[milarepa]

They were not perceived as issues until I tried the LCD-3s, side by side with the LCD-2s. That was at King Audio, a Headphone store in Hong Kong last weekend. The source was a highend Marantz SACD player and amp was a Vioelectric V200. That V200 was a very sweet sounding piece. Very tube like in all the best ways.


First thing I noticed, was that the LCD-3 were quite a bit more comfortable. The thicker, plusher leather earpads were very comfy and the headband fit my head better.


Listening to the LCD-2s first, I could tell the sonic signature was similar to my own. Then on first listen to the LCD-3s, there was just less grain, more soundstage, clarity, high frequency detail, and just plain balanced and more natural sounds coming from the LCD-3s. With only 30 seconds head time, I wanted the LCD-3s


After buying a pair of LCD-3s from ALO Audio when I returned home, I can't get the new headphones off my head. Something I could not say about my LCD-2s. Could only listen to those for a few hours before listener fatigue set in.


How substantial are the differences? I'd say evolutionary, not revolutionary. They still sound like Audeze headphones, but with more refinement in areas I value. The LCD-3 is a better fit to my audio priorities, where the LCD-2s were very good, but did not rise up to end game potential for me.

 
I can't get the new headphones off my head: and it start to be a troube with my ears. 1 month now I'm listening 3-4 hours EVERY EVENING!!! And my ears start to say STOP! So I decide to stop for 1 week... be carrefull with that. Last month I stopped smoking, this month I stop LCD 3, hard time on me...

 

I think if you smoke more, the blood gets thicker and protects your ears better! This works for me, and should it get too thick, I simply thin it out by drinking beer. This further adds to the great sq!

 

[czqdtc]

Recently, I found a very interesting aspect of this headphone, and that is the sound difference between different individual models of LCD3s. I have recently auditioned 2 brand new pairs of these and they sound like 2 totally different phones, with one being much more laid back, smooth and transparent while the other being more offensive on the mid-high range and more fatiguing. I've compared the graphs of the 2 headphones and found very slight differences. I called Audeze and got confirmed that both of them have gone through the inspection and are within acceptable diversity range.
That being said, among thousands of LCD3 owners on this forum, we might be hearing completely different sound out of these : ) BTW, the margin of difference, to me, is quite big.

 

[Argo Duck]

^ it's hifi's 'dirty' (well not really) little secret, aka product variation. We're in a hobby, not talking laboratory-grade scientific or medical instrumentation which, btw, has to be constantly re-calibrated.

You're not the first to notice and describe these differences, and you're quite right that when we agree and disagree about aspects of the same gear, this gear may sound quite different anyway. Renders much of our squabbling moot, though entertaining.

Take a look at Purrin's CSD thread on head-fi for some interesting measured differences he found between different pairs of the same phones, and Tyll's CSD work at InnerFidelity.

 

[RubyTiger]

I did not like mine at all the first day I began listening. They were very cold and sterile like a HD Black and White movie. No high's to speak of but the bass had some definition. I quit trying to listen and pumped music through them for a couple day's. They sound much better now but I was wondering if everyone went through this?
 
(The culprit for lack of high's turned out to be the 24Bit/96khz upsampling of my cd player. Though I feel they may be rolled off a bit there's nothing wrong with the 3's high's.)

 

[Devarika Woulf]

Quote:

They were not perceived as issues until I tried the LCD-3s, side by side with the LCD-2s. That was at King Audio, a Headphone store in Hong Kong last weekend. The source was a highend Marantz SACD player and amp was a Vioelectric V200. That V200 was a very sweet sounding piece. Very tube like in all the best ways.

 
So you liked the V200 and LCD-3 together? I heard they were not an ideal pair. If so, gives me a little help should I try an LCD-3.

 

[cired]

Quote:

 
So you liked the V200 and LCD-3 together? I heard they were not an ideal pair. If so, gives me a little help should I try an LCD-3.

When I had the V200 (with a V800 for a source) I liked the LCD-2 rev 2 better than the LCD-3's. I was kind of disappointed I sold the LCD-2's before making the conclusion. Just didn't seem as lively and I had the LCD-3's checked out for veil. The LCD-3's were more comfortable I gotta give them that.... Just my opinion.

 

[czqdtc]

Quote:

I did not like mine at all the first day I began listening. They were very cold and sterile like a HD Black and White movie. No high's to speak of but the bass had some definition. I quit trying to listen and pumped music through them for a couple day's. They sound much better now but I was wondering if everyone went through this?

I love my current one from day one, the other one I returned? mehh, not so much from the beginning.

 

[preproman]

I wonder if the "veiled" version of the LCD-3 sound more like the LCD-2?  When I had the LCD-2.2 and the LCD-3 side by side. The LCD-3 would just breath better, had lots more air in comparison, more lively and more sparkle in the treble.
 
LCD-2.2 got sold in two days..

 

[vmullot]

Quote:

I think if you smoke more, the blood gets thicker and protects your ears better! This works for me, and should it get too thick, I simply thin it out by drinking beer. This further adds to the great sq!

Totally agree, and that's exactly what I did yesterday evening after writting the post! Poor of me...

 

 

[milarepa]

I think if you smoke more, the blood gets thicker and protects your ears better! This works for me, and should it get too thick, I simply thin it out by drinking beer. This further adds to the great sq!

Totally agree, and that's exactly what I did yesterday evening after writting the post! Poor of me...

 

Don't be sad, being able to enjoy is a gift that many wish for.

 

[Operakid]

Loved mine from day one also.  If you have a lot of experience with audio systems you can pick apart anything's deviation from "perfection", yes, even the big Stax.  It becomes more about what reminds on of music, not about what has no flaw.  
 
This forum and reviews often talk about tonal differences: laid back or forward mids; too much or too little highs; bass slam or not; deep bass or not.  That's all fine and dandy, but lack of grain and just plain old low distortion sound do not get a lot of play, and this is what my LCD-3 do for me.  Going back and forth with various big name phones, all the detail is there.  But they are low distortion, so nothing jumps out.  When I listen to voice, including operatic voices which are very difficult (tenors and sopranos) I hear great purity of voice, yet lots of transparency.  Same for horns.  True colers come through in an unforced way.  

 

[DonaldLL]

Quote:

I wonder if the "veiled" version of the LCD-3 sound more like the LCD-2?  When I had the LCD-2.2 and the LCD-3 side by side. The LCD-3 would just breath better, had lots more air in comparison, more lively and more sparkle in the treble.
 
LCD-2.2 got sold in two days..

 
^^ +1 ^^
 
it took a couple of days for my 3s to burn in then there was no looking back. 

 

[vmullot]

Quote:

Loved mine from day one also.  If you have a lot of experience with audio systems you can pick apart anything's deviation from "perfection", yes, even the big Stax.  It becomes more about what reminds on of music, not about what has no flaw.  
 
This forum and reviews often talk about tonal differences: laid back or forward mids; too much or too little highs; bass slam or not; deep bass or not.  That's all fine and dandy, but lack of grain and just plain old low distortion sound do not get a lot of play, and this is what my LCD-3 do for me.  Going back and forth with various big name phones, all the detail is there.  But they are low distortion, so nothing jumps out.  When I listen to voice, including operatic voices which are very difficult (tenors and sopranos) I hear great purity of voice, yet lots of transparency.  Same for horns.  True colers come through in an unforced way.  

 

 


These are great headphones because they are able to render superb music with Heavy metal as well as Opera and many more. But Opera voices and in general classical music are FANTASTIC, I'm not a big fan but start to be one, thanks to LCD3!

 

[Operakid]

Quote:

 

 


These are great headphones because they are able to render superb music with Heavy metal as well as Opera and many more. But Opera voices and in general classical music are FANTASTIC, I'm not a big fan but start to be one, thanks to LCD3!

 
Yes, they are fantastic for opera voices.  Congratulations that you are becoming a fan of another type of music.  This always opens up the mind and spirit, and gives yet another source of pleasure.  For me, this is what the equipment is supposed to do: cause you to enjoy the art.  So frequently the equipment becomes the focus.  I find myself enjoying things much more when it is about the music and not the equipment.  And I see this with many of my clients when they gravitate (or I shove them) toward more natural, realistic equipment (as opposed to hyper detailed and "forced" equipment.  
 
If you are starting to enjoy opera and classical you are likely to get "grabbed" by them at some point.  With both, if there is enough interest to explore a bit, and get used to a few favorite pieces, it will lead to needing to hear more and more.  

 

[milarepa]

Quote:

Yes, they are fantastic for opera voices.  Congratulations that you are becoming a fan of another type of music.  This always opens up the mind and spirit, and gives yet another source of pleasure.  For me, this is what the equipment is supposed to do: cause you to enjoy the art.  So frequently the equipment becomes the focus.  I find myself enjoying things much more when it is about the music and not the equipment.  And I see this with many of my clients when they gravitate (or I shove them) toward more natural, realistic equipment (as opposed to hyper detailed and "forced" equipment.  
 
If you are starting to enjoy opera and classical you are likely to get "grabbed" by them at some point.  With both, if there is enough interest to explore a bit, and get used to a few favorite pieces, it will lead to needing to hear more and more.  

This has happened to me in a big way after getting proper gear, and new sources of pleasure in enjoying art art certainly are one of the things that enriches life. The LCD-3 seems to handle such a variety of music so well it is hard to let them rest.