By aspect — in detail
Tonality
Contested · 7 srcThe defining disagreement. Everyone measures the same warm-tilted, slightly mid-recessed voicing with a subdued upper treble — and the 2021 revision demonstrably fixed the deep ~4 kHz notch of older units — but listeners split on what it means. One camp hears warm, natural and non-fatiguing and enjoys it straight; another hears flat, boring or mediocre and says it only comes alive with EQ. The divide tracks use case (leisure vs mixing) and how willing you are to EQ.
Measured
A warm tilt with elevated bass/low-mids against a dip through the ~3–5 kHz presence region and a subdued upper treble; ASR and RTINGS both note the deep ~4 kHz notch of the pre-2021 LCD-X is fixed on the current unit, and RTINGS calls the result accurate with a 'remarkably flat mid-range.'
⚠ vs. listeners — The graph is a warm, slightly mid-recessed tuning that everyone reads the same on paper; whether it lands as 'accurate and non-fatiguing' or 'boring and needs EQ' tracks taste, source, and whether you're listening for pleasure or mixing — not a measured difference.
Where it splits
Warm, accurate and non-fatiguing — enjoyable as-is, no EQ required.45%
“They don't deviate much from their warm sound profile and have amazingly well-matched left and right drivers, ensuring objects are properly placed in the stereo field.”
RTINGS
A near-universal highlight, and the LCD-X's signature: deep, powerful and exceptionally clean, with so much distortion-free headroom that it swallows very large EQ boosts without complaint. The honest caveat is stock quantity/balance — the measurement camp reads it as a touch light versus target, and without EQ the low-mids can dominate — but the driver's bass capability is what everyone praises.
“this is one of the (if not THE) best bass performances I've ever heard in this price range.”
Ear Fidelity (Paweł Szachno)
“It can take any amount of EQ with zero hint of distortion”
r/headphones (Fullyverified)
Measured
Extremely low distortion with very high clean power handling — ASR found a +10 dB bass boost made 'almost no difference' to distortion — but measures the stock bass as slightly deficient versus target ('you want to EQ that'); Headphones.com found the low-mids overwhelm the mix without EQ.
Mostly heard as natural and full-bodied — and far less coloured than older LCDs — but shadowed by a measured dip in the upper-mid/lower-treble region. Warm-tuning fans call the mids flat and true; measurement-minded listeners and producers hear a recessed presence region — 'a hole in the upper mids' — that pushes vocals and guitars back until it's EQ'd in.
“It is one of the most neutral and natural sounding mid in all of LCD series to date.”
Ear Fidelity (Paweł Szachno)
“there's a massive hole in the upper mids in these headphones”
r/headphones (Unlucky_Orange_9608)
Measured
A measured trough through the ~3–5 kHz presence region (ASR notes the added 2–3 kHz boost is 'still not enough to reach the natural gain of our hearing anatomy'; Unheardlab's graph shows a dip around 4 kHz) — the deeper original notch was fixed on the 2021 unit, but a milder presence dip remains.
Generally described as smooth, subdued and non-fatiguing, and a clear step toward neutrality versus older LCDs — an easy top end most reviewers appreciate. The caveat is a couple of narrow peaks (around 6 and 12 kHz) that can add brilliance but occasionally tip into sibilance on bright female vocals, and a minority who simply find the highs a touch hot.
“The treble extension is spot-on, resulting in very coherent and detailed high frequencies that are never sibilant or exaggerated.”
Ear Fidelity (Paweł Szachno)
“Peaks around 6kHz and 12kHz add a certain brilliance to the sound, but they can also introduce sibilance, particularly in female vocals”
Unheardlab (Sai)
Measured
RTINGS reads the upper treble as 'subdued' (below target, which they frame as fatigue-reducing); Unheardlab's graph shows narrow peaks near 6 and 12 kHz that add air but can catch sibilance — so 'smooth/relaxed' and 'occasionally sibilant' describe the same slightly-uneven top end.
Soundstage
Moderate · 7 srcThe most common knock: for an open-back at this price, the stage is widely called medium or intimate rather than expansive, and a few listeners find it closed-in. Not everyone agrees — one measurement-led reviewer heard it as notably wide — but the recurring verdict is 'accurate but not big.'
“The LCD-X 2021 has a rather medium-small soundstage, that's still highly accurate and lifelike sounding.”
Ear Fidelity (Paweł Szachno)
“The soundstage of the LCD-X 2021 is commendably expansive, particularly in terms of width, a trait it shares with other LCD models”
Unheardlab (Sai)
Measured
A perceptual split, not a measured one: RTINGS notes the 'spatial presentation isn't quite as expansive as some other open-backs,' Ear Fidelity and Reddit owners call it medium/intimate, while Unheardlab found the width notably large — the majority land on 'intimate but accurate.'
A near-perfectly channel-matched headphone, which everyone credits for precise left-right localization (a plus for both mixing and gaming). Perceived depth and placement precision get more mixed marks — some reviewers rate the imaging among the best they've heard, others find instrument placement and distance cues occasionally imprecise, especially in dense, bass-heavy passages.
“The excellent matching between left and right drivers helps you accurately locate the sound of enemy fighters precisely in the stereo field, too.”
RTINGS
“Instrument placement and the sense of distance within the soundstage sometimes lack precision.”
Unheardlab (Sai)
Measured
Measured left/right driver matching is excellent (RTINGS singles it out for accurate stereo placement); the disagreement is over perceived depth and layering, which is subjective and partly a function of the intimate stage rather than a measured flaw.
Strong resolution for the class — reviewers place it clearly above popular mid-fi planars and praise a highly detailed midrange, helped by the driver's very low distortion. The lone skeptical note comes from a mixing-minded owner who argues some of that 'detail' is the tuning rather than true extra information.
“The LCD-X has the most detailed midrange I've heard.”
Headphones.com (Jake Cheriff)
“It outshines mid-fi contenders like the Sundara and the Edition XS”
Unheardlab (Sai)
Measured
Rooted in a very low-distortion planar driver with clean transients; the skeptic camp attributes part of the perceived resolution to the treble/EQ tilt rather than true micro-detail, which is why 'exceptionally detailed' and 'detail that doesn't translate' are both said about it.
Widely praised: effortless, punchy and composed at any level, with no sense of compression and — thanks to very high, clean power handling — the ability to take large EQ without losing its grip. A consistent strong point across measurement and listening notes alike.
“Dynamic ability is excellent letting you listen at any level with no hint of distortion.”
Audio Science Review (amirm)
“There are no issues with dynamic compression or lacklustre impact.”
Unheardlab (Sai)
Measured
High, clean power handling with extremely low distortion even under heavy EQ (ASR: a +10 dB boost made 'almost no difference'), which underpins the effortless slam reviewers describe.
Everyone agrees it's heavy (~610 g) — the argument is whether that matters. The suspension headband and large soft pads make it a comfortable, forget-it's-there fit for one camp, even over long sessions; for another it's a genuine long-session dealbreaker that tires the neck or presses on the face, with the self-loosening cup adjustment adding to the annoyance.
Measured
About 610 g (ASR measured 610 g and notes it's lighter than the original; Ear Fidelity 612 g; older pre-2021 units ran heavier, ~635 g), carried on a suspension headband with large pads — so the weight is real and constant, and whether it fatigues you tracks head shape and session length.
Where it splits
Comfortable despite the weight — the suspension strap carries it.53%
“Although heavy, they're comfortable enough for all-day wear at your desk, and their warm sound can reduce ear fatigue over long listening sessions.”
RTINGS
Too heavy for long sessions.47%
“they're too heavy for me to make it through a whole record or movie without experiencing some level of discomfort.”
Headphones.com (Jake Cheriff)
Build
Strong consensus · 6 srcA near-universal strength: a metal-heavy, made-in-USA chassis with a detachable cable and replaceable pads that reviewers repeatedly call built like a tank and premium-feeling. The only recurring knock is the ear-cup adjustment mechanism, whose rods can loosen on their own and which is fiddly to set.
“The LCD-X is built like a tank.”
Headphones.com (Jake Cheriff)
“very robust, elegant, and definitely premium-feeling.”
Ear Fidelity (Paweł Szachno)
Measured
Metal construction with a detachable cable and user-replaceable pads, made in the USA; the consistent small asterisk is the cup-adjustment rods, which ASR found awkward and owners report 'constantly come loose.'
Isolation
Strong consensus · 3 srcOpen-back by design: essentially no passive isolation, and it leaks freely both ways. Expected for the type and not treated as a flaw — but it rules out offices, commutes and shared rooms.
“Their large, open-back design offers almost no noise isolation, so you'll hear sounds around you clearly.”
RTINGS
Measured
Fully open-back — negligible passive isolation and free leakage in both directions, by design; every source treats it as an open headphone for a quiet room, not for isolation.
Genuinely split. To one camp the bombproof build, reference-clean bass and enormous EQ headroom make it a strong buy at $1,199. To the other it's overpriced — cheaper planars (HiFiMan Sundara/Arya) and the Focal Clear are said to match or beat it for pure sound, and it still needs EQ and lugs around ~610 g. The split tracks whether you weigh build and bass-flexibility or sound-per-dollar.
Measured
$1,199 standalone (or $1,699 as the Creator Package), cross-shopped against the cheaper HiFiMan Sundara/Edition XS/Arya and the Focal Clear; the made-in-USA build and unmatched clean bass headroom strengthen the case, while the weight and the EQ-to-shine requirement pressure it on sound-per-dollar.
Where it splits
Great value — a no-brainer at $1,199 for the build, bass and EQ headroom.44%
“Priced at $1,199 USD, the LCD-X offers great value for its robust build quality and its largely unproblematic tuning.”
Unheardlab (Sai)
Overpriced — cheaper rivals match it for pure sound.56%
“The Clear and Sundara are both capable of conveying a recording's emotional resonance just as well, if not better, than the LCD-X.”
Headphones.com (Jake Cheriff)
