I tried the LCD-MX4 and preferred the freq balance and feel compared to the LCD-X; where would you place this new LCD-1? Closer than 4 or X?
The price point seems to good to be true...

Definitely the X. I didn't like the MX4 much for some reason, don't know why. I remember feeling it was the low mid tonality or something. I haven't heard the X in a while, but I remember feeling they felt pretty balanced. These have that same feeling. When I heard them at the show I almost thought they had eq on them because they seemed more even in the mids than most all other Audeze.

Since then, Sankar has sent me a pair to evaluate. I only had a few days to test them, now I'm on tour for 3 weeks and don't have them with me (I bring the i4s with me when I tour). Here are my feelings thus far:

They sound similar to what I heard at the show, and kind of confirm that I don't like the Chord Hugo 2 (haha). Like a mini X series. They are pretty darn even in the mids. I think the review where the guy said he would cut mids sounds like he's looking for audiophile eq, not mixing/flat eq. There currently is no Reveal preset for the LCD-1 and also no Sonarworks preset, so I spent some time a/bing against my other phones with no eq. They really are quite balanced. I think where they show their price point is depth/width of image and especially speed/detail retrieval (especially compared to the 4 series film). Like you aren't going to hear converter clipping as quickly on them. I'm so used to eq'ed headphones that it would take me a while to get used to how these translate (I would mix bass heavy and maybe a little bright), but they really are good and possibly more even out of the box than any other headphone I own.

Comparing to the HD600 (which I also have), these are just ridiculously smoother and more full sounding, as the HD600 almost sounds like it has a high pass filter on them. The HD600s also take eq weird for some reason, possibly because they don't like having +8db added in the subs. I prefer the LCD-1 handily because the sub info is all there and the mids don't feel as etched. I have a feeling they will take eq great as all Audeze phones do.

Anyway, early days but they are really good. The comfort is great, I can't imagine that being an issue for anyone. Looking forward to more testing when I get home.

Thank you so much for your detailed answer Thermos! Super useful for everybody to have your feelings on those.
Focal just lent me a Pro Clear and Utopia to test for a week, I wish I could compare them to some Audeze LCD-1/X/4...

Cool, Clears are cool especially eqed.

I was emailing with Sankar, and he said its the same diaphragm as the LCD-X. That would explain why they sound similar to me! Thus detail retrieval should be the same as the X. The smaller image is due to the size of the headphone and the proximity of the ribbon element to the ear, which might change the eq a tad as well. But anyway, they literally are mini LCD-X.

@ thermos , thank you for the feedback, much appreciated. Would you say that the physical depth of the earpads are sufficient for most persons ears to not touch the speaker element? Do your ear tips clear the element?

My ear tips didn't touch from what I remember. I think I remember them touching on my Sony noise cancelling ones, but not these. I have big ears (literally).

@ thermos , do you think that a plugin like Leapwing stageone could help to compensate the smaller soundstage and get it back to the level of its big brothers?
(I mean with the help of eq+canopener)

Nah, stage one doesn't really maintain top end clarity etc.

Ok so I couldn't resist and ordered a LCD-1... plus a used Inear PP8 and a Subpac MX2
The whole package is the price of a LCD-X and should provide enough infos to mix/master correctly

Bob Katz giving his endorsement...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4TEptHj86E

I enjoyed this review...

Rushed review, but being first (in Europe) is of course more important than an in-depth sound review. Click-click youtube.

Agreed, but personally, I still got something out of it with his natural reaction to them. I appreciate him talking about the sound unlike some other videos I've seen describing the box they come in

He's since done another video...

Oluv posted another comparison between several headphones...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmnyyWEp4aY

I think Audeze has a smash hit with the LCD-1s. For the price and the quality, I predict these will become a huge favorite of many musicians and engineers.

Except that this isn't a review, and the content creator explicitly says so. It's an unboxing and first impression listen.

And yes, he does it for the clicks. So what?

Well this should help with soundstage and imaging, etc...

Embody announces Reveal+ personalized spatial plugin for Audeze headphones

saw this and must say I was a bit underwhelmed with the Audeze vs the Focals here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QbV8HjZ-Yc

If you listen to the other comparisons on his channel with the LCD-1, they really are a good pair of headphones, and easily heat out headphones twice their price.

Audeze will be destroying a lot of the competition in its price range.

That said, the Elex's are on a completely different level. I'm stunned by the difference. They make the Audeze's sound small, tight, muffled with spiky highs.

I'll be getting those Audeze's, maybe as a gift for someone. But for my mixing needs, those Focals are a must-have!

This was interesting for sure. It highlighted what I didn't like about the sound of my LCD-X.

I heard obvious differences as well when I was listening through my new Mac Mini Headphone output.

But when I switched to my headphone amp (Mayflower O2) the differences were not as stark and the LCD-1 was more open and detailed.

It's interesting stuff. As many I was very intrigued by the Audeze, especially since they are so mobile. But hearing them next to the focals, made me intrigued the focals even more now. I want a pair! They are about double the price so its a bit apples and oranges comparison though.

The fact that the drop thing is only available in the usa makes me a bit sad though as both I and focal are based in Europe, but thats a totally different discussion haha

Proud owner of LCD-1 and Elears.

LCD-1 are shockingly revealing. There is a sense of unabashed reality that will be very appealing to anyone who counts on their cans for clicks, pops, and generally finding mistakes.

Lossy effects of codec are also very much on display.

Low end rumble presents with far less distortion as well.

Elear has superior sound stage in terms of consistency... how to describe best? The LCD-1 has a strong LCR presentation... nothing in between. Each element is either wide or narrow with little exception.

I see the LCD-1 as superior in almost every other aspect though.

This is to say sonically superior. I think the Elear is luxuriously comfortable and I will continue to prize them for playback.

Still early and in the honeymoon phase. But Audeze has a real winner on their hands, and one that may race to that Senn-600 spot as best value to performance on the market.

Tell me if your whole ears get confortable in it , this is my main "crainte"

Thanks for the review David. I've ordered a pair myself, waiting from them to show up in my mailbox.

How would you value them as production / mixing tools ? I have amazing monitors but am often away from the studio these days, and bought the LCD-1 hoping there won't be a world of difference whenever switching back to monitors.

Cheers !

I would have to give a future-facing response as my time with them has been limited and I’ve not done any projects from scratch.

But I have some travel coming up, and I plan to do exactly that with them.

Additionally, like even the finest pair of monitors, there should always be some extended listening time to really learn them (but again, this would/should be the case regardless of the playback system).

But I *think* they will be very reliable in playback and can be used to mix.

Doubling down, I’d say they may excel at that beyond many if not most cans (almost definitely compared to any thing sub $500).

What is still tbd for me that has me the most concerned is non lcr panning and stereo widening/mono-sum since the stage has the “blind spots” in my 6+ hours of observing with them.

Learning curve... but very happy with them.

Fast answer: yes, I think mixes can get 90+% towards finished with these if remote and would take very little revisiting.

Enjoy!

Finally home to work with them a bit more. I think a Sonarworks curve will be helpful, as Audeze's idea of neutral upper mids is generally shy of what sounds right to me. However! Quality-wise when comparing to say the focal clears I have, I prefer the LCD-1s in a lot of ways. They sound more open in a way, even though they are technically darker in the upper mids.

Also, their suggestion for a quick eq is +2db at 100hz shelf (they use equilibrium a lot for referencing). Really nice.

I find that you have to be very picky about the size of the eartips you put, because for one the comfort can be difficult, and 2 the sound comfort suffer, in that the bass depend very strongly about this choice.
I also feel that they will more be used to be on the road for real or when there's a noisy environnement, and also when I need more isolation when working very late in my bed (!) when my wife is sleeping

But after that I always feel kinda strange when wearing IEMs, and I feel the LCD-1 will be my main cans for mixing in more calm place like hotel room or when everyone is awake at home

So would you say they re big enougth (like beyer or other usual suspects)?

Oups sorry, I was thinking about about the InEar PP8! I'm working and talking on many things in parallel and misread what you've quoted in my post...
I'm still waiting to get them, i've ordered them but the store in France won't have them in stock until end of the month... I couldn't buy them directly on Audeze website as France isn't part of the country they're shipping to....

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