Article: Audeze LCD-4z Review

[skatbelt]

Wow, this could easily be the worst and misleading review I have read in years. It actually starts off quite nice with the technical stuff about sensitivity but after that, the blunt, only two or three sentences counting, part on sound quality makes no sense at all.

 

You either must have had a second faulty unit or something else wrong in your setup with these kind of qualifications. All other reviews on the LCD-4z are very positive and my own experience is the same. Audeze makes very fine headphones and the 4z is no exception. They are not for everyone but a distorted top end would be in no-one's notes.

 

Is there no final editing on reviews?

[skatbelt]

3 hours ago, firedog said:

The word you actually mean is censorship; or perhaps what used to be called "spiking" in the print press. 

Why should Chris do that? Do we want reviews to say products are good when they aren't? Expensive products especially should give a lot in return for the high cost.

 

Don't put words in my mouth. And, on the contrary. I am strongly against censorship and sponsor dependencies. I actually commented on some of @The Computer Audiophile own reviews as being not critical and comprehensive enough.

 

What I meant is some kind of a structured approach to review writing and a final assessment if criteria have been met. Certainly needed when you work with a pool of reviewers in my opinion. I understand that not everyone has the skills and meticulousness of @austinpop but in this way overall quality will be higher. 

 

Reviews like this are placed on the homepage of this site and - by this choice - reflect a certain authority. If I were Chis I would care about it. If this item was placed in the speaker and headphones forum I wouldn't even have reacted and just taken @Sonis experience as bad luck.

[skatbelt]

51 minutes ago, Sonis said:

My experience was a REVIEW of a commercial product, not a random opinion in an online forum. That’s why it’s in the review section and not the speakers and headphones forum.

let me ask you this. If I had given these $4000 phones a glowing review, and on that recommendation, you went out and bought a pair, and found them to sound as poor as they actually do, would you be happy with my positive review or with me as a reviewer? Search your own conscience for the answer to that.

 

 

In my first comment I already stated that I did listen to the LCD-4z. So I have a good view on its position in the field of higher-end cans. And I auditioned quite a few. In this price category it is all a matter of taste but I would - without any hesitation - take the 4z over the HD-800S, every Focal and also over the LCD-3 (which I own myself).

 

My problem with your review is that it isn't really a review. You basically say 'This thing sucks and sounds no better than any entry level headphones. If you want to know why? Well, figure it out yourself. And btw, the company sucks too!'. I am aware of the fact that a lot of reviews are commercially driven and have an editorial character. But I did not come across any negative rating of owners of this headphones and this includes the very critical head-fi .org community. You stand alone in this.

 

Come to think of it and acting very suspicious for a moment: why the Hifiman promotion in your review? Does Chris do background research?

[skatbelt]

13 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

 

Someone has to be first. 

 

 

 

 

 

Sonis reviewed the HiFiMAN for us earlier and loved them. That’s why he recommended them in this review. Your skepticism knows no bounds. 

 

Do do you have a hidden agenda that includes keeping resale value above s certain point for LCD-4z owners?

 

This is one person’s opinion. Not that big of deal if he doesn’t like a pair of headphones. Your resistance to his opinion is puzzling. 

 

 

I am not a skeptical person. And seldom flabbergasted but now I am...

[skatbelt]

4 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Hi Guys - I was contacted this afternoon by Audeze's Karthick Manivannan, Ph.D., Research Director - Signal Processing. He kindly asked that Audeze be allowed to publish a response to this review. I stated that I would absolutely publish an uncensored response from the company. Here is a link to that response, directly below the review. 

 

https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/reviews/audeze-lcd-4z-review-r833/#1

 

 

Thank you. I will rest my case...