Sorry guys, between having one less day off a week to do my own things, being sick the past few weeks (and still recuperating), and having self imposed limits on how long to hold out on writing, this is as much as I could muster up with a bunch of things keeping me from writing at 100%. I hope it's still somewhat passable and legible, and my opinion comes across properly. I hate it when I have a bunch of smart things to say when I talk on the forums normally, but when it comes time to write the review, half of what I wanna say either escapes me, or I had already gave away with impressions. I'm never fully happy with my writing, but if I procrastinate long enough, it starts getting worse and worse, so there comes a point where I have to concede and just post the reviews.
Anyways, I hope this is good enough guys. If there are errors, I'll try and catch them and update as I go. You know.
----------
----------
Audeze LCD-1
$399 as of November 2019
Where to buy: Audeze
Review First Posted HERE.
Disclaimer: Update 7/7/2021: I've started my employment at Audeze as a Customer Service Rep. As this review was done prior to my employment, I will leave this review here and intact, but do not expect any future reviews for Audeze products. First look style articles, perhaps, but I can't in good conscience review a product for a company I work for.
A special thanks to Audeze for sending the LCD-1 out for review. I contacted Audeze directly though it seems they hadn't thought about the LCD-1 and its performance for gaming purposes, hence why I wasn't contacted first. Fair enough, though I do believe any headphone that performs well for general audiophile applications will tend to, at the very least, perform competently in the gaming landscape.
As always, whether products are sent to me or not, I do my best in being 100% honest with my views and opinions. If I don't like a product, I will refuse to write a review of it or at least mention what I don't like about them, though I like to focus on products that people would like or at the very least are interested in. The only bias I have is to my readers and making sure they know about good products.
I came upon the LCD-1 through Head-fi's main page, and was immediately interested in testing them out. A lightweight Audeze LCD planar, in a lower price bracket? Sign me up! I had to see what they could bring to the table. I still think the Audeze Mobius is one hell of a versatile offering, but not one that would satiate the general audiophile that prefers using their own gear, in a more...standard source-dac-amp-headphone setup. I don't see why the two couldn't co-exist, as they hit two very different demographics. One that just wants a swiss army knife approach in a headphone, and one that strictly abides to the rawest, bare essentials form of headphones.
The naming scheme may seem confusing at first, as the original LCD-1 was a completely different headphone that Audeze sold in very, VERY limited quantities. It wasn't until the LCD-2 that Audeze became a household name for audiophiles everywhere, and it's my assumption that they decided to bring in the LCD-1 name back as a way to separate their tiers of LCD headphones. I definitely do understand the logic behind this, if that is indeed the reason. Not that the LCD-1 should be regarded as the lowest tier of anything. It just happens to be the entry point to Audeze's LCD-line, is all.
Build Quality
At first glance, and at a distance, the LCD-1 seems to share a lot of design traits as the Audeze Mobius. It's just that, some key design traits, and not a copy/paste form factor. I'm actually quite surprised Audeze didn't just reuse the Mobius's body and accommodate for differences like no longer needing the space for a battery, an internal dac/amp and other key Mobius-specific features. Instead, it seems the LCD-1's design stands out from the Mobius in some significant ways.
The LCD-1 looks like complete business. Not much in the way of design frills here. I can appreciate the utilitarian design. It's not a boring headphone, aesthetically, but it doesn't call attention to itself. From its modest form factor, to its simplistic black and silver color scheme, it certainly wouldn't stand out in a local electronics store. I certainly don't mind this at all. Not everything necessitates extravagance.
Headband:
The LCD-1's headband, isn't as lengthy as the Mobius in terms on the top side, as the extension area is placed higher up and further away from the cups. The headband is also now fully covered in leather material, with plastic ends where the extension begins. The underside of the headband has a longer section of padding compared to the Mobius, which, while not as thick and plush as the material on the Mobius, extends further out, leading to a more ideal fit. It wraps around the head better, while with the Mobius, you can sort of 'feel' that the padding is directly on top of the head.
While the size adjustment is placed higher and closer to the headband, it is identical to the Mobius in terms of how it extends, the materials, and even the noise it makes as you change the size. Below the size adjustment section is the last bit of the headband space, which is essentially to long plastic bars. Near the area that meets the yokes is the collapsing mechanism, allowing the LCD-1 to collapse towards the headband, for much smaller footprint, and easier portability.
The yokes/forks look similar in design to the Mobius, but there are significant changes. The Mobius swivels inward while the LCD-1 swivels outward. This means if you were to place the headphones around your neck, the cups would face outward with the Mobius, while with the LCD-1, it is the pads facing outward instead. I personally prefer the Mobius approach, though I would think this was an intentional choice due to the LCD-1's collapsible nature, something the Mobius lacks. Not a big deal.
Cups:
Moving on to the cups themselves, the differences between the Mobius and the LCD-1 are many. The oval shape of both headphones are nearly the same in size, though the LCD-1 is considerably thinner. Noting the obvious changes between the open-backed vs closed-backed natures of the headphones, the LCD-1's pad mounting mechanism is limited to just 4 pegs. A simpler design, which I find more appreciable. It's still somewhat proprietary, meaning pad swaps to other designs aren't going to be easy.
Moving back to the outer side of the cups is the typical 'A' slotted pattern that Audeze has been using of late. Very nice aesthetic. Behind the open slots is a grill which I almost question as appearing a bit closed. I wonder if the LCD-1 could benefit from a finer mesh grill instead, or none at all. Moving on to the bottom of the cups are the ambiguous 3.5mm inputs. Ambiguous as in regardless of which side of the cable you plug in, you'll always get the proper channel. Interesting.
While the first review unit I received had a minor issue with cable insertion feeling a bit loose, and it would slip out of its optimal insertion point and loose either the channel or some of its quality, Audeze assured me this would be fixed on final release, which I'm happy to say is completely true. The finalized unit I received upon personal request completely alleviated my previous complaints.
The 3.5mm inputs on both cups grip on to the plugs easily and hold them in place without any issues. The connection between the plug and jack have a satisfying click when fully inserted, and take a moderate pull to unplug. Thank you Audeze.
Ear Pads:
Moving back to the pads, removing them exposes the magnetic bar array protected by a very fine mesh screen, which the Mobius lacked. As for the pads themselves, they're noticeably smaller than the ones on the Mobius in both overall size, shape, and depth. Lambskin leather material is used, with a fine cloth screen covering the driver opening. I'll state plainly that I much prefer the pads on the Mobius. The walls were taller and the opening was larger. The LCD-1's ear opening is quite a bit small, so some people may have problems getting their ears to fit inside completely. It's a snug fit, for sure.
Cables:
The LCD-1 comes with a really nice, 6ft sleeved cable. The source side terminates into a 3.5mm plug with ample strain relief. Included is a snap on 6.35mm (1/4") adapter. On the headphone side is the dual 3.5mm plugs (also with ample strain relief) that go into the cups, and are reversible. This means you don't have to worry which one plugs into which cup. They will always output the correct side of audio. Pretty cool, though this means some other cables may not work. For instance, the cables I have for the Edition XX are 3.5mm but don't work with this headphone correctly.
Final Build Impressions:
While I do see the pads being a point of contention due to its small size, I don't think the LCD-1 has anything else truly problematic in its build quality. Aside from the minor nitpicks, the plastics used seem quite durable, where I'm sure the LCD-1 could take a lot of day to day abuse. I wouldn't recommend stepping on the LCD-1, but I certainly believe you can toss them in a bag with wild abandon and not have to worry about a thing. Great build quality.
Accessories
Outside of the necessary cable and 6.35mm (1/4") adapter, the LCD-1 comes with a Certificate of Authenticity, and zippered travel case as bonus goodies. The travel case is small, suggesting the headphone be placed inside in the collapsed position. The inside of the travel case has a netted area on the top side, which is where you'll place the cable. The bottom side where the headphone rests has a flap wrapped in velour material as a wall to separate the cups from one another to prevent scratches. All in all, a nice extra to have, and should protect the LCD-1 well enough from minor to medium impact shock.
Comfort
Audeze headphones are somewhat hot and cold in terms of comfort. Most of the usual complaints would likely focus on the incredibly heavy weight, which is not a factor here with the LCD-1. Others would complain that the pads lead to a pressurized cabin feeling which I too have felt in other LCDs. Again, not so here. Then there's the new headband found on the bigger LCD siblings which I lauded as essentially the greatest headband design out of any headphone I have ever experienced. Super comfortable, as if you're not wearing a headband at all. Sadly, ALSO not found on the LCD-1. The LCD-1's comfort falls more under what one could expect from the Mobius than what one could expect from other LCD headphones. Give or take a few key differences.
Weight:
At 250g, the LCD-1 is Audeze's lightest full-sized headphone to date, and the difference is quite obvious. The closest comparison would've been the discontinued Sine DX which weighed 50g more. The LCD-1 feels light in almost all regards. You can easily wear it all day, weight being the least of anyone's concern. A huge step up from essentially any other Audeze headphone.
Headband:
The closest point of comparison would be the Mobius here. The LCD-1's lengthier area of padding makes it a more comfortable fit on top of head. Less likely to induce hotspotting. That being said, it's still a far cry from their bigger LCD headband design. That would've pushed headband comfort up quite a few levels. I truly hope Audeze finds a way to incorporate that style of headband for all of their full sized headphones in the future. Possible Mobius and LCD-1 successors included.
Ear Pads:
This is probably going to be the LCD-1's least favorable area in terms of comfort for the majority of people. The pads really should've stayed in the realm of Mobious pad dimensions. The hit in size makes it a bit harder to get bigger ears to fit inside comfortably, where perhaps some people may even have a more 'on-ear' level of fit which would be a travesty in terms of comfort and maybe even sound quality degradation. Personally, I can only speak for myself. My ears fit well enough, though it's definitely a tight fit. As for personal gripes here, you all probably known my disdain for leather pads in general, which doesn't help matters, though I can't knock Audeze here. That's personal preference. I certainly don't expect every headphone out there to have fabric covered pads.
Clamp:
I'd put the LCD-1's clamp as being moderate, but at a good level. Not loose, and not clampy. My personal taste would lead me to ask for just a little less, but that's really just personal taste, and not an issue with the LCD-1 whatsoever. It's in a good place here.
Final Comfort Impressions:
If I could score the LCD-1's comfort and give it a specific rating, I'd say it would fall under 'Very Good', personally. This could be great for those who don't mind leather pads and their ears fit well enough inside, and it could be just good for those who have large ears and have problems with the pad size. Weight is excellent, clamp is generally fine, and headband comfort is very good. Really, it all depends on how the pads fit with your ears.
Noise Control
As an open-backed planarmagnetic, you can expect the LCD-1 on not being master class at handling external noises or keeping your audio from leaking out. This one is strictly for quiet, private room listening. It contradicts its portable nature, but alas, the only places I'd pack it up and lug it around to is between home, hotel, and a personal office at work. You'll definitely want at least one door closed between you and the next person.
Sound
I didn't quite know what to expect from the LCD-1. Perhaps a repeat of the Mobius in its default preset? But then again, the Mobius is closed-back which alters the presentation in direct comparison to an open-backed headphone like the LCD-1. Yet, surely it would replicate a lot of what one comes to expect from Audeze. The big, upfront "wall of sound" Audeze headphones are known to have? To be frank, not quite.
While my Audeze experiences are quite limited, one could say Audeze has its own house sound. Yet the LCD-1 brings its own unique flavor that separates it from its siblings. In its own bubble, the LCD-1 brings enough of its own personality to keep it from being overshadowed by its older siblings, or similarly priced cousin in the Mobius.
While I've known Audeze to have a sort of thick, bold, warm, bigger than life presence to its sound, the LCD-1 is more in its own lane, not needing to immediately impress with a big, bombastic bass line, immediate vocal placement, or soft, ever pleasing upper registries. So what sets it apart? Let's see.
Bass:
I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that the bass on the LCD-1 will be the most debated aspect of the LCD-1's entire frequency chart. Is it bass light? Is it bassy? Does it have impact and energy? These are the kinds of questions that will have very different answers depending on who you ask. If you come from a warmer, more Harman Target focused balancing from other headphones, you'll likely find it to be just shy of bass neutral. If you come from dynamic headphones that are aimed at neutrality, and not really well extended, you may find the LCD-1 to have more than enough bass. In reality, the truth is somewhere in between.
While I've seen a particular graph and how the bass is portrayed in that graph (which I do more or less agree with), it being almost a completely flat line to the depths, but a just a level below the general 'line' of the rest of the higher frequencies from midrange and above, it doesn't really paint the whole picture.
The LCD-1's bass extends to the depths incredibly well, as one would expect from a well performing planar. However, extension and impact are two very different things. What this means is that the LCD-1 can hit the lowest notes with realistic presence and atmosphere. However, coming off warmer, slightly above neutral basslines, the body and energy is a little on the thinner side. The LCD-1 doesn't hit quite as hard as one would likely expect, meaning it isn't super impactful or attention seeking. It's not like the Grado White I previously reviewed, which had a non-existent lower bass extension, but pretty punchy mid bass and energy. The LCD-1 extends where the Grado doesn't dare tread, and the bass is just as tight, detailed, and textured, though not as punchy. The oomph, the guttural, primal impact isn't quite...for par. It's just slightly...SLIGHTLY less than what I'd like on that front.
That being said, it's not as if there isn't a good amount of impact in certain situations. While the LCD-1 isn't what I'd call my first choice for bassy music, because it doesn't excel in highlighting these genres, it DOES benefit quite a bit from tracks that are ample enough in their bass presence. Especially if the tracks are deep and ambience creating, rather than focusing on raw energy.
Make no mistake, if you like bassy music, they will sound fantastic on the LCD-1. It just isn't what I'd consider top choice in bringing that kind of music to life.
The LCD-1 prides itself on details, which extends to its bass. The nuances, the granularity and rawness of its texture, rather than the gravitas of it. I actually really enjoy hearing my electronic music from the LCD-1 because it allows me to pick up on the subtler, more discreet aspects of the bass, rather than just the mere, surface level presence. It allows a whole new take on all my favorite music, without giving up the enjoyment.
The raw warble of 25hz is displayed cleanly and clearly, solidifying how consistent Audeze is at bringing out headphones that extend as low as anyone could possibly need. The LCD-1 may not be a bass monster, but there is no aspect of bass that will be missing information. It is simply master class here.
In short, when it comes to the bass, I'd say that overall, it's bass neutral if only JUST. The slight, SLIGHT reservation of punch and energy is offset by its excellent low depths, and brilliant detail within all ranges of bass.
Midrange To Treble:
The LCD-1 has what can be described as a very natural, neutral, colorlessly toned midrange. The low midrange to central midrange is essentially ruler flat to my ears without central emphasis or recession, in either tonal qualities or forwardness. It simply sounds... accurate. Correct. As intended. I can see that if you come from warmer tonalities, the midrange may sound a little on the brighter side, but I honestly feel this is more in direct comparison to something richer, and not in the overall sense as to how something should sound. The LCD-1 really sounds like a tool made for mastering, for using as a baseline for which other headphones should be tuned from. Not to mean it sounds analytical and lifeless.
This extends beyond pure scientific purposes. The midrange in music is elegant, refined, detailed, and wonderfully present without overstepping its bounds, or sounding lost behind other aspects of the LCD-1's sound. It's coherency and conciseness lead it to becoming one incredible powerhouse for midrange performance. It treads the line on musicality and detail retrieval much better than it has any reason to be. It sounds like a high end headphone to me in this regard. How Audeze got it to sound this well tuned is laudable.
I don't think there will be many people who can sit there and complain about the general midrange performance on the LCD-1. They'd have to be actively looking for a push towards a more lush, organic presentation, or sharpened as a surgical instrument for pure detail analytics. For me, you get a fine balance between them with the LCD-1.
Its transition to the treble regions continues in excellence.
Running frequency tests, I could only hear a minor dip to my ears at just past 1.5khz, with perhaps its biggest peak being just past 3khz at around 3.5khz or so. The rest is highly detailed without it being overwhelming with a soft dip at around 7khz, to some real presence at 8khz up to 10khz. There's a slight fall after 10khz, but it stays present and extends well past it.
All in all, outside of the peakiness I hear at 3.5khz, I honestly can't say I found anything that sticks out like a sore thumb throughout the rest of the mid to treble range. It's all present and detailed, without glaring sharpness and over prominence.
What surprises me is that the LCD-1 eschews the typical upper midrange blunting that Audeze tends to impart to its LCD headphones. So in many regards, the LCD-1 may come out as a better balanced headphone than its bigger counterparts, with more immediate detail retrieval. I can safely say that from the few Audeze headphones I've tested and reviewed, the LCD-1 is absolutely the most balanced and neutral of the bunch.
So once again, unless you're looking for a specific coloration in the midrange and treble, I doubt anyone will find anything to truly fault with the LCD-1's rendition of these ranges. It is one of the best qualities the LCD-1 has, if not THE best quality.
Soundstage and Imaging:
The soundstage on the LCD-1 is probably one area I would've hoped to have been a little better to me, at the very least, in its raw stereo performance. That being said, I don't put much attention to soundstaging in terms of a true stereo source, no surround processing added. I simply don't care how big soundstages are normally, because surround processors I tend to use when gaming already expands the soundstage enough for my needs. (Gaming is generally the only time I truly pay attention to the size of the soundscape.) That's not to say I don't enjoy headphones with inherently large soundstages. I definitely do, but it's not directly tied to my overall musical enjoyment. Larger inherent soundstaging does correlate to better performance out of those surround processors, but it isn't the final word on whether a headphone can articulate a virtualized sense of space. I'd say soundstage depth is more important than sheer size.
As such, the LCD-1's soundstage, while not in the same 'wall of sound' type of presentation found in something like the LCD2, isn't what I'd consider big. It's rather average without stand out traits to differ it from the norm. While again, this isn't a bad thing, I didn't find it to have particularly excellent depth either, which isn't something I've come to expect from planarmagnetics. It's all rather average to my ears.
Imaging fares a bit better, as the detail and definition of objects is potent on the LCD-1. There's no haze or fuzziness to be found in object location and visualization, making it excellent in this regard, though the lack of a large area of space and depth keeps it from being a top recommendation in terms of these aspects of its sound.
Clarity:
The LCD-1's clarity is what I'd consider high level. Its fantastically neutral, linear balance, paired with it's great sense of detail, nimble speed, texture of its bass and midrange, and definition, make the LCD-1 one of the best headphones I've heard anywhere near its price range. It didn't even need to sacrifice musicality in order to achieve this either, making one of the best headphones I'd recommend for those that want high levels of detail without compromising much in the way of immersion and overall enjoyment.
Sound Signature:
The LCD-1's tonality is decidedly neutral, with a linear curve from bass, to mids, to treble. The bass is linear and fully extended down low, though it's a hair shy in body and impact. Midrange is well balanced and placed right in the neutral line in terms of either forwardness or tonal temperature. Treble is sparkly and extended without it being piercing or overly enthusiastic. There is no veil to speak of, and while it isn't what I'd call smooth or fatigue-free, it dances a fine line between detailed and just enough restraint to keep it from turning the LCD-1 into a bright headphone. Those who would call the LCD-1 bright are likely just used to darker, warmer, smoother headphones. You want bright, get a Grado. This ain't that.
Amplification
Audeze made this with the specific intent on being incredibly easy to drive off even a smartphone. It's highly sensitive, and doesn't take much to push to a high volume. That being said, its neutral tonality allows it to inherit some of the signature from your source and amplifier. Having tested the LCD-1 with the petite Schiit Fulla 2 and 3 against my Schiit Magni 3, I did notice a repeated outcome of the LCD-1 sounding more fleshed out and natural out of the Magni 3 over the Fulla's internal amplifier. It sounded more true to life out of the Magni 3, leading me to believe the LCD-1 can improve with better amplification, or at least have some synergy. You ask any audiophile, they'll always tell you any and every headphone scales up, no matter how easy they are to drive. However, it's not essential. The LCD-1 sounded fantastic out of the tiny Fulla alone.
Gaming
While I wasn't all that impressed with how soundstage and imaging mixed in stereo applications, I was more than content with the LCD-1's prowess in virtual surround. It's not the absolute best in the long list of headphones I've used for gaming, but it certainly does well enough here to give a full recommendation for all gaming necessities. It may not be the most ideal headphone if soundstage is that is truly important to you, but for those who use virtual surround processing, the LCD-1 is quite capable, with accurate virtual speaker placement, staging, and definition of objects in that virtual space.
Its excellent depth and extension in bass also makes it quite immersive, though not on the level of something more pronounced in mid bass impact and raw energy. I wouldn't worry much about how'd it fare for fun. It's really good in this regard.
For analyzing and extracting information out of competitive gaming, the LCD-1 is a high level headphone for this use, due to its balanced, detailed sound, with crisp upper end, without crossing the threshold between being detailed, and being murder on the ears.
Personal Recommendation
Media:
Really, there isn't much the LCD-1 can't do. In terms of what to use them for, the neutral signature, high details, and deep extension allow the LCD-1 to work well for any manner of things you throw at it, though it may not specialize in heavy bass necessities, which I would least likely recommend it for. If only because if you place a lot of importance to those genres, you'll want a bit more body, energy, and presence than the LCD-1 provides. Other than that, really, go ahead and enjoy them for basically anything, and everything else. The LCD-1 is one hell of a do-it-all kind of headphone.
Practicality:
As far as practical uses, while the LCD-1 is portable, its open backed design really hamper it from being something recommended for public areas. Outside of home use, which it will exceedingly well in, I recommend using the LCD-1 for private office or hotel use. Perhaps you can take it out to a park bench, but prepare to hear everything else around you along with your source.
Who Is It For?
The LCD-1 to me would me a perfect offset to a darker, smoother, warmer headphone. Whereas one may like a specific flavor or coloration in their main headphone, the LCD-1's neutrality and well behaved demeanor allow it to highlight things that your other headphone wouldn't. So if you were into an LCD-2 or HD650/6XX with their richer, thicker, smooth presentations... the LCD-1 would back that up with extra attention to detail and nuances that a warmer headphone may not be tuned to highlight as proficiently.
The LCD-1 can absolutely work as the only headphone you can ever need, with the understanding that the energetically bass influenced genres wouldn't have the same dynamics and impact to them. If you're not really into that sort of music, the LCD-1 truly excels in all other areas. It's less for immersion building, and more for proficient showcasing.
Likes and Dislikes
Likes:
- Accuracy, Balancing, Tonality
- Bass Extension
- Midrange
- Clarity, Details, Speed, Texture
- Lightweight
- Sound quality well above expectations
Dislikes:
- Slight lack of bass energy, body, impact
- Soundstage size/depth is merely average to my ears
- Small earpad openings
- Proprietary pad mounting makes it harder to pad swap
- Reversible cables may make it harder to find regular alternatives, would've preferred a typical L/R cable orientation
Final Impressions
The LCD-1 is special. The tonal balancing is spot on, the extension on both ends are excellent, and the level of performance is undeniably impressive overall. I think outside of the soundstaging not being its best trait, the ear pads being a bit questionable in size, there is little about the LCD-1 that people will find to fault. In some ways, there is something about the LCD-1 that I like over the bigger LCD offerings. The LCD-1 seems more... mature in the way it handles it sound. The bigger LCDs seem more imposing, more direct, more immediate. Like they have something to prove. The LCD-1 has no qualms about staying in its own lane, offering a sublime, musical, yet precise experience. And I love it for that. Audeze, you've done it again.
