The Audeze LCD-2 headphones may be the finest headphones i've ever had the pleasure of listening to. The headphones arrived for review in a rugged plastic container that reminded me of the robust "Pelican" cases that often carry professional equipment.

I first heard Audeze LCD-2 planar magnetic headphones ($945 – $995, depending on options chosen) about a year ago at a Can-Jam event organized by our friends at

Well built and attractive headphone - muscular sound, good dynamics, excellent bass and midrange. Soundstaging is very good - both wide and deep. Instrument placement is also excellent - no wandering instruments with these headphones.

It wasn't easily apparent, but I eventually found that with female vocals the 2312341 and 2312454 sounded a bit more present than 2312260 and 2312476, which did sound a bit veiled in comparison.

There are people out there who love big speakers, and who spend a fortune on them, but if you need to cut the sound out or just want to listen to a recording intimately, a pair of $1300 headphones might be just what you need to look for.

Breathtaking sound; close to being there and listening; Practically perfect in audio quality and beautifully clear; So balanced; Well made; Very; very comfortable

Really needs an amp to drive them; They look very strange; The LCD2 headphones are massive; and the sheer size may put some people off; Proprietary cable; Very; very; very expensive

OK, this is a quick placeholder review. I didn't have more than a couple of hours with these and they were sitting in good company. Dac was a Metric Halo ULN2. Stax O2 out of an exstata. HD800 out of a B22 and SPL Auditor. First off, the LCD2 comfort level was AWFUL!

Looks fantastic

Comfort level is low and cable is stiff; Needs good pairing

Using planar magnetic technology, essentially a thin-film diaphragm housed between two magnetic structures, and an arsenal of knowledge pooled from a cache of industry sound engineers Audez'e (pronounced "odyssey") has managed to create what might be the smoothest pair of headphones we've ever...

I hate to admit this, but after about six years of serious headphone listening, they still leave me cold. I've heard some great phones, and the Head-Fi crowd is by far one of the most passionate group of audiophiles I've ever met, but… I miss the big, transparent, walk-through sound that I get from...

There comes a point when headphones are so rarefied they get to be made of wood. It can improve the sound of ultra-cans and make for an all-round deluxe experience. The wooden ones by supreme US brand Grado have a certain elegance, whereas these by Audeze just look absurd.

These headphones are beautifully made & styled (I know some would disagree about the styling but I love them). They come in a bomb proof case with a nice cleaning kit, so the perceived value is high. Worth the price. They are big & heavy but not uncomfortable. The sound?