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The short version
What to know.
A heavy, tank-built, very efficient open-back planar with deep, distortion-free bass that takes enormous EQ boosts, top-tier resolution and punch for its price, and a measured tuning every rig describes the same way: bass roughly flat, a 1–2 kHz shelf, a 6–12 dB trough centred near 3.5–4 kHz, a soft 8–10 kHz and often a peak above 10 kHz. From that graph the sources split down the middle. Half — RTINGS, Ear Fidelity, headphones.com's Chrono, most Head-Fi reviewers and the Audeze-store owners — hear a warm, accurate, non-fatiguing headphone that is fine as it comes; the other half — ASR, Crinacle, Cheriff, the Sound On Sound forum and the loudest Reddit critics — hear it dull, dark or hollow until a 3–5 kHz boost and a bass shelf go in. The same divide runs through the mids (full and natural versus recessed), the soundstage (intimate to most, spacious to some), the weight (a non-issue on the suspension strap versus a neck workout after an hour) and the price (worth it, with EQ, versus outclassed by a half-price Arya). Nobody disputes the bass, the detail, the dynamics or the ease of driving; the recurring build complaints are glued pads that let go after a year or two, yoke screws that back out, and a small number of dead drivers.
About this product
Open-back planar-magnetic over-ear, 106 mm driver, 20 Ω / 103 dB per mW, 612 g, made in California. The current unit is the late-2020 revision everyone calls the LCD-X 2021 (serial numbers from 7527600): two of the eight Fazor waveguides removed, re-spaced magnets, thinner pads and about 50 g less weight than the 2013–2020 originals, whose deep 4 kHz notch it partly fills. Sold in leather or leather-free trim at $1,199 with a travel case and a 4-pin XLR cable plus 6.3 mm adapter; the $1,699 Premium bundle has quietly disappeared from Audeze's store. Not the closed LCD-XC, the lighter MM-100/MM-500 studio models, or the pricier LCD-3/4/5. Pre-2021 units sound different and measure worse; Audeze will upgrade one to the current drivers and pads for about $590.
The LCD-X is the working-class LCD: Audeze's easiest-to-drive full-size planar, pitched at mixing rooms as much as listening chairs and, by most accounts, its best-selling headphone since 2013. A 20 Ω, 103 dB driver means it plays loud from a laptop; a 612 g metal chassis means you never forget it is there. The late-2020 revision that every current review covers fixed the original's most-mocked flaw — a chasm around 4 kHz — and dropped the price to $1,199.
Fixed, but not gone. Sixteen measurement sources agree the 2021 unit still sits 6–12 dB below its rig's target between 3 and 5 kHz, and that one fact drives every argument that follows: whether the stock sound is warm and true or dull until you EQ it, whether the midrange is natural or recessed, whether $1,199 is a bargain next to a $600 HiFiMan. This refresh rebuilds the record from 124 sources — every Head-Fi review, a 3,181-post owners' thread, ASR, the Sound On Sound forum, some thirty Reddit threads and the labs.
A good fit for
EQ users and bass-music listeners who want a planar that takes a huge, clean low shelf
Mixing and mastering in a quiet room, with EQ or a correction profile, for low-end and imaging referencing
Anyone who wants high-end planar resolution and slam from a laptop, interface or dongle
Listeners who prefer a warm, relaxed presence region over a Harman-style ear gain
People who value a heavy, metal, made-in-USA build with a lifetime of replaceable parts
Think twice if
You will not EQ and you like a forward, Harman-style upper midrange — half the room finds it dull stock
You are weight-sensitive, lie back to listen, or wear headphones for eight-hour days — 612 g and a bottoming-out strap are the top complaints
You prioritise a wide, holographic stage — an Arya, HE1000 or HD 800 S does that better
You are shopping on sound-per-dollar — a $500–600 Arya Stealth/Organic is the comparison every 2025–26 thread makes
You need isolation, or you dislike glued pads and periodic screw-tightening
Deep, linear, very low-distortion bass that takes a 10–15 dB EQ shelf with nothing added but bass — its signature strength.
Top-tier resolution and punchy, uncompressed dynamics for the price; Crinacle grades the technical performance A+.
Unusually easy to drive for a full-size planar (20 Ω, 103 dB per mW) — a laptop or dongle gets it loud.
Every rig measures the same tuning: bass roughly flat, a 1–2 kHz shelf, a 6–12 dB trough near 4 kHz, a soft 8–10 kHz — the 2021 revision halved the original's notch but did not remove it.
Precise left-right imaging and drivers matched within a decibel — a real asset for mixing and gaming.
A metal, made-in-USA chassis with replaceable pads and strap; heavy at 612 g.
Open-back: no isolation, leaks freely, by design.
Points of contention6
Tonality: warm, accurate and fine as it comes (RTINGS, Ear Fidelity, headphones.com, most Head-Fi reviewers) versus dull, dark or hollow until you EQ the 3–5 kHz trough (ASR, Crinacle, Cheriff, the pro-audio forum, the loudest Reddit critics) — a weighted dead heat.
Mids: full, natural and true-to-life (59 %) versus recessed in the presence region, vocals pushed back and guitars without bite (41 %).
Soundstage: intimate and forward (58 %) versus commendably wide for the price (42 %).
Comfort: the suspension strap makes 612 g a non-issue for hours (45 %) versus a neck workout, hot spot and Fazor-on-ear contact after an hour or two (55 %).
Build: built like a tank (70 %) versus a real minority of glued pads letting go, yoke screws backing out and occasional dead drivers (30 %).
Value: worth $1,199, at least with EQ (57 %) versus outclassed by a $500–600 Arya and matched by a Clear or Sundara (43 %).
A closer listen.
12 topics · 6 divided
Left: criticalRight: positiveTighter lines: more agreement
Sources split exactly down the middle, and the split is about what a measured fact means rather than what it is. Every rig shows the same warm tilt with a 6–12 dB trough around 3.5–4 kHz. One camp — RTINGS, Ear Fidelity, headphones.com's first review, Twister6, the Headphoneer, most Head-Fi reviewers and a Sound On Sound mastering engineer — calls the result warm, accurate and non-fatiguing and uses it as it comes. The other — ASR, Crinacle's C tone grade, Cheriff, GoldenSound's 'wonky', the pro-audio forum and the sharper Reddit threads — calls it boring, dark, muffled or hollow and says the headphone only becomes what it is with a 3–5 kHz lift and a bass shelf. By weight it is a dead heat; among owners who post, the EQ camp is a little larger.
Measured
oratory1990's GRAS 43AG puts the 2021 unit 8.9 dB below Harman at 3–4 kHz (deepest −10.1 dB at 3.65 kHz), 2.2 dB down at 1–2 kHz, 8.9 dB down at 8–10 kHz and flat rather than shelved in the sub-bass (−6 dB against Harman's shelf); Crinacle's KEMAR, Elrics, DaemonXar, Gadgetry Tech, Kuulokenurkka and VSG all read the same trough at −8 to −11 dB against their own targets and most add a +3 to +11 dB peak near 11 kHz. The pre-2021 unit measured on the same three rigs is 3–6 dB deeper in the trough. Crinacle grades the tone C ('Warm neutral'); RTINGS calls it Warm with treble 4 dB under target.
vs. listeners — The graph is not in dispute — every rig shows the same shape. 'Warm and accurate' and 'dull and needs EQ' are the same 3–5 kHz trough heard by people who mix or chase a Harman target versus people who listen for pleasure and like a relaxed presence region; a few owners also report that oratory1990's preset lands too bright on their unit, which Blorg attributes to Audeze's batch-to-batch variance.
Where it splits· split roughly even
Warm, accurate and non-fatiguing — fine as it comes.
“The Audeze LCD-X have great audio reproduction accuracy. 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.”
The one thing almost nobody argues about. Deep, tight and unusually physical for a planar, with distortion so low that a 10–15 dB shelf adds nothing audible — the trait EQ users and bass-music producers buy it for. The honest qualifier, from the measurers and a few owners, is stock quantity: there is no Harman-style shelf, so out of the box it is linear rather than lifted, and a handful of listeners (including a producer of bass music) found it light or even muddy until they added the shelf and a stronger amp.
“Among kilobuck planars, the LCD-X excels in both bass slam and extension, making it a stand-out performer.”
“The stock frequency response of these is not great but they are easy to EQ. Bass is linear, these are not bass heavy headphones but since they don't distort even at 114dB SPL you can apply a big bass shelf and get great bass out of them.”
Flat to within 2–4 dB of a diffuse-field target down to 20 Hz on every rig (5–6 dB below Harman's bass shelf; +1.5 dB over the HD 600 at 20–60 Hz on oratory1990's rig, no advantage on Crinacle's KEMAR where the seal is weaker). ASR measured a +10 dB boost as 'almost no difference' in distortion and reached its 40 dB distortion target across the band; DIY-Audio-Heaven found distortion 'impressively low' on the older unit. Audeze rates it for 5 W and >130 dB.
Sources split, along the same fault line as the tonality. RTINGS' 'remarkably flat mid-range', Ear Fidelity's 'most neutral and natural' LCD midrange, L&B, MajorHiFi and an Edition XS owner who found the timbre startlingly life-like hear a full, natural, richly textured centre. Twister6, AudioZyme, Bimbleton, the ASR owners and the sharper Reddit critics hear the 1.5–5 kHz recession as vocals pushed back, guitars without bite and, at worst, a 'massive hole' that no preset quite fills. Both camps agree it is far less coloured than the LCD-2/3 and a big step past the pre-2021 unit.
Measured
Lower mids on target (AudioZyme reads 300–800 Hz about 2.5–3 dB over Harman on his rig), then a 1–2 kHz shelf of −2 to −4 dB and the 3–5 kHz trough of −6 to −12 dB against every rig's target; the pre-2021 unit's trough was −13 to −19 dB on the same fixtures. Dekoni sheepskin pads halve the dip on oratory1990's rig.
vs. listeners — The 3–5 kHz deficit is measured everywhere; whether it reads as 'flat and true' or 'a hole' depends on whether the listener expects ear-gain presence (mixers, Harman targets) or prefers a relaxed upper midrange — the graph cannot settle it.
Where it splits
Full, natural and true-to-life.59%
“Their remarkably flat mid-range keeps vocals and instruments sounding accurate and true-to-life, while the subdued treble can help reduce listening fatigue.”
Recessed in the presence region — vocals pushed back, guitars without bite.41%
“LCD-X 2021’s midrange is much better than the previous LCD-X but it still does not have the tonally accurate ear gain peak rise post 1kHz and is therefore recessed in the 1.5k-5kHz region.”
Mostly praised as smooth, well-extended and non-fatiguing — the least controversial part of the tuning and a clear step toward neutral from the older LCDs. The recurring qualifiers are a soft 6–10 kHz that some (AudioZyme, L&B, a Sound On Sound owner) hear as dark or short of air, and a narrow peak near 11–12 kHz that Unheardlab, Bimbleton and Rayman30 catch as occasional sibilance on bright female vocals.
“This version of the LCD-X has what is probably one of my favorite treble responses.”
RTINGS reads the treble 4 dB under target ('Underemphasized'); oratory1990 shows −8.9 dB at 8–10 kHz then +0.8 dB at 12–16 kHz; on Elrics, Kuulokenurkka and Gadgetry Tech the 10–12 kHz band peaks +5 to +11 dB above target, and it is the region where left and right diverge most (2–6 dB).
Sources split, with a majority on the smaller side. RTINGS, Ear Fidelity, the Headphoneer, L&B and most owners who cross-shop the Arya, HE1000 or HD 800 S describe a medium, intimate, forward stage — 'helmet-like' to one, 'not wide but HUGE' in depth to another. Unheardlab, Twister6, the 3★ Head-Fi critic and Home Studio Basics find it commendably wide for the class. Nobody calls it holographic; the pad depth and the 3–5 kHz dip are the usual explanations offered for both readings.
Measured
A perceptual split rather than a measured one. ASR predicted the 3–5 kHz trough 'will likely cause significant damage to spatial qualities' and heard 'really good spatial qualities' only after filling it; RTINGS ties the compact presentation to the lack of pinna interaction; Unheardlab credits the thick pads' front cavity for the width he hears.
Where it splits
Intimate and forward — not the open-back for width.58%
“If there's one notable downside, it's that their spatial presentation isn't quite as expansive as some other open-backs: your audio won't interact with your pinna in the same way as two angled reference monitors, which can make spatial information sound unnatural.”
Widely praised for precise left-right placement and layering — a strength for mixing and gaming that both camps concede, helped by drivers that match within a decibel below 5 kHz on every rig. The dissent is about depth cues and separation in dense passages, which Unheardlab and an Edition XS owner found less pinpoint than the best planars.
“The imaging on the LCD-X (with EQ) is the best I’ve heard.”
Channel matching is within about 1 dB below 5 kHz on every rig with both channels (Kuulokenurkka within 0.6 dB everywhere; Crinacle's three seatings within 0.7 dB to 8 kHz); the older unit DIY-Audio-Heaven measured had a slight low-frequency imbalance, and one owner's pre-2021 pair sat 3 dB left-heavy at 1.5–3 kHz until its pads were replaced.
A near-consensus strength: Crinacle's A+ technical grade, headphones.com's 'top-tier', Twister6 and Ear Fidelity all place its resolution with or above the Arya and HD 800 S, and owners routinely report hearing things in familiar tracks for the first time. The only dissent is whether some of that is the tilted tuning rather than true information — Cheriff finds the hyper-detail 'a bit much' on organic recordings and one Arya owner heard more detail there.
“For detail retrieval, the LCD-X delivers top-tier performance.”
Underpinned by very low distortion at any level (ASR, DIY-Audio-Heaven) and a fast, well-damped planar driver; Crinacle grades the technical performance A+ on both the 2021 and pre-2021 units while grading their tone C and D−.
Consistently praised: punchy, composed and uncompressed at any volume, with a slam most planars lack — ASR, Unheardlab, L&B, MajorHiFi and the ASR/Reddit owners agree. The Headphoneer's caveat is that it comes alive at moderate-to-high levels and can feel less engaging quietly; the lone negative is a 2014 loaner review of the original.
“Dynamic ability is excellent letting you listen at any level with no hint of distortion.”
5 W RMS power handling, >130 dB maximum SPL and distortion that barely moves under a +20 dB EQ (ASR) — the headroom behind the slam reviewers describe.
Sources split on whether 612 g matters, and the split is the largest single argument in the owners' threads. ASR, Ear Fidelity, the Headphoneer, MajorHiFi, Sound On Sound and a good share of the Head-Fi and Reddit owners say the suspension strap and huge pads make it comfortable for hours — 'more urban myth than reality'. Twister6, Cheriff, AudioZyme and a slightly larger set of owners hit a wall after one to two hours: neck fatigue, a hot spot where the strap bottoms out on the metal band, pads that let the ears touch the Fazors, and cups that slide or splay when lying back. Several sold a set they loved for the weight alone.
Measured
612 g on Audeze's sheet (ASR weighed 610 g; the pre-2021 originals ran about 50 g heavier and their thick memory-foam pads pressed harder), a suspension strap over a metal headband, 67 × 50 mm openings up to 26 mm deep, moderate clamp; Amazon's 'Customers say' tally runs 14 positive / 4 negative on comfort but 4 positive / 15 negative on weight.
Where it splits
Comfortable enough for hours — the strap and pads carry the weight.45%
“Wearing it though, I found them pretty comfortable. I quickly forgot about them until I took them off and then felt the pressure the pads were putting on my face.”
Sources split between the object and the ownership. The object — a metal, made-in-USA chassis with a detachable mini-XLR cable — is 'built like a tank' to nearly every reviewer and most owners, with a lifetime of pad and strap replacements available. The ownership record is where a real minority dissents: glued pads whose adhesive lets go after one to three years (several new units arrived that way), yoke screws that back out until the cups sit crooked, a headband strap that stretches, crackling connectors, and a small but steady trickle of dead drivers with repair quotes of £560–$750 outside warranty.
Measured
Metal cups, rings and headband; pads attached with pressure-sensitive adhesive (Audeze explains why on its site and told a Head-Fi owner of three affected LCD-3s in 2024 that the adhesive problem was one 'we have since corrected'); ASR found the click-stop adjustment 'hard to adjust just one notch'; Amazon's build tally runs 15 positive / 4 negative.
Where it splits
Built like a tank — premium, repairable, made in the USA.70%
“With some EQ adjustments, the LCD-X 2021 stands as an outstanding all-rounder, boasting strong technical capabilities and excellent build quality.”
Open-back by design: no meaningful isolation and free leakage both ways. Every source treats it as a quiet-room headphone rather than a flaw, and mixers note it means no deep-bass thump against the room the way a closed can gives.
“Recommended for home usage only because of it’s open nature.”
Sources split, and the split has shifted since HiFiMan's price cuts. The larger camp — ASR (with EQ), Ear Fidelity, headphones.com, Unheardlab, AudioZyme, MajorHiFi, Sound On Sound, the Audeze-store owners and Reddit owners who prefer it to Utopias and Arya Stealths — calls $1,199 fair or a bargain for the build, bass and EQ headroom. The other — RTINGS, Cheriff, Blorg on ASR and a run of 2025–26 Reddit threads — points out that an Arya Stealth or Organic at $500–600 matches or beats it for pure sound, that a Clear or Sundara carries a record's emotion as well, and that it still needs EQ and a strong neck. Amazon's own tally is 15 positive to 7 negative on value.
Measured
$1,199 at Audeze and dealers (Amazon $1,139 for Prime members; used sets $600–800); the price has not moved since 2021 while the Arya Stealth has fallen to roughly $500–760 and the Arya Organic to about $600 in Europe — the comparison every value thread now makes.
Where it splits
Worth $1,199 — at least once you EQ it.57%
“I am happy to strongly recommend the Audeze LCD-X 2021 revision with equalization. Without it, it is a pass for me.”
A read of where the reviews land as of September 2026 — Audeze revises the LCD line quietly, and the rivals it is judged against (HiFiMan's Arya family especially) keep changing price.
02
This covers the current revision sold since late 2020 — the one with serial numbers from 7527600. Earlier units have a much deeper 4 kHz notch and different pads, and much of the harshest old commentary is about them; a New York dealer's 2024 write-up also describes a further '2024' tweak with a little more treble that Audeze itself does not name, so treat that as unconfirmed.
03
Half the room finds the stock tuning warm and right, half finds it dull until it is EQ'd — that split is the whole story, and it tracks whether you mix, what target you like, and your own ears. A few owners also say the popular EQ presets land too bright on their unit, and Audeze's batch-to-batch spread is wider than most.
04
It weighs 612 g. Whether that is a non-issue or a dealbreaker after an hour depends on your neck, how you sit and how the strap fits — try it reclined and upright before deciding.
05
Star ratings skew positive: Amazon's 4.5 comes from 183 ratings on one listing, Audeze's own store shows nothing under four stars, and Head-Fi's 4.44 is 18 enthusiast reviews spread over a decade and two revisions.
06
Impressions shift with pads (leather versus leather-free, and thick aftermarket pads shrink the 4 kHz dip), seat position and amplifier headroom, and different measurement rigs read the treble above 8 kHz quite differently.
07
The glued pads, self-loosening yoke screws and occasional driver failures are real but reported by a minority; out-of-warranty repairs are quoted at several hundred dollars.
