Audez'e LCD-4 -- again -- anyone...?

Could be a long wait as used versions seem to sell for more?

 

I've been quoted before from Audeze directly $250 for LCD-2 and $375 for LCD-3 out of warranty driver replacements.

 

Lcd-3 drivers are $500 now. Mine are getting replaced this week.

 

I know they used to be higher but that they would revert it kinda sucks.

 

I own a pair myself, although currently searching for the proper amp to drive them with. Would love to hear any opinions on this if any of you have heard one that made an impression.

 

In an effort to try to contribute some content, here are some of my thoughts on the LCD-4 below. These are from a little while ago.



Hey Guys,

Now that I have had a few solid days with the LCD-4 I feel I can give a more fair comparison between the two. It was a nice day out so I took a couple photos to go with the review. If you have any questions about either of these headphones vs other popular models just ask, as I might have owned them in the past/have heard them.

I’M NOT A PROFESSIONAL. I just like good headphones. As I said when I posted some impressions of headphones the other day, I don’t care about a valley at 7khz, and a peak at 10khz sort of thing. Its just not my bag. There is a place for it, and others are far better at it than I am, so these are just…..a dude who likes headphones and musics impressions. Take everything I say with a grain of salt, and if you can, give em’ a shot yourself. Your ears know better than my babbling. I am a warm and musical guy at heart, but I really do appreciate detail as well. Finding the balance between the two is where the fun happens.

These are similar headphones. The LCD-4 is like an intimate warmer Abyss. Thats the best quick summary I can do.

Bass: I’m a bit of a bass head I guess, so its something I listen to very carefully. Neither of these headphones are a slouch when it comes to bass. The Abyss (when worn with a very slight seal) has more punch. I would say both headphones have an equal quality of bass, but with the Abyss you seem to notice it more. More slam, more boom, more impact etc…Both these headphones have nice sub bass, and extend deep down low. What I really like about both of these headphones is the quality of the bass. Its not muddy and tough to get a handle of what is going on. Its clean and crisp. If you are a bass head, these two headphones do bass better than any other headphone I have heard, in that the bass is there in quantity and quality. Some headphones have a great quality of bass, but lack in quantity, and some can shake your head off, but its muddy. All in all, the Abyss probably just edges out the LCD-4 in the bass department, but don’t get me wrong, the LCD-4 is no slouch. If the Abyss didn’t exist, the LCD-4 would be the best bass I have ever heard out of a headphone.

Mids: Lately on some forums I keep seeing people talking about the Audeze “house” sound, and….creamy(?) mids. Smooth and warm is another way to put it. I think I have a handle on the Audeze house sound having owned the LCD-3 and heard all of their other cans, and the LCD-4’s continue this trend. However, there is a clarity and separation to the notes of the music you are listening to in the mid section that I haven’t heard from Audeze before. The mids are all warm and juicy, but you can pick out whats going on better. Vocals, both male and female are great. The Abyss is not a warm headphone. Its like an original HD800 and LCD-3 banged and had some sort of weird love child. The mids are a bit pulled back with the Abyss, while with the LCD-4 they are more forward. I think that might be one of the reasons that I prefer rock and metal on the Abyss over the LCD-4, the mids hit just a bit less hard, in a good way. However, for Jazz and some other genres, the LCD-4’s mids contribute that warmth to the music, which really works well. With Electronic music (which makes up a lot of my listening) both headphones do really well due to their bass response. I don’t prefer either for this genre, they are just different. Depends on the mood I’m in. If I had to chose a winner for mids, it has to go to the LCD-4, they just do them really well to my ears, YMMW. As I said I’m a warm and musical guy at heart.

Treble: Meh. Tyll doesn’t like the LCD-4’s treble. The LCD-4 has the best treble out of any headphone Audeze has made (that I have heard.) Its playing in the big boy leagues BUT Its treble is not as good or as fast as the Stax SR009. Audeze dun goofd when they said this headphone beats stats. The treble on the Abyss is really really fast, not as fast as the SR009, but faster than the LCD-4. Neither headphone is piercing. I don’t find my ears get tired out. The treble on the Abyss is more..airy and has better separation if that makes sense. I really like the LCD-4’s treble. As I said, its a more intimate headphone than the Abyss, and I think that its treble contributes to that. I can’t pick a winner between the two for treble, they are just different. Maybe its because I’m a drummer and I’m actually deaf. Who knows. Both have great treble, not as good as a couple other headphones, but great.

Soundstage: Do you want a huge expansive soundstage ala HD800, or a bit more of an intimate experience like a cozy little jazz club? The LCD-4’s soundstage is awesome, its bigger than the LCD-3’s but it still delivers and intimate experience. The music is closer to you. You can feel it more. The Abyss soundstage is huge. Its very airy (literally depending on how you have them set up on your head.) Again, I can’t pick a winner, as they are so different. I read someone say the LCD-4 is a 2d listening experience. I don’t agree with that. If you like the traditional headphone approach, go for the LCD-4, you will like it, it has a great soundstage. If you want a whole new experience, go for the Abyss, it delivers a soundstage experience I haven’t heard before in any other headphone.

Imaging: Both are great. LCD-4 is much improved in this area over the LCD-3 I think. Imaging is very much tied to the soundstage IMO, so again, both are different. Both headphones image very well, the Abyss is just a more “out of the head” experience with where things are.

Build Quality: The Abyss is a tank. Its all metal and heavy duty. Very well built. The Audeze is beautiful (in my opinion, some hate it) I love the real wood contrasted with the chrome and carbon fibre. Its very well built. Both put the HE1000 to shame. Both are built to the same standard, but the Audeze just has this…..luxurious feel to it.

Comfort: Gotta give this one to the LCD-4. The Abyss is wearable once you get it adjusted right, but it is a bit clunky. It can be comfy, or unbearable. The LCD-4 is just..plush and lovely. I don’t notice its weight. The new headband is great, a big improvement over the old one.

Overall winner? Neither. They both have their own strength and weaknesses. The Abyss, with its huge soundstage and huge bass. The LCD-4 with its beautiful mids, and intimate experience. Its really hard to chose just one. They are both a step up from the LCD-3/HD800S, in my opinion, and I love the LCD-3 and HD800s. I’m really, really lucky to own both of these headphones. I thought the LCD-4 might just end up being a mini Abyss, but it is much more than that. Its musical and warm, but it has great detail and imaging, which is sometimes missing on a warm and musical headphone. The Abyss is colder, but not clinical. Its huge soundstage and amazing bass make it a pleasure to listen to.

I hope I sort of covered everything. If you guys have any questions just ask. Thanks for reading if you got this far, have a great weekend when you get there

TLDR: Both have good bass, abyss has more of it. Mids Audeze wins. Treble both are great. Soundstage on the Abyss is huge, Audeze is intimate. Build quality both are great. Comfort Audeze wins.

 

@ufospls2 -

Great review, echoes what I've heard by most others about both headphones. Apart from the price, and I admit, the looks & possible discomfort, that's why I went for the LCD4s. Also, even the LCD4s are easier to drive than the Abyss as far as I can tell. Simply it seemed like they had the exact sound signature I was looking for, and so far that's been exactly the case. Only thing I would ask for is a slightly bigger soundstage, but I hardly even think about that.

I've heard LCD2, LCD3 and LCDX...and so far these are my favorite. I really think the Xs are too cold, the 3s lose a bit of detail (but sound beautiful) - the 4s are almost like the best parts of the 3s and the Xs put together. And, in my humble opinion, they are gorgeous. I really don't know how anyone can complain about the weight, never have I noticed it wearing these or any other Audeze headphones. Maybe my head is just the right shape, but I really don't know how so many seem to have such a hard time with them. I wear mine for hours at a time, only thing I ever really have to do is make tiny adjustments once or twice.

Now I just need a proper amp...what do you use with yours? Also, can I ask when you purchased yours? Almost looks like yours are made with Rosewood, which they stopped offering pretty early on, they're all African Ebony wood now and have been for a while. Most Rosewood models were the early 100 ohm units, there's a few Rosewood 200 ohm units out there as far as I can tell but very few.

 

I actually use a Wells Audio Headtrip with mine currently. I purchased mine about a year and a half ago. I think it might be photo trickery, as I have the Maccasar Ebony wood version. It wasn't Rosewood they offered early on, I think they only offered the LCD-2 in Rosewood. The early LCD-4s were Cocobolo wood, but it was put on the conservation list and they switch to the Ebony.

 

You're right, I knew it sounded wrong as I was typing it...starting to lose it, I think.

That is some of the reddest-looking ebony I've seen, looks beautiful. I've heard great things about the headtrip, excellent setup you have there.

I've just noticed in another thread you mentioned you almost purchased an iCan Pro instead of your initial Milo, but thought it a bit cold. Was that with the LCD4s? I'm pretty much on the verge of purchasing one myself, as I keep hearing disappointing things about Mjolner 2, Rag, and pretty much everything else in that price range apart from the Milo.

 

It was with the Abyss I thought it was a bit cold, but that was likely the DAC (Mytek Brooklyn.) Everything else I have read doesn't indicate a cold sound signature. I also only used it on the solid state mode, so tube or tube+ might be warmer, not sure.

 

Shortly after my last post here I purchased a Modi Multibit and a Pro iCan, along with some Wireworld interconnects and a Wireworld USB cable.

Have been loving it so far, was a bit worried that it might be too warm or "dark" but it's neither. I'm sure the Modi Multibit is the "weakest" part of the chain but I can't imagine it getting more than a few percent better, overall I'm very much enjoying this combination. Lots of detail, solid width to the soundstage, plenty of warmth without getting "gooey" or "syrupy" in any way at all. I think I'm set for a while with this setup, maybe a better DAC at some point but I think for now, it sounds pretty damn good. More happy than ever I decided to go with the LCD4s.

 

Very nice work! TLDR is glorious!

 

@Marvey recently you said that you heard the LCD4 and that they were deserving of TOTL status. Could you please link to your impressions if I missed them or elaborate a bit?

I'm not getting along with the tonal balance, treble aggressiveness and sound stage compactness of my Utopia which seems to rob some music of its grandeur. I'm intrigued by Bob Katz LCD4 vs SR007 shootout which ended in a draw and unsure of which one to go for next

 

I can give you my impressions after a couple weeks of listening, for what it's worth. The LCD-4 sounds even warmer than an LCD-3 (fazor). There is no lower treble emphasis to speak of; it's very much a lower-mid-centric headphone. without any EQ, I think it's a little too dark, but tastes may vary on that. It has less lower treble than the aforementioned LCD-3, but more upper treble air. The soundstage with or without EQ is wider sounding than any Focal headphone. I'm currently running it out of an Ampsandsound Agartha 300B amp. Using the Schiit Loki mini EQ, I set the 2k and 8k knobs to approx. 2-2:30 and it gives me the slight presence/lower mid boost that I want.

Edit: should have said "presence/lower treble"

 

Thanks!

 

I've tried nearly all the major top end cans now and a modded HD800 still holds up to everything out there IMHO. I especially liked the Utopia but at around 4x the price and with smaller soundstage I'd personally never go for it. The stax headphones are fanastic with their fast and airy quality, but I like the "ompph" that dynamic headphones offer with the right setup. It just suits my style of music better.

The entire LCD range honestly sounds very similar to me, I think they're all pretty small in the soundstage and somehow unexciting. If you like their sound I'd just say probably just go for the LCD-2 and don't even listen to the rest of the range. The upper end of the range might be slightly more detailed and open sounding but not worth the price hike to the vast majority of people.

I like the sound of the upper end of the range of the Hifiman headphones but those things leak so much sound it's basically like walking around with a pair of speakers on your head. Might work if you have an entire mansion to yourself but if you want any kind of privacy or isolation from the outside world then forget about it.

 

Some of us just don't get along with the 800's, modded or not.

 

I dig the tone/timbre of the LCD-2, but it lacks the micro detail that the LCD-3 possesses. That's my happy medium.

 

I get that and if the LCD-3 is your sweet spot I perfectly understand.