Cutting right to the chase!
I hypothesize that the excellent performance of the LCD-4 was criticized by many for its excess weight, and that the design required a makeover. At the same time, the CRBN Electrostat was bubbling up in R&D and would set a new musical standard for any headphones at half the weight. Most companies would just change the color of the cans and call them improved, but not Audeze, with their own award-winning scientist on board who invented the planar design. Weighing in at an agile 420 grams, the elegant LCD-5, fully loaded with every electromechanical advance Audeze could imagine, surprised this reviewer who fully expected the 5 to be a 4 on a diet. Not so!
The LCD-5, once run in with full-range music for about 75 hours, are to my ears the smoothest, most linear planar headphones yet produced. All other designs from its many competitors are just plain lumpy by comparison. The LCD-5 are so very neutral that their sonic signature is hard to identify. They just move aside and let the music reveal itself with extraordinary verisimilitude. The better the headphone amplifier, the more seductive their performance.
My best three headphone amps never performed better or more realistically than with the LCD-5. Those utilized include the E.A.R. HP4, the Manley Absolute, and the Linear Tube Audio microZOTL headphone amp. The delicacies and the dynamics are well served with these top tube amps. It was obvious that the LCD-5 performs at an efficient 15 ohms or so, and will plug and play with about any quality amp or DAP. Mate them with high-quality reference amps, and you will truly understand how they challenge the state of the art.
Neutral with a bullet, the LCD-5 is ideal for the recording studio. Imaging is extremely precise and frequency extremes are most natural. These are reference cans built to take rough use and never disappoint. Plus, at the new lighter 420 grams, these are truly comfortable and portable headphones.
The LCD-5 Headphones are described by Audeze as follows:
"The LCD-5 cable is specially tuned with directional OCC high-purity copper strands that provide a low capacitance and low resistance path for the signal to travel from your amp to the drivers, maintaining unsurpassed clarity and precision."
I like their sophisticated neutrality and their well-built, truly precise connectors unique to Audeze.
A Cable Upgrade
After trying a number of other manufacturers' cables, I found one brand that yielded more definition without any downside sonic problems. As an added bonus, they were not very expensive. They are the UITaudio.com headphone cables, designed with a built-in filter eliminating EMI and RFI distortion. They are silver-clad copper, and are a significant enhancement to the LCD-5's ability to perform their best. (You'll find UIT's page for their headphone cables HERE.)
Summary
In my experience, the Audeze LCD-5 Flagship Headphones are truly as good as they get right now. You certainly may spend more than their $4500 retail cost on some other brands and not get a wit of additional neutrality, definition, or performance for your money. Comfortable, elegant, and flexible, I could not find a good amp or DAP that did not power them well. With the best amps, they were the best reference planar design yet built by Audeze, and better than anything else I have auditioned.
I recommend the Audeze LCD-5 without reservation. Stunning and extraordinary!
LCD-5 Headphones
Retail: $4500
Audeze
3412 S. Susan Street
Santa Ana, CA 92704
714.581.8010
All photographs by Bob Levi.
