Audeze LCD-4

Audeze's state-of-the-art crown jewel

The gorgeous LCD-4 planar magnetic headphones use top-notch materials and cutting-edge technology to present your music more like a fine pair of speakers.

I'm guessing you landed on this page for one of two reasons. You're curious why a pair of headphones is listed at this price — or you're familiar with Audeze and already know. The California-based sound experts have been on the cutting edge of planar magnetic headphone research, design, and development. Along the way, they've earned a stellar reputation among serious headphone enthusiasts for both their high-tech approach and high-fidelity results. The brilliant Audeze LCD-4 headphones are the result of all their hard work.

These large open-back headphones are best enjoyed when you're kicking back in a comfortable setting. Your living room, office, or study — basically, anywhere you can block out the world and sink into the oversized earcups. Connect the LCD-4 to a high-performance headphone amp, and you'll experience three-dimensional sound with lively, accurate mids, deep, detailed bass, and soaring highs.

Planar magnetic drivers — the basics

Before I get into what makes the Audeze LCD-4 headphones extra special, let me break down how planar magnetic drivers work. Audeze uses them to create their signature soundstage with a wide-open sense of depth and space. Unlike the dynamic drivers found in most headphones, planar magnetic drivers rely on a really thin diaphragm with a large surface area to generate sound.

A flexible circuit is etched across the entire surface of the diaphragm, which is suspended within a magnetic field. When the circuit receives an audio signal, it causes the diaphragm to move back and forth — moving air and creating sound.

Material science and engineering breakthroughs strengthen the performance

Your Audeze LCD-4 headphones arrive protected in a professional travel case with a heavy-duty, waterproof shell.

For the LCD-4, Audeze created their thinnest diaphragm yet. A single strand of human hair is 200 times thicker than the LCD-4's new nanometer grade diaphragm. Take a look at your hair and think about that. (Or if you're in the same boat as me, just imagine what it used to look like.)

Audeze takes that ultra-thin diaphragm and covers it with an aluminum circuit, using a slow and careful process that ensures the light, durable voice coil stays intact through years and years of listening. To show how serious they are, the planar drivers have an extended three-year warranty.

Extra-strong magnet array

Each driver uses a double Fluxor™ magnet array to move the diaphragm. This is a patent-pending, custom magnet structure that results in an unheard of amount of magnetic flux. The diaphragm starts and stops incredibly quickly, resulting in true-to-the-recording sound across a wide frequency range.

Precious materials and a premium cable

Audeze assembles each pair of LCD-4 headphones in their California headquarters, and the high-grade parts don't stop with the drivers. The headphone frame and yoke are custom-fabricated from aluminum. While the headphones weigh more than a pound, the over-padded leather earcups help distribute the weight properly to relieve the stress on your head. The headband is made of carbon-fiber and leather, and it features a split-suspension design for a fuss-free fit that won't need constant adjustment.

The LCD-4 also comes with a braided high-quality cable to keep every link in the audio chain strong. This four-conductor cable consists of several strands of silver-plated oxygen-free copper and is terminated by a 1/4" plug. Great care has been taken to preserve the signal and minimize interference.