Why is the LCD-X one of my favourite and perhaps the best value for money headphones for my taste?
It all boils down to personal taste fellows. Don't believe any comments, any reviews, in the end it is all personal taste. You have to try it yourself to know what you like.
I often found my personal taste is not in line with the actual mainstream reviewers. I simply have to try it myself and trust my judgement. Wallet is the next major defying factor. What is the maximum amount you relatively easily spend on a great pair? £200? £1000? £3000? It is all so relative.
I love bass and I love a spacious and natural sound. Closed back headphones are usually bass kings (TH-900) but they lack the spaciousness and naturalness of open back headphones. Open back headphones however are unable to produce great bass by design. Great bass to me is ultimate extension (flat to 20Hz) clarity, balance, separation, punch, slam and dynamics. When it comes to open back design, only planars do can get close to my 'perfect bass' definition. All dynamic driver design lack something: extension, slam, balance, separation. On the other hand, no closed back design can compete with even a mid-fi open back headphone when it comes to natural and spacious sound.
The LCD-X offers awesome bass which is flat to 20Hz. There is bass cleanliness, separation and dynamics with slam. With its eloquent bass performance the LCD-X puts to shame many famous closed back opponents. At the same time you have the airy spaciousness and naturalness of open back design which can't be matched by any closed back competitor.
The fact that the LCD-X can easily be found under 1K these days makes them an absolutely outstanding candidate if your preference is similar to mine.
Forget about chasing one holy grail, you buy headphones to match your personal taste, usage scenario and budget. There are several holy grails out there based on personal preference.
At the same time not one headphone is 100% perfect.
I love the bass presentation of the LCD-X (which I think is better than some 2-3K flagships) the LCD-X is also not without fault. I would love to have slightly warmer and slightly sweeter vocals. Bass is pretty much perfect, treble is also not much more to wish for: clean and clear. 10% more treble energy would be too much for me (Focal Clear) the LCD-X is just on the higher-end of treble intensity that I still find pleasant (and clear enough).
Mids could be a bit 'closer to the soul', but it is a very minor grip especially with my music I like which is 80% electronic psychedelic ambient like CBL.
For bass quality and openness I am not sure if anything can beat the LCD-X. Definitely not under 1K or not even under 2K.