Audeze LCD-5 Review, Measurements, Interview

[Maco30]

Hello. I am the owner of an audeze LCD 5, I use a Burson conductor 3x reference as an amplifier. I want to move on and would like to know which amp would be best for my LCD-5. I am also thinking about tube amplifiers, such as Ayon HA 3 or Feliks Envi. It is written that the LCD-5 does not get along very well with the tube. Can you confirm this for me? Or the chord Hugo TT 2 . I want something that will work and not buy and sell because I made a bad decision. Thank you Peter

 

[rsbrsvp]

Is this a headphone that must be equalized? Is there anyone who likes the tuning with no equalization or perhaps just a bit of a bump in the sub bass?

 

[MusicalDoc8]

Is this a headphone that must be equalized? Is there anyone who likes the tuning with no equalization or perhaps just a bit of a bump in the sub bass?

I don't equalize and enjoy it immensely. Music's like taste in food, not two palates are the same and nuance change both anatomically AND mentally. safe to say that technicalities are top notch and, in case of EQ, they EQ very well. So it's either great out of the box or can be made to better suit your tastes.

 

[rsbrsvp]

I do like a darker planar sound sound which I hear the LCD-5 has.. I bump up every headphone I own with a small bass shelf- but prefer to stop there.

 

[MusicalDoc8]

I do like a darker planar sound sound which I hear the LCD-5 has.. I bump up every headphone I own with a small bass shelf- but prefer to stop there.

I like variety in that sense, as such i enjoy a more "basscannon" like the heartland on occasion, but my most "all rounder" is the LCD5. In the end i never am able to point at any "discrepancy" in the frequency response. It's just so evened out, i like it like it is. But ear shape, age, experience....there are countless differences that end up accumulating and vastly change our perception.
I vaguely remember there was a summary division of audio groups, i think 3 groups, basically the sparklers(treble heads), the evened out and the bassheads. Gotta find that research paper somewhere

 

[lostumpire]

Is it just me or the lcd-5 sounds really boring... Do I have to EQ?

 

[IanB52]

Is it just me or the lcd-5 sounds really boring... Do I have to EQ?

Yes.

 

[tutetibiimperes]

I do like a darker planar sound sound which I hear the LCD-5 has.. I bump up every headphone I own with a small bass shelf- but prefer to stop there.

I wouldn’t call it dark. It’s not a treble cannon, but compared to something like the Meze Empyrean which I’d classify as very warm/dark the LCD-5 is much more balanced and neutral.

 

[rsbrsvp]

I wouldn’t call it dark. It’s not a treble cannon, but compared to something like the Meze Empyrean which I’d classify as very warm/dark the LCD-5 is much more balanced and neutral.

Understood. But many say it is thin. Neutrality almost always equals thinness.

 

[mikecheck95]

Understood. But many say it is thin. Neutrality almost always equals thinness.

LCD 5 are like a transparent lens with a very slight tint and also a very slight magnification

 

[tutetibiimperes]

Understood. But many say it is thin. Neutrality almost always equals thinness.

It doesn’t sound thin to me, though like any planar headphone it benefits from a bass shelf boost.

 

[EMINENT]

Understood. But many say it is thin. Neutrality almost always equals thinness.

heulo

i would not disagree as sufferer of mid peak
for those with similar perception the mids overshadow and obscure bass and treble resulting in intimate presentation
early trials of boosting bass and treble hovering around harman resulted in pleasurable tone but not best around characteristics
lcd5 improves with a different signature than previous thought approach
once compensated true qualities appear but is varied by user sensitivity in the area

 

[alekc]

Is it just me or the lcd-5 sounds really boring... Do I have to EQ?

@lostumpire indeed, it sounded boring to me as well, hence I went with MM-500 - IMHO the most fun HPs from Audeze at the time being.

As for EQ: IMHO if cans requires EQ from the very beginning it either a sing that those are not the right headphones for you, or it is a manufacturer statement that they couldn't nailed it without additional help of EQ which for me is kind of diplomatic designer admitting to a failure in either design and/or manufacture process.

 

[EMINENT]

@lostumpire indeed, it sounded boring to me as well, hence I went with MM-500 - IMHO the most fun HPs from Audeze at the time being.

As for EQ: IMHO if cans requires EQ from the very beginning it either a sing that those are not the right headphones for you, or it is a manufacturer statement that they couldn't nailed it without additional help of EQ which for me is kind of diplomatic designer admitting to a failure in either design and/or manufacture process.

no difference
if something sound boring than it is doing right of being neutral and upto user to still curate embellishments for personal coloration
peaks or excited or elevated response to entice are easily mistaken for quality

such is the case with any other headpiece where one may have an already agreeable frequency response and proceeding to bend fr with source gear for similar but still compromised effect

 

[alekc]

no difference
if something sound boring than it is doing right of being neutral and upto user to still curate embellishments for personal coloration
peaks or excited or elevated response to entice are easily mistaken for quality

such is the case with any other headpiece where one may have an already agreeable frequency response and proceeding to bend fr with source gear for similar but still compromised effect

@EMINENT I wouldn't call LCD-5 neutral nor transparent even with very sterile, transparent THX based amp for example.