Audeze LCD-3
Clipdat
Posts: 12,948
My new headphones have arrived: Audeze LCD-3 in maple wood.
I was surprised, as I was expecting the standard zebrano wood, but I'll roll with it.
Tried to show the grain in the last photo. Gorgeous, huge, and fairly heavy (635g/1.4lb) headphones! But easily the most comfortable fitting pair out of the seven or so I've tried thus far.
Here's a photo of someone far more attractive than me wearing them, to give you an idea of how huge they are. 106mm!
I was surprised, as I was expecting the standard zebrano wood, but I'll roll with it.
Tried to show the grain in the last photo. Gorgeous, huge, and fairly heavy (635g/1.4lb) headphones! But easily the most comfortable fitting pair out of the seven or so I've tried thus far.
Here's a photo of someone far more attractive than me wearing them, to give you an idea of how huge they are. 106mm!
Comments
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Very nice. Please share impressions of them as you use them for a while. I've got a pair of Audeze isine 10 (planar magnetic in-ears) that I like a lot and would like to some day get a pair of over-ears by them...Jay
SDA 2BTL * Musical Fidelity A5cr amp * Oppo BDP-93 * Modded Adcom GDA-600 DAC * Rythmik F8 (x2)
Micro Seiki DQ-50 * Hagerman Cornet 2 Phono * A hodgepodge of cabling * Belkin PF60
Preamp rotation: Krell KSL (SCompRacer recapped) * Manley Shrimp * PS Audio 5.0 -
very nice, enjoy them.Main 2ch -
BlueSound Node->Ethereal optical cable->Peachtree Audio Nova 150->GoldenEar Triton 2+
TT - Pro-ject Classic SB with Sumiko Bluepoint.
TV 3.1 system -
Denon 3500 -> Dynaudio Excite 32/22 -
They look amazing. Enjoy brother."if it's not fun, it's not worth it & remember folks, "It's All About The Music"!!
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Very nice. Please share impressions of them as you use them for a while. I've got a pair of Audeze isine 10 (planar magnetic in-ears) that I like a lot and would like to some day get a pair of over-ears by them...
Nice! My wife actually has a pair of those as well! Very impressive audio quality. -
They look like dinner plates?!
J/k
Congrats man. -
Update: They're heavy as ****.
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Are you finding them uncomfortable to wear during sessions due to the weight?I disabled signatures.
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Unfortunately, yes. It's gonna take a while to get used to them I think. Apparently I am a pencil-neck geek.
I need a Henry Rollins neck.
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Check out the neck on the vocalist of Cannibal Corpse.
afterburnt wrote: »They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.
Village Idiot of Club Polk -
I've auditioned the Audeze LCD-X through a McIntosh MHA-150 headphone amp listening to a SACD. It was sweet! Nice headphones you'll enjoy them!
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The designer of Audeze headphones:
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Update: My neck is now used to these bad boys.
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My new 4-pin balanced headphone cable has arrived:
I ordered it from Stager Silver Solids: https://stagersound.com/silver/frames/overview.html
Product page: https://stagersound.com/silver/frames/specs-f.html
It's constructed of solid core silver wires with teflon insulation.The conductors are spiraled and then held in place with clear polyolefin heatshrink sleeving. It's 2m long and cost $245. It's a bit unwieldy and rigid due to the nature of the stiff solid core wiring, but it's flexible enough.
Initial impressions versus the stock cable which is constructed of braided OCC copper.
With the Stager cable, the first thing I noticed was that I didn't have to turn up the volume knob on my Phonitor X amplifier as high to get to the same listening level that I was just at with the stock cable. Cable buffs will have to let me know if this is because of it's capacitance/inductance or something.
Secondly, there was more agility in the lower midrange and bass frequencies, along with a polished and pristine quality to the high frequencies. Because of how quick the bass was, it seemed to extend even deeper, down in to subterranean levels on some tracks. Overall, the sound came across as very quick and rhythmic, with no frequencies being abnormally accented.
When I hooked the stock cable back up, I realized that it colors and bolsters the midrange details. This makes for a fun and engaging listen, as it gives you something to "lock on" to and follow along as it makes it's ebbs and flows. Bass did not extend quite as deep, but seemed to exhibit a slight mid-bass bump, that again made for a fun listen. Highs were extended and accurate, and fairly similar to the Stager cable, albeit with a tad more brightness on the attack. I thought this was interesting, as it is fairly opposite of how you'd typically expect a silver cable to be a little bright/forward up top.
Both cables provided good depth and space, creating a convincing soundstage for the music to expand into. I have to give a slight edge to the stock cable for it's downright fun factor and engaging quality, but the Stager silver cable is arguably more transparent and accurate, as well as extending further into the depths of bass that these Audeze headphones are capable of.
I hesitate to outright proclaim that one is "better" than the other, because I think they both have their strengths and ideal use cases. -
Those are very nice headphones, congrats on the acquisition!Magico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R
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Update: My neck is now used to these bad boys.
And what a couple of weeks it's been!
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Trying out another headphone cable ($180) tonight with the LCD-3s: https://lqicables.com/products/voda-up-occ-copper-headphone-cable
"The Voda Series UP-OCC copper cable is smooth and engaging. It offers a touch of organic warmth with a slight boost to the bass, but it gives up nothing in resolution or detail. It's an excellent complement to a brighter headphone like the Sennheiser HD800 or Sony MDR-Z1R.
Our Ultra Pure Ohno Continuous Cast (UP-OCC) wire is custom made to our specifications by one of the largest producers of OCC wire. OCC is an industrial process that produces a sonically superior wire by eliminating grain boundaries, impurities and oxygen. The resulting single crystal of silver or copper provides a high bandwidth path for signal transfer.
Please allow 50 hours for burn-in and stabilization of sound."
Not sure I need 50 hours to determine how this cable performs. It sounds great right out of the box!
First impression is that I agree with the description of the slightly bolstered bass, which I find welcome. Second thing is that the highs aren't sharp or harsh at all. All the upper treble details are still present and easily discernible, but there's nothing fatiguing or unpleasant. I can actually turn up the volume slightly higher and the highs don't become overpowering like they sometimes would with the stock cable.
The "air and space" is remarkable. Every bit as good as the stock cable and maybe even a little better. Overall sound quality is just smooth and enjoyable. This UP-OCC wire is no joke. On top of the sound, the construction and feel of the cable is fantastic. It's super flexible and light and feels good between the fingers.
In summary, for my aural tastes, this cable is the best match I've heard yet with the LCD-3s. Amazing synergy!
Post edited by Clipdat on -
Testing out a prototype/pre-production Audeze headphone cable from Audio Note UK that Peter Qvortrup was nice enough to send me!
Sounds noticeably different than the three other Audeze headphone cables I have.
Sometimes I wish there was no difference between headphone cables, because it would be hell of a lot easier to just write "Nope, no difference, they all sound the same!" -
Went back to the Stager Silver Solids cable tonight and god DAMN the synergy between it and the iFi Pro iCAN amplifier I'm reviewing is astounding.
I keep saying one more song, one more song. Can't stop listening. Wow.
I can't recommend enough for anyone who's curious about Audeze headphones to pick up a pair of these LCD-3s. They're seriously THAT good. Just do it. Life is short. -
I haven't heard any other headphones that can move me to tears like these can, simply because of how good they sound.
When I listen to them I feel hot, I feel my blood pumping. They make me feel alive. They provide a truly emotional and visceral listening experience.
Or, I could be having a minor stroke. -
Very off topic but have you heard the Phillips Fidelio X1 or 2s?afterburnt wrote: »They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.
Village Idiot of Club Polk -
No I have not, but I know my fellow enthusiasts @msg and @rooftop59 are fans of the Philips headphones.
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I haven't been paying close attention but it seems like the X3s have finally released. I was curious about your interest in them to get your thoughts if you ever made a purchase.afterburnt wrote: »They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.
Village Idiot of Club Polk -
Hey those look pretty slick! Unfortunately from my trials, I've determined that headphones with perfectly round ear cups don't really work for my ears.
I need something like my Sennheiser HD600 headphones that have a more ergonomic/anatomical shape to the ear cup.
Speaking of closed backs, I just ordered these to try out: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SRH1540--shure-srh1540-closed-back-mastering-studio-headphones
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Hey those look pretty slick! Unfortunately from my trials, I've determined that headphones with perfectly round ear cups don't really work for my ears.
I need something like my Sennheiser HD600 headphones that have a more ergonomic/anatomical shape to the ear cup.
Speaking of closed backs, I just ordered these to try out: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SRH1540--shure-srh1540-closed-back-mastering-studio-headphones
Normally I'm a sucker for exotic materials and somewhat unnecessary design in headphones, but the simplicity of those Shure's look really good too. They just look comfy.Analog: MoFi MasterTracker > MoFi UltraDeck > Sutherland 20/20
Digital: Cambridge CXC / Streaming > Cambridge CXN v2
MastersounD Dueventi > Rosso Fiorentino Certaldo or Arcam rHead > Hifiman HE4XX
Discogs -
Definitely curious to hear what you think of the Shures. I agree, they do look comfy.
Indeed, I have a pair of the X1's that I like a lot, and I think @codycatalist has the X2HR and had the L2 before them.I disabled signatures. -
@Nightfall I’ve owned the philips X1s and now the L2s and really enjoyed both, but I think the L2s are better overall. The semi open design provides a bit fuller tighter bass but still presents a wide and spacious sound stage. And they are both really comfy, but the L2s are small and this travel easier if that’s important to you. I also really enjoyed my Sony MDR1As which I felt also presented a pretty similar sound signature overall, losing just a bit of spaciousness. But they folded up smaller and were closed back so I could use them on the plane and in a coffee shop back in a pre-Covid world when I often traveled to conferences...but I digress.
I think @codycatalist had both the L2 and the M2. Perhaps he can chime in is he’s still around...Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es
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Bedroom 2.1 Harmon Kardon HK3490; Bluesounds Node N130; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer -
Mmm for me its tight between the L2 and X2HR. I enjoy the comfort of the X2s to the L2s but they are a bit heavier. Sound wise, it depends on what you listen to. As mentioned before the L2s have a fuller more rounded sound due to semi closed back design. You still get plenty of separation. The X2HRs sound very nice, a little harder to drive but still not bad. I love the headband and can wear them for hours. Sound wise, they would lean better towards accuracy and more guitar/singer type music, or jazz for that matter. Both are good and are well worth the money!Just a dude doing dude-ly things
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Beautiful. I had a pair of the black LCD-X. Sold them on, just too heavy and my ears responsiveness to input didn't appreciate the quality.
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@Clipdat are you still enjoying the LCD-3s? I am thinking of picking these up myself.
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To be honest, I haven't used them in quite some time. Just haven't been listening to headphones much in general these days. And when I do, I've been using my Focal Bathys which are excellent.
However, I still believe the LCD-3 is one of the best pairs of headphones available in the $2k and under price segment. Astounding price to performance ratio - especially if you can find a pair on sale/open box.
What they do with spatial queues and the sense of motion/movement and energy that they project is simply stunning. If you love headphone listening at all, you really owe it to yourself to hear what the LCD-3s can do. I'm almost certain they would exceed your expectations and shatter all common beliefs about what a pair of headphones is capable of. They're really THAT good.
