has anyone else had the chance to listen to it and want to point out some simple details comparing with the LCD2? Any information would be great!