[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

loving the LCD-3 right about now...
listening to Fat Bottomed Girls.
i mean, who doesn't like that song, right?  

 
my only beef with the LCD-2 and 3 is that for some reason the lambskin ear pads attract tiny bits of skin and oil, and those gradually get trapped in the tiny creases of the ear pad.
i use Murphy's Oil Soap and a soft cloth, and clean them up every couple weeks...  
i don't know if it's my imagination, but they seem to need cleaning more often and more often...
 
and, no, please don't mention the vegan pads.  those things are hideous.  

 
but, to finish on a bright note, my current rig feels like "game over" for me.  for headphones audio at least.
 
jriver/jplay --> vaunix usb hub --> Silnote Audio silver USB cable --> Audiophilleo2 with PurePower --> WireWorld Gold Starlight 6 digital cable --> Human Audio Muto DAC --> Wireworld Gold Eclipse 6 RCA cables --> Apex Peak/Volcano (Sylvania 6SN7GTB currently) --> headphones (HD800, LCD-3, HE-500, etc.)
 
i list every component because i have come to feel very strongly that every single component is of at least some importance.
to achieve the kind of 3D holographic sound that is smooth, effortless yet dynamic and lifelike...
it's just like "wow'.
 
i described it to a friend as "driving a stolen lamborghini with Scarlett Johansen in the passenger seat, and cops on your tail."
it's a ride...

 
LCD-3s + Queen = 

 

[Elrondo]

I've had the LCD-3 for about three weeks now. Overall I must say I really like this headphone. It has a very natural and free from sibilance rendition of the human voice, the midrange otherwise is sweet, dark, and liquid. Very smooth midrange.  Small groups of instruments or individual instruments are portrayed with great detail and warmth. This includes genres such as rock, folk, electronica, jazz, and small scale classical groups. Dynamics, bass response and small scale performance clarity, and the ability to convey power are extremely impressive. However, with orchestral music involving large groups of instruments playing simultaneously, or with large choral groups, these headphones tend to lose their focus. They  sound somewhat congested and lack clarity or space when the music has many simultaneous performers. It's as if the drivers can only focus on a few things going on at once for some inexplicable reason.
So this headphone, with small scale ensembles, including very powerful rock/electronic and also delicate /jazz/classical groups, does incredibly well assuming a good recording. But this level of performance (for me at least) does not extend to large classical complex choral or orchestral music.
 

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

I've had the LCD-3 for about three weeks now. Overall I must say I really like this headphone. It has a very natural and free from sibilance rendition of the human voice, the midrange otherwise is sweet, dark, and liquid. Very smooth midrange.  Small groups of instruments or individual instruments are portrayed with great detail and warmth. This includes genres such as rock, folk, electronica, jazz, and small scale classical groups. Dynamics, bass response and small scale performance clarity, and the ability to convey power are extremely impressive. However, with orchestral music involving large groups of instruments playing simultaneously, or with large choral groups, these headphones tend to lose their focus. They  sound somewhat congested and lack clarity or space when the music has many simultaneous performers. It's as if the drivers can only focus on a few things going on at once for some inexplicable reason.
So this headphone, with small scale ensembles, including very powerful rock/electronic and also delicate /jazz/classical groups, does incredibly well assuming a good recording. But this level of performance (for me at least) does not extend to large classical complex choral or orchestral music.
 

That would also depend on your upstream rig (amp/dac/source). What are you running them with?

 

[Elrondo]

Running them with an Oppo 95/Dark Star. BTW I have Orion 4 full range speakers and Sound Lab Electrostats which show no congestion on the same symphonic recordings, so I know the recordings themselves are not poor. They are driven by Oppo 95 with Adcom electronics, which should probably be a notch below the Dark Star in quality. I know it's not quite fair to compare full range speakers to headphones, but at least it shows me what's possible to retrieve from the disc.  In all fairness, I should mention that as far as power, bass extension, and liquid midrange on small ensembles,especially with rock & roll  and jazz music,  I tend to prefer the sound of the Oppo/Darkstar/LCD3 combo. The Darkstar/LCD 3 combo has such amazing punch and power. Very, very nice!

 

[shuke]

Good info, thanks.

 

[Girls Generation]

Received LCD3 in the mail today. Subscribed.
 
 

 

[DarknightDK]

Welcome to the club

 

[Elrondo]

Well, what can I say...I think my brain has adjusted to the sound of the LCD-3's, or maybe they have just broken in to a point, but the massed strings I could not hear well before on the LCD-3 are suddenly appearing! All amidst the sweet dark liquid sound of these phones! I am comparing listening to classical symphonic recordings using the LCD-3 with my HiFiMan HE-6, both on the Dark Star amp. They are both heaven to listen to, but I must say, I think I'm preferring that liquid dark sound of the LCD-3. What a great, great phone this is turning out to be!
 

 

[Bwaz]

I just received my LCD-3's today!  I figured I wouldn't be able to listen to them, as my Schiit Lyr was in CA as of yesterday morning, but when I checked my mail today, there it was...very nice.  I still don't have a DAC yet, so I'm just listening from my Macbook Pro to the Lyr and then the LCD-3's.  I've got a dragonfly usb DAC coming in tomorrow, so we'll see if that changes things. 
 
Initial thoughts: Well, they sound very nice, but not $2000 nice.  Coming from 2-channel speaker systems, I know I've got some time to break these in, etc. 
 
Damn are these pretty!  I'd post photos, but for whatever reason, I don't have permission.

 

[Uncle00Jesse]

Quote:

Well, what can I say...I think my brain has adjusted to the sound of the LCD-3's, or maybe they have just broken in to a point, but the massed strings I could not hear well before on the LCD-3 are suddenly appearing! All amidst the sweet dark liquid sound of these phones! I am comparing listening to classical symphonic recordings using the LCD-3 with my HiFiMan HE-6, both on the Dark Star amp. They are both heaven to listen to, but I must say, I think I'm preferring that liquid dark sound of the LCD-3. What a great, great phone this is turning out to be!
 

I'm noticing the same thing on my new pair as well. Out of the box they were uninspiring. A lot of burn-in has changed the sound dramatically. They really need some time to open up in my opinion. 

 

[TheWuss]

great news, guys!!  glad the LCD-3s are opening up for you!!  

 

[Saraguie]

Mine seem to be getting better and better. Maybe there is 'burn-in'  Whatever it is, these are great. Next week I get my hot set-up amp/dac, can't wait!!!!!

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

I just received my LCD-3's today!  I figured I wouldn't be able to listen to them, as my Schiit Lyr was in CA as of yesterday morning, but when I checked my mail today, there it was...very nice.  I still don't have a DAC yet, so I'm just listening from my Macbook Pro to the Lyr and then the LCD-3's.  I've got a dragonfly usb DAC coming in tomorrow, so we'll see if that changes things. 
 
Initial thoughts: Well, they sound very nice, but not $2000 nice.  Coming from 2-channel speaker systems, I know I've got some time to break these in, etc. 
 
Damn are these pretty!  I'd post photos, but for whatever reason, I don't have permission.

Sorry, but the Lyr was pretty far from being a great amp with the LCD-3s. With top notch cans like the LCD-3s or HD800s, it's about the entire setup...Source - DAC - AMP and headphones. Really revealing headphones like these will only reveal what "issues" you have upstream. Thankfully when I owned my Lyr, I still had my WA22 in house and could really hear what the LCD-3s were capable of (my DAC at the time was the fantastic Cary XCiter DAC). I've since "upgraded" my gear and the LCD-3s (and HD800s for that matter) have followed me on that journey by sounding better and better.
 
As well, I'd recommend giving them about a 100 hours or so too. Congrats on the LCD-3s. Next to the much more expensive SR-009s, they are the best headphones I've ever heard!

 

[takezo]

Quote:

Well, what can I say...I think my brain has adjusted to the sound of the LCD-3's, or maybe they have just broken in to a point, but the massed strings I could not hear well before on the LCD-3 are suddenly appearing! All amidst the sweet dark liquid sound of these phones! I am comparing listening to classical symphonic recordings using the LCD-3 with my HiFiMan HE-6, both on the Dark Star amp. They are both heaven to listen to, but I must say, I think I'm preferring that liquid dark sound of the LCD-3. What a great, great phone this is turning out to be!
 

 


shostakovich, stravinsky, brahms and mahler has never sounded as amazing as on the lcd3 unit that i currently possess,
and i've owned the he6, hd800 and auditioned a bass-lite r10 for two weeks in the past. the r10 and hd800 certainly
presented a larger soundstage and better imaging characteristics but both failed to transfer the tactile solidity of the
cello/kontrabass present in these symphonic works in a concert setting. the lcd3 also presents schnittke's piano/cello
sonatas and the gogol suite better to me than the other aforementioned cans due to that tactile timbre present.

 

[Saraguie]

Quote:

Sorry, but the Lyr was pretty far from being a great amp with the LCD-3s. With top notch cans like the LCD-3s or HD800s, it's about the entire setup...Source - DAC - AMP and headphones. Really revealing headphones like these will only reveal what "issues" you have upstream. Thankfully when I owned my Lyr, I still had my WA22 in house and could really hear what the LCD-3s were capable of (my DAC at the time was the fantastic Cary XCiter DAC). I've since "upgraded" my gear and the LCD-3s (and HD800s for that matter) have followed me on that journey by sounding better and better.
 
As well, I'd recommend giving them about a 100 hours or so too. Congrats on the LCD-3s. Next to the much more expensive SR-009s, they are the best headphones I've ever heard!

Would you please share what is your current gear to the LCD3s?