I don’t know how well the i series sold but they are phenomenal in ears. I have owned the isine10 and LCDi4 and currently have the LCDi3. The 4 was better but the 3 gets pretty close. But they do have a limited use case.
Audeze LCD-4
- Thread starter Matias
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Factory tuning isn't everything man, otherwise more would be rocking your contraption.
ThanatosVI
Headphoneus Supremus
Factory tuning is however what 90% of users are using, so it is of major importance.
I EQ myself and agree with you that this can bring amazing results, the majority of users don't eq though
leftside
Headphoneus Supremus
I’ve heard the LCD5. I’d rather buy new drivers for the LCD4 if they ever fail, than get the LCD5.
Yep, the LCD-4's suit my music preferences better as well.
Derek Dean
100+ Head-Fier
I just wanted to give a big THANK YOU to everybody who has participated in this thread. I've spent countless hours reading it, as well as watching YouTube videos and reading on-line reviews, and finally, after much deliberation made the jump to purchase a set of LCD-4 headphones last week (thank you Worlds Best Headphones for the great price on a new pair of B stock cans with Ebony rings).
They arrived this afternoon, and while they sounded a bit congested right out of the box, after letting them run-in for a few hours, WOW, I'm just all grins now. Absolutely the sound I've been looking for.
I'm 67 and have been playing bass since age 8, starting with standup bass in the school orchestra and then adding electric at age 12, so having a good bass tone was especially important to me, but with equal importance to the tonality of other instruments and vocals as well, and I must say, so far the LCD-4 is hitting on all cylinders.
I will admit, I was a bit concerned that my little Topping D30 Pro/A30 Pro stack might not be up to the task, but I've heard a few songs now with synth tracks going WAY WAY down, and they were reproduced to perfection, giving me goose bumps, as well as rich and creamy mids and beautifully smooth and crystal clear highs, so I'm feeling like this amp/DAC combo just might work out, for a while at least : )
Anyway, I just wanted to share my joy with you'all, because it was a leap of faith buying these blind, and it was in great part because the discussions and descriptions in this thread gave me the confidence that the LCD-4 was going to give me the sound I've been looking for.
They arrived this afternoon, and while they sounded a bit congested right out of the box, after letting them run-in for a few hours, WOW, I'm just all grins now. Absolutely the sound I've been looking for.
I'm 67 and have been playing bass since age 8, starting with standup bass in the school orchestra and then adding electric at age 12, so having a good bass tone was especially important to me, but with equal importance to the tonality of other instruments and vocals as well, and I must say, so far the LCD-4 is hitting on all cylinders.
I will admit, I was a bit concerned that my little Topping D30 Pro/A30 Pro stack might not be up to the task, but I've heard a few songs now with synth tracks going WAY WAY down, and they were reproduced to perfection, giving me goose bumps, as well as rich and creamy mids and beautifully smooth and crystal clear highs, so I'm feeling like this amp/DAC combo just might work out, for a while at least : )
Anyway, I just wanted to share my joy with you'all, because it was a leap of faith buying these blind, and it was in great part because the discussions and descriptions in this thread gave me the confidence that the LCD-4 was going to give me the sound I've been looking for.
Hi all I am new here and I just got the LCD 4 last week and thought to write up a review.
I have to say that I am very pleased with the condition of this pair of OG LCD 4's. Audeze have replaced the OG model for the LCD 4Z which is a shame because I think the OG looks a lot better with better materials.
Build:
The beautiful ebony wood with the chrome grills alongside the carbon fibre headband makes this at the very least look its price.
Cable that comes with the headphone is very nice. Braided and long however, I need power to run these so its better to run a balanced custom cable. So I put them on my Empyreans and they look nice with those.
There is a real weight to these that feels substantial and immediate the moment you take them of the stand and think to yourself, am I going to die?
Comfort:
Once you grip the headphone from the stand and put them on your head its actually not bad. The weight is actually very evenly distributed and the pads are massive and soft so its not an issue for the first hour of use. After that hour I tend to lean my head back into little head pillow on my chair. The weight sort of just gets to me after some time and it starts to become annoying however, if I put my head back into the pillow its fine.
If you have a lounge chair this wont be an issue.
Sound
Vocals:
I'll just be straight, these are the best sounding vocals I have heard. The fullness and clarity is just astounding at times and it gives you a warmth that envelopes around you. I thought that the Empyreans had amazing vocals beforehand, however, now the LCD 4 is just in a different league that gives you profound experiences which make you sort of feel the singer.
Imaging:
Imaging is good but its no 800S. I think the 800S has the best imaging I have heard but the LCD 4 is very clear and precise but the 800S is just better at positioning.
Soundstage:
Probably the most disappointing aspect of this headphone. Its just okay but not to the same level as the 2021 LCD X which is very good for soundstage now.
Bass:
We all have heard the sayings of the legendary LCD 4 bass but is it actually true? I will say that I had to add some EQ at 32Hz & 100Hz but after that the energy and kick out of these is the best I have heard. Yes the Empyreans have more "bass" but the LCD 4 has bass that is basically "see through". I know your thinking "see through?" yes unfortunately you need to hear the LCD 4 to understand what that really looks like. Maybe the best way to describe it is that your watching a 480p video and then turn it all the way to 4K so you can see everything the image is showing and the far distances in the image are clear and precise but you can actually see through it (In music).
The bass has some of the finest texture, controlled rumble and punch (energy) and it really is an experience. I think the only other headphone that beats the bass in these are the Abyss AB1266 TC that I heard at Canjam. The LCD X has a more violent sub-bass as apposed to the LCD 4 which have a better controlled rumble that does not bleed into the other spectrums.
Speed:
Extremely fast delivery of all instruments especially in electronic, EDM music. The Empyreans sound slower and 800S is fast just not as quick as the LCD 4.
Instruments:
Instruments are on point on this headphone. Acoustic guitars sound true to life and jazz recordings have an immersive feel that only the 800S can match. You can hear all the instruments clearly in the background and nothing is missed but it all flows together to produce something I have not heard with the other headphones.
A lot of music has this special sound to them with the instruments and midrange which I have to sort of look for in other headphones like the 800S.
Treble:
Very smooth in delivery and much better than the LCD X which got a bit shouty to me. Notes extend with fineness and there is a lot of resolution in the high frequencies. Its just a beautiful sounding treble that does not extend as deep as the 800S but that's ok because it does not fatigue me like the 800S sometimes does.
The 800S has more sparkle up top and that is probably the best I have heard but the LCD 4 comes second easily.
I have to say that I am very pleased with the condition of this pair of OG LCD 4's. Audeze have replaced the OG model for the LCD 4Z which is a shame because I think the OG looks a lot better with better materials.
Build:
The beautiful ebony wood with the chrome grills alongside the carbon fibre headband makes this at the very least look its price.
Cable that comes with the headphone is very nice. Braided and long however, I need power to run these so its better to run a balanced custom cable. So I put them on my Empyreans and they look nice with those.
There is a real weight to these that feels substantial and immediate the moment you take them of the stand and think to yourself, am I going to die?
Comfort:
Once you grip the headphone from the stand and put them on your head its actually not bad. The weight is actually very evenly distributed and the pads are massive and soft so its not an issue for the first hour of use. After that hour I tend to lean my head back into little head pillow on my chair. The weight sort of just gets to me after some time and it starts to become annoying however, if I put my head back into the pillow its fine.
If you have a lounge chair this wont be an issue.
Sound
Vocals:
I'll just be straight, these are the best sounding vocals I have heard. The fullness and clarity is just astounding at times and it gives you a warmth that envelopes around you. I thought that the Empyreans had amazing vocals beforehand, however, now the LCD 4 is just in a different league that gives you profound experiences which make you sort of feel the singer.
Imaging:
Imaging is good but its no 800S. I think the 800S has the best imaging I have heard but the LCD 4 is very clear and precise but the 800S is just better at positioning.
Soundstage:
Probably the most disappointing aspect of this headphone. Its just okay but not to the same level as the 2021 LCD X which is very good for soundstage now.
Bass:
We all have heard the sayings of the legendary LCD 4 bass but is it actually true? I will say that I had to add some EQ at 32Hz & 100Hz but after that the energy and kick out of these is the best I have heard. Yes the Empyreans have more "bass" but the LCD 4 has bass that is basically "see through". I know your thinking "see through?" yes unfortunately you need to hear the LCD 4 to understand what that really looks like. Maybe the best way to describe it is that your watching a 480p video and then turn it all the way to 4K so you can see everything the image is showing and the far distances in the image are clear and precise but you can actually see through it (In music).
The bass has some of the finest texture, controlled rumble and punch (energy) and it really is an experience. I think the only other headphone that beats the bass in these are the Abyss AB1266 TC that I heard at Canjam. The LCD X has a more violent sub-bass as apposed to the LCD 4 which have a better controlled rumble that does not bleed into the other spectrums.
Speed:
Extremely fast delivery of all instruments especially in electronic, EDM music. The Empyreans sound slower and 800S is fast just not as quick as the LCD 4.
Instruments:
Instruments are on point on this headphone. Acoustic guitars sound true to life and jazz recordings have an immersive feel that only the 800S can match. You can hear all the instruments clearly in the background and nothing is missed but it all flows together to produce something I have not heard with the other headphones.
A lot of music has this special sound to them with the instruments and midrange which I have to sort of look for in other headphones like the 800S.
Treble:
Very smooth in delivery and much better than the LCD X which got a bit shouty to me. Notes extend with fineness and there is a lot of resolution in the high frequencies. Its just a beautiful sounding treble that does not extend as deep as the 800S but that's ok because it does not fatigue me like the 800S sometimes does.
The 800S has more sparkle up top and that is probably the best I have heard but the LCD 4 comes second easily.
LCD 4, my first ever high end headphone, also ignorantly paid full MSRP at retail store, ah the memories, lol.
phthora
Headphoneus Supremus
For some reason, the other teachers look at me funny when I tell them I always keep a little Black Label in my desk. 
Anyway, this is an excellent pairing. Plenty of control and power, without even dipping into high gain. Plus, that bass boost makes these cans just bonkers. If I had to, I could be happy with just this set up.
Anyway, this is an excellent pairing. Plenty of control and power, without even dipping into high gain. Plus, that bass boost makes these cans just bonkers. If I had to, I could be happy with just this set up.
Derek Dean
100+ Head-Fier
Well, I've had the LCD-4 headphones for a week now, and my only issue is that I haven't been getting much sleep. I'm always thinking, just one more song. Oh well. I have found that adding 4-6 db in the 4 kHz range seems to have opened up the sound, giving me an extremely nicely balanced presentation. I knew that was a possibility going in, so not a real surprise.
What has been a surprise is how good they sound just using the headphone jack on my Denon AVR-X3300W integrated receiver. They also sound great using my Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 audio interface out of my Mac Mini computer.
Anyway, since we're "falling back" tonight, I guess I have an extra hour of listening, so adios.
What has been a surprise is how good they sound just using the headphone jack on my Denon AVR-X3300W integrated receiver. They also sound great using my Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 audio interface out of my Mac Mini computer.
Anyway, since we're "falling back" tonight, I guess I have an extra hour of listening, so adios.
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Does your set have the updated ear pads on them? The new pads also help bring some energy to the 2-4 kHz area balancing out the sound.
Derek Dean
100+ Head-Fier
That's a good question, and to be honest I'm not sure. Here's a shot of them currently. I will say though, I'm finding these pads to be extremely comfortable, and with the EQ, they sound nearly perfect.
The only thing I was a bit worried about was the overall weight of the LCD-4, but it seems to be so well distributed that I'm not having any issues with that at all and have been spending endless hours enjoying these remarkable headphones.
Those seem to be the older pads. You can tell because you can see the felt lining in between the ear pads and ear cups. The new ear pads puts the felt liners more internally hidden from the naked eye.That's a good question, and to be honest I'm not sure. Here's a shot of them currently. I will say though, I'm finding these pads to be extremely comfortable, and with the EQ, they sound nearly perfect.
The only thing I was a bit worried about was the overall weight of the LCD-4, but it seems to be so well distributed that I'm not having any issues with that at all and have been spending endless hours enjoying these remarkable headphones.
Derek Dean
100+ Head-Fier
Ah, ok, thanks. At some point I'll probably need to replace them, but for now I'm a happy camper : )
Right, either way the LCD-4's are outstanding headphones, enjoy!
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