Are the LCD-3s Really the Last Headphones I Will Need?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by dragpeace, Apr 4, 2015.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. dragpeace

    dragpeace Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I'm looking to buy the last headphones I will ever want to buy. This is to listen comfortably at home to hi res and vinyl. At first, I was thinking of Shure 1840s or 1540s. Then I thought: Let's finish this once and for all and get the best. Before forking out $2000, I wanted to get comments. Any advice will be greatly appreciated (and yes, I've read the forums).
     
  2. Dougr33

    Dougr33 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Twin Cities, MN
    What's the rest of your equipment? Short answer is 'no': if you think you need the LCD-3, in a few years you'll think you need the LCD-4, -5, or whatever they call it.
     
    MonkeyMan likes this.
  3. vo_obgynmd

    vo_obgynmd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Issaquah, WA
    For what it is worth, I have the Audeze LCD-X and the Sennheiser HD800 Headphones and I can't see myself buying a new headphone for sometime to come.
     
  4. dragpeace

    dragpeace Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Lol! I understand completely. I have a Marantz 8005, Oppo BDP-105, mmf-5.1 turntable. OK, let me rephrase - is the LCD-3 really better than the rest? I really don't plan on getting the "latest and greatest", after this purchase. I may upgrade the other equipment eventually, but I'd like this to be my last headphone purchase. I don't want to spend $500 now and then end up wanting to buy these later - I'm at the stage in my life where I want to enjoy listening without having to worry about whether or not I got the best I reasonably could.
     
  5. ls35a

    ls35a Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eagle, Idaho
    The HD800 is about a thousand times more comfortable than the LCD's.

    If you want to wear the last headphone for more than ten minutes... I'd be looking them instead of the LCD's.
     
  6. ElvisCaprice

    ElvisCaprice Forum Resident

    Location:
    Jaco, Costa Rica
    "Are the LCD-3s Really the Last Headphones I Will Need?"
    Why not? Folks buy speakers with the same intentions. Go for it. Of course a listening test might be in order.
     
  7. Linto

    Linto Mayor of Simpleton

    I'd rather have the HD800 over any Audenze I have heard
     
  8. LCD-3 the best headphone I've heard and or owned. However you'll never get a consensus on a question like this. I don't have any problems with comfort but my listening sessions rarely exceed 3 hours at a time .
     
  9. dragpeace

    dragpeace Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I understand that's there's a huge dose of personal preference involved with things like this. I'm just looking for all the input I can get. Unfortunately, living where I do, I don't have the opportunity to test much out. We're limited to Sears and Best Buy! I started out leaning towards the Shure 1540, considered the Shure 1840, and then thought "if I'm going to go in, let's go ALL in", and started looking at the HD800 and the LCD-3 (and maybe the Oppo PM-3). I'm going to sleep on it and make a decision tomorrow. :)
     
  10. Barnabas Collins

    Barnabas Collins Senior Member

    Location:
    NH
    I'm kind of in a similar situation. I have nowhere to audition headphones anywhere near me, although I guess if I REALLY wanted to make a day trip and go to a few dealers scattered throughout New England, I could, but I don't want to do that. Reading up on the HD800s has me really wanting a pair. I'm particularly interested because of their ability to image really well and the fact that they are so revealing. I'm a little afraid they will be too bright for me as I currently use Senn HD650s which are very laid back. On the other hand, it will be nice to have something sonically quite different from what I have as IMO, none of my gear is on the bright side. I'm sure those Audeze phones are really great headphones but I'm not "feeling" it for some reason. Which is absolutely meaningless as I haven't heard them. I guess I'm looking for something that will leave recordings nowhere to hide; something more analytical, so to speak. I eagerly await your decision tomorrow!
     
  11. jazz8588

    jazz8588 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sandbach, England
    When I saw the post about last headphones I will ever need, it occurred to me to chime in about my personal experience. I have found that as you get older your hearing will change, usually for the worst. This will probably influence your choice of headphones in the long run.

    PS I'm not trying to be pedantic over your choice of words, just offering my own findings.
     
    Rolltide likes this.
  12. dragpeace

    dragpeace Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Absolutely. I'm 50, and know that all too well. About two years ago, I was right against the stage for a concert and my left ear suffered hearing damage in the mid-range, as I mentioned above. I can live with that. but the tinnitus has been a pain. However, I find headphones help a bit. I figure I might as well enjoy listening to music as much as possible in the time I have left! ;)
     
  13. back2vinyl

    back2vinyl Forum Resident

    Location:
    London, UK
    I thought exactly the same as you and bought a pair of LCD-2s on the same basis, without hearing them first. Very big mistake. The lesson I learned was not to get carried away by rave reviews about a particular pair of headphones. There seems to be a bit if a herd mentality with these things - no doubt someone has written a book about the crowd psychology underpinning this phenomenon. There's no doubt that Audeze make excellent headphones but so do many other companies and the only way to find out which ones you like is to hear them. I know that's not what you want to hear but one suggestion might be to experiment with second-hand headphones on eBay that you can sell on without taking too much of a hit, until you find what you like.

    At the very least, you might want to set out a few parameters about kind of sound you prefer. Lots of bass? Rolled-off top? Unfortunately there's no such thing as a flat frequency response in headphones so unless you can draw a chart of the exact frequency response you want, there's very little chance that anything you buy blind will coincide with what you want.
     
  14. dragpeace

    dragpeace Forum Resident Thread Starter

    That's a great question. I like clarity, first and foremost, and natural sound. I like well-defined bass, but not bass for bass sake (Beats are an atrocity). I don't want the bass to overwhelm the mids and trebles. I don't want harshness, but I want crispness, if that makes sense. Definition is important. For example, I want it to sound like I'm sitting in the studio when Fleetwood Mac plays Rumours, and I want to hear that complexity of a Bowie album. I listen to a lot of Bowie, Wilco, Beatles, McCartney, Radiohead, The Who, Stones, Zeppelin, etc.

    If you don't mind me asking, what was wrong with the LCD-2s?

    The herd mentality is well-documented. People like to feel that their views are supported. I'm wary of that, but the LCD-3s get such good reviews from people who have a lot of experience. The "used" route is interesting. Thanks for suggesting that.
     
  15. dnuggett

    dnuggett Forum Resident

    Location:
    DFW Texas
    The problem you will get with a consensus is many times folks get headphones and think nothing of the amplification. Then they complain when they aren't getting the sound the reviewer or another owner raved about. Headphones just like speakers need to be matched to proper amplification to get the best out of them. Some are easier than others. I have a pair of LCD2F and I like them quite a bit. However if I were going for the last pair I'd ever own I'd be looking at the Stax SR-009 and an equally capable and compatible amplifier.
     
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2015
  16. Scott Wheeler

    Scott Wheeler Forum Resident

    Location:
    ---------------
    Great headphones but I do like the HiFi Man HE 1000s better as well as the Stax SR-009. Sorry to say they are even more pricey but I do like them both better.
     
  17. kfringe

    kfringe Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Oregon Coast
    They had revelatory impact and soul when they were new, but they were grainy and amusical when directly compared to the LCD3. The 2s are still fine headphones, but the planar market is a lot more competitive than it used to be.

    Before you drop two grand on headphones, though, what are you planning to use for an amp? Do you have one already? Can your budget manage to get one that will drive the cans the way they're meant to be driven?
     
  18. dragpeace

    dragpeace Forum Resident Thread Starter

    For the moment, I'll be sticking with my Marantz 8005 (with an Oppo BDP-105). I'd like to upgrade eventually, but don't have the cash to do more than headphones for a while. I'm getting cold feet now and leaning back towards the Shure 1540s, but after a beer or two, that could change four or five times tonight (especially as I'm an MSU alum and currently suffering through the NCAA semi-final ;) ).
     
  19. dragpeace

    dragpeace Forum Resident Thread Starter

    By the way, I sincerely appreciate all of the comments and advice. I'm considering it all seriously.
     
  20. kfringe

    kfringe Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Oregon Coast
    I'd hold off on the LCD3 purchase. Those things need a serious amp.
     
  21. peteham

    peteham Senior Member

    Location:
    Simcoe County
    Depending on the shape of your head. I had some HD800s and I sold them. I just couldn't get them to sit comfortably. The LCDs I kept.
     
  22. ElvisCaprice

    ElvisCaprice Forum Resident

    Location:
    Jaco, Costa Rica
    Get the X's. Your current setup has plenty to drive them with. From your description of desired sound, they are a fit.
     
  23. dragpeace

    dragpeace Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Just to be absolutely sure (I don't want to make a mistake on a decision this costly), you mean the LCD-X, right? I'm off to do some research. Thanks!
     
    ElvisCaprice likes this.
  24. Ham Sandwich

    Ham Sandwich Senior Member

    Location:
    Sherwood, OR, USA
    No headphone will be the last headphone you will need. :winkgrin:

    All headphones are wonky in some way. Some more than others. The $1000+ and $2000+ headphones are wonky too. Some are differently wonky than others. But all are wonky in some way or ways. There is not a "one" headphone, a headphone that does it all and gets it all right. What headphone listeners often end up doing is getting two or more headphones that complement each other. Each headphone doing something well that the others don't do so well.

    Jumping into the headphone listening market and spending all your money on a "one" headphone is probably not going to work out the way you are expecting. You'll be wanting another headphone that's different to pair up with it in a year or two or three.

    A lot though does depend on the variety of music that you listen to. Finding a single headphone that does both rock and classical well is a lot more of a challenge than finding a headphone that just does rock well.

    There's an audio shop in Pittsburgh that carries a variety of high-end headphones. They hosted a headphone meet last month, which is how I know of them because I read the meet reports. Here's the announcement thread with some info about the shop: Pittsburgh PA meet March 14
    Looks like the shop carries Audeze, Sennheiser, Mr. Speakers, and some others. Doesn't look like they carry Shure.

    I don't know what amps they carry. At this level of headphones the amp does make a difference. Some amps can make a huge difference on the way a headphone like the Audeze or HD800 sounds. With amps the difference isn't just in tonality or sound style, but also in the size and shape of the soundstage presented around your head. I'd suggest bringing your Marantz amp to the shop and comparing it with the dedicated headphone amps to find out what sort of differences you hear and whether you'd be satisfied with the Marantz as a headphone amp. My preference would be to have a $1000 LCD-2 and a suitable $1000ish headphone amp than to have the $2000 LCD-3 and a lesser amp.
     
  25. Jack Flannery

    Jack Flannery Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    I am cheap and have the LCD=2's. I play through a Schiit Gungnir DAC and a Valhalla 2 headphone amp. They are damn fine. A little warmish but there is very little or no digital eeezzzzz at all. I love them, although I doubt I will take them to the grave.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine