This is the official spot to talk about the LCD-XC
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My current headphone and my favorite so far! I love the closed back sound. I tried the X and LCD4 but open back headphones just arenāt for me. One thing that I did do is get the carbon fiber headband. It makes the XCs much more comfortable for long term listening. The stock headband just digs into my skull.
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Awesome. Did yours ship with the carbon fiber headband or did you have to pick one up and make the swap?
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I picked it up about 6 months after. Looking at the Audeze website, I see that itās the default head band now. The one I have doesnāt have the vented holes in the leather like the current ones do.
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Ya they did a change-up on all the headbands and earpads. I believe the earpads have memory foam on them now as well.
Howās the low-end on the LCD-XC in comparison to some other close-backs tjat youāve tried?
Iād say itās comparable to the Ether C Flow and the Sony MDR Z1R. Though I should say that Iām just going on memory as I havenāt listened to them in months.
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So Iām not sure if any changes were made the XC in recent times but the one I just reviewed was one of the best Audeze headphones Iāve ever heard. I figured Iād link my review here:
But if anyone has any info on whether there were some changes or revision over the last few years, Iād love to know about it.
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Excellent review, Andrew.
I really enjoyed my X, but the treble peaks were too much for me to handle. This looks interesting.
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Wowā¦ thatās a huge praise for a model thatās generally been looked the other way. Now I really want to hear oneā¦ especially since I still would like a nice closed back.
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Yeah I donāt know if this was from a revision or whatā¦ but this is one of the most ānormalā measuring Audezeās Iāve come across so far - at least for the full sized LCDs. Sounds great too. So I donāt really know where the negative perception comes from.
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Do you think the weight impacts the sound? If they dropped the weight I wonder how much (if any) the sound would change.
It depends what theyād change. Weight has traditionally been one of the biggest challenges for headphones with double-sided magnetic arrays. HiFiMAN have kind of figured this out with their asymmetrical arrays. There are always tradeoffs for this kind of stuff when you go single-sided as well though. You might get a bit more detail by focusing on diaphragm thickness, but single-sided so far also come at the cost of dynamics (at least in every example Iāve heard so far apart from the Abyss designs). So yeah I think you would lose out in one area or another depending on what was changed. Iād like to have something thatās double sided but all the effort is put into making it light regardless of the aesthetic - or maybe less metal and more plastic in general haha.
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They could probably shave off a bit of weight by going with plastic. I actually think plastic can feel very nice and premium if you pick the right kind. My Sonyās feel great and sturdy and probably weigh less than half my LCD2c and they are mostly plastic.
I do really like the looks of Audeze lineup and part of the look is metal. ā30 percent looksā does come into play.
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Great review, as per usual.
I owned a pair of these and loved them, save for the weight and size. For my purposes, these were deal breakers for me and unfortunately decided to sell them. Theyāre big, heavy, and bulky to travel with. But - they sound divine.
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Andrew!!! Fantastic my friend! Iām so glad you got to take a look at the LCD XC. Really Iāve actually been dying for your opinion on it. Thanks a lot, brother.
I knew you would despise the weight and find the treble flaw. 
Overall though this is one of the best headphones I have and have heard. I find their sound sig extremely addictive and their punching power is insane. Great bass extension and dynamics.
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Yeah I really was not expecting to like them as much as I doā¦ Iām reaaally tempted to buy this pair. I just wish the weight were like, 50g lighter haha.
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Ah my friend. Iād buy them. I really think they could be an everyday headphone for you. Their sound signature really becomes smooth and impactful once brain burn in sets in. I use mine any chance I get. I say do some neck crunches everyday and youāll withstand the weight with ease. Lol. Seriously though the weight shouldnāt steer you away. They are worth building neck muscles for. 
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You can add the Carbon Fiber Headband to lighten it up.
Nope. Canāt do it. The weight and sturdiness of the LCD XC is intentional.
If you think of how the magnetic array is and how it sandwiches the moving coil you need that strong heavy housing to keep the strong oscillation under control.
Personally I love the weight and the feel of quality the XC has. It is like no other headphone. Maybe the HEDD might be like it, but I have never tried it.
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I believe after 2016 the driver model was changed. 