[yc1204]

  I'm going to give the Taurus and LCD-4 a go in a few hours. Lets see how it goes!

 
Please post your impression here~~

 

[yc1204]

Update 2: I changed the V281 gain setting from +12db back to 0db. The high gain did gave me some WOW factor but after long term listening i found the sound is a bit harsh and too strong on bass. Sometimes the instructmental sounds too loud to my ear.
 
The original gain setting at 0db sounds best and most natural. I think i will stick with original setting. 

 

[draytonklammer]

Your post made me decide to compare low and high gain on my Moon Neo 430HAD.
 
 
At what I found to be about the same volume for each gain setting I found that low gain seemed to sound the best. Sounds the most clear to me.

 

[mulder01]

Hey all - A few quick questions:
Has anyone had to return their 200 ohm version yet?
Also I noticed that on the website it comes with only a single ended cable now? Is that correct?
And can you still customise your build? I don't see any option for that on the website either. I think the LCD-X is their best looking can - Ideally I'd want a pair that had LCD-4 drivers but look like an X. Don't really like the idea of the wood potentially splitting/ lacquer getting scratched or having to wipe fingerprints off the shiny grill... also think that the carbon fibre looks a bit tacky...

 

[draytonklammer]

My 200ohm is going strong and only seems to sound better and better.
Letting it burn naturally.
 
If you buy from them you have the choice of SE or balanced.
 
No you may not customize it.

 

[Torq]

Hey all - A few quick questions:
Has anyone had to return their 200 ohm version yet?
Also I noticed that on the website it comes with only a single ended cable now? Is that correct?
And can you still customise your build? I don't see any option for that on the website either. I think the LCD-X is their best looking can - Ideally I'd want a pair that had LCD-4 drivers but look like an X. Don't really like the idea of the wood potentially splitting/ lacquer getting scratched or having to wipe fingerprints off the shiny grill... also think that the carbon fibre looks a bit tacky...

I've not read about any confirmed failures of the 200 ohm version (which is what I have).
 
The default package comes with a single ended cable.  I bought my LCD-4 from a local dealer; it came with the single-ended cable - a quick call to Tony at Audeze (choose "Sales" on the phone tree/menu) had him shipping me a balanced version of the same cable, in advance, for free.  All I had to do was return my single-ended cable once the balanced one arrived.  So you'll pay ground, insured, signature-required shipping to get the cable swapped (about $20 for most of the US).  If you order directly from Audeze, by phone, you can ask for the balanced cable up front.
 
I don't believe there are options for the wood in the U.S. at the moment.  Not even sure what wood is on my pair ... I'm assuming Macassar Ebony, but I don't know.  They're gorgeous regardless.
 
I've been an Audeze owner since 2012 and haven't had any issues with the wood or lacquer.  With the LCD-4, the grill is a bright chrome finish ... if you touch it you'll get fingerprints.  No real way to avoid that other than using a matte, oleophobic, finish.  A wipe with your sleeve, or the included cotton gloves (saves me digging out my others when fussing with tube rolling) fixes that right up.
 
The carbon fibre band is a matter of taste.  Looks wise I quite like it.  Physically, if you pick up the headphones by their band then they'll flop all-over ... where as the previous generations the drivers would stay in place.  It's a small, aesthetic and functionally unimportant matter, but it surprised me at first.  It does improve comfort ... and that's saying something as I never had an issue with the LCD-2.2c comfort-wise.

 

[Torq]

After an evening of listening to nothing but the LCD-4 ... I'm finding that I really rather like them when there's not too much going on in a recording.
 
As things get busier, and more intense, I'm still leaning towards the Abyss or HD800S to let me tease things apart.
 
But ... damn ... when they gel with what I'm listening to, the LCD-4 are ever-so musical ...

 

[jlbrach]

I used to listen to my Moon 430 at low gain with my LCD-4's but recently i have been using them on high gain and i think they sound better....the 4's need more power than any of my other cans....I was able to get by on medium gain on my Rag but with the 430 i find high gain to be the way to go

 

[draytonklammer]

I'll keep testing, but unless high gain increases the power per channel (which I don't believe it does?) then technically low gain is superior.

 

[jlbrach]

FWIIW my LCD-4s the 200 version came with both SE and balanced cables and i must say i am quite pleased with the cables,no need thus far for 3rd party cables

 

[isquirrel]

  Listening to Torq's 4s vs. the Abyss, they are both no doubt in the exotic category - above TOTL, and my favorite HPs so far easily beating the 009/007 for my tastes and listening preferences. Between them, 4 still sits on top for me as more engaging. The Abyss had me giddy and quickly running through songs looking for fun parts to hear how it sounds. The 4 had me engaged in the music wanting to hear the whole song while tapping my foot and sometimes bringing a tear to my eye. So while tthe Abyss I would consider technically better, but I would rather listen to the 4. 
 
However, it felt like the 4 had an arm and a leg tied behind its back in the comparison. October 2015 RMAF, I had the same chance to hear the 4 and the Abyss back to back and felt the same in preference, but it was the holographic 3D sound stage that wowed me most with the 100 impedance version I heard. The new 200 impedance had the same improved sweat Audeze sound signature, but  is missing the holographic sound stage. Hopefully this is something that will change as it burns in, but definitely a difference between the two. Or is it my imagination being so long ago and from memory to compare. Or it could be the amp - Abyss/WA22 vs. 4/King.
 
The new 200 ohm version felt very 2d compared to the holographic 3d that I remembered with the 100ohm version. Not sure if it was narrower than the 100 ohm version, but it felt like it without the 3d perspective. They both sound great, but the 100ohm version made it feel like you would walk around inside the sound stage and look behind the band members and walk between. The 200ohm version felt the same as the 2/3/X, nice, but 2d in comparison.
 
To be clear, the 200ohm 4 sounded great and is my favorite between the Abyss/4/009/HEK/etc, but it makes me want to hear the 100ohm version again to see if it was just my imagination.

Thanks for the informative post. I have just had a chance this week to hear a 200 ohm version with some hours on it, not as many as I would have liked but enough. I agree with your findings. I am so happy I didn't change mine over for the new version. I also used my DHC TOTL Silver Spore 4 cables to see if that would help, unfortunately not.
 
I also have the Abyss and I am trying to use it more over this long weekend. Boy it takes some time to get used the fit, however 99% of the time I find myself picking up the LCD-4's.

 

[Rico613]

  FWIIW my LCD-4s the 200 version came with both SE and balanced cables and i must say i am quite pleased with the cables,no need thus far for 3rd party cables

In my testing the stock cable was excellent.  Subtle improvement over the Silver Dragon V3.

 

[isquirrel]

 
In my testing the stock cable was excellent.  Subtle improvement over the Silver Dragon V3.

Same, the stock cable is excellent value. You have to spend a lot more to get a worthwhile lift in performance. I wish Audeze had given us the choice of stock and or a couple of grades up. Wishful thinking. I believe DHC had something to do with the design of the stock cable. My information could be incorrect but thats what I am hearing.

 

[Rico613]

 

 
In my testing the stock cable was excellent.  Subtle improvement over the Silver Dragon V3.

Same, the stock cable is excellent value. You have to spend a lot more to get a worthwhile lift in performance. I wish Audeze had given us the choice of stock and or a couple of grades up. Wishful thinking. I believe DHC had something to do with the design of the stock cable. My information could be incorrect but thats what I am hearing.

I'm guessing the stock cables are silver over copper ?  The Silver Dragon is stranded silver.  Solid OCC silver would be the ultimate but very $$$  I've been intending to DIY some solid silver cables one of these days . . .

 

 

[draytonklammer]

1. Cryogenically treated multi-strand high-purity OCC Mono Crystal copper 
2. 4 x 24 AWG conductors plus shield with low capacitance, low impedance and low inductance 
3. Flexible and tangle-resistant
4. Non-microphonic jacket
5. Length: 8 feet (2.4 m) with a 12-inch left-right split
6. Weight: 140 g

1. ¼ inch gold-plated TRS stereo plug for input signal
2. Gold-plated latching four-pin mini-XLR connectors, L and R

1. Dielectric strength:  600V AC
2. Resistance: 25 milliohms per foot
3. Capacitance: 10 picofarads per foot
4. Inductance: 0.4 microhenrys per foot