[Sonic Guild]

 
I bought the Ether Cs and the Utopia after watching and reading Tyll's reviews, both were returned. The LCD-4s are far from boring. 

Wow dude!
 
Tell me more about your experience with Utopia vs LCD4.
 
Did you buy the LCD4?

 

[Smazz]

 
Wow dude!
 
Tell me more about your experience with Utopia vs LCD4.
 
Did you buy the LCD4?

Bought the LCD-4s. Bought the Utopias early October I think. Tried hard to like them, let alone love them. Thought my set up might be bad synergy with them, they were just on the bright side, which I don't prefer. Thankfully the driver failed and I returned them for a full refund. Shortly after, I started reading others reviews, and I wasn't the only ones that found them to be on the bright side. They are very detailed, very resolving. Not bass light, but the bass isn't on par with the LCD-4s. Soundstage is not very big, and they are on the bright side. They are easy to drive, I heard them out of the Chord Dave at RMAF and it had nice synergy. There was someone who did a very nice write up comparing the Utopia, LCD-4s and the Abyss. He breaks them down pretty well and you can see based on your tastes which might be the best for you. For my money, it's the LCD-4. I no longer look for different headphones, only different amps and DACs to get the most out of my 4s. Love the lush midrange, amazing bass and presence of the LCD-4s. Its got excellent clarity and detail, but the treble is a bit recessed, which is perfect for me, it means hours of listening with no fatigue. No spikes that make you wince. Love my 4s. 

 

[mulder01]

I think Tyll likes a more forward sound and the LCD-4 are more laid back.  It's personal preference.  
I think the LCD4 is veiled next to the Abyss but some prefer the LCD and say that it is more detailed.
Ask 10 different guys get 10 different answers. 
If you actually listened to the Utopia for yourself and didn't like them then it's pretty safe to say you will like the 4's better, right?

 

[Sonic Guild]

Any idea who is sourcing the new cable (black and white) for the Audeze?
The cable looks like the fancy aftermarket cables 

 
I like the approach where they provide high end silver cable 

 

[Toolman]

  I think Tyll likes a more forward sound and the LCD-4 are more laid back.  It's personal preference.  
I think the LCD4 is veiled next to the Abyss but some prefer the LCD and say that it is more detailed.
Ask 10 different guys get 10 different answers. 
If you actually listened to the Utopia for yourself and didn't like them then it's pretty safe to say you will like the 4's better, right?

Exactly...have friends who just loved his LCD-4 but I am having a hard liking it. Yes I cannot find myself liking Audeze's house sound signature thus far but that's just me. Loving my Utopia and HEK but still hoping to own a LCD-4 some days and give it some personal quality time with my own setup.

 

[droopy1592]

Are there any missing details around instruments while listening to the LCD4?
Who has bigger soundstage?

I listen to HD800 S and LCD3F, I need a headphones that sits in the middle (in terms of sound signature). 

It does sit sort of in the middle. More diffuse and slightly smaller soundstage than the hd but more ethereal and more detail and clairity than the 3. The three is more about midrange and musicality and the 4 is more neutral with a bigger soundstage. You can hear all of the same instruments and detail with the 3, they are just more in y0ur face and spread out with the four.

 

[rgs9200m]

I'm not sure if it's just my pair (an original upgraded to the current version, 200 ohm), but my LCD4  has no veil at all, and it is quite lively and clear and balanced from top to bottom, still with fine deep bass.
In fact, I'm looking in the future to a warmish copper cable that will produce calm upper mids and highs and preserve the great bass foundation. I would never call them recessed. My Grado PS1000e is more recessed.
This is with a Hugo TT and also with an EMM xds1 cdp. Amps used are Headamp GSX2 (w/continuous volume control) and Rudistor RP010B[my favorite with the Hugo TT].
 
By the way, I find the  LCD 4 to be a "bigger" sound than the LCD3(F or C that I used to have), meaning bigger, fuller images, bigger space impressions, more nice ambience.
 
I sold the Abyss to get the LCD4. (The Abyss was a little too sharp for me, not bright, just a little more discrete and sharper in image boundaries; the Audeze is more silky, which I prefer, and the Audeze blends things more which is also something I enjoy.)
 
I'm also a big fan of the Senn HD650 with a (wonderful) Toxic silver widow cable, if that gives you a feel for my sonic preferences, just to give you a perspective here. 
That silver widow is a match made in heaven for the 650 by the way.

 

[JohnnyCakes]

i'm 3 weeks since getting both the LCD-4 and Utopia on the same day.  return/keep drop dead date is Nov 19, a week away.
 
the day i got them both, i put the LCD-4 on first.  from the first song, i had a HUGE smile on my face and knew i would be keeping and loving these headphones for the next decade.  the Utopia?  not the same.  was not love at first listen.  knowing the LCD4 would have to be pried from my cold, dead hands, i have spent the bulk of the past 3 weeks listening to the Utopia and trying to break them in.  i HAVE made progress.  i really think the LCD4 and Utopia complement each other very well and i'm enjoy the Utopia a lot.  
 
but the nagging suspicion in the back of my mind is, are they worth the $3,000 more than the Elear (which i have not heard, btw)?  how big a difference could beryllium possibly make?  i have one more week to decide. 
 
in contrast, i've never had a second of buyer's remorse over the LCD4 and its equally insane price tag.  
 
i'll update on what i end up doing with the Utopia's if anyone cares.  

 

[musicman59]

  i'm 3 weeks since getting both the LCD-4 and Utopia on the same day.  return/keep drop dead date is Nov 19, a week away.
 
the day i got them both, i put the LCD-4 on first.  from the first song, i had a HUGE smile on my face and knew i would be keeping and loving these headphones for the next decade.  the Utopia?  not the same.  was not love at first listen.  knowing the LCD4 would have to be pried from my cold, dead hands, i have spent the bulk of the past 3 weeks listening to the Utopia and trying to break them in.  i HAVE made progress.  i really think the LCD4 and Utopia complement each other very well and i'm enjoy the Utopia a lot.  
 
but the nagging suspicion in the back of my mind is, are they worth the $3,000 more than the Elear (which i have not heard, btw)?  how big a difference could beryllium possibly make?  i have one more week to decide. 
 
in contrast, i've never had a second of buyer's remorse over the LCD4 and its equally insane price tag.  
 
i'll update on what i end up doing with the Utopia's if anyone cares.

I bought the Elear first but I also had that nagging suspicion in the back of my mind about how much better the Utopia were..... I was able to get a Utopia as a loan for a week and it took me couple of days to send back the Elear and order the Utopia.
BTW, I had the LCD4 at the same time than the Utopia and they were not my cup of tea. It is really a matter of synergy with the rest of your equipment and your sound preference.

 

[jlbrach]

I have both the LCD-4 and the Utopia and i love them both but somehow I believe the LCD-4's get more use......the 4's have that lush sound that i can listen to for hours ...they have a larger soundstage than the Utopia and the best bass any HP offers IMHO.....I happen to think the Utopia is fantastic as well but it is a completely different listening experience.....much more direct and in your face,more energy and slightly more detailed...smaller soundstage and much more comfortable.....I had the HE1000's and ultimately sold them they were great HP's but not quite in the league of the LCD-4 and the Utopia which are to my ears the 2 best options in the market today!I listen through the Chord Dave and the LCD-4's require my Moon Neo 430 to really sound its best but the Utopia are so efficient that they can be driven by most anything and they sound fantastic directly out of the Dave....the LCD-4 is a power hog,it is by far and away the HP most in need of serious amping of any i have ever owned so that is a consideration...I have the 200Ohm version but i am told the original 100Ohm version is easier to drive and perhaps is still in circulation 

 

[ufospls2]

Well sadly I went to listen to my LCD-4's last night and the right side wasn't producing any sound. I thought the driver might be dead, but I jiggled the XLR connector and it started working. The chrome XLR connector part is coming loose from the wood so I suppose this is what is causing it, not the cable having a loose connection. Thankfully its not a dead driver as it started working after I pushed the connector back into the wood. I was just going to live with the Loose XLR connector, but now it is affecting whether it produces sound or not, I better send them in to be fixed under warranty. Bummer, I haven't had great luck with headphones recently  

 

[Sonic Guild]

  Well sadly I went to listen to my LCD-4's last night and the right side wasn't producing any sound. I thought the driver might be dead, but I jiggled the XLR connector and it started working. The chrome XLR connector part is coming loose from the wood so I suppose this is what is causing it, not the cable having a loose connection. Thankfully its not a dead driver as it started working after I pushed the connector back into the wood. I was just going to live with the Loose XLR connector, but now it is affecting whether it produces sound or not, I better send them in to be fixed under warranty. Bummer, I haven't had great luck with headphones recently  

Sorry to hear about that 

 
What other headphones that have malfunctioned? 

 

[droopy1592]

  I'm not sure if it's just my pair (an original upgraded to the current version, 200 ohm), but my LCD4  has no veil at all, and it is quite lively and clear and balanced from top to bottom, still with fine deep bass.
In fact, I'm looking in the future to a warmish copper cable that will produce calm upper mids and highs and preserve the great bass foundation. I would never call them recessed. My Grado PS1000e is more recessed.
This is with a Hugo TT and also with an EMM xds1 cdp. Amps used are Headamp GSX2 (w/continuous volume control) and Rudistor RP010B[my favorite with the Hugo TT].
 
By the way, I find the  LCD 4 to be a "bigger" sound than the LCD3(F or C that I used to have), meaning bigger, fuller images, bigger space impressions, more nice ambience.
 
I sold the Abyss to get the LCD4. (The Abyss was a little too sharp for me, not bright, just a little more discrete and sharper in image boundaries; the Audeze is more silky, which I prefer, and the Audeze blends things more which is also something I enjoy.)
 
I'm also a big fan of the Senn HD650 with a (wonderful) Toxic silver widow cable, if that gives you a feel for my sonic preferences, just to give you a perspective here. 
That silver widow is a match made in heaven for the 650 by the way.

If I was to compare both 2016 LCD3f to LCD4 soundstage size the 3 would be musical but the size of a 2 foot ball around your head and the LCD4 is one of those huge yoga 4 foot stretching balls around your head. The soundstage is vastly better with the 4 and that's no hyperbole. As far as a fuller sound I actually think the 3f just has that bit of a thicker, fuller sound than the 4 by just a bit

 

[ufospls2]

 
Sorry to hear about that 

 
What other headphones that have malfunctioned? 

My Abyss's right side driver had somehow been punctured/tampered with before I owned them (I have no idea how,) and it eventually died. I sent them in to be repaired/have the driver replaced and all is well in Abyss land now. Its just bad luck that my LCD-4's have started to have trouble a week after. Thankfully I have my HD800S, so I'm never likely to be headphone-less. I usually use my HD800S during the day, and enjoy my LCD-4's at night, but I guess I'll be a full time HD800S man for a little while. Hardly a penance 

 

[Sonic Guild]

  My Abyss's right side driver had somehow been punctured/tampered with before I owned them (I have no idea how,) and it eventually died. I sent them in to be repaired/have the driver replaced and all is well in Abyss land now. Its just bad luck that my LCD-4's have started to have trouble a week after. Thankfully I have my HD800S, so I'm never likely to be headphone-less. I usually use my HD800S during the day, and enjoy my LCD-4's at night, but I guess I'll be a full time HD800S man for a little while. Hardly a penance 

There is a guy on this thread, who had to return his Utopia due to a driver failure!
Hopefully it makes you feel better