Audeze LCD-3 Impressions Thread

[LFC_SL]

My sound signature is more bass and I hate treble so I think the WA7 LCD 3 combo would be great for me. A side point I have recently had a hearing test and I heard up to 31K. Very high. That is why treble annoys me it is because I can hear those notes others can't. Most of the time those notes are distorting.

Should this not be more accurately stated as you have not heard treble done right. The concept of 'hating' losing a third of the music. Or only hearing two-thirds of the music. Hmm.

 

[Badas]

   
IMO WA7 (stock tubes) don't really sound all that "tubey" to me.  It is less clinical than your HA1 but not sure if it's worth to just get WA7 for your LCD3 if your aim is to get a tubey sound.  Sth like a WA6 or WA2 would do more to that goal for a similar amount of money as the WA7.  

 
Yeah, I have been wondering that. Look the LCD-3 is going to be my focus. I love it.
 
I was looking at the WA2 which is supose to have a very tubey sound. However I have been told it is not powerful enough. Specs say 310mw @ 32ohms. WA7 is 1000mw @ 32ohms (more than 3 times powerful).
The other is the WA6SE. 2000mw @ 32ohms (2 times more powerful than the WA7). Then I was told it was bright. Yuck.
 
My Oppo is 3000mw @ 32ohms. A friggin monster.
 
I have organized a WA7 trial tonight. I will see. I also might pop Woo a email to see what they say.
 
All the focus will be on getting the best for the LCD-3. I even think I will part with my Senny HD700. I can't see me using them. Not liked around here but I might become a one headphone owner. To me the LCD-3 is end game.

Should this not be more accurately stated as you have not heard treble done right. The concept of 'hating' losing a third of the music. Or only hearing two-thirds of the music. Hmm.

 
Yeah, you would think so.
However I listen to SACD and DVD Audio and there is no treble distortion. However and this is hard to explain, those high treble notes go so high it gives me a headache (others wouldn't hear those notes). If I EQ to roll off treble or lower the impact I don't get a headache. Those high notes is like what makes dogs go crazy. Same result.
 
Because I hear so high I naturally need a lazy laid back treble or a roll off.
 
It is not throwing away a third of the sound. It is saving my sanity.

 

[Skylab]

Unless the hearing test was administered by a trained audiologist, I would be very, very skeptical about the 31kHz. This would be a remarkable statistical anomaly of incredibly rare proportion. If the test was one of those online internet tests, those are completely unreliable and should basically be ignored.

And on top of that, there is almost zero musical content above 12 kHz or so, and truly almost none over 20kHz. So being able to hear above 20kHz would not result in a extra sensitivity to treble. The treble that bothers most people as being excessive is typically in the range of 4-6kHz (where there is quite a bit of musical content).

Just FWIW.

 

[Badas]

Unless the hearing test was administered by a trained audiologist, I would be very, very skeptical about the 31kHz. This would be a remarkable statistical anomaly of incredibly rare proportion. If the test was one of those online internet tests, those are completely unreliable and should basically be ignored.

And on top of that, there is almost zero musical content above 12 kHz or so, and truly almost none over 20kHz. So being able to hear above 20kHz would not result in a extra sensitivity to treble. The treble that bothers most people as being excessive is typically in the range of 4-6kHz (where there is quite a bit of musical content).

Just FWIW.

I went to a clinic for the test. I was told I had an above average 17-25 year old male hearing. Altho not as good on the bottom end. I'm 44, so very unusual.
 
I get the same result running sweep tests. Not as high but that is likely speaker performance.
 
I hate treble.

 

[Skylab]

That's very cool that you have good high frequency hearing. It's something to be happy about, not upset.

Again, there is almost zero chance that because you can hear above 20 kHz that this is what makes you "hate treble". There just isn't enough sound pressure level in that range for it to be an issue.

Note that even the harmonics of cymbals end at 16 kHz. The fundamental ends much lower. Things like a piccolo and piano have their highest notes under 4 kHz.

If treble in music bothers you, you need to make sure you're chasing the right solution. Being able to hear above 20 kHz isn't going to cause an enhanced sensitivity to treble in music. They physics just doesn't work that way.

Point is: you probably need to find a headphone where the treble response OVERALL is shelved down. Just finding one with a very rolled off top end likely isn't going to help.

 

[Badas]

That's very cool that you have good high frequency hearing. It's something to be happy about, not upset.

Again, there is almost zero chance that because you can hear above 20 kHz that this is what makes you "hate treble". There just isn't enough sound pressure level in that range for it to be an issue.

Note that even the harmonics of cymbals end at 16 kHz. The fundamental ends much lower. Things like a piccolo and piano have their highest notes under 4 kHz.

If treble in music bothers you, you need to make sure you're chasing the right solution. Being able to hear above 20 kHz isn't going to cause an enhanced sensitivity to treble in music. They physics just doesn't work that way.

Point is: you probably need to find a headphone where the treble response OVERALL is shelved down. Just finding one with a very rolled off top end likely isn't going to help.

Yeah,
 
That kinda makes sense. The LCD-3 has been the most pleasing I have heard so far in regards to treble.
 
I have tried HE-6 (Didn't like), HD-650, I own HD-700 (I shouldn't have purchased for the treble reason), HD-800. All with not great impressions.
 
LCD-2 and LCD-3 (I own). Both I liked.
 
I was thinking about the HE-400. Bass heavy.
 
To be fair I would probably get the best result from EQ rather than chasing tubes / headphones.

 

[kkcc]

   
Yeah, I have been wondering that. Look the LCD-3 is going to be my focus. I love it.
 
I was looking at the WA2 which is supose to have a very tubey sound. However I have been told it is not powerful enough. Specs say 310mw @ 32ohms. WA7 is 1000mw @ 32ohms (more than 3 times powerful).
The other is the WA6SE. 2000mw @ 32ohms (2 times more powerful than the WA7). Then I was told it was bright. Yuck.
 
My Oppo is 3000mw @ 32ohms. A friggin monster.
 
I have organized a WA7 trial tonight. I will see. I also might pop Woo a email to see what they say.
 

 
Good to see how you find the WA7.  
 
FWIW RMS output is a reference but may or may not tell the whole story.  Even the mighty 300B WA5 is putting out just 600mw @60ohms but it soundly trump my WA22 that does 1500mw @60ohms.  The tube type used (driver, rectifier, output) used will go a much further way to determine how a tube amp would sound and how well it would pair with the headphones.  My NFB28 outputs a whooping 8000mw @40ohms but as an amp it doesn't sound better with my very difficult to drive HE6 than my WA22.
 
At the end of the day, for any tube amps, you'd want to research a bit on the popular opinions on the tubes for the amp you're interested in.  They would make a world of differences.

 

[helpMePlz]

Havent pulled the trigger yet on the LCD-3 only because im unsure which amplifier/dac to buy. 
 
no longer concerned about the price tag (i think)
 
is the hugo a very strong performer with LCD-3?
 
Should I be looking at tube amps isntead? Are these safe to travel (in carryon) with? (come with a sturdy case?)
 
as ive previously mentioned i have no experience with hifi audio products and i dont have the luxury to test, so im going off what ive read on here and your recommendations.
 
really appreciate feedback

 

[helpMePlz]

read about cavalli LAu sounds like that has incredible reviews but i cant wait till november or w/e

 

[kothganesh]

  Havent pulled the trigger yet on the LCD-3 only because im unsure which amplifier/dac to buy. 
 
no longer concerned about the price tag (i think)
 
is the hugo a very strong performer with LCD-3?
 
Should I be looking at tube amps isntead? Are these safe to travel (in carryon) with? (come with a sturdy case?)
 
as ive previously mentioned i have no experience with hifi audio products and i dont have the luxury to test, so im going off what ive read on here and your recommendations.
 
really appreciate feedback

Do you want a portable dac/amp, desktop ? If portable, then look at Centrance Hi-fi mini 8. People have strong views for and against the Hugo. The Ifi micro-iDSD is another good one. Desktops could provide a larger variety. I personally used the Schiit stacks with the LCD-3 and loved the experience. Let us know.

 

[BobJS]

Well, I just joined the club and wanted to post somewhere .... I guess this is the place.  Usually, when I get a new toy (especially, an expensive new toy), when it first comes out of the box I tend to look for the extremes .... so this is supposed to be "the best", huh?  Well, what's wrong with it.  And where's the wow factor?  What knocks my socks off?
 
 
At first listen, I thought ..... hmmm.... there is nothing WRONG with these.... they sound GREAT!   After some critical listening I though that something is rolled off somewhere at the top end..... these just don't have the BITE that some of my other phones have.
But the bass is to die for.
 
 
After longer listening, I realized they are just perfectly tuned though.  That missing bite is a virtue.   No longer do I have to switch headphones for different genres, bit rates, or mastering quality.  Everything is rendered full and clear.... I can resolve the individual instruments even in cluttered passages.
 
BTW, I'm playing these out of a Conductor.
 
No buyers remorse here.  These things are dreamy.

 

[helpMePlz]

  Do you want a portable dac/amp, desktop ? If portable, then look at Centrance Hi-fi mini 8. People have strong views for and against the Hugo. The Ifi micro-iDSD is another good one. Desktops could provide a larger variety. I personally used the Schiit stacks with the LCD-3 and loved the experience. Let us know.

Reviews are making me lean towards the hi-fi m8. I'm using this with laptop and not apple products so I believe that means i should get the LX.
 
I'm confused as to what version of the LX (XL4, CMB, or RSA)? goes best with the LCD-3, being that I don't know what cable goes best with LCD-3 lol...
 
thanks for all the help everyone!

 

[donlin]

  Well, I just joined the club and wanted to post somewhere .... I guess this is the place.  Usually, when I get a new toy (especially, an expensive new toy), when it first comes out of the box I tend to look for the extremes .... so this is supposed to be "the best", huh?  Well, what's wrong with it.  And where's the wow factor?  What knocks my socks off?
 
 
At first listen, I thought ..... hmmm.... there is nothing WRONG with these.... they sound GREAT!   After some critical listening I though that something is rolled off somewhere at the top end..... these just don't have the BITE that some of my other phones have.
But the bass is to die for.
 
 
After longer listening, I realized they are just perfectly tuned though.  That missing bite is a virtue.   No longer do I have to switch headphones for different genres, bit rates, or mastering quality.  Everything is rendered full and clear.... I can resolve the individual instruments even in cluttered passages.
 
BTW, I'm playing these out of a Conductor.
 
No buyers remorse here.  These things are dreamy.

The "bite" that most people miss when first listening to the LCD-3's is usually just treble grain that is an additive distortion.  Once you get used to the sound of a clean treble you realize nothing is missing.

 

[JACONE]

I just came back from local HI Fi shop in San Francisco and was blown away by how good the LCD 3 sound.
They are very detailed, clear, and  smooth. I'm not good at describing sound but these headphones are truly special.
Every song I listen to was an awesome experience.
 
Questions for all?
 
What amp have you pared with your LCD3 if you have them?
What are the chances of AUDEZE offering a black Friday special or a discount at the upcoming CA Audio show? Have they ever done BF specials? If not, I might have to sell an organ! LoL!
 
I purchased the ALO International as I read it pairs nicely with the LCD3s.
 
Any comments would be appreciated!
 
Thanks!

 

[commtrd]

A detailed compare on the LCD-X and the LCD-3(f) would be great! There are quite a few between the X and the 3(c) found but haven't really seen any in-depth on the former.