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So where to start... I didn't want to post anything until I actually got my hands on at least a few of the new "un-veiled" LCD3s. I've heard three of these new ones and measured two so far. I suspect these new LCD3s don't quite sound the same as the "un-veiled" ones heard at CanJam, because they depart from the Audeze house sound quite a bit. The two pairs I've measured have excellent driver matching, and they even match each other quite well too. This would be a first for Audeze (at least from the cans that I've heard myself.) BTW, I'm not going to bore anyone with graphs - you guys know where to get them - or you can just ask. On that topic, I would like to see Audeze include measurements for both drivers on the FR sheet that they include with the LCD3s. They shouldn't have anything to hide if they are going to include a plot in the first place and advertise +/- 0.5 db matching. In terms of clarity, speed, transient response, and resolution, they are more than an incremental upgrade from the r2. The veiled LCD3s (with the TP mods) - I know some of you heard this exact pair at the Bay Area meet - were definitely "better, but not worth it." I won't come straight out and say that these are "worth it", but again, the improvements from the r2 are more than "incremental." First of all, these new LCD3s have the least amount of bass energy among all of the LCD# series. Of course, this is difficult to gauge because every LCD2 (r2 and especially r1) sounded slightly different to me. As for less bass, I see this as a good thing, because it was this excessive bass energy in the veiled versions that masked the rest of the spectrum, particularly the harmonics and overtones, and also made them sound slow and plodding. Audeze did replace the thin layer of felt with 2mm thick foam - the circular disc behind the metal cage. I don't know this it was this or a diaphragm change which resulted in the new LCD3 sounding more dextrous. Not just nice punchy, clean sounding bass (the bass quality is truly unparalleled,) but super articulate with strings and percussion. The new LCD3 are more neutral than the HD800s when compared to more neutral transducers like the HP1000 or UERMs. Not a difficult task against the HD800s, but let me explain. In comparison, the HD800s sound laid-back in parts of the midrange and then suddenly turn around with a nice slap at 6k with an elevated response all the way up the treble. In contrast, the LCD3 has less warmth - flatter around the mid-to-high bass areas, have slightly less air, and has midrange in spades. The LCD3 treble is hardly lacking too, there's actually plenty of it, where a bad recording could actually hurt - but not nearly to the extent of the HD800. On the midrange, there may be a possible issue there. One thing I've noted with this new batch of drivers: They extend a bit further, end with a little kick upwards, and then drop down quickly. The veiled pair seems to start its "Audeze shelf" roll-off earlier in the band - from the low mids - and gradually settles by 2kHz. As for the kick upwards, I've measured some ringing at 3.5-4kHz. Using an open-air measurement method, there is quite a bit of ringing. Taking a sealed measurement (which I feel is more accurate in some respects with planars/orthos), there is a sharp minor resonance -25db down. You won't see these on Audeze graphs because of their smoothing and also because they set the CSD floor to -25db. How audible is this? I used to think it wasn't very much (I tend to be immune to or have a hard time picking up ringing at 4k-5kHz), however now that the new toy syndrome has worn off, I think it's quite evident, especially since the ringing already corresponds with a notable response peak, which suddenly drops down 4-5db to finally settle at the bottom of the shelf. Certain recordings with an emphasis in the region (e.g., a few tracks on Adele 21) can be a little be rough, but not unbearably so. One interesting thing I noted is that lower output Z amps better control this midrange resonance - also makes the bass tighter too. The highish output Z of the BA is probably not optimal for the LCD3, but we all have to pick our poison. So compared to the veiled LCD3, what we lose with is a bit a smoothness in the FR in exchange for a more neutral sounding headphone with some excessive midrange energy and much better speed, transient response, resolution, etc. To me the trade was worth it. (There's a reason I sent my veiled-pair on the statewide tour. It was because I hated it and I knew I wouldn't miss it.) Still not perfect, and not quite worth $2000, but getting closer.

Here you go, Steve.