This is my third Audeze product review to date, and all three belong to different product segments. The LCD-2 Classic (2021) is from the company's LCD Origins series that has a warmer sound signature to begin with, which the LCD-2 Classic then bumps up a notch. The Euclid is an impressive set of closed IEMs with good tuning and a very wide soundstage for the form factor. Today, we examined the LCD-XC (2021) that now ends up being potentially better at meeting the target curve for a reference set of headphones than even the extremely popular LCD-X.

This is because Audeze made a few updates to both the LCD-X and LCD-XC late last year, but these changes ultimately ended up favoring the LCD-XC more in even the company's own words. The latest iteration of the LCD-XC comes in two packages, with the $1300 Creator Pack being what you should really buy over the $1800 Premium Edition that doesn't make much financial sense when adding up the cost of its items individually. At first, I thought the Premium Edition was perhaps a mistake; no one could have actually missed this until now. However, as it turns out, I was simply missing some context—$1800 was the cost of the LCD-XC at launch, and the lower $1300 price point is a heavily discounted version that now still gets a very good travel case that is not as good as the premium LCD travel case. You also miss out on a balanced cable and an adapter, but can buy all three accessories with the Creator Pack and still save nearly $200 over the Premium Edition. This does make the Creator Pack a relative bargain by comparison, which is no doubt a working strategy for Audeze with the LCD-X/XC lineup.

Speaking of pricing, I also covered Embody's Immerse Virtual Studio as an analogue to the Audeze Reveal+ plug-in examined before. Digital signal processing is quickly becoming a must-have for professionals in the music and audio industry as a whole, with a reference sound people want to use and take on the go, where speakers and a professional studio are more stationary. Immerse Virtual Studio costs a pretty penny for the average consumer, who is not the target customer here, but allows for the intended use case to work out successfully at a reasonable cost compared to the competition today. I do have a few issues with the implementation, however, including the lack of consistency between various plug-ins. At this point in time, some studios and headphones in the Audeze Reveal+ version are not present in the so-called Immerse Virtual Studio All Access owing to a "unique relationship with Audeze," and IVS All Access in turn has the latest updates to the engine, including Apple M1 silicon compatibility that the others have had to wait for. There are still some missing presets, including for this 2021 version of the Audeze LCD-XC, and the existing, older preset makes listening a worse experience than without the plug-in and the HRTF profile enabled. To it's credit, Embody replied almost immediately, confirming that they are expecting frequency response curves from Audeze that will then get added to the next free update.

The whole audio-monitoring aspect is also where the LCD-XC really shines, which is why I decided to pair coverage of both products. When we do get a new preset, this combination will be quite potent in replacing far more expensive audio setups for professionals on the go, including DJs and sound engineers for movie studios. The LCD-XC is already very good in this regard, so much so that I am not sure whether it is currently an underrated Audeze reference product relative to the LCD-X, which I admittedly have not heard. However, it is more expensive, and also weighs more. You may well get a closer response to the target curve, but had best be sure you want the increased passive isolation that is the bigger difference between the two, no doubt. The LCD-XC (2021) does take DSP and EQ very well too, which helps address some of the technical issues with ear gain and ungainly peaks in the treble response.

The use of EQ may be blasphemous to some, especially for a $1300 set of headphones, although that number also includes all the accessories and the personalized testing that comes with it. In fact, you can contact Audeze with your serial number and get the factory measurements for your specific device. With that raw information in your hands and knowing the LCD-XC takes very well to EQ, why not try to customize the sound signature to your specific desire? There is no set target curve that will perfectly match any one person's needs and desires, and the LCD-XC (2021) work well as-is and can be made exceptional with some minor work. Whether or not you agree that Audeze should have done the work is a different matter, but given the low effort it takes and the massive potential available here, I am happy to recommend the LCD-XC (2021) for meeting the set goals for professionals and being a canvas for consumers to mold in their image. Just remember that this thing weighs ~675 grams, so get the fit and seal right and take breaks even then for the sake of your neck!