The Audeze LCD-X is the most sought-after of all the planar magnetic headphones made by the coveted Audeze brand. It has gained a number of accolades and is well-regarded by both audiophiles and professionals due to its incredibly high sound quality and amazing sonic performances. Whether you want to enjoy listening to your music to the fullest or require the Audeze LCD-X for professional work, you will still require a matching amp to drive these planar magnetic headphones so that they can sound their very finest.
The Audeze LCD-X deserves to be matched with the best or at least amps that have an equal level of quality and sonic performance. To find the headphone amp which can complement the LCD-X and suit your preference will require us to have a further understanding of the headphones’ sonic characteristics and prowess. With enough data and information in our hands, we can then prepare a list of the best amps which you can go for and partner with the Audeze LCD-X. This list will be shared with you later on and so without further ado let us start.
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Sonic Characteristics and Merits of Audeze LCD-X
It is an exquisitely designed planar magnetic headphone with premium aesthetics and a solid built which feels durable and sturdy. The Audeze LCD-X will match aesthetically well with most headphone amps and due to its prestigious branding, it would make other headphone enthusiasts turn their heads and be awestruck by it. For such a heavy headphone (612g), the LCD-X is still very comfortable to wear and there is a firm clamping force which the plush earpads do help to negate a little and make it feel comfy. Using the Audeze LCD-X for professional mixing and/or casual music listening will be fine though as long you don’t start dancing or exercise with it.
This is still an open-back design so you can expect sound leakage where others around you will hear what you are listening to. Unless they share the same music taste as you, they probably would get annoyed by the sounds leaking out. Noise isolation is also lacking and this does make the Audeze LCD-X more suitable for quiet indoor environments. The frequency response of the LCD-X is from 10Hz-50kHz which is great and its impedance of only 20 Ohms is even better. This shows us that we don’t really need a powerful amplifier to drive the Audeze LCD-X efficiently and does leave us with more headphone amps to choose from.
More Details at Amazon – Audeze LCD-X Over Ear Open Back Headphone
Audeze LCD-X is an incredibly neutral planar magnetic headphone and everything sounds so natural. The vocals and musical instruments sound so realistic with plenty of intricate details to boot. Its midrange sonic prowess is simply amazing, it is so detailed and fluid, not to mention, it is transparent too. The overall transparency of the Audeze LCD-X is excellent and there is a high level of insights, digging out a massive amount of musical details without sounding clinical. We can see why music professionals and producers would use them for their work, the clarity and accuracy are just astounding.
There are also satisfying levels of impact, keeping us engaged with the music and yearning for more. The bass reproductions are fast, punchy, and agile, blending in seamlessly with the upper frequencies. The low ends also help to add weight to the overall sound reproduction and produce a nice music presence. Its stereo imaging is impeccable, with highly defined separation and spacing. Musicians are precisely placed on the stage and if we were to nitpick, it will be that the soundstage is not as spacious as we wanted it to be. Still, we quickly forgot about it after listening to the Audeze LCD-X holographic sonic performance.
The Audeze LCD-X is no doubt one of the absolute best headphones that money can buy and even if you are a casual music listener, you should still grab the opportunity to have an audition with these brilliant planar magnetic headphones. Their agility and speed are immaculate with incredible precision. LCD-X deep bass reproductions are satisfying and should be enough for bass fanatics. They will excel in almost all genres of music and if you have the budget, you should definitely go for this reference series model. We will be sharing with you now the best headphone amplifiers which you can choose to go for and pair with your Audeze LCD-X planar magnetic headphones.
Audeze LCD-X Specifications
- Type: Planar Magnetic, Open-Back
- Tranducer size: 106mm
- Frequency response: 10Hz-50kHz
- Impedance: 20 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 103 dB/1mW
- THD: <0.1% @ 100dB
- Weight: 612g (1.35lbs)
Best Amps to pair with Audeze LCD-X
The Burson Conductor 3 is one of the best amps to pair up with your Audeze LCD-X. This is a magnificent headphone amp that comes with a plethora of features such as dual ES9038Q2M DAC, Bluetooth connection, and the most notable of them all will be the amp’s Class A power. Matching with the illustrious LCD-X, the music delivery becomes more vivid and engaging. The bass performance is punchy and a bit bolder which can be really enjoyable to listen to. You can crank up the volume and the Burson Conductor 3 amp will not sound harsh. It is a neutral-sounding headphone amplifier and does lean towards warmth.
More Details at Amazon – Burson Audio Conductor 3 Reference Headphone Amp
If you are looking for a powerful amp that is compact and portable then the Chord Hugo 2 will be an exemplary choice for you. It is a worthy amp for your Audeze LCD-X, well-regarded by audiophiles, and looks really unique. This award-winning headphone amp is capable of delivering a very faithful music presentation of our favorite tunes, producing the music details with clarity, and leaving no stones unturned. It is an informative amp and has the ability to bring out the musical details in an engaging way without sounding congested and clinical. The Chord Hugo 2 is an amazing match with the Audeze LCD-X headphone.
More Details at Amazon – Chord Hugo 2 Headphone Amplifier (Silver)
For listeners who prefer tube sound quality, the Woo Audio WA6-SE is an ideal match for your Audeze LCD-X planar magnetic headphone. It is a high-quality tube amp that will not simply smudge the overall sound reproduction with overwhelming warmth. Instead, the music delivery is clean and clear with a touch of warmish sonic characteristics. It can deliver a wide and open soundstage which complements the Audeze LCD-X really well. We are pretty surprised by how uncolored the sound quality is and listeners can go for tube rolling to further fine-tune the sound to their own liking.
The Schiit Audio Mjolnir will be one of the best amps to match with the Audeze LCD-X planar magnetic headphones. This headphone amp has a modest price tag and is worth every penny been invested into it. You are getting plenty of sonic performance from the Schiit Audio Mjolnir, it can smoothly deliver a very detailed music presentation without sounding clinical. You can keep pushing the Mjolnir and it won’t sound cringe which is great if you want to really turn up the volume. The bass performance of this amplifier is tight as well and will fit in nicely with the Audeze LCD-X.
More Details at Amazon – Schiit Audio Mjolnir Balanced Headphone Amplifier
The Soloist 3X is another remarkable headphone amplifier made by the reputable Burson Audio. It can effortlessly drive the Audeze LCD-X and furthermore, it is really well-suited to match with planar magnetic headphones. For listeners who just want to be hooked right into the music then you will be in for a treat. The Burson Audio Soloist 3X is an energetic performer which has a knack for delivering powerful and engaging music presentations with amazing accuracy. The music pacing of the Soloist 3X is fast and impeccable, and also able to produce a massive amount of music details which works really well with the Audeze LCD-X. This is certainly an amp that is worthy of your time to have a look.
More Details at Amazon – Burson Audio Soloist 3X Balanced XLR Headphone Amp
The Linear Tube Audio MicroZOTL MZ3 is a high-end tube amplifier and will go well with your Audeze LCD-X. The overall sound reproduction is clean and this tube amp has an extremely polished background too. It has a neutral sonic character with a touch of warmth and has smooth music delivery with beautiful sound quality that is pleasing to our ears. The music delivery is engaging and natural sounding, the overall sound reproduction is vivid as well. The Linear Tube Audio MicroZOTL MZ3 is able to reveal musical details without forcing them out and helps to provide a slightly more relaxing sound reproduction.
To Conclude
These headphone amps are some of the absolute best on the market and you might want to take your time to look through them. You can shortlist the ones which fit your requirements the most and arrange an audition to see if you like the sound quality you are hearing. It is highly recommended to do the auditioning of the headphone amps in your own listening room if that is possible. You should only use the music which you are very familiar with and include your Audeze LCD-X planar magnetic headphones during the amp auditions as all these will give you a more accurate result.
