[Bigsecret]

I recently had the fazor upgrade to my LCD3s. First off, they were a joy to work with giving the specialized customer service you expect from a boutique manufacturer of high end audio. I was thrilled they offered owner the fazor upgrade. I expect manufacturers to continue to work on improving their products, especially high end audio components. So, I resign myself to the fact that some new and better headphone may come along - if not from Audeze from someone else. Put me in the camp that understands that newer versions of the same model can be expected to have some changes over time, for better or worse. And also put me in the camp that is pleased with the fazor upgrade. In my system it did exactly what I had hoped - it provided a little more air and top end without losing any of the other qualities I like about these phones. To my ears, a little extra was added and nothing subtracted. But - this is always subjective.
 
Has anyone ever thought we all ought to have a chart for our hearing capacity so when we are reading the opinion of others, we will know if their hearing is significantly different from ours? This, to me, seems as much a variable in how someone evaluates a headphone as the gear in front of the headphone.

 

[Trance_Gott]

Everybody and Tyll tells loosing bass with Fazor upgrade. For air and highs I have the HE6. I don't want this sound for my LCD3. So I never would upgrade my classic to fazor. I don't understand Audeze offering this and changing the LCD3 significant. The summary of this are frustrated customer.

 

[Saraguie]

My main problem is that they don't make these changes public. They just let us figure them out.
Let's say that someone just heard my pair and he likes it very much as it is. If he buys one he will get something that sounds different and he might not even like it due to less bass.

 
Someone drew an analogy to HD800s. I bet Senn has made 25 different changes since inception and has not (to my knowledge) announced them.

   
 
Wouldn't say A/V is a niche market, just the headphone portion, the same concepts apply though.  Look at their competition that has been in the game MUCH much longer and is just a secretive in their process and practices.

If motorcycles are a niche market and they are, then $500+ earphones/headphones are also to the 50th degree.
 
I always look on airplanes and airports for what IEM and H.P. people are listening too. Of course Apple is way, way #1 and next is B. I've never seen Audeze, Senns, V-Moda......I take that back......I was in London last week and saw someone with a Senn on ear on the escalator in the tube station and yesterday I saw someone at the movie theater with good old Koss Porta Pros.........I've been looking for 2 years and at 1,000s of people.  One day I am going to be propositioned or punched for staring so hard.
 
I have LCD3s.......I've gone thru the range of emotions with the Fazor model coming out. I am jealous or disturbed or something like that, that I no longer have their TOTL, and that something may sound better.  It is ON ME.......it is really not that Audeze did something wrong. When I knew Honda was coming out with a brand new CBR600, and I would have it on the floor to sell next week, I still had to sell the one I had in stock. Would I say that the one I had was going to be the cutting edge for the foreseeable future? NO........did my people say.......'don't buy this one, let my boss eat it and wait a week for the new model'? NO, they would be fired if they did.  You folks have to get over this resentment. It is getting old.

 

[commtrd]

 

My main problem is that they don't make these changes public. They just let us figure them out.
Let's say that someone just heard my pair and he likes it very much as it is. If he buys one he will get something that sounds different and he might not even like it due to less bass.

 
Someone drew an analogy to HD800s. I bet Senn has made 25 different changes since inception and has not (to my knowledge) announced them.

   
 
Wouldn't say A/V is a niche market, just the headphone portion, the same concepts apply though.  Look at their competition that has been in the game MUCH much longer and is just a secretive in their process and practices.

If motorcycles are a niche market and they are, then $500+ earphones/headphones are also to the 50th degree.
 
I always look on airplanes and airports for what IEM and H.P. people are listening too. Of course Apple is way, way #1 and next is B. I've never seen Audeze, Senns, V-Moda......I take that back......I was in London last week and saw someone with a Senn on ear on the escalator in the tube station and yesterday I saw someone at the movie theater with good old Koss Porta Pros.........I've been looking for 2 years and at 1,000s of people.  One day I am going to be propositioned or punched for staring so hard.
 
I have LCD3s.......I've gone thru the range of emotions with the Fazor model coming out. I am jealous or disturbed or something like that, that I no longer have their TOTL, and that something may sound better.  It is ON ME.......it is really not that Audeze did something wrong. When I knew Honda was coming out with a brand new CBR600, and I would have it on the floor to sell next week, I still had to sell the one I had in stock. Would I say that the one I had was going to be the cutting edge for the foreseeable future? NO........did my people say.......'don't buy this one, let my boss eat it and wait a week for the new model'? NO, they would be fired if they did.  You folks have to get over this resentment. It is getting old.

Amen brother. This should be the final word on this matter.

 

[citraian]

What if some of you would have gone to a store, heard the demo unit that was a LCD-3C said: "Oh man, I really like this headphone, this is as much bass I am willing to sacrifice in order to get nicer mids, highs, etc" and after that bought the LCD-3F - a headphone that has less bass?

 

[fenderf4i]

What if some of you would have gone to a store, heard the demo unit that was a LCD-3C said: "Oh man, I really like this headphone, this is as much bass I am willing to sacrifice in order to get nicer mids, highs, etc" and after that bought the LCD-3F - a headphone that has less bass?

A lot of people did do that, and did not notice any difference, and didn't know any better until months later when they saw on the forums that a change was made. They changed them in December, and nobody noticed until what was it, April or so?

 

[kkcc]

A lot of people did do that, and did not notice any difference, and didn't know any better until months later when they saw on the forums that a change was made. They changed them in December, and nobody noticed until what was it, April or so?

^THIS. if you get to A/B late non fazor and fazor'ed LCD you would know how minimal, if any, of the difference is. I wouldn't be able to pick them out in a blind test personally. The difference, to me, is more akin to difference you would head by seating your headphones slightly differently on your head.

 

[citraian]

By looking at Tyll's measurements it seems that the differences in bass are not minimal at all

 

[Kiats]

The interesting question, regardless of whether the Fazor is new or not, is what you were looking for in the LCD 3. Are you just looking for a TOTL can or are you looking for the Audeze house sound which was more organic than the other house sounds from other TOTL cans? 

 

[BeyerMonster]

  What if some of you would have gone to a store, heard the demo unit that was a LCD-3C said: "Oh man, I really like this headphone, this is as much bass I am willing to sacrifice in order to get nicer mids, highs, etc" and after that bought the LCD-3F - a headphone that has less bass?

 
Then you go back to your place of purchase and complain.

 

[kothganesh]

Well, let me ask the obvious question: What if Audez'e offered both the LCD 3(c) and the LCD 3 (f)? I for one would like to know the breakdown of HPs sold in both categories.

 

[RebelRising]

   
Then you go back to your place of purchase and complain.

Precisely. Or outright return the thing. If the sound signature is obviously not your cup of tea, then look elsewhere.

 

[RebelRising]

My main problem is that they don't make these changes public. They just let us figure them out.
Let's say that someone just heard my pair and he likes it very much as it is. If he buys one he will get something that sounds different and he might not even like it due to less bass.

 
And chances are, there'll be two others to take his place who prefer the new models over the old.

 

[RebelRising]

 
Amen brother. This should be the final word on this matter.

 
Thank you. The last time I spoke out on this issue was...several months ago? Holy cow.....
 
What's the point of this anger anyway? To dissuade others from buying Audeze? Get over yourselves and let others judge whether or not they'd like to purchase these products.
 
From a "fairness" standpoint, if you already own the classic model, you obviously felt it was worth its asking price in the first place. Let me re-emphasize, the Fazors add a different sound quality, not necessarily a BETTER one. And some of you are crying about "missing out". Why you would drop $2k on headphones that are NOT at or near your standards of perfection is totally beyond me.

 

[walakalulu]

I've got the lcd's with a 261 serial no. and am happy enough without worrying about fazor upgrades. Subtle changes can be made with cable changes - I tried it and returned to the stock cable. For more bite I'd try a pair of the x's but can't be bothered. May look at the Stax 009s sometime, for something completely different rather than incremental upgrades (changes) to an existing platform. Can't understand guys griping over subtle developments which is what manufacturers should do anyway.