[listenerwww]

My first impression on the new LCD-X for what is worth. Great headphone but it’s not an Audeze headphone. Let’s discuss

Curious what you mean.

 

[Another Audiophile]

Curious what you mean.

The new lcd x sounds more like an Arya which is now heavier. Very good headphone but it doesn’t have the Audeze sound signature. It doesn’t sound like an Audeze headphone. In a world dominated by “Harman and curves” (sorry @Resolve Audeze came with a completely different frequency response and they were doing their own thing. Personally I like the Audeze sound and bought an Audeze headphone because of that sound signature. This is indeed a great headphone but not an Audeze headphone. I might be spoiling the party but I like the previous version much more.

 

[mikecheck95]

The new lcd x sounds more like an Arya which is now heavier. Very good headphone but it doesn’t have the Audeze sound signature. It doesn’t sound like an Audeze headphone. In a world dominated by “Harman and curves” (sorry @Resolve Audeze came with a completely different frequency response and they were doing their own thing. Personally I like the Audeze sound and bought an Audeze headphone because of that sound signature. This is indeed a great headphone but not an Audeze headphone. I might be spoiling the party but I like the previous version much more.

Returned my lcd-2s for these (wanting some more top end extension). Mine arrive on Friday. I don’t know if any Audeze could be quite as bright as a hifiman (thank god) but i’m actually glad they’re moving a little closer to harman.

 

[Another Audiophile]

Returned my lcd-2s for these (wanting some more top end extension). Mine arrive on Friday. I don’t know if any Audeze could be quite as bright as a hifiman but i’m actually glad they’re moving a little closer to harman.

If you like it then sure. As I said is not a bad headphone. It’s just not my kind of headphone. When I buy a BMW I want the car to look like a BMW. My point is that is not necessarily an improvement. Just a different kind of headphone all together. Some people like pasta and some people like pizza.

 

[Audeze]

@Audeze

can you confirm if dealers from Europe can return older versions for 2021 replacements?

Our distributors and international dealers are all independent businesses, so this would be up to their discretion on if they wanted to replace them with new stock or not. EU retail regulations are more tightly controlled and we can't dictate how situations like this are handled with independent retailers.

 

[Another Audiophile]

Our distributors and international dealers are all independent businesses, so this would be up to their discretion on if they wanted to replace them with new stock or not. EU retail regulations are more tightly controlled and we can't dictate how situations like this are handled with independent retailers.

So if they want they can exchange the old stock for new. Right? I am asking because I asked the official distributor in my country and he said he will not bring new until the old stock is gone. His excuse was that He needs to sell the old stock first since he couldn’t exchange old for new.

 

[mikecheck95]

The new lcd x sounds more like an Arya which is now heavier. Very good headphone but it doesn’t have the Audeze sound signature. It doesn’t sound like an Audeze headphone. In a world dominated by “Harman and curves” (sorry @Resolve Audeze came with a completely different frequency response and they were doing their own thing. Personally I like the Audeze sound and bought an Audeze headphone because of that sound signature. This is indeed a great headphone but not an Audeze headphone. I might be spoiling the party but I like the previous version much more.

My set came today and after having a longer in-home listening session with them I can really tell what you mean in saying they sound more like some of the hifiman headphones. There is this move away from the usual "slammy" Audeze sound and much more refinement and focus on treble detail. I actually like it and find it to be unique but it is certainly different than the current LCD-2 for instance. It isn't "dry" like some of the Hifimans I've tried but they have lost a bit of that rumble and traded it in for some refinement. Of course this is purely subjective but if this is what you mean then it's interesting that we have had similar experiences. Another thing that surprised me is the imaging capability of this set which is very impressive for a planar. Soundstage is maybe a little more focused than the lcd-2 but not by as much as I thought it would be.

Digging them!

 

[Lohb]

My set came today and after having a longer in-home listening session with them I can really tell what you mean in saying they sound more like some of the hifiman headphones. There is this move away from the usual "slammy" Audeze sound and much more refinement and focus on treble detail. I actually like it and find it to be unique but it is certainly different than the current LCD-2 for instance. It isn't "dry" like some of the Hifimans I've tried but they have lost a bit of that rumble and traded it in for some refinement. Of course this is purely subjective but if this is what you mean then it's interesting that we have had similar experiences. Another thing that surprised me is the imaging capability of this set which is very impressive for a planar. Soundstage is maybe a little more focused than the lcd-2 but not by as much as I thought it would be.

Digging them!

On the other end and the other can...XCs subs tighter better texture....excellent when it's there in the music. One thing they are not IMO is "whispy/ethereal" which springs to mind with Arya for example....it's a good 'sit' between merits of both companies strengths.

 

[Another Audiophile]

My set came today and after having a longer in-home listening session with them I can really tell what you mean in saying they sound more like some of the hifiman headphones. There is this move away from the usual "slammy" Audeze sound and much more refinement and focus on treble detail. I actually like it and find it to be unique but it is certainly different than the current LCD-2 for instance. It isn't "dry" like some of the Hifimans I've tried but they have lost a bit of that rumble and traded it in for some refinement. Of course this is purely subjective but if this is what you mean then it's interesting that we have had similar experiences. Another thing that surprised me is the imaging capability of this set which is very impressive for a planar. Soundstage is maybe a little more focused than the lcd-2 but not by as much as I thought it would be.

Digging them!

Glad you enjoy them. As I said, a very good headphone but different to the Audeze house sound. That’s what I meant when I said is not an Audeze headphone. Always good to have choice and fulfill different tastes. That’s why is not an improvement but a different headphone all together. Personally I prefer the 2020 version

 

[phthora]

On the other end and the other can...XCs subs tighter better texture....excellent when it's there in the music. One thing they are not IMO is "whispy/ethereal" which springs to mind with Arya for example....it's a good 'sit' between merits of both companies strengths.

I would add that, to my surprise, the 2021 XC also out resolves the Arya. Since that is a very nebulous claim, I'll provide a concrete example.

On "Hey" by Pixies off of Doolittle, there is an very faint trace of the vocals track that runs in the background of the song. It's right at the very start. Black Francis starts by shouting "hey," which should then be followed by progressively fainter "hey, hey, hey" as a sort of echo. Next there is a bass note plucked immediately followed by a very faint "been tryin'" before he returns to sing "been tryin' to meet you" at normal volume. This is one of my standard test tracks because not everything resolves those background vocals at all, let alone well.

On the Arya, I can hear two of those echoey "hey"'s and just the merest presence of "been tryin'" without actually being able to make out the words. On the XC, I can distinctly hear all three "hey"'s and "been tryin'" in the background. I volume-matched, of course, but the kicker is that turning up the volume on the Arya to 90db and turning down the volume on the XC to 80db yields exactly the same results, which suggests that this is not merely an product of the different tunings of the headphones giving the XC more presence in that particular frequency range. In this case at least, the XC just pulls outs more detail.

I had thought the Arya would be the one to dethrone the XC, but it looks like that's not going to happen. Audeze really has created an amazing headphone here!

 

[mikecheck95]

I would add that, to my surprise, the 2020 XC also out resolves the Arya. Since that is a very nebulous claim, I'll provide a concrete example.

On "Hey" by Pixies off of Doolittle, there is an very faint trace of the vocals track that runs in the background of the song. It's right at the very start. Black Francis starts by shouting "hey," which should then be followed by progressively fainter "hey, hey, hey" as a sort of echo. Next there is a bass note plucked immediately followed by a very faint "been tryin'" before he returns to sing "been tryin' to meet you" at normal volume. This is one of my standard test tracks because not everything resolves those background vocals at all, let alone well.

On the Arya, I can hear two of those echoey "hey"'s and just the merest presence of "been tryin'" without actually being able to make out the words. On the XC, I can distinctly hear all three "hey"'s and "been tryin'" in the background. I volume-matched, of course, but the kicker is that turning up the volume on the Arya to 90db and turning down the volume on the XC to 80db yields exactly the same results, which suggests that this is not merely an product of the different tunings of the headphones giving the XC more presence in that particular frequency range. In this case at least, the XC just pulls outs more detail.

I had thought the Arya would be the one to dethrone the XC, but it looks like that's not going to happen. Audeze really has created an amazing headphone here!

I haven't heard the XC but I wouldn't be surprised. My new LCD-X is super, super detailed and, with EQ, is honestly the best headphone I've heard so far. Keep in mind I haven't heard any of the "summit-fi" headphones yet. I can't get over how much more "open" these seem than my LCD-2... I also think this is where they lose some of their punch because it's not as if the punch isn't there but more that it seems a little further away from your ear. Honestly, it's a little more true-to-life. For those who listen to music that benefits from lots of punch/slam or, for people looking for something that can be a proper party of a listen at times, I still think the LCD-2c or LCD-2 would be more up their ally but, for someone looking for a jack-of-all trades with great resolution that is true to life and more refined than the OG Audeze line-up the LCD-X is a great option.

 

[chris.d.m.]

Pleather is smoother but might subdue slam in lower frequency.
Difference is quite noticeable between leather vs pleather.

Mentioning which pad you have may help with impressions, as they will alter the presentation...I think pleather had a tad less low-end ?

Very curious. I got the pleather based on someone suggesting they felt the bass was a tad better, and top a tad smother with them.
I'm not so sure though as I detect a slightly leaner sub 100hz with my 2021 X's compared, to what I remember from my roughly 2016/17 X's.
Hmmm.

 

[mikecheck95]

What’s a decent, inexpensive source to get a bit more out of these cans? Looking for something with good resolution and punchiness

 

[betula]

What’s a decent, inexpensive source to get a bit more out of these cans? Looking for something with good resolution and punchiness

In my book a DAC/amp combo should worth at least as much as the headphones are worth in order to bring out the best of each component. The LCD-X might be efficient and low impedance on paper, but they do improve with quality DAC/amp source.

 

[mikecheck95]

In my book a DAC/amp combo should worth at least as much as the headphones are worth in order to bring out the best of each component. The LCD-X might be efficient and low impedance on paper, but they do improve with quality DAC/amp source.

Currently running them from my macbook… just looking for a decent upgrade to start. But I understand they probably scale and maybe deserve a much better source in the long-term.