Packaging and Closer Examination

Since the 2021 iteration of the Audeze LCD-X released alongside the LCD-XC, both share a lot of the unboxing experience, product design, and material composition. As such, I would recommend reading through the two pages of the LCD-XC review here for more details over the summary on this page. I have the Creator Package of the LCD-X (2021) that ships inside Audeze's new economy travel case—a hard case with reinforced corners and the Audeze logo on front. Rubber feet on two sides and a locking latch in the front go with a large handle to carry the case along if a traveling musician or recording artist. Open the box and you see generous use of packing foam for added protection to the contents inside, including the headphones in their own machined cutout for a snug fit, and another cutout on the side for the accessories consisting of two cards, two sets of keys for the case, and the headphone cable. A cylindrical piece of foam between the ear cups of the headphones prevents them from banging into each other during transit—a small but neat touch!


Audeze includes a fine cable with the LCD-X (2021), one that sells for $149 by itself. This is a single-ended cable with gold-plated 1/4" (6.35 mm) stereo TRS plug for oxidization resistance and a substantially sized housing on one end. Relatively thick 20 AWG (0.8 mm diameter) 99.9999% ohno continuous cast (OCC) rated copper of a large single crystal size for a lower number of electron hopping steps reduces macroscopic electrical resistance. Four braided strands separate into two each past the in-line splitter and then go on to the output connector housing where we see more sheathing for protection and to mark the left (black) and right (red) channels. The connectors on the headphones are 4-pin mini-XLR, which is a deliberate choice that has worked well for Audeze in the past ~15 years. The 4-pin design makes for a reliable, sturdy connector with a locking mechanism that prevents it from working loose, as well as the flexibility to switch to a balanced 4-pin XLR cable rather than the 1/4" TRS plug; however, the 1/4" plug is far more common in the prosumer and pro audio source world, so I can see why this is the included cable for the LCD-X in the Creator Package.


The Audeze LCD-X (2021) is available in leather and leather-free versions of the suspension band and ear pads for the same price, which provides options to meet different lifestyle choices. I had the leather version of the LCD-XC before, and this is the leather-free version, which does seem less lustrous and dense on the ear pads. Audeze says both versions are the same within error margins, which I can't confirm without having the same headphones in both versions simultaneously. Otherwise, I am pleased to see the excellent build quality I expect of Audeze headphones continue here, which is a must as the LCD-X is intended to be a workhorse while catering to audiophiles. We see a similar steel construction as with the LCD-2 Classic, including on the headband with the leatherette suspension band. Everything feels solid and quite dense owing to the 612 g the LCD-X weighs. The famous Audeze yoke rods are employed, which can be swapped for longer versions depending on fit and comfort, and these are screwed into the aluminium rings holding the ear cups and go through a plastic base holding the head band and strap screwed in.


The Audeze logo is on the outside of the plastic base the yoke rods are fixed into, and L/R markings inside indicate the left and right channels. The yoke rods have indentations for the user to change how much play there is on the head band by pushing them in, which helps with the vertical sizing of the headphones, and shown above are the two extreme positions that tell you there is a lot of leeway to fit small and large heads alike.


Pivot points on the aluminium rings provide a good degree of rotation of the ear cups on the other two dimensions for greater compatibility of the LCD-X (2021) with different head shapes, and the ear pads are large enough to easily make these over-ear headphones for pretty much everyone. The support band also stretches out and down onto the head, which allows for it to function normally as opposed to just being under the headband when not in use. There is an alternative-sized headband assembly for those who can't get the LCD-X to work well even with the longer yoke rods, but that is done on a case-by-case basis after Audeze's support helps determine the best way forward. These being open-back in nature, we see a semi-open grille on the outside of the ear cups, with a design shared by a few other Auedeze headphones. There's more branding, including the product name, and don't think removing the four screws to change the grilles to the carbon fiber cups on the LCD-XC will make this an LCD-XC, too. The effect of the grille and dampening materials in the CF cups has been accounted for in the tuning, so the two are not easily interchangeable.


The ear pads are slightly tapered and vary in thickness from top to bottom. It is on purpose and has the ear cups more naturally sit on the side of the head based on the curvature of the headband. Unsurprisingly, the ear pads are glued in place as Audeze remains insistent on this implementation being key in achieving the best-possible seal over your ears and getting the optimal sound signature, which is potentially an issue if using the LCD-X in a hot and busy environment for long period of time consistently—no one wants grimy, worn out pads that will also change the sound signature. When new, the pads are extremely comfortable, thick and supportive, though. A peek through the pads into the drivers confirms Audeze's patent Fazor wave guides, and one side of the double-sided Fluxor magnet system on either side of the ultra-thin 106 mm diaphragm. My LCD-XC review has some photos of these on the outer side if interested.


On the bottom of the ear cups are separate metal housings for the cable connectors that point outward to naturally guide the cables away from your body. These host mini-XLR connectors the provided cable fit into easily, and there have been no reports of these connectors coming loose as with some LCD-5 units. Some exposed connector housings still break the stealth black color scheme, and remember the red tape on the right channel of the cable to identify which end goes where. Once done, connect the 1/4" plug to your source and you are good to go. With the cable 1.9 m long, the LCD-X has leeway for walking around your mixing console perhaps, or just having the DAC/amplifier elsewhere while relaxing on a recliner at home. As I have four Audeze headphones as this is written, I took some family photos to help compare the LCD-X (2021) with the LCD-XC (2021) and flagship LCD-5, which is much smaller. If anything, the LCD-X looks a lot closer to the warmer-tuned, more affordable LCD-2 Classic. They are all good-looking and well built in my books; I am certainly a fan of Audeze's design language.