Why You Should Be Working With This Planar Magnetic Headphone Top Planar Magnetic Headphones

Planar magnetic headphones provide the most extensive and precise listening experience. Audiophiles who wish to improve their listening experience love them.

The most effective planar magnetic headphones depend on the priorities you set. It comes down to image structure, clarity and distinction in comparison to bass punch and slam.

1. Audeze LCD-2 Classic

The LCD-2 was among the first planar magnet headphones to gain a lot of attention. It was so popular that it's now synonymous with the technology, and it's still among the top headphones available. Its sound is incredible - especially for a headphone that costs well over $1,000. The bass is deep enough to extend beyond the human hearing range, and has an incredible amount of detail. The upper mids are warm but not obnoxious. Overall, the sound is full of detail and has very little distortion.

They are extremely comfortable to wear, and also. The headband is soft and flexible and the earpads are extremely comfortable. They're also light enough to be worn for long listening sessions without becoming tired. They don't have an airtight seal around your ears as some open-back models do, and this means you'll be able to hear your surroundings. This isn't an issue in quiet environments but it can be a problem in noisy environments.


In Suggested Browsing of quality of construction in terms of build quality, the LCD-2 Classics are very solid and constructed to last. The earcups are made of crystal-infused nylon which is a fantastic material for headphones. It looks tough and is much lighter than the wood rings that are used on 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-like feel, with visible screws and lack of finish. The headphones are still excellent however they may not be the best choice for everyone.

Monoprice Monolith M1060 offers a similar product at a lower price. These headphones feature the same excellent technology of the LCD-2 Classics, but they come at a more affordable cost. They also have a better seal on the earcups and include a carry case. The LCD-2 Classics are missing the impressive bass extension and clearness that they have. However, the sound is still amazing and will please most audiophiles.

2. Meze LIRIC

Meze Audio has made a name for itself with its unique and affordable range of planar magnetic headphones. The LIRIC 2nd Generation is the latest model from the company's headphone. It builds on the success of the previous model with performance improvements and new striped finishes for improved 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 large soundstage. Additionally the headphone's QWRM (Quarter Wavelength Resonator Mask) effectively tames high-frequency peaking that can be a strain to the ears.

Designed for high-fidelity listening while on the move, the headphones feature a closed-back design to block out ambient noise. They also have an ovoid-shaped design that is a natural human ear's shape for a more direct channel to the source of the sound.

The Meze LIRIC features the company's own proprietary Isodynamic Hybrid Array Driver with dual-shaped voice coils that improve ambience and spatial sound imaging. This dual voicing is the result of more than 30 years of research and design making it the lightest and most advanced planar magnet driver on the market.

The LIRIC headphones feature a technology for equalizing pressure that regulates the pressure and airflow in the ear cup chambers to improve the sound quality. This ensures that the listener receives the same quality sound regardless of whether the headphones are worn in a workplace or on a plane commute to work.

In my tests in my tests, the Meze LIRIC produced a stunningly balanced and smooth sound that's extremely enjoyable to listen to for long sessions. The bass is booming and deep, with a clear treble. The soundstage is incredibly expansive with good separation between instruments and vocals. I loved that there was no detail that 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 choice. It's a formidable rival to the Dan Clark Audio E3, however it has a slightly different tone and is lighter overall.

3. Meze Elite

Meze Audio, a Romanian manufacturer, has been trying to up their game in recent years by releasing various flagship products. The Elite is Meze Audio's most premium headphone to date, and replaces the Empyrean, which was previously their most popular.

The Elite is also an open-back, but with unique wings that improve wearability. The wings are like the ones found on Dan Clark, HiFIMan or Sendy headphones in that they distribute the weight of the Elite’s larger than average driver over a larger surface area of your head, improving the comfort of listening for long periods. From my experience, they actually work well and the Elite can be worn for long periods of time without discomfort.

The Elite is a reference style headphone that has an upgraded hybrid isodynamic driver. It can deliver extremely low harmonic distortion, less than 0.1 percent across its entire frequency range. It has a high sensitivity of 101 dB/mW, and an impedance of 32 ohms. This means it can be driven by budget headphones or DAPs if they can be used with the standard jack.

The Elite diaphragm is another significant upgrade over the Empyrean. Instead of using a custom-developed polymer, a low-mass semicrystalline film has been developed using biaxial lengthening that is sequential. This process allows the Elite to be a thin yet rigid diaphragm while still providing an excellent resistance to stress cracking and fatigue.

The switch to a lower mass diaphragm also results in improved speed and resolution and brings the Elite to a level of performance that is right with competitors like the Audeze LCD-2 Classic, albeit at a slightly more affordable price. In actuality, the Elite is perhaps more detailed than the LCD-2 and it can sound very neutral while still offering an impression of transparency, depth, top-end air, and transients that makes it a superb option for those who love rock music and other genres where bass can be very noticeable.

4. Meze HE400SE

The HE400SE planar magnetic headphones are among the most well-known available. It's an excellent choice for audiophiles who want to transition to open-back headphones, or for those who are already comfortable with the concept of planar magnets. It features HiFiMAN’s new Stealth Magnet Design, which reduces distortion and wave diffraction down to unnoticeable levels.

The HE400SE is a great open-back model, but it doesn't have the same bass extension as other HiFiMAN headphones. The HE400SE's bass is very rich and full, but it doesn't sound boomy or bass-heavy. The overall tone is neutral, but with elevated trebles and forward midrange which many listeners will appreciate.

The HE400SE has a very clear sound. The HE400SE is an excellent choice for listening to acoustic and also classical and orchestral music. This is the best budget headphone for listening to this type of music. If you're used to closed-back headphones which have an emphasis on bass, the transition can be uncomfortable. It takes a couple of listening sessions to get used to it.

The HE400SE's image is impressive. The HE400SE creates a huge and detailed soundstage that makes musicians feel like they are in the right spot. On Prince's Let's Go Crazy the drums and vocals appear to be in front of your face. The guitar solo is very prominent and can be easily heard over the other instruments.

The HE400SE is a great treble extension and clarity. The treble has a slight warmth but it's not too harsh. It doesn't have the extra brightness that other headphones with brighter treble can possess, but it does have the sibilance and fatiguing quality of other lower-priced open-back headphones.

The HE400SE has an impedance of 25 O, meaning it requires a powerful amplifier to achieve its maximum SPL. It can be used with the majority of portable and smartphones, but will require an amp that has at least 0.5 W output power to achieve its maximum SPL of 102 dB.