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

Absolutely. Or at least, science-apathetic. I don't think you'll find many members who would deny it, either.

 

LCD-4 came with Fazors, Fluxor arrays, and all those other high value Scrabble letters by default.

The website claims it is a waveguide meant to target wave diffraction and dispersion, with the associated impedance transformation and gain. Audeze's thick grill on the back the cups misaligned with the waveguide runs counterproductive to trying to manage the backwave better.

 

I disagree that it's anti-science. I think that's just shorthand for saying that the scientific approach to audiophila includes all aspects of the topic under discussion. Technology and the science behind it is worthy of discussion, but it doesn't trump the results. Audeze's science and tech may sound great in their marketing, but that doesn't carry them through the approval process here. At worst, I think we're calling BS on the assumptions they (and others) want you to make when they talk about science.

I think that the scientific method works, and no one here is against it. Measurements almost always back up listening experience.

 

Without getting into a semantic/philosophical argument about science and the scientific method, I'm comfortable interpreting the phrase "science ... is worthy of discussion, but it doesn't trump the results" as anti-science. Quite literally, even.

I hope this isn't being interpreted as a negative criticism. But, I think it is disingenuous to claim that anything that goes on around here is scientific. Measurements are interesting and maybe even useful, but this doesn't make it scientific; it's just data.

 

I think that you've provided a claim, and literally zero data to back it up...if anything is anti science it's your last several posts in this thread

 

Well, what it gets down to is that I'm planning out my next upgrade from my HD650's.

HD800 un-modded is out. I haven't heard a modded version.

I really liked the HE1000's. Though $3k....

The LCD 2,3 & 4's are in the mix. 4's will be a stretch given their price.

The quality complaints and fazor concerns have my attention. If the fazors are pure marketing, then I have a hard time justifying any of the 3 Audeze's.

The HE560 is a maybe side-grade.

I haven't heard the Ether's yet. I see mixed reviews there.

 

Exactly.

 

We put less faith in science then your average minion.

 

Frankly the so-called Science forum over on Head-fi isn't all that scientific either; it's just dogmatism in a different direction. They are content to point to measurements and say "Well, that explains everything," but real science doesn't quite work that way. If it doesn't correspond with real-life experiences, then it clearly doesn't explain everything.

I'm sure there's bound to be a fair bit of placebo going on, especially when you have fancy buzzwords sitting at the back of your head while testing a set of hyped-up equipment, but if you really want to be scientific about it, then prove that it really is down to placebo, and not just say "Because placebo did it". And no, a blind A/B-test isn't always good enough. If the brain is capable of filling in the gaps when doing a sighted test, it could also be just as capable of filling in gaps or wiping out details during a blind test. In fact, if they really intend to as "scientific" as they claim to be, they ought to be discussing gear in conjunction with neuroscience, psychology and audiology. And if that's too rigorous for them, then they simply aren't doing proper science; they're just playing at make-believe as the rest of the audiophools are.

In this regard, I prefer the stance of SBAF. It might not be scientific either, but at least they don't claim to be and thus expect you to take their word as it is because science says so.

 

I mean, careful you don't pull something while moving those goalposts.

Dogmatism of any sort is problematic. A big part of that is denying things that don't align with a particular worldview. I'm sure everyone is guilty of that from time to time.

 

Sorry for the rant there. But science is precisely meant to challenge dogmatism, and I get pretty sick of people who claim to be doing science when they are just being close-minded. I get that they might have good intentions deep down, which would be to stop people from wasting money, but the manner in which the forum has degraded is pretty atrocious.

Also, apologies to the OP for further derailing the thread. With any luck, I shall be taking my leave from this discussion as I haven't and probably won't give the LCD-4 a listen, nor do I intend to for the forseeable future.

 

God f'ing damnit Audeze.

 

Ouch, this has gotta be bad for Audeze's image. They whole quality control thing has really hit the main steam of HF

http://www.head-fi.org/t/782442/audeze-lcd-4/2250#post_12294482

 

Jesus.

I am rather worrying about my non-fezor LCD-2.2 and LCD-X at this point...

 

The humidity in Norway is in avarage 80% through out the year.
There havent been many reports of failed cans in Norway.

 

Quite pointless reference, since inside humidity varies on many factors, weather, ventilation etc, example:
http://web.byv.kth.se/bphys/copenhagen/pdf/048-2.pdf

Perhaps the shopkeeper was referring to wood cracking. Or was just clueless. I had all my Audezes break down too and there's a massive humidity difference between winter and summer. Maybe that's the reason! ... or perhaps it's just the gawd awful production and Q/A

 

Audeze should try it.