Okay, let’s talk about my time with the Audeze LCD-X. It’s been a bit of a journey, really.
Getting My Hands on Them
So, I’d been hearing about Audeze for a while, right? Kept seeing the name pop up. I was using some decent headphones before, but felt like I was missing… something. You know that feeling? I wanted more detail, more punch, especially for mixing some tracks I mess around with, and just for serious listening. After reading a bunch and watching some videos, the LCD-X seemed like a solid bet, maybe a bit more neutral than some of their other stuff. Decided to pull the trigger.
The box arrived, and man, this thing was substantial. It wasn’t just flimsy cardboard. It came in this really sturdy travel case. Felt premium right off the bat. Opening it up, the headphones themselves were right there. First thought? Heavy. No joke, these things have some serious heft. But they looked incredibly well-built. Metal parts, nice leather pads (or leather-free, depending on what you get, mine were leather). They just screamed quality, none of that plasticky feel you get sometimes.
Setting Up and First Listen
Getting them plugged in was straightforward. Standard quarter-inch jack on the cable, mini-XLRs into the earcups. Click, click, done. I hooked them up to my desktop headphone amp – nothing outrageously expensive, but something with enough juice because I read these planars like power. Didn’t want to bottleneck them right away.
Alright, time for the moment of truth. I put on some familiar tracks. Stuff I know inside out. My initial reaction was… whoa. The clarity was immediate. It wasn’t bright or harsh, just incredibly clear. Like wiping a foggy window clean. Bass was the next thing that hit me. It goes deep, real deep, but it’s so controlled. Not boomy or muddy like some headphones. It’s tight, fast, and you can hear the texture in bass notes, which was pretty cool.
Living With Them: Sound and Comfort
I spent the next few weeks just listening. Here’s what I found:
- Bass: Like I said, really good. Great for electronic music, rock, anything needing that low-end foundation. It doesn’t bleed into the mids. Very distinct.
- Mids: Vocals sound very natural, very present. Guitars have bite. Pianos sound realistic. Nothing feels recessed or pushed forward too much. It just sounds right, very balanced to my ears.
- Treble: Detailed, very detailed. You hear cymbals decay, little background sounds you might have missed before. On some poorly recorded tracks it can be a tiny bit revealing, maybe slightly sharp, but mostly it just gives you a ton of information without being painful.
- Soundstage: It’s not ridiculously wide like some open-backs, but it’s got good width and excellent imaging. You can really pinpoint where instruments are placed in the mix. Felt very accurate.
Now, about that weight. Yes, they are heavy. First few days, I definitely noticed them on my head after an hour or so. But the pads are plush and the headband distributes the weight pretty well. I got used to it. I wouldn’t call them forget-they’re-on-your-head comfortable, but I could wear them for a couple of hours without major issues. Build quality, after months of use, still feels rock solid. These feel like they’ll last ages.
So, What’s the Verdict?
Look, these aren’t cheap headphones. It was an investment for me. But the sound quality? Exceptional. They deliver this incredibly detailed, powerful, yet balanced sound. They work well for just enjoying music, but I also found them super useful for picking apart mixes because they’re so revealing.
Are they perfect? The weight might be an issue for some people if you’re sensitive to that. And they definitely sound best with a decent amplifier; plugging them straight into my phone wasn’t really doing them justice. But if you want a top-tier headphone that gives you clarity, amazing bass response, and a really solid build, the LCD-X has been a fantastic experience for me. I went looking for detail and punch, and that’s exactly what I got, plus a whole lot more. Definitely happy I made the jump.