Short answer: the Focal Elear. It ranks #146 of 216 over-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.3/5, at $880; the Audeze LCD-GX ranks #156, rated 3.2/5, and costs $899, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Focal Elear does well: The open back gives a spacious, airy presentation, and the 40 mm dynamic driver offers 104 dB per mW sensitivity. Watch for: Presence at 3 to 6 kHz is about 5.3 dB under and treble at 6 to 10 kHz about 6.1 dB under, with a 9 dB dip near 7.2 kHz, so detail and cymbals sound dull.
The case for the Audeze LCD-GX: The open-back 106mm planar magnetic driver offers a large, spacious presentation. The tradeoff: Sub-bass is about 7 dB below target and presence is roughly 7 dB low, with a 10 dB dip near 4.9 kHz, so vocals and snare lack clarity and bass lacks rumble.
Buy the Focal Elear. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Audeze LCD-GX and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Focal Elear | Audeze LCD-GX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $880.00 | $899.00 |
| Ranked | #146 of 216 in Over-Ear Headphones | #156 of 216 in Over-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | Over-ear | Over-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 66 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) | 63 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.77 dB standard deviation | 3.10 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.90 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.82 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Falls 6 dB below target at 27 Hz (-5.7 dB at 30 Hz) | Falls 6 dB below target at 45 Hz (-7.6 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Back | Open | Open |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Planar magnetic |
| Drivers | 1 x 40mm dynamic | 1 x 106mm planar magnetic |
| Impedance | 80 ohms | 20 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 104 dB SPL/mW | 100 dB/mW |
| Weight | 1 lbs (450 g) | - |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 23kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 10Hz - 50kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
Related Headphone Comparisons
More top alternatives to Focal Elear:
- Denon AH-D7200 vs Focal Elear
- Audeze LCD-2 vs Focal Elear
- Dan Clark Audio Aeon 2 Noire vs Focal Elear
- Dan Clark Audio Aeon 2 Noire vs Audeze LCD-GX
- Audeze LCD-GX vs Audeze LCD-2 Classic
Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Headphones In Full
Focal Elear: $880.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: The open back gives a spacious, airy presentation, and the 40 mm dynamic driver offers 104 dB per mW sensitivity. Mids from 200 Hz to 3 kHz stay within about 0.6 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural. Bass from 60 to 200 Hz is within 1 dB of target.
Cons: Presence at 3 to 6 kHz is about 5.3 dB under and treble at 6 to 10 kHz about 6.1 dB under, with a 9 dB dip near 7.2 kHz, so detail and cymbals sound dull. Sub-bass is about 5.3 dB light, losing rumble. At 80 ohms and 450 g with an open back that leaks sound, it suits quiet home use, and the Dan Clark Audio Aeon 2 Noire matches its rating at a lower price.
Full Focal Elear review and specifications →
| Back | Open |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.77 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 40mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 23kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 66 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 80 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 104 dB SPL/mW |
| Sub-bass Extension | Falls 6 dB below target at 27 Hz (-5.7 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.90 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 1 lbs (450 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.6 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +6.7 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 89 Hz | -4.0 dB | 0.30 |
| Peak | 8,570 Hz | +4.6 dB | 1.63 |
| Peak | 4,461 Hz | +6.2 dB | 3.05 |
| Peak | 1,228 Hz | -2.4 dB | 1.79 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -2.2 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 2,156 Hz | +1.5 dB | 4.18 |
| Peak | 2,859 Hz | -1.0 dB | 3.87 |
| Peak | 6,120 Hz | -1.8 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 7,146 Hz | +2.1 dB | 5.93 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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Audeze LCD-GX: $899.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: The open-back 106mm planar magnetic driver offers a large, spacious presentation. At 20 ohms and 100 dB/mW it can run from a phone or portable dongle, and the midrange stays close to target, with low mids about 0.7 dB above it.
Cons: Sub-bass is about 7 dB below target and presence is roughly 7 dB low, with a 10 dB dip near 4.9 kHz, so vocals and snare lack clarity and bass lacks rumble. Treble from 6 to 10 kHz is about 5 dB down, making the overall sound dark. The open back leaks sound and offers no isolation.
Full Audeze LCD-GX review and specifications →
| Released | Jul 2019 (7 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Open |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 3.10 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Planar magnetic |
| Drivers | 1 x 106mm planar magnetic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 50kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 63 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 20 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 100 dB/mW |
| Sub-bass Extension | Falls 6 dB below target at 45 Hz (-7.6 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.82 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.5 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +7.1 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 4,232 Hz | +6.1 dB | 1.97 |
| Peak | 100 Hz | -3.6 dB | 0.29 |
| Peak | 825 Hz | -2.9 dB | 1.38 |
| Peak | 7,329 Hz | +2.6 dB | 1.27 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -6.9 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 130 Hz | +0.7 dB | 1.72 |
| Peak | 59 Hz | -0.6 dB | 1.94 |
| Peak | 242 Hz | -0.5 dB | 1.99 |
| Peak | 2,773 Hz | -0.7 dB | 4.21 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons