The LCD-2 pre-fazor was my first Hifi headphone, and so in that way Audeze holds a special place in my heart. Back then, I had them with a Norne Draug2 cable hooked into a Schiit Valhalla, which was directly plugged into my computer with no DAC. Not really a hifi setup by any measure, but it stole my virginity as far as deep bass was concerned. After listening to a few popular Gorillaz tracks on the headset, all other bass became petty and cheap to me. I figured that upgrading to the LCD-3 would be an upgrade in high-frequency response, and unfortunately for me I was wrong.
 
Now I have a Schiit Gungnir and Mjolnir 2 set up balanced and I don't mess around with low-fi file formats anymore, and a solid-core silver headphone cable into my LCD-3Fs. Admittedly, using a tube amp to power dark headphones is a poor way to pursue a crisp, clear sound. In that spirit, I'll refer to what this headset does well here and what would be wrong with the headset even if I had a solid-state amp.
 
The first issue is, as stated above, that no matter how aggressively one EQs this system, bass and low-mids reign in tyranny over your listening experience. If that's something you enjoy, then grab a good DAC and a tube amp of any decent manner and have a blast. For me, bass comes a dime a dozen and doesn't really impress me. Especially after having heard headphones that make you feel like you're in a massage chair, other speakers and headsets don't cut it in terms of bass response. Even headsets touting 'basshead' qualities lack even the ability to be compared to the massive and sometimes overwhelming atomic shockwave  that is Audeze. In short, buy planars if you want to get that nice head massage you've always wanted out of your headphones.
 
The second issue is comfort. Honestly, seeing as how they've released the LCD-4 with the newer headband, I don't see why they don't do this with all their other LCD headsets, but maybe I'm just a Plebeian who doesn't know how marketing works. The headband is a thick leather strap that fits rather blindly over your head and feels often times like you've taken a rope and using both hands pulled down so the rope just digs into your head. Then there's the weight, which in itself is a ridiculous and often obnoxious reminder of how little product testing Audeze seems to have done. If they felt they had to keep the weight to provide some advantage, they're wrong. After hours on the head, both the LCD-2 and 3 put a crook in your neck that stays for hours after wearing. After making a habit of wearing these headphones, you begin noticing that your neck just aches more often. This is an issue that can be resolved easily enough by removing all these metals and dense materials from the construction, but I'm still waiting. However, at the end of the day, the Audeze look is still irrefutably timeless and modest.
 
I always say you can tell how serious a headphone manufacturer is by the cables that come in the box, and how well versed an enthusiast is by noticing the importance of this. Headphone cables make or break a driver's ability to be taken full advantage of. You want to hear the best out of your headphones? Get a silver plated or a silver-core cable from a reputable company. Norne's great at what they do, but their cables do add a pretty substantial weight. Find a cable that suits the headphone, not just in quality but in comfort as well.
My point here though is that some headphone companies don't bother to make substantial cables for their headphones, and unfortunately Audeze is one of those companies. If you choose Audeze, or indeed Sennheiser or Sony or just about any other (good) 'mainstream' headphone brand, take the time to account for the cost of the cable as well, because you'll be remiss without.
 
Audeze is a great 'statement' headphone, or rather it's a brand or series of products focusing on their entertainment value rather than absolute purity. Most headphones push or pull at the sound signature in different ways to provide the desired effect, and Audeze's desired effect is one that makes an impact (pun intended) on the user's perception of how a 'warm' headphone should sound. If you're looking for a headphone that focuses on the luscious, sensual aspects of the music it plays and sucks you into it's bass like a giant blob monster, then spend your ticket on Audeze. If you're looking for clarity and detail that feels like a microscope into the music, you should look elsewhere. For the buck, the LCD line provides a sound that is both warm but without prominent distortion or sibilance. With the right EQ, these headphones can almost give off the illusion that they give a damn about being resolving.

All it takes is one experience that isn't so great and suddenly you realize how fragile small startups selling niche products like this one are. Norse, now Norne Audio, seems like a wildly understaffed and over-stressed company that needs expansion to keep up with demand but can't afford it. When you've been fed the 'suit and tie' presentation by enough of these small companies it becomes exceedingly easily to forget exactly how small they are.
 
When a Draug 2 was ordered for me as a gift, I was very excited. I'd heard so much about these cables and of course I'd started babbling about them to those closest to me who'd listen, and for someone to spend that much on me was a huge surprise. They placed the order at the beginning of December, and of course I anticipated some hang-time before I would find it on my doorstep. Come the beginning of March, I was getting a little worried. I contacted them and received expedient reply that made it seem like they'd completely forgotten about the order. They immediately shipped it and it seemed to be over with.
 
When I upgraded from a Schiit Valhalla to a Ragnarok, however, I felt this affliction overtake me that seemed to draw my eyes to the balanced connection right next to the single-ended connection the Draug had originally been ordered with. I'd heard about some theoretical improvements balanced systems made and I gave in. Cue shipping my Draug off to get reterminated and a splitter added to it which would require another retermination on the other end of the cable. Mind you, the order of the emails between myself and Trevor shows I did make modifications to the order but not after he billed me. Trevor, Norne's customer correspondant, told me to send $15 over Paypal after I'd stated everything I wanted done. I did so and waited for just over three months before asking questions. Once again, I was apologized to and told the cable would immediately be shipped back and my $15 refunded. At the same time, Trevor told me I hadn't paid for the entirety of the repair-work. What? I'd only ever been billed for $15 ...
 
I sent him an email saying I'd gladly pay the rest of the bill if that's what had been causing the delay, and then there was silence. No response, nothing. About a month later, I contact him again and he ships it to me again.
 
The thing that jarred me about the experience was that I didn't ask for anything to be done - I only asked what was going on. Trevor was continuously falling over himself it seemed to make it seem like things were getting done, but only when I asked. Of course I respect that repairs take time, after all, I've been sending off my old McIntosh gear to Terry DeWick for over a year now under the understanding that it would take 100+ days to complete repairs, but here's what Terry did. When my Mac got to his bench, Terry would poke me with an email just to let me know I was up next. I'm given a couple murmuring emails about where he's at with the repairs and then finally I get the invoice. This process is simple, clean, and representative of professionalism from a single dude in Tennessee who's about as busy as any repair-man out there.
 
The sum total of this has nothing to do with the product, you'll note. For those wondering about the actual product; Norne represents something close to the very best money can buy. Trevor showed me what copper can really do when I thought silver was the way to go. The product is as beautiful as it is exceptional in it's performance, but this one communication error brings up a point which is the SOLE REASON I'm posting this review. Trevor's only mistake was that he jumped where he should have stood firm. The man is trying to do so much and the fact that more mistakes haven't been made is a testament to how outstanding he is at this job. He only needs to stand firm and educate his impatient and ignorant customer (me) on what exactly is going on instead of immediately shipping or trying to resolve an issue that doesn't exist.