"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."
"The LCD-GX ($899) is probably one of the more interesting headphones I have come across recently. They are Audeze’s high-end “gaming” headset; complete with a red color scheme, and a boom-mic. I definitely did not know what to expect from it going into that first listen, but all I can say for now is that what I got was much, much more than just a gaming headset."
Planar magnetic drivers are known to produce close to zero distortion and very detailed sound. Mobius are amazing when it comes to listening to music and playing games, giving you incredible details throughout the frequency range.
Audeze evidently takes the needs of its pro customers seriously, because the LCD-1s major hugely on detail and resolution. It helps that there’s so much space to work with – an impressive amount even considering the open-back design – and instruments are placed so definitely within it.
There’s a night scene in Battlefield I, a solo recon mission in a sleepy French village filled with enemy soldiers. Alone, you crawl head-down through a backyard, hoping to make it to that old red barn before anyone sees… wait. STOP. Is that a dog growling… behind you?
We can so easily picture George Martin wearing LCD-Xs back in the day at Abby Road. (He would have loved them.) Or Max Martin for that matter, who, BTW, now has more #1 Billboard singles than anyone in history, save for Lennon and McCartney. But we digress:
"Mobius Headphones (Audeze, $399.99) — Dads immersed in virtual worlds such as “Call of Duty” or “Doom Eternal” and in need of a more robust gaming headset will appreciate the enveloping aural assault provided by the Mobius. Planar magnetic drivers in each cup promise superior sound quality and when combined with its head tracking, three-dimensional sound technology, the package makes for a potent, almost dizzying experience when in the throes of multiplayer battles."
I’ll be the first to admit that when I first saw the launch of the Audeze LCD-GX headphone/headset, I was quite skeptical. This was a $899 open-back headphone, made for gamers, with a red and black trim and a giant boom mic. It almost felt like it was a money grab to me, especially after they already had just released the Audeze Mobius at the time, which I was an early adopter for. But time went by and I started hearing some good feedback for it. I was also impressed that they got the weight down to a more manageable and wearable weight, something that I feel is the biggest flaw of the Audeze LCD series lineup. I can’t wear any of them for more than a 30 minutes without physical pain! At least until this one came out….
In terms of design, we have to say that Audeze’s iSINE LX takes the top spot. It features a new, innovative design that hasn’t been seen in headphones before — which is why we think it’s one of the best headphones out in the market today.
Audeze, based out of Orange County, is an audio company with a very particular focus. Not concerned with speakers or amps or earbuds, it instead focus on a headphones, and ones of a very specific kind. It’s cans use planar magnetic drivers (as opposed to conventional dynamic drivers), in order to achieve a greater range of sound than other approaches can match. The result? “Extremely low levels of distortion and very high-fidelity over the entire frequency range,” according to Sankar Thiagasamudram, the co-founder & CEO. “It’s a very clean-sounding headphone.”
"In terms of design, we have to say that Audeze’s iSINE LX takes the top spot. It features a new, innovative design that hasn’t been seen in headphones before — which is why we think it’s one of the best headphones out in the market today."
The Audeze LCD-XC are part headphones, part mahogany library. That burly look and their superb sound quality will set you back $1,799. But think of it this way: They're 3% the price of the Sennheiser Orpheus.
Audeze doesn't make one-off high-end headphones for fun; the company has the track record (and loyal customer base) to prove it. So why take the step up from the company's LCD-3 and LCD-4 headphones to the newest flagship set, the LCD-4z (pictured)?
The AUDEZE LCD 4 Reference Headphones are hand crafted to perfection. AUDEZE has years of work and research into this headset to give you a truly luxurious and high-quality audio experience. AUDEZE LCD-4 uses the planar magnetic technology to reproduce most accurate sound signals. The Nano scale diaphragm of AUDEZE LCD-4 is super lightweight.
If you are in the market for a high-end headphone that will serve as both an audiophile experience and a brilliant studio headphone, then the closed-back LCD-XC is worth your consideration. This is by no means the newest headphone in the lineup, but after hearing it at NAMM in January 2020 at the Audeze booth, we had to get our hands on a pair to test in the studio and at the home turntable lounge aka the sanctuary.
The first thing you will notice about them is that they are massive. They combine wood and polished metal, coupled with leather and carbon-fiber, resulting in a modern, unusual design. Every material in this amalgam has been chosen for its properties and features, rather than for how it looks.
If you like the idea of portable high-end headphones but aren’t swayed by the bulky HiFiMAN DEVA above, then the AUDEZE LCD-1 are worth a serious look. They don’t have the DEVA’s Bluetooth, but they are significantly lighter—and crucially—can fold up (AUDEZE are known for making massive headphones, so the LCD-1 are a welcome exception). We don’t think they sound quite as good as the DEVA, with slightly dryer bass and a reduced soundstage, but they still have plenty going for them—chiefly in the upper mids, which sound warm and engaging. These headphones respond exceptionally well to genres like rock and acoustic and should be high on the list for anyone who enjoys vocals.
We awarded the AUDEZE LCD2Cs an Editor's Choice award when we reviewed them: they take the original LCD-2's rich bass and unbelievable depth, and wrap it in a wallet-friendly package. Sure, you lose the wood cups and the hard travel case, but who cares? These are absolutely out of this world.
Audeze is professional Made in U.S.A. recording studio equipment, not to be confused with consumer rubbish dragged-in from the Orient. When you consider this, the ultra-low price of the LCD-1 is even more shocking. These are the least expensive headphones Audeze makes; you're taking advantage of everything they've learned through years of innovations and patents in planar magnetic headphones. Other people fall all over themselves paying $4,000 for Audeze's LCD-4. It's like getting a more-durable Ferrari brand-new for just $15,000; these are all designed by the same engineer and made in the same California factory as the LCD-4 — and these LCD-1 fold for travel.
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