LCD-X Over-Ear Open Back Professional Headphone new 2021 and Later Version with Carry case, Combo 4 pin XLR Cable with 6.3mm and 3.5 mm adapters, Black

I am by no means an audiophile and lack the technical vocabulary to accurately articulate the sound these headphones provide. With that said, I will do my best to describe my experience. I currently own 6 pairs of headphones and these are becoming my favorites. My current other headphones are the Sennheiser HD 8XX, Focal Clear MG Pro, Focal Elegia, Dan Clark Aeon Closed X, Hifiman Sundara. I only add this information so you can understand by experience level and personal sound taste. Packaging - These are packaged like a tank. The carry case is very nice and feels quality. Build Quality - I think if you really wanted to you could break rocks with these things. They are all metal and build extremely well. There are no creaks or roughness when adjustijng them. Everything is silky smooth and percise. Sound Quality - Sound is so subjective. It is impossible to describe exactly what I hear because if you put these headphones on I guarantee they will sound different to you. Here is what I hear. The first thing that stood out to me was the clarity and the warmth. The first album I listened to with these was Days of The New - Days of The New. It happened to be delivered at the same time. The soundstage actually surprised me a little. I wasn't expecting them to be as wide as they are. They aren't as wide as the HD 8XX but few are. The guitars really sustained and the openess was just fantastic The next albumn I listened to was Charles Mingus - Ah Um. I was immediately captivated by the instrument separation and the way the notes just sang! The bass was pleasantly punchy and full and the drums really were crisp and tight. Comfort - If there is a let down with these headphones it is in comfort. They weigh a ton and it feels like it. Despite having the wide headband and large comfortable pads after a few albums you really start to feel it on the crown of your head and in your neck. They are not uncomfortable, you just have to take breaks. I also have a GIGANTIC head and they fit fine which is rare for me. Conclusion - These are expensive headphones without a doubt, however, I really think they are a great value. You are getting what you pay for here. The sound quality and build are second to none. I would absolutely buy them again and recommend them to anyone in the market for them.

So I bought a HD599, HD6XX, Hifiman Edition XS, Hifiman Sundara, LCD 2 Classic, and these. I wanted to try out different sounding headphones at varying price points and stick with the ones that got the most emotional response from me and enjoyment. Off the bat, I thought “these LCD X better absolutely blow me away for me to want to spend over 1,000 on a headphone”. Well I can say after listening to all the headphones for a while, I am keeping the LCD X, because they absolutely blow me away. After hearing how good they sounded, I couldn’t imagine deciding to keep any of the others. The best way I can decide the sound, is that it sounds thick, and full. The bass is insane especially with XBass on my Hip DAC 3 (which is an excellent little amp by the way, and powers these no problem even on low gain). It sounds like subwoofers in my ears, and the craziest part is that when the bass is strong, everything else still comes through clear with no distortion, unlike the Edition XS, which had very nice bass but would distort pretty easily. The LCD X gets louder than comfortable for me and still doesn’t distort. In reviews online, I always hear about things like “soundstage” and “slam”. As Listened to all these headphones, I began to understand those terms. The Hifiman Edition XS I’d say had the largest sound stage, which a lot of people like. Things sounded airy and spacious. Apparently Hifiman is known for this. I thought it was really cool, but honestly prefer the more intimate soundstage of the LCD X. It sounds like I’m hearing the music exactly the way it was meant to be heard, and if songs sound really large because it was recorded that way, then that’s how I hear it. If a song is recorded in a way that everything is mashed together, that’s what I hear. The Hifiman sounded excellent in things like Jazz and Classical, but the large sound stage almost sounded artificial to me at times. Some things often sounded recessed or too far away. As far a slam, well I know what that means now. Listen to Hotel California by the eagles, and when those drum hits come in before the main drop to the song, you’ll know what slam means. These got it. Anyways I could talk about sound all day and how amazing these are. The other reason I chose them over all the others is build quality. When you get these, you first get this hard plastic case. You open them and find these basically all metal/aluminum headphones that just feel solid. The whole experience of opening the case and grabbing these feels premium. The Hifiman was just cheap and wobbly and plasticky feeling, just like the sennheisers. Some people say these are too heavy, but they must just have weak necks or already have poor posture and are hunching forward. They definitely have some weight, but are very comfortable. I wear them all day with no issues, but I sit straight and have head and neck support on my office chair. As a final note, as compared to the LCD 2 C: the LCD 2C for me was pretty great in a lot of the same ways, but the X just sounds so much better out of the box. If you are on a tight budget, the 2C can sound pretty close to the X if you EQ on your computer, but I like to use my phone and the hip DAC so I can listen around my house, and the X just sounds incredible without EQ. The 2C still sounds great, and if it’s all you hear then you’ll be fine with it but the X is definitely a step up and is worth the extra money for me.

The Audeze LCD-X (2021 Creator Package) has completely exceeded my expectations. The sound quality is nothing short of phenomenal. The clarity across the spectrum is impressive, but what really stands out is the bass—deep, rich, and incredibly well-controlled. It adds a visceral dimension to music that makes every listening session feel immersive and emotionally engaging. I’ve paired these with the Schiit Audio Midgard and Mimir combo, and the synergy is perfect. The LCD-X responds beautifully to the amplification, delivering a dynamic and spacious soundstage that makes even familiar tracks feel fresh and expansive. While some users have noted the weight as a drawback, I haven’t found it to be an issue so far. Yes, they are large and undeniably bulky, but the comfort level is surprisingly good for extended listening sessions. The build quality is excellent—solid, premium materials that feel built to last. At the sale price of $999, these headphones offer tremendous value. You’re getting reference-level performance that rivals much more expensive models. If you’re serious about audio and want a pair of headphones that deliver both power and precision, the LCD-X is a fantastic investment.

Extremely fun headphone. EQ is a must since they sound pretty dark out of the box. They're quite comfortable despite being pretty chonky. Soundstage and layering isn't amazing on these like something from Hifiman, but it is extremely detailed and articulate, plus they won't fall apart in a year. You'll be able to pick up the subtlest sounds with ease. Amazing sub bass (exceptional dynamic range, descent amount of slam), crisp mids and treble. They're slightly rolled off on treble which is nice for me since It makes longer listening sessions more enjoyable. I like to listen to a lot of busy tracks (mainly EDM/electronic). They sound pretty forward without being too much. Vocals and instruments sound natural (vocals to me sounded artifical on Sundaras and Anandas). These respond to EQ very well so you can tune them to your personal preference. One thing to note is that you will need an amp with some juice. I run these off of a Onkyo home theater receiver, which has plenty headroom. Tried them out with a JDS atom and Shiit magni heresy and they left a lot on the table compared to what I was able to get out with the Onkyo. Love these headphones very much. I'd compare them to the 2-C, but I've never listened to them. I also haven't had any issues with the screws on the can to strap couple like some have had (blue Loctite if any issues) and the factory cable is very good as well. This headphone is not going to be everyone's favorite, but it definitely checked the boxes for me. If instrument separation and soundstage are extremely important to you, I'd probably look for something else. I only have limited experience with different headphones, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. However I've personally never listened to anything that made me so impressed every time I put them on. Oh big plus I forgot to mention. Audeze is located and manufactures their headphones here in the states. They offer a 3 year warranty on the drivers as well. I truly gave Hifiman a chance but when you get a defective unit out of the box it kind of leaves a bitter taste on the tongue. TLDR: amazing headphone, natural, articulate, and crisp. Slightly rolled off treble. Fantastic sub bass dynamics. Need a beefy amp. Cost a pretty penny, but worth it imo.

I have been using Phillips X2's and Fostex T50RPMK3's for the last 5-7 years. I decided to test out a couple of upgrades. I bought 2 new pairs of headphones: Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro's, and the Audeze LCD-X. The DT 1990's were returned immediately. The comfort was poor, build quality was nothing special, and they sounded good but not great. Better than my X2's, but worse than my T50RPs. For nearly $500, I was expecting alot better. The LCD-X's are more expensive, but they are a massive upgrade over my existing headphones. Comfort is great, the pads are the best I have used. Super thick nice leather pads. They are heavy, but I am used to the weight now after a week or so. Out of the box, the sound was great. Effortless deep bass, not boomy like my X2s. After using them for a few days, I EQ'ed them to make them match the Harman curve, the results are very good. They have a dip around 8-10k out of the box. With EQ'ing, that goes away mostly. I was hoping the cheaper DT1990's would be the keepers, but I think the LCD-Xs are worth the extra money. All metal and leather, detachable cable (and the stock cable is good quality), I suspect these will be my headphone of choice for the next 10 years. Highly recommended.

If you want these purely for the sound, then you are not going to be disappointed! I am no audiophile, but they have transformed my audio experience. I pick up so much more detail that I never heard before, and the sound is well balanced without distortion. Before I had only ever heard of things like "soundstage" and "imaging" in word, and now I know what is meant by hearing them. There are a few points that you may want to be aware of before getting this or most other LCD line headphones... As I saw on reviews before purchasing, the headband has too much give in it and contacts the metal band above it, making these rather uncomfortable without a beanie or something on your head. This may be less of a problem if you have a very wide head. Otherwise the earcups are very comfortable. Before I got these, I had my eye on where the yokes meet the adjustment rods, and it just looked like expense was spared in this design. Many LCD headphones have this same yoke design, some notably more expensive than these. I was worried that it would get bent; surely enough, that was a failure point that I soon came to experience. And guess what is the ONE part asides from the driver section that they do not sell as a repair part? The yokes' sheet metal is finished nicely but too thin for what its job is, and the quality of the 1/4" #4-40 pan head screws is not the best. I replaced the screws with 3/8" stainless steel ones with some blue threadlocker.

I used to think typical good value audiophile headphones all sounded decent (beyerdynamic dt990 250ohm) but they all sounded the same to me. The day I put these on after they came in was the day I felt my hair crease due to my inability to take these off. I have never heard something so close to a live concert experience wearing headphones or listening to speakers. With these, you wont need to research 192kb lossless, because mp3's on these sound better than lossless on any other headphone. Adding lossless to these and you feel something magical. The sound quality of the mids is surreal and the bass is extremely fast with no bleed due to the amazing planar magnetics, not to mention the highs are bright enough but never overwhelming. Soundstage isn't insane, but with the clarity and paring of balanced cables, good dac and amp, it will show through. Build quality is extremely good, all metal build feels very sturdy but can be much heavier than expected. Some people say they can't have these on for more than an hour but I can easily wear these for over 5 without a need to take them off. Sometimes it needs adjustments due to my larger ears touching the fazors on the inside but nevertheless a great lounging or chilling headphone. Watching movies with these feels better than an actual movie theater where sound intimacy is at the highest. Make sure you EQ these if you get them, there's quite a few EQ settings for these and they all make it better than new. The cables it comes with are expensive and seemingly fragile so keep them from kinking or pulling, otherwise opt in for some balanced XLR cables off amazon or somewhere else. Don't believe what other reviewers say when these aren't "endgame" headphones, I don't ever see myself spending 5x the price of these for 5% more quality especially with the advantage these have over typical 500$ headphones. If you AREN'T a hypercritical audiophile, buy these and don't look anywhere else, you will find yourself in a rabbit hole spending money like a kid in a candy store. 10/10

Note: heavy but not uncomfortable. Long winded breakdown oh yeah! I use these headphones for mixing (at home) and also use them for listening to music or to watch movies. They are enjoyable even when single-ended! I would say for what they are advertised to do, they fill the role of mixing and tread a bit outside as a listening pair (mixing headphones and listening headphones are NOT the same). They don't have a large Soundstage, but the stage given happens to be natural, not fake. Don't confuse this with placement of actual staging, where the middle is a touch vague (for mixing I can still tell I'd the vocalist is centered or to a side) when used for games. The bass is the only 'problem', with the response being linear enough that if you add some with eq or use something like ifi's true bass or xbass, you will be more than amused! The tonality is well balanced, with a noticeable dip at 3.7khz and a large cavity-like recess at about 9.56khz to 10khz. Those dips however, are not a problem for me, as adding too much at 3.7khz back can add some coloration (2db to 3db on Equalizer APO would be a safe range, with the latter as your maximum (q width of about 1 to 1.5)). Summary; this headphone is very enjoyable, and it's weight is not a problem in the slightest since the weight is evenly distributed. The seal is good for glasses wearers, and the tonality is inoffensive. With some eq, you can find a sweetspot for 3.7khz to emphasize the already present texture to vocals, cymbals, or snare drums. The stage and overall 'sound' is natural, while adding detail galore, and being fun at the same time. And they are neutral enough to mix in for either the amateur or the pro. To me, this is my temporary endgame. I recommend these headphones whole heartedly, alongside a good clean dac and amp.

I had bought the hifiman xs edition in at about £430 and they were good but not great. I did initially think it was my older headphone amp that just wasn’t powerful enough so added a fiio k7 amp/dac and a balanced cable with 4.4mm jack but still I wasn’t happy with the quality of the mid range at volume. But to clarify they are good headphones but not £430 prob £250 maximum. Having now heard the amazing sound stage and clarity of magnetic planar headphones I couldn’t go back so had to look at what else would satisfy. Hifiman do a good range but I felt that if I was going to spend more I wanted then to last hifiman however have a bit of iffy quality going by a lot that I’d read in online reviews and threads on headphone sites so I decided to turn to the Audeze range and then had to convince myself that spending so much more would be worth it (30 day returns with Amazon at least take some of the fear out of these decisions at least!) Diminishing returns are something that’s always spoken about with audio equipment from cables to amps to headphones. For my price band this was the absolute maximum I was ever going to spend and having used them for over a month now I can happily say they are worth every penny. The headphones come in a great carry case and a great stock cable to get you started (6.3mm) but I’d recommend getting a balanced 4.4mm cable to get the best out of them. Some people had said that they are heavy and they are I’ve gotten used to heavier headphones with my previous Final Audio headphones. These are not made of plastic, mainly metal and have great build quality/ feel solid and an adjustable headband to suit your needs. I have to mention the ear pad/cups, these are by far the most comfortable part of the headphones as they should be, it’s like putting on a silk shirt or pulling on your most comfortable shoes they are truly beautiful and every time I put them on I have an ohhh yeah moment. As for the most important thing the sound. As I’ve previously mentioned the hifiman headphones were good but harder to drive thus the new amp but these are way easier and can even be run from an iPhone, Mac or laptop but an amp will def help. The sound signature is pretty flat on them you don’t have to EQ them much at all but do react well if you add a wee bit more bass and maybe the odd peak in the treble but it is really all personal preference but they have that flexibility but with the large planar the response range is vast and even to my older ears 90-95% of music is enhanced drastically. Sound stages are wide and expansive, instruments sing with a clarity that was muddy before and you can find something in every old song you have listened to a hundred times before. The only drawback which is not the headphones fault, but if the track has a middle to low quality mix from the studio you will know about it. On the serviceability of these, they can have both drivers replaced if needed which is better than having to bin and buy new (£600 apparently) but fingers crossed these will last but handle with care they are more delicate than dynamic driver headphones but like wise that’s why they give you the impressive flight case with them. Overall I’m very happy with these, they are open back (closed back versions are available!) which does mean home or out for a walk but this design would not work in a plane, train or bus. You can also purchase a 3.5 mm version of the cable and plug it in to a fiio bluetooth receiver/ amp if you want to go kind of wireless-ish as-well. Expensive for most I’d guess yes but incredible sound and quality.

Al principio no estaba sorprendido con la calidad de sonido, pero después de usar el preset de oratory1990 que se acerca al Harman target, los audífonos brillan. Se demuestra su verdadero poder en los bajos y su capacidad de detalle. Los audífonos, si bien sí son pesados, no se sienten incomodos después de horas de uso. Así mismo, la presentación de estos es excelente; desde su estuche hasta su construcción. Recomiendo estos audífonos después de ecualizarlos

Fantastic detail and sound stage. Impressive dynamics and frequency range. Comfortable and not as heavy as its perceived by many people. Can easily have it for a couple hours fine. Im pairing it with a Topping E50 and L50 stack, they are perfect for these cans. Is it worth the price? Probably not for casual listeners, if you want some of the best professional level detail retrieval, these are definitely the right choice. They feel and look high end- like they should. I talked to many people with LCD-X over 5 years old and have no problem with them, i guess time will tell how reliable these are. I heard Audeze had decent customer support, hopefully i never have to figure that out.

High quality & famous brand

These truly are my 'End Game' cans. I mulled over spending this much on a pair of headphones for longer than I care to admit but in the end I went for it and I have no regrets. Firstly, the build quality is wonderful. They are pretty heavy but not too heavy, more reassuring of the quality. The sound is out of this world. I have them connected to the Topping D90 + A90 stack with balanced XLR cables connecting them and I am also using a balanced cable between the amp and headphones. I can't recommend these enough. Paired with a quality source, in my case, Tidal MQA, you hear things you never noticed before in music you have listened to thousands of times before. If you are on the fence, just go for it. Very, very happy with my purchase. Oh and they also come with a case that has a key.