I’ll just change the title of this thread to be more open
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Nice, looking forward to it! What will you be driving em with?
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Pontus II and Formula S and Powerman. Formula S on low gain is plenty of volume for these headphones
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Here are some thoughts I have as I listen to the 1266 after spending most of the day with the LCD-5. The vocals on the 1266 can be a bit harsh, like if they are raspy or have lots of lip noises then those are more accentuated on the 1266 than the LCD-5 which has a smoother and more intimate approach to vocals. Bass quantity on the 1266 is much more but texture / resolution is about the same. I find myself creating more of a seal with the 1266 as I usually run a pretty loose fit since the bass is just much more than the LCD-5 so I’m trying to tame it a bit. Resolution overall is similar. I think they both do a good job at stage width and depth and imaging. It’s easy to hear on both where things are in the music and sort of point them out if you were to close your eyes.
I’m not sure which I prefer. I think I get more into the music with the 1266 and tap my toes more but the LCD-5 has a more balanced sound. I have an issue on the 5 where the center image is sometimes a bit right of center but I think it’s related to fit or just my hearing as it happens when I flip the headphones around (right cup on left ear etc.). Guessing I’ll get used to the fit on the 5 in a couple days and hopefully work out the not super centered center image problem in some tracks.
Also after wearing the LCD-5 for a few hours the clamp did start to bother me a bit as it puts more pressure on my jaw then I’d like. But it’s not much different than the clamp pressure on the LCD-4z so I’m used to it. But I would give the comfort advantage to the 1266 ignoring the fact that I fiddle with the fit while I’m listening to adjust to the music that is playing.
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My left ear is a bit clogged and I’m hearing this in all my headphones haha. Just wanted to update so you don’t have to worry about some imbalance issue with this headphone. The positive of this is that it shows how strong the depth and imaging of the LCD-5 is as the effect of my clogged ear was most obvious through this headphone.
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I hate when that happens there is a special place in hell for all those recordings where the singer is slightly off to one side.
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Some initial stuff after a couple days of listening to the LCD-5… first day with 0 hrs on the driver and I wasn’t immediately taken by it. It sounded glaring and pretty aggressive to me but I was also pretty tired so ymmv with it right out of the box. Second day after letting it burn in overnight I picked it up with 15 hours on the driver and I was much happier.
The 5 has the surrounding soundstage that many Audeze’s seem to have with very good depth and separation. Speed is excellent and makes for a very engaging listen. Dynamics all around I’m finding to be very good. Whatever quality allows for good low level listening these have it. Detail is what you’d expect at this price.
Bass is what I’d call neutral (could see some people wanting more though) or close enough to it and has excellent texture and detail. Treble is darker but from what I can tell at no sacrifice to detail. I love the bass and the treble. Mids I can’t really comment on yet because sometimes they sound aggressive and other times just right.
My gear is in my profile and it’s not a neutral chain but rather quite coloured and full of tubes so keep that in mind.
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I have had the lcd5 for a while now and thought I would share some thoughts.
Overall the lcd5 is very good. I can’t really complain about anything sonically. The build is good although doesn’t seem very premium (acetate cups and plastics grills). It is small and pretty solid, which I like. At first I had some gripes with clamp, but I don’t think I have that issue anymore.
The problem is, when trying to find a reason to justify keeping the lcd5, i.e. what unique trait does this have that my other headphones don’t do, I don’t have a very compelling answer. The midrange is a bit forward and the staging is a lot more intimate than something like the susvara. I think the lcd5 is easier to get into and enjoy; its a fun and engaging headphone. However, I think the susvara is just superior to my ears. The big difference is the staging/spatial presentation. The susvara is larger, more open, more spacious. I more clearly differentiate separation and placement and space between instruments. But the biggest thing, and the thing that the Susvara does much better than pretty much everything else (solitaire p, lcd5, meze elite, etc) is the echoing/trailing of voices/instruments across and around the stage. Basically it comes down to lcd5 has an enjoyable midrange/intimacy but the susvara is just more mature and capable with spatial information.
If I had gone with a much more affordable source chain, I wouldn’t be surprised if the lcd5 would preferable to me. Either way, the lcd5 is definitely still very good, and probably my go to recommendation for those that aren’t spending a small fortune on source gear or really enjoy a forward midrange/intimate presentation.
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Got the 5 in today on loaner tour, looking mighty slick and yeah these are miles better in the comfort and weight department. Looking forward to checking them out over the next few weeks, impressions soon 
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Just the other day I got the new LCD-5 headband in the mail. I had heard that is was available through the comments on a reddit post so I reached out to Audeze and they sent me one free of charge. They had said they wanted me to post my impressions of it publicly somewhere but when I asked about this upon delivery they said it was no longer necessary. But I’ll post some thoughts about it here regardless.
Here’s a picture with the new headband on the LCD-5 and the old one above it:
The construction and size are pretty much the same with the main difference being that there is less of a curve to the new carbon fiber headband. Putting it on for the first time with the new headband and the initial painful clamping was gone. With the old headband I could get it to sit comfortably on my head without clamping too much by moving it around but it was tricky to get it to sit comfortably for an extended listening session. The new headband is a big improvement if you were bothered by the clamp. Audeze did not send new yokes although those are apparently available too but I did find that my vertical adjustment setting was about one click less on each side with the new headband.
I haven’t listened much at all this past week because I’ve had a cold and my ears are clogged so I’m not sure if the headband has changed the sound by way of making the seal a bit different. However when I put them on with the new headband it still felt like a seal was forming just not in an aggressive way like it had before. I’ll post some impressions soon if I notice anything different with listening.
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I know the X is not listed here but I dont think a seperate thread would be needed for them.
Just some observations of weight between old and new revisions.
Pre 2021 rev: 669g
Post 2022 rev: 616g
So roughly 50-60 grams of weight difference. That is barely enough to detect by hand, and to put it into perspective thats about the weight of a modern car key fob
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Forgot to add that to the title, now it is lol, but a mfg thread is basically open to all their stuff unless stated (in this case all audeze headphones, if you wanted to talk about their iems just start an audeze iem thread for example). Can’t fit all the models in the thread title most the time so those are just some examples for what sort of headphones could be in the thread
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Thats what i figured, as long as theyre in the same class. Just noted incase for some odd reason the X, XC, MX4 would be considered different enough due to tunings .
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Hello,
Since many people obviously have problems with the weight, maybe I can give you a tip on how to put it on.
However, two questions first.
Almost everyone complains about the weight, but what about pain? Why do you find it heavy?
You often only see comments like that, but rarely why.
For my part, I get along fine with the Lcd2C.
And I probably wouldn’t have any problems if the next one was heavier.
Concerning the set-up.
I think the most important thing is that because it’s so heavy, it’s designed to relax you.
I find myself leaning back after it starts playing.
Step one would be to adjust it to his head.
The headband should be in line with the ears.
Not too far back not too far forward.Once this is done, it’s time to adjust the ear cup.
It is important that the ear is completely covered, even with large ears.
And adjust the height separately for the right and left ear.
It does not matter if one side is one notch higher or one notch lower, it does not have to be the same on both sides.
The only important thing is that the earcup lies cleanly in the ear without feeling pressure and so on.
It is also very helpful to lean back and support the head with a neck pillow, preferably behind the neck, not behind the head, because otherwise you push the head forward and put pressure on the muscles of the neck.
The neck pillows from the modern gaming office chairs are helpful because they are small and flexible.
As a small tip, they are not expensive.
It also takes a lot of pressure off the neck muscles for those who like the headphones but still have problems.
I only had problems at the beginning, but that was more a handling thing.
When I had tried and tested it a bit, these steps were the most helpful thing I could do.
And it pretty much eliminated everything I had read about the weight of Audeze headphones.
If anyone has any other tips and advice, please share.
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These people whine about the weight because they skip neck day at the gym smh
No pain no gain, you know what it is.
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Tbh the weight is zero issue for me. I have zero fatigue and it never feels heavy even when moving my head around. And I wear them about 4-5 hours straight.
The clamp keeps them snug on my head. Just the pads compress a little too much then my bigger ears touch the fazors.
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The weight was never an issue for me, the pads are comfortable and don’t clamp too much and the headband conforms to my head. Mine was an LCD-X pre 2021 model.
There are lighter headphones but the LCD-X seems fine for longer listening sessions. Usually when listening I’m not moving my head much and it doesn’t have the chance to slide around or potentially fall off.
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Is there anyone here than prefers the LCD X or XC versions to the famous LCD 2pf?
I had the lcd x for a week and I was completely blown away by its synergy with the RNHP, it could easily compete with my clear mgs in overall enjoyment
I will have te opportunity to test the LCD X and XC (bubinga) next week, both are pre 2021 rev which i dont mind at all, new headband asw, and im thinking about gettin one of those instead of the LCD 2 pf because I can get those locally, the LCD 2 pf would probably end costing me more due to import taxes and the mods I’d do it.
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I personally don’t, but that being said it’s a different signature/goal and also it does have pretty excellent synergy with the neve (will run much better than a 2 will on one)
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#thickneckgang
Also the heavier weight makes them feel more premium, like a tank. The verite felt and looked good but not as premium feeling as the LCD2pf because it didn’t weight enough.
Although disclaimer, I also have big neck and back problems so they could be somehow related to the LCD2pf
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