Audeze's Latest Flagship, 1/3 Less Weight! Audeze’s LCD series has set the standard for planar magnetic headphone performance for the past decade. Starting with the LCD-2 that ushered in a new era of planar technology in 2009, Audeze introduced the LCD-3 in 2011 and LCD-4 in 2015. With the LCD-5, everything has been improved – drivers, earpads, frame design - to set a new standard for performance and comfort. The new planar driver and magnet structure extend the frequency response 1/3 less weight than the LCD-4! The new sculpted earpad design improves upper midrange response Improved structural design incorporating magnesium, acetate, and carbon-fiber Each LCD-5 comes with a balanced 4-pin XLR cable with a single-ended adapter. The LCD-5 sets a new standard for accuracy. Its drivers are engineered with our award-winning Fluxor magnets and updated Fazor waveguides along with our new Patent-pending Parallel Uniforce™ voice coils, which employ varying width parallel traces to keep the impedance low and provide increased voltage headroom by altering the current density within each trace. The uniform force created by this optimization lowers distortion and provides better control over diaphragm movement, resulting in improved sonic resolution. We’ve optimized every aspect of the LCD-5’s acoustic chamber to achieve pinpoint imaging and an extremely clean and clear soundstage. The new sculpted earpads and acoustically transparent mesh are designed to minimize reflections and resonance, while the Parallel Uniforce™ voice coil allows increased space between magnets for improved frequency response and a more open soundstage. LCD-5 also features newly designed low-profile Fazor waveguides to further reduce diffractions and interactions with the ear. Weighing in at only 420 grams, the LCD-5 offers hours of listening pleasure. Every part has been re-engineered, using materials such as magnesium, aluminum, and acetate which offer lightweight and high rigidity. When you put on a pair of LCD-5s, your head and ears are cradled in materials of the finest quality. Supple premium leather and carbon fiber pull all the elements together into a package of the finest craftsmanship, which we hand-assemble in our California workshop. Our new sculpted, internally sloped earpad architecture reduces unwanted resonances and interior reflections. The ergonomic design cradles your skull and helps naturally place the headphones in the optimal listening position. The pads have less contact surface area than standard designs to reduce fatigue while providing a superior seal for all shapes and sizes. The LCD-5 cable is specially tuned with directional OCC high-purity copper strands that provide low capacitance and low resistance path for the signal to travel from your amp to the drivers, maintaining unsurpassed clarity and precision. It comes standard with an XLR terminated cable for a balanced system or uses it with the single-ended adapter.