[Dan Lee]

I'm really enjoying my X's and find them to be comfortable for extended listening. These were my first audiophile grade headphone and are responsible for my newest hobby.

I see that you own both the LCD-X and LCD-4 any chance you give me your thoughts on the differences between the two and if the 4 is a justifiable upgrade over the X.

 

[Dan Lee]

My Utopia curiosity has been nicely checked, thanks

Yeah mine too haha. This headphone has single handedly made me question everything I thought about reading reviews and trusting in those reviews. Unfortunately I dont have a lot of ways to experience high end headphones without purchasing them so I am left to place a great deal of faith in these reviews. Oh well at least I got a good deal on these and should be able to recoup most of my money. Now to figure out what to get next. LCD-4, Ether 2, or something else...
To be continued I suppose.

 

[User00]

In my own experience from RMAF, the Ether 2 out of an iFi iCan sounded too bright, almost harsh playing Lift by Radiohead. The Utipia sounded closed in but really transparent compared to my X. I can't really say that I was impressed by either of them when comparing directly to the X. I also heard the 4 out of a Hugo TT2 and compared directly to the X playing Roundabout by Yes. It seemed to be darker sounding for sure and really smooth but overall I did not think it too far from the X.

 

[kid vic]

I suspect that our main issue with the Utopia is that it claims to be a complete revelation in sound quality and presentation yet it only delivers at most a sliver more than the competition. I don't think that any headphone will truly outperform another offering around the $750-1200 price bracket; I think that that is the hard line of worthy sonic increase on the value front. After that point, your paying for build quality/craftsmanship, accessories and a specific sound signature. I think what @User00 was getting at is that they heard a different signature (between the X and the 4) but not a better headphone.
My issue with the Utopia was that it is an objectively good headphone but uninspiring sound for the cost of a car with some strange built-in limitations.

 

[Dan Lee]

I agree with you both 100% and was actually thinking the same thing about this price range and the diminishing returns it seems to bring. I find with the utopia that I feel they are fragile in the sense that they distort when volume goes over a certain point and I have read and heard they are very suceptible to damage as a result. I tend to enjoy a higher volume then I should and at a price point of 3k to 4k you would expect a headphone not to be this way. With my X i can take it to volumes my ears cant take and it never distorts or feels as though it is fragile in anyway. Along with this I mirror your thoughts on how the audiophile community made this headphone seem as though it had completely changed the game and was this miracle headphone that would produce perfection in sound and bring out sounds in music the god damn artists didnt even know were there and my god they arent even close to that. At this point no matter what I try I cant find anything that can top the X. I love these cans. I am tempted and intrigued by the mrspeakers Ether 2 and would still like to hear the LCD4 though I suspect like you guys said they will be only minimally better then the X leaving me to wait till the price drops on them.

 

[kid vic]

I agree with you both 100% and was actually thinking the same thing about this price range and the diminishing returns it seems to bring. I find with the utopia that I feel they are fragile in the sense that they distort when volume goes over a certain point and I have read and heard they are very suceptible to damage as a result. I tend to enjoy a higher volume then I should and at a price point of 3k to 4k you would expect a headphone not to be this way. With my X i can take it to volumes my ears cant take and it never distorts or feels as though it is fragile in anyway. Along with this I mirror your thoughts on how the audiophile community made this headphone seem as though it had completely changed the game and was this miracle headphone that would produce perfection in sound and bring out sounds in music the god damn artists didnt even know were there and my god they arent even close to that. At this point no matter what I try I cant find anything that can top the X. I love these cans. I am tempted and intrigued by the mrspeakers Ether 2 and would still like to hear the LCD4 though I suspect like you guys said they will be only minimally better then the X leaving me to wait till the price drops on them.

Lool if I had known you were gonna put your Utopias up for sale right after I might not have lit them up so hard.

 

[Dan Lee]

haha no worries my friend I had already made that decision. Its just not the sound sig for me. I used to believe myself to be the type to be into a very bright and detailed sound but since getting deeper and deeper into this hobby I have come to realize I prefer a bit more warmth and bass impact and so far the lcd does that very well. i am pretty well decided on getting a pair of ether 2s as they sound as though they will have the exact sound sig of my ideal set of cans but we shall have to wait and see.

 

[the finisher]

Last night I listen to great music all night through Yggy, Lyr 2 and the X.

Dam I love these Headphones

 

[commtrd]

Last night I listen to great music all night through Yggy, Lyr 2 and the X.

Dam I love these Headphones

Awesome! I would love to listen to that setup. Have done the impromptu all-nighters several times over the years. Just can't stop listening...

 

[Dan Lee]

have any of you heard the mrspeakers ether 2 yet? It sounds quite promising from all that I have read but would prefer to hear from people who have the same taste in sound as I do. Seeing as we all express love for the X I can only assume we all enjoy a similar sound signature.

 

[the finisher]

Yeah, hey Dan I'd be interested to hear others opinions on those headphones in this thread too.
I don't really spend much time in any other headphone thread here.
I'm pretty satisfied with the two headphones I have currently, and since I'm a speaker Guy mostly this could be this way for a while.
I still like to hear about others experiences and I know many people in this thread share my taste.

So quite a while back I bought the carbon headband for the X as I really didn't like the old style headband much.
I really liked the look of the new one, however the leather strap was always too long, it was in constant contact with the carbon support beam. This kind of pissed me off because it would make noise and it wasn't as comfortable as it should have been.

So yesterday I took everything apart and I drilled a new holes in the leather strap shortening the leather strap by 1/8 in on each side.

Now the leather strap is about 3/16 of an inch from the carbon beam like it should be.
And I will tell you what, they are so comfortable now I can't believe that little modification made that big of a deal.
Really Audeze made these straps too long and I don't know if they have corrected that on further runs of that part. But I kind of feel like they owe me one if they have one the right size, I paid a couple hundred bucks for it I might write them an email about this.

Anyway that's really a small issue in the grand scheme of things I love these headphones and now I really really love them because they're very comfortable the way they're set up now..

 

[HungryPanda]

I did the same mod and as you say, in the grand scheme of things, I'm in comfort and audio heaven

 

[gtbrown50]

I see that you own both the LCD-X and LCD-4 any chance you give me your thoughts on the differences between the two and if the 4 is a justifiable upgrade over the X.

Its been a couple of months since I used the LCD-X. I do use the LCD-XC daily, and its certainly a good exercise to compare them. So, I spent some time with both and here are my extremely subjective thoughts:

Notes: Roon > Yggy (Gen 5) > Loki EQ > THX AAA 798 (SE connections)

Royksopp The Inevitable End

The LCD-X had great bass, mids were clear but not forward. This HP is a warm headphone, the overall sound is very nice, but without a little EQ unexciting mids and highs detracted somewhat. The X is easier to drive by a noticeable amount, switching to the 4 required more gain.

Using the 4 the sound is also too warm for me, warmer than the X actually. Again, after EQ (and gain adjust) the 4 came to life. Detail is the first difference I notice, then the placement of instruments and overall sound stage is better with the 4.

I also listened to Nora Jones on Peter Malick Group's Chance and Circumstance with the same result except the difference in Nora Jone's vocal tone was striking, with the 4 doing a much better job of bringing out her voice's harmonics and inflections.

Both have excellent bass, the 4 perhaps a little leaner but quicker, more accurate.

I can't really recommend upgrading for you, however from this little exercise I've decided to sell BOTH my LCD-Xs, keeping the LCD-XC.

So, a biased, unscientific and poorly worded snapshot of the two headphones from a stranger located in the internet maze. Hope this helps.

 

[SuperU]

Its been a couple of months since I used the LCD-X. I do use the LCD-XC daily, and its certainly a good exercise to compare them. So, I spent some time with both and here are my extremely subjective thoughts:

Notes: Roon > Yggy (Gen 5) > Loki EQ > THX AAA 798 (SE connections)

Royksopp The Inevitable End

The LCD-X had great bass, mids were clear but not forward. This HP is a warm headphone, the overall sound is very nice, but without a little EQ unexciting mids and highs detracted somewhat. The X is easier to drive by a noticeable amount, switching to the 4 required more gain.

Using the 4 the sound is also too warm for me, warmer than the X actually. Again, after EQ (and gain adjust) the 4 came to life. Detail is the first difference I notice, then the placement of instruments and overall sound stage is better with the 4.

I also listened to Nora Jones on Peter Malick Group's Chance and Circumstance with the same result except the difference in Nora Jone's vocal tone was striking, with the 4 doing a much better job of bringing out her voice's harmonics and inflections.

Both have excellent bass, the 4 perhaps a little leaner but quicker, more accurate.

I can't really recommend upgrading for you, however from this little exercise I've decided to sell BOTH my LCD-Xs, keeping the LCD-XC.

So, a biased, unscientific and poorly worded snapshot of the two headphones from a stranger located in the internet maze. Hope this helps.

Hi Gtbrown50,

I'm a little confused. Were you testing the X vs the 4 or the X vs the XC?

My suspicion is that you were testing the X vs the 4.

Am I understanding right that you like the XC more than the X? If so, I'd love to know why. The XC have always interested me.

Thanks

 

[betula]

Hello LCD-X owners. I have got a question. I ran through all the thread and read everything from the past year. Although a couple of times some users asked for LCD-2C comparisons, the information regarding this is not much more than two lines altogether. Could someone write a little more on how these two Audeze hps compare (preferably with a better system)?
(Man, the ongoing comments of that very negative and unhappy chap who eventually bought a HD650 were really annoying.)

I really love my 2C's warm, lush and dynamic sound. I love Audeze bass. Sub-bass extension, rumble, bass impact and slam was one of the reasons I chose the 2C over the Clear. The 2C can sound a bit too warm and almost woolly out of cheap sources. That's why I built a very clean and powerful system for them. FLAC → iPurifier 3 → Chord 2Qute → Questyle CMA600i → Toxic Silver Widow. All of these elements add clarity, resolution, refinement, dynamism, extension, separation, space, airiness to the sound, lifting the 2C to another level.
Sometimes I wonder how close the 2C sounds in this system compared to the X out of a more basic system. I think they might be closer than many would think.

I also wonder how the X would sound on my system. Even more clarity, even more details? I don't necessarily need a more neutral sound but I know higher resolution exists since I owned the Clear. I like resolution and details but not on the price of fatigue. I need the hp for pure musical joy, I am not a neutral-head. Also I am very treble sensitive and this is pretty much the highest amount of treble I can still enjoy with the 2C out of this system.
Are the mids even more alive on the X than on the 2C? And how does the bass compare? If there is something I definitely don't want to loose on is the bass. Does the X have the same satisfying bass as the 2C?
I wonder if the X is a worthwhile upgrade from the 2C with my system and needs. I got the 2C with 15% discount for £505 half a year ago. The X in the creator's package would cost me £1099.
I am also a little worried about the weight. I got used to the 2C's weight in 3 weeks, I have no issues anymore. But the X is 100g more.