Mid-range texture is also extremely well defined and preserved. Here again, my experience has been that most ‘cans have an unnatural and processed bass to mid-bass transition, which after a while – try 5 minutes – becomes unnerving and quite frankly tiring. The LCD-3’s mid-range is liquid smooth, organic in nature, akin to the flow a great, no make that exceptional, Bourbon produces as it flows through your mouth, throat and intestines. All in all, the mid-range is stress free and equally balanced leading into the treble region with little to no attention drawn to itself – other than the music, naturally.

Rocking it out with a set of LCD-3’s proves perhaps the most stress free of endeavors one can encounter. Is low volume listening your preference? No problem, the Audeze will handle it; conversely, if jamming the last tunes down your ears is your thing, then these cans will do that equally well, and in my opinion, better than any other set of headphones I am aware of. Volume compression, listener fatigue or headaches from too tightly fitting headphones simply is not an issue, they will indeed play clean to ear-bleed levels.

Overall, the sound of the LCD-3 is engaging, powerful, and supremely inviting. Whatever your preference in music is, you will hear it anew, for perhaps the very first time. Those who appreciate premium quality will feel right at home with Audeze; those who want artisan, small batch productions and terrific sound will feel they struck gold with these headphones. If you can’t quite spring for the $1999 price of the LCD-3, feel free to indulge yourself with the $999 LCD-2. You’ll get quite close in overall sound for half the price, minus a few odds and ends here and there. Naturally, merely owning anything Audeze puts you in that illustrious club of those that get it. Clearly a Ferrari 458 owner doesn’t complain or quibble about not owning an FF or F12.