[The Monkey]

I heard the LCD-3 at RMAF.  Excellent headphone.  I liked both the 007 and the 009 more, but I thought the LCD-3 sounded great.  Just a matter of taste.

 

[Sophonax]

 
Quote:

thank for the informative impressions. what do you think of the lcd3 and the sony r10? from what you wrote i'd guess that the r10's transparent
mids still reign supreme, but the bass and highs of the lcd3 outshine the r10?
 

I think the R10 is the better headphone overall.  The LCD-2 Rev. 1 has mids that come very close to the R10; I think the Rev. 2 and LCD-3 mids aren't quite as smooth, liquid, or engaging, but maybe are a little bit more transparent.  My personal preference here is for the R10 and LCD-2 Rev. 1.
 
I can only describe the highs on the R10 as perfect -- supremely detailed, articulate, and airy, but without any hint of harshness or grain.  The R10 is a step above the Audez'e headphones in this regard IMO.
 
The bass is a little bit more questionable.  All the Audez'e headphones have stronger bass with much better extension than the R10.  However, I found the R10's bass to have a more natural tonality to my ears.  I think which one you'd call "better" is really a matter of preference.
 
All told, I think the R10 is a fairly significant cut above the LCD-3.  It blows my mind that the R10 design is approaching 25 years old.
 
Regarding the comments someone wrote about the Stax headphones as compared to the LCD series -- I'd agree.  The Stax headphones are great.  The SR-009 rigs I heard at RMAF were excellent.  The SR-009 was the first headphone I've heard where, after just a few minutes of listening, I couldn't find anything "wrong" with it at all.  If money were no object, the SR-009 would be my headphone of choice.

 

[Sophonax]

By the way, I realize that in that R10 / LCD-3 comparison, I didn't really distinguish much between the various Audez'e headphone models.  To my ears, they are all fairly similar, with very similar strengths and weaknesses.  The LCD-2 Rev. 1 has the most unique sound, but I think the tonality of the LCD-2 Rev. 2 and the LCD-3 is quite similar.  I'd have to give the LCD-3 a more thorough evaluation under better conditions to be fair, but my initial impression is that the $2k price tag of the LCD-3 is not justified over the $1k LCD-2.

 

[takezo]

thanks for taking the time for the response, it's highly appreciated. when i had the
r10 (bass light) i thought it was overall more transparent than the lcd2v1 but that
the mids of the lcd2 was almost as engaging, transparent and with a certain gentle
characteristic that no other headphones shared except the r10. at 1/6 the price though,
i thought the lcd2v1 was a steal. i will definitely have to try the lcd3 for myself sometime
in the near future.

 

[Badd99]

Thanks for that information! I would have to agree that someone who is a broke college kid (as myself) to be able to pay 1k and get something close to a 5k headphone is quite nice. Thanks again! 

 

[bcg27]

Quote:

Thanks for that information! I would have to agree that someone who is a broke college kid (as myself) to be able to pay 1k and get something close to a 5k headphone is quite nice. Thanks again! 

You can't be too broke if you can afford 1k for headphones
 

 

[Wapiti]

Quote:

You can't be too broke if you can afford 1k for headphones
 

I was thinking the same.  Most wage-earning families cannot afford such expensive toys.

 

[FinBenton]

Well obliviosly you are broke after spending over 1k into headphones

 

[mcdeeda]

Meh, at $1000 the LCD-2s are fantastic headphones, at $2000, they'd have to compete with the O2, which is a lot more difficult.
I was planning to get the LCD-2s around late November, probably gonna go through with that. For $2000, i'd rather search for a K1000 or R10, or get the O2

 

[EddieE]

Quote:

Meh, at $1000 the LCD-2s are fantastic headphones, at $2000, they'd have to compete with the O2, which is a lot more difficult.
I was planning to get the LCD-2s around late November, probably gonna go through with that. For $2000, i'd rather search for a K1000 or R10, or get the O2

Not that I can afford any of the phones mentioned, but from auditions I only felt the O2s edged the LCD-2 - there wasn't a whole lot in it for me. If the LCD-3 are significantly better than the LCD-2, then they should certainly hold their own in the same price bracket as the 007...
 
The good thing about this is it may ease down the price of the LCD-2 on the used market and I might be able to afford one at last. A new model coming out doesn't make the old one any less awesome.
 

 

[Hero Kid]

Quote:

[...] For $2000, i'd rather search for a K1000 or R10, or get the O2

Good luck finding some R10s for two grand!
 

 

[shabta]

Does anyone know how much these things weigh? I found the LCD-2 to be neck damaging....
 
 

 

[DrMIS]

Thanks, everyone, for the useful information.  So far I've got mixed feelings about LCD-3, and I would like to ask a question.  If you have listened to the sound of LCD-3, what would be the right price for the new pair of headphones, i.e., LCD-3?

 

[MorbidToaster]

Last pair I saw was at 4k and that's only because they needed money fast. I've seen 5k  easy in recent years.
 
Quote:

Good luck finding some R10s for two grand!
 

 
 

 

[Girls Generation]

I wonder if there's anyone that is thinking about selling their LCD2 Rev.2 for preparation for the LCD3?

-pssst PM me-