music lovers all over the world covet Audeze over ear headphones but the LCD
line is one of the brands most popular the LCD-2 LCD-3 and LCD-4 have
been the most successful wired headphones that Audeze makes and this
comparison will compare all three wired headphones while sharing our listening
experiences with you with this comparison you'll have everything needed
to select the right pair of Audeze headphones before we get started though
we want to point out that we also have individual reviews on the LCD-2, 3, and
the 4 and we'll link to those in the description along with a link to the
full written in comparison as well there we'll take a deeper dive into each model
and talk about the advantages of each also on our site you'll find hundreds of
other reviews comparisons buyers guides and much more now let's get started
The Audeze origin story began with its first open back headphone the LCD-2 the
LCD-2 has become an icon and a top-selling open-back headphone and
Audio Advice it does an excellent job of creating a wide soundstage that's well
defined and provides an incredibly accurate bass response with Distortion
nearly eliminated above 10Hz the bass is tight and very defined the
impedance of the Audeze LCD-2 is 70 ohms so you'll want a decent headphone amp if
you want to experience the LCD-2 to the full extent as a leader in planar magnetic
driver technology Audeze developed a way to manufacture an ultra-thin
diaphragm that's thinner than a human hair similar to a piston that pushes and
pulls the air around it the faster the movement of the diaphragm the better
it's able to reproduce sound waves as they occur naturally in the real world
the diaphragm in the LCD-2 is the first to implement this ultra-thin diaphragm
and because of this it produces accurate deep bass with ultra-low distortion with
incredible accuracy LCD-2 can produce frequencies as low as 10Hz and all
the way up to 50kHz that's both above and below what humans can actually
hear by the way when testing the LCD-2 we immediately noticed how comfortable
they are all the LCD models in this list weigh a little over a pound so they're
all slightly on the heavier side however that extra weight really didn't transfer
on our heads like we expected a professional-grade travel case is
included with all the LCDs too which is a really nice touch for any high-end
headphone additionally the ear cups are very large
providing ample breathing room for the ears all the LCD models have a sloped
earpad design and they're made with specially selected memory foam the sound
of the LCD-2 is what makes them worth every cent with Distortion nearly
eliminated the LCD-2 can sing accurately with precise details to test the LCD-2
we use the chord mojo to demonstrate a portable setup we also use the naim v1
DAC headphone amp to compare it with a luxury home setup both allowed us to
drive the LCD-2 to peak performance we played a mix of classic rock funk and
EDM and while all sounded great it was the organic genres
that stood out the most if you have an ear for accurate detailed sound
at this price the LCD-2 is for you up next is the LCD-2's bigger brother
LCD-3 the LCD-3 takes off where the original LCD-2 started by pushing Audeze's
advanced planner magnetic technology even further the brands drive to
innovate is deeply imprinted into the LCD-3 Audeze developed a way to
manufacture an already ultra-thin diaphragm from the original LCD-2 to be
even thinner the impedance of the LCD-3 is 110 ohms so you'll need a
good headphone amp if you want to experience the full potential of this
headphone the extra power requirements needed to drive the LCD-3 allows you to
experience an extra level of detail with realism that you will feel by making a
diaphragm so thin Audeze created a high performance
driver that can move extremely fast achieving the level of precision that
lets you get more from your music LCD-3 reproduces frequencies in the same
frequency range as the LCD-2 but with even more accuracy compared to its
little brother this makes the LCD-3 even better at reproducing transparent bass
extension that's bigger and with more natural dynamics compared to the LCD-2
besides the technical advancements Audeze's choice of premium materials
takes the build quality up a notch outfitted with natural zebrano wood
rings the LCD-3 is decked out with vintage nostalgia and introduces the
newer steel and leather suspension headband weighing in at a little under
a pound and a half the LCD-3 is slightly heavier than the
LCD-2 just like the LCD-2 the newer suspension system distributed the extra
weight evenly and comfortably across the headband so don't let the extra weight
steer you away these are very comfortable headphones when we noticed a
pressure point we just pushed the headband forward just a bit and it really helped
to redistribute the weight sitting on top of the head as you can see with the
LCD-2 the headband suspension system does touch the top of the head verses
the LCD-3 which is a slightly heavier headphone it doesn't actually touch the
top of the head so maybe this contributes a
little bit to the extra comfort that we felt even though it is heavier but did
want to point out that there is a difference in the headband suspension
systems like the LCD-2 the premium leather on the LCD-3's ear pads hug
the area around the ears creating one the best sealing conditions we have ever
experienced from headphones however the sound of the LCD-3 is what's most
impressive at this price point the LCD-3 will deliver an experience most people
have never heard before testing the LCD-3 we use the naim v1 DAC headphone amp
which reveals great detail and dynamics and allowed us to experience the LCD-3
to the full potential if you have an ear for realistic accurate and immersive
sound the LCD-3 will give you the extra performance for a listening experience
that's like no other at this price point for our last headphone we have the
flagship LCD-4 while these headphones aren't priced for those on a budget
these are some of the most impressive state the art headphones we've ever
heard the impedance on these are 200 ohms
the reason these headphones are so tough to drive is partially due to the nature
of their planar magnetic design but also the incredible elasticity and thinness
of the nano scale diaphragms since the movement of the diaphragm
relates to the level of details you hear extreme weight-reduction truly is the
key to a speaker's ability to reproduce transients with this high degree of
accuracy the LCD-4 can drop down the lows as low as 5Hz and soar as
high as 50kHz well beyond our range of hearing and interestingly even
higher than what some studio mics can capture while you might not be able to
audibly detect some of these high registering frequencies the LCD-4 adds
natural textures to instruments like pianos harps brass strings and
especially deep bass one notable difference with the outer construction
of the LCD-4 is the switch the carbon fiber in the headband suspension system
instead of steel made from the most premium materials it weighs in the
heaviest at a little over one and a half pounds however once again the extra
weight really didn't add any noticeable pressure even during our longer listening
sessions when we tested the LCD-4 we again used the naim v1 DAC headphone amp
right from the start of our session we noticed the LCD-4's immersive
three-dimensional soundstage if you're looking at high-end open-back headphones
and you're looking for a hyper-realistic immersive sound then the Audeze LCD-4
is one of the best money can buy each headphone has its price point in
the Audeze LCD lineup they're all priced respectively the fit the way you listen
to music Audeze's entire collection of planar
magnetic headphones is built with the passion to innovate and to reproduce
sound accurately if you've been looking for great sounding headphones that's
handmade in the USA with some of the most comfortable materials on the market
consider Audeze when considering headphones of this caliber there's no
shame in asking for help our dedicated support staff is here to guide you
through choosing the best LCD headphone for you and we'll be here to help you
before during and after your purchase feel free to give us a call chat with us
on our website or stop in to one of our Raleigh or Charlotte North Carolina
showrooms thanks for watching if you've enjoyed this video please give it a like
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you