Audeze Owners & Discussion Thread

[SimplifiedLife]

The thing I wonder with the LCD2 is whether they feel too heavy with a long listening session? I too got tricked into listening to them in Tivoli as well

[maxspl]

The thing I wonder with the LCD2 is whether they feel too heavy with a long listening session? I too got tricked into listening to them in Tivoli as well

Sold my LCD 2.2 for just that reason , lovely sounding phones though.

[Equaliser]

my odd personal preference is that I never really liked the LCD series, thats like how you preferred 501 over 701.

 

Not odd at all, I hated the LCD2's early rev.1 and rev.2's from 2010 - late 2012, felt they had many flaws with the treble and lack of proper soundstaging properties they exhibited (had 2 HD800's at the time), I modded my late S/N rev.1's to **** tuned and measured to my preference till I broke the wooden rings and had them restored by Audeze last year only because I'm a semi-collector now. I'm not the only one who prefers the 501 to the 701 as old AKG is superior to new AKG by far, the 701 just had an off treble and upper-mid section to my ears, unrealistic sounding. The 501 while did not reproduce low level detail as much as the 701 did (but damn close) the 501 was very balanced and neutral sounding in comparison. 

 

I've come to the stage where I like a bit of all (well most) of what headphones offer. 

Edited February 2, 2015 by DefQon

[Ray H]

Has anybody gone from the lcd2 to the lcd-3 and can explain the performance gains ?

I heard a pair of the lcd-2 today after briefly listening to the hifiman he560. I really wanted to like the he-560 as I don't like the look of any of the Audeze headphones and I thought the Audeze would be too rolled off, but wow, it took all of 10 seconds to know the Lcd-2 were brilliant sounding, now has me wondering how good the lcd-3 are...

Can anybody provide advice on the best amps for the Audeze, from the thread so far it seems good to very good ss designs are the go.

The amp being used today was one of the bigger, new violectric's,which sounded very nice.

Edited April 17, 2015 by Ray H

[Equaliser]

The new LCD2 and 3's using the fazor tech is a minor improvement over the non fazor LCD2 and 3's. It makes it more cleaner sounding. 

 

To my ears the HE560 is a different direction from the HE-500 and HE-6. 

[Show]

Has anybody gone from the lcd2 to the lcd-3 and can explain the performance gains ?

I heard a pair of the lcd-2 today after briefly listening to the hifiman he560. I really wanted to like the he-560 as I don't like the look of any of the Audeze headphones and I thought the Audeze would be too rolled off, but wow, it took all of 10 seconds to know the Lcd-2 were brilliant sounding, now has me wondering how good the lcd-3 are...

Can anybody provide advice on the best amps for the Audeze, from the thread so far it seems good to very good ss designs are the go.

The amp being used today was one of the bigger, new violectric's,which sounded very nice.

 

I'm using a Master-9 currently. Previously had the V200, Schiit Lyr and Mjolnir, Lehman BCL, Matrix i-stage and I've tested them on far more amps. The Lyr and the Master-9 are my picks. 

 

The LCD-3s are great, it is a diagonal upward step - not a direct upgrade. I still feel the LCD-2s have a better lower end of the mid-range. The LCD-3 is a mild improvement on all aspects, but a massive improvement in the higher spectrum of the mid-range. Still a little dark sounding with certain amps such as the Lehman BCL.

[Equaliser]

The Mojo and LCD2 is a great combo. As well as the B22 and LCD range. The early LCD3's were really veiled sounding.

[Ray H]

Is Mojo, mjolnir ?

Cheers, Show. I answered my own question on Saturday and my wallet took a beating for it...

I found with a decent amp, there is a fairly significant difference between lcd-2f and lcd-3f. The soundstage on the 3 is significantly bigger, wider, holographic and outside the head. The midrange and top end are also much better on the 3's. I think the bass is probably a little cleaner on the 3's as well.

The lcd-2 is a very nice headphone to listen to music on though..

[Equaliser]

Yes Mojo = Mjonir.

[GregWormald]

OK.

 

All these great reviews for the LCD-2, and I'm thinking of upgrading from my old basic headphones. I don't use them much, but maybe that's because they are quite basic and quite old. I've got at least a month in hotels coming up and the thought of great music with me rather than TV is quite enticing. And then a chance to listen 'deeper' into my music collection at home and I'm getting excited!

 

So off I go with a mixed CD of my favourite tunes to the local Audeze dealer. Music, LCD-2, a nice Burson amp, a comfy chair, and I'm set for the next hour.

 

Beautiful sounds into my ears, but... somehow I don't get involved, my ears are getting too warm, and then I'm bored.

 

Compared to the sounds from my speakers there is a flatness and a constriction and a "thinness" to the music that I just can't get around. Maybe I just don't like headphones very much! I guess I'll save $$$ and use my old $95 specials.

 

Thanks for the ideas anyway guys. It was fun while it lasted.

 

Greg

[Kaynin]

OK.

 

All these great reviews for the LCD-2, and I'm thinking of upgrading from my old basic headphones. I don't use them much, but maybe that's because they are quite basic and quite old. I've got at least a month in hotels coming up and the thought of great music with me rather than TV is quite enticing. And then a chance to listen 'deeper' into my music collection at home and I'm getting excited!

 

So off I go with a mixed CD of my favourite tunes to the local Audeze dealer. Music, LCD-2, a nice Burson amp, a comfy chair, and I'm set for the next hour.

 

Beautiful sounds into my ears, but... somehow I don't get involved, my ears are getting too warm, and then I'm bored.

 

Compared to the sounds from my speakers there is a flatness and a constriction and a "thinness" to the music that I just can't get around. Maybe I just don't like headphones very much! I guess I'll save $$$ and use my old $95 specials.

 

Thanks for the ideas anyway guys. It was fun while it lasted.

 

Greg

 

 

You give up too easily  :lol:

[Galactic Soap]

OK.

 

All these great reviews for the LCD-2, and I'm thinking of upgrading from my old basic headphones. I don't use them much, but maybe that's because they are quite basic and quite old. I've got at least a month in hotels coming up and the thought of great music with me rather than TV is quite enticing. And then a chance to listen 'deeper' into my music collection at home and I'm getting excited!

 

So off I go with a mixed CD of my favourite tunes to the local Audeze dealer. Music, LCD-2, a nice Burson amp, a comfy chair, and I'm set for the next hour.

 

Beautiful sounds into my ears, but... somehow I don't get involved, my ears are getting too warm, and then I'm bored.

 

Compared to the sounds from my speakers there is a flatness and a constriction and a "thinness" to the music that I just can't get around. Maybe I just don't like headphones very much! I guess I'll save $$$ and use my old $95 specials.

 

Thanks for the ideas anyway guys. It was fun while it lasted.

 

Greg

 

Hi Greg,

 

Thanks for sharing you're experience. 

 

Was the Burson in question the Conductor i.e. the DAC/AMP combo? 

 

What type of music do you listen to? I'm curious as I've heard the LCD-2's voicing referred to in a variety of way: "thin" has rarely cropped up. 

 

I'm going to make an assumption here on what type of rig you've got at home: SGR + MSB? 

 

As an owner of MSB's Analog DAC I've got to say the mid-bass grip it's able to impart on my amp is something so very unique and special. I'm wondering if this is where the Burson fell short...

[migasson]

Ok, I've had the 2.2, and the X.

I think the Schiit/Burson/violectrics were all average with the 2.2, and I listened/owned the Asgard/Lyr/Mojo, conductor/soloist.

The Mojo was the best of them though. People vehemently will disagree with me, but my vinyl front end plugged into a full house WA22 was the best.... Might have something more to do with the source then anything else.

X was stupidly heavy for my scrawny neck...

[Show]

Not sure about the Mojo, but I thought the WA22 was superb with the LCD3F. I did consider it at some stage but decided to have components that are primarily or equally weighted for speaker set up.

[GregWormald]

Hi Greg,

 

Thanks for sharing you're experience. 

 

Was the Burson in question the Conductor i.e. the DAC/AMP combo? 

 

What type of music do you listen to? I'm curious as I've heard the LCD-2's voicing referred to in a variety of way: "thin" has rarely cropped up. 

 

I'm going to make an assumption here on what type of rig you've got at home: SGR + MSB? 

 

As an owner of MSB's Analog DAC I've got to say the mid-bass grip it's able to impart on my amp is something so very unique and special. I'm wondering if this is where the Burson fell short...

 

I also had a quick listen to the Oppo amp. The main listen was the small Burson, but neither "floated my boat" the way the home system does.

 

And yes the home system plays through SGR CX4A speakers from an ME 15 pre, computer, Audiophilleo, and Audio-GD DAC or highly modified Linn. I had noticed the same issue when I compared the Grado 80s to my Linn Kabers. I was really hoping for something special--as so many others have reported. The reviews of the LCD-2s are superb--so it must be my preferences that determine the disappointment. I'm glad I auditioned them though; now I can ignore the lust the headphone reviews stimulate.

 

Greg

[sir sanders zingmore]

I had a listen to some Audeze LCD-2 headphones recently and loved them.

What else should I be listening to that is a comparable style before I plonk down my hard earned ?

 

Edit: I've read some good things about HiFiMAN - opinions pleeese

Edited August 25, 2015 by Sir Sanders Zingmore

[Addicted to music]

I never liked any of the LCD...sorry, they don't jell with me.

Either STAX or Beyerdynamic T90

[Ray H]

I'm only new to headphone listening, but I agree the Audeze are a great headphone.

I went into a2a here in Sydney to buy hifiman 560's, mainly because I had read good things about planar magnetic's and I thought the hifiman phones looked great aesthetically. I liked them when I heard them but the salesman insisted I listen to the Audeze. I grudgingly put them on as I think they look frankly terrible. Regardless it was game set and match to the Audeze, 20 seconds after putting them on. I walked out with lcd3's.

The hifiman phones don't have the same weight or heft as the Audeze from my brief listen, you may prefer them if you listen too them, but they are quite different from the Audeze, they still have ok bass but they are subjectively a little brighter from memory.

I have listened to quite a few phones since and I have the hd800 and Beyer t1's along with the Audeze.

The last phone I purchased, which has really wowed me was a surprise, it is the AKG 812. This phone has basically allowed me to put the other phones away, it is in a word "addictive". It has great bass but not the same heavy weight as the Audeze. It has nearly as big a soundstage as the hd800 (almost speaker like image), but With the improved bass makes the hd800 sound a little light weight. The AKG are quite easy to drive too, which is a bonus. Last point these are currently on special and are cheaper than the lcd2. Can't recommend these enough if you just want to listen to music.

The only other phone which is quite interesting is the enigma acoustics dharma, which has only just come out, it is actually a dynamic/electrostatic hybrid, basically a Martin Logan headphone of sorts. It is supposed to be priced between the lcd2 and lcd3. It sounds great with excellent bass also, allied to amazing detail retrieval.

Hope this helps.

Edited August 25, 2015 by Ray H

[mwhouston]

Never heard them. Too pricey for me but would love to hear them.

[Jsgraha]

Maybe try hd650. But it didn't have the bass that lcd was famous for.

For hifiman, I think if one prefer the sound of audeze (like me), it will be quite hard to be persuaded to go for hifiman. Unless go direct to he1000, which for me sort of like uber LCD3 😊

Edited August 25, 2015 by Jsgraha

[sir sanders zingmore]

I'm only new to headphone listening, but I agree the Audeze are a great headphone.

I went into a2a here in Sydney to buy hifiman 560's, mainly because I had read good things about planar magnetic's and I thought the hifiman phones looked great aesthetically. I liked them when I heard them but the salesman insisted I listen to the Audeze. I grudgingly put them on as I think they look frankly terrible. Regardless it was game set and match to the Audeze, 20 seconds after putting them on. I walked out with lcd3's.

The hifiman phones don't have the same weight or heft as the Audeze from my brief listen, you may prefer them if you listen too them, but they are quite different from the Audeze, they still have ok bass but they are subjectively a little brighter from memory.

I have listened to quite a few phones since and I have the hd800 and Beyer t1's along with the Audeze.

The last phone I purchased, which has really wowed me was a surprise, it is the AKG 812. This phone has basically allowed me to put the other phones away, it is in a word "addictive". It has great bass but not the same heavy weight as the Audeze. It has nearly as big a soundstage as the hd800 (almost speaker like image), but With the improved bass makes the hd800 sound a little light weight. The AKG are quite easy to drive too, which is a bonus. Last point these are currently on special and are cheaper than the lcd2. Can't recommend these enough if you just want to listen to music.

The only other phone which is quite interesting is the enigma acoustics dharma, which has only just come out, it is actually a dynamic/electrostatic hybrid, basically a Martin Logan headphone of sorts. It is supposed to be priced between the lcd2 and lcd3. It sounds great with excellent bass also, allied to amazing detail retrieval.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks @@Ray H very useful.

Looks like a trip to a2a is in order to listen to those 812's

[Ray H]

Hope you like the AKG 812, it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on the hifiman phones in comparison to the lcd2 too.

[heman_]

I used to own Audeze LCD-2s, loved them....swapped up to some stax SR-507 and well that's the end of that. As far as I am concerned they leave the LCD-2 for dead. 

[Martykt]

I hope I'm not overstretching here as I do understand the restraints of budgets.

My advice is to make sure you have a listen to the LCD-3, while the LCD-2 are excellent, I found the LCD-3 were stunning and for me were worth stretching the budget and I haven't regretted choosing the LCD-3 over the LCD-2.

I haven't heard the Hifiman but I did listen to the HD-800 at the time and for me there was just something not quite there with them and I could see myself going crazy with amps and cables trying to get the sound out of them that they hint at being capable of.

I've also heard some cheaper Stax and they were quite good. Stax range seemed worth having a listen to.

[Equaliser]

There is two particular area that I have found no other modern flagships can touch on the LCD2 and 3 and that is the mids and sub bass rendering. While the Stax and HD800`s come out ahead for detail retrieval and neutralism, the Abyss for bass quantity and a unique open soundstage, hifiman`s for there balanced sound and the newer LCD XC and X for a slight break away from the usual LCD house sound the old and new LCD2 and 3 have a very nice natural rendering with sub bass and the planar magic mid range.