[ansel1]

I think that in today's world there are a lot more opportunities to make money with the internet, social media, new technology etc. which has subsequently increased the market for these high end headphones, cars, electronics etc. Marketing is a lot easier to reach people today compared to 20-30 years ago and regular sharing their impressions of products such as this site makes people want to spend money to get a taste/same experience.

I'm sure that's true. Niche, technical hobbies are much easier to get into now than 20 years ago. Well, any hobby really. Which means more enthusiasts, with more awareness of how far down the rabbit hole their hobby can go. So it behooves the market to offer deeper and deeper holes.

 

[LetTheKidsTechno]

The consumers are absolutely to blame. Prices will ultimately reflect what people are willing to pay. I'm fairly new to the hobby, but I've noticed it growing in popularity year by year just by the number of Canjam attendees, Youtube views on headphones, or even seeing expensive IEMs out in the wild. With that growth comes more people who are able to afford the extreme prices. At one point or another there needs to be a "correction" or a limit of what these companies can get away with charging. We haven't seemed to reach that point yet sadly.

The major positive is that the lower and mid-fi tier market is seeing great improvement. You can find some great headphones and gear at every price point.

 

[JLoud]

The very TOTL stuff is really only intended for a very small market. For some people 10k isn't a lot of money. But far more mid and entry level stuff comes out every year as opposed to TOTL. Overall the quality options have exploded in number compared to 10 years ago even. I think it is a great time to be in the hobby. Buy what you can afford or justify, and just enjoy it.

 

[jlbrach]

I realize that, but there's a point at which prices are no longer reasonable for like 99% of the market. Is a $3k profit on each headphone justifiable for example? I'd say absolutely not. While I know that is subjective and different for everyone, it is also just bad for the market as a whole, products can be improved further for lower costs as well, although they might improve at a slower pace. It can take alot of resources to improve already really good stuff, like a Ferrari for example, but it shouldn't break everyone's bank. If we want this hobby to have a long term future, we'd better make sure that the point of entry isn't insanely high and out of reach for most people. Entertainment shouldn't be for just the lucky few, but for all.

Obviously, I'm trying to get people to think about this, which is a good thing, that and discussions are what forums are for. Whether you agree or disagree isn't all that important.

not sure I see the problem here..there are all sorts of HP's that are outstanding available for far less money...nobody mandates you have to spend the money for this HP...get what you can afford..the truth is the Immanis may well sell a few hundred units so it is not meant as a mass market product any more than a rolls royce is...there is no such thing as justified in terms of profit for a particular item...is it justified that a ticket to a concert costs 300 dollars...it is if you pay it...go out and get a well cared for used susvara for say 3200 dollars and as good as the new Immanis is I can guarantee it wont be head and shouldners better

 

[KaiSc]

It's price is insane indeed, no matter how good it may end up sounding. It's like $10000, the Susvara was already priced way too high when it launched, but this is the straw that'll break the camels back. We should not accept this at all, or it'll become the new reality for all TOTL headphones in a few years time. We're getting close to the pricing being more like theft this way! What good is TOTL HiFi equipment when it can only be afforded by the lucky few? The number of people able to buy this stuff becomes smaller and smaller this way, until almost nobody can even afford it. It's a sliding scale.

Market will regulate this, if too few buy because of too high prices …

No one is forced to buy, and what you already have, like the AUDEZE LCD-4, does not sound worse because something new comes out.


Raal 1995 Immanis is entirely handmade, piece by piece, and Raal can currently put out ca. one piece a day (from what @Aleksandar R. told.
This might in some way justify the price.

For those who want to approach the ribbon sound, the SR1a/b (with proper bass EQ) is a viable alternative IMO.

 

[jlbrach]

market dictates price, we are not talking about food here we are talking about a luxary good...if you think it is too expensive do not buy it and buy something else...problem solved

 

[TheAbyss2022]

Upsampling to 705.8kHz/768kHz via Audirvana Studio built in upsampler has really improved the LCD 4.

The soundstage has been expanded, detail is improved in the midrange (better instrument separation and space), bass more refined but less thump however, that's ok!

 

[TheAbyss2022]

I just bought an open box Audeze LCD 24 which should be arriving tomorrow and I feel lucky that I bought them at a good price as they are very rare to come across.

I have always been intrigued by this headphone as the LCD 2 was and still is a fantastic headphone and the LCD 4 is my favourite headphone so combining the two will be very interesting to listen to.

I will post my impressions and comparisons to the LCD 4 hopefully on Sunday.

 

[Slim1970]

I just bought an open box Audeze LCD 24 which should be arriving tomorrow and I feel lucky that I bought them at a good price as they are very rare to come across.

I have always been intrigued by this headphone as the LCD 2 was and still is a fantastic headphone and the LCD 4 is my favourite headphone so combining the two will be very interesting to listen to.

I will post my impressions and comparisons to the LCD 4 hopefully on Sunday.

The LCD-24 is my favorite Audeze headphone after owning them all. It does need some EQ, but once that happens it'll rewards you. You get speed, resolution, and a very balanced sound with amazing bass.

 

[Lokust]

If you're Looking for an LCD-4, price in classifieds has been reduced.

 

[LetTheKidsTechno]

Anyone want to give these a whirl and report back?

https://dekoniaudio.com/product/elite-microsuede-vegan-earpads-for-audeze-lcd-series/

 

[shafat777]

Anyone want to give these a whirl and report back?

https://dekoniaudio.com/product/elite-microsuede-vegan-earpads-for-audeze-lcd-series/

Im running a set of Elite sheepskin pads on my LCD4 and so far it has been a huge comfort upgrade over stock pads. Sonically i think it has a tad bit more midbass and thats about it. I also used a set of dekoni fenestrated sheepskin pads as well as results were also extremely positive. The LCD4 opens up even more in the mids and top end and the bass becomes tighter but the fenestrated pads take away too much of the Audeze house sound and makes the LCD4 lean more towards LCD5 flavor, which i didnt like and ended up trading my LCD-5 for a Diana TC and never looked back.

 

[pippen99]

If I still had my 4 I would certainly give these a try. I had the original Vegan pads on my X and they were so comfortable with no loss of SQ. I had the Dekoni Elite Hybrids on my 4 for a couple of years before I sold it. Much more comfortable than the stock pads.

 

[TheAbyss2022]

The LCD-24 is my favorite Audeze headphone after owning them all. It does need some EQ, but once that happens it'll rewards you. You get speed, resolution, and a very balanced sound with amazing bass.

I ordered an "open box" from Scan.co.uk on Friday but everyday I get a delayed shipment email and I emailed them today to see what's going on and they told me the below.

We are aware that you have recently requested an updated ETA for the following product:

(Open Box) Audeze - LCD-24, 5Hz - 50kHz freq response, Planar Magnetic, Over-Ear, Open-Back, inc travel case

Please be advised that as yet we have not received any information from our suppliers/the manufacturer; however we will continue to chase this until further details are known. Please bear with us in the meantime, and rest assured that you have not been forgotten.

I have no idea what that means since advertising an open box means you would have the headphone? I will call them tomorrow to see if they actually have it otherwise I will need to get a refund.

UPDATE: After all the waiting I called them and they confirmed it was a booking error since they didn't have one in stock so they had to cancel the order. Real shame since I was looking forward to hearing them.

 

[Slim1970]

I ordered an "open box" from Scan.co.uk on Friday but everyday I get a delayed shipment email and I emailed them today to see what's going on and they told me the below.

We are aware that you have recently requested an updated ETA for the following product:

(Open Box) Audeze - LCD-24, 5Hz - 50kHz freq response, Planar Magnetic, Over-Ear, Open-Back, inc travel case

Please be advised that as yet we have not received any information from our suppliers/the manufacturer; however we will continue to chase this until further details are known. Please bear with us in the meantime, and rest assured that you have not been forgotten.

I have no idea what that means since advertising an open box means you would have the headphone? I will call them tomorrow to see if they actually have it otherwise I will need to get a refund.

UPDATE: After all the waiting I called them and they confirmed it was a booking error since they didn't have one in stock so they had to cancel the order. Real shame since I was looking forward to hearing them.

Bummer, I think you would have liked their tuning.