jozefs
New Head-Fier
LCD-3 pre fazor sounding better for me, than fazor version, WHY?
LCD-3 pre fazor sounding better for me, than fazor version, WHY?
I use LCD-3 pre fazor with AUDEZE premium blue balanced 4-pin XLR cable and VIOLECTRIC 281 headamp, it is Good combination? What do you think?
once my LCD 3F 2016 broke in, it's clarity was clearly ahead of its predecessor and quite a bit closer to neutral.
after having owned the LCD 3F for some time now (over a year), I still can't listen for more than a few minutes, then they're right back on top of the bookcase gathering dust for a few more weeks. never have cottoned to the sound signature of these phones (although the bass quantity and quality had me from the word "go.") but the etchiness with how these phones reproduce the instant that a note or chord is struck on a grand piano is awful. (and, not mention how a lot of the detail with how a jazz ride cymbal is played is either distorted (the sound of the cymbal being hit with the stick), or the detail of hits on a hi-hat by the drummer are simply missing.
what I hear through these headphones is excellent bass reproduction, but also transient distortion. (enough for me not to make the superior bass response as a trade-off, worth it).
my quick take: exceptional bass, recessed mids, distorted highs, "closed-in" sound, as if a blanket were draped over the speakers and you're trying to hear the music through a blanket is the best way I can describe it. but, did I mention it has great bass?
granted, I appreciate the top-end clarity and treble extension (without any trace of distortion) that an AKG "K"-series will give you.
I listen to acoustic-based jazz a lot of the time (but not exclusively. the latest album that I've added to my collection is the "In Mind" album by the group Real Estate).
I've read reviews where people have said that the 3's benefit from some run-in time (and since I've been thinking lately that I haven't listened to mine long enough for them to even break-in), that I might as well go for a "burn-in." so, the 3's are set to a classical station (at a sound level that I would normally listen to).
I was thinking of going for a cable replacement ( cryo-treated, braided silver), but I don't want to be throwing "good money after bad". a good silver replacement cable sets you back about 300.00-400.00. ugh. (c'mon, Audeze. we're spending this much on your phone. ship a quality silver cable, as an alternative).
hopefully, i'll hear improvements in this headphone (that excels in what it does best), but at the same time leaves quite a lot to be desired. (if you're a fan of acoustic jazz, acoustic piano, acoustic drums, female vocals, etc.), and you appreciate an open, airy sound.
not that i'm expecting "open and airy" after a break-in period with these phones (a planar simply has certain fundamental characteristics), but i am hoping to hear improvements.
Similar experience. Although mine was originally with 2014 drivers, had to replace them with 2016's because they broke. When I received them after the upgrade they were a joke. There was no treble and the beautiful midrange was all gone.Having a blanket over the sound and etchiness with treble is what I would describe the 3Fs before burn in was complete. It took somewhere around 48-72 hours for my pair.
Once they burned in they really opened up - soundstage was well defined, treble was natural and each instrument distinct from each other, such that you could easily tell them apart in the soundstage.
I had the advantage of comparing a dealer's well worn copy against my own so the differences before and after burn-in were quite significant. There was a blurb on the Audeze website at some point about how they did burn in but I don't think that's the case anymore.
BTW, what amp & DAC are you using with the 3F?
I am a big fan of hard bop piano jazz, particularly Oscar Peterson and Thelonius Monk, and the 3Fs are amazing with any decent recording. Clear, liquid piano, tasty well herbed bass cello and defined, refined high hats.
Similar experience. Although mine was originally with 2014 drivers, had to replace them with 2016's because they broke. When I received them after the upgrade they were a joke. There was no treble and the beautiful midrange was all gone.
But, after some burnin around 2 weeks of just casual listening (because they fixed my drivers in 2 days there could have not been much burnin) they surely improved. The treble was clear, bass more tighter but that's all. No more creamy mid range as before. If you had never tried the older LCD 3s, you will agree with what I said. But if you haven't and you still like the 2016 drivers then I'm happy for you.
I had to sell them after spending lots of happy hours and moved to my all favorite HD 800.
I prefer LCD-3 pre fazor sound,
what amp & DAC are you using with the 3F?
I have owned the LCD-3s since December 2016 with fairly minimal use. I was listening today and the right driver just stopped working. I tried different cable/adapter and it didn't change anything. I checked the amp with another pair of headphones and it worked fine. I emailed Audeze tonight so hopefully I will hear something from them tomorrow or Monday. Is the customer service generally good?
I have owned the LCD-3s since December 2016 with fairly minimal use. I was listening today and the right driver just stopped working. I tried different cable/adapter and it didn't change anything. I checked the amp with another pair of headphones and it worked fine. I emailed Audeze tonight so hopefully I will hear something from them tomorrow or Monday. Is the customer service generally good?