Audeze LCD-2 Rev 2
The planar that put Audeze on the map: warm, dark, and thick through the bass. The reference for “smooth and powerful.”
Our take
The LCD-2 (Rev 2) is warm and dark with a big, textured low end and a relaxed top, the opposite of a bright analytical can. It is forgiving of bad recordings and wants power to control that bass. A treble lift via EQ brings out detail without breaking the character.
Measured on a Head Acoustics HMS II.3 artificial head — raw response, left/right averaged, normalized to 0 dB at 1 kHz. From the Sonic Temple Archive(2008–2014, one unit per model). Honest limits: seating variance runs ±0.4 dB in the mids to ±3.9 dB above 12 kHz, and open headphones read bass-light on this fixture — don’t read fine treble detail as settled. How we measure →
Common questions
Straight answers — the same ones our measurements support.
Does the LCD-2 need an amp?
Yes, a capable one. It is a current-hungry planar that goes soft on weak sources.
Is the LCD-2 dark?
Deliberately warm with a relaxed top end. If you want more sparkle, it EQs up cleanly.
If you like the LCD-2 Rev 2
Close on the graph, or a deliberate step in one direction.