[Boerd]

For the past few weeks I am looking around to buy a pair of good headphones.The Audeze LCD2/3 seem attractive but I see two problems:
 
1. The measurements are all over the place:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/headphone-data-sheet-downloads
Some cans measure clearly better than the Stax 009 and some measure mediocre.
2. Subjectively - The look is very archaic, almost amatoresque with screws in plain sight, etc.
Materials are great - just the look is not the most attractive.
 
While look is not very important I'd like to know what I am buying - measurement should be consistent.
Does anybody know of any tests/measurements that prove Audeze fixed their headphones?
 
Thank you!
 
NB
I am not trying to offend Audeze nor Audeze owners - these are great cans.
All I am trying to do is research before buying something.
Especially if I pony up to buy the LCD-3.

 

[wje]

I suspect that the Audeze headphones have a lot of variation.  About a week ago, I had visited Justin's site: headamp.com and he initially had some links up with frequency graphs for each of the Audeze headphones he sold.  I think a potential buyer would be able to pick the headphone they felt the best about, based on the charts.  However, I've noticed that the charts have been pulled down.
 
I'm not sure if:
 
1) This is something Audeze doesn't approve of?
 
2) This is something that would be a nightmare for Justin to manage?  Imagine going to buy a bag of candy, then telling the shop owner to open the bags up because you only wanted the red and yellow candies.  It would be a mess for the shop owner.
 
I do like statistcs and graphs, though.  I remember about 20 years back in car audio, there was an amp manufacturer that would include the actual tests of the wattage the amp could produce to show its authenticity.  Usually, the amp would be rated several watts above the advertised power. 

 

[wes008]

I have seen variations in Audeze graphs, but I don't think the overall sound signature is that different between individual cans (keep in mind that I don't own these... yet 

). What I can "legally" comment on is the supposed "measuring" better than another can: Measurements can show variations from headphones model-to-model, but what they can't show is the overall experience that you will have with the cans. The LCD-2 almost measure flatter than the SR-009, but the SR-009 is generally perceived as more neutral because the lows, mids, and highs are not level. You might want more distortion for more musicality (Grados are infamous for this). There are such things as, "good measurements," but they can't tell you whether one pair of headphones is actually "better" than another. That's the subjective part. 

 

[Boerd]

Quote:

"I suspect that the Audeze headphones have a lot of variation."
 
 
Well - that's bad, isn't it? If you manufacture from the same materials at the same standard, the performance should be reproducible. I saw graphs (please see my initial post) with 1% THD at 90 db. That's not cool for a 2k$ headphone (LCD-3).
I don't most about the frequency response but the THD + noise, square wave at 30/300 and a few other measurements do matter to me.

 

[Boerd]

Call me extremist/whatever but for me good engineering starts with good, reproducible measurements.
 

 

[wes008]

Quote:

Call me extremist/whatever but for me good engineering starts with good, reproducible measurements.
 

Than the Audezes are not for you 

 Our friends at Sennheiser make a very nice headphone that physically feels professional, has a sound that graphs consistently, and overall has, "good measurements." (Senn HD 800)

 

[TMRaven]

Note that Audeze is a baby company in comparison to Sennheiser, and is still getting on its feet.  The measurements at InnerFidelity have been taken throughout a good amount of time, and as far as I know Tyll has only measured the latest LCD2 Rev2 once.  LCD3 has had issues at its launch as well.  Tyll covers all this in his review of the LCD2 and 3.
 
Also note that just recently Audeze has moved to a larger place and they'll be able to streamline production.

 

[Boerd]

Funny you'd say that. I am listening to the HD800 as I type - a colleague let me try his for a few days.
Sound is excellent but 1. they're (cheap) plastic 2. I'm trying to buy American if I can
Now you know my dilemma
 

 

[wes008]

Quote:

Funny you'd say that. I am listening to the HD800 as I type - a colleague let me try his for a few days.
Sound is excellent but 1. they're (cheap) plastic 2. I'm trying to buy American if I can
Now you know my dilemma
 

Well, I love to buy American too, but when you buy American, you can't expect quality Actually, Schiit and Woo Audio make amazingly high-quality stuff, and IMHO so does Audeze (but not to you, I know).
 
EDIT: Also, the, "plastic" on the HD 800 is intentional, it's some kind of stiff material design to transfer next to no vibration from the driver through the rest of the headphones. 

 

[Boerd]

Quote:

Well, I love to buy American too, but when you buy American, you can't expect quality Actually, Schiit and Woo Audio make amazingly high-quality stuff, and IMHO so does Audeze (but not to you, I know).
 
EDIT: Also, the, "plastic" on the HD 800 is intentional, it's some kind of stiff material design to transfer next to no vibration from the driver through the rest of the headphones. 

 
I own a Benchmark HDR - speaking of American quality.
There are plenty of high quality American products. I am just trying to figure out if that's the case with Audeze.
Regarding the Senny HD 800 - they're great and I understand plastic's role but for that price they should have used carbon
like in the Manufaktur line of Beyer.
For now the four I am looking into are hd800, T1 and LCD2/3.

 

[wes008]

Well, you've got the HD 800 to sample right now, why don't you buy the LCD-2 or 3 from a place that has a good return policy, and try it out? Then if it really is a slopily built product that sounds nothing like Joe Bob's LCD2/3, then you can send it back and either get the HD 800 or try the T1 (I agree that Beyer stuff is of an amazing build quality).

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Quote:

 
EDIT: Also, the, "plastic" on the HD 800 is intentional, it's some kind of stiff material design to transfer next to no vibration from the driver through the rest of the headphones. 

 
And easily chipped paint to give it a character? 

 

[fortitude]

Believe me, there are variations in the HD800 too.  Nobody is exempt from making each model identical from one to the next, it's literally impossible with something like this.

 

[Boerd]

Quote:

Believe me, there are variations in the HD800 too.  Nobody is exempt from making each model identical from one to the next, it's literally impossible with something like this.

 
Do you own an Audeze can? Changing subject - is LCD3 worth when compared to LCD2?

 

[fortitude]

Quote:

 
Do you own an Audeze can? Changing subject - is LCD3 worth when compared to LCD2?

 
I have both the LCD-2s and the HD800.  I haven't demo'd the LCD3 myself, I should refrain from making a judgement but many claim it's a whole different level while others claim it's like 5-15% difference.