Audeze’s new cheaper planar magnetic headphones look like a dream for mid-range audiophiles

• Audeze LCD-S20 are its cheapest planar magnetic headphones
• Closed-back, with SLAM tech for big bass
• Available from May 2025, for £499 / $499 (about AU$1,045)

There are two things I know to be true: planar magnetic headphones sound fantastic, and planar magnetic headphones are often terrifyingly expensive. But the newly announced LCD-S20 headphones from Audeze are a fraction of the price of the same firm's flagship cans, at a mere £499 / $499 / about AU$1,045.

That's still high-priced among the best wired headphones, but these could be excellent: we've reviewed Audeze's planar magnetic gaming headphones, the Audeze LCD-X, and thought they were phenomenal (and heavy, something of an Audeze tradition: these new headphones are 550g).

We said that "The LCD-X goes toe to toe with some of the best dynamic driver headphones on the market without breaking a sweat." So I'm intrigued by the new LCD-S20, which promise similar sonics for considerably less cash.

Audeze LCD-S20: key features

The Audeze LCD-S20 headphones are closed-back models, meaning they'll passively block out some outside sound, and they're the first planar headphones to get Audeze's SLAM technology. That's short for Symmetric Linear Acoustic Modulator and we first saw it in the flagship – and nearly $6K / £4.5K – CRBN2 electrostatic headphones last year.

SLAM uses finely tuned acoustic channels to deliver more linear diaphragm movement, and according to Audeze that means significantly improved and more accurate bass as well as better imaging. The promise here is something closer to open-back sonics with closed-back isolation.

The drivers are 90mm and feature a trio of Audaze technologies: Fluxor magnets, Fazor waveguides and Uniforce voice coils that "deliver the accurate, ultra-low distortion sound quality that Audeze is known for."

The chassis is based on the one from the Maxwell headset and features a spring-steel headband, forged aluminum yolks and high-strength glass-infused nylon parts.

The LCD-S20 is the first Audeze headphone with a new magnetic earpad attachment system that enables you to quickly and easily swap or replace the earpads. And the cable is detachable and swappable between left and right to suit your setup.

They're out in May 2025, and we can't wait to compare them to the best over-ear headphones – we love a planar.

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