A little too thick and warm, too intimate, when really what I preferred was neutral, open, and a tad dark. LCD-X leverages patented Audeze technologies, including Ultra-Thin Uniforce™ diaphragms, Fazor waveguides, and powerful neodymium magnets to deliver extremely accurate and detailed sound. What’s probably the most interesting – I find the LCD-X 2021 more comfortable, even though they are definitely heavier. Personally, after getting my pair custom EQ'd by Sonar Works around five years ago, I never felt they gave me anything to be unhappy about. I perceive no sibilance (since the lower-treble is quite neutral) and the airy and sparkly character only adds a ton of excitement and resolution to what would've otherwise been a warm signature.

The only concern I’ve had with my pair is that the small triangular piece where the cable attaches to the right earpiece has come loose once since I got these, and come a few millimeters out of the shell. The EL8s have an impressively neutral tonality, detailed yet not exaggerated presentation of transients, and a rewarding sense of musical dynamics.Thanks to that change, we now get a much better sense of openness, better definition, and more natural vocal presentation. The cutting-edge designs and circuit technologies have created a breathtakingly beautiful sounding headphone.

Technical performance - I'm going to switch away from my regular format and talk about LCD-X 2021's impressive technical performance first because that is the first thing that grabbed my attention. Over the last few years, they’ve improved their technology and implemented some great technologies, such as the Fazor for example.If you do have a dedicated DAC / Amp (such as the excellent iFi 'Zen Dac', Lake People 'G109P' or RME 'ADI-2 DAC'), then you can unlock another level of detail and precision.