Audeze LCD-X

[dan.gheorghe]

   
I am talking about comments of about 3 people who EXTREMELY praised LCD-X as a revolutionary approach and a definite game-changer etc. etc.... Not really sure if you were one of those or not.
 
EDIT: I remember some people saying those LCD-X having one of the best soundstage ever, offering incredible detail, extremely flat frequency response and remarkable imaging beating even HD800... Like I said, I was expecting top 5 headphone ever, rivaling the very best (SR-009, Abyss etc.)

 
LCD-X has something that can be interpreted by some in big soundstage or opened sound. However, I feel like LCD3 has a better soundstage as it has much better layering, instrument separation and scene depth.
 
LCD-X , however has more forward treble ( I like this  as it is not bright ) and this adds more clarity and air on top, so when you put LCD-X after LCD-3 your first impressions would be the sound opened up.

 

[Taowolf51]

   
I am talking about comments of about 3 people who EXTREMELY praised LCD-X as a revolutionary approach and a definite game-changer etc. etc.... Not really sure if you were one of those or not.
 
EDIT: I remember some people saying those LCD-X having one of the best soundstage ever, offering incredible detail, extremely flat frequency response and remarkable imaging beating even HD800... Like I said, I was expecting top 5 headphone ever, rivaling the very best (SR-009, Abyss etc.)

I never talked about a revolutionary approach or it being a game changer, but I did say I preferred it to SR-009/Abyss/anyotheramazingheadphone, which I still stand by. I did also say it did quiet details extremely well. Perhaps what I said was parroted and exaggerated without the caveats.
 

   
LCD-X has something that can be interpreted by some in big soundstage or opened sound. However, I feel like LCD3 has a better soundstage as it has much better layering, instrument separation and scene depth.
 
LCD-X , however has more forward treble ( I like this  as it is not bright ) and this adds more clarity and air on top, so when you put LCD-X after LCD-3 your first impressions would be the sound opened up.
 

I've never been a big fan of dark headphones, so the non-dark sound of the X was very much a breath of fresh air.

 

[dan.gheorghe]

  Can I come over??
 

 
 

  That's the dopest neck-line I've ever seen my guy.

 
 

  Can I come too? 

 
We can do a meet of our own now )

 

[emertxe]

  I never talked about a revolutionary approach or it being a game changer, but I did say I preferred it to SR-009/Abyss/anyotheramazingheadphone, which I still stand by. I did also say it did quiet details extremely well. Perhaps what I said was parroted and exaggerated without the caveats.

 
It's absolutely alright to prefer one headphone over another... Have no problem with that. 

 Its just that those first impressions (not yours) were completely over the place... I remember being shocked that LCD-X could be better technically than HD800... A lot of people immediately started to question LCD-3's future as well.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

yeah  LCD-X is not at SR-009 level.

 

[Taowolf51]

  It's absolutely alright to prefer one headphone over another... Have no problem with that. 

 Its just that those first impressions (not yours) were completely over the place... I remember being shocked that LCD-X could be better technically than HD800... A lot of people immediately started to question LCD-3's future as well.

Yeah, I just find it frustrating when people pick and choose what I say and create a hype train from it, especially when I specifically tried to prevent that from happening.
 
The LCD-X is definitely one of those immediately impressive headphones. I'd say most Audeze headphones are like that, but the addition of the more forward treble also really helps that. I have a pretty good idea of what I like, and was surprised at how many of those things the LCD-X did.
 

  yeah  LCD-X is not at SR-009 level.
 

Very true, but I do still prefer the sound signature of the LCD-X.

 

[arnaud]

Emertxe: that's the reason why you need to read through the lines. Some people are, let say, very unthusiastic type. Some people have developped strong friendship with the various makers which may, consciously or not, alter judgment. Some people simply hear different from you / care about very different attributes.

Best advice is to hang on tight since most products that get the headlight typically go through a roller coaster of impressions until solid impressions settle down. Also a good idea to memorize the posters that you found helpful, and those not so much...

 

[mhamel]

Emertxe: that's the reason why you need to read through the lines. Some people are, let say, very unthusiastic type. Some people have developped strong friendship with the various makers which may, consciously or not, alter judgment. Some people simply hear different from you / care about very different attributes.

Best advice is to hang on tight since most products that get the headlight typically go through a roller coaster of impressions until solid impressions settle down. Also a good idea to memorize the posters that you found helpful, and those not so much...

 
^^ This.
 
I think the thing everyone needs to keep in mind here is that no matter what anyone says about them - it's a subjective opinion.
 
Doesn't really matter if one person thinks they sound like angels singing directly into their ears and someone else thinks they sound like cats screeching through a tin can phone. 
 
It doesn't mean anyone's being dishonest, spreading hype, etc  People hear what they hear and it most likely will not be exactly what you or anyone else hears.
 
If you don't want to be an early adopter, be patient.  Let them get out there in people's hands, there will be plenty to read - look for people that have rated gear you have heard with opinions similar to yours, commonality between many reviews,  etc.... but there's no point getting riled up at how anyone else perceives how something sounds. Ultimately,  the only way you'll ever know what they sound like to you is if you hear them yourself, on your gear, in your environment, with your music.

 

[purrin]

  It seems that those comments about LCD-X being in the same league as SR-009 (or at least top five headphones ever) were completely untrue... I dont understand why people always start an insane hype train based on MEET IMPRESSIONS!? 

 It happens again and again (Alphas, K812 and LCD-x at the moment)...

 
It's actually better today than those days of yore. At least there's discussion, disagreement, and less group think with the Alpha's, LCD-X, etc. Try saying you didn't like the original LCD2 a few years ago when it first came out - and you got tarred and feathered here! This was one of the reasons I started to do measurements, even though measurements have their own limitations and sometimes lie.
 
I don't have an issue with people who have heard something and like what they heard - I find it more annoying when people who haven't heard something bitch about it. And if someone hypes something where after you hear it for yourself you don't think it deserves that hype, and this occurs on a consistent basis, you can simply cross that person's name off your list of people you can trust or at least concur with.

 

[Greed]

   
It's actually better today than those days of yore. At least there's discussion, disagreement, and less group think with the Alpha's, LCD-X, etc. Try saying you didn't like the original LCD2 a few years ago when it first came out - and you got tarred and feathered here! This was one of the reasons I started to do measurements, even though measurements have their own limitations and sometimes lie.
 
I don't have an issue with people who have heard something and like what they heard - I find it more annoying when people who haven't heard something bitch about something. And if someone hypes something where after you hear it for yourself you don't think it deserves that hype, and this occurs on a consistent basis, you can simply cross their name off your list of people you can trust.

 
purrin 

 

[chengka7]

does anyone get lcd-xc, i am considering buying lcd-xc, but still have not decided yet.

 

[MacedonianHero]

   
The LCD-X at the Chicago meet had the vegan pads and headband which were very soft and comfortable (IMO) but the weight is substantial.  Soundwise, I'd almost call them an LCD2.5.... not quite as good as the 3's but better than the 2's in most other areas.

 
Well, I've got the LCD-X now in house and after about an hour or so I gotta say that I'm mightily impressed with them. Great job by Audeze on developing these new headphones. They are a step up from the LCD-2s IMO and actually I'd say they are certainly more than the LCD-2.5....and might end up pushing my LCD-3s (though the mids on my LCD-3s are very hard to beat). They are very quick and nimble; very LCD-3 in that regard.
 
Initial Listening Impressions:
Reports of "brighter" more HE-6 headphones have been way overstated IMO. These are so much better actually to my ears. They have very much retained what we've come to expect from Audeze. The bass is tight, deep and very well defined. The mids are very balanced, maybe not as seductive as the LCD-3s, but still excellent. The treble is  something I'm really enjoying. The shimmer of snares is very clean while never "bright". For those wanting more up top, these may be your headphones. The imaging is very good and absolutely no complaints here. But I'll need quite a bit more time to really get a handle of these headphones.
 
My current setup is my main dynamic rig: CDP --> Bryston BDA-2 --> GS-X MK2
 
They are beautifully built and I can see that Audeze has come a long way from their early LCD-2 R1 days way back when. The packaging and construction of the headphones are top shelf and exactly what you'd expect for a luxury product like these headphones. They are heavier than my LCD-3s, but once on my head, the weight distribution is quite good that I don't notice it. Only when I hold them both in either hand. They are more efficient as I need to run my GS-X MK2 on medium gain; as I typically use high gain with my LCD-3s. Later, I'll try them out of my iPad directly to see how they sound.
 
I can see why they impressed so many at RMAF this year...looks like Audeze has another winner on their hands. More to come....
 
I do plan on writing a review of them after a thorough listening and A-B'ing with my LCD-3s as well.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

   
Well, I've got the LCD-X now in house and after about an hour or so I gotta say that I'm mightily impressed with them. Great job by Audeze on developing these new headphones. They are a step up from the LCD-2s IMO and actually I'd say they are certainly more than the LCD-2.5....and might end up pushing my LCD-3s (though the mids on my LCD-3s are very hard to beat). They are very quick and nimble; very LCD-3 in that regard.
 
Initial Listening Impressions:
Reports of "brighter" more HE-6 headphones have been way overstated IMO. These are so much better actually to my ears. They have very much retained what we've come to expect from Audeze. The bass is tight, deep and very well defined. The mids are very balanced, maybe not as seductive as the LCD-3s, but still excellent. The treble is  something I'm really enjoying. The shimmer of snares is very clean while never "bright". For those wanting more up top, these may be your headphones. The imaging seems just a tad smaller than my LCD-3s, but I'll definitely need more time to assess this.
 
My current setup is my main dynamic rig: CDP --> Bryston BDA-2 --> GS-X MK2
 
They are beautifully built and I can see that Audeze has come a long way from their early LCD-2 R1 days way back when. The packaging and construction of the headphones are top shelf and exactly what you'd expect for a luxury product like these headphones. They are heavier than my LCD-3s, but once on my head, the weight distribution is quite good that I don't notice it. Only when I hold them both in either hand. They are more efficient as I need to run my GS-X MK2 on medium gain; as I typically use high gain with my LCD-3s. Later, I'll try them out of my iPad directly to see how they sound.
 
I can see why they impressed so many at RMAF this year...looks like Audeze has another winner on their hands. More to come....
 
I do plan on writing a review of them after a thorough listening and A-B'ing with my LCD-3s as well.

 
your impressions directly mirror mine. basically very close to LCD-3 performance, just not the same mids as LCD-3 and the  smaller stage/image, but very close. heavy but comfortable, more efficient for sure. 

 

[purrin]

   
purrin 

LOL!

 

[Focker]

Great feedback, MH...was really hoping you'd chime in with some impressions today. 
 
The fact that both you and DG give them positive marks is a very good indication of what I'll think of them. Gracias!