[RustA]

Quote:

Is it common for the drivers to fail on the LCD 2? And are there any known reliability issues? I'm considering getting one soon, and this might just prove to be a deal breaker.

 
I have heard about tens of people having problems... Not a single case with HD800 which is the most successful flagship headphone currently (does not mean there are no faulty pairs of Senns but if you realise they already sold over 23000 pairs, it's great there are near to zero people complaining).
 
Having LCD-2 for two to three months, I personally didn't have any problem. That said, the headphone is ergonomically far from durable (leather pads that quite easily wear out, headband that is not tightly connected to each headphone and therefore I've had slightly scratched pads and wood because of the headband joint being dislocated during shipping) and therefore if this means a lot for you, you should definitely look elsewhere.

 

[thegrobe]

Quote:

What wen
What went wrong with your pair?

It was kind of an odd thing. The left earpad was much softer than the right one, which was much more firm. So during regular wear, the left pad was collapsing and the driver was resting against my ear, while the right side felt fine. The headphones were about 6 weeks old when I decided to contact Audeze. The pads were a bit like that out of the box but as they wore in a bit the issue became more pronounced. And yes, I had bent the headband out a bit so the headphones fit my head nicely without clamping too hard. 
 
I sent a couple pictures to Audeze and they said they had never seen an issue like that and promptly sent me replacement pads. I believe that it was an unusual problem, as I searched around for similar issues and found nothing. Probably wherever they got the foam from that piece of foam was faulty, had an air bubble in it or something. 
 
I truly believe this was a freak occurrence and should not sway anybody away from buying Audeze LCD's. And the customer service support and fixing the problem was top-notch. 

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

Quote:

Is it common for the drivers to fail on the LCD 2? And are there any known reliability issues? I'm considering getting one soon, and this might just prove to be a deal breaker.

 
Don't worry about it. Their customer service really is top notch, if you have issues. Audeze cares about their customers.
Buy the LCD2 and then just relax and enjoy your music.

 

[barid]

Quote:

 
Don't worry about it. Their customer service really is top notch, if you have issues. Audeze cares about their customers.
But the LCD2 and then just relax and enjoy your music.

 
Heh the irony of username "DefertiveAudioComponent" saying not to worry about reliability issues
 
But basically I agree with what you posted.  When I bought mine roughly a year or so ago I was concerned about reliability after reading a lot of stories about the cups cracking or left/right channels going out and what have you.  However I haven't had any issues with mine yet (rev 2.2), they did extend the warranty to 3 years I think, and everything I read indicates their customer service is top notch.
 
So I'm not sure the volume of these they sell or what the actual failure rates are, but I think Audeze has at least done enough to assuage possible buyer's fears about their products.

 

[myap2328]

However, it seems that there are problems and recurring ones. But according to you guys, Audeze has been very responsive and fixed most problems if Ur cans are within the warranty period.

Therefore, if Audeze have not solve the current and also constantly occuring problems. I guess the deal breaker would be when the cans break after its warranty.

 

[Greenleaf7]

Quote:

 
Heh the irony of username "DefertiveAudioComponent" saying not to worry about reliability issues
 
But basically I agree with what you posted.  When I bought mine roughly a year or so ago I was concerned about reliability after reading a lot of stories about the cups cracking or left/right channels going out and what have you.  However I haven't had any issues with mine yet (rev 2.2), they did extend the warranty to 3 years I think, and everything I read indicates their customer service is top notch.
 
So I'm not sure the volume of these they sell or what the actual failure rates are, but I think Audeze has at least done enough to assuage possible buyer's fears about their products.

Pleased to hear that Audeze offers excellent customer service. While I understand that pads and headbands tend to wear out with use (that applies to all headphones), I feel that the headphones should be free of durability and reliability issues (driver failure and wood cracking), more so if it costs close to $1000. Glad to know that your LCDs are issue-free, I hope it stays that way for a long while!
 
Quote:

It was kind of an odd thing. The left earpad was much softer than the right one, which was much more firm. So during regular wear, the left pad was collapsing and the driver was resting against my ear, while the right side felt fine. The headphones were about 6 weeks old when I decided to contact Audeze. The pads were a bit like that out of the box but as they wore in a bit the issue became more pronounced. And yes, I had bent the headband out a bit so the headphones fit my head nicely without clamping too hard. 
 
I sent a couple pictures to Audeze and they said they had never seen an issue like that and promptly sent me replacement pads. I believe that it was an unusual problem, as I searched around for similar issues and found nothing. Probably wherever they got the foam from that piece of foam was faulty, had an air bubble in it or something. 
 
I truly believe this was a freak occurrence and should not sway anybody away from buying Audeze LCD's. And the customer service support and fixing the problem was top-notch. 

Appreciate the heads up, I'll make sure to check the pads as well if i do decide to get the LCDs.
 
Quote:

 
I have heard about tens of people having problems... Not a single case with HD800 which is the most successful flagship headphone currently (does not mean there are no faulty pairs of Senns but if you realise they already sold over 23000 pairs, it's great there are near to zero people complaining).
 
Having LCD-2 for two to three months, I personally didn't have any problem. That said, the headphone is ergonomically far from durable (leather pads that quite easily wear out, headband that is not tightly connected to each headphone and therefore I've had slightly scratched pads and wood because of the headband joint being dislocated during shipping) and therefore if this means a lot for you, you should definitely look elsewhere.

What other problems have you heard about the LCDs? I've heard stories of the wood cracking near the cable connectors, but that problem is supposedly rectified by Audeze with the new angle connectors. I still find myself deliberating between the LCDs and HD 800, and I might get the latter if durability is a known issue with the LCDs.

 

[Lohb]

Hi, could someone please give the measurements of the headband for the Audeze headphones ? Is the padding enough on the stock headband with these heavier cans ?
I'm running prototypes for various styles of high-grade leather headbands and would like to see if I can make a better fitted padded version for LCD-2/3.
Similar to this one, though it is tailor-made made for Hifiman...

 
 
 
If anyone can give the central width and maybe 2" inches to the side and the end (3 measurements) it would be enough to make a custom one for Audeze.....I can send anyone who measures it one for a good bit less than retail if your band is not adequate for comfort.
 
Thanks.

 

[RustA]

Quote:

What other problems have you heard about the LCDs? I've heard stories of the wood cracking near the cable connectors, but that problem is supposedly rectified by Audeze with the new angle connectors. I still find myself deliberating between the LCDs and HD 800, and I might get the latter if durability is a known issue with the LCDs.

 
Well, people often mention these problems/imperfections:
 - comfort
           - weight (certainly agree they are significantly heavier in comparison to other headphones but for me, this was not a big deal at all...)
           - headband (you start to feel it after an hour or two on your head and you have to slightly change positioning on your head)
           - pads (they are quite massive and clamps around your ears and cheeks significantly, vegan pads should improve this... if you choose leather, they visually quite easily wear out)
 
 - wood cracking (haven't experience this personally... should occur rarely with the newest revision)
 - headband dislocation (as I mentioned before, headband is not connected tightly to each headphone and therefore it can dislocate and scratch the wood and leather of each headphone when transporting - it really happened to me)
 
========================================================
 
Choose according to your sound preferences... That said, you can be sure that you will be amazed how much better HD800 are in terms of comfort. It's like going from one of the least comfortable (LCD-2) to absolutely the most comfortable flagship headphone available (HD800). If there is anything that could be called "a night and day", this difference in comfort between LCD-2 and HD800 is it. It's subjectively huge, really. That said, in the end, I was able to wear both for hours...
 
Btw, if you really want to try Audeze, I would go for LCD-3... I really enjoyed LCD-2 rev2 (the newest version with leather pads) but there is no doubt HD800 are better (compared side by side at home, owned both). They really are and it's even measurable (innerfidelity for example). HD800 have much much much better soundstaging, instrument separation and imaging, along with better microdetail (though LCD-2 are already great here) and frequency response balance. HD800 better handle difficult/busy passages in music... People often mention that HD800 sound bright but I don't think so. They are actually pretty near to neutral. But I guess they are not "as fun" for the majority of people.
 
If you want to get awesome deep, tight, punch but still extremely linear bass along with nice smooth mids and subdued treble (forgiving), get LCD-2. But they are not as good as HD800 in recreating the space in front of you and placing every musician precisely on the stage... This is most significant with bass which is tight and great but too significant in comparison to other instruments (I mean significant in terms of an overall picture/visualisation of stage in front of you). HD800, on the other hand, offer (IMHO) perfectly balanced bass response that is present but completely separated and placed in front of you as it should be.
 
In short, there are two things that people do not mention as often as they should IMHO:
 
1) very obvious difference in soundstaging, separation and imaging - LCD-2 offer typical stereoish type of presentation, with not very precise imaging, rather ok soundstage width and definitely not perfect instrument separation (especially the bass I mentioned, most probably due to a bit too much shelved treble response). If you want to get closer to what you hear with speakers or be visually more able to imagine musicians on the stage in front of you, you MUST go for HD800 which offer surprisingly "3D" type of sound. It's more semicircular than just stereoish.
 
2) Comfort - it's day and night. Absolutely no comparison.

 

[thegrobe]

Quote:

Hi, could someone please give the measurements of the headband for the Audeze headphones ? Is the padding enough on the stock headband with these heavier cans ?
I'm running prototypes for various styles of high-grade leather headbands and would like to see if I can make a better fitted padded version for LCD-2/3.
Similar to this one, though it is tailor-made made for Hifiman...

 
 
 
If anyone can give the central width and maybe 2" inches to the side and the end (3 measurements) it would be enough to make a custom one for Audeze.....I can send anyone who measures it one for a good bit less than retail if your band is not adequate for comfort.
 
Thanks.

Great idea! I sent you a PM

 

[Lan647]

 

[Taliesin]

Does anyone know the cheapest way to buy a pair of audeze lcd2 is in the UK

 

[squallkiercosa]

Plan a trip to the States to buy clothes and electronics. (That's usually what I do) Actually I'm about to buy my soon to be LCD-2. In the long run is a lot cheaper, and you can spend a different week/weekend for the same price. Apple products, some DSLRs and a few mobile phones come with international warranty.

 

[Foxjam]

On a small day trip with my younger brother I mentioned to him that I'm a very risk averse person and I'm always planning for the future.  He told me if you don't take risks you miss out on opportunities.  If you're always planning for the future you might miss out on things you could be enjoying today.  It didn't take long to realize what I needed to do so I ordered the LCD 2.  So excited to get them.  They should sound great with my ALO Pan Am.  Can't wait to join the club!

 

[PinkLed]

This site made me go from the HD 595 that I had for a few years directly into the LCD 2 rev 2. After burn I felt like I have been missing out all these years. Only down side is I had to upgrade my iems because after you listen the the LCD 2 there is no going back. I would wear them at work if they didnt weight so much. Does anyone think the wood makes planar that much better? 

 

[Greenleaf7]

Quote:

 
Well, people often mention these problems/imperfections:
 - comfort
           - weight (certainly agree they are significantly heavier in comparison to other headphones but for me, this was not a big deal at all...)
           - headband (you start to feel it after an hour or two on your head and you have to slightly change positioning on your head)
           - pads (they are quite massive and clamps around your ears and cheeks significantly, vegan pads should improve this... if you choose leather, they visually quite easily wear out)
 
 - wood cracking (haven't experience this personally... should occur rarely with the newest revision)
 - headband dislocation (as I mentioned before, headband is not connected tightly to each headphone and therefore it can dislocate and scratch the wood and leather of each headphone when transporting - it really happened to me)
 
========================================================
 
Choose according to your sound preferences... That said, you can be sure that you will be amazed how much better HD800 are in terms of comfort. It's like going from one of the least comfortable (LCD-2) to absolutely the most comfortable flagship headphone available (HD800). If there is anything that could be called "a night and day", this difference in comfort between LCD-2 and HD800 is it. It's subjectively huge, really. That said, in the end, I was able to wear both for hours...
 
Btw, if you really want to try Audeze, I would go for LCD-3... I really enjoyed LCD-2 rev2 (the newest version with leather pads) but there is no doubt HD800 are better (compared side by side at home, owned both). They really are and it's even measurable (innerfidelity for example). HD800 have much much much better soundstaging, instrument separation and imaging, along with better microdetail (though LCD-2 are already great here) and frequency response balance. HD800 better handle difficult/busy passages in music... People often mention that HD800 sound bright but I don't think so. They are actually pretty near to neutral. But I guess they are not "as fun" for the majority of people.
 
If you want to get awesome deep, tight, punch but still extremely linear bass along with nice smooth mids and subdued treble (forgiving), get LCD-2. But they are not as good as HD800 in recreating the space in front of you and placing every musician precisely on the stage... This is most significant with bass which is tight and great but too significant in comparison to other instruments (I mean significant in terms of an overall picture/visualisation of stage in front of you). HD800, on the other hand, offer (IMHO) perfectly balanced bass response that is present but completely separated and placed in front of you as it should be.
 
In short, there are two things that people do not mention as often as they should IMHO:
 
1) very obvious difference in soundstaging, separation and imaging - LCD-2 offer typical stereoish type of presentation, with not very precise imaging, rather ok soundstage width and definitely not perfect instrument separation (especially the bass I mentioned, most probably due to a bit too much shelved treble response). If you want to get closer to what you hear with speakers or be visually more able to imagine musicians on the stage in front of you, you MUST go for HD800 which offer surprisingly "3D" type of sound. It's more semicircular than just stereoish.
 
2) Comfort - it's day and night. Absolutely no comparison.

Thanks for your feedback, that's a really informative post.
 
It seems like you and most others who have either owned of tried both agree that the HD 800 offers more in terms of technical capabilities and comfort, and the LCDs providing better "musicality". The LCD 3 is unfortunately over my budget so i won't be looking into that for now, though i certainly hope to own one in the future. As far as i know, you're the first I know who's pointed out the headband getting disconnected and subsequently scratching the wooden cups during shipping, so that's certainly something I'd wouldn't overlook in the event i choose the LCDs. I shall decide on either of these two awesome phones after properly auditioning them, and I'd definitely pay more attention to the comfort side of things since you've mentioned the HD 800 far outperforms the LCDs in that aspect.
 
On a side note, I also intend to use the headphones with movies. Which of these, in your opinion, would be better suited for that?
 
Cheers.