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The Flagship That Slams: Audeze’s Most Lifelike Headphone, Perfected
Refinement. Precision. Luxury.
The Audeze LCD-5s is the newest evolution of Audeze’s flagship open-back planar magnetic headphone, engineered from the ground up for audiophiles, mastering engineers, and recording professionals who refuse to compromise on accuracy, bass authority, or long-session comfort. Building on the multi-award-winning LCD-5 platform, the LCD-5s introduces Audeze’s patent-pending SLAM™ (Symmetric Linear Acoustic Modulator) technology alongside a redesigned driver and newly sculpted earpads—delivering mastering-grade precision that surpasses even its celebrated predecessor. Hand-assembled at Audeze’s facility in California, the LCD-5s pairs cutting-edge planar magnetic engineering with luxurious materials and meticulous craftsmanship. Just add a quality headphone amplifier and your favorite source.
What You’ll Hear: A Vast, Immersive Soundscape
From the very first notes, the LCD-5s reveals a level of detail, impact, and transparency that will stop even seasoned audiophiles in their tracks. Thanks to SLAM technology, bass response is palpably physical—deep, powerful, and precisely controlled—without sacrificing a single ounce of midrange clarity or treble extension. Audeze describes the result as a 6 dB boost extending down to 10 Hz, achieved entirely through acoustic engineering rather than DSP processing.
The midrange is strikingly natural. A revised nano-scale Parallel Uniforce diaphragm connects to a new chassis structure, allowing the most precise midrange tuning Audeze has ever achieved. Vocals and acoustic instruments emerge with lifelike presence and immediacy, while the treble extends smoothly to 50 kHz without a trace of harshness or listening fatigue.
Soundstaging is expansive and three-dimensional. The LCD-5s’ optimized acoustic chamber, SLAM-tuned airflow channels, and acoustically transparent mesh work together to deliver pinpoint imaging and a remarkably open, immersive presentation. Total harmonic distortion is vanishingly low—less than 0.1% at 100 dB—ensuring the music reaches your ears virtually untouched.
With a 35-ohm impedance and 90 dB/mW sensitivity, the LCD-5s pairs well with a wide range of amplifiers. Audeze recommends a dedicated headphone amplifier providing 500 mW or more to unlock its full dynamic potential, with 100 mW as the minimum requirement.
What the Experts Are Saying
“The LCD-5s is upgraded and improved beyond any reasonable expectation. It’s better, bigger, smoother, wider, deeper, more articulate, and more comfortable.”
— Bernie & Dale Becker, Latin Grammy Winning Mastering Engineers
“With LCD-5s, we’ve refined every aspect of the listening experience—from driver performance to comfort and industrial design—to deliver the most lifelike and emotionally engaging planar magnetic headphone we’ve ever created.”
— Sankar Thiagasamudram, Audeze CEO
Inside the Engineering: Technology That Serves the Music
SLAM™ Acoustic Technology (Symmetric Linear Acoustic Modulator): The headline advancement in the LCD-5s. Originally developed for Audeze’s elite CRBN2 electrostatic headphones, SLAM uses precision-engineered acoustic channels built into the ring connecting the earpads to the drivers. These channels are meticulously tuned through advanced simulations, precision measurements, and critical listening to modulate low-frequency response and relieve pressure buildup—delivering a claimed 6 dB bass boost extending to 10 Hz, improved spatial precision, and reduced distortion, all without relying on DSP or altering tonal accuracy.
Nano-Scale Parallel Uniforce™ Diaphragm: Audeze’s thinnest, most responsive diaphragm material yet, connected to a revised chassis structure for the most precise midrange tuning possible. Varying-width parallel traces etched onto the ultra-thin membrane deliver uniform force across the entire driver surface, dramatically lowering distortion and improving resolution at any listening level.
Fluxor™ Magnet Array: Powerful N50 neodymium magnets in Audeze’s proprietary Fluxor arrangement maximize magnetic flux density for exceptional efficiency and driver control, contributing to the LCD-5s’ vanishingly low distortion and dynamic authority.
Fazor™ Waveguides: Low-profile Fazor elements manage the interaction of sound waves as they leave the driver and enter the ear canal, reducing diffractions and reflections for cleaner transients, tighter imaging, and a more coherent soundstage.
Newly Sculpted Earpad Geometry: Smoothly curved earpad forms crafted from genuine leather provide effortless comfort for hours of listening while minimizing audible reflections and improving seal.
Premium Construction with Copper Accents: The LCD-5s’ frame combines carbon fiber, magnesium, genuine leather, and polished polymer acetate with sophisticated copper accents. Deep-gloss tortoiseshell acetate earcup rings and a carbon-fiber suspension headband bring an unmistakable sense of luxury to every wearing experience.
Ready for Your System
Every LCD-5s ships with Audeze’s most premium cable—specially tuned with directional OCC high-purity copper strands for a low-capacitance, low-resistance signal path. The cable terminates in a 4-pin XLR balanced connector. A 4-pin XLR to 6.3mm TRS adapter and a 6.3mm to 3.5mm adapter are included, ensuring compatibility with virtually any headphone output from dedicated desktop amplifiers to portable DAC/amps.
From the Listening Room to the Mastering Suite
The LCD-5s is equally at home in a dedicated audiophile listening space, a professional mastering studio, or wherever you carve out time for serious music listening. Audiophiles will appreciate the vast, immersive soundscape and the physically engaging bass that SLAM technology brings to the planar magnetic platform. Mastering engineers and producers—including Latin Grammy winners Bernie and Dale Becker—rely on the LCD-5s’ neutral, uncolored midrange and precise imaging for critical decisions that translate reliably to speakers and other playback systems.
The open-back design breathes naturally and avoids the air-pressure buildup that causes fatigue with closed-back headphones. The LCD-5s ships in a lockable aluminum travel case with all adapters—a complete package befitting a flagship instrument for music.
Closer to the Truth of the Recording
If the pursuit of musical truth matters to you—if you want bass that you feel in your chest, midrange that breathes with lifelike presence, and treble that shimmers without fatigue—the Audeze LCD-5s delivers that experience with authority, elegance, and all-day comfort. This is Audeze’s finest achievement, and your invitation to hear everything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a headphone amplifier to drive the LCD-5s?
With an impedance of 35 ohms and a sensitivity of 90 dB/mW, the LCD-5s will produce sound from most sources, but Audeze recommends a dedicated headphone amplifier providing at least 100 mW to hear it properly, with 500 mW or more being ideal for unlocking its full dynamic range and bass authority.
What is SLAM™ technology, and how does it improve the sound?
SLAM stands for Symmetric Linear Acoustic Modulator. It uses precision-engineered acoustic channels built into the ring connecting the earpads to the drivers. These channels modulate low-frequency response and relieve air-pressure buildup, delivering a claimed 6 dB bass boost extending down to 10 Hz along with improved spatial precision and reduced distortion—all through acoustic engineering, without any DSP processing. SLAM was originally developed for Audeze’s CRBN2 electrostatic headphones.
What is a planar magnetic headphone, and why does it matter?
Unlike conventional dynamic drivers that use a small coil attached to a cone, planar magnetic drivers suspend an ultra-thin diaphragm between magnetic arrays. The entire surface is driven uniformly, resulting in faster transient response, lower distortion, and more accurate reproduction of complex musical passages.
What does “open-back” mean, and is it right for me?
Open-back headphones allow air and sound to pass through the earcups, creating a wider, more natural soundstage. The trade-off is that sound leaks in both directions. Open-back headphones are best suited for quiet home listening environments, dedicated listening rooms, or professional studios.
How does the LCD-5s compare to the original LCD-5?
The LCD-5s builds on the LCD-5 with SLAM™ acoustic technology for more powerful bass; a revised driver design with more precise midrange tuning; newly sculpted earpad geometry for improved comfort and seal; updated styling with copper accents; and a higher impedance of 35 ohms (up from 14 ohms) with a recommended amplifier power of 500 mW or more.
How comfortable is the LCD-5s for long sessions?
The LCD-5s features newly sculpted earpad geometry with smoothly curved genuine leather forms designed for effortless comfort over hours of listening. The carbon-fiber and magnesium frame keeps weight at 475 grams, and the open-back design avoids air-pressure buildup.
What’s included in the box?
The LCD-5s ships with the headphone, a premium 4-pin XLR balanced cable with OCC high-purity copper, a 4-pin XLR to 6.3mm TRS adapter, a 6.3mm to 3.5mm adapter, and a lockable aluminum travel case.
Can I replace the cable or earpads?
Yes. The LCD-5s uses detachable connectors at the earcups. Replacement earpads are available from Audeze. Earpads are considered consumable items and are not covered under warranty.
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