The LCD 3 is another high-end planar magnetic headphone designed and built by the reputable Audeze. This is a highly-regarded headphone that has received plenty of praises from audiophiles and discerning critics. It is an award-winning planar magnetic headphone with pristine sound quality and exceptional sonic performance but will require an equally impressive amp to perform its very best.
There is a wide array of headphone amps to choose from and to get the right amplifier for the job, we will need to learn more about the sonic prowess and characteristics of the LCD 3. With a better understanding of this illustrious Audeze planar magnetic headphone, we will then be able to list out the best amps which you can choose to get and partner with your Audeze LCD 3. The list of headphone amps will be shared with you later on.
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Sonic Characteristics and Strengths of Audeze LCD 3
The LCD 3 is an elegantly designed planar magnetic headphone with beautiful visual aesthetics and can even be part of your room decors. The posh leather earpads and wooden earcups just simply scream high-end. This is a headphone we definitely wouldn’t mind wearing outside just to have some bragging rights. It is meant to be worn indoors though and the open-back design of the Audeze LCD 3 doesn’t really stop the sound from leaking which will disturb the people around you. Furthermore, the noise isolation capabilities are lacking as well. This is why it is best to listen to your music via LCD 3 privately in a quiet indoor environment.
This is a rather heavy headphone with a weight of 635g but surprisingly, it is still very comfortable to wear. The clamping force of the Audeze LCD 3 has a nice level of tightness and we feel that we could listen to them for hours. The earpads don’t really feel warm and the weight is well-distributed. We will suggest sitting down while listening to your music via the LCD 3. It has a frequency response of 10Hz-50kHz, and the impedance is at 110 Ohms which is slightly higher than the other models in the Origins series. Even so, the Audeze LCD 3 is still considered rather easy to drive and doesn’t really need very powerful amps.
More Details at Amazon – Audeze LCD-3 Over Ear Open Back Headphone
The musicality of the Audeze LCD 3 is astounding and it has an amazing insight as well. Digging out a massive amount of music details, leaving no stones unturned, and producing them out with crystal clear sound quality. Subtle and low-level details can be heard clear as day, giving us a high-resolution music presentation without sounding clinical. The stereo imaging and separation are impeccable, along with an open and spacious soundstage, the holographic musical performance is simply enveloping. There is precision too and the highly defined musicians have ample spacing between them.
It has powerful low-end performance and can reach deep into the bass extension, producing them out with prominence. There are details and depths in its bass reproductions with an amazing display of agility, giving us an articulate low-frequency performance. The Audeze LCD 3 bass performance adds weight and provides a nice music presence without muddling the upper registers. It also helps to produce an authoritative and rich music delivery with satisfying and impactful crescendos. The overall accuracy of the Audeze LCD 3 is fantastic and has a pleasing sound quality that is easy on the ears.
This is a very well-balanced planar magnetic headphone and should excel with almost all types of music. The overall bass performance of the LCD 3 will be suitable for bass fanatics as well. The Audeze LCD 3 has a warm sonic characteristic and smooth music delivery. It has a wide dynamic range and is able to provide a sonic performance with plenty of impacts. The Audeze LCD 3 looks beautiful and sounds even better, it is certainly one of the very finest headphones to go for. We have gathered enough data and information, it is time to share with you the list of the best headphone amps which you can choose to get and pair with the illustrious Audeze LCD 3 planar magnetic headphones.
Audeze LCD 3 Specifications
- Type: Planar Magnetic, Open-Back
- Tranducer size: 106mm
- Frequency response: 10Hz-50kHz
- Impedance: 110 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 101 dB/1mW
- THD: <0.1% @ 100dB
- Weight: 635g (1.4lbs)
Best Amps to pair with Audeze LCD 3
The Oppo HA-1 is one of the best amps to pair with your Audeze LCD 3 headphone. This is an ideal choice for listeners who want more refinement and a larger scale sound. It is brilliant for a laid-back music presentation since it is merciful when it comes to bad recordings and has a pleasing sound quality to boot. The Oppo HA-1 also adds more weight and impact into the bass reproductions, giving us a slightly more powerful sonic performance. This is a headphone amplifier that will work really well with bass-heavy soundtracks and will be a suitable match with the Audeze LCD 3.
More Details at Amazon – Oppo HA-1 Headphone Amplifier (Silver)
The Burson Audio Soloist 3X will be one of the best headphone amps to go with the Audeze LCD 3. Firstly, the Soloist 3X is well suited to drive planar magnetic headphones. Furthermore, it is a very powerful amp and will drive the LCD 3 with ease. This Burson Audio amplifier has a high level of transparency and is very accurate, effortlessly giving us a faithful music presentation. Burson Audio Soloist 3X also adds a bit more enthusiasm and energy into the overall sound reproduction, providing us with a more lively music delivery. The Soloist 3X bass performance is superb and complements the Audeze planar magnetic headphone really well.
More Details at Amazon – Burson Audio Soloist 3X Amp/Preamp
The Schiit Audio Mjolnir is a high-performance amp with a modest price tag and will be a suitable match with your Audeze LCD 3 planar magnetic headphones. This is an excellent choice for listeners who want an involving amplifier that can engage you and allow you to simply enjoy listening to your music. The LCD 3 headphone does balance it up a little by introducing more warmth and smoother music delivery. Schiit Audio Mjolnir has a wide dynamic range and will fit nicely with the Audeze LCD 3, not to mention, has exceptional bass performance too. It is definitely worth your time to check them out.
More Details at Amazon – Schiit Audio Mjolnir Balanced Headphone Amp
For listeners who are looking for a compact size amp without compromising the sound quality, the Chord Hugo 2 will be the one for you. This is an award-winning amplifier that is a worthy match for your Audeze LCD 3. Its small footprint allows it to fit nicely in any listening room. More importantly, the Chord Hugo 2 is capable of dishing out plenty of music details including subtle ones. The higher the quality of the source, the higher the resolution of the music presentation. Hugo 2 is a neutral-sounding amplifier with very high accuracy, the Audeze LCD 3 helps to slightly ease off the edges if there are any.
More Details at Amazon – Chord Hugo 2 Transportable DAC Headphone Amp
The Burson Audio Conductor 3 is another premium headphone amp that is sanely priced and will provide its users with exceptional sonic performance. It is an exemplary match to the Audeze LCD 3 planar magnetic headphones and the Conductor 3 has more than enough power to drive them. The Burson Audio Conductor 3 has slight warmish sonic characteristics and will fit in nicely with the LCD 3. It also has a knack for delivering a powerful music performance when it needs to. Giving us an engaging music presentation of our favorite tunes without compromising accuracy and precision.
More Details at Amazon – Burson Audio Conductor 3 Reference Headphone Amp DAC
If you are looking for a hybrid tube and solid-state amp, the Pathos Aurium will be a fine choice to go with the Audeze LCD 3. The award-winning Pathos Aurium amplifier is a very detailed presenter and has a sweet sound quality to boot. Musical instruments are well-textured and the vocal reproductions are natural sounding. Pathos Aurium is both refined and powerful, thanks to its prodigious bass delivery. The bass frequencies have ample weight and are tightly delivered with impeccable agility, landing us a satisfying punch. It is enjoyable to listen to this combination and you might want to hear them out first.
To Sum It Up
The amps mentioned here are definitely worth your while to at least have a look at them and you might even want to audition a few on the list. During the auditioning of the headphone amplifiers, it will be easier for you to find out which amp sounds the best with the Audeze LCD 3 planar magnetic headphones. We will suggest taking your time with the amp hunting process and more importantly, enjoying the hunt. Feel free to use this list of headphone amps as a reference when searching for other brands/models.
