Top Planar Magnetic Headphones

Planar magnetic headphones give the most detailed and expansive listening experience. They're popular with audiophiles who want to enhance their listening experience.

Choosing the best planar magnetic headphones depends on what you want the most when it comes to the headphone. It all comes to clarity of image and distinction, as well as clarity as well as bass punch.

1. Audeze LCD-2 Classic

The original LCD-2 was the first pair of planar magnetic headphones to truly take off. It's so well-known that it has become synonymous with technology. It's still one of the top headphones of its kind. The sound quality is exceptional, especially for a headset that costs over $1,000. The bass is a long way to the point of hearing, and it is awe-inspiring in clarity. The upper mids are warm, but not too loud. Overall, the sound is full of detail and has very little distortion.

They are very comfortable to wear, too. The headband is soft and flexible, and the earpads are very plush. The headphones are light enough for long listening sessions, without feeling tired. However, they don't offer an airtight seal around your ears as some open-back headphones do, and this means that you can hear the surroundings. This isn't an issue in quiet environments however it could be a problem in noisy environments.

The LCD-2 Classics have a very sturdy construction and are built to last. The earcups are made from crystal-infused nylon which is a fantastic material for headphones. It looks tough and is much lighter than the wood rings used in other Audeze models.

However the LCD-2 Classics don't feel quite as premium as many other high-end headphones. The LCD-2 Classics have a DIY feel with their visible screws and lack of finishing. They're still a great pair of headphones, however they may not be suitable for everyone.

If you're looking for a similar headphone that is less expensive and less expensive, the Monoprice Monolith M1060 is an excellent choice. These headphones have the same technology as the LCD-2 Classics but at a lower cost. The earcups are more sealed 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's unique and affordable planar magnetic iem magnetic headphones have made it an international brand. The LIRIC 2nd Generation is the company's latest headphone. It builds on the success of the first-generation model and features improved performance as well as a new striped finish to increase the modularity.

The LIRIC features a full frequency response, ranging from 4Hz to 92,000 Hz. This delivers music with incredible clarity and a vast soundstage. Additionally, Headphones planar the headphone's QWRM (Quarter Wavelength Resonator Mask) effectively manages high-frequency spikes that can be exhausting to the ears.

For high-fidelity listening while on the on the go, these headphones feature a closed-back design that blocks out ambient noise. They also feature an ovoid-shaped design that resembles the natural human ear's shape to provide a clearer channel to the source of the sound.

The Meze LIRIC comes with the company's exclusive Isodynamic Hybrid array driver which features dual-shaped voice coils for improved ambience and spatial sound imaging. This dual voice coil is the result of more than 30 years of research and development making it the most compact and light magnet driver available.

To improve their sound quality, the LIRIC headphones have a pressure equalization system which precisely regulates airflow as well as the pressure of the earcup chamber. This lets the listener enjoy the same quality of sound, whether they are wearing the Headphones Planar in a workplace or on a plane.

In my tests in my tests, the Meze LIRIC sounded a fantastically well-balanced and smooth sound that is extremely enjoyable to listen to for long sessions. The treble is crystal clear, and the bass is punchy with great clarity. The soundstage is expansive and there is a good separation between vocals and instruments. I also appreciated the fact that no element of an album was too small to escape the ears' attention including the decay and attack of PJ Harvey's 50ft Queenie down to the individual strings of an electric guitar.

The Meze LIRIC is a great choice if you are searching for the top closed-back planar magnet headphones under $2000. It's a solid competitor to the Dan Clark Audio E3 but offers a slightly different timbre and is lighter overall.

3. Meze Elite

In their quest to create headphones that are both visually stunning and sonically excellent, Romanian manufacturer Meze Audio have increased their game in recent years with a number of flagship products. The Elite new model, which is their most recent model, is their highest premium headphone yet, headphones planar and a worthy replacement for the Empyrean as the company's flagship.

Like the Empyrean and the Empyrean, the Elite is an open-back headphone that has a unique suspension wings design that enhance their wearability. The wings are similar to the ones found on Dan Clark, HiFIMan or Sendy headphones in that they spread the weight of the Elite’s larger than average driver over the larger area of your head, enhancing the comfort of listening for long durations. They work well and I've worn the Elite for many hours without any discomfort.

Sonically the Elite is a reference-style headphone that has an upgraded hybrid isodynamic array driver which can provide extremely low harmonic distortion, less than 0.1 percent across its entire frequency range. It also has the highest sensitivity rating of 101 dB/mW, and an impedance of 32 ohms, which means it can be powered effortlessly by even low-cost headphone amplifiers or DAPs (assuming they can accept the standard headphone jack).

The Elite's diaphragm has been a significant improvement over the Empyrean and is moving away from the polymer that was developed by a custom-made company to utilize a low-mass semi-crystalline film that has been engineered by biaxial lengthening in a sequential manner. This allows the Elite to have a thin, yet robust diaphragm still offering outstanding resistance to fatigue and stress cracking.

The Elite's lower-mass diaphragm results in a higher speed and resolution. It is now capable of competing with other models like the Audeze LCD-2 Classic at a lower cost. The Elite is also more clear and neutral than the LCD-2, while still delivering an impression of depth, transparency air, and transients.

4. Meze HE400SE

The HE400SE planar magnetic headphones are among the most popular on the market. It's a great choice for audiophiles who want to transition to open-back models, as well as for those who are already comfortable with the concept of planar magnets. It is equipped with HiFiMAN's Stealth Magnet Design, which minimizes distortion and wave diffraction to nearly unnoticeable levels.

The HE400SE is a great open-back headphone, however it doesn't have the same bass extension as other HiFiMAN headphones. The HE400SE has a very rich and deep bass however it doesn't sound loud. The overall tone is neutral but with some forward-looking midrange and an elevated treble that many listeners will find pleasing.

Vocals are incredibly clear on the HE400SE. The HE400SE is a great choice for listening to acoustic music and also classical and orchestral music. It's the most affordable headphone to listen to this kind of music. However, if you're accustomed to closed-back headphones which have a more bass-emphasized tuning the transition can be uncomfortable. It takes a few listening sessions to get used to it.

The HE400SE's imaging is also impressive. The HE400SE can produce a large and detailed soundstage that allows the musicians to feel centered in space. The vocals and the drums are very prominent in Prince's Let's Go Crazy. The guitar solo is very prominent and easily heard over the rest of the instruments.

The HE400SE has a good extension of the treble and clarity. The treble can be a bit warm, but not harsh at all. It doesn't have the extra brightness that some other headphones with brighter trebles possess, but it does have the sibilance or a fatty 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, however it requires an amplifier with at least 0.5 W output to reach its maximum SPL.