[Andrew_WOT]

I might agree. LCD-X is so clean and linear.

If it's so linear why EQ is a must then?

 

[mikecheck95]

If it's so linear why EQ is a must then?

Mainly to make it actually sound engaging. It’s tuned in such a way that you can JUST hear everything in the track but its upper mids are a little muted (which is where a lot of the harmonics of an instrument exist). It also lacks any bass accentuation which most people like according to sean olive’s research with harman

 

[adeadcrab]

If it's so linear why EQ is a must then?

To accentuate the midrange - I like it as it is without EQ. Especially with music that leans more towards aggressive in style and mix (metal bands specifically are guilty of these)

 

[Andrew_WOT]

To accentuate the midrange - I like it as it is without EQ. Especially with music that leans more towards aggressive in style and mix (metal bands specifically are guilty of these)

Makes sense, thanks, but this is far from linear as stated above, that was my point.

 

[mikecheck95]

Makes sense, thanks, but this is far from linear as stated above, that was my point.

Idk I think linear might not have been the best term used to describe the LCD-X but I do think a lot of what determines a headphone’s character is the “tilt” of its fr (whether the average when compared to harman tilts downward or upward) and I think in the case of the LCD-X it stays fairly flat if you count the upper treble.

I also think harman-tuned headphones are wonky around 4k and up… I like the peak to be around 2.5-3k and for it to gently slope downward after that

Either way, EQ them. You won’t regret it. I don’t even think they need more than like 5-7db of gain. They need a bass shelf, some touching-up in the upper mids and something to quell the upper treble.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Really not a big fan of EQ, from the camp of phones should sound different the way they were created.
With that in mind, would LCD-XC be a better choice with out of the box tuning, I am reading mixed reviews on both, some say soundstage is about the same and they are more even, same say that LCD-XC sound too closed in and miss low end in comparison to open counterpart.
At the moment my favorite is HifiMan HE-6SE v2, should I even bother with LCD-X (C)?

 

[mikecheck95]

Really not a big fan of EQ, from the camp of phones should sound different the way they were created.
With that in mind, would LCD-XC be a better choice with out of the box tuning, I am reading mixed reviews on both, some say soundstage is about the same and they are more even, same say that LCD-XC sound too closed in and miss low end in comparison to open counterpart.
At the moment my favorite is HifiMan HE-6SE v2, should I even bother with LCD-X (C)?

Idk I’ve never heard the XC but it kind of just looks like every other harman-tuned headphone on the market right now except it’s heavy and giant.

I think if you can bring yourself to EQ the LCD-X then you will experience one of the best cans on the market at its potential. If not though, look to the LCD-2f which sounds a bit more neutral out of the box and has great bass performance.

 

[adeadcrab]

Makes sense, thanks, but this is far from linear as stated above, that was my point.

IMO harman is not linear and this is a fantastic linear headphone sound for mixing and mastering.

edit: when I say linear I mean there are no big peaks and valleys. I like the Focal Clear but it has little peaks and valleys all throughout the frequency range to align with the Focal house sound.

The LCD-X can be called dry and focused; I think it is a fantastic all-rounder.

 

[Zerviscos]

Does the XC and X have the same overall design with the exception of the grilles/cups? Or does the XC have some extra dampening involved not found in the cups?

 

[koursaros]

Pulled the trigger on the LCD-X to complement my Auteur, I was hoping to avoid EQing them since I have never done it before.
IMHO it's not really worth getting those to use without EQ.
Out of the box they sounded a bit off, maybe fake would be the right word.
I just used the peace EQ to bring them closer to harman using Resolve's measurements and oof.

I used to own Sundaras so the planar bass wasn't something new to me but that punch and rumble sure was.
The only thing that turns me a bit off for now, is that im not super used with the idea of EQ yet and "messing up" with how they are supposed to sound.
Otherwise seems to be an excellent headphone with great value.

 

[mikecheck95]

Pulled the trigger on the LCD-X to complement my Auteur, I was hoping to avoid EQing them since I have never done it before.
IMHO it's not really worth getting those to use without EQ.
Out of the box they sounded a bit off, maybe fake would be the right word.
I just used the peace EQ to bring them closer to harman using Resolve's measurements and oof.

I used to own Sundaras so the planar bass wasn't something new to me but that punch and rumble sure was.
The only thing that turns me a bit off for now, is that im not super used with the idea of EQ yet and "messing up" with how they are supposed to sound.
Otherwise seems to be an excellent headphone with great value.

If you can afford it.. I’d suggest getting the Sonarworks Sound ID reference software. It takes all of the guessing out of the equation regarding equalization and really helps these cans shine.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

How do you guys EQ streaming services, from what I've read that requires shared mode which picks up sound from other apps and resamples everything in OS Mixer.

 

[mikecheck95]

How do you guys EQ streaming services, from what I've read that requires shared mode which picks up sound from other apps and resamples everything in OS Mixer.

EQ Is kind of a nightmare if you are not down with resampling. Roon is a workaround but it’s pricey.

 

[bust3r]

Pulled the trigger on the LCD-X to complement my Auteur, I was hoping to avoid EQing them since I have never done it before.
IMHO it's not really worth getting those to use without EQ.
Out of the box they sounded a bit off, maybe fake would be the right word.
I just used the peace EQ to bring them closer to harman using Resolve's measurements and oof.

I used to own Sundaras so the planar bass wasn't something new to me but that punch and rumble sure was.
The only thing that turns me a bit off for now, is that im not super used with the idea of EQ yet and "messing up" with how they are supposed to sound.
Otherwise seems to be an excellent headphone with great value.

This may help in sorting out your EQ worries, when using an EQ this will tell you what EQ values to set if you're looking for the Harmon shelf sound (if I even said that right, I'm still new here).
I use MathEQ to get these values personally.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/sloaf7ptogjmjkx/Audeze LCD-X (2021 revision).pdf?dl=0

 

[zen87192]

This may help in sorting out your EQ worries, when using an EQ this will tell you what EQ values to set if you're looking for the Harmon shelf sound (if I even said that right, I'm still new here).
I use MathEQ to get these values personally.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/sloaf7ptogjmjkx/Audeze LCD-X (2021 revision).pdf?dl=0

Nice one! Do you have one for the LCD-5?