Audeze is likely one of the solely headphone makers devoted solely to utilizing planar-magnetic (PM) drivers in its merchandise. The corporate affords a variety of fashions, from reference over-ear designs to gaming-specific cans to in-ear screens, all of that are primarily based on PM know-how.
I’ve little expertise with planar-magnetic headphones. A few years in the past, I reviewed the Stax SR-007 MK2 electrostatic headphones, which use a considerably comparable know-how, however they require a particular amplifier and are extraordinarily costly. However I’ve by no means spent any high quality time with PM headphones. So, once I obtained the chance to evaluate the Audeze LCD-1, I jumped on the likelihood—and now that I’ve given them an excellent hear, I’m very glad I did.
This evaluate is a part of TechHive’s protection of the perfect headphones, the place you’ll discover evaluations of the competitors’s choices, plus a purchaser’s information to the options you need to contemplate when purchasing for this sort of product.
Planar-magnetic know-how
Most headphones use dynamic drivers to generate sound waves. In these drivers, {an electrical} audio sign is shipped by a coil of wire—the voice coil—which creates a magnetic discipline across the coil that oscillates in accordance with the waveform within the sign. The oscillating magnetic discipline interacts with the static discipline of a everlasting magnet mounted close by, which pushes and pulls on the voice coil, inflicting it to vibrate in response. The voice coil is connected to a diaphragm, which vibrates together with it, sending sound waves into the listener’s ear.
Vendor-provided artwork.Audeze wraps the scarf and earcups of its LCD-1 planar-magnetic headphones in tremendous mushy lambskin.
Planar-magnetic drivers are comparable in precept however totally different in implementation. As an alternative of a voice coil, the diaphragm in a PM driver is instantly embedded with a flat conductor that snakes forwards and backwards throughout its whole floor (see Fig. 1). That conductor carries the audio sign, and the oscillating magnetic discipline interacts with the static discipline of everlasting magnets mounted very near the diaphragm. That causes the diaphragm to vibrate in accordance with the audio sign, producing sound waves that enter the listener’s ear.
Vendor-provided artwork.On this rendering, you’ll be able to see the “voice coil” (labeled “circuit hint sample”) on the ultra-thin substrate of the diaphragm. You can too see a magnet and Fazor on each side of the diaphragm, however the LCD-1 has a magnet and Fazor solely on the interior facet of the diaphragm.
On this “exploded” rendering of an Audeze earcup, you’ll be able to see the circuit-trace sample (aka, “voice coil”) on the diaphragm. You can too see the magnet and Fazor buildings, that are mentioned within the subsequent part.
The principle distinction is {that a} PM driver has no separate voice coil per se; the “voice coil” and diaphragm are a single part. Consequently, your entire diaphragm vibrates extra uniformly than a dynamic diaphragm, which is pushed and pulled at its middle by the voice coil.
Additionally, the magnets in a PM driver are typically bigger than these utilized in dynamic drivers, as a result of they have to be roughly the identical dimension because the diaphragm. That makes planar-magnetic headphones typically bigger and heavier than dynamic designs.
So, what are the benefits of PM headphones over dynamic cans? Usually talking, planar-magnetic headphones are inclined to have tighter, extra correct bass response. And since your entire diaphragm strikes uniformly, the planar soundwave creates a greater soundstage with a extra immersive high quality, and there tends to be much less distortion at excessive ranges. For these causes, PM headphones are sometimes most well-liked by crucial listeners reminiscent of recording engineers and audiophiles.
AudezeAudeze planar-magnetic headphones are well-known amongst recording engineers for his or her impartial, revealing sound high quality, a legacy that the LCD-1 simply upholds.
Audeze LCD-1 options
The LCD-1 is an open-back, circumaural (over-ear) headphone. It’s extra compact than many PM headphones and weighs simply 8.8 ounces. It sports activities memory-foam earpads and headband coated in lambskin leather-based and comes with a pleasant carrying case into which the headphones fold. The included premium braided cable terminates with a 3.5mm connector, and a 1/4-inch adapter is included.
Curiously, the plugs for every earcup are TRS (tip-ring-sleeve), which I assumed may imply that the drivers are wired for balanced operation. However I used to be knowledgeable that they don’t seem to be balanced; as an alternative, the three-conductor connectors are used to routinely decide which sign is left and proper, so it doesn’t matter which one is related to every earcup. Intelligent!
AudezeAn ingenious design means you’ll be able to plug both cable into every earcup, and the left sign will probably be performed by the left earcup and vice versa.
With an impedance of 16 ohms, sensitivity of 99 dB/mW (calculated on the eardrum), and a power-handling capability of 5W RMS, the utmost sound output is rated over 120dB SPL with THD lower than 0.1% at 100dB SPL. The frequency response is specified from 10Hz to 50kHz (no tolerance given).
Audeze designs and builds its headphones in the USA and touts a number of enhancements it has made to planar-magnetic know-how. One in all them is its ultra-thin Uniforce diaphragms, that are very light-weight, presenting little or no resistance to motion for improved transient response. And its massive dimension of 90mm in diameter facilitates deep bass copy.
The corporate makes all its drivers in its Southern California facility, utilizing a vacuum-deposition course of to coat the diaphragm movie with conductive metallic that’s then etched to type the “voice coil” on the floor. To realize a uniform magnetic drive throughout your entire floor space of the diaphragm, Audeze truly varies the width of the voice-coil tracing relying on the energy of the magnetic discipline at totally different places.
Vendor-provided artwork.The LCD-1 earcups fold so the headphone suits in a small, hard-shell journey case.
In accordance with the corporate’s web site, “Audeze makes use of ‘a genetic algorithm-based heuristic optimization method along with magnetic simulations to optimize hint widths to attain Uniforce.’ For these of us who don’t converse Martian: we use superior computing strategies to get essentially the most uniform distribution of drive attainable on the diaphragm.”
One other Audeze innovation is its Fluxor magnets. The outline on the corporate’s web site will get fairly technical, which I gained’t go into right here; if you wish to dig deeper, click on right here. Suffice to say that Fluxor neodymium magnets enhance the magnetic discipline energy on the diaphragm with out including extra weight to the meeting.
Within the firm’s flagship headphones, every diaphragm is suspended between two Fluxor magnet buildings, as seen in Fig. 1. However within the LCD-1, there is just one magnet in every earcup, positioned between the ear and the diaphragm. That is much less environment friendly than a double-sided design, requiring extra amp energy, but it surely permits the headphones to be lighter. And the Fluxor magnet is extra environment friendly than a standard magnet, focusing extra of the magnetic discipline towards the diaphragm.
Why place the magnet between the ear and diaphragm relatively than the opposite means round? Two causes—to guard the diaphragm and to permit damping materials to be positioned on the opposite facet.
In most planar-magnetic headphones, together with these from Audeze, the magnet is a slotted construction that enables sound to cross by the slots. As you may recall from fundamental physics, when waves cross by parallel slots, they trigger interference patterns (see Fig. 2), which might degrade the sound high quality. Audeze solves this drawback with its Fazor waveguide connected to the magnet construction. In accordance with the corporate, this eliminates the interference patterns, corrects the part response, and improves the acoustic impedance. For extra on Fazor know-how, click on right here.
AudezeBecause the diaphragm vibrates, it sends sound waves by the slots of the magnet construction, inflicting interference patterns as they emerge. Audeze’s Fazor waveguides remove this interference. On this generic diagram, there are magnets and Fazors on each side of the diaphragm, however within the LCD-1, they’re on just one facet of the diaphragm.
With out the Fazor waveguides, sound waves emerge from the slots and intervene with one another, degrading the sound high quality. The Fazor waveguides remove this interference. On this diagram, there are magnets and Fazors on each side of the diaphragm, however within the LCD-1, they’re solely on one facet.
Efficiency
The LCD-1 is kind of light-weight, and the earpads are very snug; my ears match properly in them, and they’re super-soft. The earcups present a shocking sense of isolation, regardless of being their open-back design. My solely criticism right here is that the headphone feels a bit flimsy.
As common, I performed high-res audio information from the Tidal Grasp library on my iPhone XS, utilizing the iFi hip-dac (reviewed right here) because the DAC/amplifier. First up was “In Too Deep” by Jacob Collier from his most up-to-date album Djesse Vol. 3. The vocals are accompanied largely by synths with some super-low bass, all of which was rendered fantastically by the LCD-1—clear and clear with an open soundstage and pure, current vocals. The deep bass was exceptionally properly represented with out bloat or congestion, and it balanced the remainder of the spectrum completely.
I haven’t seen Pixar’s newest film Soul but, however the soundtrack album is now streaming from the Tidal Grasp library. I listened to “Collard Greens and Cornbread Strut,” a really brief however hard-bopping piece performed by a jazz combo of piano, bass, drums, and horns, together with a smokin’ tuba. It sounded clear and open on the LCD-1; I may hear every instrument clearly inside a unified entire.
This 12 months, composer Max Richter wrote and recorded a haunting musical backdrop entitled All Human Beings meant to accompany the studying of the United Nation’s Common Declaration of Human Rights. On his album Voices, the piece begins with Eleanor Roosevelt studying the Preamble in a 1949 recording, after which many different fashionable voices proceed studying the Declaration in all kinds of languages. It’s a stunning tribute to fundamental human rights which might be all too typically ignored in at present’s world.
Along with Voices, Richter additionally launched a associated album known as All Human Beings, which features a six-minute model of the piece performed 5 instances. Every one begins with the Eleanor Roosevelt recording that morphs into a contemporary voice studying Article 1 in certainly one of 5 totally different languages—English, Spanish, German, French, and Dutch. (I want he had included some languages from locations aside from western Europe.) I listened to the English model on the LCD-1, which sounded attractive, with a large soundstage for the orchestra and choir, and the voiceover sounded utterly pure and current.
Vendor-provided artwork.The Audeze LCD-1 planar magnetic headphones are fairly clear of their audio copy.
Subsequent up was “Starlight” by guitar legend Lee Ritenour from his album Dreamcatcher. A lot of the album is easy solo guitar—on this case, an acoustic guitar tuned fairly a bit decrease than regular. The folky, fingerpicked piece sounded clear, open, and well-balanced on the LCD-1, with an exquisite low finish and no trace of congestion.
For some throwback enjoyable, I listened to “Cash For Nothing” from Dire Straits’ 1985 album Brothers in Arms, which was simply launched in MQA format. The LCD-1 offered an enormous, open soundstage wherein the stereo drums actually bounced round. As soon as once more, the sound was clear, and I may hear every instrument and voice clearly, together with Sting’s unmistakable visitor vocals.
Recently, I’ve been listening to plenty of The Manhattan Switch, certainly one of my favourite vocal teams, so I cued up “Cantaloop (Flip Out!)” from The Junction. The music relies on the traditional Herbie Hancock tune “Cantaloupe Island” with lyrics by Us3. It’s a richly produced observe and an exquisite combine with deep bass and an infectious groove. As I had come to count on, the LCD-1 did it full justice with a clear, open sound. The deep bass was completely balanced with the remainder of the ensemble with out changing into overbearing.
I at all times embrace some classical music in my evaluate listening. This time, I began with the primary motion of Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for String Orchestra in C Main, Op. 48, from the album Serenades by the Zürcher Kammerorchester below the route of Daniel Hope. As soon as once more, the sound of the LCD-1 was clear, open, and well-balanced. The strings sounded vibrant, and I may clearly delineate every part inside a cohesive entire.
Lastly, I listened to the fourth motion of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A serious, Op. 92, as recorded by the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra below the route of Lahav Shani. The LCD-1 had a pleasant, open, vast sound with glorious stability.
Vendor-provided artwork.Most individuals will use the three.5mm cable, however Audeze supplies a 1/4-inch adapter within the field as properly.