Audeze LCD-4
Jan 16, 2017 at 6:01 AM Post #5,311 of 11,957
  We actually saved it on a RAID5 system. Unfortunately, two drives died at the same time. 

 
Believe it or not, this actually often happens. It happened to me with my DVD collection and I lost 300 DVDs that I still have yet to re-rip. It's just like light bulbs that are from the same batch failing around the same time. And particularly if they are Seagate drives! RAID is a reliability solution, not a back-up one. May I suggest you back-up things like this to one of the many Cloud back-up services/offerings.
 
Jan 16, 2017 at 6:56 AM Post #5,312 of 11,957
   
Believe it or not, this actually often happens. It happened to me with my DVD collection and I lost 300 DVDs that I still have yet to re-rip. It's just like light bulbs that are from the same batch failing around the same time. And particularly if they are Seagate drives! RAID is a reliability solution, not a back-up one. May I suggest you back-up things like this to one of the many Cloud back-up services/offerings.

 
Does the FR graph really matter?  What should matter is what it sounds like.  If you want measurements that bad, I'm sure you could find someone to measure them for you.  I would expect it would only contribute to you mentally tricking yourself into thinking you're hearing the dips and peaks on the graph anyway.
 
Jan 16, 2017 at 7:07 AM Post #5,313 of 11,957
   
Does the FR graph really matter?  What should matter is what it sounds like.  If you want measurements that bad, I'm sure you could find someone to measure them for you.  I would expect it would only contribute to you mentally tricking yourself into thinking you're hearing the dips and peaks on the graph anyway.

 
 
Of course it doesn't really matter, but for years now, many high end purchases include them, and it is simply satisfying see how your specific pair perform. I have AKG microphones that include a graph proving that the stereo pair are within a maximum deviation from each other. Did I really need the graph? No. But it comes across as attention to detail by the manufacturer to provide evidence of the processes they claim to undertake to achieve consistency and quality. 
 
My follow-up post that you replied to was simply putting my IT hat on that no company should rely on a RAID 5 server if they want to guard against data loss. It's a frequent mistake that is made. 
 
Jan 16, 2017 at 2:26 PM Post #5,314 of 11,957
I'm starting to suspect that you work for Audeze or something. Let me remind you that this is supposed to be their flagship at a not-so-low price. The attitude of "you get whatever's wood grain we have available" is not acceptable. I would assume the quality of the headphone's look also contribute to the high asking price. Now let's say the LCD-4 is $1,000 better in sound quality than the HD800s, that leaves another $1,000 for Audeze to improve on the look/building material of of the headphones.

Some people pay $1,000 on a 1 carat diamond while others pay over $10,000 for same size of better quality. In this case we're paying premium price for a set of headphones, I don't think it's too bad to feel a bit disappointed at the wood chosen. And just F.Y.I. , I did call to confirm that my headphones will have red wood rings as advertised BEFORE placing order. Talking about FALSE ADVERTISEMENT here!


You guys expect them to cut down a bunch of trees and have them all look exactly the same the whole way through?  

Google image search ebony wood and see what you get.  

Plus you could get 5 different people to photograph the same pair of headphones and get 5 completely different pictures.
 
Jan 16, 2017 at 2:32 PM Post #5,315 of 11,957


Just look at the picture for yourself (taken from Audeze's website). Does my $4,000 headphone looks like the $4k one? Or it's more like their $2k option?

I called them today to see where we can go from here (mismatched front & back colors, etc.). They basically told me "you get what you get".
 
Jan 16, 2017 at 3:01 PM Post #5,316 of 11,957


Just look at the picture for yourself (taken from Audeze's website). Does my $4,000 headphone looks like the $4k one? Or it's more like their $2k option?

I called them today to see where we can go from here (mismatched front & back colors, etc.). They basically told me "you get what you get".

Seems odd they would say that, did you get the name of the person who helped you? The one on their website is Cocobolo wood, I believe it is endangered and they can no longer use that wood. I agree with you, pictures with the Cocobolo wood should no longer be on their website, it is misleading and will open up a world of headache from customers expecting one thing and receiving another, such as yourself. You have a 30 day money back guarantee, no penalty, no questions asked if you ordered directly from Audeze, that alone should offer them incentive to accommodate you. If their attitude doesn't change, just return them for a full refund. 
 
Jan 16, 2017 at 3:03 PM Post #5,317 of 11,957
I'm starting to suspect that you work for Audeze or something. Let me remind you that this is supposed to be their flagship at a not-so-low price. The attitude of "you get whatever's wood grain we have available" is not acceptable. I would assume the quality of the headphone's look also contribute to the high asking price. Now let's say the LCD-4 is $1,000 better in sound quality than the HD800s, that leaves another $1,000 for Audeze to improve on the look/building material of of the headphones.

Some people pay $1,000 on a 1 carat diamond while others pay over $10,000 for same size of better quality. In this case we're paying premium price for a set of headphones, I don't think it's too bad to feel a bit disappointed at the wood chosen. And just F.Y.I. , I did call to confirm that my headphones will have red wood rings as advertised BEFORE placing order. Talking about FALSE ADVERTISEMENT here!

 
I am actually an Abyss man.
Anyone who has worked with timber in their life will know there can be massive variations within not just a species of timber, but even within the same tree / individual slab.  
It would be very hard to give everyone the grain pattern they want.

I agree with the above comment though - why don't you just return them?
Then maybe keep an eye out for a second hand cocobolo
 
Jan 16, 2017 at 3:05 PM Post #5,318 of 11,957
I called them today to see where we can go from here (mismatched front & back colors, etc.). They basically told me "you get what you get".

 
 
good on them.  that is the appropriate response.  
 
Jan 17, 2017 at 1:32 PM Post #5,320 of 11,957
They should at least make a note of the variable "get what you get" attitude on the product page though, I had no idea about the variation in wood cuts. Misleading advertising is nothing new though, when's the last time you got a Big Mac that looked like the ad? :D
 
Jan 17, 2017 at 3:05 PM Post #5,321 of 11,957
It can be a bit of a gamble, but I would have thought that sound would be the deciding factor in buying a pair of high end headphones.  Especially in this price range, open, driven from a desktop rig at home only, never to be worn out in public as a fashion statement.
 
Jan 17, 2017 at 3:32 PM Post #5,323 of 11,957
Not to beleaguer the wood grain/pattern point, but I was also very slightly disappointed when my LCD-4s (left) came with wood that, to my eye, was less attractive than my LCD-2 Rosewood cans (right):
 

 
 
Of course, you don't see then when you're listening to them, but I was hoping to gasp when I opened my new $4000 headphones.
 
- Dave
 
Jan 17, 2017 at 3:39 PM Post #5,324 of 11,957
   
 
good on them.  that is the appropriate response.  

 
I don't know what makes you say that, but I sure hope you don't run any business as that's not a professional attitude toward your customer, let alone a customer who just spent $4,000 on headphones.
 
After I contacted my dealer and sent them the picture of the headphones, I received a call from someone at Audeze name Mark (he sounded like someone with higher authority than the receptionist that I talked earlier). He was much more friendly and empathetic to the situation. He agreed that the color seems odd, and offered to make it right for me. They will replace the wood rings with a uniform, darker color all around the ring (not half dark, half yellow like it is now) when they have them back in stock.
 
Some people may say I'm cherry-picking. But if you think for me a little bit, I didn't anticipate to spend $4,000 and have this kind of dissatisfactory service/product either.
 
Jan 17, 2017 at 3:56 PM Post #5,325 of 11,957
   
I don't know what makes you say that, but I sure hope you don't run any business as that's not a professional attitude toward your customer, let alone a customer who just spent $4,000 on headphones.
 
After I contacted my dealer and sent them the picture of the headphones, I received a call from someone at Audeze name Mark (he sounded like someone with higher authority than the receptionist that I talked earlier). He was much more friendly and empathetic to the situation. He agreed that the color seems odd, and offered to make it right for me. They will replace the wood rings with a uniform, darker color all around the ring (not half dark, half yellow like it is now) when they have them back in stock.
 
Some people may say I'm cherry-picking. But if you think for me a little bit, I didn't anticipate to spend $4,000 and have this kind of dissatisfactory service/product either.

 
That's just lovely to hear.
I got my share of good customer service from Audeze, was involved in the Black Friday B-stock hassle, in the end receiving (beyond what I would've labelled as "normal customer service"), a brand new LCD-X for 999$. They shurely reeled me in as a returning customer in the future, not to mention the good word of mouth I've spread in RL.
 

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