Audeze Artists 2025 Grammy Winners
The Audeze Artists of Metropolis Studios
Andrew Scheps has spent over 35 years in the industry and is a 3x Grammy award winning Mixer/Producer/Engineer/Label Owner/Software Developer whose credits are ridiculously long and star-studded.
Lee Ranaldo, musician, visual artist and writer, co-founded Sonic Youth in 1981. He played in Glenn Branca’s early ensembles and symphonies, 1980-1984, and has been active both in New York and internationally for over forty years as a composer, performer, collaborator and producer, also exhibiting visual art at galleries and museums worldwide, and publishing several books of journals, poetry, and writings on music.
March 08, 2021
"Though Audeze produces some of the most high-end planar magnetic headphones on the market, their high-end headphones can cost more than renting 40 hours of professional studio time. That’s why I have no qualms in saying that their entry-level Audeze LCD-1 headphones are more than accurate enough to serve as a reference tool for home recording artists."
"The standout technology that sets the LCD-1s apart from the competition is its 90mm planar magnetic drivers. Compared to moving-coil drivers, planar magnetic drivers have a lower distortion factor as well as a more accurate transient response, which really helps bring out both low-end sound and short-lived peaks like snare hits. This is aptly demonstrated by the LCD-1s buttery smooth sound."
"The Audeze LCD-1s provide an overall balanced sound signature without making the audio feel flat or lifeless. The low-end delivers a full and present thump without bleeding into the midrange. It won’t pack the same punch as closed-back headphones like the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, but this is a good thing in the studio context. Vocals and other mid-range instruments sit neatly in the mix, which really showcases the superior sound staging capabilities of these cans. The treble output of these headphones is a true high point (pun intended) for the sound, as the amount of detail you get in the twang of a guitar string or the snap of a rim shot really brings the audio to life. That said, a slight bump in the 3-4KHz frequency range does colorize the sound some, but not enough to shake our faith in the sonic accuracy of these headphones."
"So what’s left to dislike about a pair of headphones that checks this many boxes? Not much. By nature, planar magnetic headphones are heavier and bulkier than moving-coil headphones, and so they aren’t the most comfortable pair of cans I own. The clamping force of the headband was also a bit much for me out of the box, too, but the sample unit I received has become notably more comfortable after repeated use. The open-back design might make them hard to use to monitor live recordings too but they are still a top choice for mixing."