[bfreedma]

This may sound crazy to the LCD-3 crowd, but I'm thinking of adding an HD800S in order to complement the LCD-3 and my other headphones with something different. Is it crazy?

Not crazy - as others mentioned, they have a very different sound signature. It will be interesting to see if you split usage or just end up settling on one for the majority of listening. I have a Grado PS1000 that is also a very different sound sig from the LCD3s. After a while, I went back to the LCDs for just about everything. I should probably sell the PS1000s as they get almost no head time.

 

[gLer]

Hey guys, in case you’re thinking of a pad swap or just curious what the new @DekoniAudio LCD pads sound like, I’ve just posted my review of the Dekoni Elite Sheepskin and Fenestrated Sheepskin for LCD here:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/de...eze-lcd-headphones.23411/reviews#review-21136

 

[Phronesis]

Not crazy - as others mentioned, they have a very different sound signature. It will be interesting to see if you split usage or just end up settling on one for the majority of listening. I have a Grado PS1000 that is also a very different sound sig from the LCD3s. After a while, I went back to the LCDs for just about everything. I should probably sell the PS1000s as they get almost no head time.

The LCD-3 has been sounding addictively good to me lately (no desire to listen to anything else), but curiosity compelled me to order the HD-800S and give it a go.

 

[muscleking]

The LCD-3 has been sounding addictively good to me lately (no desire to listen to anything else), but curiosity compelled me to order the HD-800S and give it a go.

i have all these headphones. my 3 just came back with new drivers and changed to suede earpads. i am just waiting for a balanced xlr cable for hd800 should be coming in a few days then i can compare the 3 and hd800 properly. on the audio-gd all in one i have the balanced out is significantly better sounding than the 1/4", the hd800 is very good for movies. big sound. you know i had the lcd3 for only one month and then it broke. now i get to listen to it on balanced and it's very very good, put away the lcd2 i just bought 2 weeks ago, it's funny i just got the audio-gd and after 5 minutes then the lcd3 left side died when feeding it balanced. so i didn't get to test it properly. people said the hd800 with audio-gd on balanced is the way to go. i have th non S model which is not bright at all and that is compare to LCD 2 rev 1. don't use saber dac then you are good. the R2R sound kind like tube amp but much better. ditched my highly rolled little dot III recently and don't miss it at all. new guy just got into audio is very happy with it lol.

i was thinking about selling the 3 after repair but now it is the best sounding headphone i have. seem the new driver is less peaky than the old 2015 driver i had and i hope it last this time. in the end just cost 200 bucks shipping back and forth, not bad. consider i got it third hand and no receipt was able to get a warranty repair is pretty amazing.

 

[ChaChaRealSmooth]

Hi all, new here (but lurked for a long time, heh).

I've decided to reward myself for downsizing my system (had way too much stuff that I just didn't really use) with a new pair of LCD-3s. Should be here in a few days. Considering the fact that I've owned (and regrettably sold) my old LCD-2s, I'm excited!

If anyone would like I can post my impressions after I receive them.

 

[hawkwindx]

Hi all, new here (but lurked for a long time, heh).

I've decided to reward myself for downsizing my system (had way too much stuff that I just didn't really use) with a new pair of LCD-3s. Should be here in a few days. Considering the fact that I've owned (and regrettably sold) my old LCD-2s, I'm excited!

If anyone would like I can post my impressions after I receive them.

Sure, would like to hear your impressions. Are you using an amp? Which one? What are you listening to?

 

[ChaChaRealSmooth]

Sure, would like to hear your impressions. Are you using an amp? Which one? What are you listening to?

Yeah, planning on using my Woo WA6-SE, although I'm really curious to see how it will do with my Magni 3.

I listen to pretty much everything except rap and country, so a wide variety. To say my expectations are high is an understatement, but I'm quite excited.

 

[ChaChaRealSmooth]

Alright, after some time with the LCD-3, it's time for my impressions/thoughts (my pair is a "new" 2016 manufacture, so it has the 2016 drivers and the old headband). This will be a bit convoluted since it's basically just my listening notes as I listen to them.

*most listening notes will be done against a Massdrop HD6XX (those are my daily drivers after my mom decided that she needed to "borrow" my HD 650s. Darn me for letting her listen to them!)

1. Clarity is surprisingly really good with the Magni 3. This amp actually pairs better with the LCD-3 than the WA6-SE (granted, the WA6-SE is tuned to complement the HD650; tube rolling may achieve better results).
2. Soundstage is better than the HD650 but not amazing. Fairly intimate, with above-average imaging. Seems to suffer a little bit from having a "hole" in the middle of the soundstage, but not noticeable after some brain-burn in.
3. Fast, dynamic, and powerful. Bass is particularly well-extended. Piano sounds particularly natural and engaging (I'm a pianist; trust me I know what it's supposed to sound like). Mids are just liquid; incredibly good. Highs are definitely attenuated when compared to the HD 650, but don't seem to miss out much on detail.
4. Absolutely incredible on any song that requires clean attack and drive.
5. Comfort is merely eh. Weight doesn't seem to be an issue. Didn't find it as uncomfortable as I imagined.
6. Oddly enough, the LCD-3 manages to be both dynamic and moderately forgiving of not perfect recordings.
7. Compared to other headphones I've listened to, it seems to miss out on that last couple percent on ultimate clarity/resolution in the treble. However, it is very easy and enjoyable to listen to.
8. Better than my (modest) speaker setup (lol).
9. Zebrano wood = epic. I mean, just look at it!
10. Looks really stupid sitting on a desk (doesn't seem to want to lie down nicely, but I got a stand for that)

Liking it a lot so far. Looking forward see how my impressions hold up as I keep listening.

 

[Bigsecret]

I've had my LD3s since 2013. They were originally the classic unfazored version that I had upgraded to the fazors when that was available. I enjoyed the added clarity and slight increase in top end. Earlier this year I finally had a driver go out and replaced with the latest drivers. Another slight improvement while retaining what I love about these headphones. I'm sure if I explored more I would find that some other phones best them in different ways BUT I have been completely satisfied, not feeling a need for change. They don't do anything to get in the way of enjoying the music I am listening to. To my ears, the LCD3s hit the sweet spot between musicality, forgiving of bad recordings and detail retrieval. For those who just want to immerse in the music, I don't think there are any headphones that do this better than the LCD3s. I'm listening through a DNA Stratus tube amp and Modwright/Sony SACD player with tube power supply.

 

[frogmeat69]

@ChaChaRealSmooth , planar headphones (to me at least) seem to sound better with a god solid state amp than a tube amp. Mine sing with my iCan Pro in SS mode, in tube mode not as good, and don't like them with my Little Dot Mk III.
Other folks might be different, so try until you find what pleases you most, and ENJOY those babies. And yes, the zebrano is stunning!!

 

[ChaChaRealSmooth]

@ChaChaRealSmooth , planar headphones (to me at least) seem to sound better with a god solid state amp than a tube amp. Mine sing with my iCan Pro in SS mode, in tube mode not as good, and don't like them with my Little Dot Mk III.
Other folks might be different, so try until you find what pleases you most, and ENJOY those babies. And yes, the zebrano is stunning!!

I have heard that about tube amps in general, but I do know someone people love their tubes with planar magnetic headphones. It could just be the tubes don't pair well and some tube rolling will having me picking my jaw up from the floor (er, not that it's already on the floor with these...I just love them!)

Update on impressions: It's been a few days, and I'm not sure whether the new toy syndrome is fading, or if my brain is just better burned into the sound of these, but the LCD-3 has yet to fail to put a smile on my face. And I've even tried it with "basic" gear like the Massdrop x Grace Design SDAC on my bedside rig. Just spectacular. Going off memory, but they really do seem to be better than the prefazor LCD-2.2 in pretty much every category. The LCD-2.2 might have had more bass, but it could be that the 2016 LCD-3 is just better extended in the mids and treble than the LCD-2.2 and thus a little more "neutral" in general (I think this is the case, especially after seeing the frequency response graph). I heart the LCD-3 as more detailed and sparkly. Frankly, I'm missing the LCD-2.2 less and less.

Funny story, but these "ruined" music for one of my good friends who I let audition these. He's just really starting out and began his journey with an Audio Technica ATH-M40X, but he wished for more bass and thought that his setup might be too bright for his ears.

His text a day later? "When your music just sucks now."

I can neither confirm nor deny that he's now pinching pennies.

 

[gLer]

I have heard that about tube amps in general, but I do know someone people love their tubes with planar magnetic headphones. It could just be the tubes don't pair well and some tube rolling will having me picking my jaw up from the floor (er, not that it's already on the floor with these...I just love them!)

Update on impressions: It's been a few days, and I'm not sure whether the new toy syndrome is fading, or if my brain is just better burned into the sound of these, but the LCD-3 has yet to fail to put a smile on my face. And I've even tried it with "basic" gear like the Massdrop x Grace Design SDAC on my bedside rig. Just spectacular. Going off memory, but they really do seem to be better than the prefazor LCD-2.2 in pretty much every category. The LCD-2.2 might have had more bass, but it could be that the 2016 LCD-3 is just better extended in the mids and treble than the LCD-2.2 and thus a little more "neutral" in general (I think this is the case, especially after seeing the frequency response graph). I heart the LCD-3 as more detailed and sparkly. Frankly, I'm missing the LCD-2.2 less and less.

Funny story, but these "ruined" music for one of my good friends who I let audition these. He's just really starting out and began his journey with an Audio Technica ATH-M40X, but he wished for more bass and thought that his setup might be too bright for his ears.

His text a day later? "When your music just sucks now."

I can neither confirm nor deny that he's now pinching pennies.

Great story! Reminds me of myself when I was just starting out, and had climbed my way up from V-Moda to B&W P7 to TH-X00, which I thought was the second coming. Then I tried the LCD-3 at a shop and realised how far I still had to go!

Eventually I managed to get my own pair, which since that day at the shop was my ‘aspirational’ headphone. Not to ruin a good story but I’ve recently moved on from my LCD-3, and don’t expect to be moving anywhere again for a good long while as I’ve finally found my nirvana.

As for the 2016 LCD-3, it’s is definitely a step up in every way from the 2F. I haven’t heard the pre-fazor 2 or 3, but I don’t think I’d want the LCD any ‘darker’. I find the 3F perfectly extended and far more balanced; although if you’re a basshead and love that smoky midrange sound I can see the appeal of a warmer pre-F.

Enjoy the music!

 

[ChaChaRealSmooth]

Great story! Reminds me of myself when I was just starting out, and had climbed my way up from V-Moda to B&W P7 to TH-X00, which I thought was the second coming. Then I tried the LCD-3 at a shop and realised how far I still had to go!

Eventually I managed to get my own pair, which since that day at the shop was my ‘aspirational’ headphone. Not to ruin a good story but I’ve recently moved on from my LCD-3, and don’t expect to be moving anywhere again for a good long while as I’ve finally found my nirvana.

As for the 2016 LCD-3, it’s is definitely a step up in every way from the 2F. I haven’t heard the pre-fazor 2 or 3, but I don’t think I’d want the LCD any ‘darker’. I find the 3F perfectly extended and far more balanced; although if you’re a basshead and love that smoky midrange sound I can see the appeal of a warmer pre-F.

Enjoy the music!

I still remember the day I realized I needed moar quality audio. I heard a friend's dad's system, of which the only parts I remember is that he had a turntable and these B&W floorstanding speakers. It blew me away.

Unfortunately for me though, I just don't have the space for a large speaker setup, but headphones nowadays make me feel like I'm not missing out on much. I understand that headphones and speakers do different things well and I do eventually plan on having both!

Glad you found something you really loved, even though you've moved on from the LCD-3.

And yes I'm currently sitting here enjoying the music greatly

 

[ChaChaRealSmooth]

Apologies for the double post.

After about a week of having the LCD-3s, I felt that I solidified my impressions and notes enough to write a review, so for those who are looking for my organized thoughts on these cans, here you go:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/audeze-lcd3-planar-magnetic-headphone.13672/reviews#review-21223

Spoiler: tl;dr

Still completely in love with the LCD-3

(I know this is an impressions thread; I apologize to the moderators if this is not appropriate and please let me know. I did read the posting guidelines and wasn't sure)

 

[Phronesis]

The LCD-3 has been sounding addictively good to me lately (no desire to listen to anything else), but curiosity compelled me to order the HD-800S and give it a go.

Here are my results of comparing the LCD-3, HD800S, and Clear: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sen...ost-for-summary.795365/page-270#post-14630630