Meet the Audeze LCD-1, an open planar magnetic headphone that the US company Audeze positions as a portable headphone for reference monitoring. We think the LCD-1 fills an interesting gap in the market, especially for those who are after a headphone they can take with them for critical listening and studio reference. That’s because compared to almost every open monitor we sell at this price point, the LCD-1 is lighter and smaller. It also delivers on its promise of reference sound. Let’s drill deeper.
At first glance, the LCD-1 hints at the industrial design of the rest of the Audeze line up, particularly with the “A” motif embedded in the grille. However, compared to the heavy metal build of a headphone like the LCD-2C, the LCD-1 is mostly constructed of lightweight plastic. As a result, build quality does not feel particularly stand out for this price range. This is just a cosmetic feeling on our part; we don’t have any reason to have doubts about the LCD-1’s long term durability.
On the flipside the extensive use of plastics means that LCD-1 is a very svelte 250g, and vastly lighter on the head than the LCD-2C which weigh almost half a kilogram. This makes the LCD-1 very lightweight for a planar magnetic headphone, even more so than the 320g Oppo PM-3. Combined with the well balanced clamping force, and the LCD-1 is a vast improvement in comfort compared to the Audeze Sine series (Audeze’s previous attempt at a portable planar). People with larger ears might find the earpads a bit of a pinch for multi-hour wearing sessions compared to the larger pads of headphones like the LCD-2C and Beyerdynamic DT1990.
The LCD-1 also features a dual entry detachable cable. Like Audio Technica’s R70x, the cables have been internally wired so that it’s impossible to mix up the left and right channels. As long as you don’t wear the headphones backwards, you don’t have to worry about swapping the channels by mistake. We’re starting to wonder if this is a typical error that producers make, so if you have some insight please let us know in the comments!
Now the LCD-1 is an open headphone, which means that it will let in sound and it will leak sound out. As a portable studio monitor, we don’t think you’re going to be using this in a noisy environment like an airplane or in a live performance. However we can imagine the LCD-1 would be a handy monitor for a laptop producer to have in a hotel room or between desks. The idea of a portable open headphone might also appeal to users who don’t like the closed in, isolated feel of smaller closed headphones.
Now, of course, for a reference headphone, the most important thing is whether it has a reference sound, and we’re happy to say that the LCD-1 is one of the more balanced monitors we’ve heard. Coming from Audeze’s reference range, the LCD-1 is brighter than the typically smooth sound you’d get from Audeze models like the LCD-2C. In particular both lower and upper midrange vocals sound less muffled and more natural on the LCD-1. The LCD-1 also has much more of a tendency to pick up sibilants and harshness than the LCD-2. We think that you might actually want that in a reference monitor so you know when you push things too far in the high frequencies, but it makes the LCD-1 abrasive for some tracks.
At the same time the upper midrange does not sound as thin as you would find in a typical Beyerdynamic like the DT1990 (even with the Balanced pads), and there is some warmth in the lower mid-bass that still keeps the LCD-1 enjoyable for general use as long as you prefer a slightly leaner sound overall.
There are two criticisms we would make of the sound: one is that bass extension is not a strength of the LCD-1. While bass is very fast, as you would expect from a planar magnetic, it doesn’t achieve the same level of depth and richness that you would find on the LCD-2 or the Beyer DT1990. It depends on your preferences, but personally I would still want a little more oomph even for a reference monitor.
The other issue is that the soundstage on the LCD-1 is quite compressed for an open headphone. It’s quite apparent that there are more immediate internal reflections from the smaller earcups compared to much larger designs like the DT1990. All the sound is there and it’s detailed, but the LCD-1 can make everything sound like it is being played in a much smaller room. But again, we think this was a necessary trade off to deliver a smaller, lighter monitor.
The only other monitor headphone that we think really compares to the LCD-1 in size, weight and comfort is the Audio Technica ATH-R70x. I personally love the R70x, but I would say that the LCD-1 has a better reference tuning since it delivers a more resolving, clearer sound compared to the very forgiving, more mellow sounding Audio Technica. On top of that the R70x is a headphone with a nominal 470 ohm impedance. It isn’t the easiest thing in the world to drive to an adequate listening volume. We think the LCD-1 is a better match with portable sources, though it is still less sensitive and harder to drive than your average portable headphone.
The LCD-1 is an interesting proposition for people who want an open headphone that they can easily carry around with them. It may be a bit of a niche market, but if that sounds like you, let us know in the comments!
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