[Eide]

I´v had EL-8 closed. They isolated well, was comfy, but I didn´t like the sound, so I bought the XCs instead.
I have the Q French Silk cable, and it´s just the perfect length for portable use. (1 meter/39") The XCs isolate well, and don´t leak.
They are very well built, so I´m not so afraid of bringing them around. I take the train each morning, but I prefer to use my ACS T1 CIEM or SE846 IEM.
So if you can stand the bulk there´s no problem using XC on the train. But I think you´ll have som heads turn...

 

[zeddun]

Another headphone to check out for portable use would be the new Audeze Sine On-Ear Headphone.  https://www.audeze.com/products/sine-series/sine-ear-headphone.  It looks promising and is positioning itself as a direct competition to the Oppo PM-3s etc.

 

[greenkiwi]

Those look quite interesting.  Just wish they went over the ears, even if just touching, like the Senn Momentums, or PM-3

 

[squirrelman]

I saw the Sine announcement on twitter, sadly I really just prefer over ear rather than on ear phones.  I'm leaning towards getting the LCD-XC and if they don't work resell them since I'm planning on buying used anyways.  Easier than getting the EL-8 and just wishing I got the LCD-XC instead.

 

[doughead]

I don't see any issue using the XC outdoors - they isolate well, sounds superb with portable amps and are very comfortable (despite the weight). Turning heads that's inevitable, they are huge(!) but as long as you're minding your own business enjoying the music I don't think there's any issue using them outdoors. Just be mindful that they are very expensive stuff, and avoid using them when in seedy locations. They sound like "portable speakers on the head" to me, enjoy!

 

[nepherte]

I have the XC but would never recommend them for travel. They are way too heavy for that.

 

[Ffenix]

I have the XC but would never recommend them for travel. They are way too heavy for that.

 
 

  I don't see any issue using the XC outdoors - they isolate well, sounds superb with portable amps and are very comfortable (despite the weight). Turning heads that's inevitable, they are huge(!) but as long as you're minding your own business enjoying the music I don't think there's any issue using them outdoors. Just be mindful that they are very expensive stuff, and avoid using them when in seedy locations. They sound like "portable speakers on the head" to me, enjoy!

 
I've listened with my XC outdoors from time to time but I won't recommend it to others unless they're also crazy like me.

 

[SonicTrance]

My XC's are either on my head or on the headphone stand. I'd never take them outside, lol 

 

[Howlin Fester]

I saw the Sine announcement on twitter, sadly I really just prefer over ear rather than on ear phones.  I'm leaning towards getting the LCD-XC and if they don't work resell them since I'm planning on buying used anyways.  Easier than getting the EL-8 and just wishing I got the LCD-XC instead.

Sounds like you are OK with using them for travel/commuting.  So I say, go for it!  There is a member on here (@jwbrent) who used them hiking in the mountains of CA.  Search "Hiking" on the thread and you will see his posts.  But then he did say he moved closer to SFO and quit wearing them for something else to become less conspicuous.  
 
Like @doughead said, they should isolate well enough for you, and do sound fantastic with portable amps.  I have the RSA Intruder and it sounds wonderful.  Ray Samuels is local to you, so try to get to a headphone meet, (if you haven't been to any) and he will possibly be there.  Or someone there will certainly have one of his amps.

 

[westermac]

Hey all, I finally was able to give the LCD-XC a shot, and am very glad I did! They are truly something special, with hands down the sharpest imaging I have heard. Unfortunately as I cannot afford to keep both them and the LCD-X I have them listed for sale (though one day I hope to buy another pair):
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/793923/audeze-lcd-xc-w-norne-audio-runic-cable
 
Would definitely like to see them go to a good home. Thank you all for your contributions to this thread as it played a big part in my decision to give them a shot

 

[greenkiwi]

Great price... I'd get them... if I didn't already own them.

 

[squirrelman]

  Hey all, I finally was able to give the LCD-XC a shot, and am very glad I did! They are truly something special, with hands down the sharpest imaging I have heard. Unfortunately as I cannot afford to keep both them and the LCD-X I have them listed for sale (though one day I hope to buy another pair):
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/793923/audeze-lcd-xc-w-norne-audio-runic-cable
 
Would definitely like to see them go to a good home. Thank you all for your contributions to this thread as it played a big part in my decision to give them a shot

Nice price, had I not just bought a pair (for slightly more) 2 days ago I would have snapped yours up!

 

[theyang]

Hey there everyone.
 
New to the forum. first post! Been reading a lot. These threads are crazy long!
 
So - recently picked up a pair of the XC's. Finally bit the bullet on joining the Audeze ranks! Perhaps had around 30-40 hours of use including burn in time.
 
One side note: there was a card in the case that said "this product has been thoroughly tested and burned in at the factory and is ready for use upon arrival" - is this normal or a new thing? So many people say the headphones open up and improve with further burn in - so just wondering whether this is further to factory burn-in or whether this is a recent thing that Audeze is doing so the headphones sound great on first listen...
 
Either way - I'm really enjoying these - amazing sound, separation and imaging for a closed set of cans. They are very punchy and 'fast' sounding, super high resolution and quite a lot of space. Don't really have any issues with the weight, the ear pads are super soft/comfy (leather) - the only thing that i'm really noticing right now is the clamping force on my head which can feel a bit much at times - hopefully this eases up a bit after more use. I'm totally "rediscovering" my music collection via Tidal HIFI and through a Dangerous Source at home. Miles' "Bitches Brew" - wow. Looking forward to scaling up my system. These are my first set of high-end closed backs, my previous set was the Focal Spirit Pro's which i thought were pretty great but when doing side by side comparisons there is simply no competition!
 
So bit of background - I'm a composer/producer and come from the world of listening/working with studio monitoring in acoustically treated environments - so headphone monitoring was always more of a second 'check' than a focused system... However after moving to NYC from Sydney i don't have my own studio anymore so am working in other studios and at home... So i bought these mainly to have my own reference set, with the aim to use them for music production and mixing - as well as plain old music enjoyment of course! The main reason i bought the closed variant was to block out ambient noise when working in my apartment in the evening. Obviously my home is a less than ideal acoustic/ambient environment - I live in lower Manhattan, so thought they would be better to block out ambient noise and really help me focus in on the music and not have trucks/sirens/city rumble interfere as much. Using a SPL app on my iPhone, ambient noise ranges from 55-68db in my living room - this is just the ambient noise, not when a siren goes pass or a truck honks really loudly. Sometimes buses idle outside my building which is also pretty loud. And this is all with the windows closed and without my AC unit on. When i want to let some fresh air in or cool the apartment? Sure you guys can imagine. Otherwise, I work at studios or office type rooms during the day which range from very quiet to moderately quiet - and here the closed backs are less necessary... If this was my main working environment I probably would have gotten the X's - and seems most pro's/engineers/artists that I've read about or seen interviews with talk about using the X's or LCD-2/3's, not the XC's... Weird that the XC's don't get much mention in all the Audeze communications or any other interviews.
 
I have previously tried out the X's briefly at Stereo Exchange in NYC in their listening room, and also thought they were great - but never tried them in a home environment (nor did i compare the 2 - was just listening to open-backs). Now i'm wondering whether I made the right decision - as I feel I am missing the open-ness and air/spaciousness that the X's would provide. And perhaps some neutrality? But then I wonder - if i could hear too much ambience i might miss the reverb tails and some of the detail... I'm questioning whether I am compromising the sound/realism by going closed and whether the isolation is worth it - also - after a while I do start to feel 'closed off' and 'in my head' - perhaps I could get used to this but wondering whether the X's would be more suitable to longer sessions and whether I could just tolerate the external ambient noise seeping in - but enjoy the aural benefits of the open backs. In the future I plan to send sessions off for mixing or go to studio environments anyways to finalize them...
 
So - short of buying a pair of X's to compare and then returning the one I think is more suitable (which I'm considering but is also quite the temporary financial burden) - was wondering whether anyone here who has owned both (or a similar comparison with XC's/open-back) can give some insight, and also talk about their experience with how background noise interfered with the X's, and whether it was a problem...? Or just talk about the differences in general. I know a lot of people have bought the XC's for the other 'closed' benefit - to not disturb others around them - but I'd like to know whether anyone tried the X's first and couldn't handle the ambient noise seeping in...  Or whether the sublime sound quality trumps the occasional audio distraction... And when the music is playing, it's not as big a deal...
 
I wasn't sure whether this post was better here or in the X thread - maybe if someone thinks i should put it over there let me know.
 
Thanks for your time!

 

[makan]

I have both x and xc. The only way I can describe it is the x I more open sounding, while the xc is more intimate. As for noise from the outside, the x is fine...maybe because I play the music loud enough.

 

[westermac]

...was wondering whether anyone here who has owned both (or a similar comparison with XC's/open-back) can give some insight, and also talk about their experience with how background noise interfered with the X's, and whether it was a problem...? Or just talk about the differences in general.

 
First off congratulations on joining the Audeze club! The XC's are a special set of cans. I've been fortunate to be able to try both the XC and X in my work environment. I ended up going with the X, but in your situation I think the XC may be a better fit. I do most of my listening at work in a fairly quiet office environment – no noisy copiers or shredders or anything, but even so the X is mercilessly open and MAYBE cuts ambient noise by 3db, if not less. So even the HVAC kicking on makes a pretty big difference and will drown out the finer details of my music. Based on the level of ambient noise you are dealing with I think you may not be able to fully take advantage of the X, or at least would possibly end up frustrated by the fact that every detail of outside noise was polluting your music.
 
The reason I went with the X was purely a sound signature preference, and a subtle one at that. The XC to me is a bit livelier and has a bit more "bite" in the 3-5khz range, while the X is a bit tamer in this area and to me a bit smoother. On certain recordings the XC could come across a tad harsh to me, while on other recordings (especially jazz) the added bite was really perfect, and to be honest it's an aspect of the XC that I also miss. All this to say: if you are perfectly happy with the sound signature of the XC then in your case I think it will be the better choice. If like me they are a bit too lively in the upper mids for your taste, and the idea of having every sound in your environment added to your music doesn't frighten you (I prefer to know when a coworker is trying to get my attention) then the X may very well be worth a go.
 
I hope this is helpful and doesn't further complicate your decision!