What Planar Magnetic Headphone Experts Want You To Be Educated

Planar Magnetic Headphones

planar Earphones magnetic headphones use a thin, flat diaphragm that is suspended between two magnets to create uniform soundwaves. This results in a wider soundstage, more detail and a distinctive sound signature.

They are generally more expensive and are harder to drive than dynamic headphones, but they can be worth the investment for audiophiles. You can buy a pair for Planar earphones less than $400, like the budget-friendly Hifiman HE-400i or Monoprice Monolith M1070.

Soundstage

With their large drivers these headphones create exceptionally wide soundstages. These large soundscapes let you enjoy more detail and create a more immersive listening environment. You will be able to distinguish the instruments and vocals that are in the mix. This makes them a great choice for mixing in a studio or use.

In addition to their outstanding soundstage, these headphones are also renowned for their amazing bass performance. Their large drivers can move a significant amount of air, which gives them the ability to reproduce full and deep bass notes with exceptional accuracy and clarity. This is a major upgrade over the muddy, tinny bass that you get from the majority of dynamic driver headphones.

Planar magnetic headphones feature an unique design that utilizes flat diaphragms with a conductive trace that is sandwiched between two magnetic arrays. When an electrical current is passed through the conductive pattern, it creates a magnetic field that causes the diaphragm to vibrate and produce sound waves. The diaphragm's motion is controlled by the magnetic field, and it is evenly spread across the entire area. This creates an isodynamic field, which ensures that the diaphragm's motion is constant throughout the entire frequency range.

Planar magnetic headphones are significantly less distortion-free than dynamic headphones, as the distortion caused by a driver that is dynamic comes from the voice coil's movement through and out of contact between the diaphragm and voice coil. This means that you can listen to music as the artist wanted to hear it, even at a high volume.

Planar magnetic headphones leak more than open-back dynamic models. This is due to the huge diaphragms in these headphones circulate a huge amount of air, and some of it escapes the open back of the headphone. If you are listening in a quiet area this shouldn't be an issue.

The choice between planar magnetic headphones and dynamic headphones is dependent on your budget and your preferences in listening. If you are looking for accuracy, detail and low distortion, then a pair of planar magnetic headphones will be the best choice for you.

Detail

Planar magnetic headphones have gained a lot of traction among audiophiles in recent times. They are renowned for their spacious sound, they use flat diaphragms that move with incredible speed and flexibility to create superior high frequencies and rich bass. Contrary to dynamic drivers, which have rigid, stiff driver voice coils, the conductor trace of planar magnetic headphone drivers is fixed to the flat surface of the diaphragm, and it reacts to the magnetic field produced by two opposing magnets. This allows them to reproduce frequencies with larger variations than other headphones, without causing distortion of the driver or damage to the diaphragm at high volumes.

This also leads to the flat diaphragm creating a wider, more planar sound wavefront instead of a more focused spherical wavefront like dynamic drivers (although some of the latest, high-end dynamic driver headphones like Focal Utopia are able to extend to 20 Hz). Planar magnetic headphones feature a wider, more expansive soundstage that allows them to reveal recordings with greater detail. This is particularly evident when playing instruments, as the detail and accuracy that planar magnetic headphones offer allows you to hear every individual woodwind note, string, and piano key clearly, as intended by the composer.

Another benefit of a great pair of headphones is the way they reproduce sounds around you. Depending on the shape of the ear cups, and whether they're closed-back planar magnetic headphones or open-back headphones, certain models leak sound from the back of the ear cup. This isn't a problem in most instances, but it could be a nuisance to those who are near you when you listen. With this in mind, it's essential to choose a pair of headphones that are specifically designed to prevent leakage, or at least have an optional grille you can use when listening in public areas.

It's important to choose a headphone that suits your lifestyle and preferences for listening. There are many types, sizes and prices for a planar magnetic headphones that can be suited to your music preferences.

Comfort

A planar magnetic headphone utilizes thin diaphragms imprinted with conductors that are strung across an array of magnets that manipulate sound waves in ways that traditional dynamic headphones are unable to. This wider wavefront produces sounds that are more resonant and natural, with incredible clarity, speed, precision, and speed. However, they can be heavy and require a dedicated amplifier in order to achieve their full potential.

Many specialized HiFi audio headphones have reintroduced this older technology in recent years which allows listeners to enjoy new levels of amazing audio quality thanks to the power of planar drivers. Although they might not appear as sleek and modern as high-end models, they are renowned for their deep bass, intimate presentation and exceptional stage depth.

These headphones are comfortable and easy-to-wear despite their size and unique design. The ear cups are designed to enclose your ear and block out ambient noise, so you can concentrate on the music. They do not clamp around your neck or head like other over-ear headphones. Some listeners are also attracted to the lightweight design and comfortable earpads.

Another drawback to planar magnetic headphones is that they are typically high price. There are budget-friendly headphones, however, many planar models require a separate DAC/amplifier to get the best out of them. This is because they are more complex than their dynamic counterparts and usually require a lot of electricity to move the two magnets around.

There are a few budget-friendly choices (such as the HIFIMAN Deva or AUdeze Venus), most planar headphones fall in the top end of the spectrum and some of the top models costing more than $400 in price. This is a big investment, especially if you only listen to music while on the move or spend most of your time gaming, but for those who wish to hear music at its highest quality and realism, they offer an outstanding listening experience.

The biggest disadvantage of most planar headphones, despite their excellent sound quality, is their leakage. The bi-directional movement of the dual magnets can cause the sound to be pushed outward which could disturb people who are in the vicinity or let in outside noises. Certain models are more vulnerable to this than others. However, it is an issue for most listeners who wish to enjoy a pair in a quiet environment.

Noise isolation

A pair of headphones has to be able to isolate your ears from their surroundings to qualify to be called "headphones". A good planar magnetic headphones will feature ergonomic design and top materials to stop noise from escaping your ears. This will reduce the noise you hear and provide you with more of an immersive experience.

As a rule they tend to be larger and heavier than their counterparts with dynamic sound. This is due to the fact that the driver itself has a larger surface area to transmit audio which requires a larger earcup. The most prestigious audio brands prefer earpieces that look as good as they sound, by using exotic woods and composites in their designs.

Planar magnetic headphones regulate electrical current by using an electrified film sandwiched between magnets. The magnetic field that is present on either side of the film causes the diaphragm to vibrate and generates sound waves. The fact that the entire diaphragm being caused to vibrate by the magnetic field, not just a small section that's connected to a coil for voice means they are much less susceptible to distortion at high volume.

Many of the newer planar magnet headphones have less bass, and lack the punch or slam you'd get from a top-quality pair with dynamic drivers. It's a trade-off, but one that can be sorted out by careful comparisons between various models of headphones.

It's best to look around for magnetic headphones, and read reviews from both professional audio sites and users on the r/headphones Subreddit. You'll be able to ensure that the headphones you pick will meet your audio and musical requirements. Once you've made that decision it's a matter of finding an acceptable price-to-performance ratio. The Monoprice M1060 headphones are a good example of this, as they combine incredible sound quality with a sleek, stealthy design and comfortable pads that compete with headphones costing much more than the M1060.