Top Planar Magnetic Headphones

planar magnetic speakers magnetic headphones provide an extensive and rich listening experience. Audiophiles who wish to improve their listening experience are raving about them.

The most effective planar magnetic headphones depend on your priorities. It's all about clarity, Planar magnetic drivers image structure, and distinction versus bass sound and slam.

1. Audeze LCD-2 Classic

The LCD-2 was one of the first planar magnetic headphones to gain popularity. It was so popular that it's now associated with the technology, and it's still one of the best headphones of its kind. Its sound quality is amazing especially for a device that costs more than $1,000. The bass is a long way down past human hearing, and it offers a remarkable level of detail. The mids and upper Treble are warm but not in an obnoxious way. Overall the sound is full of detail and has very little distortion.

The earpads are also very comfortable. The headband is soft and flexible, and the earpads are extremely soft. They are also light enough to be worn for long listening sessions without getting tired. However, they don't offer an ear-to-ear seal as some open-back headphones do. And this means you'll be able to hear your surroundings. This isn't a problem in quiet environments, but it can be a problem in noisy areas.

As far as quality of build in terms of build quality, the LCD-2 Classics are very solid and made to last. The earcups are made from crystal-infused nylon, which is a great material for a headphone. It looks tough and is much lighter than the wood rings that are used on other Audeze models.

However the LCD-2 Classics don't feel quite as high-end as some premium headphones. They have a DIY feel to them with all the screws visible, and the lack of a finish on the metal parts. They are still a fantastic pair of headphones, however they might not be right for everyone.

Monoprice Monolith M1060 offers a similar product for a lower price. These headphones have the same planar headphones technology of the LCD-2 Classics but at a lower price. The earcups are better sealed and they come with a carry case. The LCD-2 Classics are missing the amazing bass extension and clarity that they boast. However the sound quality is impressive and should please the majority of audiophiles.

2. Meze LIRIC

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

The LIRIC has an entire frequency response that ranges from 4Hz to 92,000Hz. This delivers music with outstanding clarity and a large soundstage. The QWRM (Quarter Wavelength Ressonator Mask) of the headphone effectively reduces the high-frequency peaks, which can be a strain on the ear.

Created for high-quality listening while on the move, the headphones feature a closed-back design that blocks out any background noise. The headphones sport an ovoid shape that resembles the shape of human ear for direct connection to the source of 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. Dual voicing 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 audio quality, the LIRIC headphones have an equalization system which precisely regulates airflow as well as the pressure in the ear cup chamber. This ensures that the listener gets the same sound quality regardless of whether the headphones are used in an office, on a plane or traveling to work.

The Meze LIRIC has a smooth and balanced sound that I found very enjoyable to listen to for long periods of time. The bass is powerful and deep, with a clear treble. The soundstage is incredibly expansive with good separation between instruments and vocals. I was impressed by the fact that no detail was too small for the headphones to miss, from the attack of PJ Harvey's 50ft Queenie to the individual guitar strings.

If you're looking for the top $2000 closed-back planar magnetic headphones The Meze LIRIC is an excellent option. It's a strong competitor to the Dan Clark Audio E3, but has a slightly different sound quality and is lighter overall.

3. Meze Elite

In their quest to create a pair of headphones that are both visually stunning and sonically excellent, Romanian manufacturer Meze Audio have been stepping up their game recently with various flagship products. The Elite is Meze Audio's highest-end headphone to date, and replaces the Empyrean, which was previously their most popular.

The Elite is also an open-back model, but with unique wings that improve wearability. The wings function similar to the design used on Dan Clark, HiFIMan, or Sendy headphones, in that they distribute the weight of the Elite's more powerful than average driver over a larger area of your head, enhancing the comfort when listening for long durations. From my experience, they do really well and the Elite can be worn for long periods of time without discomfort.

Sonically it is a great headphone. Elite is a reference headphone that comes with an upgraded hybrid isodynamic array driver that can deliver exceptionally low harmonic distortion, less than 0.1 percent across its entire frequency range. It has an excellent sensitivity of 101 dB/mW, and an impedance of 32 ohms. This means that it can be driven by budget headphone amplifiers or DAPs as long as they can be used with the standard jack.

The Elite diaphragm is another significant upgrade over the Empyrean. Instead of using a specially-designed polymer, a low-mass semicrystalline film has been engineered by biaxial lengthening that is sequential. This creates an Elite diaphragm that is flexible and thin, while also providing superior resistance to stress and fatigue cracking.

The Elite's diaphragm with a lower mass results in a higher speed and resolution. It's now capable of competing with other models like the Audeze LCD-2 Classic at a less expensive price. In fact the Elite is possibly even more resolving than the LCD-2 and can sound extremely neutral while providing a sense of depth, transparency, high-end air and transients. This makes it a superb choice for those who enjoy rock music and other genres where bass is extremely prominent.

4. Meze HE400SE

The HE400SE is one of the most well-loved headphones made of planar magnetic material around. It's an excellent choice for anyone who wants to move into open-back headphones. It's is also a great entry-level headphone for those who are already familiar with planar magnetic technology. It's equipped with HiFiMAN's Stealth Magnet design, which reduces distortion and wave diffraction to levels that are almost inaudible.

Although the HE400SE doesn't have the bass extension that some other HiFiMAN models do however, it does provide excellent low-end performance for an open back headphone. The HE400SE has a full and deep low end, but it doesn't sound boomy. The general tone is neutral but with elevated trebles and forward midrange that many listeners will find pleasing.

Vocals are incredibly clear on the HE400SE. The HE400SE is a fantastic choice for listening to acoustic music, but also classical and orchestral music. It's the best budget headphones for this kind of music. If you're using closed-back headphones with a bass-heavy tuning, the transition could be uncomfortable. It takes a couple of listening sessions to adjust to it.

The HE400SE's imaging is also impressive. The HE400SE produces a large and detailed soundstage that lets musicians feel as if they are in the right spot. In the song Let's Go Crazy by Prince, the vocals and drums feel up front and in your face. The guitar solo is also very prominent and easily heard over the rest of the instruments.

The HE400SE is a solid treble extension that has good clarity. The treble has a slight warmth, but is not harsh. It doesn't have that added brightness that other headphones with brighter treble can possess, but it does have the sibilance or a fatty quality of other lower-priced open-back headphones.

The HE400SE is a 25 O impedance device, which means it will require an amplifier that is powerful to achieve the maximum SPL. It is compatible with the majority of smartphones and portable music players, however it will require an amplifier with at least 0.5 W output to achieve its maximum SPL.