Audeze LCD-5 Review

Sound – Sources

A desktop amplifier is fully recommended for the LCD-5. I have tried portable gear such as the Luxury&Precision W2 Dongle, the HiBy R8 DAP and the Astell&Kern SP2000T, but even if they deliver enough volume, they can’t make the LCD-5 shine as it can and should.

The amplifiers chosen for this section are: Chord Electronics ANNI, Auris Audio Headonia, Niimbus US4+ and the Ferrum OOR.

First up is the Ferrum OOR, in combination with the Hypsos PSU and the Pegasus Musician DAC. In theory this musically neutral amp should fit the LCD-5’s tuning well, but in the beginning before the burn-in, I really didn’t like this combination. It was way too thin, too sharp, to mid/vocal forward and it was impossible to enjoy the Audeze. When I came back to this combo after over 100 hours, the situation was different. You get a fairly good amount of body overal, with some extra bass impact. Bass still is very tight, detailed and fast but you get that extra bass oomph so many of us like. The mid section is still showing that upper mids and vocal forwardness, but the timbre and naturalism here is exemplary. The treble section has enough energy as said before, but it’s still easygoing. I really like this pairing a lot and the units have a lovely synergy.

Next up is the Auris Audio Headonia 2A3 tube amp. It’s probably the most high end tube amp in my office and it’s one of the very best tube amp I have ever heard. The big advantage here is that you with the LCD-5 still get a very high technical level, but you get some tube richness added in the mix. If you are familiar with the Headonia you will know this is very subtle, but it elevates the LCD-5 to another level. The Headonia drives the LCD-5 effortlessly and it manages to make it sound precise, yet musical. That tube richness is especially nice in the mid section and the treble section, making the latter one more special to the ear compared to a solid state amplifier.

With the Headonia the amount of body and impact is mower compared to that of the OOR. Where OOR enhances this a bit, the Headonia is fully transparent. The result is a musically neutral tuning, with tube flavors. What’s not to like? Of course if you don’t like this typical tube sound, a solid state amp is the way to go. The next one up in the list is the new Chord Electronics ANNI.

Before the LCD-5 reached 100 hours, the Chord ANNI was actually the amplifier that matched the LCD-5 in the best way. With its full and heavier body presence, the ANNI managed to tame the pre-burn in LCD-5, but once the 5 sounded as it should I actually found the ANNI too sound a bit too thick and restricted with the LCD-5. For me personally the refinement, energy and extension are missing somewhat when compared to the OOR and Headonia combo, at least for this Audeze. If you want your LCD-5 to sound less neutral, fuller, smoother and dare I even say warmer, then the ANNI could be your to go to amp. It’s a very musical combo which is very easy and soft on the ears but I am not getting the same precision, clarity and transparency as with the OOR and Headonia. It’s a bit weird to say but the Chord – in this case – is not the most technically strong.

The last combo in this section is with the NIIMBUS US4+ amplifier. The Violectric and Niimbus gear has always played well with Audeze headphones and a lot of people use these for their Audeze headphones, me included. The US4+ and LCD-5 combo again impresses. The US4+ and LCD-5 combo sounds more energetic and lively compared to the ANNI, and it has a higher level of precision, speed and transparency. You get bass and mids with good body, impactful bass and smooth yet lively treble. The upper mids and vocals are also a bit more integrated and it makes listening to the combo extremely pleasant. It’s a perfect mix of technicalities, clarity, energy and musicality. What’s not to like?

My two favorite amps with the LCD-5 are the Headonia and US4+ but I am sure many other amplifiers have great synergy with this headphone. But as I said, the 5 is rather picky, so it might not be as easy as you think or hope. Let us know in the comments section if you would like to see any particular amp paring with the LCD-5 and I’ll try to make it happen if the amp is available.

Comparisons

The setup for these comparisons is the Musician DAC and the Headonia amp. All headphones were connected in single end mode. I chose the following planar magnetic headphones for this chapter: Meze Audio ELITE & Empyrean, the Hifiman Susvara & HE-1000SE and the Audeze LCD-MX4. Unfortunately I don’t have the LCD-3 or LCD-4 here at this time, but I will add in their comparison once they get back to the HQ.

Let’s start with the original Meze Audio Empyrean which is selling for $2,999 USD. The Meze is very different from the LCD-5 in the sense that the Empyrean is full bodied, warm and fun, as well as technically strong. It can’t be called a neutrally tuned headphone at all and as such it couldn’t be different from the LCD-5. The LCD-5 and Empyrean are complementary headphones as they are so different in tuning. The empyrean is all about musical enjoyment with smoothness, warmth, a bass boost and a generous amount of body from bottom to top. The LCD-5 is more clear and faster and its presentation is more neutral in all possible ways. That being said, the treble is soft on both of these headphones, but it’s more clean on the Audeze.

The new Meze ELITE is a lot more like the LCD-5, in the sense that it was built to be cleaner, clearer, faster, more transparent and more neutral tuning-wise. The ELITE is closer to the 5 in this regard compared to the Empyrean, but it still is nowhere near the neutrality and lightness of the LCD-5. The ELITE is fuller and smoother sounding over the whole frequency range. The body and bass impact is quite a bit higher as well. The upper mids and treble section in the LCD-5 is more forward sounding than that of the ELITE. The ELITE could be the perfect headphone for those who find the LCD-5 a bit light and bass shy but like the technical qualities,

The Hifiman Susvara is harder to drive than the LCD-5 but in regards to weight they are more or less similar. Both have great clarity, precision and transparency. The Susvara’s lows extend deeper and they have a bit more impact, giving you a top level sub rumble, something which is a bit lacking in the LCD-5. The treble section of the Susvara also extends further, even if the tuning in that region is comparable. Vocals in the LCD-5 are still a more forward than in the Susvara, and the differences here is that the vocals are a tad smoother in presentation in the Hifiman. In regards to detail retrieval, the Hifiman to me still has the upper hand and the same goes for note extension and decay. The Susvara also gives you a more open space listening field. Both are great headphones with a slightly different tuning, but for me personally the Susvara still is the technical winner.

The Hifiman HE-1000SE again is a fuller sounding headphone with more body, especially in the lower region. Bass here has more impact but it isn’t as tight, fast or controlled as in the LCD-5. The LCD-5’s bass quality is better though. Vocals in the Hifiman are thicker and even more upfront imho. Tuning-wise the Audeze is more neutral than the softer, more musical tuned HE-1000SE. Everything in this Hifiman just sounds softer, but it also sounds less clean. When you listen to the LCD-5 and switch to the HE-1000SE you will find everything less controlled, less clear. To me the treble section of the HE-1000SE does carry more energy or it at least is more upfront than that of the LCD-5. The SE for me is more v-shaped in a way and because of that it also might give the impression it’s more extended on top but that isn’t necessarily the case. The HE-1000SE is loved by many (and myself) because of its very good balance between technicalities and musical enjoyment (bass/body/smoothness). I’m also a big fan but in the end these 2 headphones are very differently sounding. Definitely different, complementary headphones.

The Audeze LCD-MX4 also is a studio headphone but compared to the LCD-5 it sounds less clean, and less in control. The LCD-5’s clarity and control is really impressive and everything seems easy and effortless with it. And that for me isn’t he case in the MX4. The latter’s bass also isn’t as controlled and tight as that of the LCD-5. The MX4 also shows more body, especially in the low regions. The clarity of the LCD-5 is much higher and it’s a more neutral and balanced sounding headphone with better PRaT and excitement. At least to my ears. To be honest, I had a very hard time going back to the MX4 coming from the LCD-5 as it’s superior on a technical level and more coherent and precise overall.

Let us know in the comments section if you would like to see any particular headphone compared to the LCD-5 and I’ll try to make it happen.

And that brings us to the conclusion!

Conclusion

The LCD-5 is the type of headphone that grows on you and once it has gotten to you, it’s impossible not to like its precision, clarity, transparency and energy.

It for sure is one of Audeze’s most neutral and precisely tuned headphones, but they have managed to do it in the most exciting and musical way. What I also like about the new Audeze LCD-5, is that it isn’t just for studios and professionals, but it is musically strong enough and very engaging to please the most discerning audiophile at home.

The Audeze LCD-5 is one of the more expensive flagship planar headphones on the market, but you for that money get a great looking, well-built and impressive sounding headphone in return.

I’m a fan!

Page 1: Audeze, Planar magnetic Tech, LCD-5 main features

Page 2: LCD-5 Full Feature Overview & Technical Specs

Page 3: Price, Box, Accessories & Design, Build Quality, Cable & Fit, Comfort and Isolation, Sound

Page 4: Sound Intro, Sound General, Sound Classics

Page 5: Sound Comparisons, Amplification synergy, Conclusion