Audeze LCD-5 Speculation

It never hurts to know where the goalposts are. Helps with the triangulation madness

 

Audeze support said they will have an LCD-5 at CanJam this weekend. I do not know if I will be able to make it with work how it is and shows suck for impressions but there it is.

All of the above. I tried an Abyss 1266 at a CanJam and the sales person did not position them correctly on my head and I formed a negative impression as a result. I thought that's how they were supposed to be worn.

 

Having owned the Diana Phi, its not as good as the 1266, but its form factor is much more appealing. Combined with the newly released pads (which will likely solve the long term wear comfort issue) and the low weight, they certainly are more "easy" to use. I think they may have even further tweaked the headband design recently for improved comfort but I can't remember if thats actually true. The Diana Phi has essentially the same driver as the 1266 Phi, minus 3mm in surface area. It is similar to the 1266 Phi in terms of sound but lacks the same soundstage and adjustability of the frame. The 1266 TC was a step up over the 1266 Phi, but perhaps not as much as some people feel it is.

The idea that the gear isn't of a high enough level of people here doesn't make too much sense to me. Lots of people are using various top level tube amps like Eddie Current, DNA etc...The Diana Phi is 91db/mw so it's not as hard to drive as the 1266, or even worse, the HE6/Susvara.

Especially considering Audeze has offered an LCD-5 loaner to SBAF in the longer term, I vote Diana Phi. Just make sure it has the most recent pads

EDIT: Also, I think trying out some ZMF pads (likely the Universe Suede Perforated, or Universe Hybrid Perforated) with double sided tape is a seriously good idea if a loaner happens. I haven't tried them on the Diana, but I have tried multiple ZMF pads out of curiosity on my 1266TC's, with great results. You just use a little bit double sided tape, and it's entirely non destructive and easily reversible. It may not change sonics massively, but comfort may increase in a non subtle way. With all that being said, I haven't tried the newest stock pads

 

Well since Audeze is lending a headphone I say we get Abyss’ totl headphone to compare. Then @Marvey runs over the Abyss with his Jeep on video and then we demand a refund if it breaks. If it survives it gets an award. Then its Audeze’s turn.

I would link to Abyss ad video of them running over their headphone with a Jeep but I hate commercials. Abyss not loaning a headphone looks bad on them. They flaunt their wealth in excessive marketing videos. They can afford us a loaner to verify the Jeep test.

 

I don't mean to be a nuisance or to complicate matters but if sbaf were to splurge on a pricey totl loaner, I'd be more interested reading impressions by senior members of the upcoming Raal Requisite circumaural headphone. For one thing, it may represent a new technological advance, with its ribbon drivers being implemented in an over-ear headphone, and, for another, the SR1a seems to have been the most widely praised totl release of the past few years.

Rumor has it that we should know more about this release after this weekend's CanJam. I've been meaning to listen to this interview about it:

 

Myself I would like to hear impressions from you guys about the Kennerton stuff, there are barely if any respectable impressions about them online (plus they look cool AF).

 

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Ooh, this would get my vote as well.

 

While some members including myself already have one, probably should talk about adding an SBAF Jeep to the loaner pool for people that don't have access. If Abyss is rich they can cover that too, no?

 

middling?...have you heard the 1266 TC?

 

How is the LCD-5 an R on steroids? I really don't know, am curious. And how is the LCD-R special again? ... if only there were a impressions speculations thread ...

@roshambo123 btw I voted LCD-5. Sorry I hurt your feelings for pointing out your clickbait title and my not having hype for Abyss. Not trying to kill thread. I like.

 

67 sets??! That's de facto vaporware in my opinion. Whatever the advantages of the tech at least the Abyss(s), LCD-5 etc. are relavant product...

 

The LCD-R in my opinion is very special... think HE-90 Orephus special. I'll just be very loose and casual about it since this isn't official. 'Justin at Head Amp, Mikhail at SinglePower, and Ray at Ray Samuels Audio all came out with an amplifier for the HE90. "Better than the included amplifier"... the Jot-A is a respectable amplifier, but it isn't the pinnacle of what is capable from the technology. People are still trying to top one another for electrostatic amplifiers and drivers to be honest. Audeze is proof of that. But ribbons... nobody but RAAL is really around... yet. The LCD-R isn't quite a ribbon, but it is probably the best expression of a Planardynamic. I believe the LCD-5 is a thinner driver, so there is ever MORE resolution, quicker transients... oh and that comfort.. Yeah.. the comfort is the one thing the LCD-R lacks.

The LCD-R is sort of like a bitchin' Camaro. It's tricked out with most of the parts catalog, but it's lacking refinement. That's up to the end user if they want leather seats and a fancy cable. The motor and the things that make it awesome are already there. It's a hell of a "system".. I don't think ANYONE is going to beat it at it's price, EVER! Not unless the economy and resources all the sudden come back, but we're a bit beyond that... that's just a different thread all together.

LCD-5... I wish I had the money, because a comfy LCD-R would be pretty great. $2,500 and it is more enjoyable than the HE-1, SR1a, 009, 007, Susvara, Abyss 1266... I speak from a place of.. I've paid my own hard earned money on all this crap. The LCD-R isn't the end game, it's the end of an era. I think anyone who gets the LCD-5 will still not be 'quenched', but it's a nice place to rest for a good long while.

 

Sorry for the Head-Fi link, but this comes directly from Audeze:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/aud...rements-interview.959808/page-4#post-16571869

"LCD-R features the Parallel Uniforce traces too, just like LCD-5 but with much lower impedance (2 Ohms). Lower impedance does not automatically mean lower resolution. Compared to LCD-R, LCD-5 uses thinner diaphragm and thinner metal traces (the latter increases impedance). There are more than one way to design the trace geometry and magnetic circuits to meet specific design goals. Parallel Uniforce let us venture beyond what was previously possible."

 

FWIW in terms of availability I've had a pre-order for the LCD-5 in as soon as I was able to. Optimistically I'm expecting my pair to arrive next month. Along with the CRBN. (I also have a STAX SR-X9000 on order.) So 1-2 months out for a SBAF loaner sounds pretty good to me.

I've been told that Audeze voiced the LCD-5 as more of a reference headphone, like the LCD-X. Which means some people might still prefer the LCD-4z, as another low impedance headphone at a similar price point.

 

So I just returned from CanJam and had a chance to do a short listening session. The LCD-5 stations were definitely the main attraction of the show (which was pretty small, as you you'd expect). I had to stand in line for about 15 minutes to listen and chatted with Sankar both before and after listening. He confirmed that the LCD-5 has a sound signature in-line with but not exactly like the LCD-R. The LCD-R he said was an internal project and they were not prepared for how quickly they sold out. In regards to the new pads, he said the traditional Audeze mid-bass dip was mostly due to the design of the original thick pads and the new LCD-5 concave pads were designed to address that. When I asked him if other LCD's would get the concave pads, he said that is in the works.

The Audeze booth setup had two stations, each with an LCD-5 fed by a Bryston BHA-1 + Chord Qutest. This is a show impression with people talking all around me in a crowded ballroom and I have no prior experience with the BHA-1, so take all of my comments with a grain of salt.

First, they are the most comfortable flagship planars Audeze has produced. They are LCD's you could keep on all day and not dislocate neck vertebrae, finally. The headband seemed solid and well designed. Happy with all that.

For the sound, the character was very upfront, slammy, and bombastic. The headstage was taller and wider than any previous LCD and is no longer intimate or blobby, which Sankar confirmed was due to the new driver, all good stuff there. I had a hard time picking up on the complete FR picture with the show noise but it was certainly more neutral than my LCD-2r1's and there wasn't a sense something was missing. Couldn't get a good read on treble quality, but clarity and blackground was good but not class leading. It's blacker than an Ether 2 but not as black as a Susvara. Speed and detail wise, it's faster than your average LCD.

The thing I heard though that I felt was problematic was the cohesion. In the way I thought the Focal Mg's were too much exuberant fury for my taste this seemed that 10x. Maybe both that and the clarity thing are the BHA-1, but honestly, neither my friend nor I liked the LCD-5. The presentation on this one might be polarizing for people, depending on chain and personal preferences.