Audeze’s LCD-S20 brings the CRBN2’s SLAM tech to a midrange price point
Audeze, known for its planar magnetic headphones, is not usually the first audio company that comes to mind when you think about affordability—its flagship planar headphone, the LCD-5, currently costs almost S$7,000.
But just recently, the company has announced the LCD-S20, a planar magnetic headphone that the company says is the most affordable in the LCD series.
Despite being affordable (at least as far as Audeze’s offerings go), it’s also a milestone in the company’s lineup, as its the first planar headphone Audeze offers that features its SLAM technology. SLAM, which stands for Symmetric Linear Acoustic Modulator, aims to enhance low frequencies through acoustic channels drilled into the ring that holds the earpads to the drivers.
This, according to Audeze, helps to relieve pressure placed on the speaker diaphragm without compromising on the earpad seal necessary for fuller bass. Audeze says that it also allows for a more precise soundstage compared to similar closed-back headphones (you can read more about it on Audeze’s website here).
SLAM first appeared on Audeze’s electrostatic CRBN2 headphones, which makes its trickle down to the LCD-S20 an interesting development. Considering that the CRBN2 costs ten times as much, this might mean that we’ll see SLAM make its way to Audeze’s future offerings regardless of price point.
The LCD-S20 is also something of an oddity in Audeze’s offerings as it’s a closed-back, one out of only four in Audeze’s current catalogue. And if the appearance of the LCD-S20 looks familiar to you, you’re not misremembering because it’s based on the Audeze Maxwell. However, the Maxwell is designed for gamers, whereas the LCD-S20 is aimed at professionals in the studio for tracking and recording.
The LCD-S20 also features Audeze’s Fluxor magnetic array and Uniforce diaphragm and has an impedance of 18 ohms with a sensitivity of 93 dB/1mW. It weighs a hefty 550g. As for quality-of-life features, the LCD-S20 has earpads that attach magnetically, making it easier to swap or replace them. It also has 3.5mm jacks on both ear cups for convenient cable routing.
Availability and pricing
The Audeze LCD-S20 will be released on AV One for S$779 and will be out around the middle of May. You can look out for it on AV One’s official stores on Lazada, Shopee, as well as AV One’s own online store.
