Audeze LCD-3 Impressions Thread

[Kazej]

Keep an eye on the sale page, as we may be putting some LCD-2 and LCD-3s back up on sale.

I'm new, looking to get an LCD-3, looking forward to it thanks! My first premium pair/audeze. Will some be available in the UK?

 

[Audeze]

I'm new, looking to get an LCD-3, looking forward to it thanks! My first premium pair/audeze. Will some be available in the UK?

As the limitation states on the bottom of the sale page:

Limitations: This promotion is only available for the USA and Canada.

 

[dwish]

Keep an eye on the sale page, as we may be putting some LCD-2 and LCD-3s back up on sale.

Is it possible to know when the leather-free LCD-3 was manufactured? I purchased them.

 

[Audeze]

Is it possible to know when the leather-free LCD-3 was manufactured? I purchased them.

Send us an email at support@audeze.com

We just need the serial number, and we'll provide the details there. We will also be able to provide you an FR of your specific headphone as well (anything above an LCD-2).

 

[Kazej]

Hey guys, can I have a bit of your knowledge please? In anticipation for my pair, I see that the headphones only come with an unbalanced mini-XLR. There's alot of talk about improved sound quality around some of these cables. I'm interested in that side of it aswell if you have any opinions but mainly I want to know if I'll need a balanced cable in general. I'm running an RME UCX II interface with outboard monitor controller that handles my headphone ins.

Thanks in advance!

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Hey guys, can I have a bit of your knowledge please? In anticipation for my pair, I see that the headphones only come with an unbalanced mini-XLR. There's alot of talk about improved sound quality around some of these cables. I'm interested in that side of it aswell if you have any opinions but mainly I want to know if I'll need a balanced cable in general. I'm running an RME UCX II interface with outboard monitor controller that handles my headphone ins.

Thanks in advance!

Mini-xlr is the connection to the driver. I can't remember what cable(s) I received with my LCD-3F. These can be driven well of an RME ADI-2 DAC FS (unbalanced, obviously). I have a balanced cable for mine but it's more for compatibility with various amps I have. These don't really need to be run balanced.

 

[Skeza]

Hey guys, looking for a bit of education. I've got a chance to get a 2015 LCD 3 or a 2021 LCD2, both in mint condition for about $800 USD. How many revisions has there been since 2015? I could get the X's aswell but I'm looking for Audeze's warm lush sound to compliment my Arya's.

 

[phthora]

Hey guys, looking for a bit of education. I've got a chance to get a 2015 LCD 3 or a 2021 LCD2, both in mint condition for about $800 USD. How many revisions has there been since 2015? I could get the X's aswell but I'm looking for Audeze's warm lush sound to compliment my Arya's.

Here is some info that should help a bit.

Hi guy's,

I didn't know how else to start this thread so I am using portions of a post I wrote on this thread.

So, without further ado:

There are now four articles published regarding significant changes with the vast majority of the Audeze headphone lineup.
Audeze has posted direct to me on Facebook and Twitter (@theoneinyellow) of some monumental changes to EVERY Audeze headphones EXCEPT Sine and the EL8 Titanium; these latter two headphones have the updates as standard.
(Originally I thought the LCD-4 was excluded but a forth article, from the recently published Headmania review of the LCD-4, describes a new thicker coating on the planar diaphragm to make it stronger. All early customers who own 100 Ohm LCD-4 headphones should contact Audeze customer services as soon as they can).

The changes are major re-voicing and internal updates to the following headphones:

- EL8 (2015)
- EL8 Closed Back (2015)
- LCD 2
- LCD-X
- LCD-XC (the biggest update with new filters)
- LCD-3
- LCD-4 (from 100 Ohm to 200 Ohm)

The best way to understand this is that the 2016 headphones are the updated models. 2015 versions are now discontinued due to change in manufacturing with new updates.
On FB, Twitter, anywhere, I've differentiated between the old and new headphones by using 2016, so the 2016 EL8 CB is different to the 2015 EL8 CB.

Important: the 2016 EL8 CB is internally the same as the EL8 Titanium, not the older EL8 CB.

Lots of fellow Head-Fi'ers have already said this but the new 2016 EL8 CB is almost completely different to the older versions, with less grating forward mids (now buttery smooth), far better treble that's more natural sounding, and beautifully strong, textured agile bass.
In some ways, I think these new 2016 EL8 series might as well be new headphones.
That's how much of a difference I think the old and new EL8 CB/Ti to be. This is my personal impression having now experienced both 2015 EL8 CB and the new EL8 Titanium headphones.
I have no other decent experience with the other Audeze headphones (prior to 2016 or the 2016 versions) to be confident to leave any opinion.

The LCD-4 Ohm is discontinued in favor of a 200 Ohm version, so reviews, and even tests, on the older version may not be as relevant as they once were.

As described below, the LCD-XC is the other headphone that has received a big change with a new filter network that curbs the mid-bass boost.

Here are the four articles:

Spoiler

Digital Audio Review by John Darkø:
"Cohen also points out that the EL-8 have seen significant re-voicing since their CES 2015 debut and that anyone not hearing them in the last six months “Hasn’t heard the EL-8”."


Positive Feedback by Michael Mercer:
"I didn't know about the technological advancements in the Titanium EL-8 series. They sport larger drivers than my original EL-8s, and their diaphragms are thinner and faster too. The headphone sounds more efficient, and that's a splendid thing."


Part-Time Audiophile by Scott Hull:
"What else is new at Audeze? Well, how about everything?

I spent a few minutes talking with Mark Cohen of Audeze, and he mentioned that we’re now about 3 months into a whole new LCD Series revision, one that applies across the line — LCD 2, LCD 3, LCD X and LCD XC (the LCD 4, interestingly, already has these updates — and is likely the source of them). The changes are incremental, according to Cohen, substantial enough to warrant the move, but hard to discern without direct A/B comparisons.

Except for the XC. That one you might be able to hear directly. There’s a new LC filter network in the XC that addresses the mid-bass boost that can has (due to it’s closed-back nature), which brings the newest XC’s much closer to the sound of the open-back X. And by “closer”, Cohen means, “almost indistinguishable”.

Also new — the EL-8. This headphone suffered a bit on launch, at least on Head-Fi (and in the press), especially due to the expectations that were not precisely set. To wit: the EL-8 is most emphatically not a cheap LCD. Different can. Different goal. Different sound. With that out of the way, the EL-8 as it’s currently shipping, has an entirely new connector, with better magnets (and a latching mechanism to hold them in place), as well as a new diaphragm and magnet structure. The difference between this EL-8 and the one I have? Cohen says: “It’s not night and day. More like mid-afternoon and night.” Well put!"


Headmania Audeze LCD-4 Review:
"The review unit is actually the revised 200 ohms LCD-4. The first iteration which had 100 ohms had some driver failures because of the very thin diaphragm, problem taken care of Audeze in this revision by adding a very think aluminium layer/deposit on the diaphragm to make it more resistant.

If you have bought the 100 ohms version, you can upgrade it for free to the new revision."

I'm also linking a tweet between myself and Audeze, but be aware that at the time the Headmania review was not published and I was, therefore, unaware of the LCD-4 change:

Audeze's reply to my Twitter conversation.






I would even go as far to suggest brand new impression threads for the new 2016 versions of above mentioned headphones, but I'll leave that decision to the community and mods.

After the 2016 revoicing, the only major difference in sound will be the switch to non-memory foam pads, something that Audeze has done for their headphones across the board. The changes from those pads are fairly minor, mostly just raising the upper mids a bit. If you are looking for lush and warm, the 3 is probably the better choice.

 

[Contrails]

Hey guys, looking for a bit of education. I've got a chance to get a 2015 LCD 3 or a 2021 LCD2, both in mint condition for about $800 USD. How many revisions has there been since 2015? I could get the X's aswell but I'm looking for Audeze's warm lush sound to compliment my Arya's.

Get the LCD-3. You can also ask for a FR chart with the headphone.

I have had the AryaSE before. Great compliment to the LCD-3 Pre fazor. Both paired wonderfully with the Audio-gd Master 9.

 

[Skeza]

Here is some info that should help a bit.



After the 2016 revoicing, the only major difference in sound will be the switch to non-memory foam pads, something that Audeze has done for their headphones across the board. The changes from those pads are fairly minor, mostly just raising the upper mids a bit. If you are looking for lush and warm, the 3 is probably the better choice.

Get the LCD-3. You can also ask for a FR chart with the headphone.

I have had the AryaSE before. Great compliment to the LCD-3 Pre fazor. Both paired wonderfully with the Audio-gd Master 9.

Great replies guys, thank you so much. Only thing I'll add is I'll be running them on my JDS Element 3. The 3 sounds like it will slot in nicely with my Arya and Clear MG.

 

[phthora]

Great replies guys, thank you so much. Only thing I'll add is I'll be running them on my JDS Element 3. The 3 sounds like it will slot in nicely with my Arya and Clear MG.

If that amp can drive the Arya, it can drive the 3. The 2 is even easier to drive, but not by a whole lot.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

As the limitation states on the bottom of the sale page:

Limitations: This promotion is only available for the USA and Canada.

This forum has members all over the world and although Audeze is certainly not the only company that does this, we're sick of this.

I have an LCD-3F and LCD-2C which I bought at retail locally. I'm one of your customers and yet I don't count at all, since we disappear behind your distributors.

I would like to point out that Europe exists and so do many other regions in the world. It would be very nice if "global" companies arranged to treat all their customers equally.

 

[chesebert]

Here is some info that should help a bit.



After the 2016 revoicing, the only major difference in sound will be the switch to non-memory foam pads, something that Audeze has done for their headphones across the board. The changes from those pads are fairly minor, mostly just raising the upper mids a bit. If you are looking for lush and warm, the 3 is probably the better choice.

I don’t find the 2022 LCD 3 overly warm or lush. It’s fairly neutral sounding.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I don’t find the 2022 LCD 3 overly warm or lush. It’s fairly neutral sounding.

I agree with this and I would add while it doesn't feel analytical, it has huge resolution and throws tons of detail at the listener.

 

[AcousticMatt]

I own the LCD2s, LCD3s and LCD4s. Thought I'd share my experience here about the "lushness" of the midrange.

I first owned the LCD2s and totally fell in love with the sound. I've tried (and owned) a lot of other headphones at this point and I keep coming back to the Audeze sound. I decided to get the LCD3s because I loved the LCD2s so much. The LCD3s took everything I loved about the LCD3s and then some - I would actually say that they do have a lush (even more than the LCD2 - which I would argue actually has quite a lush midrange) midrange. When people say "lush midrange", I think that can mean different things though. For me, that means not only an openness in the frequency range around 1 and 2 kHz, but a transparency there, so - detail, perhaps. This part of the frequency range and transparency connects me to an emotional part of a singer's voice that I can't explain and that, to me, is what I'd call a lush midrange!

After trying other Audeze and non-Audeze headphones, no other headphones besides the LCD3 does this like they do it! It's beautiful.

EDITED: I'm referencing a 2019 pair of LCD2s and 2022 pair of LCD3s.