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✒️ Author : Leong | 📷 Photo : Willy

 

Audeze LCD-5 is the latest flagship headphone from the audio company coming from California, US of A. The company was started back in the late 2000s, with their first headphone, LCD-2 and soon won the hearts of audiophiles and music lovers alike.

The LCD-5 improved from every aspect, coming from the LCD-2, LCD-3 and LCD-4, everything has improved, from the frame, drivers and earpads to achieve the best performance and comfort.

Undergoing the weight loss program, the LCD-5 managed to slim down from the beefy old Audeze design (often weighing more than 500 grams) down to 420 grams, thanks to the redesigned parts with magnesium aluminium and acetate which offers light weight and high rigidity structures.

Not to mention new 90mm planar driver and Fluxor magnet with updated Fazor waveguides, as well as new voice coils. The new Patent-pending Parallel Uniforce™ voice coils, which employ varying width parallel traces to keep the impedance low and provide increased voltage headroom by altering the current density within each trace. This created better control over diaphragm movements, lower distortions and improved sonic resolutions.

LCD-5 is definitely steering towards a new direction, coming from the LCD-2, LCD-3 and LCD-X experience. It shares the newer tuning similar to the newly revisioned LCD-X 2021, having a much cleaner, and more analytical sound.

For the looks, Audeze managed to reduce the weight with a new acetate shell, which accompanied with the 90mm driver managed to shrink down the size and further reduce the weight with a single-sided magnet. The carbon fibre, leather strap and magnesium headband also makes up the organic yet functional looks. The signature 'A' logo is still embossed proudly on the grills showing the Audeze signature design. The mini-XLR jacks still sit at the bottom just like any other LCD headphones. The extended rods coming stock for the Audeze enable it to fit the head and ears of various sizes, improving comfort and fitment.

Now we get to the fun part, Audeze highlights the LCD-5 with utmost transparency, resolution and speed @ 420 grams weight (which we talk about already). With lighter diaphragm and stronger magnets, it can move with faster speed and higher efficiency. The LCD-5 really shows how speedy, transparent it can be, as it relinquished from the older "fun, V-shape and laid-back signature". It might not be appealing for one who is still looking for the fun sounding signature, but it is definitely a step above in terms of resolution and clarity.

Bass is relatively linear, down to the low 40Hz and slightly roll off after that. From the bass it just cruises across all the frequencies linearly up to 1kHz range. As a result, the bass is still solid yet linear, accompanying with full-bodied and punchy bass and losses the boominess and slightly veiled bass from the past models. The vocals are being brought forward, with flatter response but clearer imaging.

Pairing with our Burson Conductor 3X Reference, it gives a tinge of warmness in the LCD-5, and still retains the dynamic in the bass. The treble and mid-range feels nimble and fast, gone with the slightly veil, meatier vocals. LCD-5 comes with the cleaner, airier feel than the older line-up, more natural and realistic imaging and instrument presentations. The airier treble is not sharp or bright by any sense, but definitely elevated from the older models and still controls it well without the sibilances. With the naturalness, details retrieval, the overall music presents itself in a very lifelike and grounded way. Soundstage is not extra large, but still enable to envelop yourself in a spherical dome, especially with the new, angled leather earpads.

Comparing something like Hifiman HE-1000SE, the Hifiman has a snappier, even faster response, but the bass might be on a little "fluffier" side, which Audeze complements it well. The Hifiman excels in the treble sparkles, extension and details, while Audeze keeps it more subtle, grounded when comparing it to Hifiman. Due to the design of the headphones, the HE-1000SE has a higher headroom and soundstage compared to the LCD-5 but LCD-5 does envelope the listener in a dome like staging, albeit smaller.

All in all, this will ultimately come down to personal preference. Audeze has reinvented itself again with new design, new technology and new sound, but deep down, it is still the Audeze we all love. We would definitely recommend you to visit us and try them out, and be the judge for yourself if it's still the same Audeze. To us, it is still undeniably the AUDEZE.

 

◆ 90mm Planar Magnetic Driver with Fluxor™ magnet array and Fazor™
◆ Single-sided N50 Magnet Array
◆ Nano-Scale Parallel Uniforce™ Diaphragm
◆ Maximum SPL: >130dB
◆ Frequency response: 5Hz to 50kHz
◆ Sensitivity: 90 dB/1mW (at Drum Reference Point)
◆ Impedance: 14 ohms
◆ Max power handling: 5W RMS
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⭐ SHOPIFY | to be announced |
□ Retail : RM21,500
□ PM for best price
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■ Physical shop / audio specialist⁣ since 2013
■ Authorised dealer of Audeze in Malaysia⁣
■ 100% genuine / warranty covered⁣
■ Malaysia first audio theme cafe / library