[greenkiwi]

   
They would have been cheaper without the horrible veneer... I find this quite depressing.

I don't know if that is entirely true.  Depending on the manufacturing methods, putting a veneer on the outside might be cheaper than machining.  Say that you are casting the body and the casting has some blemishes in it.  If you use glue + veneer, you don't have to machine those out.  

 

[Jodet]

  Maybe this Audie will have some treble?

How could that be, I heard it sounds like an Audeze?  

 

[Mediahound]

 
wow that dude wearing the headphones definitely thinks they're something special.   "Rewriting the rules of engagement".  From the two videos seems like we can infer that the sound is pretty revolutionary for a headphone that can be driven right out of a smartphone jack.   Or at least they think so. 

I doubt he had even heard them at that point. Sounds like he was just making a prediction. 

 

[Jeb Listens]

 
I doubt he had even heard them at that point. Sounds like he was just making a prediction. 

allegedly they are so good you don't even need music*
 
 
 
 
 
 
*source unconfirmed.

 

[EddieE]

I don't think it's impossible for closed headphones (closed back and baffle) to be good. There are several out there that are - LFF's T50RP mods, Mr Speakers T50RP, NAD Visio HP50, Focal Pro and Classic. I have heard, and indeed modded for myself, any number of closed vintage planars to sound really pretty good.
 
High end? I haven't heard the new LFF or the Alpha Prime yet... but in the cases I have heard, not high end, no.
 
There have been attempts, like the T5P and XC, and while I haven't personally heard the XC from what I hear on this thread it has its issues just like the T5P does.
 
I actually believe it is perfectly possible for completely closed headphones to be high end (I have some ideas I'm not going to share in case I ever get to develop them) but the issue is that a lot of manufacturers don't design every part of the headphone with acoustic concerns in mind.
 
They make a chassis they think will look good, serve its ergonomic and functional purpose, then they set about tweaking the driver arrangement and damping the back chamber of the chassis until it sounds as good as it can. 
 
The T5P chassis is a T1 with the back closed and damped. The XC is an X with a bit of wood screwed to the back and damped.
 
When I heard the headset for the EL8 was designed by a third party I did have a little pang of worry. Were they given a strict set of parameters which had been arrived at for acoustic reasons and then asked to add some aesthetic flourish? Or were they asked to design something that looked cool and then worry about damping them as well as they can later? I hope not the latter, because that is never going to get ideal results. 
 
But I do believe it is possible as I said, and R&D needs to be poured into it as that is surely the end game of headphones. 
 
Sennheiser invented open backed headphones to solve a problem, which was cool. But I feel since the advent of open headphones the industry has stopped putting any effort into solving that problem, seeing an open back as a permanent solution. It's not a perfect solution though. Sound leaks out, sound leaks in. They are essentially like speakers but a bit quieter; not suitable for listening with others in the room who don't want to hear as well, impossible to take outside the house into a busy area. 
 
The true potential of headphones is a set that sounds as good as an Orpheus/009/pick your favourite, can be powered by a mobile device, and has perfect isolation from the outside world. We aren't going to get there without tackling the issues seriously.

 

[lamode]

  I don't think it's impossible for closed headphones (closed back and baffle) to be good. There are several out there that are - LFF's T50RP mods, Mr Speakers T50RP, NAD Visio HP50, Focal Pro and Classic. I have heard, and indeed modded for myself, any number of closed vintage planars to sound really pretty good.
 
High end? I haven't heard the new LFF or the Alpha Prime yet... but in the cases I have heard, not high end, no.
 
There have been attempts, like the T5P and XC, and while I haven't personally heard the XC from what I hear on this thread it has its issues just like the T5P does.
 
I actually believe it is perfectly possible for completely closed headphones to be high end (I have some ideas I'm not going to share in case I ever get to develop them) but the issue is that a lot of manufacturers don't design every part of the headphone with acoustic concerns in mind.
 
They make a chassis they think will look good, serve its ergonomic and functional purpose, then they set about tweaking the driver arrangement and damping the back chamber of the chassis until it sounds as good as it can. 
 
The T5P chassis is a T1 with the back closed and damped. The XC is an X with a bit of wood screwed to the back and damped.
 
When I heard the headset for the EL8 was designed by a third party I did have a little pang of worry. Were they given a strict set of parameters which had been arrived at for acoustic reasons and then asked to add some aesthetic flourish? Or were they asked to design something that looked cool and then worry about damping them as well as they can later? I hope not the latter, because that is never going to get ideal results. 
 
But I do believe it is possible as I said, and R&D needs to be poured into it as that is surely the end game of headphones. 
 
Sennheiser invented open backed headphones to solve a problem, which was cool. But I feel since the advent of open headphones the industry has stopped putting any effort into solving that problem, seeing an open back as a permanent solution. It's not a perfect solution though. Sound leaks out, sound leaks in. They are essentially like speakers but a bit quieter; not suitable for listening with others in the room who don't want to hear as well, impossible to take outside the house into a busy area. 
 
The true potential of headphones is a set that sounds as good as an Orpheus/009/pick your favourite, can be powered by a mobile device, and has perfect isolation from the outside world. We aren't going to get there without tackling the issues seriously.

 
I totally agree with you! In theory the best possible headphone design is a closed one, if executed properly.

 

[mscott58]

 
allegedly they are so good you don't even need music*
 
 
 
 
 
 
*source unconfirmed.

Well played sir...

 

[DoctaCosmos]

Who's the guy in hifiguys video? His friend or an audeze rep?

 

[MattTCG]

Mr. Mike Mercer...

 

[mscott58]

   
I totally agree with you! In theory the best possible headphone design is a closed one, if executed properly.

Not sure I get what you mean by the above statement. I'm not disputing it, I'm just trying to understand it. Does "best possible" mean that it would isolate from outside noises and/or keep noise from leaking out and thus be better than an open design? Just trying to make sure your point is clear and understood. Thanks!

 

[snejk]

   
I totally agree with you! In theory the best possible headphone design is a closed one, if executed properly.

x2 
 
Also, one recurring question I get from normal people (=non headfiers) is that they don't understand the usability of an open headphone. For them headphone=closed back, period. 

 

[Barry S]

  Mr. Mike Mercer...

 
Mike is...an excitable fellow.  Hyperbole and superlatives are his stock and trade.  He has no connection to Audeze. I have no doubt he was telling the truth when he said he wore his LCDs for 36 hours straight.

 

[mscott58]

  Mr. Mike Mercer...

For those of you that don't know Mike, here's his bio from Audio360.org:
 

Michael Mercer - affectionately known around Audio360.org as "Mercer" - joins us as a veteran reviewer of music and high-fidelity audio components. 

He got his start at The Absolute Sound in 1994 under the guidance of Harry Pearson (the founder of The Absolute Sound). 

Following his tenure at TAS, Michael joined Atlantic Records where - under the tutelage of legendary Grammy award-winning producer Arif Mardin - he worked with multi-platinum selling artists such as Jewel, Sugar Ray, The Corrs, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler and others. 

In his career pursuits as a music writer and audio reviewer, Michael has contributed to numerous industry bibles such as The Absolute Sound and HiFi+ magazines.

He currently writes for Part-Time Audiophile, Positive Feedback, The Daily Swarm, Enjoy the Music (where his Sonic Satori column is featured), and now - Audio360.org. 

Michael is also a brand-building and social media consultant for leading hi-fi brands.
 
He's also a columnist for Headphone.guru and is a fixture at Head-Fi events. Got to hang with him a bit at CanJam/RMAF last year. Good guy.
 
Cheers

 

[lamode]

  Not sure I get what you mean by the above statement. I'm not disputing it, I'm just trying to understand it. Does "best possible" mean that it would isolate from outside noises and/or keep noise from leaking out and thus be better than an open design? Just trying to make sure your point is clear and understood. Thanks!

 
I mean that it should be possible to create a closed headphone with the known advantages but without any disadvantages, but it takes more than just adding a cup to the design.

 

[Focker]

   
lol no offence intended, I'm new to headphones so unfamiliar with the celebrities. 

Don't worry, I've been here for three years and have no idea either
 
Of course, I tend to put the most stock in feedback from those who have the least skin in the game...this approach has served me well over the years. 
 
I'm glad to see that people are citing the efficiency/"driveability" of these headphones. It's a point I've been emphasizing about the LCD-X since I first bought them. I don't do a lot of traveling, but having a headphone I love that can respond to nearly any source is really a massive selling point. I'm still amazed every time I plug the Xs into something like the Kindle Fire. The audio is just far, far better than I ever would have expected to be able to attain. While I still love something like the Beyer T1s, the portability/flexibility factor is something that I feel is too often overlooked.