[montanari]

Why didn't you just grab the one that you tried?
Too late to exchange?

 

[potkettleblack]

Why didn't you just grab the one that you tried?
Too late to exchange?

If I'm paying that price I want a brand new one. If I'm honest.

 

[bfreedma]

  Just got my back from work and I thought I'd give an update on my 3's.
 
After closer inspection its clear that the ripped pad is an older pad than the one on the other driver - all I have to do is look at it and it squashes. I'm guessing t's from a replacement or return? 
 
The Zebrano wood is yellow?  Like it was on the older 3's. 
 
The right mini XLR is stuck in the headphone. I tried for a few minutes, came back and it's still stuck. Awesome.
 
They don't sound like the ones in the store. Way brighter. Like my x's (god bless them) but worse? Surreal.
 
I know many people say that Audeze's vary in sound but my god do they sound different. I thought people exaggerated it.
 
To say I'm annoyed would be an understatement. 
 
 

 
 
Have you emailed Audeze to get your FR graph?  That would show the build date of your headphones and would give you a better idea if they are new or somehow old stock.
 
Try pushing in the XLR then pulling it out - that usually works with tight connectors.

 

[Blackrain]

Here are my two graphs.:
 
 
Before:

 
After:
 

Clearly the 5K bump that Audeze refers too is gone in the second graph.  However, if you compare the graphs with or without the 5K bump the graph is still not flat and I venture to say that all the graph shows is that there is now a slight more de-emphasis of the 2k to 9k region overall.  Which corresponds to what I hear.  I think I like the bump that was taken away lol.  Anyway...i'm not upset as I understand that designs change overtime for better or for worst that is to be decided by the end user.  My assumption is that Audeze may have felt that the initial bump was correct and the headphone were made to those specs...they certainly don't feel that way anymore from what I can gather.  I'm just going to go back and enjoy my music as I'm sure that in a few weeks my ears would have learn to adapt to the new sound signature.  Or I will go and listen to my HE-1000 and always feel that the LCD 3 is dark sounding.

 

[potkettleblack]

   
 
Have you emailed Audeze to get your FR graph?  That would show the build date of your headphones and would give you a better idea if they are new or somehow old stock.
 
Try pushing in the XLR then pulling it out - that usually works with tight connectors.

I haven't mate. I've gone full man-baby mode and emailed my dealer within an hour this afternoon. I'm not willing to play to the numbers game this time. I did it with Grado a couple of years ago. Never had an issue with my 650's, 700's or momentums. Not one. It's seemed the further I go up the ladder, the more issues there are.
 
Still trying the XLR and it aint budging.

 

[bfreedma]

 
I haven't mate. I've gone full man-baby mode and emailed my dealer within an hour this afternoon. I'm not willing to play to the numbers game this time. I did it with Grado a couple of years ago. Never had an issue with my 650's, 700's or momentums. Not one. It's seemed the further I go up the ladder, the more issues there are.
 
Still trying the XLR and it aint budging.

 
I'd be frustrated too.  It does look like an old LCD3 - just wondering if you somehow got old stock.
 
Did you get a small bottle of wood conditioner in the package?  If so, that would mean it's an older unit.

 

[potkettleblack]

   
I'd be frustrated too.  It does look like an old LCD3 - just wondering if you somehow got old stock.
 
Did you get a small bottle of wood conditioner in the package?  If so, that would mean it's an older unit.

Ha! Guess what was the first thing I checked for when I opened the box? The second I saw them in the wrapping I thought  'no... theres been a mistake'
 
I've seen an unhealthy amount of lcd 3 unboxings and eBay sales and seen the ones the with the conditioner. It immediately came to mind when I saw it lol.

 

[reddog]

Just got my back from work and I thought I'd give an update on my 3's.

After closer inspection its clear that the ripped pad is an older pad than the one on the other driver - all I have to do is look at it and it squashes. I'm guessing t's from a replacement or return? 

The Zebrano wood is yellow?  Like it was on the older 3's. 

The right mini XLR is stuck in the headphone. I tried for a few minutes, came back and it's still stuck. Awesome.

They don't sound like the ones in the store. Way brighter. Like my x's (god bless them) but worse? Surreal.

I know many people say that Audeze's vary in sound but my god do they sound different. I thought people exaggerated it.

To say I'm annoyed would be an understatement. 

I bet that yellow Zebra wood came from being in a smokers pad.

 

[bfreedma]

I bet that yellow Zebra wood came from being in a smokers pad.

 
That's actually the color of the original LCD3 Zebrano.  It looks like somewhere in the acquisition process, an old/used LCD3 got injected.  The inclusion of the wood conditioner is more evidence of old stock.
 
Hopefully Potkettleblack can get this sorted to his satisfaction. 

 

[BDM-Fi]

 
Clearly the 5K bump that Audeze refers too is gone in the second graph.  However, if you compare the graphs with or without the 5K bump the graph is still not flat and I venture to say that all the graph shows is that there is now a slight more de-emphasis of the 2k to 9k region overall.  Which corresponds to what I hear.  I think I like the bump that was taken away lol.  Anyway...i'm not upset as I understand that designs change overtime for better or for worst that is to be decided by the end user.  My assumption is that Audeze may have felt that the initial bump was correct and the headphone were made to those specs...they certainly don't feel that way anymore from what I can gather.  I'm just going to go back and enjoy my music as I'm sure that in a few weeks my ears would have learn to adapt to the new sound signature.  Or I will go and listen to my HE-1000 and always feel that the LCD 3 is dark sounding.

That's a big change to the FR response (+- -7db @ 5kHz), I can imagine it darkens the presentation. 

 

[Blackrain]

  That's a big change to the FR response (+- -7db @ 5kHz), I can imagine it darkens the presentation.

It most definitely did...but apparently the sound of my original/pre-repair headphones must have been deemed correct at some point because they had been release to be sold knowing that the graph had that 5K bump.  So has Audeze at this point decide that the design of the old pre-repair headphone is wrong?  If so are all the current LCD3's darker then what I purchased a year ago...A valid question to ask Audeze I would think.

 

[BDM-Fi]

  It most definitely did...but apparently the sound of my original/pre-repair headphones must have been deemed correct at some point because they had been release to be sold knowing that the graph had that 5K bump. 

Sure thing, I exchanged my pair for a (small) cosmetic thing on the cups, this was my first pair:

 
You can find more graphs of (older) LCD3Fs which have even more energy at 5 kHz here post #9961.

 

[Rico613]

  Just got my back from work and I thought I'd give an update on my 3's.
 
After closer inspection its clear that the ripped pad is an older pad than the one on the other driver - all I have to do is look at it and it squashes. I'm guessing t's from a replacement or return? 
 
The Zebrano wood is yellow?  Like it was on the older 3's. 
 
The right mini XLR is stuck in the headphone. I tried for a few minutes, came back and it's still stuck. Awesome.
 
They don't sound like the ones in the store. Way brighter. Like my x's (god bless them) but worse? Surreal.
 
I know many people say that Audeze's vary in sound but my god do they sound different. I thought people exaggerated it.
 
To say I'm annoyed would be an understatement. 
 

YIKES  

 
I'd send the photo to Audeze service and ask them for a replacement.

 

[Audeze]

potkettleblack, Please send us your serial number of your new unit. 

 

[potkettleblack]

2821228