Audeze LCD-S20: Not for the masses
Hello guys, it's me again with another headset looted from the owner of 3kShop. This time, I caught the Audeze LCD-S20, a headphone model released early next year from Audeze. Let's talk a little bit, this is a Closed-Back headphone model that uses Planar Magnetic Driver (planar magnetic). Before carefully using this headphone model on the company's homepage, I had a few "confusing" points with the product and it still is... Welcome.
Unboxing: Simple, no fuss
Unlike the manufacturers from next door, the LCD-S20 has a simple packaging and doesn't have too many highlights. The headset simply fits inside a thick layer of Foam, comes with a 2.5m headphone cord with 6.3mm Jack, 6.3mm to 3.5mm adapter and a card containing the User Guide and Driver link. This is quite good, you get a card that looks quite luxurious and the company also saves you the trouble of printing the user manual :v.
Reading this, many of you will be a little disappointed (including me) because the included accessories are somewhat "deficient". If the company equipped with a hard cover box to protect or at least a cloth bag so that when needed, you can take this headset with you, everything would be more complete. However, carrying this headset with you will be quite a difficult problem, which I will talk about in the next section.
Design and finishing quality on Audeze LCD-S20: rugged, sturdy but….
Ask whether the Audeze LCD-S20 looks beautiful and luxurious: The answer is yes, ask whether the Audeze LCD-S20 has good finishing quality - the answer is of course yes. And whether the materials used to make this headphone model are good or not - the answer will still be yes. But, all these yeses cannot turn the last part into a yes: Is the usage experience good - no.
Going back a bit, the Audeze LCD-S20 has a design that resembles the company's MM line, with a frame finished from Aluminum, Magnesium and steel - giving an extremely solid feeling. Not only is it completely made of metal, this metal part is also made very thick, making this headphone model weigh up to 550g, nearly 100g more than the Audeze MM-100 model (which is not light at 475g).
To say the least, Audeze has done a very good job on this LCD-S20 model. The details are handled well, I don't see any extra details on the device. CNC parts are also processed smoothly on the surface, without any feeling of sharpness of the cut.
Everything is perfect and perfect, even in the convenience part of the Studio environment - the company has also cleverly designed it to allow users to plug the headphone cord through any side and use it normally.
Earpads are also a big plus, the Earpads are finished from thick and soft synthetic leather. Not only that, these earpads are designed with magnets, making removing them for cleaning or replacement a great and extremely simple thing.
Feeling of wearing Audeze LCD-S20: A sad experience
However, weight up to 550g is a problem - for individuals, my physical condition is large. I listened to the headphones for about 30 minutes and then had to take them off to rest - I couldn't wear these headphones for 1 hour continuously. Heavy, very heavy and lacking in ergonomics is what I can say about this headset. I can't wear it for too long because it's really heavy and somewhat affects my spine :v…. Wearing these headphones is really tiring. Maybe my body shape isn't too big, but wearing a 550g headphone on my head is a bit uncomfortable...
The use of sturdy and thick materials makes this headphone model extremely sturdy and great on the outside, but in real life - everything has its fakeness. Maybe, this headphone model is aimed at Western users with its thickness and practicality, but there aren't too many big and lean headphone models like this. Another example of practicality in the Studio environment is Austrian - extremely practical but still comfortable. I still advise you guys, if necessary, you can go out to 3k to try it out, but I believe that not too many of you will feel "comfortable" when wearing this headphone model.
Technical specifications on Audeze LCD-S20
This is clearly not a difficult headphone model to pull, you can completely pull it directly with some Smartphone or laptop models that have a 3.5 mm jack via an adapter. How to pull out the sound is one thing, but how to pull out the sound is another story. In this article, I use port 3.5 on my Macbook Pro M1 Pro and the Desktop DAC/AMP All in one Fosi Audio ZH3 model to listen. I will have a separate post talking about this one.
Sound on Audeze LCD-S20
Still the same old problem, the sound output from Driver Planar Magnetic will be slightly different from the sound from Driver Dynamics. Personally, I prefer the sound from Driver Dynamics over this headphone model. I don't know how to describe it, but I think of the word "musical" so I'll use this word. It's all a matter of personal taste. As for any sound, you should listen to it first to see if it suits your taste or not, each person has their own style. Bass: What is the first thing we think of about a Closed-back headphone? That's right, what's the bass like? This is a good bass range, the biggest highlight of this headphone model. You will have a full bass with quite good speed and good control from Audeze. This headphone will be a little "dark" but not too much. To say it is completely neutral is not really true, but if it is skewed, it is not too true. Mid: This mid range is warm, but not warm when listening to vocals. When listening to vocals from singers, I still find it a bit "dry" and a bit "electrical". Hey, it depends a lot on the characteristics of Planar Magnetic. I'm someone who likes to listen to Vocal more, so I like the "sweet" headphone model. Otherwise, this mid range is quite clear, at least okay and neutral enough for the needs in the Studio. Treble: It's smooth, pleasant to listen to for a long time. It's just that this Treble is not too soaring. If you like a bright treble strip, this is not a good choice. Soundstage: To say the least, the soundstage of this headphone model is not impressive (Including Closed - Back). It is narrow, exactly what you imagine about a typical Closed-back headphone model. Fortunately, the sound position is still accurate, suitable for needs in the Studio or for regular music listening.
Another small part, Audeze LCD-S20 has very good passive noise canceling ability. The thick Earpads and closed-back design make this headset model have very good passive noise canceling ability. These are probably the recent headphone models I've used that have such good passive noise canceling ability.
The Audeze LCD-S20 is very good, but…
The Audeze LCD-S20 itself is not a bad headphone model, we have a very meaty headphone, full of weight but still luxurious. A well-made, sturdy and not lacking in practicality headset with many new technologies included, but…. The weight and feeling of wearing it are not for the majority (well, for me, this flat magnetic driver too). Have you ever heard of headphones weighing more than 500g? Please comment below. Sound is not the same thing for everyone. If you like this headphone model and have time, listen to it and then decide to buy anything about sound.