[JLoud]

I agree. The 4 is a real improvement over the 2 and 3. But bears a strong family resemblance. If you liked the 2 or 3 then you will be very happy with the 4. I am.

 

[Audio-Phile]

I bought my 4s having heard Xs and 3s, decided that I liked the 3s more, and the improvement over the 3s is welcome. I couldn't possibly be happier with my decision. I believe if you read enough reviews and impressions and are reasonably educated about whatever it is you're trying to make a decision on, you can make one without strictly having handled the exact thing you're intending on buying/using/whatever. The LCD4s sound exactly as I thought they would, except perhaps better.

To be honest, I was going to buy a pair of 3s until a used pair of 4s came up at an excellent price in like-new condition, and didn't hurt that PayPal gave me a free 36 month no-interest loan on top of that...hard to say no at that point. I don't see myself ever getting selling them, not any time soon at least.

 

[baiyy1986]

I bought my 4s having heard Xs and 3s, decided that I liked the 3s more, and the improvement over the 3s is welcome. I couldn't possibly be happier with my decision. I believe if you read enough reviews and impressions and are reasonably educated about whatever it is you're trying to make a decision on, you can make one without strictly having handled the exact thing you're intending on buying/using/whatever. The LCD4s sound exactly as I thought they would, except perhaps better.

To be honest, I was going to buy a pair of 3s until a used pair of 4s came up at an excellent price in like-new condition, and didn't hurt that PayPal gave me a free 36 month no-interest loan on top of that...hard to say no at that point. I don't see myself ever getting selling them, not any time soon at least.

can you share the thoughts about lcd3 and lcd4 a little more? I heard people keep saying LCD4s are better than LCD3s, but I can't just don't know how better they are

 

[seamon]

can you share the thoughts about lcd3 and lcd4 a little more? I heard people keep saying LCD4s are better than LCD3s, but I can't just don't know how better they are

I owned the LCD 3 for 6 months before upgrading to the LCD 4. IMO, at this point it's all about diminishing returns and trading some features for others.

LCD 4 has faster bass that goes deeper, almost bottomless. LCD 3 has good bass extension but not as great as LCD 4. LCD 3 has more bass quantity that makes it seemingly have more texture.

LCD 3 mids are effortless, much more than LCD 4. LCD 3 mids are thick and flow like butter, that said, it can be congested at times. LCD 4 mids while not as effortless as 3, are much more coherent, better separated and just more resolving. You just get more details, nuances etc but LCD 3 mids are just so euphoric which the LCD 4 can't match.

LCD 4 has a much better Treble than 3 like much much better. LCD 3 while dark can be very peaky. LCD 4 Treble is smoother, have more presence and is faster.

Soundstage wise, LCD 4 improves upon the 3 as the 3 improves upon the 2.

Separation wise, LCD 3 does a good job among other headphones in its class but LCD 4 separation is unrivaled, everything note is clearly different from another, a feat which no other headphone I have heard has been ever able to achieve.

 

[CoLdAsSauLt]

To be honest I bought the LCD 4 having never heard them. I already had the 2 and 3 and really liked the Audeze house sound. I have no dealers within a 100 miles of me and couldn't find anyone close who had a pair to try. For some of us it is the only option. Buy them and try them. Can always return or resell. In this case doing research ahead of time is vital. Still there is risk involved, but no real choice.

I had to do exactly the same. Lived happily for 2,5 years with my LCD-3(F), and my first chance to hear the LCD-4 was after buying a used pair.

I owned the LCD 3 for 6 months before upgrading to the LCD 4. IMO, at this point it's all about diminishing returns and trading some features for others.

LCD 4 has faster bass that goes deeper, almost bottomless. LCD 3 has good bass extension but not as great as LCD 4. LCD 3 has more bass quantity that makes it seemingly have more texture.

LCD 3 mids are effortless, much more than LCD 4. LCD 3 mids are thick and flow like butter, that said, it can be congested at times. LCD 4 mids while not as effortless as 3, are much more coherent, better separated and just more resolving. You just get more details, nuances etc but LCD 3 mids are just so euphoric which the LCD 4 can't match.

LCD 4 has a much better Treble than 3 like much much better. LCD 3 while dark can be very peaky. LCD 4 Treble is smoother, have more presence and is faster.

Soundstage wise, LCD 4 improves upon the 3 as the 3 improves upon the 2.

Separation wise, LCD 3 does a good job among other headphones in its class but LCD 4 separation is unrivaled, everything note is clearly different from another, a feat which no other headphone I have heard has been ever able to achieve.

+1. I had a hard time actually the first time I put them on my ears. I missed some of the magic of the LCD-3. However, once I started wrapping my brain around the new sound signature and began to discover everything it gave in return, I couldn't be happier.

I've never been able to put it to words very well, apart from less missing highs, bass less overwhelming at times, so less euphonic/romantic sound to the benefit of tonal balance and of not obscuring certain instruments/details. For me the LCD-4 also has a much more 3D "holographic" soundstage - the first thing I noticed that wowed me after missing the bass hump and euphonic sound I grew used to.
And still, the LCD-4 sports the Audeze house sound, is still quite euphonic, just less than the LCD-3.

I never could word it as well as @seamon just did, but I stand by everything he said. Very well put

 

[Hifi59]

I owned the LCD 3 for 6 months before upgrading to the LCD 4. IMO, at this point it's all about diminishing returns and trading some features for others.

LCD 4 has faster bass that goes deeper, almost bottomless. LCD 3 has good bass extension but not as great as LCD 4. LCD 3 has more bass quantity that makes it seemingly have more texture.

LCD 3 mids are effortless, much more than LCD 4. LCD 3 mids are thick and flow like butter, that said, it can be congested at times. LCD 4 mids while not as effortless as 3, are much more coherent, better separated and just more resolving. You just get more details, nuances etc but LCD 3 mids are just so euphoric which the LCD 4 can't match.

LCD 4 has a much better Treble than 3 like much much better. LCD 3 while dark can be very peaky. LCD 4 Treble is smoother, have more presence and is faster.

Soundstage wise, LCD 4 improves upon the 3 as the 3 improves upon the 2.

Separation wise, LCD 3 does a good job among other headphones in its class but LCD 4 separation is unrivaled, everything note is clearly different from another, a feat which no other headphone I have heard has been ever able to achieve.

As owner of both lcd 3f and lcd-4, I can agree with most of what you stated here. I would only add that what you say about the lcd-3 only applies to the 2015 model I had. It had that magical, euphoric midrange with cream on top ! One day, the right driver went out and I received the 2016 drivers. While they still sound very good, they lost some of the 2015 drivers midrange magic. It just wasn’t there anymore. Bass was increased a bit but I missed that magical midrange. With the 2015 drivers, I sometimes preferred it to my lcd-4s with a lot of rock and metal music but with the 2016 drivers, I never prefer it to the lcd-4 . So while current lcd-3 is still a great headphone, the Lcd-4 is clearly superior for the reasons you state above.

 

[baiyy1986]

As owner of both lcd 3f and lcd-4, I can agree with most of what you stated here. I would only add that what you say about the lcd-3 only applies to the 2015 model I had. It had that magical, euphoric midrange with cream on top ! One day, the right driver went out and I received the 2016 drivers. While they still sound very good, they lost some of the 2015 drivers midrange magic. It just wasn’t there anymore. Bass was increased a bit but I missed that magical midrange. With the 2015 drivers, I sometimes preferred it to my lcd-4s with a lot of rock and metal music but with the 2016 drivers, I never prefer it to the lcd-4 . So while current lcd-3 is still a great headphone, the Lcd-4 is clearly superior for the reasons you state above.

I have a pair of lcd3 2016, I paired it with WA6se, I enjoyed the"dark" sound, it is really tasty, but it is very different from what reviewer said like gorgeous midrange, beautiful bass.
From what I hear is very different from the thing online, which confuse me. The thing I enjoy the most is the clarity with the "dark" sound
Still try find the right song or genre for my LCD3 2016.
But base on so many different different between every driver Audeze update, which really confuse me about the difference between LCD3 and LCD4. People keep saying LCD4 is better than LCD3, but I don't know which version they compared, and How better they are talking about.

 

[Hifi59]

I have a pair of lcd3 2016, I paired it with WA6se, I enjoyed the"dark" sound, it is really tasty, but it is very different from what reviewer said like gorgeous midrange, beautiful bass.
From what I hear is very different from the thing online, which confuse me. The thing I enjoy the most is the clarity with the "dark" sound
Still try find the right song or genre for my LCD3 2016.
But base on so many different different between every driver Audeze update, which really confuse me about the difference between LCD3 and LCD4. People keep saying LCD4 is better than LCD3, but I don't know which version they compared, and How better they are talking about.

In my experience, the bass on the lcd-4 is unsurpassed for impact and texture. While the bass is excellent on the lcd-3 2016 drivers, it doesn’t hold a candle to the lcd-4. I even find the bass on my 2016 lcd-XC to have more impact and depth. This is not to dis the lcd-3 because it still has plenty of great bass and it’s still an overall excellent headphone. I just found the 2015 version to be more seductive.

 

[sinkr]

I bought a pair of LCD-3s after hearing a co-worker's LCD-2s and did so to fight off the immediate feeling of upgrade-itis. When I bought the LCD-4s, I bought them unheard as well. When I finally jumped out of Audeze and went electrostatic, I bought a pair of Stax SR-009s and a high end Mjolnir Audio Carbon CC energizer unheard. I will tell you that the electrostat rig is the best thing I've ever heard in my life, but I doubt you will believe me.

On the other hand, I believed the countless reviews regarding the SR-009s and their sound, so for some people it does work out.

So you bought a $4k headphone and never even listened to them?

It’s kind of ridiculous to ask people here to elucidate the differences between them. It will do you no good anyway.

 

[ken6217]

I bought a pair of LCD-3s after hearing a co-worker's LCD-2s and did so to fight off the immediate feeling of upgrade-itis. When I bought the LCD-4s, I bought them unheard as well. When I finally jumped out of Audeze and went electrostatic, I bought a pair of Stax SR-009s and a high end Mjolnir Audio Carbon CC energizer unheard. I will tell you that the electrostat rig is the best thing I've ever heard in my life, but I doubt you will believe me.

On the other hand, I believed the countless reviews regarding the SR-009s and their sound, so for some people it does work out.

Why wouldn't I believe you? That a great set up if you like that type of sound. It's pretty much the polar opposite of the LCD-4 sound. Btw, that is a great amp. I am using my LCD-4's with a Mjolnir Dynalo Mk2 Bipolar amp. Best headphone amp I've ever owned.

 

[sinkr]

What I should've said was "and that kind of skepticism is good in the arena of opinion."

I apparently love that sound, even over the LCD-3/4 Cavalli Audio Liquid Gold combo (sorry to see them out of business now), which I thought was divine.

I can't characterize the sound between Audeze and Stax as polar opposites, or I just don't have the vocabulary to explain it, but I love the clarity of the highs and the quickness of the sound (roll off?) and there's more'n enough bass there for me. But maybe it is enough a divergence to be opposites, I dunno.. I know keep them all day at work and dislike taking them off.

Why wouldn't I believe you? That a great set up if you like that type of sound. It's pretty much the polar opposite of the LCD-4 sound. Btw, that is a great amp. I am using my LCD-4's with a Mjolnir Dynalo Mk2 Bipolar amp. Best headphone amp I've ever owned.

 

[eee1111]

about to pull the trigger on a used pair.....do they normally come with test results? and what is the warranty directly from audeze?

 

[moopster]

about to pull the trigger on a used pair.....do they normally come with test results? and what is the warranty directly from audeze?

You must request test results from Audeze.

 

[heliosphann]

You must request test results from Audeze. The warranty covers the original purchaser only and is not transferable.

This is incorrect.

 

[MacedonianHero]

This is incorrect.

Exactly...kudos to Audeze for supporting their gear regardless of the owner! This should be standard IMHO.