Joined in 2023 
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63 About this deal
Headphone measurements by definition are approximate and variable so don't be surprised if other measurements even if performed with the same fixtures as mine, differ in end results. Yet differ they do, and although the EL8s are still very fine headphones, they don’t quite succeed as often or as spectacularly in creating the illusion that there is nothing between the music and the listener. We don’t yet have a recommendation list here at Ear Fidelity, but if we did, the LCD-X 2021 would have been one of the easiest headphones to put on it.
On the other hand, that same plastic construction makes HD800S much lighter and a much more comfortable headphone. Both the HD800S and LCD-X 2021 have an equally impressive design but it is the LCD-X 2021 that has the more impressive build quality since most of its appointments are made of metal, unlike the HD800S which is majorly high quality plastic. Even though I love the headband adjustment design, the adjustment mechanism isn't the smoothest and the 612g weight is substantial for you to always be aware of them sitting on your head. The Audeze LCD-X took me even deeper and I felt like I could hear all the way into his lungs, through the vocal tract, and out of his mouth. It has a very minor sub-bass roll-off around 40Hz but a very well done neutral bass tuning otherwise.The X is sensitive enough to be driven directly by portable players like iPods, iPhones, and the better smartphones but an external amplifier produces better results.
Most of the time though, I think they’re even with the bass and treble — my lizard brain, expecting vocals to be forward, is caught off-guard by this. In fact, apart from a marginally brighter mid-range and a fractionally less confident and full bass, I’d be hard put to pinpoint exactly how they differ from the LCD-Xs. And in principle, planar magnetic designs offer numerous advantages over conventional dynamic and electrostatic headphones. When the fluctuating electrical current from the headphone amplifier is passed through the coil, force is produced, and the diaphragm moves back and forth, causing the air to vibrate.The Rosson still has near-magical mids which the LCD-X gets close to but doesn’t quite share while the XTC-O still have some of the best lows available. HD800S is similarly recessed in the 1k-2kHz range of ear gain region but then has much more ear gain and presence in the 2. You’re also getting that signature, legendary “A” on the grills, which is essential for any LCD series Audeze, and it simply looks stunning. Large soundstage – bigger than the XTC-O, good instrument separation – slightly better than the XTC-O, but just barely. Another thing that I mentioned briefly earlier is how broad these headphones go, and I feel the best way to explain that is with a listening experience I had while playing background music during work today (from home, these aren’t an office headphone for me!
To be honest, I'm quite impressed with the Audeze LCD-X 2021 and find it an extremely capable headphone in the high-end headphone market. The LCD-Xs are simply the best-sounding headphones I have ever heard, with incredible musical dynamics and a remarkably neutral frequency response. I’ve rushed the process as much as I can, but I’m still getting used to the LCD-Xs and the biggest thing I need to adjust to is the weight.Obviously it’s a matter of seconds to push them back in, but it’s annoying if it happens at a crucial moment. It not only makes you aware of every little nuance in the song since everything is so well separated, spaced out and cleanly presented but also makes for a very interesting and exciting listen since the signature is very musical. For these premium headphones, Audeze have revived an old but under-used driver technology — and the results are astonishing.
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