[Stereolab42]

   
Yes there is certainly a loss of bass from C to F. But I do not believe this loss is due to the addition of the fazor array. Near as I can tell, the loss of bass is due to the replacement of the 50-ohm C driver with the 110-ohm F driver. That's because the magnetic field strength is proportional to current not voltage, and the F driver has less than half the current.
 
Source: my BSEE comes in handy sometimes.

 
It only has less current if sensitivity increased right? Does anyone know if it did?

 

[Sweetmeat]

   
It only has less current if sensitivity increased right? Does anyone know if it did?

I can tell you when I went from C to F, my standard listening volume control position on my Soloist decreased enough that I went from high gain to medium gain.

 

[Peter_S]

  I'm not in favor of the fazor
What you get in treble you lose it in the bass.

I can say that I was favoring my HD800's by a wide margin over the classic LCD3's.  The LCD3c's sounded muffled to me - though I don't think they were part of the early versions that had issues with rolled off high ends (they were produced in 2013).  Based on this, I think I'll like the Fazors a lot better.

 

[Mach3]

 
I can say that I was favoring my HD800's by a wide margin over the classic LCD3's.  The LCD3c's sounded muffled to me - though I don't think they were part of the early versions that had issues with rolled off high ends (they were produced in 2013).  Based on this, I think I'll like the Fazors a lot better.

 
I'm on the same boat. I was about to sale my LCD3c once it came back from Audeze for driver replacement. 
If it wasn't for the free upgrade to Fazor/drivers very likely I would have purchased the LCD-X.
I still prefer the HD800, but I likely the LCD3F enough to justify keeping them.

 

[mrip541]

I received a new LCD-3f yesterday and want to just share my very quick initial reaction.
 
I previously owned the LCD-2f. I feel with the LCD-3 everything is significantly improved, except the bass.
 
From memory, the LCD-2 extended lower, had greater impact and strangely felt tighter. I remember feeling that with a few particular tracks the bass stopped and started with such precision and power you could hear tiny spaces between notes that just weren’t there with other headphones. And, when listening to rock/metal/edm you just wanted to get up and jump around. I’m not getting that feeling with the LCD-3.  
 
A few months ago I heard the LCD-X and immediately felt it sounded so natural and effortless, so real, it was like listening to live music rather than headphones. Just a completely different experience. To my ears the LCD-3 sounds like, well, a headphone. A very good one, but still a headphone. The different could have been in the rest of the chain.
 
Obviously, making comparisons to headphones I haven’t heard in a long time, that I listened to through a different chain, is kind of sketchy. Just my random thoughts. Ymmv.

 

[Gibalok]

Sounds like you preffered punch of LCD2, liked a lot X but finally got LCD3F. Im also willing to get pairs of LCDs to my collection but heard only LCD2f which i liked a lot but dont want to get these ones but dreaming of 3F or X being better than 2F

 

[rmsanger]

  I received a new LCD-3f yesterday and want to just share my very quick initial reaction.
 
I previously owned the LCD-2f. I feel with the LCD-3 everything is significantly improved, except the bass.
 
From memory, the LCD-2 extended lower, had greater impact and strangely felt tighter. I remember feeling that with a few particular tracks the bass stopped and started with such precision and power you could hear tiny spaces between notes that just weren’t there with other headphones. And, when listening to rock/metal/edm you just wanted to get up and jump around. I’m not getting that feeling with the LCD-3.  
 
A few months ago I heard the LCD-X and immediately felt it sounded so natural and effortless, so real, it was like listening to live music rather than headphones. Just a completely different experience. To my ears the LCD-3 sounds like, well, a headphone. A very good one, but still a headphone. The different could have been in the rest of the chain.
 
Obviously, making comparisons to headphones I haven’t heard in a long time, that I listened to through a different chain, is kind of sketchy. Just my random thoughts. Ymmv.

 
I own both LCD 3F and X's and do A -> B listening regularly and was trying to pick between the two and sell the others.  I agree that the X's are more "fun" to listen to and prefer them when listening to Rock (Black Keys, Jack White, Alabama Shakes).  But when I put on live music or blues (Muddy Watters - Folk Singer, DMB - Live at Luther, AKUS - Live) than the 3F's completely dominate.
 
The X's provide the punch and a little bit of magic up to while the 3F's are much more transparent with fantastic resolution and clarity. 
 
I have yet to hear the HD800's but would be intrigued to see how they compare.

 

[Rico613]

  I have yet to hear the HD800's but would be intrigued to see how they compare.

They don't !!!   IMHO . . . 

 

[potkettleblack]

I've put my x's on sale 

 
 
I'll be putting a review/comparison up soon but at the minute I now know the 3f's are the one's for me. It's the hardest decision I've had to make since starting this hobby and I wouldn't be surprised if I own the x's again (in fact I'm convinced I will), but unfortunately for now I have to pick one, and after very long listening periods I'm going with the 3f's (if the he-1000's don't best them)
 
If any UK users are interested feel free to inbox me.

 

[greenkiwi]

As an LCD-2f-er thinking about +1ing it, I'm curious what others have found and whether it is worth it.
 
For me, the moment came when I was swapping back and forth between my XC and the 2s.  I noticed two things:
1. The XC seemed to have just as much bass, but there was additional higher energy that the 2 was lacking. So the 2 feels like it has more bass, but it is relative to the higher end.
 
2. The XC seemed to me considerably more transparent than the 2.  It was as if I'd opened a window... when I put them on.
 
That being said, I really love listening to the 2s, they just have a very "natural" and musical feel to them.
 
If it makes sense, what I would be hoping is that the 3 would retain the musical feel while increasing the level of transparency.

 

[TMRaven]

3 is basically that.  If you happen to find a good LCD3, it's basically just an LCD2 that's more transparent without having to spike the mid-treble like the LCD-X and LCD-XC.  I can't comment on the fazor'd LCD3.
 
XC has the typical closed-back coloration where there's a lower midrange dip and an upper midrange hump, which can make it sound tinny at times.  For that reason I prefer the midrange of the X.  

 

[greenkiwi]

Yeah, my XC is for work... where others appreciate not being able to hear what I'm listening to.
 
I'm definitely going to have to investigate the upgrade.

 

[RUMAY408]

   
I own both LCD 3F and X's and do A -> B listening regularly and was trying to pick between the two and sell the others.  I agree that the X's are more "fun" to listen to and prefer them when listening to Rock (Black Keys, Jack White, Alabama Shakes).  But when I put on live music or blues (Muddy Watters - Folk Singer, DMB - Live at Luther, AKUS - Live) than the 3F's completely dominate.
 
The X's provide the punch and a little bit of magic up to while the 3F's are much more transparent with fantastic resolution and clarity. 
 
I have yet to hear the HD800's but would be intrigued to see how they compare.

I'll be more specific since I own both, and I've heard the LCD-2, LCD-2.1, LCD-X and my preference is still the LCD-3F
 
The HD800 is a different animal entirely, with a mid-fi amp (ex. Meier and Schit -Rag) the LCD-3F is more impressive,
but with the GS-Xmk2 amp which I am currently using the HD800 gets scary good, the soundstage, comfort, and imaging>LCD-3F the Bass and Mids are close to =

 

[potkettleblack]

  3 is basically that.  If you happen to find a good LCD3, it's basically just an LCD2 that's more transparent without having to spike the mid-treble like the LCD-X and LCD-XC.  I can't comment on the fazor'd LCD3.
 
XC has the typical closed-back coloration where there's a lower midrange dip and an upper midrange hump, which can make it sound tinny at times.  For that reason I prefer the midrange of the X.  

In your experience how much do the 3f's vary in sound?

 

[jhljhl]

 
I'll be more specific since I own both, and I've heard the LCD-2, LCD-2.1, LCD-X and my preference is still the LCD-3F
 
The HD800 is a different animal entirely, with a mid-fi amp (ex. Meier and Schit -Rag) the LCD-3F is more impressive,
but with the GS-Xmk2 amp which I am currently using the HD800 gets scary good, the soundstage, comfort, and imaging>LCD-3F the Bass and Mids are close to =

dubstep girl says the gx-xmk2 and schitt rag sound nearly identical - you disagree?