Packaging and Accessories

Audeze operates a web shop, and this sample shipped directly from the company, so we begin with the shipping packaging since this is how paying customers would receive the LCD-5. The shipping box is appropriately sized, although with Audeze-branded tape and more branding stickers on multiple sides, with one even mentioning the contents inside. I would rather see a stealthier approach, especially knowing these are extremely expensive headphones. Note the label specifically mentions how this is an LCD-5 with an acetate ring, leaving the door open for perhaps other special editions of the LCD-5 with other materials or designs down the line. However, I postulate that it is more likely other Audeze headphones will be updated or released with a similar acetate ring design, whereby different colors are used to easily distinguish between them similar to what we saw with the CRBN and its blacker acetate rings. Inside is the product case, which comes in a shaped-to-fit bubble wrap and supported by thick foam sheets all around for further protection from overzealous couriers.


We saw before that Audeze has a new standard travel case some of its more affordable headphones now ship in, and there is a more expensive premium travel case adopting a more rugged overkill approach for the more expensive sets. With the CRBN and LCD-5 having pushed the upper boundary of Audeze headphone pricing to $4,500, the company decided to upgrade the case to what it calls the aluminium travel case, and it costs $175 by itself. True to the name, this is a lightweight, sturdy all-aluminium case that can be mistaken for an office briefcase from afar. There is no branding at this time, and it measures 36 x 27 x 18.5 cm. While cool to the touch, this is fully weatherproof and has heavy-duty feet on two sides for it to rest horizontally or vertically. An oversized handle and two locking latches complete the case, and this might well be the best-looking, feeling, and functioning headphone case I have seen to date.


To give more context on how this new case looks compared to the Audeze economy travel case, I have above a photo of the two together. Branding aside, the new aluminium travel case is lighter, broader, and narrower, and has a cleaner design owing to the lack of reinforced corners since everything is made out of aluminium. I also appreciate the dual latches compared to the single latch from before, so this is a clear upgrade in my books. Note that this case can't be used with other Audeze headphones owing simply to the size of the headphones, and opening it, we see custom-machined foam on the inner lining and main compartment, with cutouts to snugly fit the LCD-5 on the left and an accessory compartment on the right.


A thin slit cut into the front hosts some paperwork in the form of a handwritten certificate of authenticity, with the serial number of the LCD-5 unit and assembly date. This is very useful information for multiple reasons, and we will cover one such unexpected reason later on in this review. Present is also a more generic reminder to see if there are any applicable downloads or user manuals on the Audeze website, where we have an outdated but still relevant LCD user guide in multiple languages, (although there is an LCD-5 video guide), warranty policy, couple of service guides as applicable for the headphones, and a note on using Audeze's excellent Reveal+ plug-in we saw before—no support for the LCD-5 in there as of this writing, tough! A set of included keys also lock the case for more security, and the cable is separately packaged in its own plastic zip-lock bag. Most intriguing to me, however, is the pair of soft white-colored gloves lest you get your grubby fingerprints all over the LCD-5! These are uni-size gloves that stretch to fit most hands, and I simply had to use them to take the headphones out of the case. Notice the cylindrical piece of foam between the ear cups, like other covered LCD-series headphones., which helps keep the headphones in place inside the case with applied inward and outward pressure without damaging the drivers in transit.