Top Planar Magnetic Headphones
Planar magnetic headphones offer an extensive and rich listening experience. They're popular with audiophiles who want to enhance their listening experience.
Choosing the best planar magnetic headphones depends on the features you value most in the headphone. It all boils down to clarity, image structure and distinction in comparison to bass slam and punch.
1. Audeze LCD-2 Classic
The LCD-2 was one of the first planar magnet headphones to gain attention. It's so popular, it has become synonymous with technology. It's still one of the top headphones in its class. The quality of its sound is incredible, especially for a headset that costs more than $1,000. The bass extends all the way to the point of hearing and is awe-inspiring in detail. The upper mids and lower Treble are warm but not in an unpleasant way. Overall the sound is clear and precise and has very little distortion.
The earpads are also comfortable. The earpads and headbands have a soft, flexible feel. The headphones are light enough to wear for long listening sessions, without feeling fatigued. They don't seal the ear canals like other open-back headphones, which means you can hear what is going on around you. This isn't a problem for quiet areas, but it could be an issue in louder environments.
In terms of quality of construction, the LCD-2 Classics are very solid and built to last. The earcups are made from crystal-infused nylon which is a fantastic material for a headphone. It is durable and much lighter than wood rings that are used on other Audeze models.
The LCD-2 Classics do not feel as luxurious as other high-end headphones. The LCD-2 Classics have a DIY-like feel due to their visible screws and lack of finish. They're still a great pair of headphones, but they might not be right for all people.
Monoprice Monolith M1060 offers a similar product for an affordable price. These headphones feature the same excellent technology of the LCD-2 Classics, but they come at a less expensive cost. The earcups are sealed better and they come with a carry case. The only thing that's missing is the impressive bass extension and clarity that the LCD-2 Classics have, but they still provide an incredible sound that should please the majority of audiophiles.
2. Meze LIRIC
Meze Audio has made a name for itself thanks to its unique and affordable line of planar magnetic headphones. The LIRIC 2nd Generation is the latest model of the company's headphone. It builds on the success of the previous model, with improved performance and the new striped finish that allows to increase the modularity.
The LIRIC boasts a full-frequency response that ranges from 4Hz to 92kHz. It delivers amazingly detailed music that has exceptional clarity and a wide soundstage. In addition the headphone's QWRM (Quarter Wavelength Resonator Mask) effectively tames high-frequency peaking that can be a strain to the ears.
The headphones are designed to block out ambient sound and allow for high-fidelity listening even while on the move. The headphones feature an ovoid shape that resembles the the human ear for a direct connection to the source of sound.
The Meze LIRIC includes the company's proprietary Isodynamic Hybrid Array Driver that has dual-shaped voice coils that 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 tiniest and most advanced planar magnetic drivers available on the market.
To enhance their sound quality, LIRIC headphones have a pressure equalization system that precisely controls airflow and the pressure in the ear cup chamber. This allows listeners to hear the same sound quality regardless of whether they're wearing the headphones in a workplace or on an airplane.
In my tests during my testing, the Meze LIRIC produced a stunningly balanced and smooth sound that's extremely enjoyable to listen to for long sessions. The treble is crisp and clear, and the bass is powerful with great clarity. The soundstage is incredibly expansive with a clear separation between instruments and vocals. I was impressed by the fact that no detail was too small for the headphones to miss, from the sound 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 offers a slightly varying sound quality and is lighter overall.
3. Meze Elite
In their quest to make headphones that are visually stunning and sounding great, Romanian manufacturer Meze Audio have stepped up the game recently with various flagship products. The Elite, their latest product, is their most expensive headphone to date and a worthy replacement for the Empyrean as Meze's flagship.
Similar to the Empyrean and the Empyrean, the Elite is an open-back model with unique suspension design that helps increase their wearability. headphones shop function similar to the design used on Dan Clark, HiFIMan, or Sendy headphones, in that they spread the weight of the Elite's more powerful than average driver over a larger area of your head, enhancing the comfort of listening for long durations. They do work well, and I have worn the Elite for a long time without any discomfort.
Sonically, the Elite is a reference headphone that comes with an upgraded hybrid isodynamic array driver which can provide extremely low harmonic distortion of less than 0.1 percent across its entire frequency range. It also has an extremely high sensitivity rating of 101 dB/mW, and an impedance of 32 Ohms which means it can be driven very easily by even budget headphone amplifiers or DAPs (assuming they support the standard headphone jack).
The Elite diaphragm is a significant upgrade over the Empyrean. Instead of using a custom-developed polymer the film is a semicrystalline low-mass material that has been developed using biaxial lengthening in a sequential fashion. This process allows for an Elite diaphragm that is both flexible and thin, while also offering excellent resistance to fatigue and cracking.
The Elite's lower-mass diaphragm results in a higher speed and resolution. It's now capable of competing with rivals like the Audeze LCD-2 Classic at a lower cost. The Elite is even more resolving and neutral than the LCD-2 but still offers an impression of the depth, transparency air and transients.
4. Meze HE400SE
The HE400SE planar magnetic headphones are among the most well-known available. It's an excellent choice for audiophiles wanting to transition to open-back headphones, or for those already familiar with the technology of planar magnets. It comes with HiFiMAN's latest Stealth Magnet design, which reduces distortion and wave diffraction to levels that are nearly unnoticeable.
The HE400SE is a great open-back headphone, however it doesn't have the same bass extension as some other HiFiMAN headphones. The HE400SE has a full and deep low end however, it isn't loud. The overall tone is neutral but with trebles that are higher and forward midrange which many listeners will appreciate.
The HE400SE has a very clear sound. The HE400SE is an excellent option 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 used to closed-back headphones that have more bass-focused tuning, the transition can be somewhat uncomfortable. It may take several listening sessions to get the hang of it.
The HE400SE's sound quality is impressive. The HE400SE produces a wide and detailed soundstage, which lets musicians feel as if they are in the right place. On the track Let's Go Crazy by Prince, the vocals and drums are in front of your face. The guitar solo is also very prominent and can easily be heard over the rest of the instruments.
Finally, the HE400SE has good treble extension and clarity. The treble is a little warm, but not overly harsh. It doesn't have that added brightness that some other headphones with brighter treble can have but it also doesn't have the sibilance or fatiguing quality of some other open back headphones.
The HE400SE has an impedance of 25 O which means it will require a fairly powerful amplifier to reach its maximum SPL. It works with the majority of smartphones and portable music players, but it requires an amplifier that has at least 0.5 W output to achieve its maximum SPL.