Official spot to discuss the Audeze LCD-3
@taronlissimore please update with a sweet pic
I have a not so sweet pic of my old pair:
This happened to both sides when I tried removing the cables. I don’t know what caused it but it was a huge bummer. This was an old Pre-Fazor pair, so I’m hoping Audeze has stepped it up since then.
I really liked the midrange on these. It’s a bit more dipped in the upper mids than I’d like, but they had this intimate quality to them that when you throw on the right song, was pretty magical. They did lack in treble and extreme bass extension, but they were a nice flavor-headphone.
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I had previously only tried them with the leather headband and it was before I had tried the rest of the lineup a couple of years ago. I enjoyed them then but came away a little disappointed as I found the bass extension that I had heard so much about wasn’t quite there. Now we’ve got a new pair in with the carbon fibre suspension system and made with maple wood and I’m giving them another go.
They definitely don’t reach as deep as the LCD-4s and don’t have the same level of clarity but for half the price they are pretty damn close! The carbon fibre suspension system that they have put on their latest batch headphones makes a world of a difference. It’s like a whole headphone lighter. Makes the overall experience more enjoyable then the one I had a couple of years ago.
Audeze still does run into QC issues. But their customer service is easily up there with the best along with their warranty policies. Well above the likes of companies like Focal in that regard.
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Yeah, if I could justify spending so much on what’s essentially a flavor-headphone I’d still have one around for acoustic stuff. I really liked mine for that stuff. Audeze definitely has the “sit down on the couch with a drink” sound nailed.
Audeze’s CS is easily one of my favorites. I remember some time last year I asked them about a serial number for a headphone I was going to buy and they actually told me it was one of the stolen headphones from this and were incredibly cooperative. I’ve had a few other reasons to contact them and they usually answered within half an hour which always surprised me.
I don’t have any Audeze cans but have been wanting a pair since I joined this crazy journey called “audiophile”. I pre-ordered the Mobius and am looking forward to those, but I still swoon over the LCD series of cans. I just need to settle on which one in the series to break my ears on 
Hard to go wrong with the LCD2C !
Pretty great way to get into Audeze’s LCD series and more comfortable than the LCD2. I haven’t spent enough time comparing the LCD2C to the LCD-3 to tell if the price jump is justified (it probably isn’t, that’s just the way it is with high-end headphones) but starting with the lcd2c would definitely be my recommendation.
I’m fairly sure a majority of the users here have pre-ordered the Mobius. Fairly sure they are going to be shipping next month so I’m looking forward to the flurry of impressions!
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Ya I’d like to sit down with the whole LCD lineup and do a true comparison between them. To my ears, they all definitely have very similar tuning in line with Audeze’s house sound. Right now I would say the LCD4s are a little warmer than the LCD3s but the difference isn’t very big.
I’m a big fan of their CS as I find a lot of companies will leave you in the dark rather than give you news you may not want to hear which Audeze is upfront and honest about. Ya their warehouse is located near a bunch of other headphone/cable manufacturers and the people took off with a pretty good haul. Super unfortunate incident.
What are your feelings on the Campfire Audio Cascade compared to the LCD 2C? I find the design very interesting and seeing as they are at the same price point was wondering about the two compared. Granted apples to oranges as far as tech and everything, I’m more wanting impression of the two to each other and how they compare musically.
Personally I like the Cascade better. But that’s completely subjective.
The Cascade was more visceral with its bass impact. I am a bass head though so I quite like that. Others, including @andrew feel that the low-end is a little too overbearing. But he also said he liked them over the AFC which is strange because I felt they would be right up his alley.
The LCD2C is a little more laid back than the Cascade. I had no problems with fit either although the 2C is the heavier of the two (the Cascade is about 0.85 lbs, the 2C is 1.1 lbs so not too big of a difference). I did feel the LCD2C handled acoustic tracks much better than the Cascade as well as songs where there was more going on.
Listening to Matt Lange’s Testarossa with either of them is a real treat.
Admittedly out of Audeze’s whole series, I have spent the least amount of time with the 2C though as its a manufacturer’s exclusive.
With that being said, they do serve different purposes. The Cascade is pretty easily portable end-game for me for when I eventually decide to move on from my NightOwls. If I was listening exclusively at home though, I would go with the LCD2C.
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Yeah I’m trying to find a more portable set, and the Cascade looked really intriguing. I am getting the Mobius here next month hopefully…so that also fits the bill for “mobile” but the Cascade looks more mobile with the ability to fold and it isn’t as garish lol, it is a fine looking set of cans…
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Ok, guys, I’ve been testing these against Focal Utopias… it’s kinda no comparison. Utopia has so much more of a moving sound to me due to… well, basically, the LCD3 seems to have some dampening going on in the 2k-5k range.
So, snares, breath in the vocals, guitar plucks, etc., all feel less detailed.
Comparing these to my M50x’s are even… well, I don’t want to say it out loud.
Listening to everything through the Mojo (because the Phonitor X ain’t powerful enough for them).
Am I crazy or is this a known thing? I was so looking forward to these fuckers… I think the design and build are so killer. @taronlissimore am I going mad here or have others talked about these LCD3’s this way?
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I think the lcd3 is no better than the 2. Just as the 4 isn’t as well. It’s like a similar headphone in different housing and rebadged with a different model name.
Even the 2F, which I did like, felt like it would be a solid $400-$450 headphone but pretty ridiculous at $1,000. The LCD-2C and LCD-X are really the only two I’m interested in hearing. I kind of want to hear the 4 but I don’t have high expectations for them.
I’m beginning to understand why headphones can be overly expensive (not that I agree). I think it is a couple things, R&D, and craftmanship/build quality, are two driving factors that I can get behind…but even with that I look at something that in the sum total of its parts is less than $100 but sold for 10x that price or more I get a lil meh about it. But I am not accounting for if it was handmade on a smaller scale or mass produced in a factory, each of those have varying costs that jump that initial cost up. Then you have the “well how much are people willing to pay factor”… Hence why I will bargain shop all day long (I just found a pair of Andromedas for half off! Woot, woot, woot lol).
Well I had the X and I can tell you, each pair I heard was different. Mine in particular had the shittiest mid range you’ll ever fine.
How the hell did you get Andros that cheap? 
I had no idea they were inconsistent like that. I’ve heard almost zero bad things about the X so I’m a little surprised.
used market, and because they are expensive people tend to take care of them, so not to worried about issues. Also I’m not sure about IEMs yet so was always going to get them used.
People just shill things that they think is good. Most people ain’t heard shit so they don’t know what they are talking about.
Welcome to the club. You’ll love the Andromeda’s of that I am certain. Having owned the HD700 I agree with your sentiments regarding them. I never found them too bright, yes they walk the line, but I loved them and really wish I hadn’t sold them. Stupidly I sold them on because I bought the HD800 and thought I wouldn’t need both. My bad.
Anyway if your a fan of the HD700 and HD800 then I am sure you’ll love the Andromeda’s. Though I know it doesn’t always follow that way. Enjoy and let us know what you think about you Andromeda’s when they arrive.
-Paul-
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