[jibzilla]

  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.]

 
It depends on the popularity as much as the performance though imo. For instance Apex (Pete Millet) amps are as rare as you will get. Just an estimated 50 wheatfields and only 40 peak/volcano's.  Still took me a while to sell my wheatfield ha-2 and I have had my peak/volcano for sale for a long time now and no takers. Half price

.
 
R10's, KGSS, BHSE, Mjolnir, W3000anv., Orpheus etc. have rarity as well as popularity going for them. Trust me when I tell you Apex amps are every bit as good as performers as the pieces of kit you mentioned. Just not popular for whatever reason. Flooded marketplace imo.

 

[RMSKFX]

Thiel's were ok I went thru the factory 20+ years ago only about 80 miles from here...were not impressed with the overall sound. I have some original Dunlavy 6s more like the music I play. Dunlavy is no longer in business, I guess Thiel is.

 

[Dithyrambes]

So I went to stereo exchange to try the lcd4. I think it is much too heavy and dark sounding to justify the 4k price tag. I tested it side to side with the he560, he1000, hd800. Also in the headphone lounge was another head-fier who owns the lcd3 and my friend who is a professional pianist. I am a profession cellist. We swapped around back and forth using a chord Hugo TT and a McIntosh MHA 100. The other gentleman said while it was an improvement over lcd3, the improvement was not enough to justify the price. He and i both agreed the he1000 driven out of the mcintosh was superior in everyway. I can say compared to all the other headphones, the soundstage was much smaller, and the headband was too tight along with it putting strain on my neck even from short listening periods. For pop music, edm the impactful bass is nice but for classical and jazz (which was the majority of the listening), it sounded too unnatural, dark and the soundstage was smaller than the rest of the headphones. It is in the top class of headphones for sure but for the price tag of 4k, everything should be perfect. Hope that gives an impression of the lcd4

 

[potkettleblack]

After all the comments, all the posts, all the emails.. and after all the complaints, why on earth did Audeze make their new flagship heavier than the rest of their entire lineup?
 
 
I'm sorry to lower the tone and (

)     but I think it's crazy

 

[Mortalcoil]

  After all the comments, all the posts, all the emails.. and after all the complaints, why on earth did Audeze make their new flagship heavier than the rest of their entire lineup?
 

 
 
In full agreement with you on this. 
 
Almost as if its a case of 2 steps forward 3 steps back.

 

[vnmslsrbms]

Well LCD-5 will be 8000 dollars, be even heavier because it's a complete motorcycle helmet with a thin film that surrounds the entire head sending the signals directly into your skull. 

 

[goldendarko]

Well LCD-5 will be 8000 dollars, be even heavier because it's a complete motorcycle helmet with a thin film that surrounds the entire head sending the signals directly into your skull. 

So....the jecklin float?

 

[jlbrach]

I am a fan of Audeze but i too would like to see their cans be lighter and easier to wear...when i put on my HEK"s or HD800 or Ethers it is simply a much more comfortable experience

 

[Fidelity King]

  I am a fan of Audeze but i too would like to see their cans be lighter and easier to wear...when i put on my HEK"s or HD800 or Ethers it is simply a much more comfortable experience

I agree that they really need to up their game on comfort. For it's actually not the weight, but the fazors that make contact with my ears and cause pain after just a short while. 

 

[Focker]

   
 
In full agreement with you on this. 
 
Almost as if its a case of 2 steps forward 3 steps back.

 
So you've heard the 4? What other headphones can you compare it to? What were some of your impressions? 
 
I couldn't disagree more about the "steps" comment. The LCD-X is the best sounding headphone I've heard to date, and with the new headband I have been using it almost exclusively. It's a very clear step up from the 2s, which I also liked. The jury is out for me as to whether the 4 continues to improve on that, but I dont see where Audeze has taken any steps back at this point. 

 

[Focker]

  I agree that they really need to up their game on comfort. For it's actually not the weight, but the fazors that make contact with my ears and cause pain after just a short while. 

Have you asked Audeze for the little spacers that go under the pads that others have mentioned in this thread? 

 

[goldendarko]

I dont see where Audeze has taken any steps back at this point. 

1.) The EL-8.
2.) The LCD-4's weight.
3.) The LCD-4's price.
 
There ya go

 

[raypin]

mmm.....I disagree. The EL8 (open) is a fine  headphone in its class/price range. I rather enjoy it with the Norne Solv X cable. Of course, it is a step-down from the LCD series, but it is also at a fraction of the LCDs' prices. Mid-fi performance at a mid-fi price.

 

[goldendarko]

  mmm.....I disagree. The EL8 (open) is a fine  headphone in its class/price range. I rather enjoy it with the Norne Solv X cable. Of course, it is a step-down from the LCD series, but it is also at a fraction of the LCDs' prices. Mid-fi performance at a mid-fi price.

Just saying it's a step backwards for the company, not that it's a bad headphone, though the reviews haven't exactly been glowing either. I personally thought it was about on par with my PM-3 when I heard it, for nearly twice the price.

 

[kapanak]

  mmm.....I disagree. The EL8 (open) is a fine  headphone in its class/price range. I rather enjoy it with the Norne Solv X cable. Of course, it is a step-down from the LCD series, but it is also at a fraction of the LCDs' prices. Mid-fi performance at a mid-fi price.

Mid-fi is the 300-600 price range. And if we are talking mid-fi, we can't forget about HD600/HD650, both of which perform far better than the EL-8.