Audeze LCD-GX review: $900 gaming headset impresses with killer audio

With an all-metal magnesium design, in addition to enormous drivers, does the Audeze LCD-GX manage to justify its hefty $899 price tag?

The Audeze LCD-GX headset arrived at our doorstep encased in a secure lockbox. Opening it up revealed the massive headset, a bundle of wires, and a padlock, with a key. That puts into perspective just the type of company that Audeze is and the kind of products they make.

Audeze is an audio company based out of California, which serves only the most discerning of audiophiles. Outside of very few products, the company’s premium products certainly are not for everyone.

The flagship pair of headphones they sell come in at a whopping $4500, and if you haven’t got the gear to power them, they’ll be completely lost on you.

Audeze hasn’t been in the gaming market for too long, making two different “gaming” headsets that didn’t make too much of a splash in the wider gaming headset market. Prior iterations had features like 3D audio, which has been done away with in the LCD-GX headset.

The LCD-GX has dropped all gimmicks in favor of reproducing something closer to the older LCD-2s from a few years ago. These were Audeze’s flagship headphones, in an interview, the CEO and founder of Audeze pointed out that GX came into development after discovering that people were using the LCD-2 for gaming.

So how do the LCD-GX headphones stack up against the bevy of headsets we’ve already tested? Are they worth the $899 asking price? It might be stating the obvious, but this is an enlightening audio experience like no other.

Key specs

• Headphone frequency response: 10Hz – 50kHz
• Headphone drivers: 100mm Planar Magnetic
• Connections: Mini-XLR to 6.8mm jack, mini-XLR to 3.5mm jack
• Directional microphone
• Compatibility: Any device with a 3.5mm jack, or 6.8mm jack

Design

The look of the LCD-GX is quintessential Audeze. A grate with an “A” glazes the outer earcup, while two gigantic squishy cups line the insides. These headphones are big. Really big. Noticeably big. There’s nowhere to comfortably place them flat on a desk, and it forced us to start investigating the wild world of headphone stands.

Audeze has constructed just about everything out of magnesium. The adjustment poles, and the outer casing, are all made out of high-quality metal. Despite feeling heavy when initially picking them up, the LCD-GX is seriously comfortable. We’re talking hours upon hours while sitting down to play a game without having so much as to adjust them.

Your hair will poke through the holes at the top, preventing a sweaty head and the cups are made of a super soft, but sturdy material that feels like a plush marshmallow on the side of your head.

We especially like that this comes with two options for connecting the headset to the PC, or any device. Audeze has provided a dedicated “just audio” option, or using the microphone to turn it into a full-fledged headset.

Microphone

Dexerto

The microphone is attached just below the headphones, but is tied to the cables that power it. It protrudes out at the base of the connection, which you’d think would be awkward, especially as you can’t remove it from the device at all.

You would need to find another mini-XLR cable to a 3.5mm jack to play on something like Steam Deck without the microphone also having to be carried around.

It’s not just an afterthought either, as the gooseneck arm is magnesium, like the rest of the LCD-GX. However, the covered head of the microphone is plastic but still feels like a premium device.

At $900, if the microphone was poking into the side of my face at all times, or obfuscating my peripheral vision, we’d have a much different response here. In fact, while the microphone is connected, it flexes so low down that it wasn’t a detriment to enjoying the headset at all.

Cables

Each connection into the headphones also feels exceptionally secure. Instead of a traditional 3.5mm or embedded wire, Audeze power their headphones via mini-XLR. Even the included cable is expensive. At $149.99, it is “tangle free” and made with a specific “audio-grade” copper core.

For the price, we’re glad it doesn’t feel like there’s no risk of these getting damaged any time soon. Despite the hardware being quite thin once you remove the cups, the LCD-GX should survive just about anything.

Features

This is where the Audeze LCD-GX truly upends the table for everyone else. We don’t think that we’ll ever find another pair of headphones in the future that compare to that first time booting up a game with them.

The ambiance and foley sound bristle the eardrums while swelling music as you hit that key point in the level ooze dramatics. Despite other companies’ attempts to bring additional quality to the table via software, nothing can compare to having the raw, unmitigated power of it being embedded in hardware.

Nothing truly compares to the fidelity of audio you can get out of them. Games sounded better. Music revealed layers we didn’t think about before. Even the microphone sounds pretty decent.

When listening to Ween’s The Mollusk, an album that can often find itself on a loop while we work, or play Magic Arena, we heard aspects of the song that hadn’t managed to grace us before. The major problem is that music only truly shows its true colors once you start using lossless audio.

After a quick switch in Apple Music, we found that nearly every song we’re used to hearing through bog-standard headphones was peeled back to reveal the true quality. We did go one step further and downloaded some FLAC files of albums we enjoy. Hearing how Radiohead’s OK Computer was intended to be heard is baffling, but a joyous moment to have.

DAC and Amp recommended

What makes the LCD-GX headset stand out from the audiophile crowd is its wider support for regular devices. These types of headphones – work best when pushed through a DAC and amp. The hardware inside requires a bit of a kick to get that sound you’ve been promised.

However, making a gaming headset, you want to be able to bring that power to everyone. Plugging it into a straight 3.5mm jack on our MacBook Pro was a little unfair, as the device comes with support for these types of high-impedance headphones. However, the PC, Steam Deck, and Xbox gave us a little bit more of a realistic view of how these would sound without a DAC and amp in place.

While not as good as running through the proper equipment, when plugged into a regular 3.5mm jack, there’s still this rich sound. It’s not as loud, nor as customizable to your tastes, but it packs a wallop unlike anything else currently available. Though, equipping yourself with a DAC is still absolutely the best way to experience this gaming headset.

It’s here where the costs can begin to build up. A recommended DAC and amp can cost upwards of a few hundred additional dollars. The headphones themselves come in at $900, you’re going to be expected to spend nearly anywhere between $100 to $300 extra when all is said and done. That’s just for the entry-level gear.

Planar magnetic drivers

A lot of the successes of Audeze’s headphone lineup are down to the planar magnetic drivers. These huge 100mm drivers differ from the mass-produced kit that often finds itself inside other headphones. They offer a deeper level of bass, and overall a richer sound.

This is backed by the open-back design, offering a much wider soundstage for your games. By opening the soundstage this far out, you find that the LCD-GX isn’t just exceptional sounding, but intensely accurate too.

On the inside, the LCD-GX allows air to move around much more freely, as the planar magnetic drivers help deliver a comforting warmth in some songs, and a flatter, but still rich experience while gaming.

Audeze LCD-GX gaming performance

Dexerto

The gaming performance of the LCD-GX is unparalleled. Compared with others in Audeze’s line, it’s a little flatter than the rest of the LCDs. It’s intentional, as this allows for a more balanced gaming experience.

However, we adore the raw sound that comes from this when put through the proper equipment, to the point where we mostly left it alone. In the last two weeks, we think we might have adjusted the bass slightly, but that’s about it.

Our primary source of testing was Resident Evil 4 Remake and the Serious Sam franchise. We chose these due to the sound options in RE4, and Serious Sam’s hectic nature.

Resident Evil 4 Remake

Resident Evil 4’s sound options are surprisingly deep but tucked away behind the audio menu. We used the sound reverb, set the bullet impact to large, and of course, set the game to headphones mode.

The LCD-GX helped highlight aspects of the game that other headsets we compared them to couldn’t. While every headset could easily replicate the distance effects and the like, nothing sounded as good as hearing the ensuing chaos through the Audeze LCD-GX headset.

On the Steam Deck, it felt thinner, but on PC, through the Rodecaster Pro II, one of the least scary Resident Evil games suddenly became a thrill as we stalked the castle grounds for scarce ammo. Even the old Merchant chiming in gave us a jump.

Counter-Strike

We also put the tried and true Counter-Strike: Global Offensive through its paces. Each bullet and every step felt vibrant in our ears. Gunfights came with an added layer of overwhelmingness, as the massive planar magnetic drivers were attempting to give us a sensory overload.

Surround sound shenanigans with Serious Sam

Where they excelled was in games that we didn’t think would have had that level of attention brought to them. Serious Sam isn’t exactly the first game people think of to test headphones, but they’re a good indicator of how good surround sound is from them.

Playing some of the more outlandish areas of Serious Sam 4 confirmed that the LCD-GX improves nearly everything. Who wanted to play three hours of Serious Sam 4 before?

Not us, but we did it and the bombastic audio the LCD-GX provides brings another layer to the whole experience.

Verdict – 5/5

The Audeze LCD-GX is worth $900, and we get that’s an outlandish statement to make. Nothing, and we mean nothing, in this space compares to what the LCD-GX offers. You get full-bodied sound, backed by a bounty of material quality that would make even the likes of SteelSeries and Razer blush.

Do we recommend them to average users? Maybe not, but if you’re particular about your audio experience, it’s going to be incredibly difficult to find a pair of gaming headphones that manage to outperform this world-class audio quality.

The LCD-GX is without question, the highest-quality gaming headset ever created.