For one, you're getting infinitely better comfort with the Z1R.
That's worth a lot to me, personally.
No matter how good Audeze products proclaim to be, they really need to do something about the ergonomics, let alone QC.
I'm not exactly sure what happened with the LCD-4.
Not to bash them, but personally I found them one of the biggest disappointments in terms of price to performance. Not saying they're a bad headphone, but very far from being reference material.
Clearly a lot of people mirror my sentiments, as I've seen a large amount of them float around in the classifieds without getting picked up. While nearly every Utopia, HD800S, Ether Flows, etc. get picked up fairly quickly.
The sole exception would be the HE-1000, but that's a different scenario altogether.
It's amazing how there is such a difference in what we hear between humans, and then of course, what we like to hear. This is partly what enables so many headphones with different sounds to sell, or for us addicts to even collect them so we can choose the tone we want depending on our mood or what we are listening to. I personally don't believe there is something called reference. And if there was it would probably sound rather unpleasant.
I have an HD800, LCD-3, LCD-4 for headphones.
To me the LCD-4 builds favourably onto the LCD-3. The bass has less slam but extends between with greater texture/detail. The soundstage is significantly enhanced and avoids this congestion that occurs with the LCD-3 when the music gets busy. It has the same "signature" sweet mid-range that brings vocals to life although I will accept it is slightly less forward than the LCD-3 here. And the treble is more detailed and slightly more present without sounding over bearing or pushed.
My least favourite high-end headphone of all time is the Grado PS1000. It makes me feel pain, literally, as the treble is so forwards. I have sensitivity to too much treble where others do not. This is where the personal aspect comes in. Too much treble, and even if the rest is well balanced, detailed, extended and wonderful, it will be ruined for me if all I can focus on is the treble. So a darker headphone suits me better.
I had the HD800 for music when I found the LCD-3 congested. It maintained the soundstage and distinctivity of each musical instrument such as a full orchestra. But it lacks other things the LCD-3 does so well. I found the LCD-4 merged some of the properties of both headphones. I will be looking to sell my LCD-3 and HD800 soon.
I haven't heard the Utopia as it is always sold out here in the UK. I am very interested in the Sony and toying with the idea of picking a pair up after I sell my gear. I think it's sound will also please me. Flat frequency graphs are wrong for headphones anyway. I think the DAP, source should be flat, and the headphone then is tailored to your mood, sonic preference. Forget the idea of "reference". Think of it more as your favourite food you like to eat and how you like to eat it.
