[nixir]

Just want to gather some thoughts on the comfort level of these cans. I love the audeze sound but the weight is a little bit concerning, they seemed tolerable from the short time I demoed them in store but I'd like to know if you can wear them for hours without discomfort.
 
My reference is the HD800 and I use my headphones mainly at my desk while working on the computer, I frequently wear the HD800 for many hours, sometimes with nothing playing. I'm wondering what kind of decrease/increase in comfort level should I expect from the LCD-3.
 
Thanks so much!

 

[KG Jag]

The HD 800 is much lighter and does not clamp as hard.
 
Beyond that--headphone comfort is a very individual thing.  Everyone has a different head size and shape, as well as different sensitivities and levels of sensitivity.  We can point you to headphones that are generally considered to be comfortable and mention others that have garnered complaints for being uncomfortable.  However, the only way to know for sure is to wear them yourself for a time equivalent to your longest listening session.

 

[701]

Hi Nixir,
 
I have a LCD-2 - rev 1, which is easily the most uncomfortable headphone I have ever worn (dark sound signature as well - should sell that thing). My understanding of reading about later Audeze models is there were improvements, how much I could not say. I suspect you will not have the same experience of being able to wear it for hours like the HD 800 (which I also have), & comfort level can be a personal thing, so others need to chime in here . My listening position for serious listening (HD 800, AKG 701, HD 650) is different to you in that 99 percent is done lying down.

 

[billybob_jcv]

I really like the LCD-2, and I listen to it every chance I get - but I don't own one. I really don't think I could wear them for hours. There's just too much weight in each cup for that. It might be interesting to check out the new Audeze EL-8 - it appears to be much smaller.

 

[b0000]

The audeze headphones are on the heavy side, and their headband design imo is a disaster. The angled pads causes the headband to tilt and cause a very obvious pressure spot. Fortunately, this solved the problem for me and enables me to wear my lcd2's for hours without discomfort. 

 

[nixir]

  Hi Nixir,
 
I have a LCD-2 - rev 1, which is easily the most uncomfortable headphone I have ever worn (dark sound signature as well - should sell that thing). My understanding of reading about later Audeze models is there were improvements, how much I could not say. I suspect you will not have the same experience of being able to wear it for hours like the HD 800 (which I also have), & comfort level can be a personal thing, so others need to chime in here . My listening position for serious listening (HD 800, AKG 701, HD 650) is different to you in that 99 percent is done lying down.

Thanks 701,
 
I have to agree with you that the LCDs (3 in my case) are the heaviest cans I've ever put on my head so far, I think 3s are even more weighty than the LCD-2s, which is why I am having serious doubt about its comfort level for long period listening while sitting, although I didn't feel any discomfort from the *very* short period of time I tried them while in store. I can see them maybe more tolerable for those who prefer listening while lying on a sofa etc., so your claiming that even lying down they aren't very comfortable is even more concerning to me.
 
Sound wise I actually enjoyed the LCD-3 very much and think they make a good complement to the HD 800, they are darker but not much so, and the bass is indeed spectacular. On the other hand the HD800 perhaps set the comfort standard quite high and it'll be hard for most other cans to meet...

 

[nixir]

  The HD 800 is much lighter and does not clamp as hard.
 
Beyond that--headphone comfort is a very individual thing.  Everyone has a different head size and shape, as well as different sensitivities and levels of sensitivity.  We can point you to headphones that are generally considered to be comfortable and mention others that have garnered complaints for being uncomfortable.  However, the only way to know for sure is to wear them yourself for a time equivalent to your longest listening session.

Thanks KG Jag,
 
You are right, I should try to find a pair to audition for some more time before deciding. I just thought they were quite heavy while trying them but it wasn't painful or uncomfortable as some reviews have claimed, but I guess without wearing them for the typical hours it'd be hard to draw a right conclusion.

 

[nixir]

  The audeze headphones are on the heavy side, and their headband design imo is a disaster. The angled pads causes the headband to tilt and cause a very obvious pressure spot. Fortunately, this solved the problem for me and enables me to wear my lcd2's for hours without discomfort. 

Thank you b0000,
 
They are indeed the heaviest headphones I've ever tried so far, I didn't wear them long enough (listened to 1 song and some, so 5-6 min max) to experience any discomfort so I can't comment on that.

 

[nixir]

I really like the LCD-2, and I listen to it every chance I get - but I don't own one. I really don't think I could wear them for hours. There's just too much weight in each cup for that. It might be interesting to check out the new Audeze EL-8 - it appears to be much smaller.

Haha I have to agree that they are indeed the heaviest headphones I've ever worn, which caused my concern, though I have to say I thought the LCD-3 was quite comfortable from the 5 or so minutes I had them on while in the shop. I suspect for multi-hour listening sessions I may have to look elsewhere.