I really appreciate your insight in regard to their customer service. I hope Audeze sees this and is embarrassed as they should be. A company that specializes in a niche market with boutique level products should have EXTRAORDINARY customer service. I agree the 4z’s sound great but that’s not enough. Thanks for the video
J D I agree with you on this topic this is why I will never buy a Audeze or Hifiman headphone. Horrible customer service along with extremely bad quality control is why I buy elsewhere. I own the Utopia’s, Empyrean, Z1R,and the HD800. Now if Audeze got there shit together and start making 100% American well made with a redesign I think they would do well. But that non-sense they pulled on you from your last video pissed me off. If they really think like that they should make a video on how to remove your Audeze headphones that take 5 minutes to remove so you do not damage them. And lets see how many headphones they sell, honestly who ever thinks they are in charge should be FIRED from there.
I own the Audeze LCD-X. Drivers went down 2 months after warranty. I spent nearly $600 on the repair (Jan 2021). Unfortunately, I had the same experience with Audeze customer service that was expressed in the above video. The company was almost entirely unresponsive as to how the repair process was moving along. After many phone calls and unreturned voice mails, and finally, a fairly assertive email to an Audeze VP of Sales, I received a response. He provided the obligatory apology and claimed Audeze was working on its customer service delivery.....still unimpressive. It took around 7 weeks for the completed repair.....very sad for company selling a luxury item. I later learned through an audio industry friend that Audeze was actually focusing the majority of their human resources on the release of a new inexpensive ($300 dollar variety) gaming headphone. Isn't it sad that a company who is building the LCD-4 series with a $4,000 price tag, to apparently be broadening their sales strategy (higher sales volume with cheaper products?) AT THE DIRECT EXPENSE of the higher quality items they sell. Sounds to me like a management problem while the company is desperately scrambling on the fly to generate higher sales revenues from the sale of cheaper products. I have no problem with a company broadening their market, but it is totally unacceptable to do so while ignoring the high end customers who put them on the audio map.
I'm sorry to hear about your experience with their customer service. I've personally had nothing but positive experiences with their customer service. Although their reliability is certainly an issue. I bought an LCD-24, love the way they sound, but the left driver went out 100%. They fixed it under warranty of course. Hopefully that will be the only time, there was a crinkling problem they had before the driver failed, and I like to think that's what contributed to them failing because the new drivers don't have that problem. I think driver failures mainly occur on their .5 micron drivers they have on their flagships (LCD-4, 4z, i4, and LCD-24). With such a thin diaphragm, they are certainly fragile. I also own an MX4 and have put countless hours of listening on them and haven't had any problems.
Audeze has consistent QC issues but I've also heard a lot of great things about their customer service. Back in 2016 I sent in my LCD-2s (which i purchased in 09/2011) to have my drivers replaced and they did it for free and replaced the pads.
You should have stuck with the Sony Z1R. The maxim “quit while you’re ahead” definitely applies here. At Sony’s current price point and your proclivity for rich warm buttery sound, the Z1R should maintain a permanent spot in your inventory.
Its crazy how often i hear about that type of issue with Audeze. Not just the 4z but every Audeze. Because it is sold quite often, most reports seem to revolve around the LCD-X but obviously, its not just the LCD-X
Yep, my LCD 3 went bust way back. They seem to have this weird problem where you can't put the headphones on too fast and you must not push the cups while on. The membrane is too thin and as far as I remember only LCD 4 and LCD 4z have gaps on the cup for the air flow to avoid membrane breaking.
@@davidpilon9433 I never heard anyone talking about such an issue with the Arya! Is it real? Damn, I was considering getting one, for everyone says it's the cheap HE 1000 (my dream headphones). Guess I'll have to save more money to grab the real thing, then 🤷🏽♂️
@@DanDhaniels Arya is actually the prior HE1000X Drop collaboration with Hifiman that got canceled, and they changed the name. Arya in my top 3 favorites as well
I like your "Why I Sold It" reviews. They provide another perspective. I still think I will take a chance on buying the LCD-4 especially if they do not sound as dark as the LCD 4Z. In the past I have owned the LCD-X, LCD-3, LCD-2 none of which gave me any discomfort issues. However I sold them because they sounded too dark. It's my understanding the LCD 4 is a brighter headphone than the rest of the LCD series.
I noticed there’s more of these used than there are of the Utopias. Utopias have a larger share of the market. They also sell much more below their sale price used than the Utopias. That should tell you all you need to know
My friend, please try again the focal utopia with the cord tt2. It sounds just perfect. I have a feeling that they were meant for each other. Another fantastic is the Hifiman he6se. Next Monday I will try the Audio Technica adx5000. Hopefully I will love it also.... I like these videos.
I was considering the LCD-XC, but thanks to this video and comments from forums I would rather avoid them at the price range. What about your experience with Sony customer service, did you ever use them? Thanks for the vid!
Any product with a price tag a huge as these, customer service MUST be spot on, the build quality MUST be impeccable...This is totaly unacceptable. Best buy Sennheiser...
The funny thing is that while Hifiman has terrible build quality I have had no issues with my Arya in 9 months I’ve had them. I bought some LCD2Cs and within 2 months I found issues with the driver.
Everybody bitches about HiFiMan QC but owning two pair never had to send them in for repair. LCD-3 was sent in for servicing twice. Unfortunately, no can approximates the Audeze house sound although like Tristan, the Sony Zeds fill the bill for this cat. SACD sounds very analogue-like using the Z1R. HiFiMan HE1000SE is the current TOTL can in this household and with the right gear Redbook actually sounds like music when spinning Japanese pressed CD's.
Hi @MEDIAHOUND before your video i was going to buy the 4z with there booster mic we can plug on the heaphone. but they are yes too heavy like you said... i realy need something like that with the microphone. can you please advise me another compagny who sell the best headphone with an microphone we can plug on the headphone ? the price is not realy an problem. thank you :)
Hi. I got a question can you describe the differences between the LCD 4z and the sony mdr z1r. You are too familiar with both of these, that's why I'm asking.
@@phototristan aww, too bad. I still like going to them and just saying hi to people. I was going to say if you're going, we should grab lunch. Anyway, yeah, these Why I sold series is pretty cool .
Short of it, a lot of bad tastes are in his mouth. Thanks for this insight though, sucks to hear about that kind of customer service for that kind of money.
Customer service everywhere is getting really bad... most customer service these days is done by contractors sitting in coffee shops with their work macbook... and they actually know nothing about whet they can do to help you... terrible way its going... companies need to realise that this outsourcing service is destroying their companies reputation... I wont deal with bad service companies at any cost...
This is the same reason why I'm very hesitant to buy a pair of HiFiMan Arya's. The Arya's have great reviews as far as sound but the build quality is bad to say the least. I can see them breaking within 1-3 years and for $1700 I don't think so.
He got the warranty plus brand new drivers, which was disclosed. When you sell your car to someone do you tell the buyer 'this is not a reliable model'?
Thanks for your video and I am sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with their customer service. I own Audeze LCD-2 limited aluminium edition since 2017 and I never had any problems with the drivers. The only thing which was off the placer after 1 year of use was the screw which got loose that's all. The customer service of Audeze was nothing but pleasant and knowledgeable in my experience.
The launch of the Penrose has proven to be a shambles. Incredibly buggy headphones with several missed firmware update promises. Clearly using he customer as a tester. I won't be using Audeze again.
So you are a basshead. Well, in that case, stay with the lo-fidelity stuff and avoid Audeze, as they are not meant for you. Avoid Hifiman also. Just go with Sennheiser ane Beyer and Sony as they have that "consumer sound" that you need to be happy. Also the AudioTechnica MSR7 has that same consumer sound.. Try that one next.
For the amount of money they cost; customer service should be red carpet treatment and warranty should be lifetime. Then you wonder why companies fail! Now you know why. Get your act together Audeze. If I'm ever able to afford a pair, I doubt that you'd get my money. Sounds like an overblown pair of headphones to me. Bad engineering, bad quality & bad service.
At approximately $4000, I expect perfection. Even those cheap and nasty Beats seem more reliable (no, I would never buy Beats). If I had experienced this guys scenario, I would die. I would lose the will to live. I can no longer trust Audeze and I do not want a legal dispute. Regarding the weight, that is stated in the specifications.
I really appreciate your insight in regard to their customer service. I hope Audeze sees this and is embarrassed as they should be. A company that specializes in a niche market with boutique level products should have EXTRAORDINARY customer service. I agree the 4z’s sound great but that’s not enough. Thanks for the video
J D I agree with you on this topic this is why I will never buy a Audeze or Hifiman headphone. Horrible customer service along with extremely bad quality control is why I buy elsewhere. I own the Utopia’s, Empyrean, Z1R,and the HD800. Now if Audeze got there shit together and start making 100% American well made with a redesign I think they would do well. But that non-sense they pulled on you from your last video pissed me off. If they really think like that they should make a video on how to remove your Audeze headphones that take 5 minutes to remove so you do not damage them. And lets see how many headphones they sell, honestly who ever thinks they are in charge should be FIRED from there.
I own the Audeze LCD-X. Drivers went down 2 months after warranty. I spent nearly $600 on the repair (Jan 2021). Unfortunately, I had the same experience with Audeze customer service that was expressed in the above video. The company was almost entirely unresponsive as to how the repair process was moving along. After many phone calls and unreturned voice mails, and finally, a fairly assertive email to an Audeze VP of Sales, I received a response. He provided the obligatory apology and claimed Audeze was working on its customer service delivery.....still unimpressive. It took around 7 weeks for the completed repair.....very sad for company selling a luxury item. I later learned through an audio industry friend that Audeze was actually focusing the majority of their human resources on the release of a new inexpensive ($300 dollar variety) gaming headphone. Isn't it sad that a company who is building the LCD-4 series with a $4,000 price tag, to apparently be broadening their sales strategy (higher sales volume with cheaper products?) AT THE DIRECT EXPENSE of the higher quality items they sell. Sounds to me like a management problem while the company is desperately scrambling on the fly to generate higher sales revenues from the sale of cheaper products. I have no problem with a company broadening their market, but it is totally unacceptable to do so while ignoring the high end customers who put them on the audio map.
Thank you. This was actually useful!
Not the regular information you get from regular reviewers....
I thought that would be the reason why you sold them! If I ever had a driver failure I would definitely consider selling mine as well.
What are your headphones of choice lately? Curious what your favorites have been as well. Like these videos... Very informative.
Currently: Sony Z1R & Audioquest Nightowl Carbon
@@phototristan Z1R rocks many came and gone and only one left in my stable is Z1R and with hugo 2 it is sweet :)
@@phototristan... I own both headphones as well. Still getting use to the sound of Z1R. Both cans are excellent for all types of music.
I'm sorry to hear about your experience with their customer service. I've personally had nothing but positive experiences with their customer service. Although their reliability is certainly an issue. I bought an LCD-24, love the way they sound, but the left driver went out 100%. They fixed it under warranty of course. Hopefully that will be the only time, there was a crinkling problem they had before the driver failed, and I like to think that's what contributed to them failing because the new drivers don't have that problem.
I think driver failures mainly occur on their .5 micron drivers they have on their flagships (LCD-4, 4z, i4, and LCD-24). With such a thin diaphragm, they are certainly fragile. I also own an MX4 and have put countless hours of listening on them and haven't had any problems.
Audeze has consistent QC issues but I've also heard a lot of great things about their customer service.
Back in 2016 I sent in my LCD-2s (which i purchased in 09/2011) to have my drivers replaced and they did it for free and replaced the pads.
Same with my LCD-4 last year.
You should have stuck with the Sony Z1R. The maxim “quit while you’re ahead” definitely applies here.
At Sony’s current price point and your proclivity for rich warm buttery sound, the Z1R should maintain a permanent spot in your inventory.
Yep, that's what I use mostly still.
thanks for informing us your customer service experience, it really helped decide
That's why I stick with dynamic drivers.
Its crazy how often i hear about that type of issue with Audeze. Not just the 4z but every Audeze. Because it is sold quite often, most reports seem to revolve around the LCD-X but obviously, its not just the LCD-X
Would be awesome if you could compare the Z1r vs Dan Clark Aeon 2 closed
Do you try Focal Stellia or Stax 007mk2 ?
Yep, my LCD 3 went bust way back. They seem to have this weird problem where you can't put the headphones on too fast and you must not push the cups while on. The membrane is too thin and as far as I remember only LCD 4 and LCD 4z have gaps on the cup for the air flow to avoid membrane breaking.
Would to hear your review on zmf verite closed. And how it compares to z1r
Great video, thank you for doing these for us.
Arya is endgame for me for the time being
The only problem is the 5k and 10k peak.
@@davidpilon9433 I never heard anyone talking about such an issue with the Arya! Is it real? Damn, I was considering getting one, for everyone says it's the cheap HE 1000 (my dream headphones). Guess I'll have to save more money to grab the real thing, then 🤷🏽♂️
@@DanDhaniels Arya is actually the prior HE1000X Drop collaboration with Hifiman that got canceled, and they changed the name. Arya in my top 3 favorites as well
I like your "Why I Sold It" reviews. They provide another perspective. I still think I will take a chance on buying the LCD-4 especially if they do not sound as dark as the LCD 4Z. In the past I have owned the LCD-X, LCD-3, LCD-2 none of which gave me any discomfort issues. However I sold them because they sounded too dark. It's my understanding the LCD 4 is a brighter headphone than the rest of the LCD series.
I like the LCD-4 but it's simply way too heavy.
Audeze MM 500 almost comparable sound to LCD 5 and pretty light
I noticed there’s more of these used than there are of the Utopias. Utopias have a larger share of the market. They also sell much more below their sale price used than the Utopias. That should tell you all you need to know
My friend, please try again the focal utopia with the cord tt2. It sounds just perfect. I have a feeling that they were meant for each other. Another fantastic is the Hifiman he6se. Next Monday I will try the Audio Technica adx5000. Hopefully I will love it also.... I like these videos.
very informative video. how much did u purchase it for and how much did u sell it?
I was considering the LCD-XC, but thanks to this video and comments from forums I would rather avoid them at the price range. What about your experience with Sony customer service, did you ever use them? Thanks for the vid!
I've now had to contact Sony customer service
Any product with a price tag a huge as these, customer service MUST be spot on, the build quality MUST be impeccable...This is totaly unacceptable. Best buy Sennheiser...
The funny thing is that while Hifiman has terrible build quality I have had no issues with my Arya in 9 months I’ve had them. I bought some LCD2Cs and within 2 months I found issues with the driver.
Everybody bitches about HiFiMan QC but owning two pair never had to send them in for repair. LCD-3 was sent in for servicing twice. Unfortunately, no can approximates the Audeze house sound although like Tristan, the Sony Zeds fill the bill for this cat. SACD sounds very analogue-like using the Z1R. HiFiMan HE1000SE is the current TOTL can in this household and with the right gear Redbook actually sounds like music when spinning Japanese pressed CD's.
I just think Hifiman build quality always feels cheaper than what they cost. Sony Z1Rs definitely better in that respect.
Just got a pair of the 2020 revised lcd x. Hopefully I don’t have reliability issues.
Hi @MEDIAHOUND before your video i was going to buy the 4z with there booster mic we can plug on the heaphone. but they are yes too heavy like you said... i realy need something like that with the microphone. can you please advise me another compagny who sell the best headphone with an microphone we can plug on the headphone ? the price is not realy an problem. thank you :)
I'm not sure as I'm not much of a gamer. Perhaps others reading can answer.
Without to be an gamer do you know an headphone with an mic at the same level of 4z ? Thank you
Hi.
I got a question can you describe the differences between the LCD 4z and the sony mdr z1r.
You are too familiar with both of these, that's why I'm asking.
Sure, see: th-cam.com/video/1__RPV6F4c4/w-d-xo.html
Anyone knows if Audeze still suffers from lots of driver failures?
You going to CanJam this year?
No, I don't believe in those any more.
@@phototristan aww, too bad. I still like going to them and just saying hi to people. I was going to say if you're going, we should grab lunch. Anyway, yeah, these Why I sold series is pretty cool .
Are you getting the new lcd 5?
Anything is possible.
I do like the LCD4z look, sound and comfort.
i almost bought these until i saw this video. thank you for sharing this information. thats just silly how they responded.
I love how these headphones look! Beautiful! Im sorry that it didnt work out for you.
are you from North America by any chance?
Unrelated but just wanted to say I got the shanling up4 based on your videos
Just got mm500 driver failure after one month.
Short of it, a lot of bad tastes are in his mouth. Thanks for this insight though, sucks to hear about that kind of customer service for that kind of money.
I heard this many times about audeze - very likely yo experience a driver failure. Definitely a no-go in this price range
Customer service everywhere is getting really bad... most customer service these days is done by contractors sitting in coffee shops with their work macbook... and they actually know nothing about whet they can do to help you... terrible way its going... companies need to realise that this outsourcing service is destroying their companies reputation... I wont deal with bad service companies at any cost...
HEY NICE VIDEO AND HONEST ABOUT COMPANY LIKE AUDEZE............. WHO HAS A NAME AND FORGOT WHO THEY ARE SELLING THESE TO... FUTURE ETC,,,
This is the same reason why I'm very hesitant to buy a pair of HiFiMan Arya's. The Arya's have great reviews as far as sound but the build quality is bad to say the least. I can see them breaking within 1-3 years and for $1700 I don't think so.
The Arya is super reliable.
It's interesting that you have this video now. Audeze still has your video of the mdr z1r vs lcd 4z on their webpage.
Got a link? I don’t see it there.
@@phototristan www.audeze.com/blogs/audeze-videos/mediahound-compares-the-lcd-4z-with-the-sony-mdr-z1r
@@phototristan and this one www.audeze.com/blogs/audeze-videos/tagged/audiophile-videos
@@fv4882
Gone now.
Get the empyrian next
I'd bee too nervous about service/repair since they're based in Romania.
phototristan very unlikely you will have a problem with them. Best built quality of headphones I have seen.
It’s too bad these Audezes have become too unreliable to own long term. Speaking of long term, Tristan, do you still have your 5513 Sub?
"do you still have your 5513 Sub?" Yep, still have it.
Thanks for telling us, but did you tell the buyer all of this before you sold him these?
He got the warranty plus brand new drivers, which was disclosed. When you sell your car to someone do you tell the buyer 'this is not a reliable model'?
Thanks for your video and I am sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with their customer service.
I own Audeze LCD-2 limited aluminium edition since 2017 and I never had any problems with the drivers. The only thing which was off the placer after 1 year of use was the screw which got loose that's all. The customer service of Audeze was nothing but pleasant and knowledgeable in my experience.
The launch of the Penrose has proven to be a shambles. Incredibly buggy headphones with several missed firmware update promises. Clearly using he customer as a tester. I won't be using Audeze again.
So you are a basshead. Well, in that case, stay with the lo-fidelity stuff and avoid Audeze, as they are not meant for you. Avoid Hifiman also. Just go with Sennheiser ane Beyer and Sony as they have that "consumer sound" that you need to be happy. Also the AudioTechnica MSR7 has that same consumer sound.. Try that one next.
For the amount of money they cost; customer service should be red carpet treatment and warranty should be lifetime. Then you wonder why companies fail! Now you know why. Get your act together Audeze. If I'm ever able to afford a pair, I doubt that you'd get my money. Sounds like an overblown pair of headphones to me. Bad engineering, bad quality & bad service.
What the...
At approximately $4000, I expect perfection.
Even those cheap and nasty Beats seem more reliable (no, I would never buy Beats).
If I had experienced this guys scenario, I would die. I would lose the will to live. I can no longer trust Audeze and I do not want a legal dispute.
Regarding the weight, that is stated in the specifications.
Good Call. Thats why i dont buy Audeze headphones.