[TokenGesture]

Kind of pointless discussion. If you can't afford it (as I can not) don't buy it.  If not enough people buy it Audeze and others will take notice and set another pricing strategy.  Is their a ceiling on the Headphone market? I don't blame Audeze for trying to find out.

 

[Lan647]

 
If it was something rare or exotic, they would have made a huge deal out of it in their marketing materials. Thus, we can conclude it is just ... wood.
 
At least it's not "wood" like the HE-1000...
 

Are you kidding me? For three freakin' thousand dollars?! 

 

[jibzilla]

  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.  

 
2010's are silver imo. 2000's were grado vs. hd600/650. That is also the best or at least the most expensive headphones Sony, Grado, Audio Technica and until now Sennheiser ever put out, so yeah there are no better models other than them, even 20 years later, so yeah it was def. the "golden age" and sorry you missed out on it but lots did including me. Might want to do a bit of research on the phones I listed. Quite a few people also think the Stax Omega and 007mk1 are the best stax produced and same with akg and the k1000.
 
At least to me this right now is the golden age of headphone amps, not headphones. Silver at best for headphones and that is stretching it. Lots of vultures right now. 

 

[Kevinspeed]

I wonder how many have sold.  14 King amps sold so far

 

[vnmslsrbms]

Bascom King is a great designer.  He also recently designed some speaker amplifiers (BHK Signature) for PS Audio.  I'd say Audeze did pretty well in choosing who to partner with/hire for their headphone amp.  Just like the Schiit stuff, those guys really know their Schiit.  

 

[vnmslsrbms]

   
2010's are silver imo. 2000's were grado vs. hd600/650. That is also the best or at least the most expensive headphones Sony, Grado, Audio Technica and until now Sennheiser ever put out, so yeah there are no better models other than them, even 20 years later, so yeah it was def. the "golden age" and sorry you missed out on it but lots did including me. Might want to do a bit of research on the phones I listed. Quite a few people also think the Stax Omega and 007mk1 are the best stax produced and same with akg and the k1000.
 
At least to me this right now is the golden age of headphone amps, not headphones. Silver at best for headphones and that is stretching it. Lots of vultures right now. 

r10, 007 mk1, k1000, omega, l3000, Original Orpheus.  I have been very tempted to try the K1000, 007 mk1, and the R10.  I didn't go for the 007 MK1 because I wasn't ready to jump down the energizer rabbit hole.  The L3000 I never really heard of, but people don't seem to like them.  Maybe one day.  Orpheus....  I hope I go to a show with them and can try them.  Is the Omega different from the 007?  I'm confused by the Stax naming as I've seen the 007 mk1 with the omega name attached to them.  

 

[The Fed]

Seems like Audeze should have started from scratch with redesign of the LCD-4 if they were going to ask 2x the price of the LCD-3.
Carbon fiber suspension is only real design difference aesthetically... Cups are the same if a different material.

Hifiman started from scratch with HE1000.... Sennheiser started from scratch with HD800.
Perceived value is hard to justify when it looks essentially the same as other models. $2500 maybe if the driver is superior but they didn't have to retool for a new design.
Especially since I think the zebra wood and overall look of LCD-3 is better.

 

[P4UL]

Looking forward to buying the headband for my LCD-2
Any update on when we can start ordering the headbands separate?

 

[theblueprint]

New headbands will start shipping beginning of November for $200.

 

[potkettleblack]

Just placed my order for the 3F's. Spent plenty of hours with them to know it's the right decision. Now to keep an eye on the new Stax line and new SR-L700. I will head them up against the he-1000 and take it from there.
 
 
Sorry to post this like a single mother posting irrelevant drama on facebook - but, given the recent reviews and an update this afternoon stating that the 4's were a letdown - owning the 3f's and the he-1000 or new Lambda (for the same price) seems like a no-brainer to me. 

 

[TMRaven]

Is the headband a 200 dollar upgrade for already existing LCD headphones? Or is Audeze forever going to sell the rest of their LCD lineup with the old style headband?

 

[bfreedma]

   
So let me get this straight you think because Hifiman charges $3k for a headphone it's ok for Audeze to charge $4k?  And saying that the community would dismiss it because of it's lower price is absolutely not true.  The pricing thing is an ignorant comment.  Fact is Sennheiser charges $1600 for their flagship should you be dismissing it because it's not $5k (I don't consider the orpheus the Sennheiser flagship because it's not produced in mass quantities like the HE1K and the LCD-4 in the future)?  No.  
 
In regards to Audeze's LCD-4 exceeding the HE1K because it's $1k more.  My brain hurts.  Fact is there are reviews out there that aren't good.  There are reviews out there that I find to be completely untruthful where somewhere they post they hate it and somewhere they post they loved it.  I for one hated it.  It's boring, has no bass, and doesn't even pull details like the HE1K does.  The sound stage on the LCD-4 is inferior to the HE1K and the HD800 as well.  The HE1K has more of a right to charge $3k than Audeze has to charge $4k based on performance alone.
 
Thanks again for proving a point that there is something wrong with headphone pricing.  Also Audeze thanks you as well for being such a loyal fan.

 
A very small handful of people have heard the LCD-4s briefly in show conditions, mostly with music, amps and dacs they were unfamiliar with.  Some of the reviews were positive, and some were not.  At this point, until people have time to review them properly, I won't draw any conclusions.  Meets and shows are great fun, but a terrible environment to seriously evaluate headphones.
 
Your dislike for it is hardly conclusive, nor is any one person's love for it, given the conditions of the audition.  I'll wait to draw my personal conclusion until I've heard it.  And will add that to reports from people who audition it in proper conditions who have reviewed other headphones and who have a track record of having preferences similar or dissimilar to mine to put some context to the review.

 

[jodgey4]

Is the headband a 200 dollar upgrade for already existing LCD headphones? Or is Audeze forever going to sell the rest of their LCD lineup with the old style headband?

Not sure but I know I'd pay $50 to upgrade, not $200! The headband ain't that bad imho, maybe I just have a stirring strong neck? We got the Fazor for free though, why not the headband? Heck, I'd rather have the headband than the Fazor probably XD. It's all so complicated haha.

 

[potkettleblack]

   
A very small handful of people have heard the LCD-4s briefly in show conditions, mostly with music, amps and dacs they were unfamiliar with.  Some of the reviews were positive, and some were not.  At this point, until people have time to review them properly, I won't draw any conclusions.  Meets and shows are great fun, but a terrible environment to seriously evaluate headphones.
 
Your dislike for it is hardly conclusive, nor is any one person's love for it, given the conditions of the audition.  I'll wait to draw my personal conclusion until I've heard it.  And will add that to reports from people who audition it in proper conditions who have reviewed other headphones and who have a track record of having preferences similar or dissimilar to mine to put some context to the review.

The numbers may be small but too many people are saying they aren't a great improvement. And not just that they aren't a great improvement, but that they do nothing to merit the price Audeze have put them. Even people who notoriously big-up Audeze for their least appealing headphones are saying they aren't good.
 
The numbers were small for the he-1000 and were mostly in the same conditions initially but can you remember how many said they were amazing?
 
Though you make valids points (points we all know), Something isn't right mate.

 

[Middy]

As Audeze read this thread, would they like to contribute some feed back? The new headband looks great and looks to give more support. Concerns about pricing are real but speculation isn't fair to your selves but an explanation would be well received.

One open questions though why don't manufacturers bring a sound proof booth for one..With a timer inside. RUBBER and thick cement backer board works.

Thanks