In this review, we’ll let you know how well Audeze fulfills that pitch, and how big of a step-up in sound quality the LCD-3 truly is from the LCD-2. We’ll also dive in to help determine if the LCD-3 delivers next-level results and end-game performance substantially above the LCD-2, and if the extra performance value in the LCD-3 justifies the bigger price-tag.

Packaging, Design & Build Quality

Like the other headphones in the LCD range, Audeze generously bundles a pro-level travel case with the LCD-3 package. The case is deep and lined with extra thick padding that fits the LCD-3’s angular-shaped geometry snuggly. For the LCD-3, there’s little wiggle room if any for it to move around when seated in the case. We expect the case’s secure inner-padding to protect the LCD-3’s internal electronics from impacts, even if tossed around while the LCD-3’s inside of it.

The case’s thick hardshell exterior feels sturdy and durable enough to protect the LCD-3 from greater-than-average impacts. For example, this case is the perfect solution for protecting the LCD-3 on the road and those times you need to check your bags while it's being transported in the airplane’s cargo.

Included in the case, you’ll also receive:

• 1.9m 1/4-inch to dual 4-pin mini XLR connector
• User Guide
• Official Audeze Warranty Card

Outfitted with natural Zebrano wood rings, the LCD-3 is decked out with vintage nostalgia. As a tonewood, the exotic Zebrano is a softer African hardwood species selected in musical instruments for its full sound and dark harmonic overtones. The natural Zebrano wood in the LCD-3 has a handsome medium-brown finish that features a striking pattern of narrow streaks of dark brown stripes reminiscent of a zebra.

The striking look of the Zebrano wood rings complements the LCD-3’s refined vintage aesthetics. From its chocolate premium leather and steel suspension headband to the black metal grillwork that decorates the backsides of its open-back ear cups, the LCD-3 simply oozes vintage sophistication.

Add in the dark chocolate premium leather that covers the larger-than-life ear cushions, and that touch of natural Zebrano wood really completes the LCD-3’s classic sensibilities. Overall, the LCD-3 has a refined look that pairs well with its sound signature — warm, smooth, natural, accurate, and timeless.

Being handmade in the USA, the quality is well-baked into the LCD-3’s DNA. The attention to detail here is top-notch, and up close, it’s clear. Holding it in our hands, the high quality materials are evident in the LCD-3’s open back design throughout. It feels like it was engineered with a tank’s precision.

Comfort

Weighing in at 1.4 lbs, the LCD-3 is slightly heavier than the LCD-2 at 1.27 lbs. With that said, the extra weight attributed to the LCD-3’s premium build quality didn’t transfer to our heads. Featuring a steel and leather suspension headband, the lightweight materials selected for the LCD-3 allows the headphone’s weight to be evenly distributed across the user’s head.

Adjusting the LCD-3 for a more tailored fit is the same as other LCD headphones in the series. Just like the LCD-2, the same industrial-looking design is featured on the LCD-3’s yoke for adjusting the fit. We found the click mechanism satisfying and simple to use.

However, we noticed that both the left and right click mechanisms on the yoke could be moved out of place with enough force, causing the headband to need re-adjustment. This didn’t happen frequently, but when it did occur we considered it slightly inconvenient to re-adjust the fit.

We used the same workaround here that worked for the LCD-2 by using a headphone stand to keep the LCD-3 stationary. Overall, the yoke’s industrial click-mechanism stays securely locked in place as long as the user makes a mental note of the number of clicks needed to secure the right fit.

At Audio Advice, we always push the headphones we test to the limits. The LCD-3’s weight added a little pressure on the top of the head after listening to a full-length album from front to back; however, not enough to be a deal breaker for us.When we did notice a pressure point, pushing the headband forward just a bit helped redistribute the weight sitting on top of the head.

We attributed the LCD-3’s ability to stay comfortable on the head to the combination of the headband’s comfortable “clamping force” and the larger-than-life ear pads. The LCD-3 features the newly designed steel and leather suspension, and satisfyingly large ear pads. The earpads have a custom “sloped” contoured design and are made with specially selected memory foam which offers the perfect amount of firmness when they wrap around the sides of the head.

The memory foam material underneath the super-soft and premium leather hugged the sides of our heads with just the right amount of firmness. With the different sizes and shapes of our heads, we felt the comfortable fit was due to the well-thought-out angles of the earpads’ sloped design. Overall, the custom contoured ear pads made wearing the LCD-3 feel really good.

Like the LCD-2, the premium leather on the LCD-3’s earpads “hug” the area around the ears, creating one of the most satisfying sealing conditions we have experienced from headphones. Similar to other LCDs, Audeze also offers the LCD-3 earpads in a vegan-friendly leather-free option. The snug fit around the ears has the added benefit of locking in the sound, and sealing the LCD-3’s open sense of presentation in with cushy comfort.

With premium leather covering the entire surface of the larger-than-life earpads on our test unit, the area around the ears stayed cooler for longer. As far as we’re concerned, the level of comfort Audeze delivers here always seals the deal for us. We get it. Audeze headphones are big bold statements to the world around us that we’re serious music fans and we care deeply about the fidelity of our audio and our listening comfort.

Features & Technology

For planar magnetic driver tech, the original LCD-2 might be the headphone that started it all. However, the brand’s drive to innovate is deeply imprinted into the LCD-3.

Audeze developed a way to manufacture the original’s LCD-2’s Ultra-thin diaphragm (already thinner than a human hair) to be even thinner in the LCD-3. What do you gain with a diaphragm so thin? The lighter and more flexible the diaphragm, the faster it moves, pushing and pulling the air around it. The faster the diaphragm moves, the better it reproduces sound as it exists in the real world.

A claim to fame feature of planar magnetic technology is the transparency achieved from ultra-low distortion. In our LCD-2 review, we detailed how traditional drivers create fantastic bottom-end weight, but at a cost. For example, the big bass sound that dynamic drivers are known for also introduces more coloration and distortion from an overly saturated bass response. Distortion compromises the transparency of the headphone’s bottom-end weight which also “muddies” the resolution of the low-end.

In the LCD-2, the diaphragm’s Ultra-thin design achieves so much elasticity, it’s able to reproduce frequencies in the bottom-end weight with honest transparency at near-zero distortion. But, in the LCD-3, the diaphragm’s even thinner design means it reduces distortion even closer to the near-zero potential above 10Hz. This makes the LCD-3 even better at reproducing transparent bass extension that’s bigger, fuller and even more natural than the LCD-2.

But leave it to Audeze to keep pushing the envelope. The engineers took the already ingenious magnetic structure from the LCD-2 and made it even more efficient at propelling the diaphragm in the LCD-3.

According to Audeze, the LCD-3’s patented magnetic structure propels the diaphragm to move more efficiently, ensuring all areas of the diaphragm experience the same force proportionally. This allows the LCD-3’s voice coil to increase control and precision between the magnets for a listening experience that’s virtually distortion-free.

Performance

With distortion nearly eliminated, the LCD-3 sings with accuracy, precision and detail. Frequency response from 10Hz to 50kHz allows the LCD-3 to reproduce big bottom-end weight with the resolution that’s quite simply, superb. Don’t expect great sound when connecting the LCD-3 directly with a laptop or a smart device. You’ll need a good headphone amplifier with the power to drive it if you want to experience the LCD-3 with the highest audio quality.

If you like the Audeze sound, but you want to connect an open-back headphone with a smart device, check out the Audeze DX On-Ear, the LCD-1 Open-Back, or the Mobius Headphone and Gaming Headset, instead.

Like many high-end headphones in this class, the top-end extension high frequencies of 50kHz allows the LCD-3 to breathe naturally well beyond the range that humans hear. At 110 ohms, users can expect to squeeze out every last drop of performance from the LCD-3 by connecting it with a good DAC/headphone amp.

After allowing the burn-in process to work its magic on our pair of LCD-3 headphones, we connected it to the Naim V1 DAC/amp. This headphone amp allowed us to drive the LCD-3 to peak performance.

The LCD-3’s holographic realism came alive on the classic rock hit “The Chain” recorded in 1977 by Fleetwood Mac on the band’s eleventh studio album, “Rumours.” For example, acoustic guitar strings “ring” out with a resonance so accurately in the right ear, it’s almost like holding an acoustic guitar in our hands and strumming it ourselves!

Then that stomping folk-style kick drum “thumps” and “thuds” with a full resonate body. Every time the kick drum lands in the stereo image, the LCD-3 presents the detail with the musical impact that we can feel beating deeply into our chests. The rhythm and pacing are so lifelike and interactive on the kick drum, it made us want to stomp our feet and tap along with it.

The musical tension created between the percussion and electric bass guitar crescendo with such realism, it was like accelerating in a Model S Tesla and feeling G-forces pulling on our bodies. Or, like the roar of the crowd crescendoing during a live concert. These details were exhilarating!

When “Your Body Is A Wonderland,” by John Mayer appeared next in our queue, we were genuinely stunned by the LCD-3’s open presentation, separation of details and depth of soundstage. Released in 2002 as the second hit on Mayer’s debut studio album, “Room For Squares,” the recording features a wealth of musical information and detail. It would have been easy for us to simply relax, and get lost in all of the detail if we wanted to.

However, we remembered something unique about this particular song. There’s a trade-secret technique to John Mayer’s rhythm guitar-work presented in the far-right of the stereo image. With the LCD-3, we focused like a lens on that idiosyncratic rhythm guitar style.

As we listened to John play his guitar like a percussive instrument, we could pick apart the syncopated finger-work on frets and strings with less effort. The LCD-3’s holographic soundstage presented sound with in-your-face detail.

Then, 30 seconds into the song, the LCD-3’s big bass response, and ultra-low distortion came alive. We heard a huge bass-line drop in with the low-end resonance and bottom-end weight that could’ve shaken the LCD-3 right off of our heads! Of course, that didn’t happen, but superlatives aside, how else could we describe the power behind this low-end?

In all seriousness, the LCD-3 reproduces deep resolute bass frequency content above 10Hz with rhythm and pacing that “bumps,” “thumps,” and “plucks” musically into our bodies. With no perceived distortion in the low-end above 10Hz, the big deep powerful bass-line “gels” cohesively against the intricate guitar-work.

Here, we heard every single note highlighted on the recording, and at times, it was a challenge keeping up with all the information it contained. However, the LCD-3’s accurate presentation of forward-sounding details helped us miss out on a whole lot less. We’re seriously impressed!

The LCD-3’s separation of details and the open soundstage was fully experienced with Prince’s 1979 recording, “I Wanna Be Your Lover.” The musical separation was so alive and three-dimensional, it sounded like we could almost peel back the soundstage layer by layer.

For example, in the bridge, there’s a bass-line (probably played by a Minimoog) and a clavichord “blending” together harmonically to sound like a single multilayered instrument. The harmonic content here is so rich with all the instruments combined, it’s easily mistaken as an unrecognizable instrument on other headphones.

However, the LCD-3 presented detail so up-front in the soundstage and with such accuracy, the separation allowed us to “pick apart” these details like a musical smorgasbord served on a silver platter. This allowed us to pick and choose what we wanted to sink our teeth into, or simply sit back, relax and enjoy the presentation.

Overall Recommendation

At $1,945.00, the Audeze LCD-3 is priced comfortably in the flagship category. So, is it worth it?

For users who listen to detail-oriented music that’s organic and natural, we give the LCD-3 open-back headphone a solid thumbs up. Our impression of the LCD-3 is that it suits almost any kind of music, but the LCD-3’s true potential shines the most on Rock, Blues, Jazz, Classical and Funk styles of music. As always, making the decision comes down to your unique ergonomic application. For more information, read our Headphone Buyer’s Guide, so you choose the right headphone-style.

To compare all the Audeze models together in one convenient place, check out our other Audeze Headphone reviews. If you need the best headphones for the money for on-the-go listening in more public settings, then consider a closed-back headphone like the Audeze LCD2 closed-back, instead. Use Audeze's Headphone Discovery Tool to determine which Audeze headphone best suits your needs.

If you’re a music lover who likes getting lost in the music, and you prefer listening to subtle dynamics that draw you deeper into the music, gosh, who wouldn’t choose these?! With a good DAC/headphone amp, the LCD-3 delivers powerful bass, clear top-end detail and targeted accurate mid-range in a great fitting well-thought-out package.

The Naim V1 DAC/headphone amp allowed us to drive the LCD-3 to peak performance. It’s that incredible. For more satisfying listening sessions that are immersive in the privacy of your home or private office go for the LCD-3 and never look back. For natural music that’s detail-oriented, we can’t recommend the LCD-3 by Audeze more.

Sound Signature: Warm/Smooth/Accurate.

Who it’s for: Home Music Lover.

What it’s for: All types of music, but it shines the most on organic genres (Rock, Blues, Jazz, Classical and Funk).

How to get peak performance: Connect it with a good DAC/headphone amp at home or in private settings.