[sp33ls]

How do you keep at 80? So much is missed at 80db.

I barely go past 65. But i do use closed backs.

A lot of music has a wide dynamic range, meaning that you won't be able to maintain 80dB. If you're listening to classical or jazz you may have the quiet passages at 75-80dB, but the sudden peaks of the explosive passages can go well into 90-100dB+.

This is what Currawong and Kmann were saying about having an amp with the ability to deliver instantaneous current to the drivers.

 

[Slim1970]

Uh oh, the impressions of LCD-5 have made me very interested to spend that money. I'm almost finished paying off the Stealth, so if that doesn't earn its place in my home after a week I'm going for the LCD-5. It seems to do everything well, and checks off the boxes of what I value the most in headphones. I owned LCD-3F and LCD-X 2019, but didn't totally dig the tonality and narrowish stage sizes. Audeze listened to all the feedback and it sounds like they got a winner.

Maybe the acetate rings could be customized a la Rosson cans.

On top of that I own a Hugo TT2 and M-scalar combo so it's reassuring to hear that people are enjoying this pairing. Wonder how it would do with the Formula S, given that thing is a high current beast that can finesse the 1266 TC.

All this TOTL thirst I'm having can't be healthy. I'm currently trying to calculate how many more patients per day I need to see to pay it off. Or worse, moonlight in a few terrifying emergency departments between now and then. Either that or immediately sell the McIntosh MHA200 that is due here in the coming months.

My son was only 2 years old when I told him he could inherit my ZMF Verite. He probably wouldn't even remember such a thing, and I don't recall pinky swearing a thing.

Thanks to all who have provided on-head impressions to all us thirsty folks. Everytime I read them my brain let's out a little squirt of dopamine.

Same, the more details that come about the LCD-5, the more my ears are starting to perk up! I need to figure out which headphone I will be sacrificing.

 

[Xcalibur255]

Carbon fibre doesn’t stretch and in general can’t be re-shaped using heat either

This would be my primary concern. It's kind of a catch-22 for Audeze as any kind of system to allow for adjustment of clamp tension would probably have added weight back onto the headphone, but for people who are sensitive to clamp pressure that carbon fiber headband is going to be the dealbreaker. I remember the first time I put my LCD-2 on my head and was crestfallen when my temples literally started to throb from the clamping pressure. You can bend the spring steel on that headphone to reduce the clamp force. For LCD-5 owners there is no such option, so I'm thinking for us folks who worry about clamping force we need to be patient and allow a greater amount of user feedback to come in and see how many people ended up being bothered by the clamping force.

 

[paradoxper]

Uh oh, the impressions of LCD-5 have made me very interested to spend that money. I'm almost finished paying off the Stealth, so if that doesn't earn its place in my home after a week I'm going for the LCD-5. It seems to do everything well, and checks off the boxes of what I value the most in headphones. I owned LCD-3F and LCD-X 2019, but didn't totally dig the tonality and narrowish stage sizes. Audeze listened to all the feedback and it sounds like they got a winner.

Maybe the acetate rings could be customized a la Rosson cans.

On top of that I own a Hugo TT2 and M-scalar combo so it's reassuring to hear that people are enjoying this pairing. Wonder how it would do with the Formula S, given that thing is a high current beast that can finesse the 1266 TC.

All this TOTL thirst I'm having can't be healthy. I'm currently trying to calculate how many more patients per day I need to see to pay it off. Or worse, moonlight in a few terrifying emergency departments between now and then. Either that or immediately sell the McIntosh MHA200 that is due here in the coming months.

My son was only 2 years old when I told him he could inherit my ZMF Verite. He probably wouldn't even remember such a thing, and I don't recall pinky swearing a thing.

Thanks to all who have provided on-head impressions to all us thirsty folks. Everytime I read them my brain let's out a little squirt of dopamine.

Sell drugs, doc.

 

[Xcalibur255]

It has plenty of voltage headroom and can put out 4W into 33ohms has very low output impedance (nice combination to have for a low impedance headphone), based on measurements I saw, has very low distortion between 100mW and 1W, it should drive LCD-5 with ease. However I have not listened to it, so beyond that I cannot comment on how it will sound.

Since there are a few mentions of Hugo2, Hugo 2 is my preferred DAC/Amp on the go, Hugo2 can put out 2W and can even drive my 8 Ohm Omega CAMs at normal listening volumes in a near field setup . LCD-5 sounds satisfying driven out of Hugo2 and I would be happy with it if it were my only amp. It does scale very well (both transparency and dynamics) when I go to my Chord DAVE (I use a SJ PSU). There is a lot of personal preference at play, I value transparency and resolution more than I do dynamics and body, when I plug LCD-5 into my King Amp, I loose some resolution but gain a bigger soundstage and more body.

Reading that you own a pair of Omega CAMs instantly eliminates any worries/concerns I had about whether or not I would like the new voicing on the LCD-5 (said as a fellow CAM owner).

 

[The Hawk]

This would be my primary concern. It's kind of a catch-22 for Audeze as any kind of system to allow for adjustment of clamp tension would probably have added weight back onto the headphone, but for people who are sensitive to clamp pressure that carbon fiber headband is going to be the dealbreaker. I remember the first time I put my LCD-2 on my head and was crestfallen when my temples literally started to throb from the clamping pressure. You can bend the spring steel on that headphone to reduce the clamp force. For LCD-5 owners there is no such option, so I'm thinking for us folks who worry about clamping force we need to be patient and allow a greater amount of user feedback to come in and see how many people ended up being bothered by the clamping force.

If I had to guess......I would think it’s quite likely in the not too distant future that there will be a steel version of the headband that one could purchase if clamp is an issue for them.

And I say that because I don’t think it’s a stretch to assume the entire LCD line will gradually shift over to the updated aesthetics. The current design has been around a long time with very little in the way of changes andfor many is long overdue for a refresh. The weight issues the pre 5 design entails has always been a thing that’s has turned away a lot of customers over the years.....notably the XC and 4 models. Even using a steel headband as opposed to the carbon fibre of the 5 would still result in a headphone of significantly less weight than even the lightest LCD (the 2C) which come in at 544g

 

[chargedcapacitor]

If I had to guess......I would think it’s quite likely in the not too distant future that there will be a steel version of the headband that one could purchase if clamp is an issue for them.

And I say that because I don’t think it’s a stretch to assume the entire LCD line will gradually shift over to the updated aesthetics. The current design has been around a long time with very little in the way of changes andfor many is long overdue for a refresh. The weight issues the pre 5 design entails has always been a thing that’s has turned away a lot of customers over the years.....notably the XC and 4 models. Even using a steel headband as opposed to the carbon fibre of the 5 would still result in a headphone of significantly less weight than even the lightest LCD (the 2C) which come in at 544g

I would not assume anything about Audeze's future plans, but based off the fact that this is a single sided magnet structure designed around driving a very specifically traced diaphragm, I would not count on many LCD upgrades to the new design. The only thing I see them able to implement would be using the thicker, non-nano diaphragm with the same 14 ohm trace. Maybe it would be called the "LCD-MX5".

 

[Bimbleton]

If I had to guess......I would think it’s quite likely in the not too distant future that there will be a steel version of the headband that one could purchase if clamp is an issue for them.

And I say that because I don’t think it’s a stretch to assume the entire LCD line will gradually shift over to the updated aesthetics. The current design has been around a long time with very little in the way of changes andfor many is long overdue for a refresh. The weight issues the pre 5 design entails has always been a thing that’s has turned away a lot of customers over the years.....notably the XC and 4 models. Even using a steel headband as opposed to the carbon fibre of the 5 would still result in a headphone of significantly less weight than even the lightest LCD (the 2C) which come in at 544g

Agreed. It's a great sign that Audeze's brand new flagship puts a big emphasis on reduced weight! I'm confident that, if the LCD-5 is a success, they will prioritize reduced weight across their whole lineup for the future.

 

[KMann]

Reading that you own a pair of Omega CAMs instantly eliminates any worries/concerns I had about whether or not I would like the new voicing on the LCD-5 (said as a fellow CAM owner).

Love how the mids sound on the CAMs directly driven by DAVE, transparent, detailed, lifelike.

 

[adrianm]

Come on @KMann , slap some metamaterials on the back of the LCD-5 and give us a new closed back

 

[ra990]

In all my head-fi experience, I've never owned an Audeze headphone, because of weight mainly. The new releases seem to have taken care of that and I'd be lying if I I wasn't extremely tempted to finally try the LCD 5.

 

[jaboki]

In all my head-fi experience, I've never owned an Audeze headphone, because of weight mainly.

1266 owners should already be used to the weight
- 1266: 640 grams
- LCD-4: 690 grams
- LCD-4z: 560 grams
- LCD-X: 612 grams

 

[ra990]

1266 owners should already be used to the weight
- 1266: 640 grams
- LCD-4: 690 grams
- LCD-4z: 560 grams
- LCD-X: 612 grams

I'm actually one of those weirdos that finds the 1266 very comfortable. I don't notice the weight because they float and barely clamp.

 

[WoollyGeezer]

So, did you pull the trigger?

I looked at the impressions on the Abyss as well.

The way I rationalized it was that if I'm going to have only one TOTL open-back, I wanted it to be a bit less... finicky? It seems the LCD-5 is more comfortable, a bit more "solid" in its design and build, less picky about placement with your ears (TBD?), and more neutral.

I have the Z1R's as a closed back complement. Thinking about selling them and going with the Verite Closed as my complement to the LCD-5.
I'll never sell my workhorse daily drivers, HD650

Click-click, boom.

Very excited.

 

[sp33ls]

Click-click, boom.

Very excited.

Same! I wonder when headphones.com will be able to start fulfilling orders.

I have a feeling I won't be disappointed by the LCD-5's performance.