Top Planar Magnetic Headphones

Planar magnetic headphones give a detailed and wide listening experience. They're a favorite among audiophiles seeking to upgrade their listening experience.

Choosing the most suitable headphones with planar magnetics depends on the features you value most in a headphone. It all comes to image clarity, distinction, and clarity versus bass punch.

1. Audeze LCD-2 Classic

The original LCD-2 was the first pair of planar magnetic headphones to truly take off. It is so popular, it has become synonymous with the technology. It's still among the best headphones of its kind. Its sound quality is amazing particularly for a headset that costs over $1,000. The bass is so deep that it extends past the human hearing range and has an incredible amount of detail. The upper mids are warm but not too loud. Overall, the sound is clear and precise and has very little distortion.

The earpads are comfortable. The headband and earpads are an incredibly soft and flexible feel. They are lightweight enough to allow for long listening sessions without becoming exhausted. However, they don't offer an airtight seal around your ears like some open-back headphones do, and this means that you can hear the sounds around you. This isn't an issue in quiet environments but it can be a problem in noisy areas.

As far as quality of construction In terms of build quality, the LCD-2 Classics are very solid and built to last. The earcups of the LCD-2 Classics are made of crystal-infused nylon. This is a great material for headphones. It looks sturdy and durable, and is lighter than the wood rings that are found on other Audeze models.

However, the LCD-2 Classics don't feel quite as premium as many other premium headphones. They have an "artisanal" feel with all the screws visible, and an absence of a polished look on the metal components. These headphones are still fantastic but they might not be for everyone.

Monoprice Monolith M1060 offers a similar product at less cost. They feature the same technology as the LCD-2 Classics but at a lower cost. The earcups are sealed better and come with a carry case. The only thing missing is the amazing bass extension and clarity that the LCD-2 Classics have, but they still offer an incredible sound that will please most audiophiles.

2. Meze LIRIC

Meze Audio's affordable and innovative magnetic headphones that are planar have made it a household name. The latest headphone from the company model, the LIRIC 2nd Generation, builds on the success of the first generation model with performance enhancements and a brand new striped ebony finish to improve modularity and a long, sustainable life.

The LIRIC comes with a full frequency response ranging from 4Hz up to 92,000 Hz. This delivers music with exceptional clarity, and a vast soundstage. Additionally the headphone's QWRM (Quarter Wavelength Resonator Mask) effectively reduces high-frequency peaks that can be fatiguing to the ears.

The headphones are designed to block out ambient sound and provide high-quality listening while moving about. The headphones have an ovoid design that is reminiscent of the the human ear for direct connection to the source of the sound.

The Meze LIRIC comes with the company's exclusive Isodynamic Hybrid array driver, which has dual-shaped voice coils to improve ambience and spatial sound imaging. This dual voicing technology is the result of more than 30 years of research and development, making it one of the lightest and most advanced planar magnetic drivers available on the market.

To improve their sound quality, LIRIC headphones feature a pressure equalization system that precisely controls airflow and the pressure in the ear cup chamber. This ensures that the user receives the same quality sound regardless of whether the headphones are worn in a workplace on a plane, in a hotel or commuting to work.

In my tests, the Meze LIRIC delivered a superbly balanced and smooth sound that's highly enjoyable to listen to for long periods of time. The treble is crystal clear and the bass is powerful with great quality. The soundstage is incredibly expansive with a good separation between instruments and vocals. I liked that no detail was too small for the headphones to miss, from the roar of PJ Harvey's 50ft Queenie to the individual guitar strings.

The Meze LIRIC is a fantastic option if you're looking for the best magnetic planar headphones closed-back planar magnetic headphones (baskino.cc) planar magnet headphones under $2000. It's a great alternative to the Dan Clark Audio E3 but offers a slightly different sound and is lighter overall.

3. Meze Elite

Meze Audio, a Romanian manufacturer, has been trying to up their game in recent years, releasing a number flagship products. The Elite is Meze Audio's most premium headphones to date. It replaces the Empyrean model, which was their most popular.

Similar to the Empyrean and the Empyrean, the Elite is an open-back model with unique suspension wings design that increase their wearability. The wings function similar to the design on Dan Clark, HiFIMan, or Sendy headphones, in that they distribute the weight of the heavier than average driver across a larger area of your head to improve the comfort of listening for long periods. They do work well, and I have worn the Elite for many hours without any discomfort.

Sonically, the Elite is a reference headphone that comes with an upgraded hybrid isodynamic array driver that has the ability to provide extremely low harmonic distortion of less than 0.1 percent across its entire frequency range. It has an extremely sensitive sensitivity of 101 dB/mW, and an impedance of 32 ohms. This means that it can be driven by low-cost headphone amps or DAPs if they support the standard jack.

The Elite's diaphragm is another important improvement over the Empyrean that has shifted away from the polymer that was developed by a custom-made company to utilize a low-mass semi-crystalline film that has been developed through sequential biaxial lengthening. This allows the Elite to have a slim yet strong diaphragm, while still providing an excellent resistance to fatigue and stress cracking.

The switch to a lower mass diaphragm also leads to improved speed and resolution which brings the Elite to an level of performance that puts it against rivals like the Audeze LCD-2 Classic, albeit at a slightly more affordable price. In actual fact the Elite is possibly more detailed than the LCD-2 and can be very neutral, while providing the impression of transparency, depth, high-end air and transients, making it a superb choice for Closed-Back Planar Magnetic Headphones fans of rock music and other genres in which bass is extremely noticeable.

4. Meze HE400SE

The HE400SE is among the most well-known headphones with planar magnetic technology around. It's a great choice for audiophiles wanting to switch to open-back headphones, or for those already familiar with planar magnet technology. It features HiFiMAN's new Stealth Magnet design that reduces distortion and wave diffraction to levels that what are planar magnetic drivers nearly unnoticeable.

While the HE400SE doesn't have the bass extension that other HiFiMAN models have but it still provides solid low end performance for an open-back headphone. The HE400SE's low end is very rich and full, but it does not sound squeaky or bass heavy. The overall tone is neutral, but with elevated trebles and forward midrange that many people will appreciate.

The HE400SE has a very clear sound. The HE400SE is a great choice for listening to acoustic and also orchestral and classical music. This is the most affordable headphone to listen to this type of music. If you're used closed-back headphones that have a bass-heavy tuning, the transition could be uncomfortable. It takes a couple of listening sessions to adjust to it.

The HE400SE's image is impressive. The HE400SE produces a large and detailed soundstage that makes musicians feel like they are in the right spot. The vocals and the drums are very prominent in Prince's Let's Go Crazy. The guitar solo is prominent and can be easily heard over the other instruments.

The HE400SE is a solid treble extension, with good clarity. The treble can be a bit warm but not harsh at all. It doesn't have that extra brightness that some other headphones with brighter treble can possess, but it does have the sibilance or fatiguing quality of some other cheaper open-back headphones.

The HE400SE is an 25 O impedance device, which means that it will need an amplifier that is powerful to achieve the maximum SPL. It can be used with the majority of smartphones and portable devices, but requires an amp that has at least 0.5 W output power to reach its maximum SPL of 102 dB.