[prismstorm]

   
Actually I own both LCD-3F and LCD-X.  For a personal reason maybe, I refer the LCD-3 for everyday listening.  LCD-X seems to be a little bit "grainy" to me compare to the LCD-3; also the sound is a bit less smooth/silky to the 3.  Though, LCD-X is much easier to drive than the 3.  The differences between the LCD-X to 3 are much less than from 3 to 4.

Always wanted to get an Audeze but could never decide between the 3 and X given the small price difference. To my ears the X had way more forward vocals, was more neutral and clean and had faster bass. The 3's vocals by comparison was much more laid-back, maybe a tad more organic overall. Still can't choose up to this day, and now that the 4 has entered the picture the decision will be that much harder -_- 

 

[CrocCap]

deleted

 

[Exidrion]

.the Source AV show.  I also think of the lcd4 as an improved lcd3, more detailed, better separation of instruments.  The 4 has more treble presence, but still slightly rolled off from neutral.
I thought the new headband was more comfortable than previous audeze models.
Still too expensive though.

The headband is not worth it ($150)? Or the headphone? Or both?

 

[NZtechfreak]

The headband is not worth it ($150)? Or the headphone? Or both?

C'mon man, I know we're a little jumped up about the asking price here, but the LCD-4 is almost certainly worth at least $150.

 

[Exidrion]

C'mon man, I know we're a little jumped up about the asking price here, but the LCD-4 is almost certainly worth at least $150.

Haha, agreed. i put that there in case he wasn't sure how much the headband was. Just asking if he found the increased comfort worth $150 for a headband

 

[mynameisdan]

I'm kind of torn. I have the LCD-3F and had the LCD-2.2 before that. They've been outstanding headphones to own, and the LCD-3's are probably my go-to for everyday listening. An improvement across much of the board from the LCD-3 sounds like something that I would have a hard time NOT throwing money at.
 
But the LCD-4's pricing just seems legitimately off to me as a consumer who has owned two of their headphones and strongly considered the LCD-X in addition to their cans that I already owned. I haven't heard them, but the buzz isn't so intense right now that would lead me to believe that they'd be worth a $4,000 investment. Additionally, their mid-tier offerings have been met with a healthy pile of meh, so I'm not as high on the brand as a whole as I might have been a year ago.
 
Either way, I can't see the LCD-4's on my want list unless there's a significant promotion that pushes the price down from the stratosphere. For their retail price, I could buy a top-tier electrostatic amp and sell my current headphones to pay for some SR-009's, which are priced at historic lows right now. For that price, I could buy a gently used HE-1000 and an Eddie Current Black Widow. For that price, I could almost buy two GoldenEars Triton Ones.
 
I just can't understand that price when the competition among summit-fi has really heated up the last few months.

 

[Articnoise]

its like video game designers opting to keep proving framerate instead of getting a stable, high fps

 

Probably a waste of time but I will try anyway.

 

Why is your loudspeakers so expansive, so heavy and demand such a big amp was some of the repeated questions Jim Thiel got in the 90s. Not that strange because many other manufacturers obviously could make them both cheaper, lighter and less power demanding. Jim and his colleagues made a real effort to explain the importance of a sturdy and dead cabinet/baffle and to use good voice cone with large powerful double magnets etc etc. Still many was skeptical to this as it sounded just like marketing BS.

 

Thiel then made some speakers that was cut in half to really show how their speakers was constructed inside and invited others to do the same. They also had some unmounted 10’ bass tweeter, which weight 20 pound, so you could really see and fell how big end heavy the magnets actually was (and to compare them to other manufactures tweeter). The magnets was actually wider than the voice cone, lol. Those speakers and tweets was on tour for many years and in many hifi shops and audio shows.

 

This was obviously one manufacture that was marketing their product, but at the same time they also showed and explained some for them important design stuff. Like why their speaker was expensive to make, weight so much and so on. If you personally buying in to their design goals or the importance of such a big and powerful magnets on the tweeter, very thick baffle etc is another story.

 

http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/492thiel/#7f8Vk7fevWFVUdE4.97

 

http://membrane.com/wwnew/showroom/home/thiel/cs6.html

 

[CrocCap]

deleted

 

[groovyd]

Looks like I won't be able to remove that gaudy logo on the sides of the headband?  Maybe swap out the plastic piece with an old one?

 

[potkettleblack]

  Looks like I won't be able to remove that gaudy logo on the sides of the headband?  Maybe swap out the plastic piece with an old one?

Horrendous isn't it.

 

[RMSKFX]

Well I'd like to know what you think is an investment. I always thought that it would hold it's value at least and at best return to you something extra. Guess my definition of an investment and a tool or toy are outdated.

 

[groovyd]

  Well I'd like to know what you think is an investment. I always thought that it would hold it's value at least and at best return to you something extra. Guess my definition of an investment and a tool or toy are outdated.

the only investments i have are aapl and tsla stocks  i doubt i will ever see any of what i spent on headphones back. they will continue to forever get better and better and no one will want the old stuff ever.

 

[Middy]

I could suggest lending them me, £10 a month return...
Audeze's future maybe classed as an investment.. I do love the look. Is it chromed grill or polished metal.

And thanks for the impressions, as always.

 

[rgs9200m]

The A-T W3000ANV appreciated nicely (> 30%) if you bought them new. I suspect a BHSE amp will do the same when production stops. And if Stax ever goes away (perish the thought)... 
[Or if Spritzer stops crafting KGSS-family amps...] There are no readily available substitutes for these things.
[Edit: not to mention the R10, but that's too obvious and is basically an outlier.]

 

[DivergeUnify]

 



Probably a waste of time but I will try anyway.



 



Why is your loudspeakers so expansive, so heavy and demand such a big amp was some of the repeated questions Jim Thiel got in the 90s. Not that strange because many other manufacturers obviously could make them both cheaper, lighter and less power demanding. Jim and his colleagues made a real effort to explain the importance of a sturdy and dead cabinet/baffle and to use good voice cone with large powerful double magnets etc etc. Still many was skeptical to this as it sounded just like marketing BS.



 



Thiel then made some speakers that was cut in half to really show how their speakers was constructed inside and invited others to do the same. They also had some unmounted 10’ bass tweeter, which weight 20 pound, so you could really see and fell how big end heavy the magnets actually was (and to compare them to other manufactures tweeter). The magnets was actually wider than the voice cone, lol. Those speakers and tweets was on tour for many years and in many hifi shops and audio shows.



 



This was obviously one manufacture that was marketing their product, but at the same time they also showed and explained some for them important design stuff. Like why their speaker was expensive to make, weight so much and so on. If you personally buying in to their design goals or the importance of such a big and powerful magnets on the tweeter, very thick baffle etc is another story.



 



http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/492thiel/#7f8Vk7fevWFVUdE4.97



 



http://membrane.com/wwnew/showroom/home/thiel/cs6.html

Look the LCD2F is my main set of headphones. Personally the weight doesn't bother me much at all. I don't think the LCD4s would bother me too much either. HOWEVER, what you're describing is for stationary loudspeakers, not being supported by your neck. Speaker weight complicates transportation, but it doesn't matter once it's in place. The weight of headphones have much greater impact on the listening experience than the weight of speakers