Best Planar Magnetic Headphones Under $1000

If you are a music lover and would like to upgrade your headphones, a planar magnetic set can be a great investment. They can be costly.

Fortunately, there are some excellent options that are less than the $1000 mark. In this article, we'll look at the best budget planar magnetic iem headphones that will provide an unforgettable listening experience.

1. Beyerdynamic T1

Beyerdynamic is a German brand that doesn't play around when it comes to high-end headphone design. The Beyerdynamic T1 is made from premium materials and has an elegant design. It's a pleasure to wear. They are extremely comfortable and feature an extremely soft headband and padded removable ear pads. The earphones may initially feel rough, but they will adjust to the ears and head. They allow for long listening sessions with no discomfort.

The T1 has an extremely natural sound, with elevated but controlled bass and clear mids. The highs can be very vibrant and clear, however they may be too much for those who prefer a more gentle treble. These headphones are great for critical listening and excel at medium-low volume. They can maintain their balance while playing aggressive music like death metal or blackmetal, and won't be smothered by cymbal crash.

Another great feature is the T1's exceptional dynamic range. It can reproduce the most extreme differences between quieter and louder tracks with a perfect clarity and accuracy. They are a great choice for musicians who wish to be able to hear every nuance and detail of their instrument, as well as audiophiles who like the ability to differentiate between different instruments in the song.

A nice feature is the gold-plated connectors and the Beyerdynamic logo on the earcup. This is a symbol of quality and an assurance that you are getting a top-tier product. The headphones are protected by a durable case when not in use. A detachable cable and an adapter of quarter-inch size are included.

The Beyerdynamic T1 has a closed back design and is not portable. They won't keep you safe from everyday noises like rush-hour traffic and children's clocks, or even nagging spouses. The ear cups that are large are not designed for vigorous sports like running, as they could easily fall off your ears. The Beyerdynamic T5p also features an open-back design. However, the cups are smaller. They could be more suitable for listening on the go.

2. HIFIMAN Ananda Nano

The HIFIMAN Ananda Nano is the most recent version of HIFIMAN's popular open-back mid-range headphones. The Nano is an enormous leap over the original Ananda with a brand new nanometer-thick diaphragm and a stealth magnet for enhanced clarity. These features were also included on the ultra-high-end Susvara headphones. These features promise low distortion and a lightning-fast transient response and demonstrably improved clarity and dynamics.

The result is a broad and deep soundstage, with excellent separation between vocals and instruments. The Nano has a warm, rich sound with a peak at the upper mids, which makes it perfect for hip-hop, pop, and rock.

This emphasis on the upper mids comes with some drawbacks. It produces the sound being slightly muffled, particularly in the higher registers, where some details is lost. It also means that the Nano isn't suitable for classical music, where the lower mids are often obscured by the bass.

Bass is punchy and powerful and has good timbre in the low-end, and fantastic dynamics and slam. It's a bit more full than the original Ananda bass and is perfect for modern music such as pop, rock and gaming. However, it still has plenty of rumble for audiophiles who prefer more natural sound to their bass.

As one would expect, leakage is bad for open-back headphones. It can be an issue in noisy environments. The headphone also doesn't have a microphone, so you won't be able make calls from mobile phones.

The HIFIMAN Ananda Nano has lot to offer, and it is a highly recommended option to anyone who is seeking an open-back planar magnetic headphone under $1000. It's a fantastic upgrade over the previous model, and is worth a look. The Ananda Nano is available with a travel case that is an important addition for audiophiles who want to listen to their music on the go. The case has ample space to store the Ananda Nano, its cable as well as a compact DAC or player. A carrying pouch is also included in the case. The headphones are durable and well-made, and come with a 3 year warranty.

3. Hifiman Editions XS

When HIFIMAN launched the Edition X, it created quite an uproar in the audiophile space. The company has now incorporated the same technology into a smaller, more affordable headphone, that fits between the Sundara & Ananda. The Edition XS uses the same aerodynamically-shaped stealth magnets and a thin "Neo Super-Nano Diaphragm" to guarantee fast response time with minimal distortion.

The headphones are built to an extremely high standard as the rest of HIFIMAN's products. They are sturdy enough to withstand heavy usage and are extremely comfortable to wear for long listening sessions. The cups are made of an anti-resonant, vibration-reducing material. A tangle-free, tangle-free cable that has a straight plug is included in the package, together with a headphone stand that can also double as a case for storage for the headphones.

The Edition XS planar magnetic headphones have a high resolution and detail. This means that you'll hear things in your music that weren't there before, or perhaps notice flaws in your recordings that you wouldn't have noticed with other headphones. They offer stunning imaging and cheapest an expansive soundstage that can fill a large room with crystal clear, 3D detail.

They have an even and neutral sound quality, which means they will suit any genre of music. They have excellent mids and reproduce vocals as well as lead instruments precisely, however they may be lacking a bit of energy and rumble in their bass. Their high frequencies are clear and precise, however they might sound a bit bright for some listeners.

The HIFIMAN Edition XS can be a great choice for those looking for a planar magnetic open-backed headphone that can be used in noisy environments, but doesn't require much power. The low impedance (18O), makes it easy to drive almost any DAC or headphone amplifier. However it is best to get the best results if you're using an audio interface with an inbuilt headphone amp. They're not the most compact headphones, Cheapest and they aren't the most compact to carry around, but they come with a protective pouch for travel. These headphones are more expensive than other choices, but they're worth the price because of their features and the quality.

4. Audeze LCD-5

The Audeze LCD-5 planar magnetic headphones are the latest flagship model from the company. It is an entirely new design, with a brand new magnet and driver. This is a significant improvement to their previous headphone model, and puts the LCD-5 at the top of the personal audio market. The LCD-5's drivers consist of ultra-thin Nano-Scale Diaphragms that are paired with Parallel Uniforce voice coils as well as Fazor Waveguides. These new features work in conjunction to regulate the movement of the diaphragm and provide a superior level of resolution.

In addition the earpads of the LCD-5 are made to fit a greater range of head sizes. The pads are made of a more flexible material and the headband is lighter and smaller, so the LCD-5s will be more comfortable on the majority of ears than previous models. The headphones clamp a little more than other Audeze models, and might be a bit tight for some people, but they will get more comfortable over time.

Audeze LCD series has been a benchmark in the field of planar magnetic headphones for many years. Their flagship LCD-2 brought in the new time of high-fidelity audio. It was followed by the LCD-3 and LCD-4. The LCD-5 continues to follow the trend by offering improvements to every aspect of headphones' sound signature, including their design.

The LCD-5 has a more refined sound and a less aggressive presentation compared to the LCD-2. This is due to their increased emphasis on midrange detail retrieval surgical treble precision, and microdetail retrieval. The LCD-5s still have a massive dynamic range with a full-bodied bass. However, they aren't as powerful as the models like the Abyss A-1266 or Hifiman HE1000SE and will often need a bit of EQing to get the best sound.

Audeze LCD-5 headphones are outstanding with their amazing sound quality. They also have an outstanding build quality. The LCD-5 isn't a good choice for everyone. But if you're willing to shell out the money, and you want headphones that provide a stunning listening experience Look for it. It will be worth every cent.