I completely agree that it's better to go with LCD-X over any of the focals. They are one of my favorite headphones and have recommended them to countless people. I don't know anything about what type of filter the ifi bass boost adds, maybe it has something to do with that.
Audeze LCD-X
- Thread starter Icenine2
- Start date
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- Tags
- audeze-lcd-x
Yes,, apply the loctite then re-insert.
There's little reason to remove this screw. Even in the future should you need a new yoke for any reason, the yoke replacement kits come with new rods/screws, etc anyways. And the headband slips off from the top of the rod where the nylon screw is (which you remove with your fingers, and do NOT want to apply loctite to.).
Last edited:
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- Jun 22, 2015
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I've had this problem with my LCD-X since I purchased them 5 years ago. I just made sure the lock washer was pointing teeth down and hand tightened.
If you use Loctite Blue you should be able to remove the screws in the future. If you use Loctite Red you might not be able to.
Actually considering a LCD-X just to be able to try your EQLCD-X 2021 EQ Revision 03-05-23
For A Refined EQ
I'm proud to present nearly 3 months work in what is arguably my best EQ for LCD-X ever!
It's been a while since my last revision (which to me, I admit, I was a little disappointed with) so I spent extra time with this one to make sure that I was not going to regret posting it. Always sleeping on any change, large or small, to hear it again with fresh ears before committing to anything.
This time around I discovered that PEACE can define Q values to the thousandth of a decimal place, a feature that I took advantage of in this release to amazing results...especially when shaping high frequency sounds like 'sss' sounds. In this revision I have shaped the 'sss' sounds to near perfection...not fuzzy sounding but not piercing either...just realistic and beautiful.
Highs have been shaped in a hybrid shape with the the LCD-X's stock tuning and the Focal Stellia's stock tuning...using the best of both tunings and combining them for custom euphonic sound. It took a long to time to accomplish this.
The sub bass extends all the way down and below 20Hz for beautiful sub bass but not too much...as defined by a dip at exactly 40.11Hz for just enough sub bass but not too much to add mud. Since my last revision I've added back some of the high bass warmth that was missing, getting back to my roots so to speak...but again not too much.
If a song is meant to be bass heavy, this EQ will reflect that. If the song is not bass heavy, this EQ will respect that as well. Also the way bass is expressed in modern pop is often times different than the way that bass was mastered in songs from the 90s, 80s, and 70s and so on respectively. All will sound good/appropriate to their respective time periods. The common attribute for all of these bass expressions is a nice amount of punch.
Important notes about P.E.A.C.E.
My EQs go to the the hundredth place of some Frequencies values as well as the hundredth place of some Gain values. Unfortunately the Import function of the current PEACE v. 1.6.4.1 does not import these decimal place values as they are in the txt files I've shared...as I have posted earlier.
I wrote to PEACE creator Peter Verbeek and he has fixed this issue in beta version 1.6.5.0 just for this fix! And he did it within 24 hours of my writing him!
This beta version is available at this link: PEACE Beta V. 1.6.5.0
Instructions:
1. Rename the downloaded exe file from Peace1650.exe to Peace.exe.
2. Copy the downloaded and renamed file to c:\program files\equalizerapo\config, overwriting the existing Peace.exe file (perhaps after renaming the existing Peace.exe file to Peace.bak just in case for safety.
3. In case you haven't already done this, change the Settings/Sizes And Amounts Settings - "Snap to dB gain" setting to 0.01 as in the following pic.
Now you can simply import the attached txt file and trust that all of the decimal place values will be accurate so you hear exactly what I hear and have worked so hard on!
LCD-X 2021 EQ Revision 03-05-23
Channel: all
Preamp: -17.7 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 20.2 Hz Gain 11.89 dB Q 0.68
Filter 2: ON LSC Fc 40.11 Hz Gain 1.07 dB Q 4
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 80 Hz Gain 9.47 dB Q 1.196
Filter 4: ON LSC Fc 90 Hz Gain 3.79 dB Q 0.65
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 120 Hz Gain 1.99 dB Q 1.41
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 220 Hz Gain -4.13 dB Q 2.4
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 300 Hz Gain 3.45 dB Q 1.5
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 575 Hz Gain 3.72 dB Q 3
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 785 Hz Gain -2.34 dB Q 2.2
Filter 10: ON HSC Fc 1235 Hz Gain -1 dB Q 2.4
Filter 11: ON HSC Fc 1500 Hz Gain 8 dB Q 0.72
Filter 12: ON PK Fc 1750 Hz Gain 0.47 dB Q 3
Filter 13: ON PK Fc 1910 Hz Gain 1.05 dB Q 5
Filter 14: ON PK Fc 2700 Hz Gain -3.1 dB Q 2
Filter 15: ON PK Fc 3325 Hz Gain 0.3 dB Q 4.8
Filter 16: ON PK Fc 3485 Hz Gain 1.6 dB Q 4.9
Filter 17: ON PK Fc 3750 Hz Gain 3.3 dB Q 1.7
Filter 18: ON PK Fc 3850 Hz Gain 1.1 dB Q 4.7
Filter 19: ON PK Fc 4015 Hz Gain -1.15 dB Q 5
Filter 20: ON PK Fc 4350 Hz Gain 2.3 dB Q 4
Filter 21: ON PK Fc 5100 Hz Gain -0.45 dB Q 3
Filter 22: ON PK Fc 5600 Hz Gain -2.75 dB Q 5
Filter 23: ON PK Fc 6100 Hz Gain -3.23 dB Q 2.5
Filter 24: ON PK Fc 6500 Hz Gain 2.12 dB Q 5
Filter 25: ON PK Fc 7200 Hz Gain -1.65 dB Q 3
Filter 26: ON PK Fc 8000 Hz Gain -1.46 dB Q 4.073
Filter 27: ON PK Fc 9700 Hz Gain -0.3 dB Q 1.41
Filter 28: ON HSC Fc 10980 Hz Gain 2.14 dB Q 0.65
Filter 29: ON PK Fc 11115.84 Hz Gain -2.4 dB Q 3.921
Filter 30: ON PK Fc 13290 Hz Gain -4.99 dB Q 4.8
Filter 31: ON PK Fc 13737 Hz Gain 3.25 dB Q 3.082
As with all of my EQs I have designed them for easy tweaking:
- To tailor bass adjust the gain of Filter 4 to taste.
- To tailor mids "shoutiness" adjust the gain of Filter 17 to taste. Or to tailor the entire mids and high-bass raise (or lower) the Gain of the other named filters (Filters 4, 27, and 28) EQUALLY and adjust the Pre-amp value to keep the EQ at -0.1dB. This is the preferred way to adjust the mids.
- To tailor high-mids/low treble adjust the gain of Filter 27 to taste.
- To tailor treble adjust the gain of Filter 28 to taste.
After any adjustment, be sure that the Pre-amp setting is set to keep the EQ at -0.1dB in the graph window to avoid clipping or unnecessary compression.
Thanks for reading this far! And thanks to you all who have been so kind in encouraging me with "Likes" and posts. For those of you who don't EQ (I respect that), thanks for putting up with my posts for the sake of those who do.
Enjoy what I think is my best EQ ever and do let me know if you have questions/comments!
Blessings,
-Jonne
How would you describe the sound you’re aiming for?
Wow, Thank You.LCD-X 2021 EQ Revision 03-05-23
For A Refined EQ
I'm proud to present nearly 3 months work in what is arguably my best EQ for LCD-X ever!
It's been a while since my last revision (which to me, I admit, I was a little disappointed with) so I spent extra time with this one to make sure that I was not going to regret posting it. Always sleeping on any change, large or small, to hear it again with fresh ears before committing to anything.
This time around I discovered that PEACE can define Q values to the thousandth of a decimal place, a feature that I took advantage of in this release to amazing results...especially when shaping high frequency sounds like 'sss' sounds. In this revision I have shaped the 'sss' sounds to near perfection...not fuzzy sounding but not piercing either...just realistic and beautiful.
Highs have been shaped in a hybrid shape with the the LCD-X's stock tuning and the Focal Stellia's stock tuning...using the best of both tunings and combining them for custom euphonic sound. It took a long to time to accomplish this.
The sub bass extends all the way down and below 20Hz for beautiful sub bass but not too much...as defined by a dip at exactly 40.11Hz for just enough sub bass but not too much to add mud. Since my last revision I've added back some of the high bass warmth that was missing, getting back to my roots so to speak...but again not too much.
If a song is meant to be bass heavy, this EQ will reflect that. If the song is not bass heavy, this EQ will respect that as well. Also the way bass is expressed in modern pop is often times different than the way that bass was mastered in songs from the 90s, 80s, and 70s and so on respectively. All will sound good/appropriate to their respective time periods. The common attribute for all of these bass expressions is a nice amount of punch.
Important notes about P.E.A.C.E.
My EQs go to the the hundredth place of some Frequencies values as well as the hundredth place of some Gain values. Unfortunately the Import function of the current PEACE v. 1.6.4.1 does not import these decimal place values as they are in the txt files I've shared...as I have posted earlier.
I wrote to PEACE creator Peter Verbeek and he has fixed this issue in beta version 1.6.5.0 just for this fix! And he did it within 24 hours of my writing him!
This beta version is available at this link: PEACE Beta V. 1.6.5.0
Instructions:
1. Rename the downloaded exe file from Peace1650.exe to Peace.exe.
2. Copy the downloaded and renamed file to c:\program files\equalizerapo\config, overwriting the existing Peace.exe file (perhaps after renaming the existing Peace.exe file to Peace.bak just in case for safety.
3. In case you haven't already done this, change the Settings/Sizes And Amounts Settings - "Snap to dB gain" setting to 0.01 as in the following pic.
Now you can simply import the attached txt file and trust that all of the decimal place values will be accurate so you hear exactly what I hear and have worked so hard on!
LCD-X 2021 EQ Revision 03-05-23
Channel: all
Preamp: -17.7 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 20.2 Hz Gain 11.89 dB Q 0.68
Filter 2: ON LSC Fc 40.11 Hz Gain 1.07 dB Q 4
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 80 Hz Gain 9.47 dB Q 1.196
Filter 4: ON LSC Fc 90 Hz Gain 3.79 dB Q 0.65
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 120 Hz Gain 1.99 dB Q 1.41
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 220 Hz Gain -4.13 dB Q 2.4
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 300 Hz Gain 3.45 dB Q 1.5
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 575 Hz Gain 3.72 dB Q 3
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 785 Hz Gain -2.34 dB Q 2.2
Filter 10: ON HSC Fc 1235 Hz Gain -1 dB Q 2.4
Filter 11: ON HSC Fc 1500 Hz Gain 8 dB Q 0.72
Filter 12: ON PK Fc 1750 Hz Gain 0.47 dB Q 3
Filter 13: ON PK Fc 1910 Hz Gain 1.05 dB Q 5
Filter 14: ON PK Fc 2700 Hz Gain -3.1 dB Q 2
Filter 15: ON PK Fc 3325 Hz Gain 0.3 dB Q 4.8
Filter 16: ON PK Fc 3485 Hz Gain 1.6 dB Q 4.9
Filter 17: ON PK Fc 3750 Hz Gain 3.3 dB Q 1.7
Filter 18: ON PK Fc 3850 Hz Gain 1.1 dB Q 4.7
Filter 19: ON PK Fc 4015 Hz Gain -1.15 dB Q 5
Filter 20: ON PK Fc 4350 Hz Gain 2.3 dB Q 4
Filter 21: ON PK Fc 5100 Hz Gain -0.45 dB Q 3
Filter 22: ON PK Fc 5600 Hz Gain -2.75 dB Q 5
Filter 23: ON PK Fc 6100 Hz Gain -3.23 dB Q 2.5
Filter 24: ON PK Fc 6500 Hz Gain 2.12 dB Q 5
Filter 25: ON PK Fc 7200 Hz Gain -1.65 dB Q 3
Filter 26: ON PK Fc 8000 Hz Gain -1.46 dB Q 4.073
Filter 27: ON PK Fc 9700 Hz Gain -0.3 dB Q 1.41
Filter 28: ON HSC Fc 10980 Hz Gain 2.14 dB Q 0.65
Filter 29: ON PK Fc 11115.84 Hz Gain -2.4 dB Q 3.921
Filter 30: ON PK Fc 13290 Hz Gain -4.99 dB Q 4.8
Filter 31: ON PK Fc 13737 Hz Gain 3.25 dB Q 3.082
As with all of my EQs I have designed them for easy tweaking:
- To tailor bass adjust the gain of Filter 4 to taste.
- To tailor mids "shoutiness" adjust the gain of Filter 17 to taste. Or to tailor the entire mids and high-bass raise (or lower) the Gain of the other named filters (Filters 4, 27, and 28) EQUALLY and adjust the Pre-amp value to keep the EQ at -0.1dB. This is the preferred way to adjust the mids.
- To tailor high-mids/low treble adjust the gain of Filter 27 to taste.
- To tailor treble adjust the gain of Filter 28 to taste.
After any adjustment, be sure that the Pre-amp setting is set to keep the EQ at -0.1dB in the graph window to avoid clipping or unnecessary compression.
Thanks for reading this far! And thanks to you all who have been so kind in encouraging me with "Likes" and posts. For those of you who don't EQ (I respect that), thanks for putting up with my posts for the sake of those who do.
Enjoy what I think is my best EQ ever and do let me know if you have questions/comments!
Blessings,
-Jonne
I had the LCD-X (pre 2021) for few years now and tried some eq, but never liked them. After time get a bit bored of the sound of them. They sounded without emotions and too analytic (which is good for mixing music), but less good for just enjoying it. Today by chance i checked this thread and decided to download the eq and your settings.
Im amazed how good these headphones sound. They are engaging, trasnlate the emotions and at the same time just sound clear as usual.
I think you saved these headphones.
Btw i changed the 1+3 filter by 2 steps. The bass was too much for my liking.
Thank You one more time.
Jonne Haven
100+ Head-Fier
Wow! That's quite a statement about my EQ! Thank you!Actually considering a LCD-X just to be able to try your EQ
How would you describe the sound you’re aiming for?
But before you do, I would like to perhaps explain a few things that might aid your decision better, not to necessarily deter or encourage, just to educate...
I don't have time right now, but I will post as soon as I can, ok?
Blessings,
-J
Jonne Haven
100+ Head-Fier
Hey @TheR0v3r,Actually considering a LCD-X just to be able to try your EQ
How would you describe the sound you’re aiming for?
I was gratified by your appreciation of my EQ even unheard!
However, before you invest, in what is at least to me a large sum of money ($1200 US), I thought I'd just share a few things that I know about the LCD-X 2021 and my EQ...just so you'd make your decision not just based on a visual of my EQ alone, as I would feel grossly responsible if you bought one and did not care for it...if you know what I mean.
As you may already know but still bears repeating, Audeze makes frequent silent revisions to the LCD-X 2021 models and so in addition to natural unit variation, there is that unknown, unaccountable variation that Audeze unfortunately adds to the mix, making any sort of confluence very difficult when sharing EQs. So you should know that what I hear with my EQ may differ a great deal from you will hear depending on how your model is made and the sensitivity of your ears and their unique predilections.
I've been chastised over, and over again about my EQs value precision sometimes going as small as the thousandth of a decibel for some Qs, and to the hundredths of a decibel for some frequencies. People say that I am wasting my time with such precision, or that I am deceiving myself thinking that I can hear that detailed. I can't prove that I can, and they can't prove that I can't...so...impasse. If the specificity of my values rubs you the wrong way, don't think of them as absolutes, but rather as suggested "anchors" that you can adjust to what your ears find best. I think that the 31 frequencies and, to a degree, the Qs I've chosen are very good "anchors" to start from at the very least, but many people will dump on me for the value specificity, the Q values, and the number of filters, and whatever else they can conjure up to chastise my freely shared EQ with. I get a lot of s*** for my EQs and it fatigues me and sometimes even hurts me. But to be fair there are many such as yourself who do appreciate my work. It's a mixed reception so just know that much...sorry for ranting a little.
Also, the EQ you're looking at is over 4 months old and I am constantly improving my EQs for the LCD-X 2021. The revision I'm working on now is similar to what you're looking at but there are changes, very important changes. It is a work in progress that I'm not ready to post to the world just yet, but I'd be happy to share with you privately in a PM if you should decide to attain an LCD-X 2021...because at the very least, you'll have two EQs to chose from. I think the one I'm working on is vastly superior, particularly in the bass detail, but I've learned through experience that EQ preferences even among my own EQs varies greatly according to subjectivity.
PHEW...enough negatives!
OK, all that said, the LCD-X 2021 is easily my favorite headphone in my collection, though it not the most expensive. I love it because of its extremely low distortion and EQ-ability. I've been recording, engineering, and mastering my own and others' music for almost 30 years now and the LCD-X 2021 is designed for that kind of work. It is meant to perform as close to actual monitor speakers as possible...and it responds with great accuracy to DSP plugins used in engineering...blah blah blah...THAT said, it just sounds the best to me! Like I've owned it for around a year and a half and I'll still get chicken skin listening to it!
Ok, so finally to your question, "How would you describe the sound you're aiming for?". Perhaps this compensated graph of my latest EQ work in progress will help:
For a couple of reasons, I have great respect for the mids portion of the Harman curve. I find that portion of the curve to make a sound that is clear, detailed, and just natural and euphonic. As an engineer, these most important frequencies that are a culmination representing the average cross-section of listeners preferred FRs, and so I can count on my mixes to reflect those average preferences if I EQ to them. So as you can see I have "reined in" the stock FR which was pretty curvy and jagged and made it to hug the Harman curve very precisely around those frequencies.
The highs are a (again, reined in) blend of the Focal Stellia's (a very good $3000 headphone) and the LCD-X's stock FRs. It makes the highs recognizable, engaging, but never piercing...again just euphonic.
I like a lot of bass as you can see, but this bass is not as thick as you may think. The concave (is that the word?) curvature of its upward slope allows room for the rest of the frequency spectrum so that while yes, the bass is very present, it is not overtly "boomy" or "suffocating" to me. The LCD-X's FR, as it is also with most headphones, tends to veer off downwardly at the very low end of the bass spectrum, so based on @oratory1990's combined measurements of LCD-X 2021s FRs, I have shaped the EQ so that you get a flat horizontal line at the very end of the bass spectrum which results in giving the sound the sub-bass that you would hear if you had a quality subwoofer supported speaker system as I have and am used to.
That weird bump at 81.12Hz is meant to give punch and slam to the frequencies that most kick bass drums occupy.
The low mids are a personal preference. I found that the Harman curve's low mids make the sound too, well cloudy and shrouding of the sound in general...and a little too departed from a flat, neutral sound that I, as an engineer, sometimes crave. So that's why I abandoned the Harman curve a bit in that area.
Finally, about my EQs, I have made them so that various portions of the frequency spectrum can easily be manipulated to taste. Too much sub-bass? Change such and such filter's gain to taste. Too much mid-bass, change this filter, etc...and I include that information when I post.
I know these are only "words" that really can't communicate how a headphone EQ will work on you specifically, and the only way to know is to try. But $1200 is a lot of green (at least for me) and I wanted you to know as much as I know about my EQs and the LCD-X 2021 as possible before you pulled that trigger.
I hope this helps, and while I would encourage this purchase of what is my favorite headphone, please kindly take sole responsibility for your decision if you buy and hate it!
Haha!All kidding aside, I was tickled pink that you would make the statement you made about my EQ and that is the reason why I have gone to such lengths to help aid your ultimate decision. It was an honor to read your comment and so I hope this post has been helpful!
Blessings,
-Jonne
Jonne Haven
100+ Head-Fier
@Oliverw,
I'm so glad you found a way to "resurrect" your LCD-X and that my EQ helped to do so!
EQ 'can' be a very powerful contributor to the sound of a headphone in my opinion...even though EQ preferences are so subjective. And yeah, I find that bass quantity tends to be the most subjective area of the EQ spectrum, so it doesn't surprise (or offend) me that you would alter it to your taste, in fact I'm glad that you took the initiative to tailor it to your liking! I think that many people don't try that and just abandon the whole EQ altogether.
I am a bit surprised that my LCD-X 2021 EQ was to your liking with your pre-2021 LCD-X! Amazing!!! But still great. Whatever works right??
Thanks for your comments and happy listening!!!
Blessings,
-J
What a wonderful replyHey @TheR0v3r,
I was gratified by your appreciation of my EQ even unheard!
However, before you invest, in what is at least to me a large sum of money ($1200 US), I thought I'd just share a few things that I know about the LCD-X 2021 and my EQ...just so you'd make your decision not just based on a visual of my EQ alone, as I would feel grossly responsible if you bought one and did not care for it...if you know what I mean.
As you may already know but still bears repeating, Audeze makes frequent silent revisions to the LCD-X 2021 models and so in addition to natural unit variation, there is that unknown, unaccountable variation that Audeze unfortunately adds to the mix, making any sort of confluence very difficult when sharing EQs. So you should know that what I hear with my EQ may differ a great deal from you will hear depending on how your model is made and the sensitivity of your ears and their unique predilections.
I've been chastised over, and over again about my EQs value precision sometimes going as small as the thousandth of a decibel for some Qs, and to the hundredths of a decibel for some frequencies. People say that I am wasting my time with such precision, or that I am deceiving myself thinking that I can hear that detailed. I can't prove that I can, and they can't prove that I can't...so...impasse. If the specificity of my values rubs you the wrong way, don't think of them as absolutes, but rather as suggested "anchors" that you can adjust to what your ears find best. I think that the 31 frequencies and, to a degree, the Qs I've chosen are very good "anchors" to start from at the very least, but many people will dump on me for the value specificity, the Q values, and the number of filters, and whatever else they can conjure up to chastise my freely shared EQ with. I get a lot of s*** for my EQs and it fatigues me and sometimes even hurts me. But to be fair there are many such as yourself who do appreciate my work. It's a mixed reception so just know that much...sorry for ranting a little.
Also, the EQ you're looking at is over 4 months old and I am constantly improving my EQs for the LCD-X 2021. The revision I'm working on now is similar to what you're looking at but there are changes, very important changes. It is a work in progress that I'm not ready to post to the world just yet, but I'd be happy to share with you privately in a PM if you should decide to attain an LCD-X 2021...because at the very least, you'll have two EQs to chose from. I think the one I'm working on is vastly superior, particularly in the bass detail, but I've learned through experience that EQ preferences even among my own EQs varies greatly according to subjectivity.
PHEW...enough negatives!
OK, all that said, the LCD-X 2021 is easily my favorite headphone in my collection, though it not the most expensive. I love it because of its extremely low distortion and EQ-ability. I've been recording, engineering, and mastering my own and others' music for almost 30 years now and the LCD-X 2021 is designed for that kind of work. It is meant to perform as close to actual monitor speakers as possible...and it responds with great accuracy to DSP plugins used in engineering...blah blah blah...THAT said, it just sounds the best to me! Like I've owned it for around a year and a half and I'll still get chicken skin listening to it!
Ok, so finally to your question, "How would you describe the sound you're aiming for?". Perhaps this compensated graph of my latest EQ work in progress will help:
For a couple of reasons, I have great respect for the mids portion of the Harman curve. I find that portion of the curve to make a sound that is clear, detailed, and just natural and euphonic. As an engineer, these most important frequencies that are a culmination representing the average cross-section of listeners preferred FRs, and so I can count on my mixes to reflect those average preferences if I EQ to them. So as you can see I have "reined in" the stock FR which was pretty curvy and jagged and made it to hug the Harman curve very precisely around those frequencies.
The highs are a (again, reined in) blend of the Focal Stellia's (a very good $3000 headphone) and the LCD-X's stock FRs. It makes the highs recognizable, engaging, but never piercing...again just euphonic.
I like a lot of bass as you can see, but this bass is not as thick as you may think. The concave (is that the word?) curvature of its upward slope allows room for the rest of the frequency spectrum so that while yes, the bass is very present, it is not overtly "boomy" or "suffocating" to me. The LCD-X's FR, as it is also with most headphones, tends to veer off downwardly at the very low end of the bass spectrum, so based on @oratory1990's combined measurements of LCD-X 2021s FRs, I have shaped the EQ so that you get a flat horizontal line at the very end of the bass spectrum which results in giving the sound the sub-bass that you would hear if you had a quality subwoofer supported speaker system as I have and am used to.
That weird bump at 81.12Hz is meant to give punch and slam to the frequencies that most kick bass drums occupy.
The low mids are a personal preference. I found that the Harman curve's low mids make the sound too, well cloudy and shrouding of the sound in general...and a little too departed from a flat, neutral sound that I, as an engineer, sometimes crave. So that's why I abandoned the Harman curve a bit in that area.
Finally, about my EQs, I have made them so that various portions of the frequency spectrum can easily be manipulated to taste. Too much sub-bass? Change such and such filter's gain to taste. Too much mid-bass, change this filter, etc...and I include that information when I post.
I know these are only "words" that really can't communicate how a headphone EQ will work on you specifically, and the only way to know is to try. But $1200 is a lot of green (at least for me) and I wanted you to know as much as I know about my EQs and the LCD-X 2021 as possible before you pulled that trigger.
I hope this helps, and while I would encourage this purchase of what is my favorite headphone, please kindly take sole responsibility for your decision if you buy and hate it!
All kidding aside, I was tickled pink that you would make the statement you made about my EQ and that is the reason why I have gone to such lengths to help aid your ultimate decision. It was an honor to read your comment and so I hope this post has been helpful!
Blessings,
-Jonne
At this point, I’m more into enjoying the “audiophile journey” more than anything else. That elusive end game is nothing but an illusion.
Your posts, and work, has been a joy to follow. I truly appreciate your willingness to share. And I’d just like to tag along on for a while on your journey
I was actually looking at a Hifiman to compliment my Focal but thanks to your posts I’ll do my due diligence on the LCD-X. Loved the LCD-4 but in the end it was just to heavy for me…
PS. Writing on my phone so keeping it short.
Last edited:
@Oliverw, I'm so glad you found a way to "resurrect" your LCD-X and that my EQ helped to do so! EQ 'can' be a very powerful contributor to the sound of a headphone in my opinion...even though EQ preferences are so subjective. And yeah, I find that bass quantity tends to be the most subjective area of the EQ spectrum, so it doesn't surprise (or offend) me that you would alter it to your taste, in fact I'm glad that you took the initiative to tailor it to your liking! I think that many people don't try that and just abandon the whole EQ altogether. I am a bit surprised that my LCD-X 2021 EQ was to your liking with your pre-2021 LCD-X! Amazing!!! But still great. Whatever works right??
Hey man, I'm a long-time lurker and had to log in just to give you thanks for sharing your EQ. The way you "speak" about it tells me you painstakingly obsessed over it for months, and I know what that feels to a degree. I find it a bit bassy for my individual liking, but still, I'm enjoying it on my LCD-X 2021 without adjustment. Sans your EQ, they sound like a honky mess in comparison
I wanted to mention that before downloading the beta .exe file and adjusting the .01 dB setting, I was listening to my AudioQuest NightHawk Carbon as is and your EQ makes the Audeze cans sound very similar to those headphones. The punchy bass, restrained, non-honky mids, and defined but smooth highs with a dry-sounding, isolated, spacious soundstage really reminds me of the AudioQuest cans I was just wearing, ha-ha. Cheers!
EDIT: I reduced the 80 Hz band from 9.47 dB to 3.79 dB like the 90 Hz band and the bass is now less ear-filling and more to my preference, he-he!
Last edited:
Jonne Haven
100+ Head-Fier
@Harum7,Hey man, I'm a long-time lurker and had to log in just to give you thanks for sharing your EQ. The way you "speak" about it tells me you painstakingly obsessed over it for months, and I know what that feels to a degree. I find it a bit bassy for my individual liking, but still, I'm enjoying it on my LCD-X 2021 without adjustment. Sans your EQ, they sound like a honky mess in comparison
I wanted to mention that before downloading the beta .exe file and adjusting the .01 dB setting, I was listening to my AudioQuest NightHawk Carbon as is and your EQ makes the Audeze cans sound very similar to those headphones. The punchy bass, restrained, non-honky mids, and defined but smooth highs with a dry-sounding, isolated, spacious soundstage really reminds me of the AudioQuest cans I was just wearing, ha-ha. Cheers!
EDIT: I reduced the 80 Hz band from 9.47 dB to 3.79 dB like the 90 Hz band and the bass is now less ear-filling and more to my preference, he-he!
I really enjoyed reading your most gracious post and your very first post on this forum!
Yes I do "obsess" about my EQs for months at at time. It is like, at least in my own mind, seeking truth...I don't presume my search to be as grand or pure as seeking Truth with a capital "T" in the more theological sense, but I think that there are similarities. Like, perhaps I will never fully discover the truth (the perfect EQ) but the search of it and the small discoveries I am gifted to discover along the way brings me immense joy, and so I continue, relentlessly, obsessively, to pursue!
By study I am really a musician and a recording engineer. I studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston. If I learned one thing while at that most famous school it is, that while I am told I am talented, I will quote a line from one of my favorite movies the adaptation of the book "Little Women". "Talent is not genius". It is a line said by a character who I think was communicating the sad reality that in spite of her acclaimed "talent" she would never be timelessly distinguished or recognized to the extent that she would like, were she to pursue her gift with full devotion. In the end she quits the artform she is "talented" in for the more pragmatic search for the security and companionship of a husband as so many women at that time had very little choice but to do with their lives.
In some ways I am the same. I am told I am a "talented" songwriter, but that is all. My songs have never reached more acclaim than a few dozen views on YouTube. I guess I'm happy with at least that much...the fact that I have at least released my music for the world to turn down as it has every right to do, is better that than never having tried at all.
In discovering the beauty of mixing and mastering music, I have discovered another "talent" and that is my ability to "polish" the works of other great songwriters and their recordings...
That pursuit inevitably led to the chase of better and better tools in which to hone the mastering process with. The LCD-X 2021 has become my favorite headphone to do this with and the EQing of it is what has led me here to this forum.
And so, yes I do obsess over this "damned" and at the same time "blessed" pursuit of the perfect EQ. May I never achieve it, nor ever stop trying to!
I'm very happy that you are enjoying it, it's good to hear that people outside of myself are...and I'm happy that you have adjusted it to your liking! I'm not vain enough to suggest that my preferences are better than yours, certainly not! In fact, as I have said, I have engineered the EQ to BE adjustable! So cheers to you for finding your happy sound!
Thankyou buddy for your kudos! And may you also never stop pursuing whatever "truth" gets you up in the morning!!!
Blessings,
-J
Xander9211
New Head-Fier
Hi there, I do have Astell&Kern SP2000 with 6 Vrms Balanced output. Could you guys tell me if my DAP will handle Audeze LCD X without amplification?
ThanatosVI
Headphoneus Supremus
The problem with A&K power output figures is, that they don't show the load that they are able to push the voltage for.
It's like having no power figures at all
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My Sony NW-WM1A/Z using balanced handles them fine.
vincentquy
New Head-Fier
LCD X is really easy to drive. Should have no problem.
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