Audeze isn’t reinventing itself at NAMM 2026 so much as tightening the screws on everyone else. The $4,500 LCD-5s marks the next, deliberate stage of a headphone that already reset expectations in the flagship planar magnetic category. The original LCD-5 became the benchmark not because it was polite or pretty—it wasn’t, and it was unapologetically heavy—but because it proved that technical ambition still mattered at the top of the wired headphone food chain.
Its arrival put brands like Meze Audio, HiFiMAN, and Dan Clark Audio on notice: the planar magnetic space was no longer about chasing trends or coasting on past wins, but about real innovation, real engineering, and real sonic consequences.
With the LCD-5s, Audeze builds on that legacy by introducing its patent-pending SLAM (Symmetric Linear Acoustic Modulator) technology into its flagship planar line. Borrowed from the company’s 2024 CRBN2 electrostatic statement piece and refined through products like Maxwell 2, SLAM isn’t a DSP parlor trick or a tuning band-aid. It’s an airflow and acoustic control solution designed to sharpen spatial precision and restore physical low-frequency impact where planar headphones often play it safe. In other words, the LCD-5s isn’t trying to soften the LCD-5’s reputation—it’s doubling down on why it mattered in the first place.
Paired with Audeze’s latest 90mm planar magnetic drivers, the LCD-5s continues to lean on the company’s core engineering strengths rather than chasing spec-sheet gimmicks. The updated drivers incorporate Audeze’s Fluxor magnet arrays and Fazor waveguides, a combination designed to improve efficiency, reduce internal reflections, and maintain phase coherence across the audible spectrum. On paper, the numbers are predictably ambitious: a claimed 5 Hz–50 kHz frequency response and distortion figures below 0.1% at 100 dB SPL.
Designed for listeners who demand absolute audio fidelity and serious craftsmanship, the LCD-5s is Audeze’s most ambitious expression of planar magnetic engineering to date. The focus here is not excess, but refinement, pairing technical precision with materials chosen for long term wear and structural integrity. Newly contoured earpads are shaped to deliver a more accurate seal and improved comfort during extended listening sessions, addressing one of the practical realities of living with a true flagship headphone.
A lightweight carbon fiber and magnesium chassis reduces fatigue without compromising rigidity, while the visual design stays elegant rather than showy. Deep gloss tortoise shell acetate earcup rings and subtle copper accents add a sense of intention and hand-finished quality. The result is a flagship that looks purposeful and feels built to be used, not just admired from across the room.
We caught up with the Audeze team at NAMM 2026 and asked a simple question: what makes the LCD-5s different from what came before, and why does it matter now? Their answer focused less on chasing trends and more on refinement across every meaningful touchpoint, from acoustics to ergonomics to long term usability at the top of the planar category.
According to Sankar Thiagasamudram, CEO of Audeze, the LCD-5s reflects a company-wide push toward refinement rather than reinvention. He explains that Audeze’s mission has always been to bring listeners closer to the truth of the recording, and that with the LCD-5s the team refined every aspect of the experience, from driver performance to comfort and industrial design, with the goal of delivering the most lifelike and emotionally engaging planar magnetic headphone the company has ever created.
The LCD-5s doesn’t discard what made the original LCD-5 such a disruptive release in 2021. Instead, Audeze has doubled down on the core technologies that defined that model and built forward from there. Nano-scale Parallel Uniforce™ diaphragms return, along with Fluxor™ magnet arrays and Fazor™ phase management, all of which were central to the LCD-5’s reputation for speed, control, and unusually low distortion for a planar flagship.
What changes with the LCD-5s is how those proven elements are integrated. By combining them with Audeze’s SLAM acoustic technology, the company is targeting improvements in spatial precision, dynamic impact, and low-frequency authority without sacrificing the LCD-5’s calling card: clarity across the entire frequency range. The result is not a radical departure, but a more mature execution aimed squarely at mastering engineers, working musicians, and listeners who expect flagship performance to hold up under scrutiny, not just first impressions.
From a usability and system-matching perspective, the LCD-5s remains a serious flagship headphone that rewards proper amplification and thoughtful setup. Weighing 475 grams (1 lb, 1 oz), it is heavier than the original LCD-5 but lighter than Audeze’s CRBN2, placing it squarely in the middle of the company’s top-tier lineup. This is not a lightweight planar in the vein of the Meze Empyrean II. Instead, comfort is achieved through improved weight distribution, revised earpad geometry, and the use of carbon fiber and magnesium rather than aggressive mass reduction.
Electrically, the LCD-5s is designed for enthusiast and professional systems rather than casual portable use. Audeze recommends more than 500 mW of amplifier power to realize its full performance potential, while maximum power handling is rated at a substantial 5 watts RMS, providing ample headroom for dynamic material. Sensitivity is specified at 90 dB per milliwatt at the drum reference point, paired with a nominal impedance of 30 ohms. In practical terms, this means the LCD-5s favors high-quality, stable headphone amplification and responds best when paired with low-noise, high-current designs capable of maintaining control across its wide dynamic range.
LCD-5s Feature Highlights
Most Accurate Audeze Planar Headphone: Flagship planar magnetic design engineered for ultra-low distortion below 0.1 percent and a wide 5 Hz to 50 kHz frequency response, targeting lifelike reproduction and the consistency required for mastering and critical evaluation.
SLAM Acoustic Technology: Symmetric Linear Acoustic Modulator improves bass control and spatial precision through acoustic and airflow management, enhancing impact and positional detail without relying on DSP or altering tonal accuracy.
Advanced Nano-Scale Planar Driver Architecture: Incorporates Audeze’s nano-scale Parallel Uniforce™ diaphragm, Fluxor magnet arrays, and Fazor phase management to maintain low distortion, precise imaging, and controlled dynamics across the full frequency range.
Comfort Optimized for Long Sessions: Newly sculpted earpad geometry improves fit and pressure distribution, making the LCD-5s better suited for extended studio work and long critical listening sessions than earlier designs.
Refined Craftsmanship with Lightweight Construction: Carbon fiber and magnesium structural elements reduce overall weight, while premium materials and restrained detailing reinforce the LCD-5s’ position as a true flagship headphone built for both performance and durability.
Comparison
| Audeze Model | LCD-5s (2026) | LCD-5 (2021) | CRBN2 (2024) |
| Product Type | Over-Ear Headphones | Over-Ear Headphones | Over-Ear Headphones |
| Price | $4,500 | $4,500 | $5,995 |
| Headphone Type | Open-back | Open-back | Open-back |
| Transducer (Driver) Type | Planar magnetic | Planar magnetic | Push-pull Electrostatic |
| Magnetic structure | Fluxor magnet array | Fluxor magnet array | – |
| Magnet Type | Neodymium N50 | Neodymium N50 | – |
| Phase management | Fazor | Fazor™ | Refer to SLAM |
| Acoustic management | SLAM | – | SLAM |
| Diaphragm Type | Nano-Scale Parallel Uniforce™ | Nano-Scale Parallel Uniforce™ | Ultra-thin polyimide film with infused carbon nanotubes |
| Transducer Size | 90 mm | 90 mm | 120mm x 90mm |
| Maximum SPL | >130dB | >130dB | >120dB |
| Frequency response | 5Hz – 50kHz | 5Hz – 50kHz | 10Hz – 40kHz |
| THD | <0.1% @ 100dB SPL | <0.1% @ 100dB SPL | <0.1% @ 90dB |
| Impedance | 30 ohms | 14 ohms | Refer to Electrostatic Capacitance |
| Sensitivity | 90 dB/1mW (@ Drum Reference Point) | 90 dB/1mW (@ Drum Reference Point) | 100dB, 1KHz, 100V RMS |
| Maximum Power Handling | 5W RMS | 5W RMS | – |
| Minimum Power Requirement | >100mW | >100mW | 580 VDC Stax Pro Bias |
| Recommended Power Level | >500mW | >500mW | N/A |
| Weight | 475g (1 lbs, 1oz) | 420g (1 lbs) | 480g (1lbs, 1oz) |
The Bottom Line
The LCD-5s is not a reinvention of Audeze’s flagship, but a deliberate and meaningful refinement of what made the original LCD-5 so influential. By integrating SLAM acoustic technology, revising the driver architecture, and improving long-session comfort, Audeze has focused on real-world gains in spatial precision, low-frequency authority, and usability rather than cosmetic updates or DSP shortcuts. This remains a technically demanding planar magnetic headphone that rewards serious amplification and careful system matching.
At $4,500, the LCD-5s is aimed squarely at mastering engineers, professional musicians, and experienced audiophiles who value accuracy, control, and long-term reliability over novelty or convenience. It is not for listeners seeking a lightweight, casual, or portable flagship, nor for those unwilling to invest in a capable amplifier. For buyers who want a wired planar headphone built around engineering discipline and incremental improvement, the LCD-5s stands as one of the most technically credible and purpose-driven flagships in the category today.
Pricing & Availability
The Audeze LCD-5s is available for $4,500 at Audeze.
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