Planar Magnetic EarbudsWhether you're a professional audiophile or just want to improve your listening experience on the go A great pair of planar magnetic headphones can elevate your music experience to the next level. These headphones are great for listening to music in production or at home where you can unwind with your favourite tunes and listen to them with ease and clarity.
Price
The good news is that planar magnetic headphones can offer an incredible amount of detail without distorting. The bad news is they can be costly. Planar magnetic drivers (sometimes called orthodynamic) make use of an insulated diaphragm that is sandwiched between two magnets. They have a greater frequency response than traditional dynamic drivers and can sound surprisingly spacious, even though they may not have as deep bass.
Planar magnetic headphones are typically more expensive than dynamic headphones because they are more hefty and require more power. They also tend to have open-back designs that bleed sound and allow in surrounding noise. This makes them less portable than counterparts that are more dynamic and more likely to require an external amplifier for optimal performance.
While the top
planar driver magnetic headphones can cost a few thousand of dollars There are a lot of options for budget audiophiles willing to accept a few concessions. For example, the HIFIMAN Sundara is an excellent pair of open-back headphones that provide the speed and precision of a planar magnetic headphone without breaking the bank.
Audeze LCD-2 Classic is another excellent option. It offers a combination between bass slam and nimble tech features, making it ideal for listening metal music. The LCD-2 is also among the few sets of headphones on this list that comes with a hard-back pelican style travel case, providing even more protection for your investment.
If you're looking for the top quality in headphones with a planar magnetic design, prepare to shell out at least $350. The HIFIMAN Sundara, for example,
Planar Magnetic Earbuds are detail-oriented headphones that are a great entry point into the world of high-end headphones.
Design
Planar magnetic headphones feature ultra-thin membranes infused with conductors and strung across an array of magnets that manipulates them at a rapid pace to create sound. This is why they provide a low distortion and a lightning-fast transient. They also provide a wide and accurate frequency response, according to the manufacturer Audeze.
Audeze, HiFiMAN and other manufacturers have integrated this technology into their high-end audiophile headphones. These aren't your typical cans from the past - they are much heavier and larger than most dynamic-driver headphones. This can create discomfort for some listeners, especially after long listening sessions. Fortunately, a variety of small-scale audio brands have come up with more compact designs that are more comfortable to wear.
Many of these newer designs provide better bass performance than the older models. Planar magnetic headphones are able to provide bass at a level that is higher than most dynamic driver headphones. This is true even for open-back headphones like the Audeze Sundara and LCD-4z. In general, these headphones have greater clarity and image structure and are able to separate individual audio lines more easily. They also have a distinct 'plucked" style that some audiophiles find desirable.
All of these advantages all add up to a vast natural soundstage that brings music to life and gives it a sense of space and airiness that dynamic-driver headphones can't match. They're great for classical music and jazz in particular and for modern instrumentalists who can count on their headphones to manage complex details and fast articulation without overwhelming the other elements of the track. Like all headphones, there are both closed-back and open-back options available which provide more space for sound, however isn't as effective at isolating noise from your environment, while the latter provides more privacy, but it reduces transparency.
Soundstage
A great planar headphone will provide a larger soundstage which can enhance the realism and realism in your favorite music. They can reproduce bass notes with the full texture that listeners appreciate. This creates an exciting and enjoyable listening experience.
Planar headphones use unique drivers to create impressive soundstages. Instead of the conventional domes and cones that many headphones employ, planar headphones make use of ultra-thin diaphragms that are suspended in magnetic fields. These drivers are able to transport much greater amounts of air than normal dynamic driver speakers, resulting in better clarity and accuracy in low frequencies. This is the reason why these headphones are so popular among audiophiles and audio engineers alike.
The huge size of these drivers also creates an even larger and deeper soundstage than you'll find in many other headphones. A quality pair of planar headphones will also provide clear and spacious highs and mids. They deliver audio of a high quality that is unmatched by other headphones, from most affordable portable models to the most expensive HiFi models available.
Do your research before upgrading to an upgraded pair of headphones that are planar. You can find reviews on reputable audio sites such as Head-Fi or the r/headphones Subreddit. You can also take a look at the reviews of real users via social media. This will help you pick the best headphones to meet your needs and preferences.
Planar magnetic headphones are available in both close-back and open-back models. Closed-back headphones are more private, but open-back headphones allow sound to escape from the earcups. Both have advantages and disadvantages, however most people prefer the open-back headphone as it gives a sense of realness and airiness in their sound.
Comfort
Planar magnetic headphones can be very comfortable and usually come with earpads made of soft premium materials like suede or leather. A lot of the more expensive models also come with an earband that is lightweight as well as air-tight. This ensures that they will remain comfortable for long periods of time.
One of the reasons many audiophiles prefer a pair of planar magnetic headphones is their capacity to give a sense of immersion into their music. They also offer incredible detail, clarity and realism that bring new life to your favourite tunes. They aren't ideal for listening to music in public due to their open-back designs, which let outside noise in.
The latest generation planar drivers can overcome this limitation using dual voice coil array that splits the diaphragm's frequency response. This allows the low frequencies to be controlled by a switchback coil which is located on top of the driver and the mid-high frequencies to get handled by a spiral coil which is placed directly over the ear canal.
The majority of modern headphones have become much lighter and more comfortable than their predecessors. Additionally they tend to produce better bass with better sound quality than dynamic headphones. They are also less prone to distortions caused by harmonics than other types. The diaphragm's motion is faster and more uniform than the dynamic speaker. This makes it less vulnerable to fluctuations.
Noise isolation
The best planar magnetic headphones provide superior noise cancellation over their dynamic driver counterparts. Additionally, these headphones have a lower impedance and sensitivity, which makes them easier to drive with portable electronics and require less power to operate. These headphones also offer greater frequency range than the majority of other headphones. This lets you hear more audio detail and bass.