Battle of the Modern Planars: LCD-X vs PM-1 vs HE-560

[TMRaven]

A little update.  I have added in the 560 update with preorder vs production differences, including objective data.  I have also gone through the entire review and corrected some grammar, spelling and worded a couple of things better.
 
I will probably edit it once again in the not too distant future, so I can pit my RMA'd LCD-X vs the 560 when I get it back, but that probably won't change the general theme of the review.

 

[Claritas]

Thanks for the revision. All right!

I tried them all at a couple of meets and came to the same general conclusions you did. Yours are, of course, considerably more thought out. I'd need more time with them than trying them at meets.

I agree with you about the sound: LCDX isn't neutral enough, PM1 isn't it, and HE560 locks and loads. I really like HE560. It's not "I have to have it" but it certainly is "I could live with this," which I don't feel about either of the others--certainly not PM1.

I had a different experience with build and comfort. For me it was closer between all of them, mostly because I've never really been all that bothered by Audeze's weight. Their splendid pads help distribute it enough for me. Nevertheless, you're right that HE560, "shatter any preconceived notions about Planars being heavy and uncomfortable." But it feels flimsy or fragile, and I find the pads slightly smaller than my ideal. The pad size issue with PM1, however, might be a consequence of the earcups' shape. I could get it to go all round my ear if I tilted it back, but that wasn't so comfortable or secure. Also, I'd have liked more padding on the headband.

 

[TMRaven]

How long did you get to listen to the LCD-X at the meets Claritas?  I agree that it has really good comfort for shot-term listening, especially thanks to the wonderful earpads.  Anything past 20 minutes for me though and I start developing a hot-spot on the top of my head.  

 

[Claritas]

40 at one, 20 at the other. So you could be still be right. But I didn't have a problem, whereas I strongly dislike wearing HE500 for any length of time and had problems with HE400 too. My K340 isn't precisely comfortable either, so I wear it lying on the sofa.

 

[zxc]

Thank you. This was one the useful reviews I've read. Clear, honest, conclusive. I hate trying to mine useful information out of the politic, well-rounded, so called "professional" reviews, where the reviewer gets the headphone(s) from manufacturer, and this continuing in future depends on his review (save for rare exceptions such as Jerg's review of HE-560).

 

[291835]

Thanks for the in-depth comparison. I went ahead and purchased the HE560 after a brief listen with the LCDX and XC on hand and I pretty much concur with your analysis. The LCDs shockingly sounded downright unrefined next to the 560. The 560 had incredible finesse, bottom to top, while the LCDX's bottom seemed artificially punchy and the XC's top had some sibilance issues. And the LCD's are almost twice the price of the 560! An easy choice.

 

[vaed]

Originally Posted by TMRaven /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Often times the 560 punches just as hard as the LCD-X while sounding snappier due to having less excess thickness in the lower notes.

 
This comment stood out to me, and spells out the reason why I liked the HE-6 more than Audeze's offerings. Impact through clarity is what makes bass visceral, IMO.
 
Great review.

 

[Focker]

   
 
Other than that I think head-fi needs more negative impressions to keep things in check.  

 

 

[TMRaven]

Head-fi is a self-feeding, propagating machine of hype and fandom for various headphones.  Often times more objectionable reviews and/or impressions are needed to cut through all the sugarcoated malarkey you read on the forums.
 
In this case it's the LCD-X.  Hyped and praised as a neutral headphone, in which it's not.
 
In previous experience I've personally been though, the DT990 was always hyped up as a serious basshead headphone with super powerful bass.  It's not.  It's a somewhat mid-bassy headphone for an open headphone, but when compared to closed headphones it puts out a puny quantity of bass in the eyes of a basshead.
 
Also the HE-400.  In the first couple of months that headphone could do no wrong, but after a couple months some people found faults in its upper midrange and treble.  Hell I still remember talking with iemcrazy in that topic long ago, refuting his claim that the HE-400 didn't have any noticeable treble spike.
 
I probably should have worded that post better by writing criticism instead of negative, because in no way do I want to back the idea of blatant and blind bashing of headphones, but I do think there should be more of a place for criticism on head-fi.  

 

[Focker]

  Head-fi is a self-feeding, propagating machine of hype and fandom for various headphones.  Often times more objectionable reviews and/or impressions are needed to cut through all the sugarcoated malarkey you read on the forums.
 
In this case it's the LCD-X.  Hyped and praised as a neutral headphone, in which it's not.
 
In previous experience I've personally been though, the DT990 was always hyped up as a serious basshead headphone with super powerful bass.  It's not.  It's a somewhat mid-bassy headphone for an open headphone, but when compared to closed headphones it puts out a puny quantity of bass in the eyes of a basshead.
 
Also the HE-400.  In the first couple of months that headphone could do no wrong, but after some people found faults in its upper midrange and treble.  Hell I still remember talking with iemcrazy in that topic long ago, refuting his claim that the HE-400 didn't have any noticeable treble spike.
 
I probably should have worded that post better by criticism instead of negative, because in no way do I want to back the idea of blatant and blind bashing of headphones, but I do think there should be more of a place for criticism on head-fi.  

 
To me it just screams of bias, because I recall you taking issue with the positive feedback the X was receiving several months ago. (I'm pretty sure it was you, because there are very few posts I've seen where people didn't care for the X). It gives the impression that you were setting out to intentionally provide negative feedback in service of your issue with the lack of balance in terms of feedback on the X. Just my opinion. 
 
I think it's often pretty easy to sift through the pure fanboy nonsense and the legit feedback, personally. Therefore I don't think it's more "negative" reviews that we need, I think it's just that we need honest feedback that is kept in perspective. 
 
I do feel your review was very well written, and I also agree with your assessment of the PM-1. 

 

[TMRaven]

There is no bias here.  If anything I went into this review with a bias FOR the LCD-X.  Based on objective measurements of the LCD-X and my liking for the HE-400's sound signature, plus an affinity for the carrying case and build/materials for the Audeze headphones, I came into this review fully expecting the LCD-X to become my new headphone to live with. 
 
Going beyond the LCD-X's obvious colorations, I'll straight up say that it's one of the best headphone's I've ever listened to, but for those looking for a seriously reference grade headphone, it's not up to par with the 560.  For those who aren't looking for neutrality and just want to have a good listen, I think the LCD-X doe a great job at providing a dark sound with a peak of treble-- very much like the HE-400.  LCD-X provides a cleaner background, slightly better frequency response and a fuller sound than the HE-400 as well.
 
I'm not out to intentionally berate a headphone, but I will call out the headphone and the community surrounding it if I feel they're not being objectionable enough.  I'm not above doing that.

 

[Asr]

^ I pretty much agree with your assessment of the LCD-X as well. Got a chance to hear it through HeadAmp's Demo Program and just couldn't bring myself to think it was all that great. Really curious about the HE-560 now. I'd almost written off HiFiMan's headphones based on previous experience with the HE-400 (and only briefly the HE-500) but the HE-560 seems intriguing based on your review.

 

[Focker]

  There is no bias here.  If anything I went into this review with a bias FOR the LCD-X.  Based on objective measurements of the LCD-X and my liking for the HE-400's sound signature, plus an affinity for the carrying case and build/materials for the Audeze headphones, I came into this review fully expecting the LCD-X to become my new headphone to live with. 
 
Going beyond the LCD-X's obvious colorations, I'll straight up say that it's one of the best headphone's I've ever listened to, but for those looking for a seriously reference grade headphone, it's not up to par with the 560.  For those who aren't looking for neutrality and just want to have a good listen, I think the LCD-X doe a great job at providing a dark sound with a peak of treble-- very much like the HE-400.  LCD-X provides a cleaner background, slightly better frequency response and a fuller sound than the HE-400 as well.
 
I'm not out to intentionally berate a headphone, but I will call out the headphone and the community surrounding it if I feel they're not being objectionable enough.  I'm not above doing that.

 
While we agree that there is fanboyism and, as you put it, "sugarcoated mularkey", that doesn't mean that the prevalence of positive impressions aren't sincere or accurate. People have different ways of expressing themselves. I, for one, will rarely post negative impressions even though I have them quite often. I didn't care for the PM-1 at all when I spent some time with it, but I think the only time I ever mentioned it was in a PM to a fellow HF'er and just now in this thread. I simply prefer to focus mainly on those products and experiences that I can put out there for others to read about that are favorable. Because I choose to post that way, though, doesn't mean I'm any less candid or sincere in my feedback. (And I'm not saying you were accusing me of that, I'm just using myself as an example.)  
 
I just don't feel that what someone posts or doesn't post about a headphone should be influenced by how the community has received it thus far. In the case of the LCD-X, I know that you and a few others didn't find it neutral or reference quality, but that's certainly not the prevailing opinion, and I'm not sure I would see any basis for that opinion to be lacking in objectivity. Just my $.02

 

[Claritas]

I can see a case for keeping things positive overall, but it's taken to the extreme. People are made to feel that they're trolling when they post anything negative, no matter how politely worded. It feels coercive.

 

[Focker]

I can see a case for keeping things positive overall, but it's taken to the extreme. People are made to feel that they're trolling when they post anything negative, no matter how politely worded. It feels coercive.

 
I agree...I've seen examples of what you're referring to.