Anyone here using them? I did a few searches but nothing came up except LCD-X and Mobius. Is the X worth the extra cash? Thoughts? Opinions?
I’d love to compare them to my LCD-X. The LCD-1 didn’t exist when I got mine and I do wonder if the quality gap is as big as the price differential (I guess it isn’t).
I bought the LCD-X on offer (they were still way more spendy than the newer cheaper models) and partly off the back of a very strong recommendation from Fanu. I don’t have a huge depth of experience with lots of different cans but they were so radically different, so un-hyped and open sounding that I was really converted.
For me it definitely helped me to understand where my mixes were falling down - like something that sounded 10% off on other cans sounded 40% off - if that makes any sense. Not that my mixes are up to much. But it definitely let me take a step forward when a treated room was not an option.
They also make a lot of modern mastered stuff sound remarkably harsh. You can suddenly hear how aggressive a lot of final mixes/masters really are. Not to mention all the compression artefacts.
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This is all super useful info. I was thinking of upgrading my DT770s to the DT1770, but then the LCD-1 caught my eye. I just assumed all Audeze were well out of my current price range, but the LCD-1 are similar to the DT1770s so they could be perfect. I just wonder what the extra ÂŁ700 would get me. Or, to put it another (better) way, what saving ÂŁ700 would lose me. But thank you again for confirming my suspicions about the quality of the Xs. Hopefully, someone here has the LCD-1s.
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If you already have the DT770’s, I’d go for Audeze. I’ve tried the 770s and 1770s loads (now owning the 1770s), and although the 1770s are better sounding, they kind of have the same sound signature. So the LCD-1 might help you to spot mistakes that you didn’t hear with the 770s…
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Oh yeah, at that price if they weren’t “all that” they would have gone straight back. 
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Yes, I think you’re right. Going from one to the other will help give me a better perspective on my mixes. I can’t justify the cost of the LCD-X, so this seems like the best option for me 
For an alternative around that price, I just thought I’d mention Neumann NDH 20, which I discovered via a post on here. Was specifically looking for closed back so I can use them in the living room without disturbing my partner, and these seemed to be some of the best in the price range.
Really happy with them, they sound fantastic, pleasant to listen to but also revealing, and I feel like the music I’ve made using them translates to other speakers etc much better than it did with my DT770 (also great headphones, I only replaced them because they broke).
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I was in the same position recently, my Sony MDR7605 died and I was first looking at the 1770 as possible replacement. Then the Audeze LCD-X caught my attention but they were a bit more than what I was prepared to spend even on the B-stock pair I managed to find (which wasn’t actually available anyway) so retreated to the LCD2-C.
I really really like them. I won’t even compare them to the Sony, it’s night and day. i also had a pair of Grado sr325 for listening to records but I’ve never really liked them so I was hoping to kill two birds with one stone. The 2-C are a bit dark but them makes them very pleasurable to listen to music, especially my favorites genres from ambient to techno.
For producing it’s best to use sonarworks to mitigate their dark nature, otherwise I usually have to turn down my hats the next morning when I check the mix on the monitors, but I’m getting used to them and forget to turn on sonardworks most of the time.
Oh yeah and they look extremely gorgeous and are very comfortable (despite the weight, which if you go by what people are saying on the internet you think you’re getting a big bag of concrete on the top of your head, but it’s actually quite manageable; I’ve worn them for hours without discomfort at all - contrary to both the sony and the grados)
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Now that is a good call. I thought the older design wouldn’t stand up to the newer models but from a few reviews I’ve just browsed that doesn’t seem the case at all. Plus, I have a preference for slightly darker frequency responses (I usually have to increase the top end in my mixes to match reference materials) so the LCD-2C could suit me perfectly. Thanks for this suggestion. I’ll do some more research on them now (whilst keeping the LCD-1s in the back of my mind) 
Edit: I already use Sonarworks BTW. The LCD-1s aren’t on the list, unfortunately, but the 2Cs and the X are. However, there is Audeze’s own Reveal+ to consider too.
I listened to the Audeze-Cans some time ago. They are very bass heavy but not as transparent in the heights as I would wish, so we became no friends. My tip for a competing Price with the LDC-1 is the Hifiman Sundara or, if you want something very analytical, the new Sennheiser HD 560S for 200 is a steal and blows even much more expensive cans out of the park.
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I didn’t know these existed until this thread but really want to try them. I used to have the LCD-2C and loved the sound but found them way too heavy and uncomfortable to wear for a long time. If the LCD-1 sounds similar for half the price and a third of the weight, I think I’ll like them a lot.
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Hi.
Love headphones.
I had the 770 pro which I really liked and after a while I could do decent mixes with them, the seinheiser hd650 which I never geled with - even t then I tried the LCD Xc and ended up with the Mobius, due to want to reinvest the XC money in a rytm.
Dt 770 pro- good, specially if you use it a lot and if you don’t try anything better, because once you do you really understand what you are missing in detail with this cans. They were eaten by my dog.
Hd 650- After buying this I understood the importance of really knowing the headphones so that you know how they would translate to other sistems. The hd 650 has a good overall definition and clarity - better than the 770, in pair with the Mobius with usb c connection -, but lack in bass. I think that I have rave tuned ears so I am always trying to simulate a dancefloor bass rumble in whichever sistem I am making music in, which results in obvious bass heavy mixes. I need headphones that have a great bass presence, and I need to listen to a lot of music in the headphones to know them. Open headphones makes it very hard to get used to, since you need a quiet environment to use them which in my case it limits its use to the studio. As a consequence I never got used to their sound, so mixes never really translated.
LCD Xc (Vs LCD 2c)- I tried them both and without blinking chose the Xc. The 2C are excelent still, as long as you don’t try the XC :). It opened up a new dimension of sound to me, really. They are that good. There is a ton of audiophile reviews of them but to my experience it is a very subjective choice, but those reviews can give you some direction, and then I recommend you to try them in a local hi fi store. With all those eloquent (confusing?) adjectives used by reviewers to define a headphones sound signature there is one that reflect the LCD Xc the best: effortless bass. Before this cans I was always raising the mix volume to understand what was going on down there but with this cans not anymore. I was able to keep the volume really low and understand what was going one in all frequencies, all instruments super clear. I also felt that this headphones were the ones that didn’t need for me to get used to them, the mixes translated really well to other sistems.
And then I sold them hahah.
The reason for that had to do with the fact that I am not mixing anything now. I am making the shittiest music that I have been for a while, due to change of setup. My main focus is now on learning my definite setup, creating routines, so that I can make music to be worth releasing in a year. So i was using my XC only for listening pleasure and that doesn’t justify having them right now.
So then I bought the Mobius.
They are very versatile, and that is why I bought them. You can have very good Bluetooth - lossless? - quality, use them in the studio with analog or usb c - kind of as a soundcard - so then you can really get use to them, and how music should sound. Its main drawback is that they sound noticeably better when connected to usb instead of analog, so you lose quality if you have them plug to an analog only system/headphones jack.
I have the idea that the LCD 1 sound similar to the Mobius (1 planar driver) and I would prefer the Mobius due to versatility
So…
Yeah go LCD XC second hand if you can find ones, if not get some LCD 2C, but don’t listen to som X’ss, ever 
Good luck!
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Thank you for the detailed reply. It gives me (and others reading this) a lot of information about the Audeze range and how they compare to popular mixing headphones. I have more research to do!
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Just got my LCD-1s, and first impressions after a few hours are that I love them and they’re the best studio headphones I’ve tried so far. I listen and work on headphones 95% of the time, especially since my girlfriend and I both work from home now, and it’s been a struggle to find something I’m totally happy with sound and comfort wise. My headphone journey so far has been - ATH-M50, M50X, Beyer DT770, AKG K712, Senn HD650, Audeze LCD-2C, HD6XX, Sony MDR-7510, Hifiman HE-4XX, LCD-1.
They definitely have that Audeze planar sound, but don’t have the low end impact and dark tone of the LCD-2C, which is a good thing for me as my mixes on those didn’t translate well to my monitors at all. To be fair, they aren’t meant to be reference headphones and I didn’t have them long enough to learn them properly.
The main thing for me is the comfort and weight - The LCD-1 are really comfortable and only weigh 250g so all day use shouldn’t be an issue. The LCD-2C weigh about 600g and my neck hurt after wearing them for half an hour. I’m sure the LCD-X are even better for the studio, but at 3x the price and weight those aren’t an option for me.
The LCD-1s sound amazing to me, and are very detailed and neutral so I think producing and mixing on them will be really nice and translate well. They are also super easy to drive so don’t require a headphone amp, and sound great from my audio interface and iPhone. I’m using them with a Subpac S2 and can’t imagine a better monitoring setup for the same price.
Edit: Also, the free version of the Reveal+ plugin has a preset for LCD-1 which is really nice, so don’t need to use Sonarworks.
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Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ve been knee-deep in Audeze reviews (from mixing engineers/music tech journalists and audiophile YouTubers) and I was almost convinced about having to pay serious dollar for the LCD-X (or at least getting the LCD-2C as a halfway-house compromise). But the fact that you have had many different headphones (including the LCD-2C) before the LCD-1 helps me out a lot. I think I’m going to get the LCD-1 for a price I can afford right now, see how they suit me, and then upgrade to the LCD-X later on if I feel that I really need to. I knew someone here must’ve tried the LCD-1 by now. Cheers!
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Thanks for pointing them out! Obviously these are very early first impressions, but I can already tell that they’re right for me and what I’ve been looking for. I immediately like them enough to stop the endless search and I’m not going to buy any other headphones for a while.
I was also knee-deep in reviews, but it’s a waste of time really as it’s all so subjective and depends on your ears and the shape of your head, and what you’re using them for. From my long list of previous headphones, I haven’t found any of them comfortable enough to wear all day except for the ATH M50X which everyone else on the internet finds unbearable. I’m keeping those as need some closed-backs and I know them better than anything else. The LCD-1 is praised by some of the best engineers in the world like Bob Katz, Manny Marroquin and Carlos de la Garza, so I decided to go with them instead of random people on Head-Fi and Youtube. These 2 videos from Scan were very helpful though -
Look forward to hearing your thoughts on them! I’m in the UK and got them new from Scan for £359 by price matching DV247.
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I just pulled the trigger on the LCD-1! And I used your trick to get a DV247 price match at Sevenoaks Sound & Vision. They should arrive in the next couple of days, so I’ll add my thoughts here once I’ve spent some time with them.
For those reading this thread, the convincer for me was a combination of the Scan videos above and the Sound On Sound review here:
https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/audeze-lcd-1
I almost got the LCD-X on credit and I’ve half-convinced myself that I would be fine with the LCD-2C numerous times over the last week. But in the end, I couldn’t justify the higher costs of the other models in my present circumstances. I will upgrade later on if I feel the need. Until then, I’m super excited to get the LCD-1, for both making music and listening to some of my favourite tracks
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No problem
Do you still have the hd 650? How do the lcd 1 compare to them?
Yes the weight on the lcdx/xc/2c is definetely uncomfortable. I did get used to it, and i was not having any kind of neck pain but i often move around on the studio - playing some instruments that i need to stand, turn on/off cables and i often felt that the headphones were starting to slide of my head. Almost like i was balancing them on my head, instead of wearing them. But i head the ones with the old headband, tough. That, and the fact that the cables connected to the front of the headphones where the biggest issues with the xc.
Its good that they solved those problems with the lcd 1, and to know that you like its sound signature.
Congrats!
Looking forward to hear about how they sound to you;)
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