They are flat ribbon cables with four separate strands, which divide in a ‘Y’ shape to attach separately to each earcup using locking four-pin mini-XLRs. Yet differ they do, and although the EL8s are still very fine headphones, they don’t quite succeed as often or as spectacularly in creating the illusion that there is nothing between the music and the listener. Fostex also developed an analogous microphone technology, employed in their ‘printed ribbon’ mics from the late ’70s and early ’80s.

On the other hand, that same plastic construction makes HD800S much lighter and a much more comfortable headphone. Nonetheless, I’m happy to report that the LCD-X 2021 is a totally different headphone when it comes to its midrange performance. From the point of view of frequency response, in fact, the closest thing I’ve heard to the LCD-Xs is a lesser pair of headphones with a ‘calibrated’ corrective EQ applied using Sonarworks’ Reference plug-in. That dip in the upper mids, that ‘Audeze house sound’, results in vocals having amazing body and timbre without sounding tinny.In theory, electrostatic headphones share some of the advantages that capacitor microphones have over moving-coil designs. There are many such examples in the world of audio, and, just occasionally, someone comes along and revives a forgotten alternative to the dominant technology to remind us what we’re missing. With the right headphone amp, the input signal will remain balanced right up to the driver, eliminating crosstalk and inter-channel modulation. Since most mastering engineers introduce a minor sub-bass roll-off below 35Hz in most songs anyway, LCD-X 2021's sub-bass roll-off isn't as perceivable with a vast majority of songs. Michelle McLaughlin’s “Across The Burren” is another of my favorite highs/sharpness test songs as it can easily sound painful on some headphones.

The HEDDphone is far more fatiguing to wear over longer periods of time, mainly because of its headband construction. Great care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this article but neither Sound On Sound Limited nor the publishers can be held responsible for its contents. Nor do I want the downtime and wild swings in quality that would come from me moving from the world of headphones I know to the world of monitors in a room that I have almost zero experience with. In fact, apart from a marginally brighter mid-range and a fractionally less confident and full bass, I’d be hard put to pinpoint exactly how they differ from the LCD-Xs.As you will see, I confirm the approximate accuracy of the measurements using Equalization and listening tests. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations. Together, these innovations enable audio professionals to efficiently get their mix done right in a variety of settings.