Audeze launches flagship LCD-4 headphones and King amp

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The $3995 LCD-4 headphones aim to set a new benchmark for the high-end headphone brand, while the King amp is launching with an Indiegogo campaign and aims to be the "best headphone amp available".

We're big fans of the Audeze LCD-3 headphones - a relative snip at £1725 ($1945 in the US) - so it looks like we'll have to rethink exactly what we expect from a high-end pair of headphones with the LCD-4 cans.

A tweaked design, complete with a new headband, the LCD-4s have "amazingly thin nano-grade diaphragms" and use "Double Fluxor magnetic arrays", a variation on the Fluxor technology first seen in the Audeze EL-8 headphones. This Fluxor technology aims to increase the magnetic power for a more efficient driver from a reduced weight.

The open-backed planar magnetic headphones also use the company's Fazor elements tech; "special acoustic elements" placed either side of the magnets to improve transparency and overall sound quality.

The LCD-4 headphones have a 100 ohm impedance and efficiency rating of 100dB / 1mW. For more details see the Audeze website.

Also new is the King headphone amplifier, designed by Bascom King, an audio designer who has worked on products for the likes of Marantz and PS Audio. The King amp has a hybrid design, a symmetrical circuit and claims low impedance, low distortion and wide frequency output.

There are RCA and XLR inputs, clipping and overload indicators and it's all housed in a solid-machined aluminium casing.

The Audeze King headphone amp has launched on crowdfunding site Indiegogo with the aim to raise $50,000 US dollars. The King amp is available for $2950 via Indiegogo (or $2,750 for 10 lucky punters) ahead of a planned full retail launch price of $3,995.

And if you're feeling flush, you can pick-up the King amp and a pair of LCD-4 headphones for a cool $6950. Bargain...

MORE: Audeze LCD-3 review

See all our Audeze news and reviews

Joe Cox
Joe Cox
Content Director

Joe is the Content Director for What Hi-Fi? and Future’s Product Testing, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for almost 20 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff, and the Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).