Audeze LCD-5s Review — Headfonics

Marcus reviews the Audeze LCD-5s, a 2nd-generation flagship planar magnetic driver open-back headphone featuring SLAM technology. It is currently priced at $4500.

Disclaimer: I received this sample in exchange for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or services. I thank the team at Audeze for their support.

Click here to read more about the Audeze products we have previously reviewed on Headfonics.

This article follows our current scoring guidelines, which you can read in more detail here.

Audeze LCD-5s Review

Summary

The open-back planar driver Audeze LCD-5s sound is a satisfying mix of old and new. It combines SLAM with the excellent speed and technical capability of the LCD-5 driver and the more emotionally engaging, smoother sound of the older models.

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9.2

Pros

Improved bass presence and smoother upper-mids.

Comfier ear pad design than the LCD-5.

Easy to drive from quality amplifiers.

Cons

Intimate soundstage.

Some might find the tuning a bit dark.

Heavier than the original LCD-5

Although a decidedly different type of headphone, last year’s electrostatic Audeze CRBN2 headphones introduced the concept of SLAM technology for bass enhancement.

This technology has quickly become a bedrock in subsequent alternative driver headphones across both ends of the pricing spectrum, ranging from the $499 LCD-S20 in mid-2025 to their latest creation, the flagship $4500 LCD-5s open-back planar headphones.

The advent of the new LCD-5s also means the discontinuation of the original LCD-5. A headphone that generated a lot of different opinions among Audeze headphones fans, old and new. A new design, a different driver, and a new sound; change can often be unsettling.

The new LCD-5s design and SLAM-enhanced tuning certainly address some of the LCD-5 user feedback. It sounds smoother now, with less pinna gain, with weightier lows. For some fans, this might quell the old-school thirst for that darker Audeze house sound.

But is it a return to the legacy tuning of the LCD-4 or even the newer LCD-4z? Or perhaps it’s moving the whole process closer to the goals of the SLAM-equipped CRBN2? And how does the LCD-5s perform and compare to all three? I found out in my full review below. 

Features

The Audeze LCD-5s is an open-back planar magnetic driver headphone similar in size and form factor to the previous LCD-5.

It has some overlapping features with the older version, including a 90mm driver with Audeze’s current Fazor waveguide, a nano-scale diaphragm thickness, and 14 Neodymium N50 magnets in a single-sided Fluxor magnet array.

However, there are some key differences, including the aforementioned SLAM technology, a revised chassis structure for the driver diaphragm (targeting the mids), and a more comfortable ear pad design.

SLAM targets the LCD-5s lows, delivering a thicker, more powerful bass response than the flatter LCD-5 performance without lengthening the diaphragm excursion and dramatically reducing efficiency.

The most tangible exterior evidence of SLAM inside the LCD-5s is the additional gold ring between the cup and pad, something that is not present on the older model.

This ring houses several fine-tuned physical channels that act as a conduit between the pads and the driver to relieve pressure and acoustically modulate or boost the low-frequency response of the LCD-5s by several dB over the original without adding distortion.

There is a slight increase in load at 35Ω compared to the LCD-5 14Ω rating, but the sensitivity levels remain unchanged at 90 dB/mW. It is not a hard headphone to drive, but I always found the original to excel with amps offering good dynamic range, with the LCD-5s following a similar pattern.

Design

The LCD-5s has the same form factor as the original LCD-5 but has been given the LCD-4z treatment in terms of aesthetics. In short, it’s been jazzed up a bit with copper accents, though my eye suggests it’s closer to a rose gold finish on the adjuster rods.

Still, it cuts a richer looking visual with copper-accented grill meshes and copper-toned labeling combined with the copper or rose gold rod adjusters, and the new SLAM copper/rose-gold ring between the ‘Tortoiseshell’ dyed and polished acetate enclosures and the new pads.

My eyes are also signaling to me that the enclosures do have a slightly more vibrant look to them with a stronger injection of yellow or gold, but that could well be a production variation since using dye makes for unique finishing on each cup.

One more nuanced change in the finishing seems to be the stronger mini-XLR connector rings. The original LCD-5 sample I have here has thinner rings on the connection stem entry, whereas the new ones look a bit beefier and have a chrome finish.

All other areas seem largely unchanged, meaning molded black magnesium connectors and gimbals that tightly hug the contours of the LCD-5s cups, and a lightweight carbon fiber headband and pressure strap system.

One thing to note is the weight difference between the original and the LCD-5s. The new design weighs 475g compared to the original’s 420g. That is a noticeable difference, but by no means a deal-breaker due to the new pads’ comfier design.

I can only presume the additional SLAM ring, chassis refinement, and thicker connectors have contributed to the LCD-5s’s weight gain.

Comfort

There have been some major changes to how the LCD-5s sits on your head relative to pressure distribution and the ear pad design. The result of this is a much more comfortable fitting experience compared to the original.

I must caveat this by saying the LCD-5s comfort levels won’t beat the likes of Susvara or an Empyrean for that lush feel on the side of your temples, but if you own an LCD-4z, it feels a little closer to that level, which is entirely satisfactory.

So, what has Audeze done to achieve this? The first is the tension in the headband, which feels more malleable for various head sizes compared to the more restrictive LCD-5 headband.

That seems to diminish the LCD-5s’s lateral clamping pressure, which was the key issue with my personal LCD-5 fitting experience.

The second big change are the new ear pads. I am not 100% sure if they changed the memory foam inside, but they feel a little softer than the OG pads.

The LCD-5s pads are also a little more streamlined on the extreme edges around the stitching, which enhances the softness, reducing the pointed edging of the original and creating a flatter, slightly wider contact surface.

Also, the ear pad’s inner-wall fluting is shallower, and if you look directly inside, the start of the pad’s base is a few mm higher than the originals, giving them a shallower look.

I suspect that this is to allow the SLAM rings to work efficiently, and you can see them at the base of the cups just in front of the driver enclosure. Arguably, the opening is a little smaller and narrower, but on the positive side, your ears are less likely to touch the driver enclosures.

Stock Cable

The LCD-5s stock cable seems unchanged from the LCD-5 original, at least according to my notes.

That means a balanced connection, which can be rare for an Audeze headphone stock cable. Fans of single-ended connections will not feel left out as the LCD-5s comes with a short 4-pin XLR to 6.35mm pig-tail connector using the same jacket design and wiring.

This is not Audeze’s regular 4-wire AWG20 single-crystal OCC copper and silver-plated copper Premium cable, sold for $599 on their website.

Rather, it is similar to the original LCD-5’s directional OCC high-purity AWG20-rated copper wiring with the same dark copper and black dual-tone PVC jacket finish.

The stock cable connectors are Neutrik’s next-gen zinc diecast-finished NC3FXX 4-pin XLR for the jack, and Rean mini-XLR for the cups.

This cable handles well. You should have no concerns with undue weight, stiffness, or distracting microphonics when connected to the LCD-5s headphones and in use.

Packaging & Accessories

The LCD-5s comes packed inside the same type of aluminum travel case that Audeze used for the original LCD-5 and is well protected during shipping via 2 foam inserts inside a regular brown courier box.

The aluminum case is larger and slightly different in design from the standard Economy LCD Travel Case, though the mechanics and internal foam lining follow a similar pattern.

I can’t say if it is weatherproof like the Premium Travel case, but it does have an upscale and smoother-looking external finish compared to the Economy version that comes with the likes of the LCD-XC 2021.

Like the smaller economy case, you get a set of small keys to allow you to lock the LCD-5s version, which is rather handy considering the price of the headphones.

You also get a warranty card in its own separate thin foam slot and a very handy pair of white cotton gloves if you are OCD in the handling of the LCD-5s headphones.

The gloves keep the fingerprints off the enclosures and cut down on any unwanted transfer of dirt and grease from your hands.

Sound Impressions

The following sound impressions of the Audeze LCD-5s were completed using the dCS Bartok Apex, the Ferrum OOR/WANDLA GSE combo, and the Auris Audio Headonia 300B/Holo Audio Spring 2 DAC.

Summary

A lot has changed; the LCD-5s sound quite different from the LCD-5. Some will like it, some will not, and some will absolutely love it.

For the ‘old school’ fans, the new smoother, weightier tuning is a step in the right direction. The LCD-5s has more in common with the LCD-4z, and overall, I would regard it as a very smooth and natural performer.

Sibilance is not an issue; incidents of metallic overtones in the treble are non-existent; this is a very coherent sound signature.

For those who found the LCD-5 a bit ‘shouty’, the LCD-5s is a satisfying remedy. Natural, even-harmonic-biased vocal notes, with a slightly rounded tone, are attributes that will allow for longer listening sessions without fatigue.

For LCD-5 (and MM-500) evangelists, the LCD-5’s darker mids might come as a surprise. Vocals are now more relaxed in their imaging, the highs less energetic, delivering a set of upper-mids that I find much easier on the ear but arguably do not cut through the mix as decisively as the LCD-5.

I think both camps will agree that the LCD-5s’s low-end response is now much more significant below 80Hz.

For rhythmic recordings, the LCD-5s delivers a fulsome, more powerful bass, albeit with a slightly softer, lower-contrast tone than the LCD-5’s leaner, but more rapier-like approach.

The LCD-5s lows will benefit from amplifiers that combine weight, precision, and energy, sounding gorgeous with the likes of the dCS Bartok Apex.

Since it is a similar 90mm driver size, the LCD-5s’s technical capability is unchanged from the LCD-5 to my ear, so it’s still a fairly compact soundstage.

Rather, it’s the change in tuning emphasis that affects how detail is perceived. Depth is a strong point now with the LCD-5s; mids are less forced, and the highs are relaxed.

Frequency Response

The biggest FR changes on the LCD-5s relative to the LCD-5 are sub-100Hz and everything really beyond 2-3k.

The FR on the LCD-5s has a lifted sub-bass response that starts around 70-80hz but is more noticeable around 50Hz when recordings call upon it, and the amplifier can reproduce it. 

Still, even with a portable DAP or amplifier, you will notice a weightier response when switching between the two headphones. They also sound fuller than the LCD-4z, but it’s not as spread out or ambient in its delivery as the bigger headphone.

I do not sense a huge change in tuning from 200Hz up to 1k. It’s fairly linear with a slow rise up to 1k-2k, so vocals and most midrange instruments that traverse this region get a subtle lift.

Obviously, the firmer bass response will affect the fundamental frequency magnitude; lower-mids instruments will sound beefier than before, but otherwise the imaging feels about the same.

Midrange note timbre on the LCD-5s will also sound a little more rounded and smoother than the LCD-5, courtesy of a reduced 2-4k FR bump.

It will sound a little darker and more distant than the strident LCD-5 imaging, but in its own right, I find the balance very good with vocals nicely weighted and natural-sounding.

There isn’t a huge amount of forward energy from 5-10k. Rather, it’s mildly lifted to prevent percussion timbre from sounding blunted, and there is a decent if not overwhelming amount of air beyond the mids.

Arguably, the LCD-5s has more extension or slightly more amplitude than the LCD-5 from 5-10k, but again, it’s not forced, so this is not a headphone that will sound bright or metallic in its delivery.

Click on page 2 below for my recommended pairings and selected comparisons.

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