Audeze LCD-GX

Easily the best sound I've ever had, but unfortunately that is all. I loved these for around a year, albeit with some modifications of my own for comfort.

As for comfort, the headband design leaves a lot to be desired. Unfortunately, the leader headband strip is too long and loose which results in contact with the metal frame at the very top of the head. After 30+ minutes of wearing, the pain of the headset resting on my cranium was too much to bear. I couldn't stand this and removed the thin leather strip, and encased the metal headband with some third-party product as padding. I really shouldn't be doing this for any headphones at this price, but I accepted it and did what I had to in order to continue enjoying the sound.

A more minor gripe I had with the LCD-GX is the unnecessarily cumbersome case it comes in. It's a pair of headphones, nothing more. No doubt this artificially increases the price. I would rather have seen Audeze use a better headband than include a case I will never use.

Ultimately, after owning the LCD-GX for just over a year, it's already falling apart and can no longer be used. It started a few months ago when the leather cushions on the earpads started stripping away its outer layer, resulting in black pieces sticking to my cheeks after only an hour or so of use. The final nail was only a few days ago where the earpads fell off due to the glue becoming too soft over time. Why Audeze used glue as a solution to attach the earpads, I'll never understand. I have used superglue to re-attach them, but with the leather falling off the pads I think it's time to put these down for good. I do not want to have to continue spending upkeep for a product that should be lasting way more than a year.

I cannot recommend these to anyone. It really is a shame for me because it will be difficult to sift through and find another pair of headphones with sound that I like.