[cleandean]

One final post for the night...



Wow... the Flow is starting to grow on me. Again the dynamics are incredible.  Such slam and impact.  And that hotter bass response is really, really fun stuff.  I also like the slightly cleaner mid-range, again, especially on things like piano.  Just easier on the ears at higher volume.  


Now, the Audeze LCD-X... still has more refined treble.. more spaciousness, bigger soundstage.  

 Better overall imaging, better balance in the upper mids... maybe too distant here, but the X is much more forward and present in this area than the LCD-2 I once owned, so we aren't talking veiled or anything like that.  



Look, in the end I guess I could pick either one.  Both have strengths and weaknesses.  I will say that the slam and dyamics of the Flow is EXTREMELY addictive.  Never heard drum kit reproduced with the kind of authority the Flows have.  


But, that doesn't make the LCD-X chopped liver or anything.  Now, if the Ether Flow could also manage to match the LCD-X in soundstaging, and had a touch smoother response through the upper midrange and treble... well, now THAT would be something.  

Thanks for the comparison. I'll be contemplating keeping one over the other when my flows arrive one day. Have you listened to Stax at all? I wonder if the clarity and speed (don't really know what that even tangibly means, just keep hearing the electrostatic speed is unmatched) compares, if so maybe I'll keep lcd-X and flows and and up selling my l300 system.

 

[korzena]

  I wonder what the parts cost is. At 2k, Utopia would appear well positioned to obliterate the high-end field: HD800/S, LCD3/x/c/4, HE6/x/1k, SR007/009, PS1000, Ether/C/Flow, perhaps even their forthcoming e-stats. (The only headphone that might escape would be the venerable K1000, and then only because the signature and soundstage are so utterly different.) 
 
At 4k...even if it can be driven to perfection by a Jotunheim, it's more than my monthly take-home as a teacher. 4k is certainly better than 50k, but for me, 2k is a sort of rubicon. I'm not saying I will never cross it, and it's great that Elear exists, but I continue to bemoan the boutique pricing of transducers. 

I don't think that a best headphone in the world would have to go beyond $2000 price mark. Possibly anything over $2000 or even $1500 is a marketing crap and relying on people's snobbishness. Unfortunately most high-end headphone companies take a full advantage of our weakness.
 
p.s. I'm planning to buy LCD-X because I like them most. What can I do?!

 

[514077]

 

  I wonder what the parts cost is. At 2k, Utopia would appear well positioned to obliterate the high-end field: HD800/S, LCD3/x/c/4, HE6/x/1k, SR007/009, PS1000, Ether/C/Flow, perhaps even their forthcoming e-stats. (The only headphone that might escape would be the venerable K1000, and then only because the signature and soundstage are so utterly different.) 
 
At 4k...even if it can be driven to perfection by a Jotunheim, it's more than my monthly take-home as a teacher. 4k is certainly better than 50k, but for me, 2k is a sort of rubicon. I'm not saying I will never cross it, and it's great that Elear exists, but I continue to bemoan the boutique pricing of transducers. 

I don't think that a best headphone in the world would have to go beyond $2000 price mark. Possibly anything over $2000 or even $1500 is a marketing crap and relying on people's snobbishness. Unfortunately most high-end headphone companies take a full advantage of our weakness.
 
p.s. I'm planning to buy LCD-X because I like them most. What can I do?!

I think that with the Eutopia, LCD-4 or even the Flow, my best investment might be to go to 2016 drivers for the X.  I gather there's a general improvement in the highs, if I'm not mistaken, and if anything, I wouldn't mind that.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

I have an X with 2015 drivers, how do I get Audeze to update.  If they have an upgrade program, I'm not seeing it on their website.  And how much would it cost?

 

[kyle1010]

Anyone looking to purchase an LCD-X with the upgraded 2016 drivers PM me!

 

[kyle1010]

  I have an X with 2015 drivers, how do I get Audeze to update.  If they have an upgrade program, I'm not seeing it on their website.  And how much would it cost?

 
Just email Audeze customer care and they'll take care of it. It costs $250 plus shipping both ways. Try cs@audeze.com

 

[rodgerdodger]

Just email Audeze customer care and they'll take care of it. It costs $250 plus shipping both ways. Try [COLOR=777777]cs[/COLOR][COLOR=777777]@audeze.com[/COLOR]

this I don't get with audeze. The driver replacement cost is low in comparison to the price of the outright headphones, showing that the headphones are overpriced by a large margin. Eg T1 replacement drivers are $250usd but T1 is half the price of the lcd-x.

 

[kyle1010]

this I don't get with audeze. The driver replacement cost is low in comparison to the price of the outright headphones, showing that the headphones are overpriced by a large margin. Eg T1 replacement drivers are $250usd but T1 is half the price of the lcd-x.

Right? They hustle us.

 

[pippen99]

this I don't get with audeze. The driver replacement cost is low in comparison to the price of the outright headphones, showing that the headphones are overpriced by a large margin. Eg T1 replacement drivers are $250usd but T1 is half the price of the lcd-x.

As of March 2015 the LCD-2f were at priced at 36% gross profit margin.  I would guess but cannot confirm that the whole line was priced accordingly.  I would expect that would still be the case.

 

[rodgerdodger]

As of March 2015 the LCD-2f were at priced at 36% gross profit margin.  I would guess but cannot confirm that the whole line was priced accordingly.  I would expect that would still be the case.

but if you were to buy all the invidual components from Beyer which you can, and built t1s it would cost pretty much full price. Audeze prices means the headband costs more than the driver , over $1000usd

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

but if you were to buy all the invidual components from Beyer which you can, and built t1s it would cost pretty much full price. Audeze prices means the headband costs more than the driver , over $1000usd

Which means they're either really efficient at making drivers, stupendously inefficient at making headbands, or the #1 culprit in the overpricing of hardware and therefore worthy of our contempt. 

 

[cleandean]

Y'all were not kidding.  This carbon fiber headband really helps.  It's stupidly expensive for sure, but now I can actually use what I paid so much more for.

 

[mutelight]

Hi all, long time lurker and I have been following this thread for quite some time ever since I rented some LCD-Xs a few months back.
 
Quick question. I assume since I asked Lumoid to place and order for me to buy a new pair after my rentals and it shipped directly from them back in July, I have the 2016 drivers?
 
Quote:

  Y'all were not kidding.  This carbon fiber headband really helps.  It's stupidly expensive for sure, but now I can actually use what I paid so much more for.

I ended up going that route too and the cost was a tough pill to swallow for what it is but what a substantial difference it made for comfort and stability!

 

[cleandean]

I ended up going that route too and the cost was a tough pill to swallow for what it is but what a substantial difference it made for comfort and stability!

Mine came with an inspection date and signature from the inspector, hopefully that's at least near the time it was manufactured.

Yeh so with the comfort no longer being an issue, I need to figure out what to do with these ether flows.

 

[rodgerdodger]

Finally got mine. Didn't come with fr graph but inspection date 8/8/16.

A 6db+ low shelf eq in my daw and I finally have what I've always been after.. Studio monitors in headphone form. It's All I've ever wanted.

Tested and purchased so many headphones amps etc etc over past 10 years, almost settled on the lcd2s i bought recently as they were amazing, but i knew the lcd-x existed.

if you are a producer and can't use monitors don't bother with anything else. I should have done this from the start