Review : Audeze LCD-3

Audeze LCD-3 Headphones reviewed on Headfonia.com by Mike

Read the full review here : http://www.headfonia.com/the-lcd-3-planar-technology-that-needs-to-be-trickled-down/

Conclusion :
In the overall scheme of things, I consider the more spacious sound, the air, and the treble of the LCD-3 to be relatively minor improvements. For me, it’s very impressive to hear a planar that’s finally able to present a good swing factor and flexibility with recordings, as it really allows the recordings to become alive and palpable, provided you’re listening to a good recording and from a good source. On the other hand, if most of my listening are tuned to mainstream recordings, I’d actually think that the LCD-2 is the better headphone. It’s less resolving and has a better ability to mask distortion introduced from the mixing and mastering process. The two also does a better job with the majority of modern music and their compressed, constantly-loud-level dynamics.

Another factor that I discovered was how the three, a lot like the top end dynamic drivers, demands top end source and amplification to truly shine. Even with the ALO Pan Am and the Violectric V200, both very good amps for the LCD-2, I really don’t see the reason I’d spend $2K on the bigger brother. On the Studio Six, however, I’m making no exaggeration when I say that I really struggled to go back to the two as the dynamics in the music sound very constricted and limited on it.

So, here is a belated hurrah to the LCD-3. I think Audeze has done a lot more on the three than merely making the sound more spacious and improving treble extension. I would pay the $2K if I have the money because the three is just that much better.