Audeze LCD-X Over Ear Open Back Headphone new 2021 version Creator Package with carry case

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Comparing the 2019 fazor version of the LCD3 to the new LCD-X 2021 shows us one thing – Audeze is really stepping up their game. What has once been their flagship headphone, is now struggling in comparison to their new, more budget-friendly planar LCD headphone. It is great to see Audeze respond to clear flaw shown in measurements and fix the egregious rough/cancellation that existed in the older design. What is there now is improved in that regard from tonality point of view but is still far from ideal response. A lot of goodness is left on the table with deficient lower treble and deep bass. Once those are fixed the sound becomes wonderful given the exceptionally low level of distortion. The LCD-X sound great with every kind of audio equipment from pro recording and broadcast gear to iOS devices. The only real difference is color and weight. This time around instead of an elephant on your head, you’ve got a jetliner.

Another thing worth noting is that the LCD-X 2021 isn’t really a demanding pair of headphones when it comes to amplification. It sounds just about right with my JDSLabs Atom Amp+ and XIAudio Broadway S, and an additional power that comes with the SMSL SH-9 or the LittleDot MK III SE doesn’t really change them that much. For sure, they do scale quite well with better equipment, but you don’t have to spend big to get them going. The excellent resolution of the X can somewhat compensate for this, as it allows you to perceive the subtle nuances and details in the treble range that might otherwise be masked.

Although, like any premium headphones, the LCD-X’s will sound better when driven by a dedicated headphone amplifier, their high sensitivity figure means that they can be driven to respectable levels by your smartphone or tablet. Well the LCD-X, while not veiled in my opinion, isn’t going to pair all that well with an amp on the warm-ish side/one that has a higher output impedance. While Apple's devices and Lightning adapters have great low-source-impedance headphone outputs and sound great with these, I can't vouch for off-brands like Android, Samsung, HTC or other iPhone copies. The Timbre is also pretty incredible, as the tonality of instruments is superb and sounds much more realistic than the majority of other headphones out there. Transparency Diaphragm materials are slightly different in all models but the LCD-X and LCD-XC which use the same material.

You’re going to be adjusting these pretty frequently on your head, but I still think the overall sound is worth it. Being around 100g lighter than the HEDDphone, you could expect the LCD-X to be on a similar level when it comes to ergonomics, but it is very far from the truth. The HEDDphone is far more fatiguing to wear over longer periods of time, mainly because of its headband construction. Audeze, you made it. The LCD-X’s soundstage will also be examined to see how it immerses you in your music, creating a sense of spaciousness and realism. I like something neutral here as it will help mitigate any issues, and the ATOM is my go-to for that purpose.For music lovers, Reveal+ is mostly a novelty, allowing you to feel like you’re in the recording studio, but the deviation from the final mix is quite significant. Audio quality The same grilles are present, the same headband adjustments, the same sized ear cups, the same Mini-XLR termination, and the same 1/4″ plug at the business end.

Another of the reasons for my attendance was an outgrowth of my recent participation in The Absolute Sound’s great new major volume, the Illustrated History of High-End Audio, Volume One: Loudspeakers—an invitation to dinner with friends and colleagues that I hadn’t seen in a number of years. The dinner was to be hosted by Jim Hannon, the vice president/group publisher of The Absolute Sound, and would take place on the Saturday night of the show. Robert Harley and Jonathan Valin and his wife, Kathy, were also to attend. The dinner was a very festive occasion, with great conversation, food, and wine. We discussed everything from our favorite recorded music, to how the harmonics of a violin were so difficult to reproduce by audio systems, and finally, to what we thought were the best-sounding exhibits at the show. Obviously, all of us were having a wonderful time and suddenly near the end of our get together, I was asked by Jonathan Valin, “Why don’t you review for The Absolute Sound?” To say that I was taken by surprise is an understatement. My answer was that I would have to think about that since I’d never written a review of any product in my long years of working in audio. Undeterred, he then asked if I did accept the review challenge, what would be the first thing I’d like to review? Without a second of hesitation my reply was a state-of-the-art headphone. Needless to say he was astonished since everyone at the table knew that in my long career in audio I was mostly involved in designing high- end loudspeakers. Their next question was simply, “Arnie, why headphones?” I fed my American-made Benchmark DAC1 HDR with signal. The DAC1 HDR has a reference-class DAC and a reference class-A zero-output-impedance headphone amplifier.We’ll start by examining the build quality and design, assessing its durability and comfort for extended listening sessions. I think the X is in a different class than the 2 and really shouldn’t be compared to it. To the 3, on the other hand, the comparison is more relevant. The comparison between the two is similar to comparing the Sennheiser HD600 and the HD650, the two veteran headphones that the majority of you can relate to. Just like how one would compare the 600 to the 650, the 3 now sounds slower and “bassier”. Yes, who ever thought that the 3 one day would be the slow one? Nonetheless, I’m happy to report that the LCD-X 2021 is a totally different headphone when it comes to its midrange performance. But more on that later.

So long as you're not moving around, they are very comfortable headphones to enjoy for hours and hours at a time. I can wear them all day; they're so big that any forces are well distributed. dB SPL, which means, ignoring any potential power compression, that maximum SPL happens with >3.16V or >+10 dBV or > -3 dBW or >500 mW input into 20 Ω. Add to human hearing the differences in manufacturing tolerances and the quality of the cable attaching the headphones to the amp, as well as the performance of the amp itself, and the number of variables alone makes absolute statements impossible to make with any degree of credibility. Between LCD-2 and Ananda, I’d still probably lean slightly more towards an Ananda because of price and weight, but it’s very close as I really enjoy both headphones.Among the benefits that are claimed for the planar magnetic design are that they present an easy load for headphone amps, and that they have a much lower level of distortion than you’d find in a typical moving-coil headphone. I suspect that these factors, in conjunction with the excellent transient response, are responsible for a quality that I’ve never heard in any other pair of headphones. With almost all monitor systems of any stripe, the more you turn up the volume, the more the artifacts of the monitoring tend to become apparent; to some extent, the subjective impression of loudness is created or enhanced by the increasingly obvious distortion and non-linearity of the speakers or headphones. It’s worth noting that the somewhat subdued treble can be a deliberate choice by Audeze to provide a smoother and less fatiguing listening experience. While heavy on the head, the headband and ear cup design help distribute the weight evenly across the head so there are no hotspots. mW into 20 Ω (rated) is 141.4 mV or -16.99 dBV, which as my 13-year-old son knows means 120 dB SPL at 1V.