How To Change Lcd 2 Classic Earpads

rhythmdevils Best SBAF member of all fourth dimension
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Audeze has inverse their earpad design for their LCD series headphones and use the new version on all LCD models at present. It's not a subtle change. They are shallower, and made with a radically unlike kind of foam. The quondam pads use dense retentivity cream, while the new pads use low density regular non memory foam. It's a practiced pick, most memory cream actually does non have peachy acoustic backdrop. Though it does work in ear pads sometimes. Eearpads' affect on sound is extremely complex and I believe is non a science for any headphone manufacturer just a matter of guess and bank check pretty randomly until something works.

The new earpads still take the suspicious felt cloth between the adhesive ring and the earpads which seems to be an intentional filtered leak to increment soundstage. Information technology seems to exist there on purpose and this is what it would achieve. Meliorate soundstage while holding onto bass response.

The well-nigh important thing though is the difference in sound. Audeze has switched to these new pads on all their headphones for a reason. They sound much much better than the erstwhile pads.

Audio

The new earpads elevate the typical recessed upper mid-treble FR range making them more neutral, though still an Audeze. Withal on the warm side but the new pads pull them away from "too recessed" territory.

They are also much more open sounding with bigger soundstage and sense of air. This is the biggest difference an its not subtle. The old pads audio very congested, closed in and veiled in comparison.

Unfortunately for me, the new pads are as well shallow for their Fazors and my ears touch the Fazors and it hurts. I pull the Faros off all my Audeze's. They might do something good merely it'due south quite subtle. I believe it's a measurement chasing thing similar THD. They make the sound a fleck smoother to my ears, only I cannot modify them without removing them and my mods do more for the audio than the fazors.

But I'm guessing Audeze did their homework. I have large ears. For most people, I'yard guessing ears touching the faros probably won't be a problem.

The only other unfortunate affair is Audeze is nonetheless using a thick fuzzy dust cover that kills a lot of the resolution their drivers are capable of. I have experimented with replacing information technology with panty hose material (the best dust cover material, information technology'south very acoustically transparent while still having a tight enough weave to keep out particles). This makes them much more resolving but does not work ultimately, because the headphones are tuned for this dust embrace to lower the upper frequencies. When replaced with pantyhose fabric, the upper mids are actually as well forward. Some would probably love this though.

My point is that anybody with LCD headphones from the LCD-2 Classic to LCD-Ten and I imagine LCD-four equally well should upgrade. It's a drastic and relatively cheap sonic improvement and even if they don't work out considering your ears impact the Fazors it'south worth the expense for the hazard at the improved sound.
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@rhythmdevils did you attempt the leather or leather-gratis version?
rhythmdevils All-time SBAF member of all time
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Leather. I can't vouch for the not leather specifically considering I haven't heard it. Only they are both going to audio better considering it'south the internal foam change that is making the big departure.
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Information technology seems like they went dorsum to their sometime smaller pad widths (motion-picture show from my LCD-2 rev. 1):
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Good to know.
I might give my classics another spin when I become my 2nd shot in August and can risk going back to the workshop.
scapeinator1 Once Y'all Go Black You'll Never Go Back
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I might have to check these out. I have been using ZMF eikon suede pads basically as far dorsum as I can call up because it made the LCD-2C less veiled.
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The difference is non subtle. You should definitely get a pair. Everyone with LCD headphones should. Hence the championship.
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Too bad they still utilize glue. If only information technology is easy to bandy pads around, the LCDs would exist much more versatile.
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Good stuff equally e'er. I got my 2021 LCD-X with , according to Audeze, new pads. I have never heard the "sometime" LCD-X just @Vtory said 20121 LCD-10 are very different. It would be interesting to compare 2021 LCD-X with "old" LCD-X with new pads. From Audeze about the 2021 update:
"LCD-Ten and 90 have improvements for more than consistent functioning, with newly optimized
magnetic circuits that offer the sonic excellence our users have known for many years.
We also modified the LCD earpad textile to go a better seal around the ears on
differently shaped heads for a more consequent sonic experience."
So the pads and unspecified optimization of magnets. Or peradventure just pads?
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They practise not employ gum they use double sided adhesive. You can pull them off and put them off many times before they loose stickiness and even then you tin buy double sided agglutinative and cut out a band to replace the old agglutinative.
only it would definitely be meliorate if they used a bamboozle lip like most headphones.
this is just marketing mumbo jumbo probably not written past the people who designed the new pads. They practise non seal better than the old pads. The benefit is primarily the kind of foam used as I explained in my first postal service.
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Last edited: Jul xi, 2021
rhythmdevils All-time SBAF fellow member of all fourth dimension
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Hither is a picture showing the difference between the stock grit material on the new stock pads vs a pair of new pads that I replaced with pantyhose material which is far more than acoustically transparent while still protecting the drivers. Resolution is greatly improved with the pantyhose material.
Unfortunately I practise not recommend making this change without other modifications to the headphones because information technology also increases the upper mids and treble which does not sound good.
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Whatever measurements for the stock vs nylons? visual transparency does not necessarily equate to auditory transparency, fifty-fifty if the gutcheck feeling goes that mode, but it'd be nice to meet some figures.
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rhythmdevils Best SBAF member of all time
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I don't take measurements. I listen. My observations are not based on visual transparency. I take a lot of experience with this. You'll accept to trust me or not.
The pictures are just for representation purposes. I've got some visualy opaque material that's pretty acoustically transparent. Only Audeze'south dust material material is not just the density that makes it kill resolution and lower the upper frequencies simply also the fact that information technology's fuzzy. It's a very absorbent material.

the difference is huge. Along with the increment in resolution, the upper mids become too bright for me with pantyhose. I employ different pads in my mod because of this.

Last edited: Jul xi, 2021
Interesting. The conspiracy theorist in me would argue the softer foam will loose form rather quickly. Which causes more changes in the sound. So it becomes a new vs old pad age contend with die hards replacing earpads every 6 months like they do on HD6xx. Could be great for pad sales.
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Even squished new version pads would sound better than the old version pads. And beingness soft foam doesn't necessarily mean they volition loose shape and compress. It depend on the quality of foam used. I still recommend upgrading to everyone. Information technology would honestly be stupid not to. l bucks for a huge improvement in SQ.
Does brand sense. Had a pair of Audeze Sines some time agone. I loved the energetic signature but hated the on ear form factor. So I for some 3D printed rings which greatly improved comfort with M40x pads. But moving the drivers farther away from the eardrum sacrificed likewise much touch on and detail, which destroyed the character I liked. Ended up selling them. Seems like Audeze is doing the contrary past moving the drivers closer to the ear ... My outset pre-fazor LCD2's had thinner pads than my more recent defazored pair and I do retrieve them striking harder despite having a darker tilt.
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no the difference is the audio-visual backdrop of the new foam material which is much much more open up air and gives them bigger soundstage and an airier sound that is less closed in and calloustraphobic and muffled. They need to be closer to the ear to compensate for this more open character of the pads that isn't sealing as well to maintain bass response.
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I hate the dense memory foam on my faux leather pads bought in 2018. They always gave me headache after an hour wearing.
Bummer that Audeze sold me the fake leather pads that cost me about $200 to be shipped to my land. Those pads had no lovely feeling and smell that I was used to..
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Are these new pads the and then-called "Audeze LCD Series 2020 Replacement Ear Pads", or has in that location been another revision since the 2020 serial?
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I don't know about the that label. Just if you purchase the new 2021 earpads I'm recommending hither, they are labeled on the bag "Audeze LCD open cell cream ear pads". Or I may have the diction in the incorrect order but they telephone call them "open cell foam" on the label on the purse the pads come in.
I still highly recommend anybody supersede their old memory cream earpads with these. Well worth the fourscore$. I would recommend the leather version because I'm not familiar with the pleather ones but they could be just as proficient.
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