[Currawong]

I'm starting this thread as the main thread has filled up with arguments about shipping delays, drowning out posts about the headphones themselves.

With that in mind, here are the rules for this thread:

1. IMPRESSIONS ONLY!
No discussing shipping at all!
No "Their on their way!" posts or anything like it.
No posts about the company.
No technical discussion unless it DIRECTLY relates to impressions.

2. Cable impressions are ok.
But NO debates about the validity of them. Don't even hint about it. Just don't read cable impressions if you don't care.

3. Amp/system synergy discussions are very welcome.
But no questions or discussion about whether a particular amp will work or not.
If your post about the LCD-5s and an amp is not a direction impression (or at least a request for direct impressions) please do not post.

4. Links to other peoples' impressions (posts etc.) are welcome.
If you've posted impressions on the main thread, or a review, please re-post or quote it here.
To do that, click on the "Quote+" button on the post in any other thread, then head over to this one (or reload it if it's already open) and you should be able to add the quote to your post.

I'll edit this post with links and the like as they come up.

 

[Currawong]

My review:



LCD-5 vs. Susvara

 

[Currawong]

Various impressions: (Being regularly updated as I go through the main thread)

Here are my unboxing photos. I would apologize for the photos but I am not sure anybody but a professional could do much better. The only thing not black is the shipping box and the rods. The headband, the pads and the cups and attachment hardware are all black. The acetate which were a tortoiseshell yellow in the pictures I saw are black with just the slightest hint of dark red. In fact it is darker than the ebony rings on my LCd-4. I am very okay with this as I abhor yellow on anything but a Corvette. The aluminum case is very nice. I like just as much as the Pelican case for the 4. Removing it from the case is a shock. The LCD-4 just says quality by its heft and form and the 5s are small and light and don't impress like the 4. Of course that is my problem as I know that everything about this is magnesium or titanium and other top notch materials. I requested to substitute an XLR cable for the 1/4 cable and Audeze sent me both. Not sure they intended to do that but thanks a lot.

On my head they are very comfortable. I was not particularly bothered by the 4s weight because of my listening style. Unlike my 4 headband this one actually suspends without the carbon fiber part not laying on my head. The pads are comfortable with no part of my ears touching anything. I have generally used hybrid or suede pads so we will see if the comfort stays or what replacement pads are eventually offered. I was mildly concerned that the relocation of the cable connectors to the rear of the headphone would be a problem for my listening style but no problem. The sliders work smoothly and I presumed they can be tightened if needed. All of the cup attachments are internal so as on my 4 I don't have to tighten screws periodically. So much for construction and ergonomics, how do they sound?

First I have only 6 hours listening so there is that. The equipment chain: dCS Rossini and Clock to Woo WA33 EE using Tidal streaming. I tried my Liquid Gold for a couple songs but nothing the same as on the WA33. The first thing to know is that I listened to an LCD-4 everyday for 5 years. This is definitely not an LCD-4. The quality and quantity of bass is all there but it is not emphasized as on the 4. The tracks I use to check bass confirm it is there but for tracks where the bass is just part of the rhythm section you know it is there but is deemphasized by the increased emphasis on the mids. And those mids are fabulous. The speed, clarity and detail retrieval of the 5 is phenomenal. I noticed that in tracks where I felt the vocals were somewhat recessed in the 4 are more prominent and clear. You can actual tell what Mark Knopfler is mumbling now! Another thing I noticed is the detail rerieval is very superior to the 4. Steely Dan recordings(I like Steely Dan so sue me)have a lot going on in them. The 5 is able to retrieve these little fills with great clarity. The decay is fantastic. A single chord fill is heard and then gone that fast. Two of my favorite test tracks are Smooth Operator and Why Can't We All Live Together on Sade's debut album Diamond Life. On Smooth Operator the sax solo always sounded recessed as if it was mixed back but with the 5 it is more forward and sounds more a part of the song. On Why Can't We All Live Together the bass is very prominent and the 5 delivers magnificently but what impressed is the congas where the snap and instant decay make for a glorious sound.

I should have noted that I used my DHC Prion4 instead of the stock cables. I have as noted only 6 hours of use on them. I know Planars are not noted for needing burn-in but we will see. I feel I am hearing more after just 6 hours. Interestingly I have the same reaction @Currawong described about needing time to readjust after listening to a different headphone. With me after listening to an LCD-4 for five years the first song or two just does not sound right and then I realize how much I am hearing. I expect that feeling to fade away with daily use.

Here is where I probably put my foot in my mouth. After only 6 hours I think the LCD-5 is a more comfortable LCD-4 with superior detail and retrieval. I would have paid $6K for a quantitatively superior LCD-5. I am not sure at this point that is what I got.

I think the Utopia's have the most underrated bass of all the flagships. If you amp them properly I believe they should be more than adequate for all genres of music and if you amp them with a very thick and weighty amp then I believe most would find the bass response to be shockingly impressive.

As for the LCD5's bass in comparison to the Utopia's:
LCD5
-Bass is certainly there in Full and very enjoyable but the LCD5's do so well in not overpowering/muddying the sound with bass that I think some might think it to be less than it really is -- overall, I find this balance of delivering great bass without muddying the track to be highly impressive.
-Tighter
-More definition
-More bass separation/ lack of muddiness
-Bass goes deeper
-Bass doesn't punch as hard
*In summary of bass, more detail and accuracy with still plenty of fun

Utopia
-Bass has a bigger punch, quantity, and more feel of the rumble
-Bass can feel a bit one note/ lacking in detail
*In summary of bass, more slam, quantity, and rumble but with less detail/ accuracy


*I'll be posting a final and short overview of the LCD5's in the coming days -- so far they have shown to be highly impressive and my only reservation in recommendation over the Utopia's is the LCD5's mids which I can find to be a bit too forward/ slightly sharp enough to require the volume to come down to compensate (I'm hoping this to mellow as more hours are added).

The Can has arrived!

As many have stated, picking up the LCD-5 threw me off a bit by how deceptively light they are. They feel very sturdy, and I don't feel like I have to baby them like I do with my LCD-R's or like I had to do with my susvara's. The turtle shell is very dark, and I like it quite a bit.

The clamp is pretty strong, and it pushes back against flex pretty much the instant you try to open them. The pads are pretty stiff as well. In comparison, the older LCD cans have loose headbands with much softer pads. While my neck appreciates the much lighter weight, I do feel pressure on my head/jaws. At the moment of writing, I haven't developed any hot spots or pain points. Fingers crossed it loosens up over time!

I've been listening to them for a bit, and comparing them to the LCD-R.

After setting up the EQ so tonality matched (for the most part) my LCD-R's (bass added to taste, a slight cut at 1-3k and boost at 5k), I listened to my test tracks on the LCD-5 and then compared the test tracks on the LCD-R + JotA.

Just a first impression (I won't include impressions about initial tonality because I always EQ the upper mids to my personal preference, which are likely very different from most people's taste):

The LCD-R sounds much smoother and more rounded, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's still very detailed, but not as fast or "snappy" as the LCD-5.


I've written and re-writen this impression section, going back and forth between thinking whether the LCD-5 is leaps ahead in detail compared to the LCD-R, or if volume matching is not tuned properly and the LCD-R is equally as detailed. So I'll just keep listening and comparing (I've been listening while writing this impression) and get back after I've had more time to wrap my head around these cans. This exact situation is why I laugh at all those hanging on to every word of someone who listened to these for 5 minutes at can-jam. I've got them right in front of me, next to my LCD-R's, and I'm still wrapping my head around them! The clearest conclusion I can draw right now is that both cans are very good, and I like them very much. For my neck's sake, I hope I like the LCD-5 more. Hopefully that doesn't throw and bias info my future comparison!

I thought I would provide some additional feedback, as I got my re-terminated cable back from Kimber. Overall, the whole sound spectrum has improved over the stock cable. Perhaps, the most dramatic and pronounced improvement is in the bass region, where it's cleaner, reaches lower, presents more layers, and has deeper impact.

Also, for those wondering how LCD-5 responds to tube amplification; I am using it with the WA22 [Gen 2], and the soundstage is huge and presentation of instruments and vocals are beautifully positioned within it.

As for LCD-5's power needs, on the WA22, I'm between 10-12 [low gain] on all genres, and so far nothing I've played had me going past 12.

Hi all - sorry to say that I ordered an LCD5 from a dealer in Aus on Tuesday and to my complete surprise I’m now listening to it only 3 days later (I thought it was still on pre-order over here). Feel a bit guilty bearing in mind you folks in North America and Europe ordered weeks ago (but then I’m stuck in a 9 week hard lockdown in NZ so not that guilty).

I would normally say it’s too early to make any definitive judgement but after the first 2 minutes I was impressed. It just sounds right. Really is like a combo of the best aspects of my HEKSE and Utopia. It’s a better and more rounded headphone than both (IMO). Makes the HEKSE sound a bit ragged in comparison (treble more refined and bass much more focused and tactile). I can live with the forward mids.

I’m no expert in these matters but it’s like a bigger sounding Utopia to me. If that makes any sense. It’s not at all bright (for context I never thought the Utopia was particularly bright but the HEKSE was always a bit marginal for me and needed EQ). Not as airy as the HEKSE but more meat on the bones.

Comfortable too - the clamp force is noticeable but I can live with it (I’ve got a medium-large size noggin).

The cable feels a bit cheap but it’s light and not microphonic so no complaints. I’ve got Lazuli Reference cables for my Utopia and HEKSE but don’t think I will bother for the LCD5.

I’ve got a Holo May L3 inbound but not sure if I need it now - the LCD5 sounds so good with the Spring and Studio 6.

I don’t normally post on here (more a lurker than a poster). But bearing in mind the relative lack of reviews to date thought it would be wrong not to..

Still keen to hear the views of those more expert on these matters - especially how it compares to the Susvara, Solitaire P and Abyss Phi TC.

I was thinking about upgrading the HEKSE to Susvara but now not so sure what that will add to the LCD5. Current thinking is I need to try something completely different like the Abyss..

I only had 30 mins listening before I go to work, nice clarity and the bass is soo good I was a bit worried about the mids forward but everything sounds just fine I will play with EQ later but not sure if needs, not a big fan of the case I prefer the old style that is my only complaint at the moment, the fit is perfect for me. I definitely need more time with them but everything is looking promising .
#Happy.

Ok so a few hours in. I'm blown away. NOTHING like past Audeze. They make my Arya sound thin and muddy. The timbre and clarity are perfect. Favorite headphones by far. The details are mind-blowing. The soundstage is exactly what I've been looking for in terms of not a concert hall but I'm in a large room with the band. Fantastic separation. Smooth across the hz range. The tonality of the Bass blows me away especially on In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins. I'm hearing bass tones I have never heard before(which is especially great as a drummer considering i've already googled about which kick drum/drum head Phil used in the performance) I greatly prefer these to my friend's Susvara.

They are more "susvara sounding" than past Audeze cans.

I have things to get done tonight but I cannot take these off.

Just some teasers of the headphone audition this evening.

I'm not sure whether people yet to audition the Audeze want initial impressions or to form their own.

The LCD-5 are very impressive. They are as easy to drive as Utopia. They scale with the source. And the stock cable needs to be rolled. I noticed a significant improvement using the Meze Empyrean silver plated balanced XLR cable. They are also the best thing I've heard in a very long time and a shift from the usual Audeze offering in more ways than one. Source dependent (as always at this level) so best to audition with your own preferred equipment. My recommended (and preferred) setup was the Naim Unit HE with the Meze silver plated cable over the Chord TT2 from an overall tonality perspective.

I have the Utopia cabled with the Danacable Reference Lazuli Plus which adds quite a bit of weight to the sound signature. They're different enough I plan to have both - and would make for a very happy Dynamic Driver + Planar two headphone set-up.

LCD-5 and Utopia were a tad bright with the stock cable out of the TT2 - you really need to enjoy the Chord sound. The treble and mids are prominent. Cable rolling did help.

The Utopia's are always a keeper and has great dynamic driver presence. Nod for all rounder I would give to the LCD-5.

The Danacable tames the brightness... or a tube amp (they had the WA22 at audition to compare). Gut tells me you may find the LCD-5 still a tad bright out of the TT2 if that's your impression fo the Utopia. Perhaps prominent mids/treble is a better description than 'bright'. Will happily wait and see how other impressions will be here and whether they align with my own for calibration purposes.

I had the 2021 LCD-X. I thought the LCD-X had a wonky tuning; it sounded like there were several chunks missing from the mid frequency range. This made making an EQ profile difficult. The bass on them was great though! Not as textured as the LCD-MX4 (which I will be selling soon), but very good.

The detail on the LCD-R and LCD-5 is superior to the LCD-X (from my experience), and each of these headphones present far superior vocals. The LCD-R and LCD-5 are much easier to EQ to my preference as well.

The bass on the LCD-5 is great, a bit better on the LCD-R. I have not had the chance to compare the bass on the MX4 to the LCD-5 yet. That would be my next test.

Just an explanation as to how I compared the LCD-R and LCD-5:

For my last listening session, I used my trusty SPL meter to assist me in matching volume of the Jot A and IHA-6 for each headphone. This involved me starting with no EQ tuning on either headphone. I used a tone generator to volume match at 300Hz, since I was most concerned about testing the bass between the headphones. After I volume matched, I made a bass shelf on my RME Adi DAC (so that both cans would have the same bass shelf), and created separate EQ profiles (for mids and upper mids) in EQ APO for each headphone, then tested the max SPL on various songs to make sure each headphone was as equal as possible.

Once I was sure each headphone was made as equal to each other as I could manage, I started listening to several songs with various types of bass presentation.

The LCD-5 has slightly faster, and more textured bass than the LCD-R, but it's not by a large margin. The LCD-5 does dig a bit deeper in the sub bass than the LCD-R. It was not an easy comparison, by any means. These are very difficult headphones to compare. Comparisons between other cans, such as anything from Hifiman, would be a lot more apparent.

I will be using this same technique to test the LCD-MX4, but I will have to use the A90 amp for the MX4 with RCA. Switching headphones on the same amp and volume matching would be much to difficult, and ruin much of the testing credibility.

If the LCD-5 can beat (or even match!) the MX4 in bass texture and presentation, then I will likely get rid of my other gear and invest in a better amp that can really push the LCD-5 to it's limit.

Received my LCD-5 this morning, direct from Audeze. It's the first LCD headphone I've worn that didn't weigh down every muscle in my neck and cripple me for days.

They're pretty comfortable, but the clamping pressure is strong.

Sound-wise, it's too early to say much. I tried it out on my Pathos Inpol Ear amplifier, and immediately thought, "This needs more tubey goodness," so I took it into my office setup and hooked it up to my iFi iCan Pro/iDSD Pro setup,. With both devices set to Tube+, the LCD-5 sounds great and has more than enough power. Lots of clarity and clean bass on tap.

I'll do more critical listening tonight after work.

EDIT: I have a small head, but my spouse does not. After he put the LCD-5 on, he said, "I would like these more if they weren't crushing my skull."

Alright everyone, I've got another short amateur impression on the LCD-5 bass / dynamics vs the LCD-MX4 bass / dynamics.

I know many of you LCD-4/Z owners are curious to hear if the LCD-5 lives up to the LCD-4 bass and dynamics, and while I no longer own the LCD-4, I hope my impression can be somewhat useful.

So, do the LCD-5s measure up to the MX4 in terms of bass and dynamics? In a short answer, certainly! I'll go into detail now, starting with an explanation of my test setup.

For the source setup, I'm going from the RME Adi 2 FS XLR out to the topping A90 to power the MX4, and RCA out to the IHA-6 for the LCD-5. Using my trusty SPL meter, I volume matched both cans at 200hz and 300hz, to make the comparison as fair as possible. Since the MX4 is lacking in mid energy compared to the LCD-5, the 5 would sound a bit louder in comparison. So to even the playing field, I used EQ profiles for both cans such that when playing music, the average and max SPL from each headphone would be very similar. This, in theory, should reduce how much the mids interfer with the perception of the bass.

Once I was satisfied with my test setup, I started to listen to several different albums and tracks renowned for their drum and bass lines. I started with Fleetwood Mack - Chains, then listened to several Red Hot Chili Peppers tracks (including pretty much the entirety of SA-Jupiter!), Nirvana, Pantera, and various other rock tracks.

At first, it was difficult to tell which headphone presented bass "best". For dynamics, it was an obvious win for the LCD-5. Even with a purposefully lowered volume, the LCD-5 had more noticable punch to the drums and percussion. That being said, "best" in headphone lingo is extremely subjective, but I'll try my best to explain what I think "good" bass to be.

In my opinion, good bass in a headphone is like having your own personal kick drum, right next to your ear. Not in terms of loudness, but in terms of tactility. I had never heard this in a headphone, and never knew it could even exist until I heard my first LCD-4; it was a 2019 version, and it presented bass in the most incredible fashion. It could go deep into the sub bass, and it created it's own sound separate from the rest of the music. I found this same technical performance in the MX4, which is why I thought it would be a good idea to hold on to them until I could compare it to the LCD-5.

So, the million dollar question is, does the LCD-5 have this same quality in bass as the LCD-4 and MX4? In my opinion, yes. It stacks up quite well against the MX4. Let me explain:

As I stated in the beginning, I've matched SPLs of both headphones at the bass frequencies. This is important, because if you're the kind of listener who dials in their volume to a certain loudness level by ear, then you very well might be listening to the bass frequencies at a lower volume compared to the previous LCD cans. This would give the impression that sub bass is not as "present" in the LCD-5, but in reality it's because the LCD-5 has more mid energy. While this isn't a problem for people who plan on using EQ, I can see it being a draw back for people who don't.

That being said, I'll go deeper into the bass comparison. The MX4 has good, powerful bass when it comes to drum kicks. However, compared to the LCD-5, the sound blooms ever so slightly more, and doesn't punch as hard. This gives the impression that the MX4 has a deeper sound on bass drum kicks compared to the 5, and many listeners might find this as a more pleasing sound in certain songs/passages. The LCD-5, in comparison, will present the bass kick as a harder hit, with less bloom from the kick. In busy passages where the bass kicks might get lost in the MX4, the LCD-5 is ever willing to keep pushing those drums hits to your ears.

When it comes to sub bass performance, I had a harder time figuring out which can was "best", so I think I'll just give it a draw. Both headphones dug deep into the sub bass, and presented music with the same head-filling sound.

Before I got the LCD-5, my biggest point of contention was that it wouldn't have the bass texture and power I loved in the MX4 and 4. Upon my first listening with the LCD-5, I had the impression that it certainly did have the bass I was hoping it would. Now that I've done a direct comparison, I'm personally very pleased.

Alright, I'm done rambling with my subjective account. I hope someone was able to get something out of this!

Also, I've posted some images below of the LCD-5 driver and the LCD-R driver in comparison. The LCD-5 driver trace looks to be wider, and has a much finer finish. The LCD-R looks less mirror-y, and a bit more jagged.

Last night, as I continued to burn in the LCD-5 on my system, I listened to the headphone for an hour straight before switching back to my daily driver, the HE-1000SE. After experiencing a forward midrange and hearing every vocal so clearly on the Audeze (which is the best part of the midrange forwardness, being able to make out lyrics of songs for the first time), the midrange on the Hifiman headphone sounded recessed, the bass less extended, and the treble seemed too loud in the mix in comparison to listening to music on the LCD-5. Once I was conditioned to the sound of the LCD-5, the HE-1000SE that I’ve been using for two years sounded “wrong” in comparison. I’ve never had that experience switching between headphones before, so Audeze has definitely tuned its flagship headphone in a unique way.

While I have been impressed with the technical abilities of the LCD-5 so far, it’s certainly not a warm or lush-sounding headphone. I’d say the LCD-5 is very neutral-sounding with solid extension in bass and treble. It’s very competent and confident-sounding, but doesn’t romanticize the music in any way.

Soundwise, I like the default LCD-5 audio profile, but I’m not in love with it. I’ve never been fond of software/hardware EQ per se, but I do like to use cables to make adjustments to the sound of my components. I’m expecting to get the Black Dragon Premium Cable for Audeze today from Moon Audio. My hope is that it does for the LCD-5 what it did for my Senn HD800S — warm up the midrange and tame the forwardness a bit.

If I compare the two headphones comfort-wise, the Hifiman wins easily. The HE-1000SE is a supremely comfortable headphone with thick and wide earpads that cushion your ear versus the Audeze, which has earpads that don’t compress but sit on top of your ears instead. Maybe Dekoni will make some aftermarket LCD-5 earpads in the future that are softer and compress a bit. I understand why Audeze designed the earpads to sit on your ears for sound purposes, a la the Abyss Diana, but I really like the old-school type of earpads that are more like pillows for your ears.

Also, after an hour of wearing the LCD-5, it was a relief to switch to the much-less-clampy HE-1000SE. The LCD-5’s pressure will take some getting used to. I’m looking forward to when Audeze has their less-clampy headbands available in the future and I can trade in the current headband for it. In the meantime, if anyone knows how to reduce the clamping pressure of the LCD-5 without damaging the headphone, I’d appreciate some advice.

I had the same experience with my LCD-R, going back to the Arya. After several days of listening only to the LCD-R, the Arya almost sounded "broken". It was lacking in dynamics, mushy, and had less detail in an immediately obvious way. I sold my Arya with no regrets, but I do miss the comfort every now and then.

But boy oh boy the Arya is a comfy headphone, and the Susvara was by far the most comfortable high end headphone I have ever owned. Unless Audeze comes out with some sort of spring steel headband, I don't think the LCD-5 will ever measure up. Personally, I find I can ignore the clamp force. If my head were any larger, there would certainly be some comfort issues.

When I went from the LCD-R to the LCD-5, I was not immediately in love with the tonality as well. While it was more clinical and resolving than the R, the music didn't have the same romantic warmth. I personally use EQ to approximate the Harman-ish target, so after much A/B testing and EQ modification, I was finally able to settle on a profile I could put into my RME Adi dac. I now get a sound close enough to the LCD-R signature, while having all the technical advantages of the 5. In due time, I'll make adjustments and touch up the FR. I don't think I'll be getting rid of my LCD-R just yet; it has been such a smooth and musical headphone for me. I'll cross that bridge when I can finally wrap my head around the LCD-5.

They are both great (IMO) headphones for metal, but only if another amp is used on the LCD-R. The bass kicks can get lost in busy passages on the LCD-R, but the LCD-5 will eat every bit of it up and ask for more.

I A/B compared the LCD-5 against the LCD-MX4 (which has better bass than the LCD-R, IMO) with Pantera-The Great Southern Trendkill, and the LCD-5 handled every song with authority, while the MX4 would get a bit congested in comparison, especially with the kick drums and percussion.

Personally, I like the way electric guitars sound from the LCD-5 more than the LCD-R, but that's because I prefer my mids to adhere to the Harman target.

Been listening for a few hours. Wow.

Coming off original LCD-2's, it's hard to even compare. Everything is just ... better.

The song that finally made a tear fall was Money off of DSotM (Black Triangle CD from Japan).

In both of the major solos, there is SO MUCH going on. So much I'd never heard before..
But the ability to just say "I'm gonna follow THAT instrument" and not lose it for a second even though there's ~20 different things going on ... yowza.

More impressions as I have more time..

--
(Also, thanks to Audeze for including the balanced cable I asked for, but also including the standard unbalanced cable at no extra charge!)

Resolve from headphones.com posted some brief first impressions:

https://forum.headphones.com/t/audeze-lcd-5-official-thread/14588/118

Yet another person with a problem with the LCD-5's comfort, but everything else sounds pretty glowing.

Some more thoughts.. I'm not all fancy like many here, so I'm just gonna give you my thoughts on my music..

Back in Black ... loving the separation here, particularly on double-tracked guitar riffs.
Sad but True (Metallica) ... Thick drums. Can hear James' throat grating.
Sympathy for the Devil ... Wide bongos are wide. Mick's vocals are front and center, as are the electric guitar fills. Tight bass in the outro.
Here Comes the Sun ... George's vocals in my right ear. Goosebumps. Also, that flute (Moog?) in the last third..
Dreams (Fleetwood Mac) ... Nice soundstage on the band. Chorus vocals are spacious but tight and separated.
Sultans of Swing ... Lead fills and solos are so clean. Can feel the overdrive in the guitar.
Eye in the Sky ... It's amazing how these can make really great recording and production pop. This album sounds so good.
Stairway to Heaven ... Can confirm it still sounds good.

In Your Likeness (Woodkid) ... Deep vocals that resonate. Crisp percussion around a large empty room.
Oxytocin (Bille Eilish) ... Not her biggest fan, but this track pumps on the bass, the vocals are around you, and the drum-machine hits.
Wish (Nine Inch Nails) ... Such a noisy track, but you can still pull out what you're looking for.

--

Drums! They sound good!
I mean, of course you put some Rush on for this..
The timbre really is only comparable to what I've heard being in a room with a drummer. The quality and detail of the sound is just not something I'm used to. It's crisp, but at the same time it has depth and bass and clarity. Even a quick snare hit, I'm incredibly impressed with the weight that comes through with it. Thick.

Let's talk about bass
It's hard to describe, really. It's not what most would call "Audeze Bass" ... it's better, but different. I don't think anything has been taken away, but the definition and clarity extends lower, and it transforms how you hear the bass that is there. That said, if you're someone who wants a FLOOD of bass, you're gonna want to EQ these. Not because they should have more bass, but because they're representing the recordings genuinely. They don't have less bass than my LCD2's, they just have a lot more definition up above.

--

Note: My source is a PC running Roon streaming Qobuz or local FLAC. No EQ (yet!). Schiit Gungir (Multibit/Unison) + Mjolnir 2. Balanced.

I don't know if the earpads and band have broken in or I have become accustomed to the clamp force, but I now find the LCD-5 more comfortable than I did at first. I can wear them for longer sessions with less fatigue than I could with my LCD-R's. My only gripe is wiping the earpads after use isn't as quick and easy due to the inward curved cups.

Several pages of debate.
Let’s just say “listen to them first”

Our dealer recently did an invite only LCD5 audition. I had the luxury of extra time due to my booking slot being at the end of the day. We knew nothing of reviews or frequency graphs - they weren’t available. And we’ve heard most of the TOTL cans.
Quite a number of people placed an order on the spot. We were that impressed.

Whilst detail retrieval was more pronounced on the CRBN I don’t think many would be disappointed in the LCD5. Perhaps a touch behind Susvara still but that’s a gut call from an audition memory rather than anything concrete.

At this level, it’s very much personal preference vs how they synergise with your brain and equipment.

If anyone has the Meze Empyrean with the silver plated cable, I urge you to swap the cable onto the LCD5 and let me know if you found it improved the sound either further. It added a musicality I wasn’t expecting - that svelte empyrean type sound. But with far greater clarity than the Empy.
https://mezeaudio.com/products/balanced-silver-plated-pcuhd-upgrade-cable

I’ve said it a few times but I was rather surprised it made an instant difference. Rolling amps from Tube (WA22) to SS (TT2 and Naim HE) also was a fun exercise. And as most of you know, can alter the sound tuning one way or another - more so than a cable change.

And they’re plenty comfortable. I wouldn’t say the clamp force was any worse than a new Utopia

I also did not find any deal breaking frequency response unhappiness during my audition. And I’m a tad picky. Whereas (sorry) several of us were not quite into the CRBN tuning noting I do not own / nor usually prefer electrostatics. However I was told one client who does love ES ordered one on the spot. One man’s (or person) poison is another man’s treasure.

So I've had three days with the LCD5 now and have been comparing them to the LCD4. As many others have stated, the LCD5 is much more neutral and 'quick' compared to the LCD4. Upon initial listen, it was a bit too lean for my liking and had some grittiness in the lower treble. I left it playing to see if anything changed, but it remained after 24 hours. I then swapped out my clock cables to another pair that have a smoother and warmer signature (Kimber D60 to Apogee Wyde Eye). The tonal balanced shifted down a bit and was now neutral without grit. Swapping back to the LCD4 after this cable swap resulted in too much warmth (almost muddy). One thing of note is that the tonal balance is MUCH better than the LCD4. While I enjoy the warmth the LCD4 brings, there is a peak in the very high treble that has been a nuisance over the years. The LCD5 has resolved this, and tonal balance is much more even across the board. For those who optimized their chain for the LCD4 may find the LCD5 seemingly lean. You may need to revisit your chain for the LCD5, but once dialed, you'll be rewarded with even tonality, excellent transparency, speed, resolution, and accuracy. I'm now comfortable letting the LCD4s go after initially thinking the LCD5s might end up being returned. Awesome work, @Audeze!

LCD-5 to me is a improved LCD-4, and at the same time different form the other headphones you mention. LCD-4 and LCD-5 are similar in bass through lower mids. But, you will hear more detail in the mids with LCD-5 than you did with LCD-4. Clarity and imaging has also improved on lCD-5.

I now have ~100 hours on the Black Dragon Audeze Premium cable + LCD-5 combination. The Black Dragon is a definite improvement over the stock cable in my system, smoothing the midrange bump out and adding a touch of warmth. These cans are incredibly reflective of any changes I make to my audio system. Every cable swap and adjustment I’ve made to my setup to make the LCD-5s sound better, I can hear clearly through the headphones. The Black Dragon cable actually sounded a bit flat until I added some contact enhancer to the connectors on both ends, and that brought more pop to the transients. If you’re not satisfied with the very even-handed tuning of the LCD-5, t’d be a good idea to budget for a cable upgrade and/or hardware EQ (like the Lokius) and/or software EQ.

I upgraded my I2S and Ethernet cables from the Supra brand to the Wireworld Silver Sphere and the Wireworld Starlight, respectively. The silver/copper Wireworld HDMI cable added some additional warmth to the sound. I also unplugged all of my power cables and cleaned the ends with alcohol and applied contact enhancer. That helped squeeze a bit more clarity and bass quantity out of my system.

With my Pathos Inpol Ear, I’m stuck with the level of bass quantity the amp puts out (though adjustible via tube rolling). On my iFi iCan Pro, I can dial up the X-Bass and get additional satisfaction in bass quantity. Again, the LCD-5 responds to EQ very nicely. It’s pretty obvious that Audeze intended the headphone to have more of a “reference” sound than a “fun” sound, but it’s pretty easy to change the sound to suit your needs. I personally think these headphones need more meat on their bones to sound good, which means using either a warm solid-state amplifier or tubes to power them.

Note that if you’re looking for these headphones to satisfy your basshead inner desires, you’ll be disappointed without adding EQ. The bass is incredibly firm and clean. When switching between the LCD-5 and my HE-1000SE, I find the Hifiman bass to be fatter and not as neatly rounded, but more satisfying overall. The LCD-5 bass hits hard, but there’s no bleed or fatness to it, so it adds nothing to the amount of bass present in the recording. That said, if you’re listening to electronica, you’ll find the bass accurately represented and commensurate in quantity to the music. Just don’t expect it to pound any harder than the artist intended it to.

@sahmen, you are correct that I was frustrated.

It was late last night when I posted my LCD-5 observations, and I was upset that the HE-1000SE bass sounded better to me than the LCD-5 bass on the InPol Ear. At the time, the iCan Pro in my office system was doing a better job of powering the Audeze than the Pathos amp in my reference headphone system. I've spent months tuning my main system to make the HE-1000SE sound its best, and I was hoping that I could make some minor changes and the LCD-5 would be similarly optimized without a lot of effort. That was not a proper assumption. I was also frustrated that the iCan Pro did surprisingly well with the LCD-5 in comparison without further tuning.

This morning, I set about making some changes. After swapping in a different set of tubes (that were cleaned and had contact enhancer applied to the pins) in the InPol Ear and switching from the Wireworld HDMI cable back to the warm-sounding-and-incredibly-thick-gauge Lush Phasure HDMI^2 I2S cable (@johnzz4, you were right about the Wireworld Silver Sphere -- it is a bit thin-sounding), I listened to Massive Attack's album "Mezzanine" on the amp to verify improvements in the bass.

On the song "Teardrop," the quiet high hat popped out of the mix. The bass drum that sounds like a heartbeat and the crisp cross-stick pattern that repeat throughout the song were palpable and almost holographic. The same album had sounded leaner with less overall impact in my earlier configuration. The LCD-5 now showed increased warmth and fatter, more prodigious bass. However, the HE-1000SE bass sounded a bit loose and sloppy on the InPol Ear, so the tube and cable swap are not ideal for both headphones.

Switching between my reference system and my office system, I'd say the iCan Pro does itself proud with the LCD-5, and is a good fit whether using solid-state or tube mode. The iCan's bass is solid even without XBass, but there is the option to add more with that function. With the right tubes, the InPol Ear puts out an equivalent amount and quality of bass as the iCan. The Inpol Ear shows its higher-fi stripes by pulling ahead of iFi in detail and subtlety when using the LCD-5.

@sahmen, I wouldn't recommend ditching your InPol prior to getting the LCD-5. Give it a chance.

Apparently, I was not supplying enough bass to the Audeze cans with my previous configuration. It could be that the InPol is more suited for the HE-1000SE/Susvara than the LCD-5, but I'd need to spend more time tinkering with/optimizing my setup for the LCD-5 before I could say for sure. I've got a Double Helix Complement C headphone cable on the way in a few weeks, and I'm hopeful that will bring the LCD-5 to the next level over the Black Dragon cable I'm using now.

I posted a final comparison to the LCD-R over on the LCD-R page so I'll leave it here as well. The LCD-5 and LCD-R sound like they have many technical traits in common, but are tonally quite different. This info won't be too useful for most people, but I hope it can be interesting at least.

After over a week of listening only to the LCD-5 and tuning the EQ to my preferences, I think I can finally wrap my head around how the LCD-R compares to the LCD-5. I initially gave my impressions on how the LCD-5 compares to the LCD-R in terms of bass; I did this first since the lower frequencies are always easier to accurately compare.

So how does the LCD-R stack up against the LCD-5? In my opinion (after tuning the EQ on both cans just right), the LCD-5 does everything the LCD-R can do, but better. The differences seem to be primarily in frequency response and amplification. Both headphones are extremely fast and detailed, but the LCD-5 is a bit faster and more detailed. Both headphones have great bass, but the LCD-5 has better bass. Both headphones are very dynamic and holographic, but the LCD-5 is a bit more dynamic and holographic.

Vocals (and general smoothness) were the main aspects where the LCD-R gave the LCD-5 a bit more competition. I actually used the LCD-R as a reference for EQ to see if I could tune the LCD-5 to the same "flavor" the LCD-R has. After several hours of back and forth listening, I feel like I finally found an EQ profile that satisfies me.

So where does that leave my opinions? Well, without EQ, the LCD-R is a more smooth, more musical headphone with the best, by far, vocals I have ever heard. The LCD-5 is more mid forward, but has a dynamic presentation that is immediately noticeable and bass that can almost be felt. I find that without a proper EQ setup, I prefer the LCD-R on older rock and live music, while the LCD-5 sounds better for electronic and pop music. There would be no way I could get rid of either.

After figuring out the EQ, I can't really find any music I prefer to listen to on the LCD-R. When I factor in the weight of the LCD-R, it's low choice in amplification, the chance that the pads will break in and the fazors will touch my ears, I can't really find a reason to listen to / keep them. Even after going back to only the LCD-5, I found a song I wanted to compare the LCD-R to. After a very short listen, it was apparent that the LCD-5 played the song better (to my ears) in just about every metric. In the coming days, I will (almost reluctantly!) be putting my LCD-R up for sale so I can further invest in the amplification for my LCD-5.

Sure thing, these are the settings I used in my RME Adi, I also have a few additional EQ APO profiles set up on hotkeys for different music genres:

1 - 5db 140hz q shelf
2 - (-)3db 970hz q.7
3 - 6db 7.3khz q 3.5
4 - 3.5db 8.5khz q 5
5 - 2db 10khz q shelf

On my other profiles I have like a -6db gain low Q at 500hz, I have an absolute vendetta against that frequency. I also have another profile that I boost the general 5khz region if the recordings aren't to my liking.

I made about 5 different RME profiles and switched back and forth until I landed on these settings before I was satisfied. This may not work for everyone, but I hope it gives you a good starting off point.

Ok Guys Time for what you all been waiting for. LCD-4 VS LCD-5



Disclaimer:

English isn't my first language so sorry in advance about grammar mistakes. also i didn't use LCD-5 for more than 20 Hours, as i believe that so far i can tell what they do, and further burn in might maybe make the bass a tiny tad punchier ( big maybe) but so far its on a VERY great spot for me not to want extra burn in with the hope of oh please sound better. nop already sounds perfect! <3

One more thing i listen mostly to J-pop so 90% of the songs i have depend on the Quality of Upper Mids and Female Vocals, when we purchase a setup its all about What We Want from it Rather than what does better when it comes to A/B so keep in mind its very subjective Review and its about What i want from a setup to do yet i will ofc share details of what i found and may it be as helpful as possible for you all :3

Last Note, keep in mind i am not a Professional Review, just another user whos been in this hobby for 9 years.

Setup:

DAC: Chord Hugo TT2 + Mscaler
Amp: Woo Audio WA33 Elite Edition (JPS Wired)

Tubes:
TA-274B Takatsuki
Psvane ACME 2A3

Headphone Cable:
Double Helix cable Prion4

interconnect cables:

double helix cables between M-Scaler/Hugo TT2
JPS Labs Cables XLR between Hugo TT2 and WA33

Keep in mind WA33 Elite Edition (JPS Wired) is a VERY High End Setup that will push your headphones to the maximum limits and beyond. so if you have another setup don't expect to have the same result as mine. i am here to tell you what can these headphones do when you give them the best stage and equipment to perform.






LCD-5 Impressions:

Overall Sound Signature is Mid Forward while still being Very Agile and Controlled. Clarity and Details Retrieval is right up there IMO.

Bass:

Very Fast Bass, Agile and very Textured. Doesn't Lack Punch yet might want you to get more punch at the start when you listen to it for few sessions, yet the more you spend with LCD-5 the more you understand why its Bass is Actually very very good. it never bleed into mids nor overshadow other details in Treble which make the sound even more balanced and clear. for the first time ever i heard that kind of bass that made me appreciate having less punch and more details without losing Fun. honestly Perfection.

Mids:

Forward Mids is something you either hate or like ofc, in my case its my favorite aspect of the LCD-5 so far as it make the vocal very intimate sweets and lush. very very refined mids quality and i love it. best mids i have in my headphone collections. while being mid forward, LCD-5 is still faithful to Mids placement in a lot of the recordings, so when the vocal itself not forward LCD-5 doesn't force it forward yet it does its best to make sure the vocal isn't overshadowed by bass or treble and with nice control and smoothness. and while some tracks tend to be vocal forward sounding the Bass and Treble feels like doing what it should do and fun as much as possible and the image is like the Vocalist Guiding both making sure they still do what they do and be fun, very very dreamy image and fun.

i really love how you don't lose details on bass/mids while still enjoying mids and vocals without the headphone sounding like it lacks something which the case with many intimate headphones out there.

Treble:

while not being very sparkly like how i like it, it also doesn't fall behind and extract as much possible details to make a Treble Head like me happy. Treble is very detailed and refined, extended big time yet not too much like what you would head from something like Diana Phi. yet again not failing behind while ofc i wish it could do a tad tiny more but i am happy with it so far, and thats coming from a Treble Head J-pop loving Audiophile hehe. is it ever harsh or bad? never at all, Refined and Extended big time.

Clarity & Control:

LCD-5 is very fast, Agile and able to control whatever details you can throw at them. the details retrieval is among the best i ever heard, you can safely say that this kind of clarity and control will spoil you, making other headphones sound as if they have veil or muddy in comparison. i listen to J-pop with ton of details mashed in on each tracks and LCD-5 doing a very good job making me able to identify each note and even some which i didn't hear in other headphones while still enjoying the presentation and quantity of details.



LCD-4 Vs LCD-5:

Now to Address the big Elephant in the room which all been trying to identify for the past few weeks lol. do i sell my LCD-4 for LCD-5? or do i pick LCD-4 over LCD-5 assuming i don't have any? is LCD-5 mids are worth it coming from LCD-4? so many questions in the past 100 pages and less answers. Its ofc depend on what you want from these two cans and what you listen too. and your preference.

i will start with my Final Verdict and Explain further. after Testing and going A vs B between two cans on my Testing Play List i really kept seeing how LCD-4 is falling behind in many aspect like easily. so fear not if you want LCD-5 honestly it made me easily able to Sell LCD-4 with ZERO regrets. Why? let me explain i guess xD

Bass:

LCD-4 Bass is one of the best in the industry for sure, its like Thunder King, very punchy and makes your cheeks feel the bass. honestly my nightmare coming from my beloved LCD-4 which is my previous Favorite Headphone (thats says a lot ofc) that LCD-5 will make me want to keep LCD-4 because i will miss that Punch.

The more i listened to LCD-5 the more i understood what its trying to achieve. i might have lost a tiny Bass Punch but i gained a lot more, Clarity, Speed and massive details, the punch wasn't failing behind yet it was more fun in a way as i enjoyed that new level of texture, speed and clarity big time. also another thing that made pick LCD-5's Bass over LCD-4's Bass is that LCD-4's Bass was overshadowing Vocals more than LCD-5 which is expected as its very punchy.

on some tracks i was like wow its is perfect balance on LCD-5!! perfect harmony with the punch amount and clarity of vocal and smoothness. going back to LCD-4 the Bass While being Punchier it wasn't as clear nor made upper mids/ Vocals as fun for me (again i listen to J-pop with ton of Female vocals) when it came to that LCD-4 lost the battle of Bass for me hands down.

if you are fine with less details, clarity and control with Bass but never want to Let go of the Thunder King of Bass Punch then LCD-4 is good for you.


Mids:

Not a lot to say here but LCD-5 wins this one easily for me, as the mids and vocal are more refined. you can hear that very nice Lush Sweet Mids sound sig we got used to from LCD-3 back here and more refined while being more presented and adored. really hard to go back once you get used to it, assuming thats what you want from Mids ofc. it was the main enjoyment for me with LCD-5 combined with the clarity of LCD-5 ofc.

Treble:

While both are not a super Treble based Cans, with my current setup i can see it pushing as much as it can to create that fun Treble for me. i always read that LCD series is lacking in Treble big time, yet trust me going big on setup and all cables will make up for this point big time.

LCD-5 Tend to have tiny more Treble Sparkle and Extension when coming from LCD-4 which is another Win for LCD-5 according to my needs ofc. i know some want it even less but again Preference play Huge Role when it comes to what we want from headphones.

Clarity & Control:

LCD-5 made LCD-4 sound very muddy to me and slow with less details. imagine having two clowns, Clown LCD-5 can handle juggling more balls without making them touch each other, and ofc in perfect lining without shadowing something in the recording, while Clown LCD-4 might have punchier balls and heavier ones but no were as Balanced as Clown LCD-5 nor a neat. ( lol sorry about this stupid example with clowns but thats honestly what i imagined whlie A/B ing them)

Conclusion:

in my Book and With what i want from a headphone, LCD-5 is hands down winner for me due Clarity, Speed, Sweet mids and amazing Vocals without Losing that much Punch that make you want to go back to LCD-4. it was still Punchy Enough to make me happy with still hoping i could get more but thats me being greedy even if i am very happy with the results i am getting with LCD-5. that way i saw it is that it LCD-5 is a Huge Upgrade coming from LCD-4 and took care of a lot of it weakness with the only price being little punch and thunder gone from bass but honestly thats about it.


Hopefully you all found this helpful ^^ again i am not the best reviewed but i wrote what i noticed going back and forth between LCD-4 and LCD-5

i saw others who picked LCD-5 over LCD-4 after testing both, and let me tell you i really understand that decision more as well.

I think calling the LCD-4 muddy after listening to the LCD-5 is a bit much. LCD4 is one of the lowest distortion headphones in the world. It simply has a big depression in the upper mids/lower treble which makes it sound more subdued. I have EQed my LCD4 with fantastic results.

Audiophiles always seem to exaggerate the improvements with every new release. With EQ my guess is that the LCD4 and LCD5 will be very very close in performance.

@KMann can shed some light on this if he chooses.

For example my ''lowly'' HD800S from an RME ADI2 matches the detail levels of my SR009S (from the Carbon amp). The only big difference is in the bass where the electrostatic driver (with EQ ) has bottomless bass extension which the HD800S cannot match.

Hypothetically speaking, if one were to EQ LCD-4 to match LCD-5 in tonality, they are both equally transparent and resolving, but where LCD-5 will pull ahead is in clarity so some micro details come through better on LCD-5 than they do on LCD-4. LCD-5 also has a more natural soundstage (spherical) and more focused. LCD-4 has slightly more bass quantity than LCD-5 but LCD-5 has slightly better bass quality. LCD-5 is a bit more punchy in the mids. I would not call LCD-4 muddy with or without EQ if properly driven (but then I am biased)

Almost everything I describe above were a result of conscious effort we made to improve on LCD-4. The earpads play a big role in this to reduce reflections and so do the new magnetic circuit design that has increased spacing that improves imaging and clarity and the parallel uniforce trace patterns that not only help us reduce impedance but it also has added benifit of smoother treble also reduces the rigidity of the diaphragm.

Hi all - sorry to say that I ordered an LCD5 from a dealer in Aus on Tuesday and to my complete surprise I’m now listening to it only 3 days later (I thought it was still on pre-order over here). Feel a bit guilty bearing in mind you folks in North America and Europe ordered weeks ago (but then I’m stuck in a 9 week hard lockdown in NZ so not that guilty).

I would normally say it’s too early to make any definitive judgement but after the first 2 minutes I was impressed. It just sounds right. Really is like a combo of the best aspects of my HEKSE and Utopia. It’s a better and more rounded headphone than both (IMO). Makes the HEKSE sound a bit ragged in comparison (treble more refined and bass much more focused and tactile). I can live with the forward mids.

I’m no expert in these matters but it’s like a bigger sounding Utopia to me. If that makes any sense. It’s not at all bright (for context I never thought the Utopia was particularly bright but the HEKSE was always a bit marginal for me and needed EQ). Not as airy as the HEKSE but more meat on the bones.

Comfortable too - the clamp force is noticeable but I can live with it (I’ve got a medium-large size noggin).

The cable feels a bit cheap but it’s light and not microphonic so no complaints. I’ve got Lazuli Reference cables for my Utopia and HEKSE but don’t think I will bother for the LCD5.

I’ve got a Holo May L3 inbound but not sure if I need it now - the LCD5 sounds so good with the Spring and Studio 6.

I don’t normally post on here (more a lurker than a poster). But bearing in mind the relative lack of reviews to date thought it would be wrong not to..

Still keen to hear the views of those more expert on these matters - especially how it compares to the Susvara, Solitaire P and Abyss Phi TC.

I was thinking about upgrading the HEKSE to Susvara but now not so sure what that will add to the LCD5. Current thinking is I need to try something completely different like the Abyss..

I'm back home not working tonight lol.

I want to add more first impressions. First I want to say that I'm not a reviewer and this is hard especially when English is not my first language.

I always love the look of the Audeze LCD line, I never had any problems with the weight I owned LCD X in the past and now the LCD 2 that I can use it for hours with out any problems, I always wanted the LCD 4 of course everything change after the LCD 5 announcement.

The headphone looks small and it feel light, not bad, but I'm so use to the others Audeze side and feeling that the LCD 5 feels.... too small? or fragile? to me... I know that all the materials are premium but just doesn't feels like mostly because the side, maybe with the time I will appreciated more the design. It reminds me the 1more triple driver over ear for some reason in terms of the side, that headphone that they claim to be over ear but was more like on ears.

I found the pads on the LCD2 (3,X,4,etc) more comfortable that the one in the LCD5, both inside diameter on the pads look the same side maybe the LCD 5 a bit wide but not deeper that the LCD 2, I didn't experience my ears touching the drivers.





Back to the sound I want to explain when I said that these sound just fine (in a good way): Owned many middle of the line headphones in the past like 800s, Fostex TH900 v2, Arya, Clears, X and many others, it was always something missing for me like bass, sharp treble, built quality, comfort or just a bad edition in 2020 (Audeze X) The sound of the LCD 5 I can explain it like everything is there sounding just right nothing emphasis over other, is a bit confusing at first because I was expecting blow away for the sound... Now that I'm into 2 hours of not stop music with them I reached to the conclusion that maybe is because I don't have the proper amplification for this headphones, and this is painful lol more money to spend, my A90 drive these on high gain at 1 pm comfortable levels, I feels like the LCD 5 can punch way more with a much better set up, but still sounds really good like I explained before is just is missing something and I CAN TELL that these headphones are capable of more.

I feel like I need to try better amps or the LCD 4 for better comfort lol I know weird right? the 5 are supposed be more comfortable, but for me that I love the side and feel of the regular Audeze I prefer the regular style...
Anyway if any one who own the LCD 4 want to have a listen of the 5 and are in the NYC area send me a message for a meet up and compare both should be fun "Mi casa es su casa"

In resume for comfort I prefer the old Audeze for sound I can't tell yet how capable the LCD 5 is what I can tell is that is asking for more and for the little that I have sound really good.

 

[MalinYamato]

I own Aragon (modhouse Fostex) and Sundara, have owned Deon flagships, recently a AH-D9200 which I keep. I wanted the best and got myself a LCD-5 after comparing it with HFM Susvara. I know very little about audio stuff but my ears are very musical and according to them, LCD-5 is the winner....it is so true to its source,closer to studio phones, the way I want. No coloring. I have used them for a year and I wont seek out for a replacement. There are nothing to upgrade to make sound sound better wrt headphone related stuff. I am a speaker girl but my neighbors arent so after 22,00 o clock I move into headphone mode.

 

[marie 1947]

Im going to ask here about why lcd5 or planars in general are not considered ideal with tube amps, with lcd5cits a very low impedance, am wondering what is reason for the statements re suitable for digital not tubes

 

[ScubaMan2017]

I’m now the proud owner of the Audeze LCD-3 (origins series, with the pelican like [?] case and the stock unbalanced cable). These are very aesthetically pleasing (I don’t know if the wood rims add/detract to the unit’s sonics). Top notch build quality.

Eventually, I’ll pick up its more pricey sibling (LCD-5).

I understand the *fazor* is a polarizing feature. I did hear some mutterings about big-eared people brushing against these inner ridges. As a mellon-head, I find the LCD to be extremely comfortable… more so than my beloved Dan Clarke Audio Ether C cans.

@marie 1947 …welcome to the headfi newsgoup! Re: headphone amplifiers. So far, I’ve tried my Audeze product on the following amps (and they sound fantastic to me)…
…Schiit Audio Magni Heretic. All op-amp design.
…Vali 2, with its stock tube. Budget hybrid design.
…Lyr 2, with its stock tube. Hybrid. Their premium offering.

I do have an all tube head-amp (Valhalla 2) that I have yet to try out. And it has fancy upgraded tubes! And, I have an all-transistor Asgard 2 to play with too! My instincts tell me, @marie 1947 , you will be pleased with the LCD (3, 4, 5) …on whatever (reputable) amp you plug it into. My 2 cents…

 

[chargedcapacitor]

I’m now the proud owner of the Audeze LCD-3 (origins series, with the pelican like [?] case and the stock unbalanced cable). These are very aesthetically pleasing (I don’t know if the wood rims add/detract to the unit’s sonics). Top notch build quality.

Eventually, I’ll pick up its more pricey sibling (LCD-5).

I understand the *fazor* is a polarizing feature. I did hear some mutterings about big-eared people brushing against these inner ridges. As a mellon-head, I find the LCD to be extremely comfortable… more so than my beloved Dan Clarke Audio Ether C cans.

@marie 1947 …welcome to the headfi newsgoup! Re: headphone amplifiers. So far, I’ve tried my Audeze product on the following amps (and they sound fantastic to me)…
…Schiit Audio Magni Heretic. All op-amp design.
…Vali 2, with its stock tube. Budget hybrid design.
…Lyr 2, with its stock tube. Hybrid. Their premium offering.

I do have an all tube head-amp (Valhalla 2) that I have yet to try out. And it has fancy upgraded tubes! And, I have an all-transistor Asgard 2 to play with too! My instincts tell me, @marie 1947 , you will be pleased with the LCD (3, 4, 5) …on whatever (reputable) amp you plug it into. My 2 cents…

You can't compare the drivability of the different LCD models, especially when tubes are involved. It just doesn't work that way.

Many tube amps really need to be impedance matched; something cans like the LCD-4, Sennheiser, and ZMF headphones can do since they are high impedance. The LCD-5 is one of the lowest impedance headphones.

 

[ScubaMan2017]

You can't compare the drivability of the different LCD models, especially when tubes are involved. It just doesn't work that way.

Many tube amps really need to be impedance matched; something cans like the LCD-4, Sennheiser, and ZMF headphones can do since they are high impedance. The LCD-5 is one of the lowest impedance headphones.

I understand where you are coming from, @chargedcapacitor . Re: impedence. My Beyerdynamics have some ridiculous rating of 300 ohms. I wanted to see if I could tell the difference among my amps.

 

[Malcyg]

I find the LCD-5 to be a very comfortable, lightweight solution when used in conjunction with a Chord Hugo 2Go which I think are ingenious little devices. The LCD-5 sound the best with the H2Go of the 6 headphones that I own, especially in conjunction with the Audeze LCD-5 EQ curve.

There is no universal best solution since synergy is very important - my other phones each sound their best with different source/amps driving them - but H2Go LCD-5 is a very neat, lightweight and excellent sounding rig which really takes some beating as a transportable solution imo.

 

[Tanalasta]

Using the same set-up, I totally concur. Whilst the TT2 would be a step up again and isn't really that large a footprint, I cannot readily think of a more transportable solution v quality.

 

[Malcyg]

Yes, the portable nature is a big point here and I agree on not being able to think of a better combination for that. I originally bought Diana Phi for that role due to their compact yet good quality design, but the pairing with H2Go was a little disappointing to me. I also have Utopia which can be driven by H2Go but are not as portable and, again, the pairing is just not as complimentary as it is with LCD-5. I have learnt about synergy through a lot of fumbling around and happy accidents.

In my teenage years, a H2Go and LCD-5 combination with a Qobuz subscription would have been an unbelievably fantastic setup that I couldn’t have even dreamt possible at the time. It could easily be all that is needed for a lot of people.

 

[Tanalasta]

Whilst I'm listening to the Trailii tonight as my transportable/portable solution (which also synergises amazingly with the Hugo2/2Go with a PWAudio RCA -> 4.4mm adapter) ... I ... don't think you could do a lot better than H2Go and LCD-5. That's end-game!

 

[jlbrach]

the trailli is simply the best travel companion..as good as the LCD-5 is the trailli is simply astonishing for an IEM and cant be beat for travel IMHO of course

 

[Malcyg]

the trailli is simply the best travel companion..as good as the LCD-5 is the trailli is simply astonishing for an IEM and cant be beat for travel IMHO of course

I take it that you didn’t READ THE FIRST POST!