Best Planar Magnetic Headphones Under $1000
If you love music and want to upgrade your headphones and set, a planar magnetic one is a good investment. They can be costly.
There are plenty of great options below the $1000 mark. In this article, we'll examine the top budget-friendly planar headphones that will provide you with an unforgettable listening experience.
1. Beyerdynamic T1
Beyerdynamic is a German brand which doesn't compromise when it comes to premium headphone design. The Beyerdynamic T1 is made from premium materials and has an elegant design. It's a pleasure to wear. The soft headband as well as the replaceable earpads make them extremely comfortable. The earphones may initially feel rough, but they quickly adapt to the head and ears. They can be used for long listening sessions without discomfort.
The T1 has an extremely natural sound, with a well-controlled but elevated bass and clean mids. The highs can be very vibrant and clear, however they could be too loud for those who prefer a softer sounding treble. They are a fantastic pair of headphones for demanding listening and excel when played at moderate to low volume. They are able to maintain their balance when playing a savage music such as blackmetal or death metal, and won't be smothered by cymbal crashes.
Another excellent feature is the T1's outstanding dynamic range. It can reproduce extreme differences in volume between quieter and more loud passages with a high level of clarity and precision. This makes them a great choice for musicians who want to be able to perceive every detail and nuance of their instrument, and for audiophiles who appreciate the ability to easily distinguish different instruments in a song.
A nice addition is the gold-plated connectors as well as the Beyerdynamic logo on the earcup. This is a sign of quality and an assurance that you are getting a top quality product. They come with a hard-case case that will protect the headphones when not in use. A detachable cable and an adapter for quarter-inch are included.
The Beyerdynamic T1 is not designed to be used on the go since it has a closed back design. They will not protect you from the noises of daily life like traffic jams and alarm clocks for children or irritating partners. They are not designed for physical activities like running around with them because the ear cups are large and can easily slip off your ears. The Beyerdynamic T5p comes with a similar open-back design with the ear cups being smaller, which means they might be a better option for listening on the go.
2. HIFIMAN Ananda Nano
The HIFIMAN Nano is the newest version of HIFIMAN's popular mid-range, open-back headphones. The Nano is an incredible leap forward from the original Ananda with a brand new nanometer-thick diaphragm that has a stealth magnet that provides greater clarity. closed-back planar magnetic headphones 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 resulting soundstage is wide and deep, with great separation of instruments and vocals. The Nano has a warm and mellow sound with a peak at the upper mids, making it ideal for hip-hop, rock, and pop.
This emphasis on the upper mids comes with some drawbacks, though. It produces the sound being slightly muffled, especially in the higher registers, where some of the detail is lost. The Nano is also not as suitable for classical music due to the lower mids are typically overshadowed.
The bass is raunchy dynamic, powerful and lively with a great bass timbre at the lower end. It's a little more full than the bass of the original Ananda and is perfect for contemporary music such as rock and pop as well as gaming, but still provides plenty of rumble, which is pleasing to audiophiles who want an acoustic tone that is more natural to their bass.
As expected leakage is a problem for open-back headphones. It is a problem when in noisy environments. The headphone is also not equipped with a microphone, so you won't be able use it for mobile phone calls.
The HIFIMAN Nano is a great option to anyone looking for a planar magnetic open-back headphone that costs less than $1000. It's an upgrade from the previous model and is worth a look. The Ananda Nano is available with a travel case that is a must-have for audiophiles who wish to listen to music while on the move. The case is large enough to accommodate the Ananda Nano with its cable, as well as a small player/DAC. In the box you will also find a carrying pouch. The headphones are well-constructed and durable, and come with a 3 year warranty.
3. Hifiman Editions XS
When HIFIMAN launched the Edition X, it created quite a stir in the world of audiophile. Now, the company has applied the same technology to a smaller, more affordable headphone that fits right in between the Sundara and the 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.
Like all HIFIMAN products they are well-built. The headphones are durable enough to withstand the rigors of heavy use and are comfortable to wear during long listening sessions. The cups are made of an anti-resonant vibration-reducing material. The box includes a tangle-free cord with an unidirectional plug, as well as the headphone holder which can be used to store the headphones.
The Edition XS is a very excellent planar magnetic headphone that provides excellent detail resolution. This means you'll hear things in your music that weren't evident before, or even notice flaws in your recordings you wouldn't have noticed with a different set of headphones. They're incredibly clear and have an expansive soundstage that will fill a large space with clear, three-dimensional detail.
These headphones are neutral and balanced which means they can be used with any kind of music. They are excellent at reproducing vocals and lead instruments with precision. However, they might be lacking some rumble and punch in terms of bass. Their high frequencies are clear and precise, but they may sound a little bright for some listeners.
The HIFIMAN Edition XS can be a great choice to anyone who is looking for an open-backed planar magnetic headphone that can be used in noisy environments, but doesn't need much power. The low impedance (18O), makes it easy to connect to almost every DAC, or headphone amplifier. However, you'll get the best results if you're using an audio interface that has an inbuilt headphone amp. They're not the most portable headphones, and aren't the most compact to carry around, however they come with a comfortable pouch for travel. They're also a little more expensive than other models on this list, but their quality and features are worth the cost.
4. Audeze LCD-5
The Audeze LCD-5 planar magnetic headphones are the most recent flagship model of the company. It is an entirely new design incorporating an all-new magnet and driver. This is a significant improvement to their previous headphone model, and puts the LCD-5 at the top of the market for personal audio. 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 tandem to control the diaphragm movement and deliver a high resolution.
The earpads of the LCD-5 have been designed to fit an increased range of head. The LCD-5s are more comfortable than previous models because the pads are made from more flexible materials, and the headband is also lighter and smaller. The headphones clamp slightly more than other Audeze models, and could be too tight for some users, but they will become more comfortable with time.
Audeze LCD series has been the benchmark in planar magnetic headphones for many years. The LCD-2 was the first high-fidelity headphone to be released in the series, following by LCD-3 and LCD-4. The LCD-5 is a continuation of this trend and offers improvements in every aspect of the headphones' sound signature and design.
The LCD-5 has more refined sound and a more mellow presentation compared to the LCD-2. This is due to the increased emphasis on mid-range clarity, microdetail retrieval and surgical treble precision. The LCD-5s are still able to provide a massive dynamic range with a full-bodied bass. However, they're not as powerful as the models like the Abyss A-1266 or Hifiman HE1000SE. They will typically require EQ adjustments to sound their best.
Audeze LCD-5 headphones are outstanding with their amazing sound quality. They also boast 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 want an audio device that provides an incredible listening experience Look at the LCD-5. It's worth every cent.