[deafenears]

Why is it so hard for manufacturers to get this right:

Clamp affects seal and therefore how the headphone sounds

Everyone’s head is different.

That. Good thing it's steel so can bed it into shape vs. the carbon fiber headband of the LCD-5s.

 

[laxlife1234]

I think it is worth giving them a try simply for the reduced weight and increased comfort and better build quality over the LCD-X. But I am mixing all the time, so these may not be as important of considerations for you. They are actually the best I have tried for mixing... I find I still have to check on my studio monitors and also on a cheap closed back pair of headphones like the sony mdr 7506, but they really can take me 95% of the way there and I never thought I would be saying that about headphones. Crazy times we live in. I am really happy studio engineers are getting high quality headphones made specifically for them.

Have you owned the LCD-X? I mix/produce— Im wondering if it’s a worthy upgrade from my LCD-X’s?

I usually mix on my HD800s but as previously mentioned with soundstage.. a little difficult to get the mix quite right. I love the expansive sound stage however. Been thinking of swapping the hd800s as my casual listening cans and using the LCD for mixing.

 

[mikecheck95]

Have you owned the LCD-X? I mix/produce— Im wondering if it’s a worthy upgrade from my LCD-X’s?

I usually mix on my HD800s but as previously mentioned with soundstage.. a little difficult to get the mix quite right. I love the expansive sound stage however. Been thinking of swapping the hd800s as my casual listening cans and using the LCD for mixing.

Sorry to interrupt… Have you ever tried Sonarworks with your LCD-X? Works great for me and allows you to make tweaks of your own. I generally pull the upper mids down a bit and add a bit more bass.

 

[laxlife1234]

Sorry to interrupt… Have you ever tried Sonarworks with your LCD-X? Works great for me and allows you to make tweaks of your own. I generally pull the upper mids down a bit and add a bit more bass.

I had given it a trial run when I first got the LCD-X's. I never committed to purchasing as it felt redundant since I have an ADI-2 Pro which has an excellent EQ section. I'm mostly curious from HBIII's real world use as a mixing engineer how they stack up against the LCD X's if they are familiar with them.

 

[planar shill]

If they sound as good as they look, then these could be my endgame headphones, but reviewer's impression of strong clamping force make me hesitate, why is it so difficult for manufacturers to get this right? headphones should be comfortable, it doesn't matter how good they sound if they're uncomfortable to wear, but I will test them myself soon and hope they suit both my head and sound taste.

I've been saying this for awhile, but I'd really like it if Audeze just payed DCA to be able to lift their headband design.

 

[deafenears]

I've been saying this for awhile, but I'd really like it if Audeze just payed DCA to be able to lift their headband design.

What's wrong with Audeze's headbands? In particular, I'm fond of the previous LCD design. DCA headbands are like wires strung together with a leather strap, then there's that large gap when it's placed on the head.

 

[planar shill]

What's wrong with Audeze's headbands? In particular, I'm fond of the previous LCD design. DCA headbands are like wires strung together with a leather strap, then there's that large gap when it's placed on the head.

Audeze's older headband is clunkier to adjust and on the leather strap easily warps and then your head ends up touching the carbon fiber or metal band. The newer one has fixed those two problems but now instead has massive clamp. The nickel titanium wires that DCA uses allows for to gently clamp regardless of your head size because of the material's "memory", this is in contrast to the more severe tension the LCD-5 employs. DCA's design It is also extremely lightweight. I'm pretty sure it is not magnesium or carbon fiber, but the volume of material is so much less that I would wager that the yoke and headband assembly still weighs less than on the newer Audeze headphones.

I am a huge Audeze fan, so I am allowed to be this critical.

 

[planar shill]

I am a huge Audeze fan, so I am allowed to be this critical.

 

[deafenears]

heh, all valid points. I wasn't having a go at you, just wanted to hear your thoughts on the subject rather than just "they suck".

 

[planar shill]

heh, all valid points. I wasn't having a go at you, just wanted to hear your thoughts on the subject rather than just "they suck".

They don't suck, I just think they could be better. The new one is actually fantastic for most people (medium noggin and below), myself included. I just think that there's a more elegant solution out there somewhere.

 

[rudbeard]

If they sound as good as they look, then these could be my endgame headphones, but reviewer's impression of strong clamping force make me hesitate, why is it so difficult for manufacturers to get this right? headphones should be comfortable, it doesn't matter how good they sound if they're uncomfortable to wear, but I will test them myself soon and hope they suit both my head and sound taste.

Clamping pressure is more complicated than it might seem. The headband doesn’t just compress the pads and squeeze the head, it’s also compressing the pad, reliably positioning the drivers near the ear on a lot of different head sizes. The clamping pressure has to help offset the downward pressing weight of the headband. Clamp force has to pin the headphones on so they don't slide around or fall off.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Resolve pointed out that stretching headband didn't really help issue much, we need larger headband with less clamp.
Hope Audeze reps are reading this thread and saw his and other users feedback.

Just like the LCD-5, the MM-500 has substantial clamp force for those with larger than average heads. This is in part a requirement for the type of mechanical assembly Audeze have gone for with this headphone, with the way the rods create the necessary angle to keep the cups in place on the side of the head to create a seal. You wouldn’t want it to be too loose, because then that seal gets compromised and has an effect on the sound, but I find that with this new headband system, as much as they look amazing, the clamp is just too strong for my head. I think it would've even been better to stick with their previous headband design.

Thankfully, there is somewhat of a solution. An Audeze representative has indicated that the MM-500’s headband is springsteel and this means that there is an opportunity to stretch it out over some books or blocks and have it loosen the clamp over time.

Since this is my primary complaint with this design, I tried it. Sure enough, it did loosen the clamp a bit, but I still wasn’t able to make it comfortable for longer listening sessions, and I really think it would be beneficial to use either a lower clamp force headband design, or offer a longer top piece to accommodate larger heads - which is something Audeze has already done with their LCD-5 design. The point being that in my view, while it’s close, it’s still not enough to accommodate big-headed audiophiles like myself.

But of course, for those with average or smaller heads, this shouldn’t be a problem at all.

 

[Ham Sandwich]

Resolve pointed out that stretching headband didn't really help issue much, we need larger headband with less clamp.
Hope Audeze reps are reading this thread and saw his and other users feedback.

What I need is an Audeze with more clamping force. For me the Audeze LCD series don't clamp hard enough. They want to slide off my head if I look down at papers on my desk. If I look down to read papers on my desk the headphones break the seal behind my ears and start to slide off my head. If I need to pick something off the floor while I'm sitting at my desk I have to contort my neck and head so my head stays upright enough while I bend down to pick that something up off the floor. If I just bend down quickly to pick that something off the floor the headphones will fall off my head, hit the desk, then hit the floor. The Audeze LCD headphones don't clamp hard enough. They need to clamp much harder. I want them to clamp so hard that your eyes and Resolve's eyes pop out of their sockets. That would begin to be tight enough for me. My hat size is a small-medium. I'm not a large head.

If I wanted a headphone that forced me to keep my head upright and to limit sudden movements I'd have bought an Abyss 1266. Instead I got the Audeze LCD. I expected them to stay on my head. And I'm sure that studio engineers and mixing engineers using the MM-500 for work also want the headphones to stay securely on their head as they move around the console and reach down below the console to adjust gear in a rack down near the floor. Tight clamping force for a large planar magnetic headphone is necessary to maintain the seal for proper sound quality and to keep the big heavy headphones securely on your head.

If the MM-500 claps harder and stays on my head when I look down and move around then I'm all for that.

All of your complaints and criticisms of the MM-500 are why I want the MM-500. You complain about too tight clamping, I want tighter clamping. You complain about the new midrange bump in the frequency response and that midrange bump is exactly why I want the MM-500 in addition to my LCD-X. You complain about the compact soundstage of the Audeze headphones and that compact soundstage with precise imaging within that compact soundstage is exactly why I like the Audeze headphones.

 

[IXOYE]

I assume this headphone are designed to suit studio and mixing engineers who need a stronger clamping force for the headphones to sit securely on their heads while they work, I understand that, but hopefully Audeze will release a new model for casual listening that is more adapted for that purpose as well.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

One size never fits all.
At least with LCD-X unbending or bending headband does work, seems like the new design has its limitations, perhaps due to starting point to have much more clamp limiting range of unbending.
Besides redesigning this altogether, multiple size headbands could be a solution that will satisfy both brainiacs and shrunken heads.