Audeze LCD-2 Review

With a current lack of headphones pressing for attention and review space, I turned to an older model that we haven’t reviewed yet – the Audeze LCD-2.  At a price of $995, and given it’s manufacturer, we know this isn’t going to be a lightweight.  But when it comes to performance, just how heavy does this headphone hit?

Audeze LCD-2 Review

The Audeze LCD-2 comes in a huge plastic case.  The kind of case you could throw off of a cliff or down an elevator shaft without worrying about damaging your headphones.  (Some people say our durability tests are extreme; we maintain that we’re just being thorough.)

Inside that humdinger of a case, you’ll find the LCD-2, as well as the cable and 1/4” to 3.5mm stereo adapter.

Handling these headphones is a solid experience, and you can really feel the craftsmanship that goes into them.  While they might feel a tad bit heavy on my head, I don’t really fear them slipping or falling off.  Once you find a good fit with them, they’re pretty secure.

Audeze purports these headphones to have a 5-20000 hertz frequency range (extended out to 50000 hertz).  They also have a 70 ohm impedance.

The frequency range is kind of unique, with the kind of fantastic bass detail you’d expect from the LCD-2’s planar magnetic design.  However, for most of my listening session, I got the distinct impression of a slightly rolled-off high end at normal (60 or 70% volume).  At higher volumes close to 80%, I could pick up more of the high end.

Which leads me to another observation:  the nominal impedance seems to fluctuate a great deal, and even though this headphone is supposedly 70 ohms, I regretted pairing it with the FiiO E12.  As good as that little amp is (and it can usually drive headphone up to 150 ohms or so), it just wasn’t enough juice for the LCD-2.

As previously mentioned, the low end is clean and detailed.  There’s a little depth to it, but it’s nowhere near overkill.  Thanks to that peculiar high end, this results in a slight v-shape to the sound signature.  But that alone isn’t enough peg it as a dynamic sounding headphone – it’s nowhere near the kind of dynamic sound that you’d get from the LCD-X or the HifiMan Edition X.

Why?  Because the mids, man!  They’re incredibly detailed, and present, but not too forward.  I’d say they’re juuuuust riiiiiight.  So sometimes, those mids make the headphones sound almost flat.

And during all of this, the biggest impression I got from the LCD-2 was one of clarity.  Everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING, was clear.

So is it for you?  Should you buy it?  The LCD-2 is the weirdest headphone I’ve ever used.  In a good way, because I don’t know which kind of listening tastes it would suit best.  This very well may be a headphone for everything.  I loved the bass detail for rock, hip hop, and electronic music.  And I really appreciated the mids and high end for classical music.  There’s a slight v-shape in there, but sometimes it sound fairly flat, too.  I know this sounds like a contradiction, and even I’m sitting here wondering how I could make such a wild claim.  But the ears don’t lie, folks.  So I urge you, if you can, to go out and find a pair of these to test drive for yourselves.  Not that I think you need to try before you buy, but just so you can experience the awesomeness in person.

You can find these headphones for the best pricet at:

Audio 46