From the moment I heard them, I liked the LCD-X by Audeze. Usually that spells doom for a headphone though, because later on a detail or two will rear its head and reality will set in, "I can't stand these anymore". So I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop, and waiting... and waiting... and, well, you get the point. However, I'm finally ready to say that I'm smitten, I'm full of smit. (No, not Schiit, though I like several of their products too) Although they aren't perfect, they have no substantial sonic flaws, at least none that can't simply be chalked-up to a specific manufacturer "flavor". As with the LCD-XC, the LCD-X's closed-back sister, I approached them with trepidation because I don't care for Audeze's other LCD models, the LCD-2s and 3s. For me they're simply too dark and lack realism in their upper treble, I'm not a basshead, so right off the bat they fell flat on their faces. Like the XCs, however, I'm happy to say that these break that mold and extend far beyond the company's first offerings, let's explore how.


Audio Quality: 5 / 5

Outstanding! Like the LCD-XCs, lots of micro-detail across the audible spectrum. Combined with their very low impedance (22 Ohms), and relatively high sensitivity (96dB), they're wonderful with anything that has a headphone jack (including smartphones and tiny MP3 players). They do scale with better electronics, more so than the XCs, but it isn't a huge difference, just a nice bonus. So while the sound out of my EC Balancing Act amp is jaw-dropping, directly out of my LG G Pad it's still excellent. Bass is very fast and punchy with bottom-trawling extension, super low and clean, offering a wonderful tactile sense and presence. Treble is equally enjoyable, with just the right amount of sparkle in the highs to keep you engaged, but still velvety smooth in its delivery. The mids are even and clear, unlike the XCs they don't have that somewhat distracting coloration near 1.5kHz, probably owing to their open design. Another aspect where they shine is instrument placement, sound focus is exceptionally sharp, and along with its fine detail retrieval, that makes these an excellent tool in high-end mastering. Their breadth of soundstage is truly remarkable, and while not as expansive as the STAX SR-009s, they are still in the top tier. From classical to metal, folk to pop, they shine through it all, and that's a very tall order.

As I mentioned before, they make no obvious mistakes, from my perspective. My only minor issue is that they're perhaps lacking a little in bass "slam" or impact, but I've found that's largely amplifier dependent, good high current amps improve it substantially. That is the most telling area where more powerful, capable gear fleshes these out. That's also the case in most other areas, each quality or trait these headphones have is stepped up a couple "notches" with a higher quality audio chain. Overall, these completely trounce my former favorite orthodynamics, the HiFiMan HE-6s. While I very much enjoy them, my HE-6s can't be used effectively with low-power gear, or even most average equipment, they need oodles of power and the more, the better. So that's my take, they're a great deal like the HiFiMan flagships but aren't shackled by potentially restrictive gear requirements. With the LCD-X you can put away the bulky, full-size stereo amp that you've been using to drive your cans directly from the speaker taps (yes, people really do that), because much more efficient setups work just fine.


Value: 5 / 5

They're $1700 headphones at regular MSRP, but if you're shopping in this range these need to be on your short list. Given their modest gear requirements, their TCoO (Total Cost of Ownership) is comparatively very low, much less than other headphones that are apparently less expensive. As with all things, you need to factor in other equipment you'll need. $1700 plus a $400 amp is less than $1300 with a $1000 amp.



Design: 4.50 / 5

They're a traditional planar design, and people familiar with that will identify it immediately. The materials are of high quality, though I do wish there was no plastic at all in their construction. One potential avenue to lower weight in the future could be carbon fiber, keeping the same structural rigidity of the frame components while lessening the weight substantially. Because, yes, they weigh quite a lot. Not to the point where you think your neck is going to break, but I was feeling a little fatigue after listening to them for a couple hours. Being open headphones they offer zero isolation, so if that's a factor then check out the LCD-XC. The headband and earpads are made of a nice calf skin, pleasing in appearance and to the touch. You also get a cool Pelican style carrying case that looks like it could survive a grenade blast, 2 sets of high-quality interchangeable cables (one balanced and one single-ended), and there are some papers filled with warranty and product info. All in all, they look and feel like a luxury product and they do a great job representing what you should expect from a flagship headphone.


Comfort: 4.25 / 5

Initially the weight concerned me when I first hefted them, but after wearing them a few minutes I adapted to them and they were fine, so they're rather well balanced. As with the LCD-XCs, after an even longer period of time my neck began to get fatigued, though not as badly. One thing I want to add, however, is that I have moderate rheumatoid arthritis which does affect my neck, and I'm probably more sensitive to that than most, so it might not be an issue for you. Also my ears started to get hot under the pads by that time too, so you may want to consider Audeze's "vegan" earpads if you believe that could affect you as well.


Wrap-up

So, where do these fit in the increasingly overcrowded high-end headphone segment? There's a lot of top-notch gear in the $1,200-$2,000 range, I can name a dozen sets that deserve a buyer's close consideration, but I believe these are the best open cans available for that money, by a good bit, especially factoring in other equipment in your audio chain. Some do certain things a little better, but none excel in ALL areas so effectively. All that aside, I do believe the STAX SR-009s and SR-007s provide superior sound quality, as do a few extinct "unobtainium" sets, but electrostats are in their own universe with high barriers to entry; namely exotic amp requirements and limitations to portability. So yes, if you're willing to shell out 3-4x more money, you can clearly beat the LCD-X, but realistically that's what it takes. IMO, unless you have the money to burn "chasing the dragon", these are a wonderful place to stop and take in the view from the Summit of Head-Fi.


For being extraordinary in so many ways, as well as providing a true value in Summit-Fi, I'm giving the Audeze LCD-X a rare and well-deserved 5 stars, and the very first "Best of the Lot" award for cans in their price range ($1,200-2,000). Well done!

I forgot my headphones so I bought these at an airport kiosk for my flight, to avoid having to use the airline ear buds. For the price, they're shockingly good. Heck, they're good for $100, at $30 they're a complete steal. Bass is taut and full, mids are well presented and slightly forward, and while treble is a little "warm" and rolled off, it's still better than average. Combined with being durable, comfortable (to me), and easily driven by anything (they're designed specifically to be used with an Android phone, but they also work with iOS devices), they're a perfect set of inexpensive, portable on-ears. Just throw them in a bag and go.

.
These are NOT the greatest closed cans in the world. Yes, you can indeed get better closed headphones, let me explain that process.

First, you need to settle in for a while, get used to doing lots of ebay searches, it's probably best if you just make up a pair of alerts; the first is for "Sony MDR-R10 bass light" (not the bass heavy version, they're a little too weighted on the low end to be neutral, though the "bass heavy" examples are more fun), and the second is "STAX 4070 earspeakers". Then you wait. Also, there's a slim chance you might find either of these in our exceptional Head-Fi "For Sale" forum, but good luck with that, when they do show up for a reasonable price they're gone faster than you can say Jiminy Cricket.

Yeah, these may look really cool, but unless you're a masochist (with deep pockets) you should probably avoid them. You've been warned.




Second, you're going to need to open your wallet wide... very wide. Actually, just take out a loan, because for the Sonys you're going to need to lay-out, near as makes no difference, $7,000-8,000, depending on condition. Also, you'll need a capable amp, so that'll be another $1000-2000, because although they're not too difficult to drive, you won't be doing it effectively with your iPhone, and you'll want something with a very clean output. The case is similar with the STAX 4070s, they're also scarce, but generally cost less when you can find them, $2000-3000. However, you'll need to shell out some serious money for a special electrostatic amplifier, because they won't plug in to a standard 1/4" HP jack. On that front you'll pay significantly more, between $2000-5000.

Third, pray they never break, because both of these rare bits of audiophile unobtanium are out of production, in fact Sony stopped making the R10s >20 years ago. So that means finding parts for either isn't easy, or cheap. Warning! Anecdote incoming. A few days after I received my Sony MDR-R10s, which I found on ebay from a seller in Croatia (no joke), I noticed a slight imperfection on the left earpad, it looked like a minor discoloration due to dirt. So, being a picky so-and-so, I tried to clean it with a microfiber cloth and some water, dabbing at it very gently. Well, long story short, old leather earpads are really fragile and I made it worse. Also, since direct replacement pads for those seemingly don't exist anymore, I'm just going to leave it alone and be thankful that I didn't ruin it, lesson learned.

Does that all seem to be too much? Well, if you're like 99.99% of humans, yes, that's way too much effort and money to invest in such a thing. In fact, the only people who are crazy enough to go after the R10s and 4070s are collectors... like me. So where do you go from there if you need closed, reference-quality cans? While there are several options that sound good, there are some rather severe trade-offs, usually in; midrange coloration, clarity, bass extension, harsh treble, etc., the list goes on, take your pick. Tuning closed headphones is hard, much more challenging than open headphones, and during the process, sacrifices are made. As an active member of the modding community, I've been there and done that, it's a lot like one of those little plastic games where you try and get as many BBs as possible into a bunch of small holes, without being able to touch them. It can get a little maddening.

At this point, in steps Audeze... and... okay, full stop.



Here's the deal, I have to say I'm not one of their biggest fans, and that's not because they're a bad company. On the contrary, they're a very fine company, the problem is I simply don't care for their previous generations of headphones, namely the LCD-2 and LCD-3. Based on my experience, they're tuned more for bassheads, and I'm not one, so the several times I've demoed them they've left me wanting. I find that their sound signature is too dark and lacking "sparkle" in the treble region. I'm not going to go into more detail on this because it's a polarizing subject, however I'll just say we all have specific tastes and their previous offerings simply weren't to my liking, enough said. So without further ado, here we go. Keep your arms and other body parts in the vehicle at all times and please remain seated while we're in motion.

They're pretty, that's for sure. The first time I opened the case I went, "Oooooooo..."


Audio Quality: 4.75 / 5

Superb. There's no shortage of micro-detail available here, and combined with their very low impedance (22 Ohms) and relatively high sensitivity (96dB), it's available to practically everything with a headphone jack. They do scale with better electronics, but the difference isn't profound, think of it like adding extra whipped cream on top of a sundae. So while the sound out of my EC Balancing Act amplifier bordered on sublime, directly out of my LG G Pad it was still very good as well. Bass is fast and punchy with an abundance of extension, low and clean, offering a wonderful tactile sense and presence. Treble is equally enjoyable, with just the right amount of sparkle in the highs to keep you engaged, but still velvety smooth in its delivery. The mids are even and clear, but there's a slight amount of coloration in the 1.5kHz region that's noticeable in comparison with top-end open "neutral" sets, adding some warmth there, but it isn't obvious on their own. That's a small price to pay for their outstanding isolation, however, and in that area they excel, especially compared to semi-closed cans like the Fostex TH900s. Another aspect where they shine is instrument placement, sound focus is exceptionally sharp, and that combined with its fine detail retrieval make for an excellent tool in high-end mastering. All in all, what minor trade-offs that exist do not detract from their overall sonic presentation, Audeze has done a wonderful job tuning the LCD-XC. Soundstage is quite good for closed cans too, though not as expansive as the best open headphones, and even falling a tad short of the aforementioned TH900s. Bottomline: the main strength of the LCD-XC, its "party trick" if you will, is its world class sound quality, despite its sealed design, and that's a very difficult feat to pull off. Good Job, designers.

Value: 4.5 / 5

These are the best new sealed headphones available, and while I feel there are better values in the broader category, if you require (or just want) the best, look no further.

Design: 4.25 / 5

They're a traditional planar design, and people familiar with that will identify it immediately, despite the closed configuration. The materials are of high quality, though I do wish there was no plastic at all in their construction. One potential avenue to lower weight could possibly be carbon fiber, keeping the same structural rigidity of the frame components while lessening the weight substantially. Because, yes, they're heavy. Not to the point where you think your neck is going to break, but I was feeling a little fatigue after listening to them for a couple hours. In terms of sheer looks, the wooden cups are quite attractive, however the finish on them wasn't perfect, I could feel slight imperfections in it. I was able to fix the problem with the supplied oil and buffing cloth, but it shouldn't have been an issue to begin with. The headband and earpads are a nice calf skin, pleasing in appearance and to the touch. You also get a cool Pelican style carrying case that looks like it could survive a grenade explosion, 2 sets of high-quality interchangeable cables (one balanced and one single-ended), and some papers filled with warranty and product info. All in all, they look and feel like a luxury product, and with the small QC issues taken care of (and they've assured me they already are), they do a great job representing what you should expect from a flagship headphone.

Comfort: 4 / 5

Initially the weight concerned me, but after wearing them a while I adapted to them and they were fine. However, after an even longer period of time my neck began to get fatigued. One thing I want to add, however, is that I have moderate rheumatoid arthritis which does affect my neck, so I'm probably more sensitive to that than most, so it might not be an issue for you. Also my ears started to get hot under the pads by that time too, so you may want to consider Audeze's "vegan" earpads if you believe that could affect you as well.

Wrap up

There's not much left to say, if you require true reference quality sound with fantastic isolation, and want something new (you do, trust me), there's no better headphone available. The relatively scant negative comments I've made are me nit-picking, because I do that with everything. I've never encountered a perfect headphone, the STAX SR-009s are as close to that as I've heard and I gave them a 4.8 (see how hard it is to get a 5?). The Audeze LCD-XC however, is an excellent product that I heartily recommend, it's closer to perfection than any other closed cans being made today, and I'm giving them a very respectable 4.5 out of 5 stars. So, what are you waiting for? Choose your color and dive in, you won't be disappointed.

So, I'm listening to the K702 65th Aniv cans, through the ECBA, and they're not bad. In fact, they're mostly the same as the regular Q/K701s, with a little more bass extension, less grain (likely better THD numbers), and cooler looks. They probably cherry-picked the best transducers and played with the foam in front of the baffle. No biggie. "Evolutionary, not revolutionary" is the phrase that comes to mind. Very solid cans and well worth the $350 I paid. Are they worth $500, which is the typical retail? Sure. There are many other big-name cans out there that are priced the same, or higher, that don't sound this good. So, why not? (Lower is better, of course.) I gave the K701s a 3.5 out of 5 stars, so these are a 4.

Price: $3200 (used)

Appearance/Build Quality:

The Zodiac Gold with Voltikus is gorgeous, there's no denying it, and its flawless satin finish is just the start. Even the small remote murmurs "High Quality", because it feels like solid aluminum. You could knock someone out if you threw it at them. The ZG isn't just a pretty face either, the knobs and buttons all have a wonderfully smooth feel. The whole time you use it you're thinking, "this is an impressive chunk of gear". For me the icing on the cake is the .05dB stepped attenuator, the fine control is amazingly accurate.

Sound:

Quite frankly, I've not found a fault in its performance yet; it's perfectly transparent and stunningly detailed. It has no coloration at all, it's dead neutral, and all the headphones I've tried with it have benefited from this. It completely steps out of the way and, for good or ill, lets the material and transducers perform the way they're intended. Oh, and the Ultra-Linear, dual stage headphone amp is the real deal, and it's all about damping factor. My Fostex TH900s are fussy about this, and with the wrong amp the bass bloat can be unsightly. No worries about that with the Gold. Select 0Ω output mode, and like Ms. Jackson, the key word is Control. It has lots of it. Imaging? Like no other amp I've tested. It's so remarkably vivid that I actually fiddled around to see if any 3D effects were somehow enabled. No joke.

As you'd expect, then, the dynamics are out of this world, I've not heard the ZG place a hoof out of line... That is, except when driving my HE-6s, the fact is, it doesn't have enough juice for them. The mids and highs are amazing but bass performance just isn't... quite... there... I expected this. In fact, I would have been stunned senseless if it had pulled it off, so I'm not disappointed in the least. Otherwise, everything I tossed its way it caught with ease and elegance. Given the designer's roots in high-end production and mastering hardware, it's not hard to suss out why.

Now it's time for numbers and maths, courtesy of the Antelope site:

Dynamic Range: 129 dB
THD + N: 0.0004 %
USB: 2.0 Hi-Speed. Data stream up to 480Mbits/384kHz, Type B
Clocking System: 4th Generation Acoustically Focused Clocking 64 bit DDS Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillator
Clock Stability: < +/- 0.02 PPM, oven controlled at 64.5 C
Clock Aging: < 1 ppm per year
Sample Rates: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, (352.8kHz, 384kHz through USB only)

Design:

To completely take advantage of its features, I now have all my head-fi gear attached to the Zodiac, and it pulls duty as a DAC, amp, or DAC filter. Yeah, it actually re-clocks and de-jitters all digital signals coming in (they call it Acoustically Focused Clocking) and outputs the "cleaned up" product via AES or a pair of S/PDIF connections. I'm not really sure if it makes that much of a difference, but it seems cool none-the-less. So far my only gripe is with the USB, twice when I've switched from a different source I had to disconnect and reconnect the USB before it worked properly. It doesn't drive me nuts, but if it becomes a habit it could get annoying. I hear Antelope's working on a firmware patch to fix this, so that may be a non-issue soon.

Conclusion:

The short and sweet. Am I keeping it? There's no need to even ask. Benchmark is no longer the true benchmark around here, that honor belongs to the Zodiac. This Antelope really whips the llama's ass.

PS. Oh, and when they fix the USB issue I'll give them their fifth point in design, not a second before.

Score: 9.8/10


Update 11/17/13: Ever since updating my USB drivers to the newest version, the problem with losing connection has gone away. All's well, but Antelope wasn't the one who fixed the problem, so other people could potentially have this issue in the future if they're using an older driver. Of course, the probable fix is to update to the newest ones, likely you'll find them at your PC or motherboard manufacturer's website.

Okay... I believe the O2+ODAC combo is a good product for the price.

Yeah, that does sound like a cop out, doesn't it? Alright, I'll try again.

With headphones that this unit will normally be paired with; HD650, Q701, HE300, FA-003, etc. (solid mid-fi cans), I think it does quite well. To me it stumbles where most SS mid-fi amps stumble, it's a little on the bright side of neutral and highs are a bit etched. Also, mids do seem slightly congested and bass could be tighter. Also, mine has a slightly scratchy volume pot (not a huge deal, probably just needs a shot of DeoxIT). I don't think it drives my T1s very well, same goes for the TH900. Those foibles I mentioned before seem to get magnified. The HE-6? Fugetaboutit.

"Oh, he hates it", no I don't. It isn't some Class A monster, and my Onkyo P-3000R ($1700 MSRP) does knock its lights out, but it's $300 and has batteries for cripes' sake. Personally, I feel the DAC is quite good, though I wish it had some type of S/PDIF connection, and as a package it punches above its weight class. IMO, it isn't David knocking out Goliath, it's a Golf GTI out handling the mid-range pony cars. Overall a good value.

After hearing the glowing reviews for these I was looking forward to getting them on my head to hear this reportedly "fun" headphone. After waiting over two weeks to get these from Noisy Motel in Australia, that wasn't their fault (Aussie post must be one of the slowest carriers on Earth), they finally arrived.

Build quality and comfort:

Oh boy... from the outside they seemed okay and in good cosmetic condition. In terms of appearance, they look attractive. Mine are the dark wood finish, which I find to be more sophisticated than the natural version they're shipping now.

However, placing them on my head and getting them situated is another matter. For me these aren't "over-ear" headphones, the pads are small and very shallow. So the whole time I listened to them part of my ears were sitting on the outer pad while the rest was digging into the foam over the driver. This is exacerbated by the somewhat scratchy material they use. The clamping pressure is okay and the headband system works well, but overall I have to say that, for me, they aren't comfortable, at all.

At any rate, soldiering on, I plugged them into my Benchmark DAC1 PRE, started up my first test track, Paul Simon's Graceland, and... all I got was a massive flood of bass. Let me clarify, there was no treble, as in none. Just a torrent of loose, overpowering bass. Well, something was wrong, so I checked my connections, tried other headphones, checked the FA-011s, everything. All seemed fine.

So, after trying other songs, which yielded the same results, I did what any sane audiophile tinkerer would do, I took them apart, completely apart. That even included removing a wad of resistors soldered on to the back of each of the drivers. Then, after checking out their guts, which seemed okay, I put them all back together again. For whatever reason, that did the trick and was finally able to get treble and was able to start the sound test in earnest. As an aside, for a DIY kit, this is expected, for a retail product it's ridiculous. Normally, I would have just sent them back, but the shipping charge to do so would have been high and the wait would have been a month or more.

Sound:

So I fired up Graceland again and it was better, much better, I had treble. However, the bass was still too loose and heavy by a decent amount, even to the point that it bled into the lower mids. The upper mids were pleasantly colored, almost Grado-like, and the treble was the same, though too peaky from 6-8kHz (even compared to my Grado PS500s and AKG Q701s).

Kind of expecting what I'd encounter, I switched to Dubstep, Crystallize by Lindsey Stirling. Those unfamiliar with her work, she is a violinist with a flare for modern music styles. Unfortunately, no tight, satisfying bass was to be found, just more mud. Though, again, the mids were enjoyable and at low volume the highs weren't too piercing.

Moving along, I switched to Madonna's Lucky Star, to get a feel for the imaging and soundstage. It wasn't bad, though I have to admit the depth and precision weren't up to par with other offerings in their price class, such as the Sennheiser HD518s and Audio Technica ATH-AD700s.

At that point my ears were hurting from the pads, so I decided to call it quits and just let them break-in for a while. Some say this doesn't matter, but I was wanting to give these cans another chance down the road, so I set them to run some pink noise, put them in a drawer, and let them run for a few days at higher volume. When I came back to them after over 100 hours nothing had really changed. I even went back over them, to ensure that they were functioning properly, but no dice.

Conclusion:

I'll admit, I'm a mids and treble lover, but I do appreciate and enjoy tight, articulate bass. These don't have that quality. Even for bassheads, I can't recommend them, not when there are much more pleasing offerings such as the M-Audio Q40s and Sony MDR-XB500s. Compound that with the discomfort of wearing them, and I see no reason to buy these.


2.5/5 Stars

Not much to say, really. I needed a multi-output HF amp that would drive most cans. That's what it is. It sounds fine, nothing to write home about, but not bad at all. You aren't going to get huge detail, but it is rather neutral. Doesn't distort unless you crank it far above what is considered a safe listening volume and the pots are quiet. Also, I really like the fact that it accepts 3.5mm and 6.5mm jacks, no adapters to mess with. Oh, it's very solid too, heavier than you'd think from looking at it.

My only real gripe is the lack of a power switch, but it's not a big deal, I just hooked it up to a mini surge strip and use that to turn it off and on. Overall, it's a decent little cheap amp.