New Audeze LCD3

[arnaud]

Quote:

I don't care I'm gonna buy it anyways.

Way to go googleli

 

[Cya|\|]

I subscribe to this thread. So are the highs tonally pitched as the lcd-2 rev.2?
Never heard the rev.2, but want to sell the rev.1 because it doesn't appeal to my taste. Not sure if the rev.2 is enought brighter  than the rev.1.
Mind you, I've got speakers with true ribbon tweeter and magnesium woofer, and the toanlity of my speakers DOES appeal to my taste

.
Still waiting for the transmission audio true ribbon headphones, if they're not vaporware...the last time I sent them an email asking for updates they didn't even reply

 

[googleli]

Thanks arnaud. Frankly, I don't have high hopes - I think it will end up somewhere in between the LCD2 Rev 1 and the SR009. Pessimistically speaking, it will lose the creaminess of the Rev 1 yet unable achieve the level of details and fineness of the SR009. But who knows - it may end up in a middle point which is just right for me. On the bright side, it will be a good upgrade to my office rig over my LCD2, now that I have set up the "ultimate brick combo" here...

 
Quote:

Way to go googleli

 

 

[Beyerdynamico]

Quote:

I don't care I'm gonna buy it anyways.

Yeah, that's the attitude. That's why the Audeze' salesmen end up thinking: "hey, what's wrong, more profit for us, more valuable the headphones look, more hype and interest, they are gonna buy them anyways, ... it's all advantages.
 
...clapping...
 
Seriously, if they won't come close to the SR-009, resolve their previous shortcomings and maintain the same signature (tilt to the dark/warmer side) they won't deserve the asking price.
 

 

[arnaud]

Quote:

Thanks arnaud. Frankly, I don't have high hopes - I think it will end up somewhere in between the LCD2 Rev 1 and the SR009. Pessimistically speaking, it will lose the creaminess of the Rev 1 yet unable achieve the level of details and fineness of the SR009. But who knows - it may end up in a middle point which is just right for me. On the bright side, it will be a good upgrade to my office rig over my LCD2, now that I have set up the "ultimate brick combo" here... 
 

From the posts we've seen so far, it seems like a good complement to your 009. Quite transparent yet at the same time a darker / more meaty sound signature that would accommodate better so-so recordings. If I was "loaded" like you, it'd probably take a similar decision, especially if I had 2 separate rigs. None applies at the moment so I am happy just watching .

 

[warp08]

Quote:

 
Man I hope not. I have the leather on the way for improved looks and hygiene but have no ergonomic problems with the foam. I hope it's just as comfortable and doesn't slide around.

It did for me.  Bummer.

 

[oqvist]

Didn´t slide around for me though you can feel it´s on the limit.  But as comfortable.... No. Wonder why they have the pillow design on it?

 

[InnerSpace]

Quote:

All of the big headphone makers have come out with headphones in the last couple years that are way over the top as far as price is concerned.

I agree that over the years we have become accustomed to headphones being fairly cheap, compared to CD players or amps.  Nobody freaks out over TOTL electronics costing four or even five figures.  But is there an organic reason why a headphone should be ten times cheaper than a CD player?  I can't see one.  If a perceived price ceiling is breached, we could see some valuable advances.
 

 

[cavedave]

The truth is not just headphones. Every thing has prices that are far to high. Part of what is wrong with things in general is to many are trying to get rich and fewer still are having a way to pay the piper.Or to many are trying to have every thing they want and pay later [ credit ] and now many dont have the money to get out of debt. Many of these companys are trying to get rich and the truth is the things they are selling are just not worth the prices they are asking. All this is about to change in fact it is changing as we speak the world over.

 

[Ham Sandwich]

I wonder if the tendency of the headphone to slide around or move for different people has to do with how long and thick their hair is and how much of a sideburn they have?  More hair caught under the pads would make them stick less to the skin and have a tendency to slide around more.
 
I just had a horrible vision of dedicated head-fiers sporting an Audeze haircut.  Huge whitewalls around the ears so the LCD2/LCD3 pads get optimal skin contact.  

 

[Loevhagen]

If people actually buy hifi stuff for money they do not have: Stop that. Don't use the credit cards. Save. Then buy. Man, it's the 1980s all over again. Some people never learn.

 

[elnero]

Quote:

That would obviously trigger immediate opportunity to compare the LCD-2 and LCD-3, and establish a logical opinion about its strengths and weaknesses.
I believe Audeze would want exactly the opposite - create a irrational hype around a surprising appearance of the successor of a highly appreciated product.

 

Or maybe it's just that they could only take so much gear and figured the masses would most want to hear the new model and in all likelihood there would be numerous version 2's at the show for people to hear.

 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Beyerdynamico /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Seriously, if they won't come close to the SR-009, resolve their previous shortcomings and maintain the same signature (tilt to the dark/warmer side) they won't deserve the asking price.
 

 
I've seen other posts saying something similar, I don't get it, why do the LCD-3's have to come close to a phone that cost over $3000 more to be deserving of the asking price?
 
 

 

[elnero]

Reading through this thread I can't help but think many people are being incredibly unfair to Audez'e. First, lets look at a bit of history, from what I remember the LCD-1 was more of a testing the waters and proving the tech. Audez'e was very upfront that they were moving forward with a new version and anyone buying the LCD-1 would be offered an incentive if they wanted to buy the new headphone (the LCD-2) when they released it.

Even after the LCD-2 was released Audez'e continued to try to improve it with minor revisions to improve quality, comfort, etc. but then, inexplicably, a problem arose this past spring/summer with a high rate of driver failures. Audez'e bent over backwards to try and make up it up to those whose drivers failed by paying shipping both ways and often sending out new phones before receiving the old pair back.

From what they've said, these failures forced Audez'e to revise the driver with a new version. I have no proof but I suspect that they were able to implement this new driver so quickly because of the R&D they were doing for the LCD-3. It may not be the same driver but I suspect it benefited from the research and development that was going on.

And now at probably the largest headphone related event of the year, they announce a new model, the LCD-3 at twice the price. Yes, it has similar styling as the LCD-2 but that doesn't make it the same. Grado's all have a similar look yet pricing is vastly different. Most Beyer's have a similar look as well, I haven't seen the T1's in person, but in pics they don't look all that different from a DT990.

I just got my Rev. 2's a couple of weeks ago and just sold my Rev. 1's for over $300 less than what I paid. Am I pissed about the announcement of a new model? Absolutely NOT! Am I pissed that they didn't announce their plans earlier? Absolutely NOT! Am I pissed that I didn't know about the new model before I purchased the Rev.2's? Absolutely NOT! Am I pissed that they don't offer some sort of trade-in to recent Rev.2 purcharsers? Absolutley NOT! After all, why should they? What other manufacturer out there announces their plans to build a new model before it's ready for release? Did Sennheiser announce their plans to release the HD800 early? Did they warn new HD650 purchasers when they were buying that there was a new model on the horizon before the official announcement? Did they offer incentives to recent HD650 purchasers to trade-in and upgrade to the HD800? Has Grado ever done any of these things? AKG? Beyerdynamic? None that I'm aware of, so why are people holding Audez'e to a higher standard than pretty much every other company out there?

I also don't understand people complaining about the price? It seems like it was just a few years ago everyone on here was lamenting the fact that there were very few true high end phones still being manufactured. We should be celebrating companies that are innovating and moving technology forward . Instead, now that there are new options all people can do is complain about it. Even at $995 I think the LCD-2's are generally looked at as a bit of a bargain for the performance they offer so if the LCD-3 offers an improvement on that then I'd have to think the asking price isn't out of line. Is Audez'e making a larger profit margin on them? Quite possibly, and why shouldn't they? Afterall I think most manufacturers in any industry have a higher profit margin on their top of the line products. This isn't charity work, like any business, the owners want to make a profit and support their families in as comfortable a manner as possible. If Audez'e is able to do this while at the same time moving the industry forward I think they should be applauded for their efforts not given the grief that has been apparent in a good portion of the posts in this and other like threads.

In my view Audez'e has been nothing short of outstanding for their innovation, commitment to improving their products and their customer service. I applaude the release of the LCD-3 and hope to hear one some day and I look forward to seeing what else they have up their sleeve in the future.

 

[45longcolt]

I fully understand the frustraton of WarriorAnt and others. Audeze has been capricious (or sloppy) about answering my emails. And while they did replace my defective Rev. 1s, it took the better part of a month. That said, I'd hate to give up my Rev. 2s
 
As to the LCD-3, that's a serious chunk of change. So I'll be waiting for the hoopla to die down, for the reviews to come in and for any reliability isses to show up. Also agree with other posters who dislike the bling-gy cable connectors and the brown leather.
 
Being a small company, perhaps Audeze can offer custom choices for things like leather color, hopefully at a very small charge. And if I sent them a nice block of seasoned ebony, for example, could they make the cups out of that. For that money, there's a limit to what I'll compromise on.
 
Price is a tricky issue. There's a definite "what the market will bear" element, especially at the upper end. It's a status thing. People eat at steak houses not because the food is so good, but to demonstrate that they can afford to eat at steak houses. On the other hand, running a company is expensive, whether money is coming in or not. Paying employees, dealing with regulations and attending shows like RMAF takes bucks, not to mention the funds for R&D. It's easy to spend a ton of money on design and prototypes and end up without a marketable product.
 
So I'll try to be fair to Audeze, but I won't line up for the LCD-3.
 
 

 

[sphinxvc]

Quote:

If people actually buy hifi stuff for money they do not have: Stop that. Don't use the credit cards. Save. Then buy. Man, it's the 1980s all over again. Some people never learn.

Periodically this hits you: it's scary how many people on this forum weren't alive yet in the 90s, let alone the 80s.