New Audeze LCD3
Jan 25, 2012 at 8:22 PM Post #3,316 of 11,521


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macedonian hero, did your lcd-3s sound perfect right out the box?


I found that they did change over the first 50 or so hours. The other thing, while I really liked how both the R1 and R2 LCD-2s sounded with the Lyr,  I found the combination with the LCD-3s not as "motivating".
 
 
Jan 26, 2012 at 5:41 AM Post #3,317 of 11,521
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^ Indeed! Hopefully he'll be back. So entertaining.

 
Agreed, it's not the same around here without his creamy, high-dollar perspective.
 
Jan 26, 2012 at 7:51 AM Post #3,319 of 11,521
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Agreed, it's not the same around here without his creamy, high-dollar perspective.


Hate to take this thread off topic again, but I have to agree.  I miss that post where someone asked for a headphone amp recommendation at a certain budget and he recommended more money!


You're not joking, are you?
 
 
 
Jan 27, 2012 at 4:09 PM Post #3,322 of 11,521
--> athenaesword; Hmm. I'm interested in any response you receive since I have a similar situation. I have a pair with just over 30hrs burn in. They were totally unlistenable out of the box. Mid range was very veiled, and HF transients poor (almost like they are lifeless), ie tom-tom drums sounded like they were being struck through cloth. They have since improved somewhat over this time, however the improvement now is very gradual rather than dramatic over the first 15 or so hrs - To make maters worse I now believe I can hear distortion/resonance on certain notes. So far I havent been able to listen to a single track all the way through. Maybe the pair need more burn in time but I'm not too convinced of this at the moment. For information I havent purchased a dedicated amp at the moment but am playing these through a weiss dac202. Probably not the greatest combination but if anyone else has tried similar I would be interested in their experience. Thanks.
 
Jan 27, 2012 at 4:16 PM Post #3,323 of 11,521
Some say that the 3s sound less "open" than the 2s. Could those elaborate on that a bit? Thanks. 
 
Jan 27, 2012 at 8:53 PM Post #3,324 of 11,521


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Some say that the 3s sound less "open" than the 2s. Could those elaborate on that a bit? Thanks. 


Not to my ears. Sound staging has improved to the point where they rivaled my HE-6s. Under-driving orthos will yield very poor results.
 
 
Jan 27, 2012 at 9:49 PM Post #3,325 of 11,521
have about 72 hours burn in. mids still sound like crap compared to my lcd-2. they didn't blow me away at all like the set that the distributor allowed me to demo with at my house. same set up. thankfully they've agreed to provide me with another set to A/B when the next shipment arrives. 
 
with music that doesn't have vocals on them it's less noticeable, but it's undeniable with music with vocals. my lcd-2s, which I had with me for half a year, sounded way lusher in vocals. unlike you, i'm refusing to believe i hear any improvement from inception. 
 
do let me know how your lcd-3s progress as well!
 
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--> athenaesword; Hmm. I'm interested in any response you receive since I have a similar situation. I have a pair with just over 30hrs burn in. They were totally unlistenable out of the box. Mid range was very veiled, and HF transients poor (almost like they are lifeless), ie tom-tom drums sounded like they were being struck through cloth. They have since improved somewhat over this time, however the improvement now is very gradual rather than dramatic over the first 15 or so hrs - To make maters worse I now believe I can hear distortion/resonance on certain notes. So far I havent been able to listen to a single track all the way through. Maybe the pair need more burn in time but I'm not too convinced of this at the moment. For information I havent purchased a dedicated amp at the moment but am playing these through a weiss dac202. Probably not the greatest combination but if anyone else has tried similar I would be interested in their experience. Thanks.



 
 
Jan 27, 2012 at 10:29 PM Post #3,326 of 11,521


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Not to my ears. Sound staging has improved to the point where they rivaled my HE-6s. Under-driving orthos will yield very poor results.
 

 
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have about 72 hours burn in. mids still sound like crap compared to my lcd-2. they didn't blow me away at all like the set that the distributor allowed me to demo with at my house. same set up. thankfully they've agreed to provide me with another set to A/B when the next shipment arrives. 
 
with music that doesn't have vocals on them it's less noticeable, but it's undeniable with music with vocals. my lcd-2s, which I had with me for half a year, sounded way lusher in vocals. unlike you, i'm refusing to believe i hear any improvement from inception. 
 
do let me know how your lcd-3s progress as well!

 

Yes the soundstage with the 3 is better.  Wider. It extends outward more on both sides.   The extra speed of the 3 also increase the sonic cues within the sound field to give more depth overall also.   The increased transparency in the top end also helps.   Overall it is a better headphone too bad the one I auditioned had that veil to it.    I burned at least 300 hours into the one I had until I had to send it back into the void and the veil never left.
 
Still with the improvements and even if it had no veil I am firmly convinced $1500 is all it is worth. I'll generously give that much ground.
 
  One thing I found with the LCD-2 and my W4S DAC-2 is that when I changed out the stock power cable that came with the DAC-2 and replaced it with a Shunyata Venom 3 the soundstage width increased and then the LCD-2 presented a wider soundstage than I thought possible.   
 
 
 
Jan 27, 2012 at 10:37 PM Post #3,327 of 11,521
Well, i had to give them a try. I should have my set late next week. So what is this veil suppose to sound like?
 
Jan 27, 2012 at 10:45 PM Post #3,328 of 11,521


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Well, i had to give them a try. I should have my set late next week. So what is this veil suppose to sound like?



Hey great....I wouldn't call them veiled (though the latest batch seemed to have had some issues). I did find the LCD-3s pickier than the LCD-2s (either rev) with source/dac/amp and less forgiving of poorly recorded material. But once you get it working synergistically, they are incredible headphones.
 
Jan 27, 2012 at 10:50 PM Post #3,329 of 11,521
I dont think the amp/dac should be a problem, but who knows, these could be the premadonna of headphones.
tongue.gif

 
Jan 27, 2012 at 10:56 PM Post #3,330 of 11,521


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I dont think the amp/dac should be a problem, but who knows, these could be the premadonna of headphones.
tongue.gif



LoL..I like it...prima donna of headphones. It is certainly a bigger prima donna than the LCD-2s. The HD800s are another pair I would consider a prima donna.
 
FWIW, found this Steve Guttenberg review of the LCD-3s:
 
http://www.robbreport.com/Paid-Issue/Home-Electronics-Magnetic-Attraction
 
Some good information on the differences structurally between the LCD-2 and LCD-3 drivers.
 

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