[801evan]

LCD 5 has less magnets that's why it fall apart on faster amps and fitting is more crucial than previous LCD models. If you have an amp that hits the right speed, it sounds just like an lcd4 minus the bass extension. Go any faster on the amp and one would think they need to EQ.

 

[yaohanzex]

When I first received and listened to the LCD-5, I couldn't understand the hate it received. The detail retrieval alone floored me, regardless of it's overly mid-forward presentation. Classic Rock with dual rhythm guitars sounded fantastic, same with drum reproduction. When I finally got around to EQ'ing, HOLY crap. I've never heard a headphone awaken as much as the LCD-5 w/ EQ. It throws the AB 1266 TC into 3rd, takes 2nd behind the Susvara in my opinion. The capability of that driver is unreal.

It's a $4500 headphone after all. Sale number can't be that high. Therefore, the source of information for majority of people is reviewers online. If most of the reviewers refuse to EQ to stay 'neutral', to be honest the stock tuning doesn't really fit the taste of a lot of people. Luckily LCD-5's technical performance is up there and behaves well to EQ. It's still a fantastic product but won't be well received.

 

[yaohanzex]

Recently picked up a LCD-5 and was initially dissapointed using the stock copper cable. Iˋm probably just repeating what has already been stated in the thread many times over, but the problem in my opinion is that the stock copper cable cuts down the treble too much relative to the midrange and highlights the contrast between the upper mids and the rest of the response. The focus on the midrange also highlights the total absence of any upper bass bloom and results in a very flat listening experience.

As a last ditch effort before moving these along I switched to a Silver Coated Copper cable (no-name custom cable from a local builder) and was surprised how much of a difference opening up the treble just slightly made. I am now enjoying these quite a bit. Knowing what I know now, for my listening tastes if I was to purchased these new I would have gone with Audezeˋs silver plated copper. Definitely more on the analytic side, but sometimes thatˋs exactly what I need. Very picky of the entire chain as well, but when everything gels the result is quite impressive. For portable use I am using the Questyle QPM and Fiio M17 with very good results.

What you experienced at first is because of LCD-5's stock tuning. After changing cable, it's just your brain getting used to the sound. Cable alone can't do much change to frequency response.

 

[801evan]

Nahh. Many many cables out there has a veil/haze and lifts bass. And many more crushes vocals like crazy.

 

[brams]

What you experienced at first is because of LCD-5's stock tuning. After changing cable, it's just your brain getting used to the sound. Cable alone can't do much change to frequency response.

It's not my intention to get into a cable debate here, but I know what I hear. I've been in this hobby for a long time and know that the price and claimed effect of many cables puts them directly in the camp of snake oil. It also makes any real investigation of their impact difficult especially when individual biases are considered.

I absolutely agree that there is some acclimatization of the brain at play. There is also expectation bias when switching back and forth between cables, but that does not explain everything. Cables are bandpass filters and therefore can't really increase a signal within the pass band. However they can allow more or less of a signal to pass through relative to other cables and in so doing alter the brain's perception of frequency response. Although the level of filtering is quite small, the subjective effect can vary from subtle to easily noticeable. The effect appears to be more pronounced if the change occurs at a critical part of the headphone response (i.e. where it is most needed and most readily heard), if the change is limited to just a portion of the audible range and if the listener is sensitive to changes in that area.

Given my technical l background it is very hard for me to accept what I cannot readily explain by just looking at standard measurenents. However, I have reluctantly come to accept that there are audio effects that we simply do not know how to measure or how to properly correllate against a set of measurements. Based on magnitude alone the measured differences between cables should not be audible, but here we are.

Anyway, no further comments from me on this subject. What is important is that I am now enjoying the headphones and was not before.

Because the Audeze target curve is designed to give the most accurate, detailed response that translates closest to speakers in the real world. Audeze’s philosophy is that tuning to a more neutral tuning, or a target curve such as Harman can actually diminish the technical capabilities of the headphone (by having negative effects on phase response etc)

Their solution is to offer a Reveal+ plugin. You get the best of both worlds. A technical marvel where nothing is sacrificed in order to achieve a target curve and a more neutral tuning should you choose to apply it. (Also most people hear things differently to begin with so making a headphone that takes EQ well ensures you can tailor it to your own personal preferences without a loss of fidelity)

Audeze's approach is definitely unique in that they actively encourage EQ of their product. My only concern is that not all listening setups allow for EQ at the level required (or any EQ at all) to make them enjoyable for many people. I just think that their out of the box tuning especially on a $4500 unit should be closer to that "speakers in the real world" ideal when clearly for the large number of people EQing it's not. However, I do agree that for those with no bias against EQ and the ability to do so it's a great solution.

 

[Drummer Boy]

LCD 5 has less magnets that's why it fall apart on faster amps and fitting is more crucial than previous LCD models. If you have an amp that hits the right speed, it sounds just like an lcd4 minus the bass extension. Go any faster on the amp and one would think they need to EQ.

From ownership experience, could not disagree more with either of these two statements. Falls apart?? Sounds like an LCD-4??

Maybe I have to go out and get my ears cleaned.

 

[801evan]

From ownership experience, could not disagree more with either of these two statements. Falls apart?? Sounds like an LCD-4??

Maybe I have to go out and get my ears cleaned.

With iDSD pro sig on tube mode, the response is slow enough where 4 and 5 sounds practically the same except 4 has bass slam and bass extension. Also i would sit 5 to the back just before the back of my ear touches the cups.

 

[chargedcapacitor]

From ownership experience, could not disagree more with either of these two statements. Falls apart?? Sounds like an LCD-4??

Maybe I have to go out and get my ears cleaned.

Don't feed the trolls. Evan is as clueless as the day is long. He's been gumning up the forums for years.

 

[801evan]

Don't feed the trolls. Evan is as clueless as the day is long. He's been gumning up the forums for years.

Yet the chain I had doesn't need EQ.

 

[dfiled]

(I want to preface this question by apologizing if this has already been discussed as nauseum in this thread).

I bought the LCD-5s shortly after they came out. I have quite a big head and had to sell them almost immediately as the clamping force was extremely uncomfortable for me. I’m now thinking of getting them again now that the larger headband has been introduced. For those who are similarly cranially endowed, has the new headband designed made a substantial difference?

 

[chargedcapacitor]

(I want to preface this question by apologizing if this has already been discussed as nauseum in this thread).

I bought the LCD-5s shortly after they came out. I have quite a big head and had to sell them almost immediately as the clamping force was extremely uncomfortable for me. I’m now thinking of getting them again now that the larger headband has been introduced. For those who are similarly cranially endowed, has the new headband designed made a substantial difference?

It's a substantial difference in my opinion. Audeze also recommends installing the longer rods and extending them as far as they go.

 

[flippant1]

Audeze LCD-5 Review, Measurements, Interview



​

First a new electrostatic flagship with the CRBN, and now a new planar magnetic flagship with the LCD-5 -- Audeze is making abundantly clear they've never stopped developing products for the audiophile market.

Audeze CEO Sankar Thiagasamudram visited us at Head-Fi HQ to discuss the new Audeze LCD-5, I discuss its sound signature, and show you measurements (including measurement comparisons) made using the following:

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• Brüel & Kjær High-frequency Head and Torso Simulator (HATS) Type 5128​
• Audio Precision APx555 Audio Analyzer​
• Audio Precision APx1701 Transducer Test Interface​
• STAX SRM-353X Electrostatic Driver Unit (Amplifier)​
• Benchmark HPA4 Headphone Amplifier​
• Herzan custom-designed acoustic & vibration isolation enclosure​

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Click on the following link for more information about the Brüel & Kjær 5128 hearing simulator mentioned in the video: Brüel & Kjær 5128

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​

Sennheiser Audeze LCD-5 Review, Measurements, Interview - produced by Brian Murphy, Joe Cwik, and Jude Mansilla​

​

I picked up the LCD-5 and found them to lean on bass quantity and upper treble. The bass quality is outstanding. I purchased the RME-ADI-2 Pro FS-R with dual AKM chips to run balanced with a custom adapter cable. I find I get abundant power and use the built-in parametric EQ and I find it runs very powerfully. It's not the Focal sound signature I am used to but the depth of detail makes some of the recordings I listen to the sound sublime. The quality of the recording is important as with this amp- headphone combo, it's not forgiving of poor recordings as was the Focal Utopia, Clear, and Stellia.

I have been told that I may not have enough power to drive the LCD 5 with The RME-PRO, a US $2000 DAC/amp with eq as I won't hear the "true quality " of the LCD-5. Using the RME - I have never gone above low power mode & it seems to be fine but I am still "wanting" on the sound of the LCD-5 and I am trying to figure out if it's just the headphone or if could it be the RME? The EQ definitely helps with bass and the sound in general and with some recordings, it is incredible.
I am not a newbie but most of my listening for the past 5 years has been all Focal cans,

If anyone has insights and knows the RME Pro, I appreciate your help before I sell one thing or another,

 

[dfiled]

Is it that impact/slam/punch quality you’re missing? If so you may just prefer dynamics to planars — I do.

 

[shwnwllms]

I picked up the LCD-5 and found them to lean on bass quantity and upper treble. The bass quality is outstanding. I purchased the RME-ADI-2 Pro FS-R with dual AKM chips to run balanced with a custom adapter cable. I find I get abundant power and use the built-in parametric EQ and I find it runs very powerfully. It's not the Focal sound signature I am used to but the depth of detail makes some of the recordings I listen to the sound sublime. The quality of the recording is important as with this amp- headphone combo, it's not forgiving of poor recordings as was the Focal Utopia, Clear, and Stellia.

I have been told that I may not have enough power to drive the LCD 5 with The RME-PRO, a US $2000 DAC/amp with eq as I won't hear the "true quality " of the LCD-5. Using the RME - I have never gone above low power mode & it seems to be fine but I am still "wanting" on the sound of the LCD-5 and I am trying to figure out if it's just the headphone or if could it be the RME? The EQ definitely helps with bass and the sound in general and with some recordings, it is incredible.
I am not a newbie but most of my listening for the past 5 years has been all Focal cans,

If anyone has insights and knows the RME Pro, I appreciate your help before I sell one thing or another,

Have you tried the Audeze Reveal+ plugin? The convolution files have been released and can be applied in Roon, HQPlayer etc. It’s a much more dramatic improvement over any PEQ I’ve tried (as there are other things such as phase correction happening with the convolution filter)

 

[flippant1]

You definitely hit one aspect of it right on the head. But on some music like acoustic I marvel at the detail of the guitar strings, just the detail in general. I though the Utopia had detail but the LCD-5 is amazing. I am definitely looking at the new Utopia when released but I would find it difficult to give up the LCD-5.
I just want to make sure the DAC is up to the task. But again, that punch is definitely important to me. Thank you.