Audeze LCD-XC

Overview:

Up for review today is the famous Audeze LCD-XC 2021. The XC is the closed-back version of the X, which I also had on hand during this review and they meet the needs of the professional when compared to the higher-end LCD-2/3/4 lines, which are the Enthusiast level. They have “Ultra-Thin Uniforce™ diaphragms, Fazor waveguides, and powerful neodymium magnets to deliver extremely accurate and detailed sound. The sophisticated planar magnetic drivers achieve a high efficiency with low impedance.” So…yeah, there ya go – they’re Planars. But, how do they sound?

Side Note: I didn’t like these until I hooked them up to a balanced cable – it completely changed the sound coming out of them, so PLEASE use a balanced cable – that's the first time I’ve ever had to write that in a review.

Accessories/Earpads/Eartips (2/10):

Meh. They came with…nothing really. Literally, there was a cable in the box. The ear pads are pretty nice though – comfy. They CAME with ear pads, but every over-ear should do that. Yes, I’m grasping at straws – I literally cannot give more than 2 points here because all it came with are decent ear pads and a foam-padded cardboard box.

Cable (2/10):

The stock cable sucks. I’m just going to be blunt here. The Sennheiser HD600 has a nicer cable and it’s ~$300. The 6.35mm cable included with this is tangly, has memory retention, and feels cheaper than the $20 cable I got off amazon. Also, based upon how much changing the cable from the stock to a 4.4mm balanced improved the sound, I can honestly say this is the first stock cable that I really think made the headphone worse – to the point of wanting to throw it away. At least it came with a cable…that’s the only positive thing I have to say about it. Replace immediately.



Build Quality/Comfort (10/10):

Redemption, thy name is build quality. These are built like a tank – they make the much lighter JM Audio XTC-C feel like toys. There are no creaks or cheaper feeling parts – all of the budget for these headphones went into build quality. The Carbon fiber ear cups are amazing and hard to scuff – really just a brilliantly engineered headphone – other than the weight.

Comfort is good - if a little heavy. No fit issues for me, though the clamp might be a bit much for some people. Isolation is really good, I can’t even really hear MYSELF talk, let alone anyone else. That’s pretty amazing.

Sound:

I don’t have any other closed-back full-size headphones on my desk at the moment to compare these to directly, so I’m having to go off memory. That said, I haven’t listened to another closed-back that sounds like these anyway, so it doesn’t really matter. I am powering these through Tidal HiFi at 45-50/100 volume on the stock unbalanced 6.35mm connection on low gain with the tube off from my Cocktail Audio HA500H DAC/AMP.

Side Note: Powering these from my Shanling M6 Ultra through a 4.4mm cable completely changed how these sound. There’s more bass, less sharpness, and better overall sound – completely different sounding headphones. Definitely get a balanced cable, either 4-pin XLR for a desktop or 4.4mm for a DAP or DAC/AMP (the Truthear SHIO is great for phones and has a 4.4mm.) This literally took these headphones from a dislike for me to a mostly-like - I’ve never encountered that before.

Looking at the Frequency Response Graph below from Crinacle, the LCD-X have almost no sub-bass, and muted mid-bass. The mids are pretty neutral until you hit the high-mids at which point there are some odd peaks and dips throughout the rest of the frequency band. I’ll be honest, this graph doesn’t really match up with what I hear below anyway, so it’s not that useful.



Lows (8/20):

I am starting off with the Mid-bass/Sub-bass test - I’m using David Guetta’s “I’m Good (Blue).” The bass drums in the intro have an OK impact, with a little extra reverb, but nothing offensive. The sub-bass is present, but definitely not strong – it definitely won’t be winning any awards for bass quantity. Also, I have to mention that the mids/highs on this song are painfully sharp/metallic for me, which is very uncommon as this song typically makes every headphone sound good, which is why I only test bass with it – so that’s odd. I’d take the XTC-C over the LCD-XC any day of the week on this song.

Up next is Demon Hunter’s “I Am A Stone,” which I use to test whether the bass is too strong and overwhelms the mids. Obviously, the bass won’t be too strong here and it’s not. It’s still there in the background, barely, but it most certainly doesn’t overwhelm the mids. The mids sound much better here than on the previous song – these are definitely not for bassheads, or even just people who like some bass in their songs (me.) Also, the metallic sound remains, but the detail is good and the soundstage is surprisingly large. I have to keep turning these down because they’re a bit painful for me.

Mids (12/20):

Weaving The Fate’s “The Fall” is a test song for guitars and vocals. The intro guitars actually sound really good. The distorted guitars don’t, they come across as very thin and metallic. The soundstage is pretty large for a closed back, but I can’t shake the feeling of thinness and tinniness. There’s just no body here. The vocals are fine, but they blur into the rest of the song far more than I’m used to on IEMs costing ¼ or ½ as much. The Sony MDR-Z1R and Sennheiser HD820 are both better and the XTC-C is significantly better from memory.

Staind’s “Something to Remind You” has clean electric guitars and wonderful vocals – this song tests the vocal quality and background noise. The clean guitars in the intro sound good once more, though I’m still getting that metallic sound. The vocals sound good, if a little flat. These are unsurprisingly the studio monitors of the closed-back world. I personally prefer a more fun sound with a bit more bass and a more 3D presentation. That said, this is probably one of the best songs for the LCD-XC.

To test classical instruments in the mids, I’m using The Piano Guys' “Code Name Vivaldi.” The strings sound pretty good on the LCD-XC. I think classical is really where the LCD-XC shines more than anywhere else. The pianos sound wonderful and the bass instruments come across clearly and the detail here is very good. These are literally the full-size closed-back version of the Letshuoer EJ07 that I reviewed yesterday. It’s a bit surprising to hear very similar sound in both considering the size difference, though the LCD obviously has a bigger soundstage and better imaging.

Highs (10/20):

To test sibilance on headphones I use Panic! At The Disco’s “High Hopes. Sharper “S” sibilance is apparent if you listen for it in this song. The song itself is pretty rough also and comes across as sharp overall. I’ve never had the intro trumpets sound sharp before on headphones, so that’s new, and not great. The LCD-XC is better than quite a few headphones on the sibilance test, but worse than some as well, slightly above average here.

The first highs test song I’ll be using is Dream Theater’s “The Alien,” which I use to test and see if the cymbals/high-hats/snare can be clearly heard and distinguished from the rest of the music. Nope. I can hardly tell there are any cymbals or high-hats in this song at all – at least in the intro, it gets better during the guitar solo. Well below average. At least the guitar solo sounds good and the bass drums are decent.

Michelle McLaughlin’s “Across The Burren” is another of my favorite highs/sharpness test songs as it can easily sound painful on some headphones. The piano presentation is solid and definitely above average with no real sharpness on the high notes or the lower chords. This makes sense with how muted the treble is on these headphones. If you hate bass and treble, these will be good closed-backs for you in this price range.

Soundstage/Instrument Separation/Imaging (7/10):

I use MGMT’s “Time to Pretend” to test soundstage, instrument separation, and imaging. The soundstage, instrument separation, and imaging are all pretty decent here. That said, the synths in the intro at 0:18 are ROUGH – I had to immediately turn it down. These are some of the most confusing headphones I’ve ever listened to and the LCD-X is far more to my taste than the closed-back version as I don’t have any of the complaints that I do here with the weird sharpness throughout my entire test playlist.

Comparisons:

The only comparisons that matter besides multiple better-sounding cheaper IEMs (Final A5000, Truthear HEXA) are the JM Audio XTC-C, and to some extent the Focal Celestee. They’re the only closed-back full-size headphones even close to the price of the LCD-XC that I’ve heard. I’d take both of them over the LCD-XC. Now, both of those are significantly bassier headphones, so if you hate bass, don’t even consider them. The LCD-XC is the closest I’ve heard to studio tuning with very light bass. All three have good detail and decent soundstage considering they’re closed-backs. The XTC-C is the lightest followed closely by the Celestee – the build quality is the worst on the XTC-C though as it’s a small boutique company. The build quality is the best on the Celestee, followed closely by the Celestee. I’d rank all three by sound quality with the XTC-C as #1, followed by the Celestee, and #3 are the LCD-XC. At least the LCD-XC sounds decent with The Strokes and Franz Ferdinand. BTW, I'll take the LCD-X over these also - though balanced cables narrow the gap.



Conclusion:

I’m confused by the LCD-XC since I’ve seen really good reviews of these. I don’t like them a ton, though a balanced connection makes them far better – I still have IEMs under $300 and under $100 I’d prefer over these. Sure, the soundstage/imaging isn’t as good on the IEMs, but the overall sound is better and more well-rounded. That said, I don’t know of very many cheaper full-size closed-back that you can get that will sound better than this. So, if you want the Audeze build quality, brand name, and carbon fiber cups over the JM Audio XTC-C, and you hate bass while needing a closed-back, then these are the headphones for you. Otherwise, get the XTC-C (better sound) or Celestee (better looks/build quality.) Please get a balanced cable though, I cannot stress enough how much this changes the sound quality – also a laid-back, warmer DAC/AMP will help as well.

The Audeze LCD-XC is now available in a new 2021 version. Here Audeze has made some improvements. Not only the drivers and the tuning has been refined, but also the weight has been significantly reduced. To further improve the comfort, the pads have also been further developed. It is interesting how all these improvements are ultimately reflected in the sound as well as the comfort. I used an LCD-XC Bubinga from 2014 as a comparison, which was available to me for comparison purposes. In recent years, I have also owned a 2016 LCD-XC Bubinga, whose driver Audeze has slightly improved over the original 2014 model. However, the differences between these two models are very slight and not immediately audible in a direct comparison as between the original model and the current 2021. The bass range of the 2016 model seems minimally tighter than the original 2014 model, but the rest is nearly identical.



The Audeze LCD-XC is available in the Creators Package (like mine here) and the Premium Package. The Premium Package includes the well-known Pelican Travelcase and a 4 pin XLR and 6.35mm connection cable. Whereas the Creators Package contains only a simple travelcase and a 6.35mm cable.





When I first unpacked it, I was surprised by the Travelcase. It doesn't quite have the rugged look of a Pelican travel case, but it does the job. Inside it is sufficiently padded and thus it can be used without problems also for the transport of the LCD-XC.

When you first put it on, you immediately feel the noticeably lower weight of the 2021 model compared to the 2014 Bubinga model. The contact pressure is lower, the cushions softer, the pressure of the carbon headband compared to the leather one, so that in the end it has become a much more comfortable headphone for me. Whereas with the Bubinga, I find the contact pressure not so nice after just one album, with the 2021 I can listen to two or three albums at a time without having to put the headphones down.

Now we come to the most important thing - the sound. And here a lot has changed. It is no longer a matter of nuances, but the tuning differs significantly between the original model and the current 2021. While the Bubinga sounds warmer, smoother, more unobtrusive, you might think that the 2021 is not an Audeze. The 2021 is clearly more neutrally tuned. The target group of recording studios and people who want an unadulterated sound reproduction are in my opinion much better served with the 2021 model than with the Bubinga.

I have heard the two XCs once on my stationary chain consisting of V850 and Niimbus US4. Due to the high sensitivity of 100 dB/1mW and low impedance of 20 ohms, the XC can be used with any portable DAP without any problems. I listen to it portable via 4.4mm cable on my Shanling M8 on low gain. More power is not necessary!

In the bass range, the Bubinga sounds fuller with a little more focus on the midbass range. The 2021 is more neutral here with a more balanced presentation of the entire bass range. Bass instruments sound more audible and snappier. In general, the transient response of the 2021 is snappier because it doesn't thicken up in the lower frequency range. I also have the feeling that the driver has been technically improved here in terms of transient response.

The upper midrange on the Bubinga is not as pronounced as on the 2021, which is more honest here with more level and thus more detail reproduction. The Bubinga is warmer here and forms a very smooth sound carpet, which is known from other Audeze models such as the LCD-2 or LCD-3. Voices don't seem as direct and obtrusive as with the 2021 model as a result. Poorer recordings are reproduced a bit nicer with the Bubinga, but the 2021 scales higher on better recordings.

The treble range is greatly improved for me over the Bubinga, which swallows up some detail in direct comparisons. The 2021 manages to reveal these details without sounding too peaky or intrusive. Fabulous!

In terms of soundstage, both are almost on par. However, the instrument separation of the 2021 is more precise, sound events can be located even better. For a closed headphone, the overall size of the stage is above average. A Focal Stellia draws a significantly smaller stage in comparison.

The LCD-XC scales with the sources and amplifiers. Not as strong as it is, for example, the case with a Susvara but still clearly audible. Unlike a Susvara, however, it can be driven by any DAP without any problems. The Shanling M8 fits the 2021 like a glove with its smooth, warm tuning. I don't like the Bubinga as much with the M8. On a Niimbus US4, the 2021 illuminates even more details in a direct comparison and seems more lively. But I would say that on the M8 it brings over that certain something and I also enjoy this chain very much and do not necessarily feel worse, rather different.





In conclusion, from my point of view, Audeze has optimized and improved an already very good closed headphones more and more. Especially successful I find how they could save so much weight compared to the 2014 Bubinga. For future LCD models, I wish that one possibly saves even more weight in this area through a different design, so that the LCD models remain a companion on the head for hours in the future.

The LCD-XC 2014 Bubinga for comparison:

: REVISED

This review made possible by the folks at : Hi-Fi Heaven

Audeze LCD-XC - Mini Review

Gear Used :

Marantz CD-1
RME ADI-2 FS
Oppo BDP SE-93
FiiO BTr5

Music :

Sierra Hull : "25 Trips"
Jana Kramer : "I wont give up on You"
Sade : "The Sweetest Taboo"
Sade : "No Ordinary Lover"
Bryan Bennett : "Voyage"
Aleah Stanbridge : " Sinking Ships"
Ilya Toshinskiy : "Train Station"
Sarah Jarosz : "House of Mercy"
Kacey Musgraves : "Slow Burn"
Limperatrice : "Error 404"
Limperatrice : "Parfum Theremine"
Keane : "Thread"
Katie Melua : A Love Like That"
Vulfpeck : "Love is a Beautiful Thing"

Impressions :

At first blush, you are swept away into the world of world-class ultra detailed high resolution sound Q.
Amazing Resolution.
Quite possibly the most detailed sound, the most resolved sound, you can buy for $4000.00 + USD, and these cost less then $1300 shipped.
Simply stunning detail retrieval.
Its so immaculate that you will at first be listening to all the new newly revealed aspects found in your music that you didnt know were there before you listened to the XC's.
You'll need to lower the volume early on as this is one of those sets of headphones whose sound offers such insightful clarity, you'll be playing it too loud, at first.

These are Headphones which provided deep insight, vivid details, and astounding clarity.
They present the music as analytical and present and clear.

Listening to this set of Audiophile Headphones is to be delivered all the music, right down to the core, right down to the last nano-fibre of its being.
Every atom of tone, sound, and feel, is retrieved and delivered with a sense of pristine clarity.
The XC gives the detail seeker = full sonic extraction.
And the best part, is that the XC's deliver it with musicality that allows the listening experience to be much more then just an analytical point of view..

Specs.:

Mine are the Black Carbon version.

Box : Its a box, no frills = white cardboard functional generic.

Comfort : Pads are comfy, Cans are weighty, similar to Heddphones.

Build Quality : Graceful and practical and substantial.

Cable : Its good.

Treble :

This headphone's sound is slightly bright and slightly clinical. So, expect Treble detail that presents this quality.
You'll hear supreme clarity regarding the Treble frequency, no matter where you listen.
Some reviewers are seemingly stunned by such detail accuracy combined with a slightly bright & clinical sound presentation, so they perceive it as really bright , but the XC's Treble is engineered to work synergistically with the mids and the low end.
Now, typical of a headphone that is designed first and foremost to offer precision analytics, the XC's are not designed to offer super abundant low mids, and this perfectly reduces any appearance of a too warm tone.


Mids :

You can see for miles inside the music.
Mids are pristine, and reside slightly on the clinical side, and are not recessed.
When you listen to an acoustic guitar, you can hear the guitar pick.
Snares are perfect, Vocals are lifelike.
When you listen to a Flute, you can hear the Artist shift their lips to blow.
When you listen to a movie soundtrack, you are watching it from inside the orchestra's soundstage..

Lower Mids :

Controlled. Very organized. Never ever dominate.

Bass :

Its carefully designed to be impactful without robbing the midrange of its purity and precise detail. The XC's Bass is musical and solid and extended and very very good.

Soundstage :

Its effortless and honest and immersive.. The sense of soundstage depth the Closed XC is able to convey regarding a live concert, for example a Rock Concert or a large Orchestra playing Classical Music, is very impressive.

Instrument Separation :

The XC perfectly shows you all the parts of the musical puzzle perfectly positioned.

Resolution + Detail Retrieval :

This is why the XC's exist.
You get $4000 USD worth of amazing sonic analytics, for about $1300 shipped.

Timbre :

Sonic Precision, and the absolute total opposite of dry sound.
These amazing headphones are not designed to offer thick warm fuzzy relaxed sound..
The XC's are highly accurate headphones that are all about hearning details.
They are tonally balanced, not lacking warmth or smoothness, and their overall presentation of sound is their ability to show contrast and analytical dazzle.

Audeze created a surperb analytical experience inside these 2 beautiful Carbon Cups.
I recently purchased and reviewed the Hifiman Arya, and those offer excellent detail retrieval, however, as compared to the XC's , they can't match the Audeze.

Few Headphones can match the XC's ability to pull back the veil and show you the precise inner depths of the music you love with both elegant finesse and visceral impact.

-

Flagship, a term that is synonymous with the best of the best. A title that's given to a person, product or establishment that surpasses the norm. An rightly so, when you hear the term flagship you expect perfection, or close to it.


After many years in this hobby, the summer of 2017 was the time I decided to pick up a flagship. I sold my collection of modified mid-range closed backs as I found my self listening only to my open back, and really being unsatisfied when I needed to listen to something that had isolation and didn't leak sound like an Open back does. The question was what? What would I pick up, what headphone would surpass my balanced little trio? Seeing as I enjoyed both Dynamic and Planar-magnetic headphones and I wanted something with a wood housing I decided to listen to both the LCD XC and the ZMF Eikon.


Though, enjoyment and pleasure aside, for me a flagship is defined by it's fidelity It's ability to render music as close to "reality" as possible. In most cases the technicalities or the resolve and imaging of a headphone is what we perceive as an improvement in fidelity. Assuming that the frequency response fits our definition of balanced. An at the time, the Eikon was the newest addition to the ZMF family, it featured their own in house Dynamic Driver and took the helm as ZMF Headphone's ultra-detailed full package offering. While many of their customers are split between which they enjoy more, the Eikon is the more technically impressive headphone. An for me technicalities are what define a flagship. For Audeze Headphones the LCD XC is to date still their top of the line closed-back planar magnetic.





I was able to demo the LCD XC through the kindness of a friend, and the ZMF Eikon as a loaner from ZMF Headphones. I'll be focusing mostly on the LCD XC to start, and ending with how I feel it compared to the Eikon.


Build

The LCD XC is well built, I love the metal gimbals and choice of leather on the headband. There's no noise or creaking as I placed it on and off my head. The large plush leather ear pads were breathable and comfy. My only gripe was with the metal adjustment sliders and their plastic enclosure, while they worked quite well they where a bit stiff to move.





Though my favorite feature of the Audeze LCD XC's build are it's dual XLR headphone connectors and those beautiful wood cups! For functionality, LCD's dual mini 4pin XLR output has always impressed me. Even before owning an Audeze headphone, I took the plunge and had a few of my own headphones modified with the same connectors. As such, I still applaud Audeze for how cleanly they implement the cable connection style I associate with them! I love that the receptors exhibit exceptionally clean design elements.






An as much as I appreciate their attention to detail in functional terms, the wood cups themselves are just as impressive. The shimmer on the finish alone really caught my eye!






Unmatched in their shine, these cups are stunning to look at. Almost like wood mirrors! Though with all this wood, leather and metal some have complained about excessive weight. For better or worse, I had no problems with physical fatigue in my neck or shoulders when I listened. Though I do keep my listening sessions to no more than 2 & 1/2 hours at a time.

Function
Thankfully the LCD XC is rated at 100 db/1mW efficiency with an impedance of only 20 ohms, this makes the LCD XC an incrediably easy to drive headphone! While Audeze recommends between 1-4w of power for them, I found it to perform quite well with a little less. Of course while I enjoyed their sound from my more modest amps, it did perform best in my system from my Garage 1217 Project Ember II an amp with a 2W output. Though, the numbers aren't nearly as important as the design and build of the amp it self.


Non the less, their high efficiency allowed me to listen from a variety of sources. Even my little LG V20 was able to drive them sufficiently, not only loud enough but also with an acceptable quality of sound. Still, these cans prove transparent enough to merit a cleaner more resolving source.

The following songs are what I listen to for every review, and beneath is a brief article on how I describe sound what I like about these particular pieces of music!



Also if your unfamiliar with my reviews, here is a link to the songs I listen to when I'm auditioning and reviewing headphones!


Sound
As for the sound, I found the LCD XC to be airy, quick, dynamic and often tactile in the mid range and up. There is a lot of power in the lows with a pleasent upper mid bass warmth and body from the resonance of the wood cups. I would say the XC is overall more energetic, crisp, and lively than it is dark, wet, and mellow.


It offered both excellent isolation and resolve, especially in the central and upper mid range an above! Horns, guitars, trumpet's and piano's were presented with clarity and impact, there was an excellent tactile nature to the presentation. The feeling of each note as the intensity and pitch changed. High hats and percussion drums were sharp and articulate. How ever the LCD XC's envelope focused more on the attack and sustain of a note rather than it's decay and release. This emphasis sometimes left me a little fatigued over longer listening sessions especially when paired with a colder or drier sounding DAC.


Bass

I've always been impressed with how well Planar Magnetic headphones present low frequencies, and the LCD XC is no exception! While it wasn't as fast and taut as other open back planar's in my collection the sheer sense of power and naturalness was breathtaking! Big timpani drums had a beautiful presentation with an almost perfect envelope! Tons of power on the attack, and just enough decay and resolve in the release.


Midrange

For the LCD XC, clarity takes center stage. It's presentation of the mid range has a distinctly aggressive envelope. The leading edge of a sound presents itself with authority while the decay and sustain present themselves effortlessly. My only gripe with the LCD XC was that it lacked some resolve at the quietest levels of sound, namely the release of instruments often lacked vibrato and dissipated unnaturally fast. Often times the LCD XC timbre was rough and tended to be colder than warm. Though, Audeze feels this allows the headphone to be more "transparent" or revealing of faults in both the mix/master or playback chain your listening to. On one hand this presentation lends itself to be extremely resolving of vocals though on the other hand it can also cast on haze on the resolve of larger heavier resonate instruments. Guitars, cellos, double basses, large drums and the most powerful of male vocalists seemed to lack a naturalness to them. While, lighter vocalists and instruments are presented with an excellent sense of articulation.



Highs

Much like the mid range, the top end is characterized with a sincere focus on presence, starting from the upper end of the mid range onward both percussion and stringed instruments have a precise an immediate snap to their tactile interactions with the musician. The plucking of strings, fret noise, breaths taken, lips moistened and the hit of a drum stick. Details like these are presented with focus and vigor! High hats shimmer and crash, the snare drum assaults the listener with an incredible sense of both dynamics and weight. The twang in a folk singers voice pair nicely with each breath taken by musicians and vocalists alike. While this heightened attention to the musician can be nice, It can at times overshadow transients and micro detail within the lower and central mid-range.


Imaging and Resolve

Wider than it is deep, the LCD XC offers the listener an escape into a spacious sound stage. As for the resolve, again there is a touch of emphasis to ambient noise or macro detail. The musicians, the room, and some times unbeknownst passers by get just as much attention as the instruments and the music it self. While micro detail isn't lacking, it's sometimes over shadowed. Audeze claims that the LCD XC offers the ultimate and transparency, and to that end I feel they've achieved that goal.


Though, some of what I perceive as faults may not lie entirely with the LCD XC it self but rather my choice of Digital Audio Converter. Audeze claim's the LCD XC will reveal "everything." With it's "nimble, neutral and transparent" sound. My own audio system is based around an ESS Sabre 9018 fully balanced DAC. A piece of equipment that is also characterized by it's transparency, nimbleness and neutrality. Though what I found through my years is that the ESS Sabre series offers a real focus on clarity, or macro detail and articulate imaging at the expense of naturalness. Where as more Natural Sounding chip-sets like the PCM series from Texas Instruments offer better micro detail alongside a more cohesive image at the expense of some top to bottom articulation and resolve of ambient noise.


So what happens if I source the LCD XC with a more natural sounding Dac?


Synergy

Or a lack there of may be why I wasn't a fan of the LCD XC when paired with my NFB10ES2.


The majority of my impressions where from my home DAC, but I did have the chance to listen to the LCD XC paired with a Hugo 2. Additionally for amplification I tested the XC with the amp stage in my NFB10ES2 alongside a iFi Audio Micro iCan SE and my Garage 1217 Project Ember II.






Touting a high efficiency driver, the LCD XC really paired beautifully with the Hugo 2. The DAC/Amp from Hugo served as a very natural sounding source. While it did not lack clarity, it also didn't demphasize or over emphasize clarity. The presentation of time from the Hugo 2 is very natural, that said it paired very well with the nimble, dynamic and speedy LCD XC. The harsher, thinner, an often edgy sound the LCD XC has in it's central mid-range and upwards was not present in this pairing. Additionally, the Hugo 2 did prove to have all the characteristics of a more natural sounding Digital Audio Converter, it's lack of width and exceptional depth pair amazingly well with the LCD XC's wide but often shallow imaging. Like wise, the LCD XCs emphasis on macro detail is complimented by the Hugo 2s more micro detail focused presentation. These two proved to have almost perfect synergy! The strengths of the one complimenting the shortcomings of the other.





iFi Audio's iCan Micro SE proved to be yet another excellent partner for the LCD XC. It too helped to soften the often harsh mid range of the LCD XC. Additionally I found that the ASP sound circuits did make some improvements to the already spacious presentation of the LCD XC, especially if the track it self suffered from a very flat recording. Though pairing the LCD XC with both the Hugo 2 and iFi Audio iCan Micro SE did prove to emphasize to much of the mid-range for my tastes. I enjoyed the iCan SE the most with a colder less natural sounding dac, especially one presents it self quicker than reality. As opposed to the very real sound of the Hugo 2. So using the warmer more natural sounding iCan Micro SE with the ASP Circuit set to it's lowest level with my own NFB10ES2 proved to be yet another impressive pairing, despite the slight lack of resolve compared to the Hugo 2!





I also enjoyed the sound of my HM901 with the Vintage Filter engaged feeding the LCD XC with my HeadAmp Pico Power. The vintage filter of the HM901 introduces a rather sharp roll off up top, which helped to lessen the LCD XCs over aggressive nature. Resulting in a little more emphasis in the central mid range and a more balanced sound overall!Though not quite as natural as the Hugo 2 in some cases, I also found the HM901 an Pico Power combo to present a more accurate sense of vertical movement as well as a tauter more refined low end than either the Hugo 2 or the NFB10ES2.


Overall, I find portable applications to be where the LCD XC impresses me the most! It's high efficiency makes it easier to pair with often less powerful portable players and amps. The light airy mid range and crisp top end pair nicely with a taut full bodied and very solid low end. Additionally the LCD XC own aggressive nature favors pairing with more natural sounding and organic DAC's and amplifiers. Both my own HM901 with it's Vintage filter and the Hugo 2 served as excellent Digital Audio Converters to pair the LCD XC with. The HM901 offered an even more articular and exciting presentation over the Hugo 2, with Chord's portable all in one DAC/Amp offering an ultimately more resolving presentation with an exceptionally balanced tonal presentation traits that I enjoyed more than the HM901s excitement and articulation.


For better or worse owners of DACs built around the ESS Sabre or AKM chip-sets may not experience the best pairing with the LCD XC, of course implementation means more than the chip it self. As my own HM 901 is itself a dual ESS Sabre 9018 design, but it's use of digital filters helps to create a better experience. Your choice of amp can also create a more pleasant pairing!




Now it's excellent portable performance aside, I did find the LCD XC ultimately lacking at home in my reference system. I personally own and live with an Audio GD NFB10ES2 which features a fully balanced ESS Sabre 9018 implementation without the addition of any optional digital filters.


The ZMF Eikon is tonally quite the contrast to the LCD XC, though at the end of the day while I feel the Eikon pair'd better with my own personal system I did include the Hugo 2 into my comparisons. In an effort to remove "synergy " from the equation the following comparisons will focus on how each headphone paired with the Hugo 2 in addition to my own NFB10ES2 both using their internal amplifiers and one of my own personal units.


Overall the Eikon presents music with a phenomenally natural, organic, nuanced, spacious and airy sound signiture. While it's not nearly as wide as the LCD XC it proves it self deeper and often more precise and at no time did any particular frequency range stand out at me. The entire presentation from top to bottom is simply balanced! While there is a bit of emphasis on the lowest bass notes, it was at no point obtrusive or even apparent.


That said, the Hugo 2 powering the ZMF Eikon directly was an incredibly lack luster experience. The Eikon benefits strongly from having an amplifier with a higher Z output. So to compensate for a lack of synergy I choose my Project Ember II hybrid tube as the external amp for both the Hugo 2 and NFB10ES2 as DACs. I did use different output Z settings for each headphone, with .1 Ohms for the LCD XC and 35 Ohms for the ZMF Eikon.


I'll also be touching on how each sounded with the Hugo 2 as a portable all in one DAC/Amp and the sound with my HM901-Pico Power portable combo!




Bass

Low frequencies are where the LCD XC proves it's self the most! I found it to be consistently heavier, tauter and more textured over the Eikon. Tracks featuring both kick drums, large tom tom drums and synth bass were always clearer and better defined in the lows from the LCD XC. This isn't to say the Eikon sounds, bloated and muffled, but rather out of both DACs the LCD XC maintained a noticeable cleaner, faster more resolved presentation. Additionally, the LCD XC saw little degradation in it's low frequencies when switching between the internal amp of both the Hugo 2, NFB10ES2 and out of my Ember II. The Hugo 2 having the softest presentation, and the NFB10ES2 the hardest.


How ever, with instruments that feature both low frequencies and those in the upper mid bass and low mids, the Eikon takes a clear lead. Bass guitars, cello's, Upright basses, Tuba's and other very large deep wood winds and stringed instruments find a more natural and resolved presentation from the Eikon as the transition from lows to the mid range is smoother and more nuanced. The ideal pairing for the Eikon how ever was with the Ember II as it's amp. Where as the NFB10ES2 helped to add some tautness to the low end of the Eikon, with the Hugo 2 only softening the lows marginally while also further increasing the resolve and texture of the low end as a whole. Using the lower Z output of the NFB10ES2 and the Hugo 2 to drive the Eikon introduces a noticeable degradation to the quality of the low end as a whole.


The LCD XC on the other hand has a slightly rougher some what obvious transition from the lows into the mid range, the lack of decay in the lows translates into an insanely visceral experience with percussion. But that same insane power and super fast decay often rob non-percussive instruments of detail. Giving an almost lifeless sound in some cases, the result of the attack and impact of those frequencies over shadowing the transients.

The NFB 10ES2 exaggerated this fault of the LCD XC and the Hugo 2 minimized it.


At the end of the day, with the Hugo 2 the LCD XC was the most enjoyable, for both it's resolve and sheer power and impact in the lows! The Hugo 2 really helped to add some resolve and texture into the LCD XC, especially as it transitioned from the upper mid bass frequencies into the low midrange! Additionally, adding the Ember II as the primary amp for the LCD XC with the Hugo 2 as source, did bring some small improvements to overall tautness and tonal balance but was some times still a bit over powering compared to using the Hugo 2s own internal amp.


Mid-Range

This is where I felt the ZMF Eikon starts it's slow but undeniable departure from the LCD XC... with the LCD XC falling behind rather drastically in comparison.


While the Hugo 2 minimized it, when compared to the ZMF Eikon the LCD XC can only be described as harsh, edgy and over aggressive. There is a clear lack of transient resolve within the low to central mid range on the LCD XC. With the upper mid-range being a 50/50 toss up with regards to resolve. Guitars, vocals, flutes, brass horns, violins, wood winds, pianos and even big bells all found a consistently more natural and more resolved presentation from the ZMF Eikon. Neither lacking attack nor over emphasizing the decay, the ZMF Eikon owns the mid range. When switching from the Eikon to the LCD XC, the sound from the XC just attacks your face... and while that's kinda interesting the lack of resolve combined with that over emphasized attack is ultimately unpleasant.



Now with portable playback and amplification the LCD XCs faults are some what minimized. The resolve doesn't improve but some of my weaker portable amps do soften sound as a whole enough to make it more pleasurable. In fact the Hugo 2's own internal amp proved most impressive with the LCD XC especially in the mid range.



Pairing the NFB10ES2 though was almost always less desirable, it literally had NO clear advantage or improvements relating to mid range presentation over the Hugo 2. Getting back to this idea of portability, the ZMF Eikon again performs poorly with both the internal amp of the Hugo 2 and my own HM901/Pico Power combo. It's naturalness turns into a bizarre mix of excessively dry soft warmth. Which is as equally unpleasant at the LCD XC's harshness with the Hugo 2 and Ember II.


At home the Eikon owned the mid-range especially when pair'd with my Ember II, but on the go I found the LCD XC to be the better option.


Highs

Again, the XC's over-emphasis up top can often detract from the music your listening to. On one hand this extra clarity does boost the resolve of ambient noise, but often at the cost of transients relating to instruments in the lower, upper and central mid range. All in all, while the Hugo 2 helped to alleviate some of the excessive aggression up top, the ZMF Eikon proved to be equally resolving and more tonally balanced with both the NFB10ES2 and Hugo 2 as a source.


The LCD XC had no real benefits here either, however the Eikons top end tends to be under whelming out of low Z outputs so for portable use both have their faults.


Imaging and Resolve

Once again, I find my self impressed with the LCD XC and Hugo 2 on the go. At home, the XC proves to be wider than the Eikon but not as well defined nor precise. With the Eikon providing more accurate and tangible direction cues and transient resolve. At home from both the Hugo 2 and NFB 10ES2 as my source and the Ember II as my amp the Eikon proves it self superior.


Additionally the LCD XC saw some improvements to resolve with the Ember II serving as it's Amp, especially when paired with the Hugo 2 as it's source.


On the go, the resolve of the Eikon takes a bit of a hit when amped from my portable gear. Thus with both my HM901 -> Pico Power and the Hugo 2 in tow, I enjoyed the LCD XC more than I did the Eikon.








Closing Thoughts
In conclusion, I find it difficult to justify recommending the LCD XC as an at home flagship. Compared to only a single dynamic headphone in the price range it fell short on both resolve and overall tonal balance. Ideally each of the different flagships that exist should have a different presentation but equal technical merits. A good example of this is the Audeze LCD 2 Pre Fazor and the the ZMF Eikon. Sadly I didn't have my LCD 2 Pre Fazor at while I had the LCD XC on demo, but what I found is that the two share a similar sound signature with rather complimentary presentations. Neither is better than the other but simply different! How ever in an at home set up I see no place for the LCD XC, I just find it too underwhelming especially given the price. I hope to explore better options for a brighter more energetic closed back. How ever at this time, if your primary listening at home I cannot recommend the XC as a "transparent" energetic closed back flag ship.

I will note, I did have an upgraded WyWires Red Cable to use and I do not have any idea what revision I listened to.

Again though I was continually impressed with the performance of the LCD XC when paired with my own portable gear! It's high efficiency and low resistance driver make it an very easy headphone to drive, not at all picky about output resistance like the Eikon. Rather, the LCD XC conveniently provides excellent technicalities, good resolve and a fairly balanced though aggressive sound on the go. Again if you already own a portable DAC/Amp from the likes of Chord or one of Hifiman's Digital Audio Players or any portable gear that characterizes it self with a warm organic sound, you'll find the LCD XC an excellent match for listening away from home!

Hello Beautiful People
 
Lets get started
 
Disclaimer : All these are based on my personal opinion with my rig and could differ from others. As always I'm open to suggestions and critics, thank you
 
History
I have mostly been a passive headfier but recently I jumped into the game when I first got the HD600s and Marantz HD DAC1. I was very much impressed (still do) with the HD 600s and how well they sounded in the overall FR. Just like the other headfiers here my search didn't end and only the curiousity increased in other highend headphones and how do they perform. So my next step was a HD800. Which was a brilliant step up (very slight step down in mids) in almost everything when compared to HD600s, which led me to sell my HD 600s . And again I wanted to try the Beyers since I have always been using Sennheisers. Unfortunately the Beyers were too airy and had a hot treble which I quite didnt like. Returned them and was only having my HD800s and was quite satisfied except for the treple spike. I came along the Superdupont mod on the HD800s and luckily worked well for me. My curiosity raised again and wanted to try the planar magnetic headphones and was eyeing on the LCD 2. But I read reviews about the LCD XC and how well they sounded and also it was a good idea to get a closed back. Sorry for the long history though
 
Audeze LCD XC
So, I very recently bought the LCD XC. I will keep the review short on the build and comfort and focus more on the sound quality. Also please note I have never used/tried a tube amp, I always use a single ended 1/4 inch jack and have only one DAC/AMP the HD DAC1. I listen to heavy metal and so some alternative metal/rock mostly lossless and some Spotify premium songs.
 
Design 
Pros : One word, Beautiful. Retro looking, polished wooden earcups, the leather earpads, very minimalistic design, quite huge for my head but I dont plan on using it outside. The carry case is perfect for transport and storage.
Cons : I didnt quite like the headband, it is too thin. I covered it with a headband cushion and now it is fine but still could be better.
 
Comfort
Pros : The earcups are very huge and they are soo big and have atleast an inch of depth inside so your ear will never touch the fazor. 
Cons : Just like every other reviewer said, it is toooooo heavy. Around 650gms and with the very thin headband the whole headphone weighs on your head and also some parts of your upper ears can actually hurt after maybe just 20 mins. I also find that the bottom part of the ear cups dont close well around the ears at the bottom part. Maybe I will get used to it but not yet.
 
Sound Quality : Comes the best part, with happy ending
Lows : Probably the best bass I have ever heard in any device that produces music. Very tight, accurate, not boomy, good decay, never overpowering, doesn't indulge into the mids, rolls off exactly at the lower mids which I was always looking for, extends very low, sounds great for all genres, ok thats a lot
 
Lows compared to HD800 - HD800 has a very good bass too, but never extends as low/deep or powerful as the XCs. Maybe the lows on XCs sound better since they are closed back? or they are planars? Lets say the bass of XCs are 100% then HD800s bass would be 85% as good.
 
Mids : Amazing mids, full sounding, never thin, has a soul, sounds musical, vocals sound so nice. Overall presentation of the music is so "into" you and a step inside your brain. The mids isn't as great as the HD600s but the perfect balance of the lows and mids make it feel full sounding with a musical note to it. 
 
Mids compared to HD600 - The acoustic guitars sounds amazing and so open on the HD600s. So keep them as the baseline, I would say the HD800s sound 95% good as the HD600s and the LCD XCs sound 98% as good as HD600s.
 
Treble : Also amazing, I could just write one sentence saying these headphones are *almost* perfect in the overall presentation and FR. The highs are never sharp, don't have any spikes, never harsh but well extended. The cymbals don't sound splashy and maybe this could be a let down for the beyer fans. But don't get me wrong, these have a very well extended, smooth treble.
 
Treble compared to HD800s - They are not too sparky as the stock HD800s (which I found to be tamed after superdupont mod). 
 
Soundstage : Ya, very *open* for a closed headphone.
 
Soundstage compared to HD800s - To be honest, I could never picture myself in center of a concert like many others tell you. I just find the sound coming not just from the sides of your ears but around your head, maybe it's the same. It is proven that the HD800s have the best soundstage and spatial imaging, so contest here.
 
Amping - Ok, so they say it is 20ohms and usable for portable devices. When I first got my headphones I plugged into the HD DAC1 and set the gain to low and was like meh, its alright. Then I read the specifications and it said optimal power requirement 1 to 4 W in Audeze website. So I turned the gain to high, as same as the HD800s and guess what theres a dramatic change in the sound. These cans really need to be amped to get their full potential ( maybe they are even better on a XLR cable?, unforturnately I cant try them now ).
 
Conclusion : These are the best closed headphones you can buy, Period. The only thing that makes you put down these headphones are the weight and when you have to use the toilet.
 
Please leave some feedback/questions on my review if you have any or If I have missed something. I would be more than happy to answer/help you all.

I have recently switched from using speakers to a headphone only set up thus I was looking to upgrade from my old Denon D2000. I needed a closed headphone so as to minimise sound leakage both in and out, I want to listen to my music without impacting on others. I set up a listening session with Hi Fi Lounge who have an extensive set of headphones on demo. Having spent some time reading various reviews I had the Audeze LCD-XC and Fostex TH-900 on my short list. Paul at Hi Fi Lounge also suggested Ultrasone as well.
 
I took my Benchmark DAC1 HDR and Mac Book Air along with me as this is what I will be using the headphones with and I wanted to make sure it could drive them OK. After an hour or so of listening I found I kept going back to the LCD-XC over the other headphones including the OPPO PM-1, thrown in to mix things up a bit.
 
So what made me purchase the LCD-XC over the others I tested? I found them the most life like with the richness of the sound they produce. For example with the Torri Amos track "Yes Anastasia" you can head not only the note but the harmonics of the note, you can tell it's a real piano, a Bosendorfer Grand. With the other headphones it sounded more like a little upright, smaller and thinner sounding. However there is a price to pay for this richness of tone, the LCD-XC can get a little left behind on fast drumming in rock music the Blue Man Group track "I Feel Love" gets a little muddled. For me this trade off is well worth it.
 
Having owned the LCD-XC for a few weeks now and enjoyed many hours of listening I can confirm they are very comfortable when reclined in your favourite chair. They are on the heavy side and not so suited to listening on the move or working at your desk. So just pour yourself a glass of red, pick your favourite album, sit back, relax and enjoy the music.

I have an odd history with these headphones, which I'll explain in detail so no one is misled by my rating. If after reading it, you think the rating is unfair please let me know in a comment.
 
My first headphones were in the sub $500 range, and I have always wanted to own one "best" headphone so that I could stop wondering if my music could sound better. I went around my city investigating options. In doing so, I listened to the LCD XC at a store where they sounded amazing. Great bass, mids and treble. I was really impressed. However, that store didn't have inventory. After that experience, I wrote an earlier review on head-fi giving these five stars, which people didn’t like because it was based on only five minutes of use (see comments below) and so I took that review down.
 
I spent the next week debating whether I should buy them. Eventually I saw them new at another retailer and pulled the trigger. I took them home and they were ultimately good, clearly better than anything in the sub-$500 range that I used to listen to.
 
Now here's the first disclosure. I primarily listen to all of my headphones from my portable MP3 player and my laptop. I used the MP3 player when trying the LCD XCs at the first store and these two items are what I use 99% of the time. I have a large receiver with a 300 ohm high powered headphone jack, but I don't notice enough of a difference in the quality of the music to use that instead of my portable items. Please keep in mind that Audeze's website claims the headphones are easy to drive, they have low impedance, and I confirmed in speaking to their tech support that they were designed to be driven by things like Ipods (although that person also said they will sound a little better if powered by a high-end amp/dac). So if this kills the credibility of my review then stop here and move onto a more helpful review, but I'll go on for others who might be interested in what happened next.
 
I still had a nagging feeling that there was a better headphone out there. I noticed that Sennheiser had a no questions asked 30 day money back guaranty on the HD800s – and I decided to order them, planning to return them if I didn’t like them. Long story short, after four days with the HD800 and the LDC XC, it became clear that based on my personal tastes, I would never use the XC if the HD800s were available. That's why I deducted 1/2 star from the LCD XC. If a headphone isn't the best in its price range, it can't get five stars. That being said, there is no way I would give this less than 4 1/2 stars on sound, and it is entirely possible that based on your tastes you would prefer this over the HD800. The LCD XC did magic with a few songs and performed excellently on all. It's like a Rolls Royce vs. Bentley thing. Both are excellent but you may have a preference. The fact that the HD800 is open back may also have made this an unfair comparison.
 
Now let me explain why I took another 1/2 star off. When I realized that I would never use the LCD XC, I went back and forth a bit over what to do, wondering if I could just leave them on the shelf as a decoration, ultimately deciding there was no point to keeping them. I planned to try the retailer, and if that didn't work, then I would sell them on Ebay. I called the retailer and asked if I could please return them, since I had only used them for a few days. He said he would only give me store credit. Then I tried the Audeze corporate headquarters to see if they could take them back. At first their manager said there is nothing she can do because it's the retailer's decision. I asked her why Audeze doesn't have Sennheiser's satisfaction guaranteed policy and she said that Audeze does have such a policy. She said if I had purchased from the Audeze website, then I could return them in 30 days with a 15% restocking fee. I then asked why it should be any different if I buy from an authorized retailer and she kindly agreed. She spoke with the retailer who matched the Audeze company policy. I gladly paid the 15% restocking fee (a total of about $300 due to tax). I'm very happy to pay only $300 to unload these because had I sold them on Ebay there would be a 10-15% Ebay/Paypal fee, I would have to ship them and I would have to deal with a potentially dishonest buyer. So thank you to Audeze for accommodating me.
 
But that leaves the question of why Audeze charges a 15% restocking fee if you don't like their headphone. On the one hand I can understand how it's designed to deter looky loos who buy stuff, try them out and return them. But then again, if you are operating in the $2,000 to $3,000 headphone space, that should be a cost of doing business. You should not charge this much for a headphone unless you are confident enough in your product that you will let people try them out for free, like Sennheiser does. For that reason, I felt these should lose half a star.
 
Finally, the reason why I tool another 1/2 star off. Those in the headphone community know that you can easily pick up a open-box Sennheiser HD800 (see Sennheiser's own website or Crutchfield), or Hifiman HE-6 (these are harder to find but you can get them from authorized retailers) for a huge (20-25% or so) discount. These have been fully inspected by the factory and come with a warranty. However, I have never seen such offers with Aude'ze headphones. Which raises the question of what Aude'ze does with all the headphones that are returned to them, and implies that they sell them as new. Now I want to be clear that I could not confirm this inference and so I may be completely wrong, and Aude'ze may not be selling returned headphones as new headphones. If anyone has an answer please post it in the comment. But from what I can see that seems to be the case.
 
One note about comfort. I'm not at all a super muscular, but my average neck is strong enough to easily support this for hours and hours of listening without any annoyance. They're clearly heavier than the HD800, which feel like a feather, but the extra weight really wasn't an issue with me.
 
Finally, on those beautiful looks. As you can see in the pictures this is a very attractive headphone. This could be the nicest looking headphone made today. In general, all of Audeze's headphones are these huge wooden monsters that look impressive (and do not underestimate how big this is, this is much bigger than your average over the ear headphones, which are already big). However, you should consider whether that's something you want because it will definitely bring attention to you if you wear these anywhere in public.
 
I hope this was helpful to readers.
 
Edit: I just discovered that I need to credit this headphone for its efficiency. I could get this to put out ear thumping bass, screeching (in a good way) treble and solid mids with my cell phone (a Note 2) and my laptop (a Realtek 269 DAC + 2.3 W amplifier). I didn't see much of a benefit by moving to my receiver's powerful jack. That's apparently a major engineering feat in a planar magnetic, that I did not appreciate, so adding 1/2 star.

Disclaimer -- Like many on this site I am super picky, but even more so when it comes to headphones.  Unlike audiophile speakers, I find there are very few headphones that I like.  Although I have Magico S5 speakers driven by a Constellation Centaur amp (or Air Tight ATM-2 tube amp), there are many speakers I have owned or would be happy owning (e.g., Magnepan).  A few years ago I auditioned every flagship headphone in one day at ALO Audio in Portland.  Only one had the musical and balanced sound that my ears liked (Beyerdynamic T1) - TO MY EARS...HD800 had incredible soundstage and comfort but sounded too bright and etchy, Denon was extended but too tubby, Grado was wonderfully dynamic but not coherent enough, etc.  Across multiple amps and sources, the T1 was what I kept coming back to as fast, dynamic, organized, musical, balanced, etc.  So I bought it (adding to my existing HD 650 which I still love but always wish was less veiled), and have been happy ever since, using the Bryston BHA-1, Beyerdynamic A1, and Pathos Aurium with Mullard NOS 6922 tubes.  I needed a second pair of headphones for a vacation home/work so was going to buy another pair of T1s but my local audio Guru, Kurt Doslu at Echo Audio told me he fell in love with new Audeze cans and picked them up as a line.  His ears and my ears are simpatico, so I was surprised because I listened to the LCD-2s a couple years ago and while they had a lovely midrange, they sounded shut in and dark to me. 
 
I took my T1s to Echo Audio this past week, and while the shop was pretty empty due to a snow storm, I auditioned the LCD-3, LCD-X, and LCD-XC and compared all to my T1s.  My T1s were the most comfortable to wear, and had the prettiest, easiest to listen to fully extended musical sound, but the new LCD line brought something new to the game that I ultimately had to have.  I was ready to buy any of the three, or simply purchase another T1.  My impressions below, which I will update after extended listening.  I listened to these primarily through the Pathos Aurium head amp with full gain since this will be the primary amp I use and had just done extended listening through the T1s through it.
 
- LCD-3:  Beautiful wood trim, comfortable on the skull, and like all three wonderfully comfortable and soft ear pads.  Very accurate bass.  Unlike many cans and speakers, the LCD-3s don't add an artificial bump in the bass or mid-bass.  Incredibly spacious and with solid imaging.  Really good reverb and decay (but not as good as T1s).  As with all Audeze cans, they were more dynamic and meaty than the T1s which surprised me due to architecture differences).  Immediately though, I felt like 70 percent of what I was hearing was the midrange.  While it was lovely, it was too much midrange for me, which took away some sparkle and balance I was looking for.  Just a tad too midrangey for my ears.
 
- LCD-X:  Something elegant about black on black monochromatic look.  Most comfortable of the three Audeze cans on the head.  More balanced across the spectrum than LCD-3 with more air.  Of the three I believed the X cans had the most bass.  For me, too much bass, and some of it undefined as when listening to deep bass guitar lines, being able to hear the different notes versus just a lot of low end energy.  But, probably of the three, the most fun to listen to when using digital sources and those recordings where you wished there was an equalization option to increase the bottom few octaves.
 
- LCD-XC:  Wow beautiful wood and build quality, but wow big and heavier.  I didn't feel a clamping effect but did feel the weight of these on my head.  Not a big deal but I can see where some people would punt due to weight.  When I put my T1s back on they felt like feathers in comparison.  But, the beauty and size observations immediately disappeared when I listened to the music.  I was expecting a more shut in constricted sound versus open back but these sounded even more open and equally spacious.  More air and high end extension perceived versus the other two Audeze.  Better balance through bass-midrange-treble, with the treble extended but smooth and never irritating, and the bass extended but really well defined and textured. The soundstage wasn't as wide as the 3 or the X, but I believe I heard better imaging and a higher soundstage.  The sound was one click more inside my head than the other two but still projected really well compared to most every other can I have auditioned.  I forgot I was listening to a closed back phone. 
 
I bought the LCD-XC on the spot.  The fact it has noise isolation and little leakage is a great bonus.

Received the LCD-XC & X and have first unpacked the XC at work to listen through the WA7 and even with no burn-in there are literally tears from my eyes listening to pretty much anything.  Overwhelmingly beautiful sound and supreme comfort with the most impressive build quality I have ever seen.  Care in packaging and attention to detail is unmatched. No question this dislodges my T5p in terms of sound.  Little heavy but not unbearable and to be honest for this sound I don't even care.  My neck will get stronger.  Imagine it can only even get better after some burn-in, but it doesn't need it for sure.  This is undoubtedly endgame for me.
 
Can't wait to open the LCD-X and have a listen at home...
 
 
-- Home --
 
Well I just couldn't wait to get home to break open the LCD-X and so I pulled them out as well at work.  A very well matched sonic signature to the XC just with a more open sound stage and airier presentation as anticipated.  I am quite frankly in love with both headphones and the weight so far has not presented any issue, infact they are the most comfortable headphones I have ever felt.
 
Spent the evening burning in the XC and comparing them to both the T5p and T1.  The T5p may stay in the stable for a more practical and portable on the go rig but the T1 will most surely be up for sale soon along with a number of other headphones that these are pushing out of the airplane.
 
 
-- Disclaimer --
 
To everyone imagining this is a review, it isn't.  It is just documentation of my impressions as I go...  Don't go out buying these based on anything I did or didn't say.  I will not be held responsible for your enjoyment of them once you realize none of it was true and all of it was true at once.
 
 
-- Months Later --
 
My early impressions haven't changed.  These are the best headphones bar none.  This is now a review.

.
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.

Audeze LCD-XC
 
When I first put the LCD-XC’s on my head I thought to myself: “Wow, finally I no longer have to sacrifice sound quality or a natural/neutral presentation when listening to closed headphones.”
 
The first group of closed headphones that I’ve previously owned were ones that isolated well enough but really made you constantly feel that you were giving up a bit too much in the sound quality department. Some were not very expensive like the beyerdynamics DT770/600s; while some very expensive like the Ultrasone Ed. 8LE. 
 
The second group of closed headphones actually sounded pretty darn good to amazing, but offered a very coloured presentation. I would put the D7000, W3000ANV and TH-900s in this group. While I still own the TH-900s and really enjoy the heck out of them, I was left wanting something more natural/neutral (and with better isolation too). That’s where I feel the LCD-XC headphones come in and fit that bill to a “T". 
 
Construction/Comfort:

First off, let me say that these headphones are real beauties. Simply gorgeous looking headphones. As you can see in the photo below, the Bubinga wood finish really helps set them off.  Everything you’ve come to expect from Audeze in terms of solid and professional constructions have been continued with these headphones and they’ve continued to push the envelope in that regard. 
 

 
 
They utilize the same new fazor technology with the LCD-X open headphones. With both of these headphones I've found that the imaging has been improved upon with excellent instrumental separation and location in the sound stage.
 
You can find my LCD-X Review here:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/audeze-lcd-x/reviews/9976
 
Are they heavy? Well yes they are... they come in at 650 grams (only 50g more than the LCD-X and 100g more than the LCD-3s). But once on my head, I really forget about the weight as it’s very well distributed across my head and hardly a factor that I would consider. Overall I would say that the comfort levels are satisfactory with my noggin’. I would however like to see Audeze move toward looking into lightening the weight of future headphones if possible (and not affect the sound quality) as some may find them a bit too heavy. I know...I want it all. Isolation wise, they are a good step up from the W3000ANV/TH-900s and D7000s. A very good feature for a pair of closed headphones.  
 
Music Used:

I put these headphones through their paces with some of my favourite test tracks like my HDCD series of Patrica Barber, Diana Krall, some of high rez Chesky downloads (both binaural and stereo), Miles Davis Bitches Brew Remaster, Miles Davis Kind of Blue Legacy Edition, Tool, Pink Floyd, Rush and some various HDCD classical albums that I have on hand.
 

 
 
Sound Quality:

As I prefaced earlier, I would classify these as among the most natural sounding closed headphones I’ve heard. And yes, they have definitely retained that magical Audeze sound that has really continued to impress me over the years. So if you’re a fan of the LCD-2/3/X, then you should be quite happy with these headphones. If you’re looking for a more “fun” and coloured headphone with lots of bass and sparkling treble and a slight “U” FR response, then I’d suggest you look elsewhere. But if you want a reference level pair of headphones, I can think of none better than the LCD-XC.
 
The bass is what you’d expect from Audeze: deep, textured, very well defined, and very clean sounding. While I find these the bassiest of the Audeze headphones, they certainly do not give you bass-head thumping bass, but still oh so satisfying. When listening to Tool’s Lateralus I can feel the bass energy and the detail and texturing is simply outstanding. Just flat response bass down to 20Hz (though a bit more bass than either the LCD-3/X.
 
The mids are equally outstanding. While these headphones do have a bit more bass, I never felt that it impinged on the mids; while this certainly did occur on the D7000s and to a lesser extent on the TH-900s. Again, the mids are very much what we've come to expect from Audeze...pure, clean and very well detailed. The slight difference however is that I've found the upper mids a bit more forward than either the LCD-3/X especially when listening to Miles Davis' Bitches Brew, I could hear the higher extreme notes a little more forward than either the LCD-3/X. While never etched like it can sometimes sound on the HE-6s or HD800s, it was indeed less as laid back as the other Audeze headphones.
 
The treble extends very well. On my frequency sweeps I was able to take these headphones to the extremity of my hearing ability 18kHz (ish) and while the treble remains "pushed back", it did offer the most forward treble of any of the Audeze headphones. Triangles have a brilliant shimmer, cymbals really come to life while never overbearing with my test music. 
 
Imaging was closer (from memory) to the LCD-2s than the more open sounding LCD-3 or LCD-X. But that's to be expected as these are closed headphones. To compare them to other closed headphones that I've owned through the years, I would say that the fazor technology on the LCD-XC has actually equipped them with very good imaging. The TH-900s offer a more expansive soundscape to my ears, but the LCD-XCs offer pinpoint locations of the individual players/instruments. They do image better than the Ed.8 or D7000s to my ears and most best equated to the wonderful W3000ANVs in this regard (but with a good improvement on the location of each instrument and player within that sound stage for the Audeze headphones).
 
Conclusions:

I feel that Audeze has brought to market a wonderful pair of closed headphones that no longer has me having to sacrifice either sound quality or a natural sound for a more coloured one. They isolate pretty well (and leak very little), yes, they're heavy and pencil neck geeks be warned, but seriously on my head, they feel very close to the LCD-X (which I find quite good for long listening sessions). While these are among the least coloured closed headphones I've heard, you can colour me impressed. Yet another winner by Audeze. A striking feat considering that they released both the LCD-X and LCD-XC at the same time.

The Audeze LCD-XC has, again, redefined what's possible for me in a headphone, in terms of sonic integrity and musical engagement. In this case I'm talking about music playback through closed cans. My favorite way to experience music via headphones is through open-back designs. They've always been more immediately able to transcend my thoughts about a band on my head and drivers hugging my ears when trying to lose myself in the music. Perhaps I never considered the notion of using closed headphones for anything more than DJing or gettin' on the road because that's what they always were to me: Utilitarian. But Mr. Speakers Mad Dogs changed all that for me, then the Alpha Dogs, and now the LCD-XC from Audeze.
 
The experiences I've had (and am having as I type these words) with this headphone obligates me to say forget about the senseless "subjectivists" vs. objectivists" debate for a few moments if you can. Ultimately, we're all reacting to music playback. Nobody can argue over whether music is an art form right? Well, we're chasing the music and the sound we love through technology that's also an art form! So all of this is in the ear of the beholder. It doesn't phase me if somebody dismisses this as poetic musings and hyperbole. God, I'm so sick of seeing that word tossed around insulting people trying to express themselves. But it's products like this that help me forget about bit-rates and sample-rates, async and Direct Stream Digital. Sure, I'm pretty certain Audeze's engineering leap with their Fazor technology is responsible for much of the magic I hear in the XC. I've been living with their LCD-3 as my top reference (next to my HD800's) headphone since its release, so I have little doubt that Audeze's technological advancements have rendered a new reference for me. The music through the cans transcends the numbers for me. Now you can do with that what you will, but as much as I love to geek out, I really don't care how I achieve happiness when it comes to hearing my music the way I love it through my cans! That said: I believe it's important to shine the light on two techy aspects of these new closed headphones from Audeze that helped seal the deal for me. Firstly, their increased sound-staging capabilities. The one thing I've always longed for in my LCD-3's was that out-of-you-head soundstage projection of my Sennheiser HD800's. That incredible sense of being surrounded when the sound-field exists far beyond my head. The experience can be akin to listening to loudspeakers in a room. That presence is captivating to hear, and it feels more natural, as that feels closer to experiencing live performances

The LCD-X and XC, thanks to Audeze's newly developed Fazor technology, throws a much deeper and wider soundstage. While listening to atmospheric album's like The-Drum's Contact, Brian Eno's LUX, Radiohead's Kid A and Shlohmo's Bad Vibes the sound is enveloping and open with window-like transparency and holographic imaging. I get so transfixed when I play some of my favorite ambient records through my best tube rigs (ALO Studio Six & E.A.R HP4) and the XC's, it's just like listening to my two-channel in-room system when I close my eyes! I can't wait to hear these on the Cavalli Liquid Gold tube amp! The other new techy change in the XC's is their efficiency. This is pure joy for me. I was always impressed with how well the lil' HRT microStreamer could drive my LCD-3's - but there wasn't much headroom. And as my good friend and fellow Audio360.org scribe @warrenpchi says: "Mercer likes headroom." "That's just how he rolls." Sorry if that sounded like I was talking in the third-person there for a second - but I do like headroom! Less possibility for noise if you don't have to push your amplifier so hard. Now, when I rock the XC's on the microStreamer I barely have to push the amp and the sonic pairing is glorious. I've also enjoyed listening to lots of acoustic recordings with the XC's, specifically singer/songwriter stuff. I love the spaciousness in a bare bones singer/songwriter recording. One of my favorite artists who sits in that genre is Ani DiFranco. I've seen her a few times, and she's never disappointed live. Her albums usually sound great too, as she's into Hi-fi. So I'm sure her reference system kicks serious a__ . I don't know what it is now - but she used to rock Maggies. "Hearse", off her 2012 back-to-folky-roots masterpiece Which Side Are You On? has become one of our songs: My wifey Alexandra and I. It's a powerful and beautiful love song. It encapsulates our love for each other perfectly, with lyrics like "I will always be your lover, even after our atoms have dispersed" and a gorgeous and poetic chorus "and I will follow you into the next life, like a dog chasing after a hearse" - simple, and poignant. When Alex and I play that on our in-room system we just get all choked up and sappy. Well, the same thing happens when I listen to it through a solid source and the LCD-XC's, which is something I probably shouldn't admit here - but I'm listening to XC's as I type this, and the music gets my blood pumpin' when I experience it through em. I feel charged. I get the same feeling when listening to experimental electronic music, which is probably what I listen to most these days. Though my playback is always varied, I've definitely been leaning towards that sound lately. The XC's bring dynamics galore when I'm rockin' Alix Perez's Chroma Chords, Burial's newly released Rival Dealer EP (man it's great) and his first two albums. James Blake's "Limit to Your Love" on the limited 45rpm 9"  is lush, airy and delivers wicked sub-bass. That deep warbly Roland TB-303 bassline drips out with abandon, and the XC's handle it with grace and precision.
 
 
 
 
The better efficiency of the XC's enticed me to try the headphones on a number of amps and DAPs, from the battery-powered ALO International, Pan Am, and Island, to the also battery-powered (AC-powered in my case for this eval) CEntrance HiFi-M8, Audioquest Dragonfly (if you're gonna spend your whole budget on these cans - that lil' beauty can be had for $99 right now), Audioengine D3, MYTEK Stereo-192 DSD DAC/headphone amp, and my Oppo BDP-105. My sources ranged from my iPhone 4S to my Astell & Kern AK120, MacBook Pro/Amarra, and various DAP/DAC/Amp configurations, like my iPod Classic & CEntrance HiFi-M8, Astell & Kern AK100 & ALO International, ALO Island, and iPod Touch & Sony PHA-1: My favorite combo with the XC's, next to the iPod Classic & CEntrance HiFi-M8. So I put them through alot of rigs. After all, being labeled a "Audeze Jihadist" by a commenter on another audio site, I had to be sure I really loved em this much to preach the Audeze gospel (and if you believe that I gotta bridge to sell ya). As I stated in my Writers Choice Awards for Positive Feedback - where I gave the LCD-X and XC awards this year: Since when did brand loyalty in an audio writer become a bad thing? When Audeze builds a product I don't like I'll let ya know. In the meantime, I'm having a blast listening to these cans, and when all the BS has faded away, and you're alone with your music and your gear, isn't that what this all boils down to? I've taken trips with these already, and when I sat down to listen in my hotel room it was as if I brought a high end stereo system with me, but I didn't disturb anybody! Admittedly, that's something I never envisioned caring about years ago when it came to my Hi-fi, but life calls for those situations these days! The XC, especially when accompanied by a capable source, defies every assumption I made about the sonic capabilities and claustrophobic aspect of closed-back headphones. They sound wide open, are dynamically engaging, and damn addictive. Wait a minute, you sure these are closed?
 
Lookin' for the edge of the audio arts in closed-back headphones?
Check out the Audeze LCD-XC.
  
 
Update 7/12/14
 
I've travelled with my LCD-XCs now, a few trips, and they're continuing to open up! These also continue to sound frighteningly open-backed some times too. As the soundstage expands with real-life break-in/usage, these cans have evolved into quicker, sharper (as in micro and macro detail retrieval capabilities) conduits to my music collection: both vinyl and digital. They have become one of my top five all-time reference cans - for recreational listening, and even studio-monitoring (w/ the LCD-X).
 
The captivating sound of the LCD-XC continues to grow in scale, in depth, and in emotional transference (their ability to draw me in, and make me forget about the gear) as I journey through more records!!
 
UPDATE: 10.19.14
 
I just wanted to share some pictures of the various rigs I've used w/ the LCD-XC since I wrote this review. It's been on my mind since I have another Audeze Sonic Satori column coming up. These headphones continue to astonish me - and yes, I don't care if that's sounds too heavy.
The LCD-XC, like no other closed-back planar-magnetic cans I've experienced, manage to (especially after proper break-in, which, admittedly, followed this review) almost disappear. By that I mean I sometimes forget I'm listening to a closed headphone (and more often than not these days)! Their ability to reproduce a palpable sense of air and space around the instruments/triggered sounds in the music just floors me! Sure - I also believe their low-end has more overall gestalt and punch because they are in fact closed - but it doesn't take away from their sonic accomplishments.
 
I end up listening to my XCs more than any other Audeze - simply because I work up in the front of the house sometimes (where I have a couple systems set up at a desk) because of my wifeys illness - so I can be close to her if she needs something, AND I don't disturb her! It's been a spectacular sonic journey with the LCD-XCs! 
 
And - for the record - I've found that, IMO, Double Helix Cables - from Comp2 to Comp4 - have the most magnificent synergy with the Audezes!!!!
The Nordost Heimdall 2 comes in behind them...
Believe me, I've tried LOTS of cables.
 
So, check out some of the recent rigs I've been using w/ the LCD-XCs:
  
 

and my friends boy - 8-year old Dominic said, after this:
"Uncle Mike, can I have these?" "Now my Beats are goin' to sound like garbage!"
 

 


 
Overall Packing is better. Now they comes with 2 cables. One is 1/4' plug and the other is large XLR plug.
 
Audeze also gives you 1/4" to Mini plug converter just like Grado.
 
 
This is my first impression of LCD-XC
 
 
Extremely well extend and Tight bass.  Bass is even deeper than LCD-2 rev.2 that I have. Well controlled and really have tightness. 
I would say this headphone delvers the best quality of bass.
 
Full, Rich, Juicy Mid-range. One of the main differences between XC and any other LCD series is Mid-range. 
I would say it is lightly forward where I felt X, 2, 3 was neutral but yet laid back around 3kHz. 
However, XC delivers Mid-range amazingly accurate. It is very detailed and juicy!! 
 
Crystal clear and well extended High. One of my main problems with LCD-2 was extension on high.
It was somewhat restrained. Now with XC high are Crystal clear and you can hear a fantastic extension without getting rough.
It is truly amazing how audeze delivers high frequency range with XC 
 
Amazingly accurate Imaging and Wide stage. The other problem with LCD-2 was small Staging. Although imaging was accurate, sound stage was very 
compressed. Yet XC has extremely wide stage. I would say a little bit smaller than Sennhieser HD800 but still bigger than most of open back headphone.
Imaging is even more acutate then LCD-2. Now when I listen to audio track, I can feel where the instrumentals are located   
 
Even though LCD-XC has so many good modifications on sound, they have critical problem. It is extremely heavy.. 
It is 100g heavier than LCD-2 Rev.2 So it is total of 650g...
After wearing them for hour, I had to take it off and rest for few mins in order to maintain listening.