[mikoss]

So, auditioning the open back EL-8 tonight.
 
My review so far... extremely easy to drive, sounds good, but doesn't seem to knock anything out of the park.
 
LCD-3F >>>>>>> EL-8 open.
 
Bass, soundstage, treble; all much, much better on the LCD-3F. The mids are about the same to my ears.
 
The EL-8's do sound fairly linear from top to bottom... nothing overly exaggerated. The bass and treble response seems fairly normal in that it doesn't seem to reach very deep, or very high. The LCD-3's are much more fun/exciting/etc. - definitely a more deeper response, and more extension.
 
The presentation is in line with the Audeze house sound, which to me is kind of like sitting in front of two nice speakers... the soundstage seems to come from the same place and envelopes the same way. I also find the EL-8's extremely comfortable, however I also find the LCD-3F's to be comfortable as well.
 
Hope this is on topic, since it's comparing the two. Overall, they're both overpriced imo... I do like my LCD-3F's, but they come at a pretty penny. If someone was auditioning the EL-8's and enjoyed their presentation, but wanted more pizzazz, the LCD-3's would definitely fit the bill.

 

[JimmyJohns99]

How are these for lying down on your back with a pillow behind your head? My current HPs dont have enough clamp so gravity makes lying down a tough proposition, they move around and arent secure. Very annoying. Does the sheer bulk of the audezes make this difficult?
 
Is there any speculation that they will release an update this year? or could it be a two year cycle being that they came out in 2012, fazor in 14,  thus an update could come in 16?

 

[Chikolad]

  How are these for lying down on your back with a pillow behind your head? My current HPs dont have enough clamp so gravity makes lying down a tough proposition, they move around and arent secure. Very annoying. Does the sheer bulk of the audezes make this difficult?
 
Is there any speculation that they will release an update this year? or could it be a two year cycle being that they came out in 2012, fazor in 14,  thus an update could come in 16?

 
For me they're not great for lying down. They pull down and it's not very comfortable. It's not that bad, I just prefer them sitting down.
I can't speculate on any updates, but some think that the Fluxor and Uniforce technologies might be implemented in the LCD series, making them one-sided. I don't know if there's any basis to that assumption.

 

[EdmontonCanuck]

 How are these for lying down on your back with a pillow behind your head? My current HPs dont have enough clamp so gravity makes lying down a tough proposition, they move around and arent secure. Very annoying. Does the sheer bulk of the audezes make this difficult?
 
Is there any speculation that they will release an update this year? or could it be a two year cycle being that they came out in 2012, fazor in 14,  thus an update could come in 16?

 
For me they're not great for lying down. They pull down and it's not very comfortable. It's not that bad, I just prefer them sitting down.
I can't speculate on any updates, but some think that the Fluxor and Uniforce technologies might be implemented in the LCD series, making them one-sided. I don't know if there's any basis to that assumption.

I guess everyone's head is different. I almost exclusively listen to my LCD-3c's lying down with a pillow behind my head and find this a very comfortable experience.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Sweetmeat]

Can't speak for the EL-8 but the LCD series is uniquely suited for lying down. You don't notice while you're wearing it, but it's a huge piece of headgear, almost as big as your head. So when you're lying down, the LCD touches the pillow at just the right place, thus preventing them from sliding down on your head.

 

[mikoss]

Interesting. I personally find the LCD-3's to be much more comfortable than say the HE-500's. I'll have to try laying down with them as well.

 

[NoxNoctum]

So question -- does constantly plugging/unplugging cables from the LCDs cause any excessive wear? I only have one XLR and I switch between my rev 2s and LCD3s a lot, just kind of getting the feel still for the differences across different gear/music. 

 

[johnkkraus]

I purchased the LCD-X and have been listening for 2 weeks. A lot I love but some things were bothering me: the bass impact is great but could use more articulation sometimes, to my ears. The mids feel a bit weak and the highs feel a bit harsh. Well, I was able to compare the X and 3F today, here's what I found at least in terms of the sample I heard.
 
I DID prefer the bass articulation and warmer/softer highs compared to the X. I preferred the timbre in general.  But… the soundstage width seemed to greatly disappear. Much bigger stage and air between the instruments was felt with the X. The LCD-X, to my ears at least, feels much more like a live experience, and I love that.
 
If anything to my ears the X is too bright and the 3F is too warm. But for the feeling of hearing ‘live’, the LCD-X wins out for me. Though I’m sure for long listening the 3F would make more sense. 
 
What I do need to solve though is the shrillness of the highs, at least in terms of how my ears perceive. So thus my question today- how to best tame the highs in the LCD-X:
 
- Will extensive burn-in help? 
 
- Could it perhaps be that a tube amp rather then the Deckard I'm using would be a better choice for the LCD-X in terms of warm, softer highs? 
 
- Should I purchase an equalizer to use post Deckard so I can bring down the highs and bring up the mids?
 
- I do have the MITcables Vero system on order, and if the few reviews out so far are accurate these cables should help. Time will tell.
 
And that’s where it stands. Unless it was a poor sample of the 3F, for now I’m in a holding pattern with the X in the lead.

 

[TMRaven]

EQ is best bet.  That mid-treble spike of the X is how Audeze and many X followers get off calling it a neutral Audeze, even though it's a clear coloration.

 

[johnkkraus]

Any recommendations on EQs?

 

[JimmyJohns99]

The last thing i needed to hear today is that the X is bright and harsh! 

 

[Badas]

  The last thing i needed to hear today is that the X is bright and harsh! 

 
Compared to the LCD-3 it is.
 
I use the LCD-3 all the time. When I took a listen it sounded like a mix of the LCD-3 with the Senny HD700/800 to me.

 

[johnkkraus]

Sound quality is so personal, isn't it? To my ears the LCD-X  is sounding a bit bright and harsh. But... it's a new unit with perhaps 80 hours burn in time. And I'm really wondering how much of the brightness is coming from the Audeze AMP/DAC combined with the headphones. I'm hoping to listen to the X through a few Woo Amps tomorrow. 

 

[potkettleblack]

EQ is best bet.  That mid-treble spike of the X is how Audeze and many X followers get off calling it a neutral Audeze, even though it's a clear coloration.

Get off calling it neutral? There's a reason they say that - because it is more (not plain neutral) neutral sounding compared to the rest of the range.
It's not all smoke and mirrors.

 

[TMRaven]

It has more depression around 3-5khz compared to the LCD2/3, and had more mid-treble around 8-9khz than even my HE-560.  In that way, it was both darker and brighter than my LCD3 I had at the same time.  
 
Call the elevated treble neutral if you want if you're used to the warm Audeze sound, but in my eyes it's a slightly u-shaped Audeze, while the LCD2 and LCD3 are warm Audezes.  Both are equally colored for my tastes.
 
The one thing it did better though was go out to about 2khz with more linearity-- a better headphone for vocal referencing.