[RastaDolphin]

Pros: Portable.
Affordable.
Audeze name.
Very competent overall.

Cons: Don't expect the top-end Audeze sound.
Mostly plastic.
Could be more dynamic.

Audeze LCD-1 ($399): Audeze takes a chance and goes portable.

Many thanks to Todd from TTVJ for the loan of the LCD-1. This is the first stop on a tour. Having participated in many of Todd’s tours (and purchases afterwards, sigh…) he is a boon to the society, and just an upstanding guy. Cheers Todd and thank you!

TTVJ site: https://www.ttvjaudio.com/Audeze-LCD-1-Planar-Headphone-p/aud9000001.htm

Features:

• Enhanced transparency and sound stage - Open Circumaural Design
• Incredibly wide dynamic range - 90mm Over-Ear Planar Drivers
• Unparalleled sonic detail and accuracy - Ultra-thin Uniforce™ Diaphragms
• Powerful sound and efficiency - Fluxor™ Magnets
• Deep rich bass with low audible distortion - Fazor Wave Guides
• Light-weight construction with robust memory foam ear pads and headband for extended comfort during long listening sessions
• Robust foldable design, perfect for mixing on the go
• 3.5mm premium braided cable for tangle-free connection, with reversible headphone connectors for ease of setup
• 1/4'' adapter included
• Memory foam, genuine lambskin leather earpads
• Designed and built in the USA with imported and US made parts

What's included?

• 2m 3.5mm to dual 3.5mm cable with reversible connectors
• 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter
• Zippered travel case
• Certificate of Authenticity

Specs:

Style - Over-ear, open-circumaural
Transducer type - Planar Magnetic
Magnetic structure - Single-sided Fluxor™ magnet array
Phase management - Fazor
Magnet Type - Neodymium N50
Diaphragm type - Ultra-thin Uniforce™
Transducer size - 90 mm
Maximum power handling - 5W RMS
Maximum SPL - >120dB
Frequency response - 10Hz - 50KHz
THD - <0.1% @ 100dB
Impedance - 16 ohms
Sensitivity - 99 dB/1mW (at Drum Reference Point)
Ear Pads - Memory foam, genuine lambskin leather
Weight - 250g


Initiale: I will admit I was in the market for two things: a TOTL open-back and another at the $500-700 range for testing purposes. In checking the for-sale thread, I found and purchased a TOTL open-back, the Audeze LCD-3. After settling that, I came across the thread from TTVJ regarding the LCD-1. I had never heard an Audeze unit before, only listened to PinkyPowers gloat over his LCD-3. He wouldn’t even bring it to our mini meets, which of course was his right. After much reading, I did pull the string, and awaited the LCD-1 tour unit as well.

As luck would have it, we had a snow day Friday, so I could sit by my mailbox in the rain, snow, sleet, freezing rain awaiting our postman; who will not come up my drive and honk as requested due to our dog. I have repeatedly told him she cannot reach the driveway, but to no avail. He saw me sitting there (after an hour and a half…), took pity upon me and cut his route to give me the two units. He really is a nice guy and treats us well. We give him Christmas cookies as well, but that’s another story. So, having never heard an Audeze, I purposely opened the LCD-1 first to give a listen as I did not want to taint the signature in my mind. After assuring all was good, and the sound worked, I placed the critter on my Shanling M2x for burn in over the next two days. I always do this, even though Audeze espouses that the units come “burned in.” I want you the reader to get the impression of what the unit sounds like 6 months down the road. I am glad I did the listen, which turned into about an hour before retiring the unit for the night. I then blissfully spent the rest of the evening with the LCD-3’s perched upon my cranial matter.

That initial hour was of good quality, and I am glad I listened before moving on to the LCD-3. I knew going in (based upon reviews) that the bass would not be of such high quality, but it really is not meant to be that shattering. I could get a sense of all sound represented well, with no peakiness or lacks.

Gear used/compared:

All prices in USD, unless noted otherwise

Audeze LCD-3 ($1945)
Sendy Aiva ($399)
VModa Crossfade II ($299)
Verum Audio Verum 1 ($349)

Cayin N6 mk2
Dethonray DTR1/HA-2 Class A amp
Shanling M2x
XDuoo x10t ii/iFi Pro iDSD

Songs used:

Tidal Premium and SD card

Coldplay-All I Can think About Is You
Coldplay-A Message
Coldplay-White Shadows
Dona Onete-Sonos de Adolescente
Los Lonely Boys- Heaven (en Espanol)
twenty one pilots-Trees
twenty one pilots-Car Radio
twenty one pilots-Heathens
Damian Marley-Everybody Wants To Be Somebody
Damian Marley-So A Child May Follow
Damian Marley-The Struggle Discontinues
Ziggy Marley-Lighthouse
Ziggy Marely-See Dem Fake Leaders
Mark Knopfler-Laughs And Jokes And Drinks And Smokes
Santana w/ Mana- Corazon Espinado
The new twenty one pilots album, Trench
The new Mark Knopfler album, Down The Road Wherever
Big Head Todd & The Monsters-Beautiful World
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Lindsey Stirling

Unboxing:

The LCD-1 comes in a tasteful glossy black box, with a lid over the bottom half. With sides that do not go all the way to the bottom half, the lid comes off easily, not like some where you need the strength of a body builder to open… Upon opening, you are met with a glossy sleeve, which contains the short manual and the “credit card,” which carries the serial number as a means of authenticity. Lifting the sleeve off, you are met with the clamshell semi-rigid case, which contains the good stuff. Opening the case, the two sides came protected with foam layers covering each cup for protection. A thoughtful aspect, as these will shift during shipping.

After pulling the unit out, the cable comes next, with its 3.5mm connectors going into each side after removing the cable from the fishnet sleeve. An interesting twist is the inclusion of a felt-like Velcro laden cover. I assume this is set so you can tuck the cable underneath and not have to worry about it or the adapter falling out of the fishnet sleeve. A nice addition. Once those items are out, that is it. No other extras. And that is all right. Too often today, we expect audio companies to fill the boot with free extra kit, which to be honest will hardly get used. I’d rather the price be kept moderate so one could spend that extra on a new cable or pads.


Design/Fit-n-Finish:

There is no getting around it, the Audeze are smaller than their sibling, and made mostly of plastic. That seems to be the norm now in the sub-$500 price and sometimes beyond (think other portables such as the CA Cascade or VModa Crossfade II, which to its credit has a fair bit of metal). Using this material brings two factors into play: they are lighter, and also better suited to portability requirements such as folding and taking less space. So, in that regard, I’m OK with that. If one has had the pleasure of trying/owning/using the high end Audeze LCD-series though, you might be disappointed in plastic. Well, I would say you need not worry for the quality of build is quite good, with only the occasional creak coming out of one cup from where the cable enters. I will play around with that later to determine the cause in more detail.

Since this is an over-ear, and portable it must draw a fine line between accommodating larger ears and portability. For my slightly larger than normal ears (they are getting bigger as I age), the fit worked, and I could get comfortable. These are not as portable as say the VModa Crossfade II but close to the Cascade. For the purposes of a very nice planar, it is quite acceptable. Plus, with enough movement fore/aft, up/down I had no trouble achieving a good fit.

Other than the creak, the LCD-1 are built well, with no visible imperfections, and at this price I would hope not. Since Audeze has straightened their processes out, they have very little trouble if any, and the LCD-1 shows good work in the assembly-line based process. Adjustment was quick and easy with enough movement of the cups to give me a good fit, unlike others such as HiFiMan, which could learn a thing or two regarding the fit of their headphones from other companies such as Audeze. To not have fore/aft movement of the cup is a disservice. And a deal breaker in my mind. With the LCD-1 there is enough play that the fore/aft movement makes for a solid fit and seal.

The headband uses a combination of memory foam and Lambskin for a soft supple feel, even if it is a one-piece. So far so good, and the softness should aid in using the unit for longer listening sessions. The earcups are made of the same material and supple as well. I had a bit of discomfort due to the tighter grip, but it was not as tight as the VModa’s. Those are like a soft-cup vice grip. Tolerable but tight.

Sound:

I will admit I was a bit underwhelmed upon first listen, but that changed as I adjusted to the planar sound. What I might had conveyed as a lack of bass came across as competent, tight and sufficient. Certainly not as much as the LCD-3, but when utilizing the smaller sized planar that is to be expected. In that vein, the LCD-1 performed well. I will also admit that much of what I read came across as gushing praise for the Audeze. Some even mentioned product of the year status. I’m not sure I would go that far, but I was becoming enamored with the mini-me of the bigger brethren.

Laid back mids lend itself to a relaxing listen as opposed to some portables, which have a much more forward signature. I am not a fan of in your face mids and prefer them to meld into the overall schema of the sound. Much like the Legend X on the IEM side and the LCD-3 of headphone variety. In this regard, the LCD-1 is competent and very willing to be used in that regard.

With regard to the top end, thankfully it is pleasantly rolled off (to me) for my tastes. I cannot tolerate grating or spikey treble but do prefer a bit of sparkle to highlight to uppers. With regard to that, the LCD-1 falls short. There is not the sparkle, which would have made the LCD-1 simply stellar. But it is competent again, and unoffending. For those who prefer more up top, you might be able to EQ some in, but I am not sure. I did find a somewhat interesting notion of cymbal hits on certain songs, which to me gave them an artificiality and separation from the overall sound. I had to listen several times to a twenty one pilots song in order to isolate it. But it was there. Almost an anomaly, but listening closely to other cymbal hits, I could discern it in a scant couple others. I’m not sure I am the best for discerning the source or sorcery in play, but I did notice it.

Since it is a smaller planar, and portable, sound stage suffers a bit, but not as much to me as some have mentioned. I find it satisfyingly wide and tall. With good depth to boot, there is definite space, which allows the note to breath enough for quite nice detail and clarity. This is a pleasant listen, with enough of the above to make for an enjoyable ride. Isolation for an open back is actually quite good, which I have noticed may be an Audeze trait (albeit sample size of two., mind you…), with hearing the pounding of my keyboard and the hockey game on the tele as mild distractions. In that regard, the LCD-1 is quite good. Of course, that would drop noticeably upon a commute. But that isn’t always bad as hearing your surroundings isn’t a bad thing.

As far as portability, the LCD-1 does not really limit much of the sound, which I do believe was Audeze’s point. Sufficient layering to keep you interested, and good separation allow the listener to imagine a larger concert hall as needed. Notice I did not say experience. One would be stretching that point. But there is enough there to allow the listener to enjoy the feel if not the actual.

Comparisons:

Audeze LCD-1 ($399) vs Audeze LCD-3 ($1945):

I bring this is to show the heritage (I know a reach, but I just got them and love the 3’s). With some critical listening, it becomes apparent that the LCD-1 comes from the Audeze line. On Do What You Have To Do, the piano and vocal duet form a concerted almost sensuous sound on both. The LCD-1 holds its own nicely but cannot compare really. This become apparent on Don’t Talk from 10,000 Maniacs. Sounding a bit shallow, the difference is marked. So, some sound good while others tolerant. That is not a knock against the LCD-1 no, but rather praise for the LCD-3.

Audeze LCD-1 ($399) vs Sendy Aiva ($399):

The look of the Aiva alone took me in. Yes, I fell victim to an impulse, “flavor of the month” purchase. But, after breaking it in, and listening for well over 150 hours, I still like the sound. A bit middling in the mids, which are a tad veiled to me, nonetheless female vocals come out magnificently. Easy to drive, gorgeous at which to look, and more sub bass allow the Aiva to rightly hold a place in my regular lineup. The downside? It isn’t portable (that much), isolation is average to below (but it is an open back) plus the looks alone make me not want to take the unit out in public. It is not built for commuting, but rather an office where you have a solo office, or fine home listening.

Overall, I find the clarity to be better in the Aiva, but the Audeze sound is still quite good. I can clearly hear everything outside the Aiva, so the LCD-1 wins there as well. The Aiva is an excellent product, which many are now copying. Either that or they all come from the same factory but are tailored to the individual companies tastes.


Audeze LCD-1 ($399) vs VModa Crossfade II ($299):

Some time ago, I was in the market for a portable potentially BT closed-back headphone. The VModa was getting good reviews, so I purchased and open box for a song. BT connectivity was strong, and personally I could hear little difference between cable and BT (I could, but the differences did not bother me. Smaller cups than the LCD-1, this is almost an on-ear. Tailored towards a bassy-response the Crossfade’s have the most bas quantity of the ones listed here. That makes sense as it is the only closed-back of the bunch. But since Audeze is legendary for their bass reproduction, I fell the comparison is merited. I do enjoy the bass.

Easier to drive than the LCD-1, the bass does override the overall signature. This is one of the first “audiophile-type” pair of affordable-portables on the market. As such, compact size and a good dose of bass were warranted as well as a good push in the uppers. On Don’t Talk the best and Achilles of both ends comes through to me. Bass is fairly tight, and quite present supporting Natalie’s sumptuous voice. But the upper becomes a bit grating to me and piercing. This could be my intolerance due to old hearing loss-based ears and would be less of a problem on a commute. But in a listening room, to me it becomes quite apparent, and I have to turn the volume down. I would not tout this as a deficiency of the VModa, no. But rather a factor of the song, and my intolerance. In this regard, the LCD-1 fits my sound signature listening pleasures more.

I really do still like the Crossfade’s and need to find a way for them to fit into my rotation more.

Audeze LCD-1 ($399) vs Verum Audio Verum 1 ($349):

The Verum comparison will be from memory and drawn from my Verum review here: (https://ngoshawksounds.blog/2019/09/08/verum-audio-verum-1-the-story-of-one/). I found the Verum to be a fantastic representation at the price point. I could easily live with it at the sub-$400 price, even with the reports of early QC. The later units have that ironed out as much as one would expect. As far as sound, the Verum sounds “similar” to the Aiva, but without that mid-drop (to me), and hence a bit better clarity. Upon listening, I found myself thinking I had made a mistake in purchasing the Aiva (I didn’t), because I liked the Verum more. Isolation (lack of) is on par with the Aiva, and much less than the LCD-1. Here to me is an excellent benefit of the Audeze. That isolating of sound even though it is an open back. The LCD-1 is good, quite good, but for my purposes I prefer the sound signature of the Verum 1.

Sources:

The LCD-1 does benefit from a better source but performed adequately on those of a more frugal nature. That is kind of the point with the LCD-1, since many will undoubtedly use this with their Smartphone. I did not, but the affordable Shanling M2x would qualify as a budget source.

Cayin N6 mk2: Upon arrival to my abode, the N6 mk2 has been my most used DAP, and my near-reference one as well. The warmth of sound is marvelous, but one does benefit from a higher-end source to receive the true benefit. Tidal Premium sounds full and rich, with a bit less warmth than the LCD-3, but that is to be expected. La Venganza de Los Pelados sounds quite nice, even with that lack of warmth. I can turn the volume up and enjoy the sound without trouble though. The limitations of the LCD-1 show through, but the sound is so good, you can pretty much gloss over them.

Dethonray DTR1/HA-2 Class A amp: For those who have not experienced the DTR1, I named it my portable audio product of the year. @Wiljen warned me that it was good, and upon hearing his, I purchased one. When it comes down to it, it really is about the sound, and few that I have heard can match that in the Dethonray. Playing Crazy Mary through the combo provides a superb balance between warmth, bass depth and clarity. The HA-2 adds nicely to the already stellar DTR1 sound, and alone it is quite exquisite. Throw on the Class-A HA-2 and you get that added power for when you need it. I was already smitten with the DTR1, and then to add more magic from Anson in the form of the HA-2, simply adds more icing and ice cream to the mix. I like ice cream.

Shanling M2x: Primarily used as my portable on the go unit, the M2x has replaced my M5s in that regard. As such to me it provides about 85% of the sound for 50% of the price. That is a pretty fair trade off all around. Using Crazy Mary again, the sound while not as vibrant as either the N6ii or Dethonray combo is quite acceptable. This envisions to me where Audeze wants to proceed. Have very good sound for the portable market at an affordable price. Many say that you should upgrade headphones or source first, and for those who only want to use their Smart-device or small DAP, the LCD-1 fits well. I would be quite happy with the pairing listed here as my go to portable set up. Of course, under the guise of fairly noise-free situations.

XDuoo x10t ii/iFi xDSD: Another pairing of which I am quite fond provides a sound quite close to the Dethonray combo. In fact, for many situations I like this pairing more due to the additional features on the xDSD. This is still a superb little amp and with the added bonus of the 3D+ and Bass+ features you can add the holography missing in some headphones such as the LCD-1 and add some bass. I will admit I enjoy pretty much anything I hook up to this pair and as fancy needs switch the two “eq” settings on and off. To me with the LCD-1, they sound a little listless with the pair off, so on they stay!

Conclusion:

With all the hype surrounding the LCD-1, one would be right in considering it as product of the year. Ears more versed than mine would be able to better espouse the finer virtues of what I may miss. I do think that I try and look at most sound to give an honest representation of what is heard. But it is those others who may better be able to describe in better musical detail.

With that said, the LCD-1 is quite good. Not spectacular (to me) in any vein, but very competent in most. That laid-back signature is more akin to my tastes in a headphone as such, and once I heard the LCD-3, I knew I had made the right decision in purchasing a pair. The Audeze sound is one, which is different than other brands of the same price stratosphere. And it can hold its place among those best to me. Here is where I think Audeze did some reverse engineering to accommodate a lower price. Largely to me they have succeeded. The LCD-1 is indeed portable (with to me a quite acceptable size), has very good build quality (even with mostly plastic due to price and portability), and has sound, which should appeal to many looking for an entry into the Audeze sound. I found myself sitting back and turning the volume up a bit more to see if my better half and daughter-unit could hear the critter. Once I drew the dirty looks, I knew I had reached the threshold. But with the LCD-1 it was much higher than most open backs I own, which I consider a win.

If one is looking for an affordable-portable from a high-end company such as Audeze and like a bit of laid-back sound with good bass reach and good fit one should consider the LCD-1.

Wow! Nice pictures! Great review. Very in-depth.

 

[Todd]

The headphones are on their way to the 4th participant in line ipaintcode and have been moving in a timely manner. I look forward to all of you impressions of the LCD-1 and hope you have fun with them!

Todd

 

[RastaDolphin]

So, this is my review of the LCD-1 from Audeze. Thank you so much, Todd, for letting me try them out. ngoshawk covered the pics, specs, and unboxing so well I'll avoid imposing my redundant ramblings on that. And this may be short but, partially because it's not a glowing review, I hope to be succinct and get to answering the questions others might have.


BUILD & COMFORT:

The fabric-lined cable feels really nice to the touch and the black and silver design of the terminals feels substantial and well made. They look pretty classy too. It's also nice that the channels are determined in the ear cup so you don't have to fiddle with getting the terminals connected correctly — just plug them in without searching around for the "R" and "L". The clamping force is very uncomfortable to the point of hurting my (slightly on the smaller than average size) head. Even for a minute after taking them off, the pressure is felt. Also, ear cups are just a few hairs too smaller than I'd like. The top of my ears touch the inner foam covering the driver and the opening is JUST enough to not be sitting on top of my (average-sized, I believe) ear and, while the plastic used on the housing has been treated well to give a better-than-basic-plastic feel, something about putting them on your head feels like putting on kid headphones. To touch the pads with your finger, they feel incredibly soft and smooth with plenty of flex but, on your head, they feel oddly stiff and thin. That probably has more to do with the clamping force. The cord, as nice as it looks and feels, picks up a lot of surface noise when it moves.

SOUND:

I hit random play and the first track that played was “Die Die Die” by Avett Brothers. The overall experience was very ‘center, left right’ with almost no discernible depth or much dynamics. And, even for an acoustic track with no percussion, the sound was very upper-mid focused. That smooth and solid planar presentation that allows for zeroing in on detail was there but it seemed there wasn’t really any low representation — odd for a planar. But then I got to “Bump” by Yosi Horikawa. That’s when the … ahem … bump started to kick in. Still not LCD-2 kind of sub-BASS (which is a bit overboard) but it was there and it was smooth. The soundstage impression opened up a little bit as well. But the dynamics and separation were still fairly weak and lacked engagement. Acoustic kick drums sounded nice in “Repeater” by Fugazi where, presumably based on the upper mid focus, the room reverb of the kick was really noticeable. But when listening to “Paper Tiger” by Beck, the upper mids with strings gave a bit of a tin can effect at times as it seemed like the frequencies were shouting over each other for attention. It seems like the upper mid focus overcrowds the low end except during particularly dark tracks. Classical was understandably pleasant. Chamber music (string trios, etc.) were less so. It seemed like there was just a particular frequency span in the upper mids and possibly in the top end that would sometimes suddenly be screaming at you.

There were random tracks that sounded great. One thing that sounded pretty nice was “I Missed The Point” by Neko Case. It gave a LITTLE more of a three dimensional space. And “s”s didn’t have as much sibilance as they did with my DT1990s which are fairly bright. Another was “Veronika’s Dream” by Floex. And “Stay Forever” by Ween had a great sense of tone and timbre and had me wanting to really listen to the silky smoothness of that song and vibe out on it.

I thought maybe, these being designed for mobile use, running them off a Jotunheim was just squashing everything from power overload but things only seemed thinner and flatter when using the quad DAC on my LG V20.

There were random tracks that sounded great. One thing that sounded pretty nice was “I Missed The Point” by Neko Case. It gave a LITTLE more of a three dimensional space. And “s”s didn’t have as much sibilance as they did with my DT1990s which are fairly bright. Another was “Veronika’s Dream” by Floex. “Stay Forever” by Ween had a great sense of tone and timbre and had me wanting to really listen to the silky smoothness of that song and vibe out on it.

CONCLUSION:

Overall, and comparatively speaking to other options for just regular listening (not particular to mobile needs), my impression is that the LCD-1 is an extremely intimate/narrow headphone that’s smooth and detailed but lacks much dynamics and life with anything but music in the most extreme examples of those qualities. But then again, if you’re shopping for an open-backed headphone to use on the go, dynamics and soundstage might not be your friend since, in crowded and potentially noisy environments, that stuff can lead to sounds getting lost more easily. I’m still a HUGE fan of the other models in the Audeze LCD line and I’m betting with EQ tweaks, the sound of the LCD-1 could be pretty great. But, stock, the lack of depth perception makes them pretty boring, if not unpleasant, and for the shortcomings in the sound, having it be so oddly uncomfortable to wear for $400, makes them a no-go, for me. I just really didn’t want to have them on my head. But if you don’t mind narrow sound, tight fit, really want that planar speed and smoothness, and don’t listen to music with much sub-bass (or don't mind it being regressed), these might be something. Just don’t know if they are the best option for using out in the world with the leakage. If open-back mobile was what I wanted, I'd just go with a $17 pair of Koss KSC75s. They're light, have decent dynamics, great soundstage, and are pretty comfortable. [ducks for incoming tomatoes]

Tech stuff:
All songs were FLAC files either downloaded from Bandcamp or ripped using dBpoweramp played from Audirvana through a Jotunheim with a 4490 DAC or off my LG V20 using the same files.

 

[iPaintCode]

I have received the package of the Audeze LCD-1's and will start reviewing them in a timely fashion. (I will update this post with the review).

 

[dxanex]

The LCD-1 have been sent to the next person.

Thanks Todd! It was a challenging time to try and give these a critical listen, being distracted with the upheaval of everyday life in the age of COVID-19. But I did manage to get a couple of hours of listening in.

Right out of the box my first impressions were that they were a bit creaky and very plasticky feeling. Definitely feels like a sub-premium product compared to Audeze's more expensive offerings. Sound wise, from my memory of my LCD-2 classic, they are about 89% there. They sound a whole lot better than they look and feel. They do scale well, I first tried them directly plugged into my laptop, and then tried them later out of my DNA Sonett 2. The difference was not subtle, particularly in the bass extension. They sounded quite a bit fuller with wider soundstage than directly into the laptop.

Not the best with electronic music, sounded a bit dull and flat. No surprise that Jazz and female vocal music sound fantastic with the signature Audeze mid range. Very natural and breathy vocals for male and female voices. Phantogram and Ariana Grande really got the head bobbin' on these. Pretty great headphones for those wanting close to LCD-2 sound on the go, but I wish they felt slightly more solid for the money.

 

[RastaDolphin]

Should this still be going on with the virus pandemic?

 

[Todd]

In response to if this should be going on during the Covid 19 scare... and I appreciate your concern. I ask everyone before it is sent to them if they still want to participate. It is the participants choice.
Upon receiving the package, it can be wiped down or quarantined for a few days. No one has to participate and anyone who signed up is able to opt out.
Life goes on and I know I am happy to have a new toy/album to play with.

Todd

 

[ksorota]

Hey All, Just receive the loaner unit...gave it (and the packaging) a good wipe down with Lysol wipes and gave it a test run.

Equipment Setup: Tidal -> Bifrost MB Unison -> GLMK2

First impressions are:

Size:
Smaller in dimension than I was expecting. I have not tried any of Audezes other portable cans, but compared to the LCD-2 its minuscule in dimensions. Like how small they collapse and the provided travel case. Nice touches, would be very easy to throw in a travel bag.

Build:
Reminds me of a cross between the Oppo PM-3 and Cascade but of lower quality. The plastic looks aesthetically pleasing but sounds thin and hollow when adjusting the sizing and swiveling the cups. Also a bit creaky. The stock cable is of nice quality...nothing negative to say about it. I do wish the cups swiveled 180 degrees so that they would lay flat on my chest when wearing around the neck...as they are setup now you can lay them flat on a table - Cups down, but not when being worn, cups face up.

Sound:

First song I tried is Rollin' and Tumblin' by Clapton and King and they sound great! Very good placement and instrument separation. Vocals are well defined and float a bit in front of the music.

Next I am listening to Portishead It could be sweet, sound signature is smooth and tight. Bass extends low and is nicely detailed...compared to Meze 99C it is much more controlled and integrated into the sound profile. Vocals are again, floating on the music and sound lovely. Cymbals lack definition and sound very artificial and too forward on this track, sounding overly tzzzzz tzzzzzy.

Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac produces a very well defined left,right, center soundstage lacking much depth. Very detailed playback but a little thin sounding, especially compared to the Meze 99Cs. Between the two headphones with only a few minutes of listening, I am not sure which I prefer...Songbird played next and I could feel the emotion in Nicks voice with more intimacy than the 99Cs

side note: on thirst song, starting to notice high clamping force...excessive pressure on glasses frames.

Last track for now...Daft Punk, Giorgio by Moroder...oooh, this is what these headphones are for. Very "wall of sound" performance once the track really gets going. I am noticing the left, right, center soundstage is less obvious and instruments (sounds) are moving across the soundstage smoothly. Perhaps a bit too much treble energy, but very engaging on this track...

OK one more since DP went so well, Chocolate Chip Trip...again, good movement and separation of sounds across the soundstage. Treble energy is still a bit high, could become fatiguing I think, but the song does not feel like its ever getting the best of the driver, the headphones are handling the very dynamic song well. some of the mids feel a bit sucked out compared to the highs...but enjoyable for sure. OK...few more Tool tracks and they sound great.


Going to spend the week at the desk and while around the house listening and noting my experiences. Initial impressions are mostly good. So far I cannot decide what they are best at, but it seems that they are going to be a good overall headphone for...well, who are these for.

Since they are open, they are not for commuting so much as they are meant for use at a destination. Would the assumption be that you travel with them for hotel/resort listening, but also travel with another set of iem's or closed headphones for the travel portion, maybe?!?!

More to come

 

[ksorota]

Thanks again to Todd for setting up this loaner program. As always, it is a pleasure to be able to test headphones prior to purchase (or not purchase).

Lets start with the summary -

The LCD-1 was a bit of a head scratcher when first announced. It seemed to receive good reviews from online personalities and many touched on, or even exaggerated the use case of these headphones. I include myself in this group of folks who questioned why open back and portable...a trend that seems to be progressing as opposed to regressing. After a week with these headphones I no longer have any question about why someone would buy this headphone...its just good, not great, not amazing, but good. Nothing is offensive about the user experience, and their is nothing that takes away from using these for casual music enjoyment. I found the LCD-1 to be a very enjoyable listen, that was easy to drive off of my phone, but sounded equally good off of the Magni, GSX mini, GLMK2, or Liquid Platinum. The headphones are lightweight, comfortable and provide a solid balance of lows, mids, and highs...you really cannot go wrong. In a way, they seem to be a better version of the Oppo PM-3, and if they can put these into a closed back version, will become the go to travel headphone for those who still prefer wires.

In short, I really like the LCD-1, I want to buy them, but am instead going to recommend them to coworkers, family and friends looking for a good pair of headphones!


Some more Stuff -

Portability -

The fold-able, portable aspect is not that important to me since I do not travel much anymore. When i did travel I always brought along my PM-3's and thought that the travel case was perfect. Not only did the headphones feel protected, but they had the perfect amount of space for a chord mojo and cables nestled between the earcups. The LCD-1 travel case feels sturdy enough, but also seems a bit like an afterthought. The foam divider is a piece destined to be lost...and I personally prefer a flatter storage versus a stocky short package. IMO Oppo perfected the travel case. But what am I worried about, these are open backs, not meant to be listened too on a plane, train or in a car...just throw them in your suitcase and they will hide nicely with all your socks and toiletries bag.

Build -

These headphones seem a bit lacking feel vs. the cost, but that being said, I was the last on the loaner tour and you would not have known that they were not brand new when I took them out of the package. The finish was still in perfect shape, the headband was still clicky and held position well and the ear pads were still nice and firm and comfortable. I do not love the build, but it seems they used nice enough materials that they are going to last.

Comfort -

They were very comfortable to wear, while never quite disappearing ( I have glasses so most headphones do not really disappear) were not offensive. i do wish they had slightly large pads to provide some more room around my ears. My ears would not be considered large and did not fully fit within the cups. Even so, I never felt pressure on my lobes like I do with on ear headphones ( JVC HA-500S were the worst after a few hours). These are more comfortable to me than the Cascades, and on par with the Oppo PM-3's...maybe even more so. My preference still is for full sized headphones.

Sound -

The LCD-1's are a very enjoyable headphone to listen too. All frequencies are nicely presented with a neutral and forgiving nature. I felt their could have been a little more vocal presence, but not a deal breaker by any means. Bass is well articulated and extends low without distortion, actually its quite nicely done. The mids are a little bit, very slightly sucked out or stepped back from the highs, but very slightly. Highs are well presented, never harsh and with enough detail to make me happy. On poorly recorded tracks I could easily look through the bad aspects and enjoy what the artist was trying to put down. One could say that they are like HD650's without the perfect vocal performance.

My biggest complaint, which I addressed in the previous post, was the very left, right, center presentation of some music. Modern music did not exhibit this quality, but instead sounded cohesive. I have a feeling that using a Hugo II with the crossover functions would solve this and that it would be mainly an issue with older tracks that had instruments recorded on separate channels to the extreme.

List of positives -

• easy to drive
• easy to replace earpads
• lightweight
• Good sound quality
• excellent with modern music
• handsome looking headphone
• standard 3.5 jacks on earcups

List of negatives -

• build is a little plasticky
• mids a little pulled back
• earpads could be a little bigger
• travel case not well thought out
• price is about $100 too high (maybe $50)

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts, I hope that they can be helpful.

Thanks again to TTVJ for organizing and managing this Loaner tour.

Keith

 

[Todd]

Hi All,

This loaner program has come to an end. I am putting the loaner LCD-1 headphones up on my site for sale for $300 - call me if they are not up yet and you can order them directly from me. 406-285-3910

Thanks to all who participated. I hope you had fun and it helped break up some of the lock down monotony. Keep your eyes out for more loaner programs in the future.

Todd

 

[ksorota]

Thanks again for setting this up. I really enjoyed this headphone but my interest right now is in the Grado Hemp tour... saving up while I wait!

 

[The Fed]

Took me way to long to get this together but.... I made a promise

There has already been quite a bit of ink spilled over the LCD-1 and the packaging up of the Audeze sound into a sub $500 portable headphone. I won’t spend a lot of time treading a well-worn road.

I won’t be going into depth about who Audeze is, the historied namesake of the LCD-1, the prototype it took its name from or provide a breakdown of orthodynamic technology in general. This is head-fi after all, you guys should know this stuff. We will just try to deal with the critical elements here.

There have been dozens of reviews from tech, gamer and headphone sites as well as youtubers etc… Plenty of content and plenty of angles already chewed up. Of note, Inner Fidelity gave the LCD-1 the product of the year award in 2019 (before they posted a review). This is Inner Fidelity sans Tyll Hertsen, so to my mind, taken with a grain of salt. Without Tyll at the ships helm, I apply a bit more skepticism to their findings. Over years of consistency I learned to trust Tyll’s opinion. I have not yet learned to trust the current team the same way. I am not meaning to disparage just being honest. Take it or leave it.

So why bother? Well I have been looking for a portable solution for personal use. I travel some for work and lugging around an LCD-3 or an HD800 through airports and hotels is not practical and always leads to anxiety about lost luggage (I have done it a few times). I was leaning more towards the wireless route purely for convenience sake when I saw that Todd Green had an LCD-1 product tour on Head-fi. Since the LCD-1 was in my price range, seemed fairly small (i.e. portable) and was an orthodynamic headphone made by the Kings of the orthodynamic renaissance, I jumped at the chance to take it for a test drive before making a decision.

1st Impressions

When the LCD-1 arrived, it arrived in a non-descript black box with a simple Audeze Logo imprinted at the center. Inside the box were the headphones, a hard-sided fabric wrapped carrying case, fabric wrapped headphone cable and some paper odds and ends.

The headphones are mostly plastic with some leather ear pads and a band of stainless along the headband slider. There a plastic grill on the ear cups with the Audeze A pattern with what looks like a metal screen behind that. The headphones are good looking but built to a budget for sure…. They remind me of an upscale version of the Klipsch Image One, or a downscale Sine DX. They are similar in build to Ultrasone pro or some of the Beyerdynamic DT models. A small plastic headphone.

Audeze says that the cable is reversible for ease of setup so you can plug either connector in either side and I guess that is true not having to squint your eyes to spot the tiny L or R on the connector but TRS to dual TRS must mean they must have run 6 wires from the plug so each headphone connector has all three circuits and the differentiation between left and right is at the headphone cup. Interesting but it will make things more challenging for diy cable builders. Which dovetails into my first gripe.

A microphone would have been a nice touch.

Whether they did it with a second cable with an inline mic or a cable with a boom mic, or an aftermarket cable that they sold on their site or an aftermarket boom mic that you plug through… whatever. These headphones lend themselves to listening to music on your phone because they are easy on the ears, comfortable, and easy to drive. I could see myself plugged into my phone quite a bit, as such, it would make sense that you could take a phone call with these on. I know its audiophilia and phone calls have no place in high end hifi…. just saying from a practical point of view, it would have been a welcome addition.

This also brings up the issue of purpose. They are very easy to drive and they are small… like I said, good candidate for a smartphone. But they are also open back, have a long(ish) cable and don’t have a mic so aren’t an ideal portable solution.

You can listen to music in the hotel but can’t use them on the trip.

You can walk around your house with these on, but all bets are off once you walk out the front door.

The media push has been that these are studio headphones… I suppose in a personal studio with personal gear they would work, but professional equipment and environments typically require headphones with some noise isolation, higher input resistance and dare I say a more durable build. These don’t feel flimsy mind you, but they don’t quite exude the durable build quality of a studio headphone unless you are talking about the ATH-M50 which is similar in perceived build and durability but is problematic because an ATH-M50 is a studio beater that you just replace if you destroy it. These are too expensive for “beater” duty.

I don’t know, the “pro” studio angle just doesn’t ring true for me. But that is just one man’s opinion, not a matter of fact.

And so, we can just get it all out on the table, my last gripe is headband noise.

To be fair I was the umpteenth person to play with this set of headphones so maybe this set are a little more clunky that your average bear, but they were impossible to keep quiet… The hollowness of the plastic and all the mechanically complex little bits in the headband cause them to pop and creak with frustrating regularity. Am I being a fussbudget here, sure, but this headband can be noisy and that can be distracting. I got pretty frustrated with these a couple of times so, do with that what you will.

HEY HO LET’S GO!

All that said, a lot can be forgiven by good sound quality and so I plugged the LCD1 into my iFi iDSD Black Label, cued up Tidal on my computer and listened to a couple albums. Magnifique by Ratatat and The New Abnormal by the Strokes.

It has been a number of years since I had them to hand so I’m not going to be a dummy and try to compare the characteristics of LCD-1 with some fallible memory, but the overall feeling that I get about the LCD-1 is similar to feeling I got with the Hifiman HE400. It’s isn’t a punchy, dynamic sort of sound… It is a clean, clear sound.

The LCD-1 isn’t thick or bassy, but they aren’t anemic and bright either. They are linear, effortless and natural sounding. They have a remarkably easy going way to them that allows for long listening sessions with low fatigue. The tone is full but leans more towards neutral than rich. Even though the sonic particulars are likely very different, it’s the same way I felt about the HE400… Clear sounding, natural sounding. Different…. In a good way.

The headphone drives easily so they are a natural dancing partner for a smart phone or tablet. I ran them off my ifi IdDSD black label with an ocean of head room, but when plugged in directly to my phone they were still able to play nice and sounded great. Sure they require the last 20% of the volume slider to sound their best but they are still able to sound good without the need to strap an amplifier brick to your smartphone.

LCD-1 vs. Sine

To better understand their sound quality, I contrasted them against the only headphone I have to hand that makes comparable sense… The Audeze Sine. I have an LCD3, but my daughter took it with her to Louisiana so it’s out of rotation at the moment. I wanted to be able to parse how much of the Audeze house sound, the LCD-1 has been bestowed from a standard bearer like the LCD-3, but it wasn’t in the cards. The Sine was Audeze’s first attempt at a portable planar and it has its own list of shortcomings, but sound quality is not one of them.

The sine is a closed back headphone that sold for a bit more than the LCD-1 and came with a Cypher cable… a lightning terminated cable with integrated amp/dac (AND A MIC). The original Sine is discontinued now but Audeze subsequently released a Sine open back without the Cypher cable and this is still available on Audeze’s site for $599. I think you can grab it for a bit cheaper on Amazon.

Because of the acoustic advantages that an open back design provides, I expected the LCD1 to best the Sine on sound quality while the Sine would win on build quality and based on my extensive experience with the Sine, expected the LCD1 to come out on top in terms of comfort.

But that isn’t exactly how this went.

It is true that the LCD1 is more comfortable. With the lightweight plastic over ear build, and thoughtful headphone design, the LCD1 is a headphone that can almost disappear. Couple that with the easy going sound and it really is a good headphone for long sessions.

Comfort is the Achilles heel of the Sine. It is an on-ear design with a rigid metal frame that makes it both heavy for a portable and uncomfortable. You can stretch the headband out to reduce clamping force and there is a community of modders seeking to null out the comfort issue with 3d printed adapters and custom ear pads… But out of the box the Sine not very comfortable at all.

It does sound better than the LCD-1 in absolute terms… to my ears. Swapping the two back and forth, there is a noticeable chalkiness or whitish haze to the LCD1. The Sine is just a bit clearer and more resolved. It is also just a bit more propulsive and physical. The LCD-1 isn’t a polite sounding headphone per se…. it is warm and exuberant when called for, but the Sine is able to communicate tension and induce suspense better. If both of these headphones were windows, the LCD-1 glass would have just a slight fog to it. I confirmed this chalkiness to the LCD-1 tone with my HD800. Mind you this isn’t a major offense, or something that should sour you to these headphones. Unless you are doing direct comparisons with other headphones, you’ll never notice it.

On the other hand, the Sine’s comfort gets in the way quickly in stock configuration. After about an hour I had hot spots on my head that were getting sore and just wanted the damn thing off. Not too mention, the forwardness and immediacy of the Sine sound is fatiguing in its own right.

LCD-1 is significantly less fatiguing both in terms of comfort and sonics…. It is even keeled and effortless and so you could listen to it for hours on end. And without the Sine as a contrast, it does sound fantastic on its own. It is arguably very similar overall to the HD-650 in this regard. I would compare those two as well but my HD6XX was stolen a while back so yeah that one still pisses me off when I think about it….

WRAP IT UP!

Ok so to summarize the LCD-1 is a linear, clear, natural and effortless sounding headphone with a lot of positive traits. It is very easy on the ears and I kind of get why Grover from Inner Fidelity championed its suitability in studio work. It is an easy headphone to wear for eight hours straight. However, the open design could be a bit of a problem in studios where isolation is important, and I think the LCD-1 is too sensitive for professional equipment. However, in a quiet home studio it offers better sound quality than studio staples like the DT770 or T50RP or ATH-M50. It is also able to play nice with your head and your ears for hours on end. I suppose you could use this in a quiet office if you make sure the noise coming from the open back design isn’t distracting others.

So, when it all boils down… the LCD-1 does have some value. But I struggle with the price a little. At $399 if you were just speaking in terms of sound quality it can hold its own with the best headphones in the mid-fi segment. But the build quality is mostly plastic and there is some headband noise that comes along with those material choices. I think it is lacking a bit in build quality.

I would be more enthusiastic about the LCD-1 if it were $299, at that price it’s a great headphone. $399, for whatever reason, strikes me as a little steep.

Some people will look at the LCD-1 and view it from the $1000 price tag Audeze normally charges and say “look an Audeze LCD headphone for only $400 dollars.”

I don’t really see it that way. It sounds good, but the build quality is on par with headphones half the price. It sounds better than many of those but $400 is a lot of money for a small plastic headphone. It’s a tough call.

If we’re looking at $400 price point you could spend an extra $50 and stretch up to the Beyer DT1770 which gives you comparable sound quality with a significantly better build or the Drop rebranded Oppo PM3, the Panda, which offers wireless capability and an onboard amp as well. Then there is the Audeze Mobius which offers wireless, onboard DSP, a mic etc… and the latest iteration of the Hifiman HE400 the Sundara and the murderer’s row of Sennheiser HD6xx headphones.

It’s a pretty tough segment and for MY needs, the LCD-1 isn’t the right headphone.

But there is a lot to like here. The headphone is small, lightweight and sounds really good for long periods of time without fatigue. It would be a good office headphone for listening to music at your desk while still being able to hear if the phone rings and not looking like a crazy person with a full sized headphone on your noggin or for home studio producers/ creators/ YouTubers who want something a bit extra over the typical monitoring headphone and have a quiet space to work in.

If you are looking for a lightweight headphone with good sound quality and low fatigue factor, then it certainly deserves consideration.