"Planar magnetic headphones use a different type of driver to 99% of headphones (these are the only ones here of the type). Instead of magnets driving a large cone to shift air and create sound, here a thin flat film is moved instead. The result is more precise sound than almost any other headphones can manage, with ultra-low distortion – meaning less of the very finest edges of the sound get sanded away. At the same time, they can drive a more impactful soundstage, where robust bass doesn’t overwhelm the mids or trebles."
When Planar Magnetic headphones first hit the scene, there were three significant barriers to entry. First was the size. Most were big and bulky, and some couldn’t handle the weight wearing them for long periods. Audeze is a U.S. based manufacturer (California to be exact) that does one thing. They make impressive Planar Magnetic headphones. Most of their models are of the big, power-hungry, expensive variety, but they have also come up with smaller, more portable designs like the SINE on-ear and the iSINE in-ear. The SINE (now discontinued) was their first portable planar magnetic headphone. It was designed to take the spacious and detailed sound Audeze is known for on the road, but it got mixed reviews due to comfort and tuning. Regardless, it was still a massive shift in PM headphone design and had plenty of potential. First of all, comfort is no problem with the LCD-1. Unlike the SINE, it’s an over-ear model, so the pads go around the ear instead of resting directly on them. The pads and headband are also heavily cushioned, and the clamp is just about perfectly judged, even for a big head like mine. They are snug but without undue pressure on the head.
The LCD-1 sound better, with anything, anywhere. I tested them using Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and a record player. I used them as reference headphones when recording. I even kept them plugged in when playing video games like Grand Theft Auto Online (91.1 The Lowdown, the soul station narrated by Pam Grier, is the only choice for any self-respecting criminal, and it sounded better than ever).
"Audeze has done a marvelous job providing a product that targets both audiophiles and gamers, but therein lies the problem. The Audeze Mobius retails for $399. For most audiophiles that price probably comes across as very reasonable compared to what most audiophile equipment goes for. However, for gamers, the most popular high-end gaming headsets only run about $100-150. The jump to $400 might be too much for some, but if you are interested in upgrading your audio experience in the same way you upgrade your gaming system specs, then the Audeze Mobius is absolutely worth it."
"By making design decisions to keep the LCD-1's lightweight and portable without sacrificing the audio quality derived from their planar magnetic design, Audeze has created a unique product"
"So headphones like the$400 Audeze LCD-1reference monitors really hit the right emotional notes for me. I know that open-backs have some downsides, but I can’t help but gravitate toward them: I adore the sound signature they generally provide."
"The demand for audiophile-grade headphones is increasing day by day. There are a lot of new brands that are manufacturing audiophile-grade headphones, and some of them gained much popularity with time. Audeze is a modern American brand that started its journey in 2008 and is now a well-known brand among audiophiles for its high-quality top-of-the-line headphones. The Audeze LCD 4 Over Ear Over-Ear is a premium “no budget” audiophile headphone from Audeze. It is a flagship that will cost you around 4000 USD. It promises to deliver you the best and unmatched audio experience. Let’s see what these headphones are capable of."
"Audeze have been making waves in the headphone world with an approach to headphone design that includes flexible circuit material designed for NASA and magnetic planar drivers. These come together in the LCD-MX4, their studio-focussed unit. These open-back cans were designed for mixing and mastering applications, and feature a frequency response of 10Hz to an astonishing 50kHz. They also have a remarkably low impedance of 20 Ohms, although with headphones of this quality you’re likely going to want to pair them with an equally high-end headphone amplifier. As the over-ear LCD-MX4’s are for studio work, Audeze has designed them to be balanced, neutral, and transparent. They’re also incredibly precise and detailed, with a tight and fast response. While not the lightest headphones on this list, the carbon fibre band helps keep the weight down, while the leather-covered memory foam cups ensure comfort during long listening sessions. They come bundled with a 1.9m 1/4-inch to dual four-pin mini-XLR cable and a sturdy travel case. The Audeze LCD-MX4 headphones are extremely expensive, and thus out of the reach of most musicians and producers. But for the truly discerning professional, they’re something of a pinnacle of headphone technology.
"Who hasn’t heard of Audeze? The US-based headphone manufacturer are an icon of the headphone industry, their LCD line-up having both huge success and staying power. If there’s one thing that alienated buyers from these models, it’s likely their price followed quickly by their large, heavy design. The new LCD-1 is their solution to these qualms, and their sleekest LCD headphone yet excluding the on-ear SINE. It implements the same technologies in a compact form factor designed for all-day comfort. Furthermore, the sound signature has been tuned with monitoring in-mind, pivotal as such a balanced sound is not so easy to come by around this price range."
"As a college student, I’ve always gravitated towards IEMs for their portability. Headphones never really interested me because, well, they didn’t fit into my more mobile lifestyle. Still, I fondly recall trying my first pair of “real” audiophile headphones, the Sennheiser HD6xx, and being blown away. It was a huge step up from most of the IEMs I’d listened to. And while I don’t have the same high regard for the HD6xx these days, there’s a clear distinction in performance between headphones and their more portable IEM counterparts. Enter Audeze’s LCDi4. In a dash of groundbreaking innovation, it aims to bring headphone-level performance to the IEM form factor. But how does it stack up in practice? "
"Audeze headphones have at all times been a favorite right here on the Digit check lab and the brand new LCD-i3 cements our liking for this audiophile-grade model much more. The Audeze LCD-i3 is a pair of open-back, planar-magnetic IEMs that borrow closely by way of design from the flagship Audeze LCD-i4 earphones, that are considerably costlier than the LCD-i3. They additionally mimic the iSINE vary of Audeze merchandise in relation to low-impedance. As an organization, Audeze nails the planar magnetic know-how utilized in IEMs since they make the headphones open-back. Closed-shell IEMs with planar magnetic tech typically are likely to sound shrill between 3-5khz and Audeze avoids this attributable to their resolution to make the LCDi-series open-back. The Audeze LCD-i3 is priced at Rs 79,990 and definitely mesmerised us with its sound which is why it ended up being the winner within the Best Performing Wired IEM phase in our annual Digit Zero1 awards. Let’s delve into these earphones additional."
"Audeze is a name that’s well known in the audiophile circles but only in recent years have they been extending their reach into video games. It was only a matter of time. Between video game soundtracks increasing in popularity and bands devoting their catalog to video game music covers, it’s become apparent that there are many gamers who take their game music seriously. Audeze caters to these individuals, and while the Audeze LCDi3 has plenty of applications outside of video games, these high-end earbuds provide some of the best audio that can be found in gaming."
"Despite the drop in price though, these open back headphones still boast the company’s signature planar magnetic technology and such sci-fi sounding features as Uniforce Diaphragms, Fluxor Magnet and Fazor Waveguides."
"The folks at Audeze have a reputation not only for high-end headphones but for high-end headphones with a relatively unique set of features. See, these headphones offer Spatial Audio, or the ability to accurately simulate sounds as though they are coming from different sources instead of blasted directly at your ears from either side of your head. Their LCD-1 headphones released in January focused on professionals with incredibly high-end needs and a focus on precision and accuracy, allowing the user to hear music as though they were coming from speakers in front of you."
"The Audeze LCD-1 headphones are the smallest planar headphones I have ever seen. Weighing in at just 250g, LCD-1 have shed weight by using lighter weight materials and lots of plastic rather than more upscale materials you might otherwise expect. The end result is a trim, small profile that saves the technology for the drivers"
"Based on subjective expectations at this price point. there’s really just one caveat to the high performance of these headphones: While they may have “decent” sensitivity for planars, compared to dynamic headphones they require a lot of power. This becomes an issue if you try and run the LCD-1s directly from a phone or tablet, the result sounds anemic. But the moment you hook up an amp (even a USB dongle) and provide some juice to get ‘em going, they transform into one of the most satisfying-sounding sub-$500 headphones out there"
In some ways, it’s amazing all the different ways you can improve the sound. There are amplifiers, DACs, better audio players, technology like Waves Nx, and, of course, improved headphones. Over the years I’ve listened to a lot of different headphones at a wide variety of levels, with the latest beingAudeze LCDi3 open-back planar magnetic IEM, which boasts some impressive details. After rather an extensive testing across a wide range of devices and situations, are these another hit for Audeze or do they offer a marginal increase in quality for a substantial increase in price?
The LCD-2 Classic ($799), which I will be referring to as “LCD-2C,” is the current introductory model of Audeze’s full-size LCD family of headphones. The LCD-2C is essentially a simplified version of the iconic LCD-2, as they share various design aspects and driver technologies. The LCD-2C retains the LCD-2’s Neodymium N50 magnets, as well as the same magnetic structure; albeit without the inclusion of Audeze’s Fazor waveguide technology.
"Planar-magnetic headphones are usually quite expensive but Audeze is a Californian company, based in Santa Ana, and is a pioneer in this field and now it has launched a stripped-down pair of planar-magnetic headphones at a price that’s about as low as it's possible to go with this advanced headphone technology. All the headphones that Audeze makes are designed and assembled at its factory in California."
