Thanks for the review! Your video was what prompted me to give these a listen at a local dealer, sell some gear and eventually get a pair. Posting for anyone interested in other impressions. Very hard to find the words to get everything across in a succinct TH-cam comment, but I will say that I consider these a bit of a Swiss Army knife with their taking to EQ with such ease. Similar to Currawong said, definitely scales exceptionally well, and takes on a noticeably different character. The tuning definitely seems to have been put together with a studio in mind, and that might be some people have described these as more analytical than musical, but there are plenty of filters and PEQs out there to alter the emphasis away from neutrality and bring them closer to a speaker-like compensated tuning like Harman. Some of the best bass I’m yet to hear on a pair of headphones, but they perform extremely highly in all areas, and have given me many “wow” moments when enjoying a well recorded rock, acoustic and orchestral!
Don't forget to read the FAQ! hear.audio/faq Subtitles have now been added! See also my other comparisons: LCD-5 vs. HiFiMan Susvaras: th-cam.com/video/qjLuBuywWho/w-d-xo.html LCD-5 vs. Focal Utopias: th-cam.com/video/a0HxipjCcco/w-d-xo.html
Man I've been eyeballing that sweet GSX-Mini amp in exactly that blue color which is my favorite! Thanks for showing it here next to other gear it really stands out.
@@matthewhilty4209 I personally found the utopia to be underwhelming. I don’t get the hype, my Elegia does 92% of what the utopia does. If I were spending the money I’d get a empyrean or lcd series
@@matthewhilty4209 Definitely a step up from my Utopia though I do like the Utopia. Great detail and speed. I got the Carbon on Monday and while this is not estat speed it is amazing in sound stage and detail. No planar timbre at least to my ears.
This is the first review I’ve watched on your channel. Really informative! I like your approach and found your description of the sound particularly relatable. I will need to hear these. I generally like hyper “accurate” sound, like what I hear in a mastering studio over the monitors. And I already own a pair of LCD-X headphones for when I want just the sort of more “recreational” sound as you describe being your preference for just plain fun listening. Thank you!
If you want to explain headphone FR graphs to someone seeing for the first time, I consider important to mention that it's measured by a microphone at the eardrum location, already affected by the artificial ear. Whereas the speakers are supposed to measure absolute flat on a microphone before the sound enters the ear.
Excellent review, with nicely in-depth and practical explanations on the new ergonomics and redesigned earpiece. I have the LCD-3 with Ferrum HYPSOS & OOR, it's amazing how similar I feel about my experience and your descriptions on the LCD-5. The Ferrums really helped to make my headphones disappear and, the soundstage presentation for me is perhaps even a bit larger than the sphere you gestured in the video. I will definitely give the LCD-5 a try. They sound like a much better development than the LCD-4, which was just too heavy and difficult to drive.
Hello Amos, I'd just like to mention to Audeze users, if you have problems with the adhesion of the ear pads, heat the glue on the pads with a hair dryer and also the surface of the headphone itself where you intend applying the pads. The heat softens the glue allowing it to spread over the metal instead of just sitting on the surface hoping for the best.
The LCD X 2021 changes the game though and is similar to the 5. If you dont have the 2021 X you're gimping yourself, do you have a old model or the new one?
Thank you so much with going into the aural experiences with these LCD’s. You really did an excellent job conveying the sound around your head, with the depth and subtleties of the dynamics. The explanation of the different amplifiers with these headphones was spot on. I know you mentioned that these were the most resolving of the LCD line, and you briefly mentioned the comparison to the LCD-R’s and the LCD-XC’s, but just wondering if you had experienced the similar detail retrieval, sense of depth, and the gear sensitivities with the LCD-XC’s 2021. I probably would to love to elaborate more but just a curious question. Again, what an excellent review and to the point!
Could you please compare the LCD-5 to the LCD-X (2021 revision) since it seems that both are partially directed to pro users that privilege natural timbre and flat frequency?
They are in two different categories. Everything the LCDX is the 5 is more. It has more detail, more space, more bass. It has a flatter tone curve and most importantly is very Amp dependant. LCDX is more forgivimg all around and a bit more fun. However, most people really get off on hyper realism, especially if you've never heard it before. In short this isn't a fair comparison, you don't compare an F1 race car to a street car. The LCDX is good, but it isn't in the same class as the 5. It does everything better. However, the LCDX sounds good on everything, with the 5, you will need to build your system around it.
The 5 is a better balanced headphone out of the box. Like the 2021 revision of the X and XC think of the 5 as the tuning the 4 should have had. No more extreme corrections just to get it to sound natural.
Thank you for that very honest review which kind of scares me. I pre-ordered them and now I don't know if it was a good idea, based on your review. I have the TT2 as well and have the M Scaler coming. I hope I don't regret the LCD 5 purchase. What is the headphone cable you are using at the 43-second mark? Also, how is Susvara going through the TT2? Thank you again!
Viewers have been begging him for a wall of fame (like the good old innerfidelity days) for years but he just ignores these requests. Odd if you ask me.
The 650 were veiled for me. I know some people dont agree with that, but I gave a friend who was not into expensive audio gear to have a listen to them and he said that it sounded like a speaker behind a curtain. We then tested the 600 and we both were like "yeah, this is it". With audeze lcd-2f, I had 2 problems: A small lack in the 2-3KHz and the weight. Hopefully they will make this version of the LCD-2. Id love a 420 Gram LCD-2 (my current one is 535G).
I'm more into the HD600 tuning as well. The Meze Elite seems to be something akin to the high-end version of them (though I haven't a pair to compare).
If only there was an Audeze LCD-24 with that form factor and weight loss. Then I would consider upgrading. The LCD-24's sound is really something special.
Damn and I just dropped a ton of Cash on the LCD-R , eh oh well maybe I will find a used pair someday. At least its good to know you prefer the LCD-R for everyday type listening.
Love the review, mine is on the way. What's the best amp/dac around $500-1000 that you would recommend? I currently own a Schiit Jotunheim, might return it and upgrade to something else if it's not compatible with the LCD 5. Thanks!
When he says drive I don't think he's referring to the volume that can be reached with the lcd-5s but rather the quality of sound using that amp in particular. I agree the wording is a bit confusing. In my experience most headphones can get sufficiently loud out of an amp with 1W of power. An example with gear that I own would be that the 1266 out of the Drop 789 sounds pretty bad. There's no depth to the sound and the bass is boomy. But when plugged into the Formula S and Powerman everything sounds better. There's space between instruments, much more texture, and it sounds to me more real or what I would think the recording would sound like in real life. Both amps do 6W but the difference in sound quality is significant. Also I have RebelAmp lying around that does 1W and that gets all of my headphones to loud enough volumes but again doesn't sound as good as other amps I have. IMO it's more about the design and implementation of the amp than the power output specs
P= VI. I’d imagine portable gears are lacking in current supply and those are important for handling the drivers and providing proper bass response. Yes you could get loud but it’ll sound thin which is typical for lower end amps. Specs, though being nice starting points, really don’t tell the full stories.
@@chamade166 that’s a great question and not something I know. I suspect the power supply has something to do with it. Im curious what other people think helps when it comes to those qualities and amplification.
Did you try balanced cables on the GS-X mini? Does it make a difference compared to the original cable of the LCD-5? On cheaper amps, I noticed dramatic improvement of imaging and soundstage when using balanced.
Amps that are designed to be balanced in the first place are going to sound better out of the balanced output. Aside from that, pretty much all my impressions were done from the balanced output.
@@CurrawongThanks! Shame that Audeze does not deliver a balanced cable. They could've done easily both by supplying balanced cable with unbalanced adapter. Would you recommend pure copper or silver-coated copper for the LCD-5?
Cable construction is important (I have different silver cables which sound completely different, for example) so I can't straight-up recommend one material or another.
What you are describing with the bass on portable gear seems like a grip issue not a power one. The c9 and diablow don't have quite the level of control the hugo2 does which may be why it did better despite being wrll under 1/4 the output power. If you want a great portable amp with oodles of grip look into the HPA-01M (though vurrent drive doesn't always play well with dynamics) or the masskobo 428 (low power but grip and texture for days)
I'm very close to pulling the trigger on these, but 80% of my music is questionably-mastered rock/metal/post etc. Does it make sense to get the LCD-5s? I'm still using LCD 2.2 PF because they work fantastic for bad recordings.
@@Currawong I guess the only TOTL that makes sense for my situation is Empyrean or Elite? Been looking for a higher-end light/comfy (whole-day listening) cans that work with wide range of recording quality.
@@yogiwp_ The Empyrean or Elite are exactly what you need. I used to own the Empyrean and currently own the Elite. Comfort is unrivaled on both models and they are forgiving on poor recordings. In my opinion, the Elite is superior sonically but I found the new hybrid pads to be uncomfortable. I bought a separate pair of Empyrean leather pads as replacement.
If I have a Hugo 2 and do not intend on replacing it, would you say it will be good enough to be able to enjoy the benefits of this headphone? I currently use LCD-3
I heard the LCD5 at CanJam a few weeks ago. It had good detail, but it was lifeless on solid state. Maybe the Gsx mini could help it, maybe the Oor a bit more. However, the ampsandsound Nautilus really helped the DCA Stealth. Most felt the DCA demo was too flat, the Nautilus had the power to really bring it to life. I hope to try out the 5s in NYC when more booths have it for demo. I'll ask Justin of ampsandsound to bring one if he can. Lastly, I seriously doubt it will hold a candle to the Susvara and that you can get the Sus for the same or less, who would buy the 5 over the Sus?
@@nortonfamily6711 maybe. Has a pretty low impedance at 17 OHMS, however with planers there impedance levels are purely resistive. All in all. You might be right. ;)
I think you meant cross over. That's intentional. Cross talk is audio and radio frequency interference between channels in the processing and amplification and output stages unintentionally due to the design of the architecture. This is bad especially if the L/R channels are out of phase 180 as they are presented on Senn HD series of headphones (you can force the pins backwards in the correct L/R slots and you'll invert the phase and they'll sound wrong). Also important for proper balanced architecture. Cross over should be accomplished with phase taken into consideration so nothing arrives earlier or later to L/R channels and nothing is destructively or constructively interfered with on the way out of the amp section. Anyhow. How's the LCD-R!!!
great video as always informative and entertaining👊 There is a question which bothering me all long time,the answer could be for many headphone listeners of great value which is: Besides listening headphones through a headphone amplifier its also possible using an speaker to headphone adapter/box which you connect to the speaker binding posts of a amplifier ,can it achieve the same musical quality. can you please answer this question which would be highly appreciated greetings from the Nederlands
Yes, that'll work. The gain of speaker amps are usually too high for headphones. Because I am using an integrated amp and a source, both with high-quality volume controls, I can get away with not using the resistor box.
Interesting that you point out that flat is the bump in the graph. And you describe that our hearing sensitivity is less there and BECAUSE of that it is then perceived as flat by our hearing. That is absolutely true! 👍 But then you go on and describe the lower frequencies as flat!? (I assume you mean as a line as it looks like a line and NOT how our ear perceive it.. ) It is the same with bass and the very low octaves OUR HEARING IS THE LEAST SENSITIVE at those bass frequencies the bump you are talking about is not even close in amplitude. That has been established since 1933 from Fletcher-Munson and we now also have ISO 226:2003. So the bass in that graph for the headphones is perceived as to low on bass and FAR FROM FLAT by our hearing. If we now stick with ONE type of description of FLAT. Do not mix them up that you pick some range and say that THAT is flat because of hearing sensitivity. And in next breath say that another frequency range is FLAT because that it is a line.. Stick to one description model of what you define as FLAT and do not confuse and mix them. Just my two Satoshi. 👍🎶🎵🎁
Depends what you mean by "good enough". The Soncoz and Singxer can run them very well, but you don't get as much detail or depth to the soundstage as you do with higher-end gear. You also may not like the synergy, which is why I use them mostly with a tube amp.
@@Currawong last one for you. In a few sentences, can you compare the LCDR and 5? Only when it comes to running the R on the JOT amp. I will be getting both, and I want someone else's view that has listened to the LCDR. Thanks a lot Amos🙏
Yes. It's pure Class A, and it is still within operating range at 120dB with the LCD-5, which I'll get nowhere near! I didn't have it on the rack for the video as I was testing the Master 9.
Here’s a bit of trivia for potential buyers. Your hearing is not the same as this man’s hearing in this video. His POV about headphones and amps is just that, his.
@@Currawong lol in all seriousness though this thing sounds like an awesome step forward. I hope the pads don't compress too much on my head...going to try to get ahold of one as review units start becoming less scarce
@@zeek781 yeah I would go with the lcd2 as well. Not as much slam but better extension for the really low sub bass in edm, and it lacks the strong extremely narrow strange treble peaks of the Focal driver, which can get especially annoying for airy synths
And then they drop mm500 that weighs near 500g. For studio use... Give me a break.. Because you'd need one for those. Lcd5s maybe a bit more bearable but it costs literally 2.5x...
Thanks for the review. I need to say that I am not convinced by your interpretation of what the flat signature is when it comes to the sound reproduction and I think it might be also misleading for some here so let me clarify. You are correct in saying that our ears don't perceive very low frequencies and very high frequencies as well as the mid range ones but calling V-signatured headphones flat because they would counter for our uneven perception of sound isn't what flat signature exactly is in my opinion. It's all about representing the recording as closely to a live performance as possible. For instance think of a live acoustic performance that is done completely as unplugged. Our ears wouldn't magically boost certain frequencies to even up for the humans' decreased sensitivity of certain regions but they would rather capture the experience as it is - Naturally and flat. Now please tell me which headphones would reproduce that experience to higher fidelity the ones that are boosted in certain regions by let's say 3-4 DB or the ones that are more even across the whole spectrum? Many thanks for the video again.
Long answer short, I didn't say that. The LCD-5s are as close as possible, according to Audeze, to actual flat (with the usual caveats about everyone's ears being different). I over-simplify this by calling it "speaker flat" because it sounds closest to what will come out of a pair of speakers. The 2021 LCD-XC and HD650/6XX are close to this too. I call a slightly v-shaped sound (eg: HiFiMan Sundara, Susvara or anything tuned close to the Harman curve) to be "listening neutral" -- basically a tuning that we don't perceive as over-emphasising any particular frequency range, even though the bass and treble are actually boosted slightly. People will perceive the LCD-5s as being "mid-forward" -- at least I do. That's why I have the definitions I do. It's really a gross over-simplification of a very complex topic. Which you prefer is something you'll have to find out for yourself.
I'm so sad & angry that the greatest bass headphones on earth are no more. They should have released a lcd 5 special edition with identical tuning to lcd 4 at least for those who were waiting for lesser weight & price drop.
10:32 It took you 10 minutes to get to the point, but then you described these headphones in a significant way. 24:14 “almost too much..” you don’t want enough realism?
The way a lot of music is recorded and mastered these days isn't very "real". So, unless you're going to listen exclusively to binaural recordings, of which they are only a few, you're pretty much stuck at compensating for these limitations.
@@Currawong hence ‘a lot of music’ decide how good a headphone is. And not how good a headphone can reproduce a realistic binaural recording. Well, this is why most of HIFI / Audiophile reviewers have gotten it completely wrong. This is also how Sean Olive and his Harman Target Curve have misled myriads of “audiophiles”. An interesting topic to discuss on my channel. All that said, you are one of my favorite reviewers on TH-cam 🙂
@@hireality couldn’t agree more, we need real headphones as there’s a ton of V-shaped headphones in the market, and very little neutral or true sounding headphones. This is the right step for those who want to listen to music as it was intended by the mastering engineers, and is in no way a bad point. Artificial detail created by a bump in treble gets fatiguing to the ears. More bass works if you are in a noisy environment, but not for serious listening sessions. I’m really impressed with Audeze for making LCD-5 this way, and I can’t wait to hear them for myself. All the best!
@@MichalMikulskiMM Be careful what you wish for. Engineers in the studio are mixing for stuff to sound good on the consumer speakers/phones most people have. They dont expect you to have super midrange forward headphones. With the 5s vocals, guitars, claps, etc dominate and exaggerate the sound to the point of altering the mix, pushing back drums, bass, cymbals etc. These might be useful IN the studio, but for the listener you get a really unbalanced sound that needs heavy EQ. IMO if they made a "Pro " edition with this tuning, AND one that sounds properly balanced that would have been cool. Mine are probably going back because I'm not an EQ head.
One of the people from Audeze has already talked about this. They did try and create a system to allow the pads to be easily removable but could find a suitable system that also provided a proper seal, as I recall.
@@Currawong Hmm, interesting! Must be really quite tight variances they're working with, and/or the whole design being super keen on the subtlest of chances to pad seal. At first that would feel like an already solved problem, considering the amount different pad mounting methods that must work well (enough) that they've made it to the final designs. The Audeze folk must have thought of such a thing in their development, but I've wondered if the age-old mounting lip method would make a good enough seal when coupled with an added clip-on ring of sorts that holds the pads in place more firmly than just the pressure from being worn? But then again, I' assume the adhesive method probably has the advantage of keeping constant the area and sealing quality on the pad-to-headphone 'joint', reducing the variables to just the user head-to-pad seal.
$4,500 because Audeze made a lighter headphone? Get the f… outa here. Yea I know that in that statement I have ignored all of the other developments in the LCD-5. But still. Focal $3,000? Hah! Hifiman HE-1000 $3.000? Hah! We’re Audeze. $4.500 buckaroos please. But hey if Audeze’s business model is to keep the production volume down and sell them as boutique headphones to the jet set then go for it. The LCD-X is now under $1,000, below the $1,100 price tag that has been standard for quite some time. Before that I can recall when the LCD-X cost $1,500. Surely it’s not coincidence that the LCD-X goes down in price now that Audeze has introduced a $4,500 headphone. I own an old LCD-X and I love it - for the amount of time I can bear wearing it on my head. Here’s the thing though. I needed for a very specific application an LCD-X but lighter so I purchased a Hifiman Ananda. Lighter, cheaper, super easy to drive. Now I’m considering going up a notch or three. Maybe the Hifiman Arya. Maybe the HE-1000 on sale. Audeze? There’s nothing there for me because its either too heavy or too expensive. So whatevs Audeze. You do you. Great review Currawong. Thanks!
Thanks for the review! Your video was what prompted me to give these a listen at a local dealer, sell some gear and eventually get a pair.
Posting for anyone interested in other impressions. Very hard to find the words to get everything across in a succinct TH-cam comment, but I will say that I consider these a bit of a Swiss Army knife with their taking to EQ with such ease.
Similar to Currawong said, definitely scales exceptionally well, and takes on a noticeably different character. The tuning definitely seems to have been put together with a studio in mind, and that might be some people have described these as more analytical than musical, but there are plenty of filters and PEQs out there to alter the emphasis away from neutrality and bring them closer to a speaker-like compensated tuning like Harman.
Some of the best bass I’m yet to hear on a pair of headphones, but they perform extremely highly in all areas, and have given me many “wow” moments when enjoying a well recorded rock, acoustic and orchestral!
Don't forget to read the FAQ! hear.audio/faq
Subtitles have now been added!
See also my other comparisons:
LCD-5 vs. HiFiMan Susvaras: th-cam.com/video/qjLuBuywWho/w-d-xo.html
LCD-5 vs. Focal Utopias: th-cam.com/video/a0HxipjCcco/w-d-xo.html
I would be interested in which amps you prefer for Susvara that are under $2300. There are plenty to pick from.
Man I've been eyeballing that sweet GSX-Mini amp in exactly that blue color which is my favorite! Thanks for showing it here next to other gear it really stands out.
Mine came on Friday and despite having 9 other Flagship Headphones these can hold their own with any of them Fantastic.
How do they stack up against the Utopias ? Do they have a planar timbre ? Or does it sound as natural as a dynamic driver ?
@@matthewhilty4209 I personally found the utopia to be underwhelming. I don’t get the hype, my Elegia does 92% of what the utopia does. If I were spending the money I’d get a empyrean or lcd series
@@matthewhilty4209 Definitely a step up from my Utopia though I do like the Utopia. Great detail and speed. I got the Carbon on Monday and while this is not estat speed it is amazing in sound stage and detail. No planar timbre at least to my ears.
@@chad6 I hope you realize that the Utopias are very chain sensitive. It's all about the synergy!
Can you compare to the Susvara or the TC?
This is the first review I’ve watched on your channel. Really informative! I like your approach and found your description of the sound particularly relatable. I will need to hear these. I generally like hyper “accurate” sound, like what I hear in a mastering studio over the monitors. And I already own a pair of LCD-X headphones for when I want just the sort of more “recreational” sound as you describe being your preference for just plain fun listening. Thank you!
If you want to explain headphone FR graphs to someone seeing for the first time, I consider important to mention that it's measured by a microphone at the eardrum location, already affected by the artificial ear. Whereas the speakers are supposed to measure absolute flat on a microphone before the sound enters the ear.
Good point, thanks.
Excellent review, with nicely in-depth and practical explanations on the new ergonomics and redesigned earpiece. I have the LCD-3 with Ferrum HYPSOS & OOR, it's amazing how similar I feel about my experience and your descriptions on the LCD-5. The Ferrums really helped to make my headphones disappear and, the soundstage presentation for me is perhaps even a bit larger than the sphere you gestured in the video. I will definitely give the LCD-5 a try. They sound like a much better development than the LCD-4, which was just too heavy and difficult to drive.
The LCD 5 is more difficult to try because lcd-4 97 decibels versus 90 decibels of the LCD 5
I also have the Lcd5cwith Ferrum Oor and hypsos, but ive added Chord Mscaler and Qutest, impressive
11:23 Thank you for detailing what you want out of a listening experience, very helpful for comparison!
Dude your reviews are fantastic! Excellent descriptions and covering all different aspects of the headphone
I appreciate that!
"Extremely resolving HD650 without the bass roll-off". Holy shit, that is the highest praise I can think of. Need to try these.
Would really love to hear how LCD-5 pair with Violectric amp.
Great Video waiting for DC Stealth review. Thanks
Hello Amos, I'd just like to mention to Audeze users, if you have problems with the adhesion of the ear pads, heat the glue on the pads with a hair dryer and also the surface of the headphone itself where you intend applying the pads. The heat softens the glue allowing it to spread over the metal instead of just sitting on the surface hoping for the best.
Excellent review, as always. Thanks.
Seriously considering selling all my gears for LCD 5, I already use my 6XX more than my LCD X so this might be a good fit for me
I hear ya! The 6xx/600 is a sound I absolutely love, and if it’s better 6xx with a bass - End game, possibly?🤔
Honestly same, kinda feels weird buying the x and not using it 90 percent of the time in favor of a budget senn (in my case the 560s)
@@BrJD-ii4iv yes this is a end game
The LCD X 2021 changes the game though and is similar to the 5. If you dont have the 2021 X you're gimping yourself, do you have a old model or the new one?
@@soraflame66 I have both the LCDX and XC 2021 and selling both.
Thank you so much with going into the aural experiences with these LCD’s. You really did an excellent job conveying the sound around your head, with the depth and subtleties of the dynamics. The explanation of the different amplifiers with these headphones was spot on.
I know you mentioned that these were the most resolving of the LCD line, and you briefly mentioned the comparison to the LCD-R’s and the LCD-XC’s, but just wondering if you had experienced the similar detail retrieval, sense of depth, and the gear sensitivities with the LCD-XC’s 2021. I probably would to love to elaborate more but just a curious question.
Again, what an excellent review and to the point!
The 2021 LCD-XC is a step behind in capability compared to the LCD-5. I'll have a review of it at some point.
Could you please compare the LCD-5 to the LCD-X (2021 revision) since it seems that both are partially directed to pro users that privilege natural timbre and flat frequency?
They are in two different categories. Everything the LCDX is the 5 is more. It has more detail, more space, more bass. It has a flatter tone curve and most importantly is very Amp dependant. LCDX is more forgivimg all around and a bit more fun. However, most people really get off on hyper realism, especially if you've never heard it before.
In short this isn't a fair comparison, you don't compare an F1 race car to a street car. The LCDX is good, but it isn't in the same class as the 5. It does everything better. However, the LCDX sounds good on everything, with the 5, you will need to build your system around it.
I have not seen much comparison to the LCD-4 yet. I would think that LCD-4 owners would be a targeted audience for the LCD-5.
The 5 is a better balanced headphone out of the box. Like the 2021 revision of the X and XC think of the 5 as the tuning the 4 should have had. No more extreme corrections just to get it to sound natural.
Thank you for that very honest review which kind of scares me. I pre-ordered them and now I don't know if it was a good idea, based on your review. I have the TT2 as well and have the M Scaler coming. I hope I don't regret the LCD 5 purchase. What is the headphone cable you are using at the 43-second mark? Also, how is Susvara going through the TT2? Thank you again!
Can u make a podium of most detailed hesdphones?
👍
Viewers have been begging him for a wall of fame (like the good old innerfidelity days) for years but he just ignores these requests. Odd if you ask me.
The 650 were veiled for me. I know some people dont agree with that, but I gave a friend who was not into expensive audio gear to have a listen to them and he said that it sounded like a speaker behind a curtain.
We then tested the 600 and we both were like "yeah, this is it".
With audeze lcd-2f, I had 2 problems: A small lack in the 2-3KHz and the weight.
Hopefully they will make this version of the LCD-2. Id love a 420 Gram LCD-2 (my current one is 535G).
I'm more into the HD600 tuning as well. The Meze Elite seems to be something akin to the high-end version of them (though I haven't a pair to compare).
What Amp were you using?
i want to try these!
Deese
If only there was an Audeze LCD-24 with that form factor and weight loss. Then I would consider upgrading. The LCD-24's sound is really something special.
Hi Amps, nice review as usual. Was wondering why you didn't review the Luxman p-750u while you had it?
There were issues with the video I shot. I might see about having another go at it sometime.
@@Currawong Is it as good as it’s supposed to be?
Damn and I just dropped a ton of Cash on the LCD-R , eh oh well maybe I will find a used pair someday. At least its good to know you prefer the LCD-R for everyday type listening.
You should find a compatible amp for them which can handle the ~2 Ohm load. Then you absolutely wont have any regrets. ;)
Trying to determine if this is worth it if I already have several TOTL including 1266, HD800S, and Susvara. Thinking no.
Honestly if you already have all those I'd wait to audition it first
Currawong, how did the detail and clarity compare to the Susvara????
Don't know what C says but to me the detail is not as good pretty equal on clarity. But i defer to the reason we all come here Currawong's views.
Love the review, mine is on the way. What's the best amp/dac around $500-1000 that you would recommend? I currently own a Schiit Jotunheim, might return it and upgrade to something else if it's not compatible with the LCD 5. Thanks!
Great review. The best headphone reviewer on TH-cam! How does LCD-XC compare to it? Just because I'm thinking of ordering XC.
I should have an LCD-XC review out at some point. The XC has a slightly different tuning, but mainly it isn't as resolving as the LCD-5.
@@Currawong LCD-5 must be hyper resolving. Thanks!
Ifi iDSD Diablo with 5W is not enough to drive these properly? That doesn’t sound right.
When he says drive I don't think he's referring to the volume that can be reached with the lcd-5s but rather the quality of sound using that amp in particular. I agree the wording is a bit confusing. In my experience most headphones can get sufficiently loud out of an amp with 1W of power. An example with gear that I own would be that the 1266 out of the Drop 789 sounds pretty bad. There's no depth to the sound and the bass is boomy. But when plugged into the Formula S and Powerman everything sounds better. There's space between instruments, much more texture, and it sounds to me more real or what I would think the recording would sound like in real life. Both amps do 6W but the difference in sound quality is significant. Also I have RebelAmp lying around that does 1W and that gets all of my headphones to loud enough volumes but again doesn't sound as good as other amps I have. IMO it's more about the design and implementation of the amp than the power output specs
@@TheCangle Which aspect about the design do you think it is that adds space, texture and makes it more real?
P= VI. I’d imagine portable gears are lacking in current supply and those are important for handling the drivers and providing proper bass response. Yes you could get loud but it’ll sound thin which is typical for lower end amps. Specs, though being nice starting points, really don’t tell the full stories.
@@chamade166 that’s a great question and not something I know. I suspect the power supply has something to do with it. Im curious what other people think helps when it comes to those qualities and amplification.
@@ks_3.14 Very cool info but doesn't Ohm's Law dictate that current is determined by the load? i.e. I=V/R
How come you never reviewed the 1266 TC?
I prefer my LCD4 to the LCD5 by a wide margin. There is much better detail, sound-staging and tonal balance in the LCD4.
GSX Mini for the win!👍
Did you try balanced cables on the GS-X mini? Does it make a difference compared to the original cable of the LCD-5? On cheaper amps, I noticed dramatic improvement of imaging and soundstage when using balanced.
Amps that are designed to be balanced in the first place are going to sound better out of the balanced output. Aside from that, pretty much all my impressions were done from the balanced output.
@@CurrawongThanks! Shame that Audeze does not deliver a balanced cable. They could've done easily both by supplying balanced cable with unbalanced adapter. Would you recommend pure copper or silver-coated copper for the LCD-5?
Cable construction is important (I have different silver cables which sound completely different, for example) so I can't straight-up recommend one material or another.
Some have compared the detail retreaval similar to electrostatic. True? How does it compare to Utopia in terms of detail?
With Utopias you can hear lice fart and on these you can hear the beacteria on the lice fart some more.
@@mariodrv too funny. 😄
What you are describing with the bass on portable gear seems like a grip issue not a power one. The c9 and diablow don't have quite the level of control the hugo2 does which may be why it did better despite being wrll under 1/4 the output power. If you want a great portable amp with oodles of grip look into the HPA-01M (though vurrent drive doesn't always play well with dynamics) or the masskobo 428 (low power but grip and texture for days)
I'm very close to pulling the trigger on these, but 80% of my music is questionably-mastered rock/metal/post etc. Does it make sense to get the LCD-5s?
I'm still using LCD 2.2 PF because they work fantastic for bad recordings.
I'd say no.
@@Currawong Thanks! Half part of me is saying no as well, just needed help to convince the other half ;-)
@@Currawong I guess the only TOTL that makes sense for my situation is Empyrean or Elite? Been looking for a higher-end light/comfy (whole-day listening) cans that work with wide range of recording quality.
@@yogiwp_ The best headphones for rock and metal are the Abyss PHI TC, in this area the TC is unrivaled.
@@yogiwp_ The Empyrean or Elite are exactly what you need. I used to own the Empyrean and currently own the Elite. Comfort is unrivaled on both models and they are forgiving on poor recordings. In my opinion, the Elite is superior sonically but I found the new hybrid pads to be uncomfortable. I bought a separate pair of Empyrean leather pads as replacement.
Did you ever end up doing a review of the luxman or mass Kobo hp amps?
Interesting... am curious to know how much of a difference these would be compared to my lcd2s
If I have a Hugo 2 and do not intend on replacing it, would you say it will be good enough to be able to enjoy the benefits of this headphone? I currently use LCD-3
I think so, if you like the sound signature of them.
Absolutely
Thanks. What about chord mojo amp? Does it have that portable disadvantages in sound like other portable amps?
I heard the LCD5 at CanJam a few weeks ago. It had good detail, but it was lifeless on solid state. Maybe the Gsx mini could help it, maybe the Oor a bit more. However, the ampsandsound Nautilus really helped the DCA Stealth. Most felt the DCA demo was too flat, the Nautilus had the power to really bring it to life.
I hope to try out the 5s in NYC when more booths have it for demo. I'll ask Justin of ampsandsound to bring one if he can.
Lastly, I seriously doubt it will hold a candle to the Susvara and that you can get the Sus for the same or less, who would buy the 5 over the Sus?
Speaking of the Susvaras: th-cam.com/video/qjLuBuywWho/w-d-xo.html
I bet they are amazing. Needs a top tier system I might imagine.
Amos. Terrific overview my friend. Thank you.
I’m honestly willing to wager this thing doesn’t need as ridiculous of a setup as the Susvara or an Abyss headphone
@@nortonfamily6711 maybe. Has a pretty low impedance at 17 OHMS, however with planers there impedance levels are purely resistive.
All in all. You might be right. ;)
What are your thoughts VS the R when it comes to engagement and SQ?
I think you meant cross over. That's intentional. Cross talk is audio and radio frequency interference between channels in the processing and amplification and output stages unintentionally due to the design of the architecture. This is bad especially if the L/R channels are out of phase 180 as they are presented on Senn HD series of headphones (you can force the pins backwards in the correct L/R slots and you'll invert the phase and they'll sound wrong). Also important for proper balanced architecture.
Cross over should be accomplished with phase taken into consideration so nothing arrives earlier or later to L/R channels and nothing is destructively or constructively interfered with on the way out of the amp section.
Anyhow. How's the LCD-R!!!
10:30 Stop right there!
Add to cart! 🛒
Yes I agreed
Add to cart 😀
Nice review.
great video as always informative and entertaining👊
There is a question which bothering me all long time,the answer could be for many headphone listeners of great value which is:
Besides listening headphones through a headphone amplifier its also possible using an speaker to headphone adapter/box which you connect to the speaker binding posts of a amplifier ,can it achieve the same musical quality.
can you please answer this question which would be highly appreciated
greetings from the Nederlands
Yes, that'll work. The gain of speaker amps are usually too high for headphones. Because I am using an integrated amp and a source, both with high-quality volume controls, I can get away with not using the resistor box.
@@Currawong thx but can listening with such a headphone to speaker box compete against a dedicated headphone amplifier
it’s a good headphone that’s for sure
What is the minimum I would have to spend on a dac amp to make these lcd 5s sound good
What braided balanced cable is that plugged into the GS-X around the 45 second mark?
Norne Silvergarde.
@@Currawong thanks!
Thank you. Now please compare them to the CRBN! :-)
Interesting that you point out that flat is the bump in the graph.
And you describe that our hearing sensitivity is less there and BECAUSE of that it is then perceived as flat by our hearing.
That is absolutely true! 👍
But then you go on and describe the lower frequencies as flat!? (I assume you mean as a line as it looks like a line and NOT how our ear perceive it.. )
It is the same with bass and the very low octaves OUR HEARING IS THE LEAST SENSITIVE at those bass frequencies the bump you are talking about is not even close in amplitude. That has been established since 1933 from Fletcher-Munson and we now also have ISO 226:2003.
So the bass in that graph for the headphones is perceived as to low on bass and FAR FROM FLAT by our hearing.
If we now stick with ONE type of description of FLAT. Do not mix them up that you pick some range and say that THAT is flat because of hearing sensitivity. And in next breath say that another frequency range is FLAT because that it is a line.. Stick to one description model of what you define as FLAT and do not confuse and mix them.
Just my two Satoshi. 👍🎶🎵🎁
Thanks, that's a good point. I'm as guilty as charged of over-simplifying things in this video.
So this is why I have to always use heavy bass boost EQ.. Especially below 35hz.
They need to make custom sets with different colour resin
Reminds me of my mom's old sunglasses haha.
What more fun..these or similar priced IEM’s 🥳
I’ve got HD650’s ….and am using my IEM’s more and more 😱
His review is quite similar to a Sennheiser HD820 with more low end and mids. The comparison with other headphones is wierd. The Snap after 6 seconds?
If you power on your GS-X Mini with that pad on top, it will get really hot.
Indeed. That is why it is powered off in the photo.
ESTE HOMBRE ES GIGANTE,LOS AURICULARES PARECEN CHIQUITOS EN SUS MANOS
Es que son chicos, no tienen el mismo tamaño de los LCD anteriores
Would the A90 be good enough for this lcd 5? I want clean, but strong bass
Following because I just got an A90 and wanna make sure before I make the plunge into the LCD-5.
Depends what you mean by "good enough". The Soncoz and Singxer can run them very well, but you don't get as much detail or depth to the soundstage as you do with higher-end gear. You also may not like the synergy, which is why I use them mostly with a tube amp.
@@Currawong last one for you. In a few sentences, can you compare the LCDR and 5? Only when it comes to running the R on the JOT amp. I will be getting both, and I want someone else's view that has listened to the LCDR. Thanks a lot Amos🙏
Hi Amos. Do you recommend the IFI PRO ICAN SIGNATURE Amp for Susvara?
I don't know. I'd have to review one and see.
How to lad 5 sounds complicated to Susvara??
Can your Studio Six drive LCD5 with ease without any problem?
Yes. It's pure Class A, and it is still within operating range at 120dB with the LCD-5, which I'll get nowhere near! I didn't have it on the rack for the video as I was testing the Master 9.
@@Currawong Thank you very much. I just don't need to buy another tube amp in the future.....
Here’s a bit of trivia for potential buyers. Your hearing is not the same as this man’s hearing in this video. His POV about headphones and amps is just that, his.
That's right. I don't remember if I did in this video, but at least in others, I encourage owners to post in the comments with their experiences too.
CRBN review next?
Not for a while. I need to organise an amp.
audeze nuts.
No no no... Audeze *headphones* ! ;)
@@Currawong oh sorry my bad. great video :)
The Amos has spoken
Would an eqed lcd-2 fazor or focal clear mg be better for modern music like edm/dance music iyo
@@zeek781 I'd go LCD if you like BASS heavy music. The Focal headphones are notorious for Clipping/Distorting at times with Bass heavy music
🤣
@@Currawong lol in all seriousness though this thing sounds like an awesome step forward. I hope the pads don't compress too much on my head...going to try to get ahold of one as review units start becoming less scarce
@@zeek781 yeah I would go with the lcd2 as well. Not as much slam but better extension for the really low sub bass in edm, and it lacks the strong extremely narrow strange treble peaks of the Focal driver, which can get especially annoying for airy synths
They sound 10% better than lcd-x not $3000 better. Lcd x is all you need
And then they drop mm500 that weighs near 500g. For studio use... Give me a break.. Because you'd need one for those. Lcd5s maybe a bit more bearable but it costs literally 2.5x...
Can somebody explain why that costs over 4 grand?
Because it's a high-quality, boutique product for a specialist market.
Thanks for the review.
I need to say that I am not convinced by your interpretation of what the flat signature is when it comes to the sound reproduction and I think it might be also misleading for some here so let me clarify.
You are correct in saying that our ears don't perceive very low frequencies and very high frequencies as well as the mid range ones but calling V-signatured headphones flat because they would counter for our uneven perception of sound isn't what flat signature exactly is in my opinion. It's all about representing the recording as closely to a live performance as possible. For instance think of a live acoustic performance that is done completely as unplugged. Our ears wouldn't magically boost certain frequencies to even up for the humans' decreased sensitivity of certain regions but they would rather capture the experience as it is - Naturally and flat.
Now please tell me which headphones would reproduce that experience to higher fidelity the ones that are boosted in certain regions by let's say 3-4 DB or the ones that are more even across the whole spectrum?
Many thanks for the video again.
Long answer short, I didn't say that. The LCD-5s are as close as possible, according to Audeze, to actual flat (with the usual caveats about everyone's ears being different). I over-simplify this by calling it "speaker flat" because it sounds closest to what will come out of a pair of speakers. The 2021 LCD-XC and HD650/6XX are close to this too.
I call a slightly v-shaped sound (eg: HiFiMan Sundara, Susvara or anything tuned close to the Harman curve) to be "listening neutral" -- basically a tuning that we don't perceive as over-emphasising any particular frequency range, even though the bass and treble are actually boosted slightly.
People will perceive the LCD-5s as being "mid-forward" -- at least I do. That's why I have the definitions I do. It's really a gross over-simplification of a very complex topic. Which you prefer is something you'll have to find out for yourself.
@@Currawong Thanks for the clarification as it didn't come across this way in the video, cheers!
Good video
Would an eqed lcd-2 fazor or focal clear mg be better for modern music like edm/dance music
I'm so sad & angry that the greatest bass headphones on earth are no more. They should have released a lcd 5 special edition with identical tuning to lcd 4 at least for those who were waiting for lesser weight & price drop.
The LCD-4 is out of stock due to parts issues, as I understand it.
@@Currawong Others are saying its discontinued. Hope you are right.
From Audeze: www.head-fi.org/threads/audeze-lcd-5-review-measurements-interview.959808/post-16575361
The wording on the web site was wrong.
You think the LCD-4’s bass performs better than the TH900 MK2 & AB1266 Phi TC?
Subtitles are missing.
TH-cam doesn't understand me I guess.
You can achieve bigger soundstage, wider and deeper with the D8000 Pro using just a bit of EQ, and also same bass as the D8000
But the D8000 & Pro can clip with sub bass
10:32 It took you 10 minutes to get to the point, but then you described these headphones in a significant way. 24:14 “almost too much..” you don’t want enough realism?
The way a lot of music is recorded and mastered these days isn't very "real". So, unless you're going to listen exclusively to binaural recordings, of which they are only a few, you're pretty much stuck at compensating for these limitations.
@@Currawong hence ‘a lot of music’ decide how good a headphone is. And not how good a headphone can reproduce a realistic binaural recording. Well, this is why most of HIFI / Audiophile reviewers have gotten it completely wrong. This is also how Sean Olive and his Harman Target Curve have misled myriads of “audiophiles”. An interesting topic to discuss on my channel. All that said, you are one of my favorite reviewers on TH-cam 🙂
Cheers and thanks for the discussion. :)
@@hireality couldn’t agree more, we need real headphones as there’s a ton of V-shaped headphones in the market, and very little neutral or true sounding headphones. This is the right step for those who want to listen to music as it was intended by the mastering engineers, and is in no way a bad point. Artificial detail created by a bump in treble gets fatiguing to the ears. More bass works if you are in a noisy environment, but not for serious listening sessions. I’m really impressed with Audeze for making LCD-5 this way, and I can’t wait to hear them for myself.
All the best!
@@MichalMikulskiMM Be careful what you wish for. Engineers in the studio are mixing for stuff to sound good on the consumer speakers/phones most people have. They dont expect you to have super midrange forward headphones. With the 5s vocals, guitars, claps, etc dominate and exaggerate the sound to the point of altering the mix, pushing back drums, bass, cymbals etc. These might be useful IN the studio, but for the listener you get a really unbalanced sound that needs heavy EQ. IMO if they made a "Pro " edition with this tuning, AND one that sounds properly balanced that would have been cool. Mine are probably going back because I'm not an EQ head.
You sold them to me
Nice
Still using glue. Jeez
It was that, or have an imperfect seal, so they chose the former.
$4.5k and they still have to resort to gluing the pads on... 🙄
One of the people from Audeze has already talked about this. They did try and create a system to allow the pads to be easily removable but could find a suitable system that also provided a proper seal, as I recall.
@@Currawong Hmm, interesting! Must be really quite tight variances they're working with, and/or the whole design being super keen on the subtlest of chances to pad seal.
At first that would feel like an already solved problem, considering the amount different pad mounting methods that must work well (enough) that they've made it to the final designs. The Audeze folk must have thought of such a thing in their development, but I've wondered if the age-old mounting lip method would make a good enough seal when coupled with an added clip-on ring of sorts that holds the pads in place more firmly than just the pressure from being worn? But then again, I' assume the adhesive method probably has the advantage of keeping constant the area and sealing quality on the pad-to-headphone 'joint', reducing the variables to just the user head-to-pad seal.
$4,500 because Audeze made a lighter headphone? Get the f… outa here. Yea I know that in that statement I have ignored all of the other developments in the LCD-5. But still. Focal $3,000? Hah! Hifiman HE-1000 $3.000? Hah! We’re Audeze. $4.500 buckaroos please. But hey if Audeze’s business model is to keep the production volume down and sell them as boutique headphones to the jet set then go for it. The LCD-X is now under $1,000, below the $1,100 price tag that has been standard for quite some time. Before that I can recall when the LCD-X cost $1,500. Surely it’s not coincidence that the LCD-X goes down in price now that Audeze has introduced a $4,500 headphone. I own an old LCD-X and I love it - for the amount of time I can bear wearing it on my head.
Here’s the thing though. I needed for a very specific application an LCD-X but lighter so I purchased a Hifiman Ananda. Lighter, cheaper, super easy to drive. Now I’m considering going up a notch or three. Maybe the Hifiman Arya. Maybe the HE-1000 on sale. Audeze? There’s nothing there for me because its either too heavy or too expensive. So whatevs Audeze. You do you.
Great review Currawong. Thanks!
nice headphone... shame they cost as much as a car...
DRRROOOOOLLLLLLL🤤
speaking of DAVE, where is part 2 of DAVE review?
hear.audio/faq
@@Currawong there’s only part 1. Why did you title it part 1 without part 2 following it?
Campfire Ara.... Ugh. Absolutely the worst IEMs ever. Hard pass for me, then.
Soooo expensive