The Audeze LCD-1 are open-back planar magnetic over-ear headphones with a sleek design that's more reminiscent of casual headphones than most other typical audiophile-centric over-ears. Their sound profile is well-balanced, and they look and feel premium thanks to their mix of good quality plastic, metal, and leather. They're a suitable choice if you're looking to try a pair of open-back reference-grade headphones while maintaining a casual look and without breaking the bank.
Our Verdict
The Audeze LCD-1 aren't recommended for mixed usage, as they're designed for use at home or in the studio. Their sound profile is very well-balanced, making them suitable for a wide range of genres and content. Due to their wired-only and open-back design, they aren't the best choice for commuting or use at the office, as they block no ambient noise, and people around you can hear what you're listening to. They also aren't the most stable, making them a poor choice for taking to the gym.
- Well-balanced sound profile.
- Premium and well-built design.
- Casual and sleek look for open-back headphones.
- Consistent listening experience among various users.
- Heavy audio leakage, by design.
- Poor noise isolation, by design.
The Audeze LCD-1 are designed for a well-balanced and neutral listening experience while at home, and they excel in this regard. They're very well-balanced, with only a minor recess in low-bass that likely shouldn't be too audible to most people. They also have very consistent audio delivery. Due to their open-back design, their soundstage sounds very open and spacious, though it still seems like it's coming from inside your head.
The Audeze LCD-1 may not be the best choice for commuting or traveling, as they're for listening to music at home. Due to their open-back design, they block no ambient noise, meaning you'll hear the rumble of engines or chatter of people around you. They also leak quite a bit of audio, and people sitting next to you on a plane will likely be able to hear your music. On the upside, they're smaller than most other headphones of this type and are comfortable and breathable enough to wear for an entire flight without getting too warm or uncomfortable on the ears.
The Audeze LCD-1 aren't designed for working out. Their over-ear fit isn't the most stable, and their wire is likely to get in the way at the gym. On the upside, their open-back design means you can still clearly hear your surroundings unless listening to music at very loud volumes. It means they may be a good choice if you want to have music while running outdoors but still be aware of your surroundings.
The Audeze LCD-1 are open-back headphones, and therefore leak a lot of audio by design. It means that they aren't recommended for use in the office, as people around you can hear what you're listening to, even at moderate volumes. They also block almost no background noise, so they wouldn't help block out chatty coworkers to keep you concentrated at work.
The Audeze LCD-1 are wired-only headphones and you can't use them wirelessly.
The Audeze LCD-1 don't have a microphone, and therefore likely aren't the best option to use for gaming. That said, if you don't play online games and only want to hear your game's audio, they should work well when plugged into the controller of a PS4 or Xbox One. Their open-back design means they breathe fairly well, so your ears shouldn't get too sweaty during longer gaming sessions. However, they leak a lot of audio and don't block out any ambient noise.
The Audeze LCD-1 don't have a microphone and can't be used for phone calls.
Changelog
- Updated Feb 11, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Dec 19, 2019: Review published.
- Updated Dec 16, 2019: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Dec 16, 2019: Early access published.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Audeze LCD-1 are well-balanced open-back headphones with a very stylish design that looks much more like an everyday pair of casual headphones than most audiophile-centric over-ears. They look and feel quite premium, and offer good value for their price.
See our recommendations for the best headphones, the best audiophile headphones, and the best open-back headphones.
The Audeze LCD-1 are very similarly performing headphones as the Audeze LCD 2 Classic/LC2C. They both have well-balanced sound profiles, though the LCD-1's treble and mid-range are both more accurate. The LCD-1 also have a much sleeker and more premium look, with smaller ear cups that are just as comfortable. The LCD 2 do feel better built, however, as they have more metal in their build.
The HiFiMan Sundara 2018 are slightly better open-back, planar magnetic headphones than the Audeze LCD-1 for neutral sound listening. Their sound profile is more accurate in all ranges, and the HiFiMan have a larger sounding soundstage. On the other hand, the Audeze have a much sleeker and smaller design, and their frequency response is more consistent among different users.
The Audeze LCD-1 are better headphones than the Oppo PM-3 for a neutral sound listening experience. They both have fairly well-balanced sound profiles, but the Audeze are much more accurate in the treble range. They also produce a much more consistent frequency response amongst users, so different people are more likely to hear them similarly. On the other hand, the closed-back design of the Oppo means they isolate a lot more background noise and leak much less audio.
The Audeze LCD-1 and the Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee are similarly performing open-back, over-ear headphones. They both have very accurate sound reproduction, but the Audeze are more comfortable and feel better built. On the other hand, the Sennheiser feel more stable on the head.
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