Audeze LCD-X Open-Back Planar Magnetic Headphones

Audeze LCD-X Open-Back Planar Magnetic Headphones – Reference Headphones for Mixing and Listening

The Audeze LCD-X is an open-back planar magnetic headphone that has become a reference point in recording and mixing work, as well as a serious listening headphone at home. Its 106 mm planar transducers cover a rated 10 Hz to 50 kHz, and its tuning in the current revision aims at the neutral, revealing presentation engineers need when decisions made on headphones have to translate to speakers.

What sets the LCD-X apart from most planar magnetic designs is how easy it is to drive. With 20 ohm impedance and 103 dB sensitivity at 1 mW, it reaches working levels from interfaces, headphone amplifiers and even portable sources that would leave lower-sensitivity planars underpowered, while still rewarding a good amplifier with better control. That combination of resolution and efficiency is why it appears in so many studios.

Key features

• 106 mm planar magnetic transducers with ultra-thin Uniforce diaphragms
• Fazor waveguides for phase management at the driver surface
• Neodymium N50 magnet array
• 20 ohm impedance and 103 dB per mW sensitivity: easy to drive well
• Frequency response rated from 10 Hz to 50 kHz
• Distortion below 0.1 percent at 100 dB SPL, maximum SPL over 130 dB
• Detachable cable connecting by mini XLR at each earcup
• Suspension headband design, handcrafted in Audeze’s California facility

Planar magnetic sound, and the Fazor difference

In a planar driver, a very thin diaphragm carrying a conductive trace is suspended between magnet arrays and driven across its whole surface, rather than from a single voice-coil point as in a dynamic driver. That even drive reduces breakup and gives the fast, controlled response the type is known for, particularly in bass texture and fine detail. Audeze’s Fazor elements are triangular waveguides fitted around the magnets; they manage the flow of sound waves leaving the driver so that reflections and phase interference at the ear are reduced, which sharpens imaging and keeps the midrange clean at higher levels. The current LCD-X revision retuned the driver and reduced weight compared with the earliest production, while keeping the model’s established voicing.

Open-back, and what it means in use

The open-back earcups let air and sound move freely, which supports the LCD-X’s spacious presentation and natural decay. The trade-offs are inherent to the type: the headphones provide no isolation from room noise, and sound leaks out, so they are not suitable for tracking vocals next to a live microphone or for shared, quiet rooms. They are built for critical listening in a controlled space: mixing, mastering checks, editing and focused listening at home.

Power, cables and comfort

Audeze specifies a minimum of 100 mW and recommends more than 250 mW for best results, with maximum power handling of 5 W RMS, so most dedicated headphone outputs have ample headroom. The supplied 1.9 m cable uses 20 AWG high-purity OCC copper and connects to each earcup by locking mini XLR, making replacement and balanced cable swaps straightforward. At 612 g the LCD-X is a substantial headphone; the suspension headband spreads that weight across a wide strap, and the large earpads enclose the ear fully. Short breaks during very long sessions are still sensible practice.

Choosing the LCD-X

Within Audeze’s range, the LCD-X is the working reference: less romantic than the warmer LCD models below it and more forgiving of modest amplification than the flagship designs above it. Engineers choose it because mixes checked on it translate predictably; listeners choose it because that same honesty, paired with planar bass extension and speed, makes familiar recordings easy to examine and enjoy.

Used in a quiet room with a competent source, the LCD-X delivers the measured, detailed presentation its specifications promise, and it does so without demanding an exotic amplifier to get there.