[sahmen]

Good to hear. Love those artists too
Yeah, I do like having light 'phones like my Fostex. But I think its good having regular breaks anyway to refresh eyes and ears.. especially when working on something repetitive such as writing or mixing music.

I appreciate Josh Valour's reviews and sound signature tastes and he loves the X's. He also mentions the DT1990Pros are better in some regards like soundstage. Maybe they have slightly better detail too but for the tradeoff of being a bit bright/treble-hot. So I am definitely leaning towards the X's. Even if it takes me months longer to be able to afford/justify them

I would add that the 1990 has a reputation for being quite hot in the treble. Never heard them myself but that's based on reviews from others I've seen.

Also, the LCD-X was purpose-built for mixing, at least according to Audeze, so take that for what it's worth. I was worried that it would be too analytical when I bought them but, as stated ad nauseam, they are my current favorite 'phones for enjoyment (i'm not a pro).

This. I realize that Elex is popular on Head-fi (along with other Focal cans), but if you're treble sensitive to some degree, it might come across as being too hot and agressive in the top registers, and even downright unpleasant sometimes... That depends on how treble sensitive you're... I got a nice pair about a year ago, which I had to resell after using it for less than 5 minutes in one listening section, because those aspects of the treble were not agreeing with my ears at all. I used to have similar experiences with the Beyerdynamic T1, when I owned it some years ago, even though the T1 was pleasant a lot of the time, and treble-harsh only for a few select songs, depending on the recording. For some reason, my ears were much less tolerant of the Elex...

These are however experiences that may not apply to everyone. The Elex and the T1 (which I mention because of your interest in the 1990) are both very popular headphones on here. However, compared to those two, my LCD-X comes out ahead from the viewpoint of both treble and bass-tunings... One last thing that the LCD-X has got going for it is that the weight gives me no trouble at all, and I can listen to it for hours each day without feeling any kind of stress on my head or neck.

 

[designbykai]

These are however experiences that may not apply to everyone. The Elex and the T1 (which I mention because of your interest in the 1990) are both very popular headphones on here. However, compared to those two, my LCD-X comes out ahead from the viewpoint of both treble and bass-tunings... One last thing that the LCD-X has got going for it is that the weight gives me no trouble at all, and I can listen to it for hours each day without feeling any kind of stress on my head or neck.

Thanks for the thoughts. Thats exactly what I was hoping for. I think I would get used to the weight, as long as the comfort of pads/top padding is great. As far as beyer's go, I did own a pair of T70s at one point (cheaper closed T1s kinda) and they were too bass-light and had peaky treble; I tried different pads but it didn't help enough, so I didn't keep them long.. As detailed as they were, they just weren't listenable to me. So I have those fears about the newer Beyers also.. I think the DT1770 Pro might be different and have a signature more to my liking with some deep bass. But I'd prefer an open headphone and a planar like the LCD-X is definitely something I want to try out.

 

[betula]

Why I like the LCD-X:

Let me start with putting my post into context.

I will try to be brief.
I listen to several different music genres from vocals to classical, but my main music is electronic ambient (60%). In this genre bass extension, layering and clarity is absolutely mission critical. Also bass punch and impact is very important, more so than with other more popular genres.

I have been in this hobby for a few years, I owned and auditioned god knows how many headphones and amplifiers from entry level to TOTL. The most expensive combo I owned (and loved) was the Empyrean with the TT2. I reached this high-end combo from a modest Mojo/Nighthawk setup in just three years. It has been quite a journey with a lot of auditions, selling and buying. I enjoyed every moment.

Context over, this would be my experience:

So, what is the reason for this post? It is because in my experience the LCD-X with the right setup might be better for electronic music than some much more expensive TOTL combos. In my experience the higher up you climb the ladder from around £1000 let it be headphones or amplifiers, the less improvement you get for your money. And the biggest improvement you actually get is more realism/lifelikeness. TOTL gear just sounds more lifelike/real. Like you were really there at the recording. I would say this is the number one quality of any TOTL gear. I admit, this is extremely important with live instruments or vocals, but less crucial with electronic music. With electronic music you need good extension, good clarity, layering and some good bass punch.

I tried many TOTL headphones and they were awesome, but none of them offered the bass extension, bass energy and punch of Audeze headphones (from LCD2 to LCD4) which I enjoy so much. I actually prefer the Empyrean to the LCD4 and HE1000V2 for its naturalness, but even the Empyrean is unable to offer that punchy Audeze bass (although it is not bad). Not to mention, all these TOTL headphones cost a fortune.

I think the sweet spot of price performance ratio on today's headphone market is around £1000-£1200. The Clear, Aeolus or LCD-X are much better than the Elex, LCD2C, Sundara or HD650 and they are actually not light years away from Utopia, LCD4, Verité. Differences are of course subjective, depending on budget, hearing and preferences. But, while the improvement from a £500 headphone to a £1000 one is quite significant, for the same upgrade you have to put down another £2000 at least.

This post is already getting too long, so I won't go into details regarding the importance of proper equipment pairing. It is extremely important though. I see too many posts when folks think they can drive 1K+ headphones out of a $100 portable player, it literally hurts reading these comments.

Back to the LCD-X. Yes, it is advertised as easy to drive, and they are definitely not hard to drive. But they still need something better than a portable player or the most basic desktop setup. The X can scale too! Sure it is low impedance but still the biggest planar transducer on Earth (imagine David Attenborough's narration here)!

I run my X out of ADI2 and I admit I quite like the loudness function which slightly elevates bass and treble depending on listening volume. I also add 0.5db bass when I listen to electronic music. Even such small adjustments on the ADI2 can change the characteristics of the X quite a lot. The X can be very neutral and transparent, but reacts very well for even the smallest adjustments. The very slight adjustments I use with my ADI2 colours the X to a small but very enjoyable extent.

I really like the LCD2C, but compared to the X the 2C is just 'more headphone like' instead of 'lifelike'. Details and clarity are just not on the level of the X. With my small adjustments the X gets a bit closer to the 2C's warmer tonality, while maintaining the superior level of detail/clarity and punch. Pairing and potential adjustments are important. With less ideal setups the X can sound boring and lifeless. With the right setup they can sound sublime. I would also like to point out the importance of bit-perfect sound and the improvement you get with the Audeze reveal plug-in.

The X is pretty good with any genre, but IMO excels with electronica. For this sole purpose I don't think there is a better buy out there at the moment. The X offers enough of the high-end realism that makes it a worthwhile buy over the LCD2 or LCD2C but still maintains (and improves!) perfect bass that Focal or ZMF dynamic drivers can't even touch. Sure, the Aeolus for example will be better for jazz. But our focus here and now is electronic music and bass. Not to mention, the Aeolus for example needs more serious amplification than the X does.

My final point is, if you are (mostly) into any kind of electronic music the LCD-X with a relatively decent DAC/amp (like the ADI2 for exapmle) and with some potential adjustments might just be your ticket to (electronic) audio bliss.

Sure, TOTL headphones sound better (I mean much more lifelike) in comparison, but with electronic music you don't need that extreme level of realism for another 2-3K.
The X offers enough realism compared to all sub 1K headphones to make the upgrade worthwhile and at the same time the X gives you the electronic bass performance that can hardly be found even amongst flagship headphones.

Another reason for this post is that this is a very good time to buy the X if your preference matches what I have just described. The creator edition still exists and you can get even better deals second hand. LCD-X for 7-800 beats most headphones between 1-2K when it comes to bass performance. Combined with a good DAC/amp you can get the perfect electronica/bass performer for 2K and for this sole purpose this might be more enjoyable than some other 4K combos.

Edit: I am not a big cable believer, but Audeze headphones do benefit from silver or silver plated cables. These cables bring the much desired additional clarity from bass to treble.

 

[Swisshead]

Excellent contribution, absolutely exactly also my opinion! I hear a lot of Psy Trance. There is nothing better.

Here is an album that is made for the LCD-X. Sounds best of all my headphones here.

 

[betula]

Excellent contribution, absolutely exactly also my opinion! I hear a lot of Psy Trance. There is nothing better.

Here is an album that is made for the LCD-X. Sounds best of all my headphones here.

Astrix is great, this is exactly what I meant.

 

[donlin]

Why I like the LCD-X:

Let me start with putting my post into context.

I will try to be brief.
I listen to several different music genres from vocals to classical, but my main music is electronic ambient (60%). In this genre bass extension, layering and clarity is absolutely mission critical. Also bass punch and impact is very important, more so than with other more popular genres.

I have been in this hobby for a few years, I owned and auditioned god knows how many headphones and amplifiers from entry level to TOTL. The most expensive combo I owned (and loved) was the Empyrean with the TT2. I reached this high-end combo from a modest Mojo/Nighthawk setup in just three years. It has been quite a journey with a lot of auditions, selling and buying. I enjoyed every moment.

Context over, this would be my experience:

So, what is the reason for this post? It is because in my experience the LCD-X with the right setup might be better for electronic music than some much more expensive TOTL combos. In my experience the higher up you climb the ladder from around £1000 let it be headphones or amplifiers, the less improvement you get for your money. And the biggest improvement you actually get is more realism/lifelikeness. TOTL gear just sounds more lifelike/real. Like you were really there at the recording. I would say this is the number one quality of any TOTL gear. I admit, this is extremely important with live instruments or vocals, but less crucial with electronic music. With electronic music you need good extension, good clarity, layering and some good bass punch.

I tried many TOTL headphones and they were awesome, but none of them offered the bass extension, bass energy and punch of Audeze headphones (from LCD2 to LCD4) which I enjoy so much. I actually prefer the Empyrean to the LCD4 and HE1000V2 for its naturalness, but even the Empyrean is unable to offer that punchy Audeze bass (although it is not bad). Not to mention, all these TOTL headphones cost a fortune.

I think the sweet spot of price performance ratio on today's headphone market is around £1000-£1200. The Clear, Aeolus or LCD-X are much better than the Elex, LCD2C, Sundara or HD650 and they are actually not light years away from Utopia, LCD4, Verité. Differences are of course subjective, depending on budget, hearing and preferences. But, while the improvement from a £500 headphone to a £1000 one is quite significant, for the same upgrade you have to put down another £2000 at least.

This post is already getting too long, so I won't go into details regarding the importance of proper equipment pairing. It is extremely important though. I see too many posts when folks think they can drive 1K+ headphones out of a $100 portable player, it literally hurts reading these comments.

Back to the LCD-X. Yes, it is advertised as easy to drive, and they are definitely not hard to drive. But they still need something better than a portable player or the most basic desktop setup. The X can scale too! Sure it is low impedance but still the biggest planar transducer on Earth (imagine David Attenborough's narration here)!

I run my X out of ADI2 and I admit I quite like the loudness function which slightly elevates bass and treble depending on listening volume. I also add 0.5db bass when I listen to electronic music. Even such small adjustments on the ADI2 can change the characteristics of the X quite a lot. The X can be very neutral and transparent, but reacts very well for even the smallest adjustments. The very slight adjustments I use with my ADI2 colours the X to a small but very enjoyable extent.

I really like the LCD2C, but compared to the X the 2C is just 'more headphone like' instead of 'lifelike'. Details and clarity are just not on the level of the X. With my small adjustments the X gets a bit closer to the 2C's warmer tonality, while maintaining the superior level of detail/clarity and punch. Pairing and potential adjustments are important. With less ideal setups the X can sound boring and lifeless. With the right setup they can sound sublime. I would also like to point out the importance of bit-perfect sound and the improvement you get with the Audeze reveal plug-in.

The X is pretty good with any genre, but IMO excels with electronica. For this sole purpose I don't think there is a better buy out there at the moment. The X offers enough of the high-end realism that makes it a worthwhile buy over the LCD2 or LCD2C but still maintains (and improves!) perfect bass that Focal or ZMF dynamic drivers can't even touch. Sure, the Aeolus for example will be better for jazz. But our focus here and now is electronic music and bass. Not to mention, the Aeolus for example needs more serious amplification than the X does.

My final point is, if you are (mostly) into any kind of electronic music the LCD-X with a relatively decent DAC/amp (like the ADI2 for exapmle) and with some potential adjustments might just be your ticket to (electronic) audio bliss.

Sure, TOTL headphones sound better (I mean much more lifelike) in comparison, but with electronic music you don't need that extreme level of realism for another 2-3K.
The X offers enough realism compared to all sub 1K headphones to make the upgrade worthwhile and at the same time the X gives you the electronic bass performance that can hardly be found even amongst flagship headphones.

Another reason for this post is that this is a very good time to buy the X if your preference matches what I have just described. The creator edition still exists and you can get even better deals second hand. LCD-X for 7-800 beats most headphones between 1-2K when it comes to bass performance. Combined with a good DAC/amp you can get the perfect electronica/bass performer for 2K and for this sole purpose this might be more enjoyable than some other 4K combos.

Lot's of great points. From someone who doesn't listen to any electronic music but listens to lots of classical, acoustic jazz, blues,etc. The LCD-X is an extremely good phone for those genres as well. The weightiness of the sound and the vast space adds a lot of power and realism to any music. I prefer the X for classical to the HD800S which is traditionally sighted as the best for classical. Right after attending a live orchestra concert I'll try various phones with the same of similar music and the bass power of the X is more like what I hear in the concert hall than the super accented treble on a lot of TOTL phones, especially Focal.

 

[ronhGA]

Excellent contribution, absolutely exactly also my opinion! I hear a lot of Psy Trance. There is nothing better.

Here is an album that is made for the LCD-X. Sounds best of all my headphones here.

Just gave this a quick listen & you're right, it is excellent on the LCD-X although not really my taste. I listen to more downtempo music, especially Indian fusion stuff like Bombay Dub Orchestra and the like. Don't laugh too much but I absolutely love the first discs of the Buddha Bar collections (Muzak for my generation). The second disc of each one is more uptempo dance-oriented so not my favorite. The X & XC...X-cel on this stuff also. I'm also into trip-hop (Massive Attack, Portishead, Tricky, etc.).

Someone else commented just before I posted about classical music and I would add that well-recorded jazz sounds great on the LCDs also. Diana Krall Live in Paris is a particular favorite of mine,

 

[betula]

Lot's of great points. From someone who doesn't listen to any electronic music but listens to lots of classical, acoustic jazz, blues,etc. The LCD-X is an extremely good phone for those genres as well. The weightiness of the sound and the vast space adds a lot of power and realism to any music. I prefer the X for classical to the HD800S which is traditionally sighted as the best for classical. Right after attending a live orchestra concert I'll try various phones with the same of similar music and the bass power of the X is more like what I hear in the concert hall than the super accented treble on a lot of TOTL phones, especially Focal.

You are right, the 'weightiness' and bass power are the addictive attributes of the X. This is exactly why I love them. And they are great with classical too, but it is rare to hear someone who prefers the X vs the 800S with classical music. I guess it is not all about that spaciousness afterall.

Just gave this a quick listen & you're right, it is excellent on the LCD-X although not really my taste. I listen to more downtempo music, especially Indian fusion stuff like Bombay Dub Orchestra and the like. Don't laugh too much but I absolutely love the first discs of the Buddha Bar collections (Muzak for my generation). The second disc of each one is more uptempo dance-oriented so not my favorite. The X & XC...X-cel on this stuff also. I'm also into trip-hop (Massive Attack, Portishead, Tricky, etc.).

Someone else commented just before I posted about classical music and I would add that well-recorded jazz sounds great on the LCDs also. Diana Krall Live in Paris is a particular favorite of mine,

I like those trip-hop artists too. They sound great on the X.

 

[donlin]

There are different kinds of spaciousness. The HD800S seems to generate a lot of lateral width (created by the driver/housing design) regardless of the recording where the X seems to reproduce the actual space that's in the recording. The HD800S is wide while the X is vast if it's in the recording.

 

[Swisshead]

I'm listening to Pink Floyd The Wall. Absolutely outstanding with the X. Pink Floyd are generally recorded darker and darker without very sharp highs. In addition beautiful contrabass. So the X is also absolutely perfect and sounds simply brilliant.

This week I received a balanced cable. I have to say that the X clearly gains in quality when used in balanced mode. Even against strong amplifiers it has nothing at all, so it's a good idea to put a scoop on it. With the iCan in tube mode it is a dream! Directly at the Adi-2 it is almost too cold. The Adi is a rather cool neutral amplifier. The iCan is excellent, especially in tube mode!

I like to hear the X when recording with a lot of strong bass, which is well contoured and clear. Where I don't like it at all are the new pop songs, which were recorded completely exaggerated in the trebles, means extremely bright and garish! So I always use the Nighthawk and problem is solved!

For the X I would also not use silver cables, but pure copper cables.

 

[Swisshead]

For Trance fans, again an absolutely outstanding album! Sensationally done! Makes a lot of fun and challenges the X even more!

 

[Swisshead]

I installed the Audeze plug-in today and use it with Audirvana.

Did anyone? I don't quite understand the settings yet, what did you set? Yes, an effect is clearly audible, although I'm not quite sure what it does exactly! It would be great if someone here could say more.

 

[ronhGA]

I installed the Audeze plug-in today and use it with Audirvana.

Did anyone? I don't quite understand the settings yet, what did you set? Yes, an effect is clearly audible, although I'm not quite sure what it does exactly! It would be great if someone here could say more.

Haven’t downloaded the plug-in because I use the Audeze feature that comes with Roon. Works great for both of LCDs.

 

[Crazeenick]

Hi folks - I am new to the Forum. I bought a pair of Focal Clears. Although they were superb in many ways, I ended up sending them back as I found them slightly too bright (too revealing?) and slightly light in the bass. They were great on well recorded music but a bit harsh/fatiguing on less well recorded music. My 3,000 CD collection includes a fair amout of poorer recordings as well as great recordings!

After much online research, I am now thinking of trying the Audeze LCD-X. I am hoping they will be slightly less bright and have slightly more bass than the Focal Clears.

People who have done an A/B comparison LCD-X vs Clears: what do you think?

I use headphones with Naim DAC-V1 and Naim Supernait 2 amps. I like nearly all music genres - classical, jazz, blues, folk, country, pop, rock, metal......

Thanks,
Nick

 

[Tuneslover]

Hi folks - I am new to the Forum. I bought a pair of Focal Clears. Although they were superb in many ways, I ended up sending them back as I found them slightly too bright (too revealing?) and slightly light in the bass. They were great on well recorded music but a bit harsh/fatiguing on less well recorded music. My 3,000 CD collection includes a fair amout of poorer recordings as well as great recordings!

After much online research, I am now thinking of trying the Audeze LCD-X. I am hoping they will be slightly less bright and have slightly more bass than the Focal Clears.

People who have done an A/B comparison LCD-X vs Clears: what do you think?

I use headphones with Naim DAC-V1 and Naim Supernait 2 amps. I like nearly all music genres - classical, jazz, blues, folk, country, pop, rock, metal......

Thanks,
Nick

+1 I would like to hear/see responses too. I have the 2C and I really like the laid back highs and nice bass. Thanks.