Audeze LCD-5 Review, Measurements, Interview

[Sajid Amit]

LCD-5 with Resolves v2 EQ is for me the best sound you can get for 4.5K. Utopia is very good but LCD-5 is technically better! More resolving, cleaner.

Agree. That’s also been my experience. But the comfort is sub par. Makes me think I should try the wider headband before selling.

The 5 is cleaner, clearer, faster, more detailed and has a wider SS. Also better bass control.

Utopia still slams harder and may have deeper SS while being narrow. Its also famously comfortable.

 

[Sajid Amit]

Finally got around to the headband change today.

Very easy to do. Unscrew the black caps and simply slide out. Then slide into new headband. Use the included Allen key (thank you!!!) to tighten to your desired adjustment tightness. I found once it starts grabbing, a quarter to half turn resulted in a significant adjustment so left the key in to hand turn until I got where I liked it.

And it's a definite step up. I tolerated the tight headband. But this is way more comfortable and more on par with my Utopia in tightness.

The LCD-5's sing out of a Chord Hugo 2.

I have the LCD-5 and the Utopia. (having sold the Empyrean). I give the nod to the LCD-5 as the more enjoyable headphone. And all I've done is a cable roll.

Does the wider headband change the sound?

 

[Tanalasta]

Definitely try the wider headband. The comfort difference is immediate. And the change takes under a few minutes. Most of it is fiddling with the hex screw to adjust the play on the sliding.

As to sound, difficult to do a A/B. Perhaps the difference between pushing the cups hard against your ear and not. I didn’t do a direct comparison.

 

[jlbrach]

I also don't get the hate on the Elites. Resolve mentioned on his review that they are on par with the LCD-X, which I later found absolutely ridiculous. I owned the X 2021 and had to put them on sale after receiving the Elites and having a listen for less than 15 minutes. The LCD-X 2021 are great, but the Elites are just on another level. They are goosebumps machines with almost anything you throw at them, even with songs I never liked before. Resolve's EQ profiles are great, but now I have to take his opinions with a grain of salt.

I haven't had the chance to audition the LCD-5, but hopefully soon. It just catches my attention that there's indeed a very high amount of people reselling them after a few days, so most likely I won't blind-buy this time.

resolve can be a bit wacky TBH

 

[jlbrach]

Agree. That’s also been my experience. But the comfort is sub par. Makes me think I should try the wider headband before selling.

The 5 is cleaner, clearer, faster, more detailed and has a wider SS. Also better bass control.

Utopia still slams harder and may have deeper SS while being narrow. Its also famously comfortable.

I agree even with the wider head band the 5 is not comfortable to me...I find the susvara far more comfortable also the solitaire p...I like the 5 but dont much like wearing it...ironically despite its weight I found the 4 more comfortable

 

[Sajid Amit]

I agree even with the wider head band the 5 is not comfortable to me...I find the susvara far more comfortable also the solitaire p...I like the 5 but dont much like wearing it...ironically despite its weight I found the 4 more comfortable

Interesting.

How would you rate the following in terms of comfort assuming a Susvara is a 9 out of a 10:
1. Utopia
2. LCD5 wide headband
3. LCD5 narrow headband

 

[brams]

Funny that even after so many years the Utopia still remains competitive with recent release TOTL headphones. Despite the (at the time) high price and whether or not the signature matches your taste it's still a great comparitive reference and one of the better buys in audio IMHO especially if purchased used. Like the hd6xx every headphile should hear it at least once and every reviewer should own it.

Although I have been tempted by many of the recent releases and have taken the plunge on a few (more to experience their different signature than to replace the Utopia)), I am intrigued by what its ultimate replacement from Focal (nothing yet announced as far asI know) will be like.

I have yet to hear the LCD-5, but based on subject impressions it sounds like it could be the natural reference replacement for the Utopia. Good job Audeze!

 

[jlbrach]

I found the utopia very comfortable and very well built both times I owned them....susvara is the most comfortable for me...utopia is next followed by the 5 with the wider headband and last would be the 5 with the original headband..imho of course

 

[EMINENT]

out of curiosity how does the lcd-5 a well recieved HP that people waited months to receive sell in the low 3000's such a short time after release...even the elite the successor to the empyrean which in my opinion cant hold a candle to the 5 has held up better

The lowest I have seen is 3500 on lcd5 and 3000 on elite. We can thank the first ones to sell them for the generous discounts. I believe a lot of them were not a fan of the old, tighter headband and not using eq. If I couldn't be bothered with eq, I don't think I would keep them, honestly.

In my mind, it's all marketing. I went with LCD-5 over the Elite after many reviews just "trashing" the Elites. They're good, but I have heard time and time again that they were not as good as LCD-5. I am so damn happy I went with LCD-5. These things impress the F out of me. I know I'm new and "skipped" to the front of the TOTL spectrum, but good lord. These things are heavenly. I bet I'd say the same with the Elites if I bought them instead all the reviews lead me to the road of LCD-5.

Same. I am always curious about others in the same price range, but I am perfectly content with and loving these.
Over all my reading and research, I have come to these conclusions based on my preferences having heard none of them. Lol.

I didn't want to be limited by closed, so Stealth was out. Very much love the design and if I had to go closed, they would be owned no doubt.
Susvara: highly considered and almost purchased, in the end the amping requirements sealed it's fate but am now already up there in investment. With both eq'd and Resolve thinking better bass on LCD5, this is profound. New headband's comfort is a non issue.
1266 TC: out on vocal/mids according to some, polarizing reviews, deal killer, even though no one would really be seeing me, is the headband. Such a terrible design. No amount of sound quality could make up for it.
Elite: intrigued by the amount of love but can understand they are probably more balanced, deal killer, they are not technically better than any others as Wavetheory mentioned in his review "they are not even on the same island" as the others, lol! And, the headband is just equally ridiculous looking as the design on the 1266. It's the mounting point on the OUTSIDE of the cups that makes any design like that look silly. They need to conform closer to the anatomy of the head, not look like an apparatus that could serve as a neck brace.
Sr1a: bass roll off means non starter
Sol P: not enough info out there to gamble $6k with it alone.

Damn, I tried the @Resolve EQ today with the LCD5. Game-changer, lol.

But of course, these are early impressions.

I will still consolidate and sell something, lol.

If I end up keeping the EQ-ed LCD5, I will probably sell the Utopia and Stax SR007 MK1. And keep the Sus, TC, 009S, and LCD5. And maybe, the HD800S (hard to let go of this one).

Surprised you were using and selling without trying it. It's a magical transformation that unfortunately some may never experience or know. Like a supercharged version of itself.

I have Peace/Equalizer APO and can't figure out how to incorporate these EQ's. I've tried and just gave up. I'll do them manually, but not to the exact extent and nothing seems to import over. I have a feeling I'm missing something super basic.

What can I help with? Are you set up to where it is working at least? Meaning, can you hear a difference with it on or off?

The Resolve EQ is fantastic.-- I do agree that there is possibly a bit to much sparkle in the treble for my taste (long term), but I could see how others may like that sparkle. I prefer a bit of a darker tone and this EQ is excellent to my ears.

I appreciate when others bring out their EQ settings because I do not have the expertise to make my own. Every EQ I have ever tried on every headphone is worse than no EQ probably due to my lack of knowing how to make the proper settings. The resolve, and this ptr516 option on the LCD-5 are superb. They are viable options to no EQ and maybe even better than no EQ. THANK YOU....

I prefer to bring some of that treble hotness down with a .5db increase in each bass frequency.

Does the wider headband change the sound?

Not at all.

 

[Volote]

@EMINENT I am able to EQ with just tinkering directly on Peace, but I can’t touch some of the frequencies for tinkering since they aren’t on the graph. when I try to re-create saved EQ’s, they don’t load. I just know I’m missing a step.

 

[EMINENT]

@EMINENT I am able to EQ with just tinkering directly on Peace, but I can’t touch some of the frequencies for tinkering since they aren’t on the graph.

If they aren't on the slider graph (not the graphical curve visualizer) as in not enough, you can add as many as you want by clicking the + sign. It will add a default 1000hz to the end on the right. You have to move a slider to enable the left and right arrows next to the + and - to move the frequency column left or right.

 

[EMINENT]

@EMINENT when I try to re-create saved EQ’s, they don’t load. I just know I’m missing a step.

If you have a saved profile on the left in the box, you just double click to enable it. You'll be asked if you made any changes to the current profile if you are alright with losing it so you can save the current profile before switching to a preset.

 

[438555]

Gosh... either these LCD-5 's are super sensitive or they are pointing out serious Grounding issues with certain pieces of audio equipment and/or their power supplies. Anyone try different headphone cables with the LCD-5 to see if there's a resolve the 'Hum' issue?

Weird, I just started noticing 60 Hz hum on my right ear cup too. I tried swapping L/R cables, and the hum stayed on the right. Tried the cable, from my LCD2, same deal. Plugged the same cables into my LCD2, no hum.
Started noticing it when I tried them on a plain old magni heresy, which give no hum or noice with LCD2 or even with my Shure SE846 IEMs. Switched to a THX AAA789, and can still hear it, with XLR or 1/4 cable.
Weird thing is it picks up the hum even if the amp is off. But only the LCD5.
Switched to an Ayre codex and the hum is gone.
Was normally listening on a Yggy/Jotunheim or Gungnir/Mjolnir, and hadn’t heard this before.

 

[438555]

Weird, I just started noticing 60 Hz hum on my right ear cup too. I tried swapping L/R cables, and the hum stayed on the right. Tried the cable, from my LCD2, same deal. Plugged the same cables into my LCD2, no hum.
Started noticing it when I tried them on a plain old magni heresy, which give no hum or noice with LCD2 or even with my Shure SE846 IEMs. Switched to a THX AAA789, and can still hear it, with XLR or 1/4 cable.
Weird thing is it picks up the hum even if the amp is off. But only the LCD5.
Switched to an Ayre codex and the hum is gone.
Was normally listening on a Yggy/Jotunheim or Gungnir/Mjolnir, and hadn’t heard this before.

Also, am I right in concluding from these posts that S/N>1700 have the wider headband? Mine are a higher S/N and the headband feels perfect to me.

 

[zen87192]

Weird, I just started noticing 60 Hz hum on my right ear cup too.

Grounding issue. Try connecting a phono cable to another piece of audio equipment in your system. You may find the hum moves around until you have been able to isolate and connect one or two pieces of audio equipment together with phono leads. Once done, touch each item to see if all are now grounded.