[buffer]

Anyone with issues with the LCD-5 headband, please contact support@audeze.com for direct assistance.

posted a comment in response, but decided to take high road; mods can remove this response if they wish

 

[nwavesailor]

After perhaps 6 total hours I am very impressed with the LCD-5. I had another session tonight and I preferred it to the sus and P with and w/o EQ.
My GF seldom listens to my hp and isn't impressed with most anything audio but she also really liked the 5.

I really can't believe how good they sound. Great detail clarity and frankly a fun hp!

 

[rsbrsvp]

5 vs TC: TC is preferable to me over the 5 without equalizer on both, but 5 is preferable with EQ settings in accordance with headphones.com and no EQ on TC as I have not found a EQ on TC that I like; although if I could find the right EQ setting to get the best out of the TC, that may change,- so nothing is conclusive.....

I can see all this changing with other tweaks as well quite easily.. It is a game... The headphones.com EQ setting using Toneboosters 4 EQ really brings out the resolution to stunning levels.

The main awareness that the 5 brought to me over my reference TC is how much the TC was lacking in the midrange presence. I still love it like crazy but relative to the 5 the TC midrange seems hollow in my system and I think that hollowness in the middle is responsible to a large degree for the wide soundstage. True, the 5 has a smaller soundstage, but using my goodhertz crossfeed program- the illusion of soundstage on the 5 is vastly improved. Both headphones are world class. There is no way anyone is going to hear the same thing on these or any headphones because every system and every minor tweak shifts things in a big way.

 

[Slim1970]

After perhaps 6 total hours I am very impressed with the LCD-5. I had another session tonight and I preferred it to the sus and P with and w/o EQ.
My GF seldom listens to my hp and isn't impressed with most anything audio but she also really liked the 5.

I really can't believe how good they sound. Great detail clarity and frankly a fun hp!

The LCD-5's seems to be getting better and better sounding the more time I put on them. I find myself reaching for them a lot lately.

 

[arrakian]

Holo May KTE -> Holo Serene KTE -> Kicker KX200.4 (circa 2005) -> LCD-5

Wouldn't coming out of the Serene KTE be enough?

 

[ThanatosVI]

Wouldn't coming out of the Serene KTE be enough?

The Serene is only a preamp. You still need a headamp or power amp

 

[frictiongg]

Hello is there a comparison of lcd5 vs utopia or susvara?

 

[chargedcapacitor]

Hello is there a comparison of lcd5 vs utopia or susvara?

Quite a few, you've got over 200 pages of content!

 

[rsbrsvp]

One of the most amazing things about the 5 that I have never experienced with any other headphone is you can jack up the volume to ANY level and there is no detectable distortion. Every other headphone I have owned distorts at some point at higher volumes. Now I agree that this high level of volume is way above what is a normal listening level- but if you want to rock out for a few minutes on a super high volume- the 5 gets there without breaking up. I actually feel the heavy thump of the 5 on rock songs as the headphones physically vibrate/rumble on my ears at louder volumes- and it is quite an experience. And like the lcd-4 I feel no ear fatigue at any volume. But even if you never jack up the volume to these levels- this experiment just shows how low the distortion is on these headphones.

 

[curvz]

Yesterday morning I received my LCD-5 and have been listening on and off as they burn in since then. My first impressions - despite everyone before me already saying this - was how small and light these are. Coming from an LCD-3 and LCD-XC, it still surprised me. I think they look classy and stylish and are quite pretty and premium feeling. Personally I do still consider my LCD-3 to be more beautiful, with those gorgeous wooden rings, but I'll take the trade-off for the reduced overall weight any day. Talking about weight, I did put them on the weighing scale to check Audeze's claims, and they clocked in at a nice 421 grams - credit to Audeze for reducing the weight by so much.

Comfort is good for me so far, though I'm still looking for the most optimal fit. Initial comfort is fine though, headband is pleasant, earpads a step back in comfort compared to previous models in my opinion, but nothing to complain about at all. Did start noticing some discomfort due to the camping force, but can't comment too much as I just got them and they do need to settle in a little. Can't comment on long term comfort as I haven't used them for long periods yet.

Even though they aren't burned in yet, I did do a comparison on the US4+ with my Focal Utopia yesterday, because I had to ship them out as part of the trade-in on the LCD-5. I started listening to the LCD-5, then swapped to the Utopia and the first thing I noted was the sudden appearance of a upper mids or lower treble peak, making the Utopia clearly brighter and leaner sounding. Swapping back the LCD-5 and I noticed the frequency response range being smoothed out nicely compared to the Utopia, and there is definitely a certain warmth on the Audeze that is lacking on the Focal - and just what I was looking for. The LCD-5 also has the larger soundstage among the two.

I did find the bass quantity and impact very similar between the two, and had a hard time picking a winner. Which isn't a bad thing, as I feel the bass on the Utopia was very good. However, I did have trouble volume matching them as I switched, so take this with a grain of salt. My dealer also told me that the bass really opens up after 80-100 hours. I already feel like I'm getting more bass from them today as before, but without the Utopia to compare I can't be sure.

These are just impressions, as I did have limited time to compare the two. Over that time though, I did get the feeling that whatever the Utopia does, the LCD-5 does it equally as good or better for my liking. There wasn't any area I would call the Focal better, though obviously the different tuning might work better for certain music or other preferences. The Focals are easier to drive, and I did find the initial comfort to be better - but my ears touch the pads on the Utopia so for extended sessions they get uncomfortable for me.

As a summary, I feel like the LCD-5 hold a middle ground between the LCD-3 and the Utopia in terms of tuning. So far I'm enjoying what I'm hearing and no regrets on the purchase.

PS: since I have read some discussions earlier on this, when I took the headphones out initially, only one of the cups could be turned on the yoke - the left side seemed fixed. Then I applied a little pressure on the left side (more than you usually would to turn them, but not too much of course...) and it came loose and I can turn both sides now. Which is as intended I believe, going off product picture on the Audeze website.

 

[Barone Birra]

Hello is there a comparison of lcd5 vs utopia?

In terms of frequency response, by ear, it seems to me that from around 100 Hertz up to 3-4 kHz both the LCD-5 and the Utopia have a fairly overlapping frequency response and volume of the various instruments / voices. Below 100 Hz indeed Audeze has a more robust sub-bass.
In the treble the Focal is instead more "enhanced", especially on 6 kHz, while I think a certain attenuation in the high range is one of the main characteristics of the LCD-5.
As a result, the Focal is much more prone to sibilants or somewhat sharp cymbals.
Audeze is hardly ever offensive in this area, but it is surprising that even in direct comparison with headphones more "open" at the top, it never gives the impression of hiding details or playing with limited range.
Thanks also to the amazing ambience, and here I can link to a speech about the soundstage...
In fact, with the Utopia it shares a "forward" sound, rather close to the stage.
Focal, indeed, is considered almost "in the middle" of the musicians. The LCD-5 doesn't seem to give a much different impression of distance, but the soundstage feels very different. It took me a while to figure this out, but the Focal seems to play in a studio with a lot of damping, with little reflected waves, this also enhances its famous directional imaging ability, but it eats up a bit of ambient detail.
The Audeze, on the contrary, seems to play in a space not so dissimilar in size, but it's enormously revealing about the environment, it has more stratification. Even compared to Utopia, it is quite easy to see how it manages to better render space and distances.

The punch / impact, especially in the mid-range, is a point on which the Utopia reigns supreme, the LCD-5 is only a tad less intense but has a greater "grunt" at the bottom due to its already mentioned greater linearity in the low-end. The fact that it is a planar also gives the Audeze an extra layer of warmth over the slightly drier Focal.
Ultimately they are both energetic and vivid, very dynamic. Slightly more punchy Utopia, more treble (great for tube amps) but not airier overall than the Audeze. LCD-5 with linear bass down the deepest frequencies (= weighty), more ambience and layering, absence of listening fatigue on high frequencies (requires transparent amplification), more natural tonality.

 

[Hello kitty]

Yesterday morning I received my LCD-5 and have been listening on and off as they burn in since then. My first impressions - despite everyone before me already saying this - was how small and light these are. Coming from an LCD-3 and LCD-XC, it still surprised me. I think they look classy and stylish and are quite pretty and premium feeling. Personally I do still consider my LCD-3 to be more beautiful, with those gorgeous wooden rings, but I'll take the trade-off for the reduced overall weight any day. Talking about weight, I did put them on the weighing scale to check Audeze's claims, and they clocked in at a nice 421 grams - credit to Audeze for reducing the weight by so much.

Comfort is good for me so far, though I'm still looking for the most optimal fit. Initial comfort is fine though, headband is pleasant, earpads a step back in comfort compared to previous models in my opinion, but nothing to complain about at all. Did start noticing some discomfort due to the camping force, but can't comment too much as I just got them and they do need to settle in a little. Can't comment on long term comfort as I haven't used them for long periods yet.

Even though they aren't burned in yet, I did do a comparison on the US4+ with my Focal Utopia yesterday, because I had to ship them out as part of the trade-in on the LCD-5. I started listening to the LCD-5, then swapped to the Utopia and the first thing I noted was the sudden appearance of a upper mids or lower treble peak, making the Utopia clearly brighter and leaner sounding. Swapping back the LCD-5 and I noticed the frequency response range being smoothed out nicely compared to the Utopia, and there is definitely a certain warmth on the Audeze that is lacking on the Focal - and just what I was looking for. The LCD-5 also has the larger soundstage among the two.

I did find the bass quantity and impact very similar between the two, and had a hard time picking a winner. Which isn't a bad thing, as I feel the bass on the Utopia was very good. However, I did have trouble volume matching them as I switched, so take this with a grain of salt. My dealer also told me that the bass really opens up after 80-100 hours. I already feel like I'm getting more bass from them today as before, but without the Utopia to compare I can't be sure.

These are just impressions, as I did have limited time to compare the two. Over that time though, I did get the feeling that whatever the Utopia does, the LCD-5 does it equally as good or better for my liking. There wasn't any area I would call the Focal better, though obviously the different tuning might work better for certain music or other preferences. The Focals are easier to drive, and I did find the initial comfort to be better - but my ears touch the pads on the Utopia so for extended sessions they get uncomfortable for me.

As a summary, I feel like the LCD-5 hold a middle ground between the LCD-3 and the Utopia in terms of tuning. So far I'm enjoying what I'm hearing and no regrets on the purchase.

PS: since I have read some discussions earlier on this, when I took the headphones out initially, only one of the cups could be turned on the yoke - the left side seemed fixed. Then I applied a little pressure on the left side (more than you usually would to turn them, but not too much of course...) and it came loose and I can turn both sides now. Which is as intended I believe, going off product picture on the Audeze website.

Did you order directly from Audeze? If so, how long did it take to receive yours?

 

[curvz]

Did you order directly from Audeze? If so, how long did it take to receive yours?

No, I did not. I did consider it, but current euro-dollar prices make that rather uninteresting at the moment. Plus, I found a local dealer with a pair on stock and willing to make me a deal!

May have had it for a while, considering my pair was built on October 18th.

 

[Terco]

Did you order directly from Audeze? If so, how long did it take to receive yours?

Why not order from an authorized retailer and get the same warranty and fast shipping for less price, I know I didn't paid $4500 for mine just saying.

 

[curvz]

Why not order from an authorized retailer and get the same warranty and fast shipping for less price, I know I didn't paid $4500 for mine just saying.

Nothing wrong with ordering from Audeze, then they'll get all of the profit and I think they're a great company.

Though personally I do prefer going through a local dealer, that helps keep them in business and continues to give us places to audition gear and get advice or recommendations. Had a very good experience myself the last few days and glad I purchased locally - even without the price taken into account.