Hi to everyone!
I want to post my experience with my LCD-XC after 1 year.
I tried also the LCD-X for an extensive period, despite later favoring the XC.
I used extensively at work the LCD-4.
Both models are 2021 Revision with leather pads.
I’m a professional mixing engineer and despite this, this "review" will be mainly SUBJECTIVE; not because I am not intrigued by measurements (I’m actually all about it) but for the impossibility to do it on my own headphones (despite this, I am now considering also to buy a clone coupler with a pinna mounting or sending to someone for developing an EQ for my exact pair).
I’m using my LCD-XC for mixing and mastering purposes, in a treated room, correlated with Chord Qutest DAC, SMSL DO400, Singxer SA-1 and Neumann KH150/pair of KH750DSP MA-1 calibrated.
So let’s talk about it.
First of all, the LCD-XC absolutely NEEDS to be EQed (otherwise bass will be completely absent) while the LCD-X greatly improves with EQ but not strictly needed.
What I really liked using the XC its the analytical side.
While I founded transients are a little more impactful on the X (but actually not that precise converting to monitors listening, mix ending with soft kicks), the XC are REALLY ultra detailed to the point I usually prefer using the XC instead of the KH150.
Imaging it’s tremendous on the XC and likely small on the X; let me explain it a little bit:
So seems I actually prefer the imaging of the X, but I missed something; that’s really needs to be completely explained alone.
The XC will bring EVERY detail upfront on your face.
The X instead will be slightly more diffused to the point you will need SOLOing channels and mixing them together just in the same way of the monitors.
Decays and transients details on the X are also much more masked and not that analytical like on the XC.
That’s really what’s needed during mixing (or at least for me): the analytical aspect.
I ended up regulating everything to perfection using the XC and just mixing in the same way of monitors on the X.
Clearly, the small dB reduction and the lower background noise of the XC vastly increases the lower details.
About the frequency response of those two headphones, that’s what I found:
About general timbre and presentation the LCD-X are a little more natural sounding for the lack of treble and brillance and slightly more mid presence (impacts of macrodynamics, open back sound, like listening to monitors) so I would eventually choose them over the XC ONLY for casual listening and entertainment purposes.
If you need an ultra accurate and analytical sound (while still maintaining the natural sounding) where you need to listen every detail correctly (again, XC are ultra detailed, you will listen limiters compressing also for only 1dB GR and distortions for lookahead and release times or the difference using oversampling on clippers) the XC it’s for you.
The XC finally never gave me the impression of missing the LCD-4, that are the best of both worlds (so open back natural sound with the details, actually don’t know if those were detailed as the XC, but were for sure much more dynamic than both X and XC).
Hope this will help someone in the same situation of mine.
RECAP (both EQ to same target):
LCD-XC
Bass notes Accuracy 8
Bass Depth 9
Bass presence 9
L/R Width 9
Depth 9
Dynamic range accuracy 8
Mono/Stereo separation 8.5
Midrange FR accuracy 8.5
Treble presence 9
Treble accuracy 10
Details 9
Impact 8.5
Natural Sounding 8.5
LCD X
Bass notes Accuracy 9
Bass Depth 8
Bass presence 8
L/R Width 7
Depth 8
Dynamic range accuracy 8.5
Mono/Stereo separation 9
Midrange FR accuracy 8
Treble presence 7
Treble accuracy 6
Details 7.5
Impact 9
Natural Sounding 9
I attached my EQ Preset for the LCD-XC 2021 Rev for Pro-Q3.
To convert to PEQ divide the Q for 1.414.
I want to post my experience with my LCD-XC after 1 year.
I tried also the LCD-X for an extensive period, despite later favoring the XC.
I used extensively at work the LCD-4.
Both models are 2021 Revision with leather pads.
I’m a professional mixing engineer and despite this, this "review" will be mainly SUBJECTIVE; not because I am not intrigued by measurements (I’m actually all about it) but for the impossibility to do it on my own headphones (despite this, I am now considering also to buy a clone coupler with a pinna mounting or sending to someone for developing an EQ for my exact pair).
I’m using my LCD-XC for mixing and mastering purposes, in a treated room, correlated with Chord Qutest DAC, SMSL DO400, Singxer SA-1 and Neumann KH150/pair of KH750DSP MA-1 calibrated.
So let’s talk about it.
First of all, the LCD-XC absolutely NEEDS to be EQed (otherwise bass will be completely absent) while the LCD-X greatly improves with EQ but not strictly needed.
What I really liked using the XC its the analytical side.
While I founded transients are a little more impactful on the X (but actually not that precise converting to monitors listening, mix ending with soft kicks), the XC are REALLY ultra detailed to the point I usually prefer using the XC instead of the KH150.
Imaging it’s tremendous on the XC and likely small on the X; let me explain it a little bit:
- L/R Width it’s much higher on the XC (to the point I adjust it to 65% with a VST only during casual listening sessions)
- Mono it’s better defined on the X
- Smaller sides on the X, slightly better defined on the XC
So seems I actually prefer the imaging of the X, but I missed something; that’s really needs to be completely explained alone.
The XC will bring EVERY detail upfront on your face.
The X instead will be slightly more diffused to the point you will need SOLOing channels and mixing them together just in the same way of the monitors.
Decays and transients details on the X are also much more masked and not that analytical like on the XC.
That’s really what’s needed during mixing (or at least for me): the analytical aspect.
I ended up regulating everything to perfection using the XC and just mixing in the same way of monitors on the X.
Clearly, the small dB reduction and the lower background noise of the XC vastly increases the lower details.
About the frequency response of those two headphones, that’s what I found:
- LCD-X have slightly more definition on the lower side of the spectrum, everything from 20 to around 200/250Hz (by a small margin)
- LCD-XC have better defined midrange, X could not even be compared in my opinion (especially EQing voices)
- LCD-XC treble it’s the winner thing of this headphone; transients decay it’s really sharp, treble it’s present in a natural way and shine on the tracks that are mixed/mastered perfectly while the LCD-X completely lacks brilliance and air (that’s really where I was mostly disappointed by)
About general timbre and presentation the LCD-X are a little more natural sounding for the lack of treble and brillance and slightly more mid presence (impacts of macrodynamics, open back sound, like listening to monitors) so I would eventually choose them over the XC ONLY for casual listening and entertainment purposes.
If you need an ultra accurate and analytical sound (while still maintaining the natural sounding) where you need to listen every detail correctly (again, XC are ultra detailed, you will listen limiters compressing also for only 1dB GR and distortions for lookahead and release times or the difference using oversampling on clippers) the XC it’s for you.
The XC finally never gave me the impression of missing the LCD-4, that are the best of both worlds (so open back natural sound with the details, actually don’t know if those were detailed as the XC, but were for sure much more dynamic than both X and XC).
Hope this will help someone in the same situation of mine.
RECAP (both EQ to same target):
LCD-XC
Bass notes Accuracy 8
Bass Depth 9
Bass presence 9
L/R Width 9
Depth 9
Dynamic range accuracy 8
Mono/Stereo separation 8.5
Midrange FR accuracy 8.5
Treble presence 9
Treble accuracy 10
Details 9
Impact 8.5
Natural Sounding 8.5
LCD X
Bass notes Accuracy 9
Bass Depth 8
Bass presence 8
L/R Width 7
Depth 8
Dynamic range accuracy 8.5
Mono/Stereo separation 9
Midrange FR accuracy 8
Treble presence 7
Treble accuracy 6
Details 7.5
Impact 9
Natural Sounding 9
I attached my EQ Preset for the LCD-XC 2021 Rev for Pro-Q3.
To convert to PEQ divide the Q for 1.414.
