Audeze LCD-4z - Impressions Thread

[senseitedj]

Well, i've got a copper mesh on my 4z, but Audeze support told me that according serial number mine 4z is 2020 year

Ask them if they are fitted with the original pads or revised version

 

[omgitsowl]

Ask them if they are fitted with the original pads or revised version

Will try it, thank you!

 

[blackromek]

hello what pads did you change to please give me a link my unit production december 2018

 

[Richy Hughes]

Yeah, I was thinking about EQ too, although I'm not a big fan of it.
Before Mjolnir3 I used to use EQ for X to make the sound not so “flat”, but after the separate amplifier appeared, EQ disappeared by itself, for me the sound with it seemed kinda synthetic or something "not right".

Yeah I've been very resistant to it. Equalisation, no matter what approach one takes, is a game of trade-offs. Is the desired performance gain worth the degradation of the signal path. But I think the best way to do it is to make only a few, relatively minor movements. Broad, musical filters will perform better than higher Q values. Moving in the direction of positivity rather than trying to chase some mythical ideal response. If you peeped my other post I linked, you'll see that my (initial, I'm sure it may develop a little bit) profiles are very moderate compared to most you will see posted online, many of whom have 5,6 dB moves, up to 10 bands, and much higher Q values outside of the shelves.

I'm currently not sure if this will work for me long term, as I have tried many times before and reverted fairly quickly, but I'm willing to give this a shot for the sake of trying to improve my work and get a bit of continuity between my two headphone sets. And honestly, the implementation on the RME is one of the best I've come across. Mainly, it handles all the gainstaging automatically and forms part of the DSP to conversion.

 

[Richy Hughes]

It may also be that your 4Z are not quite getting the relative juice that the X are getting.
I think your idea to try a balanced cable on your setup is one worth investigating, although I will say that I don't know whether your amp works well running 'balanced.'

If it's implemented properly and the amp can handle it, you'll get another 6dB of gain, which should at least in theory help level the playing field in terms of power.

Your comments about a narrower stage and less detail on the 4Z did not chime with my experience using them (in my case, they were manufactured in 2023 I believe) either using a pentacon or a SE connection on the RME ADI-2/4 PRO SE. Which to my understanding does have more current on tap than the earlier ADI models. All the best in your quest!

 

[senseitedj]

Well, i've got a copper mesh on my 4z, but Audeze support told me that according serial number mine 4z is 2020 year.

But compare the pads on my LCD-X (2022) and the 4z, the leather on the X is stiffer, the profile is a little higher, and the pads themselves are a little stiffer.

The earpads from both headphones will not be the same as each other. Also the same earpads will sound different when you attach it to another headphone.

 

[omgitsowl]

It may also be that your 4Z are not quite getting the relative juice that the X are getting.
I think your idea to try a balanced cable on your setup is one worth investigating, although I will say that I don't know whether your amp works well running 'balanced.'

If it's implemented properly and the amp can handle it, you'll get another 6dB of gain, which should at least in theory help level the playing field in terms of power.

Your comments about a narrower stage and less detail on the 4Z did not chime with my experience using them (in my case, they were manufactured in 2023 I believe) either using a pentacon or a SE connection on the RME ADI-2/4 PRO SE. Which to my understanding does have more current on tap than the earlier ADI models. All the best in your quest!

For the last couple of days I've been listening to 4z through RME about 5-6 hours a day, and in general I was satisfied with the sound, even the midrange dip didn't seem so catastrophic, but I was still not satisfied with the sound through Mjolnir.

Today a balanced cable arrived, with it the situation with mid-high frequencies became a bit better, the sound through Mjolnir became as near I expected it to be initially.
I have to turn the volume knob less, probably because it is a different amplifier output with less interference and more power.

Or maybe I'm just getting used to the sound of the 4z and everything seems quite ok.

 

[Richy Hughes]

For the last couple of days I've been listening to 4z through RME about 5-6 hours a day, and in general I was satisfied with the sound, even the midrange dip didn't seem so catastrophic, but I was still not satisfied with the sound through Mjolnir.

Today a balanced cable arrived, with it the situation with mid-high frequencies became a bit better, the sound through Mjolnir became as near I expected it to be initially.
I have to turn the volume knob less, probably because it is a different amplifier output with less interference and more power.

Or maybe I'm just getting used to the sound of the 4z and everything seems quite ok.

OK, well this seems like a step in the right direction!

 

[Richy Hughes]

OK - for what little this may be worth - I have returned to using the 4z without EQ for now. I advanced my already pretty conservative - small move - profile, but with a few more weeks back and forth I feel that the resolution /depth in the low to central mid-range is better without the EQ (even when I'm not EQing that region).

 

[omgitsowl]

After a month of almost daily use of the 4z I'm already completely satisfied with their sound, not so annoying a little lack of mid and top, just get used to it and enjoy the sound they give.
But the balanced output is definitely better than the SE.

I hope to buy Rockna Wavelight or YGGY MIB this year (but YGGY is very difficult to bring to us) and the sound will be even more interesting.

Funny thing is that a regular copper wire from LCD-X sounds better than this expensive silver-plated one. Perhaps, of course, because the ordinary one is XLR, and the this fancy one is SE, dunno.

 

[Sonic Defender]

....

Funny thing is that a regular copper wire from LCD-X sounds better than this expensive silver-plated one. Perhaps, of course, because the ordinary one is XLR, and the this fancy one is SE, dunno.

Or maybe it is because the different sound people talk about from different wire material is all in their heads.

 

[omgitsowl]

Or maybe it is because the different sound people talk about from different wire material is all in their heads.

Yep, that's the point, when I got these headphones I didn't like the sound of the mids and highs with their cable (which comes with silver plating), and I used the stock cable from LCD-X, it sounded a bit better, maybe because it's shorter, maybe for some other reason, I can't explain what exactly makes it better, but that's how I felt, so I ordered a regular XLR.

Maybe later I'll change this silver cable to XLR and try to listen with it again, after all I already have it and it's useless to sell it, but I don't think I'll notice any special difference. But just for fun why not

 

[GarlicBiscuit]

A new challenger has entered the ring. I loved the sound of the MX4s enough (with EQ) to snag the 4zs used, seeing as I demoed them twice in the past and really liked the results both times. They look beautiful in bright lighting like this picture, and the gold parts still have a nice sheen in darker environments. From a first session and a similar EQ profile, these also sound wonderful.

 

[Richy Hughes]

Congratulations on the addition to your family! The 4Z is a truly wonderful headphone.
I've been intrigued by the MX4s, especially given the support they've had in the pro world. Would love to give them a try sometime.

 

[dewald0]

Echoing the comments about a pure copper cable being a better fit for the 4z's, I got the Audeze premium black/copper cable today, and it is a SIGNIFICANT improvement over the silver/black version that came stock with my 4z... it extends deeper, the top end is smoother, and transients are more defined. I'm an engineer and have quite sensitive ears but it's really apparent to me. It's just a much more musical and engaging experience now. All new 4z's ship with this new black/copper cable by the way, so I encourage any existing 4z owners to try it out. It's 100% pure copper compared to the silver/black which is silver-plated copper.

After a month of almost daily use of the 4z I'm already completely satisfied with their sound, not so annoying a little lack of mid and top, just get used to it and enjoy the sound they give.
But the balanced output is definitely better than the SE.

I hope to buy Rockna Wavelight or YGGY MIB this year (but YGGY is very difficult to bring to us) and the sound will be even more interesting.

Funny thing is that a regular copper wire from LCD-X sounds better than this expensive silver-plated one. Perhaps, of course, because the ordinary one is XLR, and the this fancy one is SE, dunno.