Audeze LCD-4

[Currawong]

 

Even if it is there, it is easy to avoid: Just don't pay attention to the crazily priced stuff. Plenty of companies (eg: Magnaplanar, Schiit Audio, various small direct-sale speaker companies, and too many others to mention) have avoided going down that route. 

If I were to speculate what drives (ha!) the production of these boutique headphones (remember the LCD-4s are BTO) it is simply that there are people out there for whom the money isn't a problem and ask of these companies "Please sell me the best possible headphones you can make." The rest of us can simply ignore these flagships, just as I'm going to complete ignore the new Orpheus. 

Hopefully I can audition them in Tokyo later this month, but I'm not going to hold my breath. I'd want to audition them on my own system preferably, with the addition of an Yggy (for better resolution over my Hugo) and then maybe at a meet with the guys who have 009 rigs. I tend to take large meet impressions with something of a grain of salt otherwise, and doubly so impressions of any kind that don't mention the music being listened to, as that makes all the difference IME.

Agreed. Was more referring to the relative affordability of flagship headphones to date as compared to flagship products in other branches of audio reproduction. With the increased popularity and visibility of the headphone market, the high end prices are rising.

A couple of thoughts on that: The Sony R10s were $2600 when new (back in 1989, so that is a lot higher in today's money). After that and Stax and before the HD800s, the TOTL headphones here were the Edition 9s at $1500. I think the flagships we have today are considerably better than the Edition 9s were at $1500. Not to mention we have a lot more input into the design of headphones as a community than we did back then. Just look at the Sony MDR-Z7s and matching amp and cables. That is purely a Head-Fi rig from nobody less than Sony. Audeze's original LCD-2s were (from my understanding) strongly influenced by discussions that originated in the Ortho Thread.

 

[mwilson]

I'm looking at Audez'es track record regarding their products. Value is subjective, etc etc but any skepticism directed toward the LCD-4 and $4k isn't unwarranted.
I can careless how good the LCD-4 may sound if it's bound to suffer a driver failure. And I think the trend of the industry is detrimental. That's just me, though.

I owned the LCD 2.1, 2.2 and 3, and never experienced a single failure. Maybe I'm just being lucky, and if so, may the streak continue!

 

[Mach3]

I replied too soon! We are now jousting!


I actually think the sr80e's are the king of value.

 
Yep I totally agree considering I got my 2nd pair for $650 delivered (used but in good condition with all original accessories)

 

[jibzilla]

 
A couple of thoughts on that: The Sony R10s were $2600 when new (back in 1989, so that is a lot higher in today's money). After that and Stax and before the HD800s, the TOTL headphones here were the Edition 9s at $1500. I think the flagships we have today are considerably better than the Edition 9s were at $1500. Not to mention we have a lot more input into the design of headphones as a community than we did back then. Just look at the Sony MDR-Z7s and matching amp and cables. That is purely a Head-Fi rig from nobody less than Sony. Audeze's original LCD-2s were (from my understanding) strongly influenced by discussions that originated in the Ortho Thread.

To each his own but I don't think headphones are all that much better than in the 90's golden age. Where I do think allot of advancements have happened is in the amp department and of course the internet is a whole different beast as well. Lots more information being shared. Lots more headphone amps commercially available. At least from what I have read allot of headphone amps were diy back in the golden age, Beta's. Now we have BHSE, Teton, Pinnacle, gsxmk2, mjolnir audio, ECP, you get the point.

 

[vnmslsrbms]

 
To each his own but I don't think headphones are all that much better than in the 90's golden age. Where I do think allot of advancements have happened is in the amp department and of course the internet is a whole different beast as well. Lots more information being shared. Lots more headphone amps commercially available. At least from what I have read allot of headphone amps were diy back in the golden age, Beta's. Now we have BHSE, Teton, Pinnacle, gsxmk2, mjolnir audio, ECP, you get the point.

If the 90's were the golden age, what age is this?  What age was the 2000's?  Can you compare some TOTL, halo, and mass market HPs during the golden age to current ones?  I'm not very familiar with the 90's.  I still had my Sony/various Japanese headphones back then. 

 

[Mr Rick]

  If the 90's were the golden age, what age is this?  What age was the 2000's?  Can you compare some TOTL, halo, and mass market HPs during the golden age to current ones?  I'm not very familiar with the 90's.  I still had my Sony/various Japanese headphones back then. 

The 60's were the golden age. Long live the Sennheiser 414s.
 
 

 

[groovyd]

Headphones will reach for the sky price-wise as long as it is the focus of a fanatic group of people with disposable income who need to satisfy their curiosity for what could be better then what they have.  This trend is evolving rapidly across all similar hobbies I have witnessed or participate in recently.  This is what the social internet causes, a bit of a multiplier factor on what is good from what is not.  Of course it also multiplies the bad so the companies that advantage from this trend are those who have already proven themselves in the past and this sets them up to ride a much bigger wave into the future.  You gotta take advantage of the buzz and ride it for what it's worth.  This is what boutique hifi is all about in the internet age.

 

[jodgey4]

The market will correct itself, if there's been a real injustice. I see the rising TOTL as a sign that disposable income is on the rise - more people not having to worry about jobs and putting food on the table, etc. To wish Audeze anything other than the best of luck would be wrong.

 

[kawaivpc1]

  Headphones will reach for the sky price-wise as long as it is the focus of a fanatic group of people with disposable income who need to satisfy their curiosity for what could be better then what they have.  This trend is evolving rapidly across all similar hobbies I have witnessed or participate in recently.  This is what the social internet causes, a bit of a multiplier factor on what is good from what is not.  Of course it also multiplies the bad so the companies that advantage from this trend are those who have already proven themselves in the past and this sets them up to ride a much bigger wave into the future.  You gotta take advantage of the buzz and ride it for what it's worth.  This is what boutique hifi is all about in the internet age.

this one is particularly bizarre to me... 
4k for one headphone...? 
I'm also curious but I doubt If I can carry that kind of headphone outside.

 

[vnmslsrbms]

Regardless of price, I wouldn't wear any Audeze LCDs outside due to it's weight and form factor anyway.  
 
I don't think that there can't be headphones that cost 4k, especially since they are custom made, but they basically use all the same industrial design/molds and form factors for all LCDs.  It's a bit of a cost saving measure you shouldn't see on a 4k headphone.  

 

[Mediahound]

  Regardless of price, I wouldn't wear any Audeze LCDs outside due to it's weight and form factor anyway.  
 
I don't think that there can't be headphones that cost 4k, especially since they are custom made, but they basically use all the same industrial design/molds and form factors for all LCDs.  It's a bit of a cost saving measure you shouldn't see on a 4k headphone.  

 
Let's face it, I don't think anyone is really buying any of the LCD series for looks.  They look great when not wearing them, but the drivers are huge:
 
 

[Not my image]

 

[vnmslsrbms]

LOL yeah I've looked in the mirror face on, and it looks silly that way already.  Sideways even more so.  But I'm still OK with it for home use.  The Abyss though I'm not willing to try due to cost and form factor.  

 

[groovyd]

I love the new headband (not yet having tried it but just assuming it is an improvement over the old-school design) and I love the idea regarding nano diaphragm and a stronger more uniform magnetic field and I am sure they sound better then my X/XC but for 4k I also needed to see a significant weight reduction.  I will most likely upgrade the headband only and wait for them to start trimming the weight in future models.  Also not a big fan of the wooden frames, would love to see them in carbon fiber to match the headband as well as the grills.  I don't mind the size of the cups but it wouldn't hurt to reduce them slightly with a thinner frame. Oh, plus I am going to need a closed version for work as well as the open for home.

 

[jibzilla]

  If the 90's were the golden age, what age is this?  What age was the 2000's?  Can you compare some TOTL, halo, and mass market HPs during the golden age to current ones?  I'm not very familiar with the 90's.  I still had my Sony/various Japanese headphones back then. 

 
Silver. The 2000's were grado vs. hd600/650's. Can not compare directly but there are lots of folks who are r10, 007 mk1, k1000, omega, l3000, Original Orpheus, flagship grado fans. Lots of really expensive headphones built back in the day. Totl amps were around as well but not to the degree that the are today, lots of beta's.
 
DNA, Bottlehead, Queststyle and schiit also deserve a mention as well as the other amp builders I mentioned earlier and if I had to pick a "king" it wouldn't be anyone I mentioned so far, which is a pretty big list at this point imo. Not really headphone related but bryston is my king. The merging of hifi and pro-audio is no small feat and bryston did it and while it was a speaker amp I probably would not be here if it were not for listening to a bryston amp on fairly inexpensive Yamaha speakers many years ago. Just a wonderful sound.

 

[vnmslsrbms]

   
Silver. The 2000's were grado vs. hd600/650's. Can not compare directly but there are lots of folks who are r10, 007 mk1, k1000, omega, l3000, Original Orpheus, flagship grado fans. Lots of really expensive headphones built back in the day. Totl amps were around as well but not to the degree that the are today, lots of beta's.
 
DNA, Bottlehead, Queststyle and schiit also deserve a mention as well as the other amp builders I mentioned earlier and if I had to pick a "king" it wouldn't be anyone I mentioned so far, which is a pretty big list at this point imo. Not really headphone related but bryston is my king. The merging of hifi and pro-audio is no small feat and bryston did it and while it was a speaker amp I probably would not be here if it were not for listening to a bryston amp on fairly inexpensive Yamaha speakers many years ago. Just a wonderful sound.

Are you saying the 2000's were silver?  or 2010s?  
 
With that I'm still not understanding why you think that's the golden age.  All those listed headphone wise have now better models superceding them.  Also a greater variety of brands out there to choose from.  There are also almost too many equipment manufacturers dedicated to Head-Fi nowadays.  Maybe because I wasn't in it to experience it, but it just seems like there are better headphones now than in the past, and much more variety to choose from, and that's what people usually call the Golden Age.  
 
When I got into Hi-Fi it was speakers.  That was when mostly class A tanks of amplifiers were still king.  Now class D has really improved.  For me I don't think speakers have really changed that much (well the move from vinyl reproduction to digital sources has changed speakers to handle more bass and resolve higher frequencies better) but head-fi has improved a relatively great deal.