The very design
of planar magnetic drivers, which use a thin membrane excited by a magnetic coil to produce sound, is part of why they're generally so big.
Modern designs such as Audeze's LCD - 3 (110 Ohms) and LCD - 4 (200 Ohms), which
use planar magnetic drivers instead of more traditional dynamic drivers, also require the power of a dedicated amp for optimal performance.
The Ella set uses
planar magnetic drivers in an attempt deliver a clearer and more transparent sound than you might be used to on traditional headphones.
World - renowned headphone manufacturer Audeze is bringing its tech to the gaming world, infusing its new Mobius headphones
with planar magnetic drivers, head - tracking technology, and more.
The Monolith M1060 is a beast of a set of headphones, weighing in at 1.1 lbs (500g) with enormous ear cups, mostly - metal and wood construction, and 106
mm planar magnetic drivers.
Despite this lower cost, the Sine headphones are the first cans to
feature planar magnetic drivers, creating big, spacious sound that belies the headphones» relatively compact size.
Unlike the dynamic speakers inside most headphones, which use a piston - style voice coil to generate sound,
planar magnetic drivers employ a micro-thin membrane, excited by a magnetic circuit.
While planar magnetic drivers help the audio sound more lifelike in its reproduction, it's the combination of the planar magnetic tech and the 3D software that help the Mobius to create an experience closer to a live concert.
Like the Oppo PM - 3 before it, the Audeze Sine
fit planar magnetic drivers, the kind normally reserved for studio - grade headphones pushing four figures, into something mobile - friendly and not as expensive as a month's rent.
Granted, we're comparing Shinola's first - ever try in the genre to perhaps the very best on - ear headphones you can find at their price point, and to be fair, the Canfield's 40 mm dynamic drivers have a hard mission in keeping up with the brilliantly
engineered planar magnetic drivers Audeze employs in the Sine.
Because planar magnetic drivers reproduce sound using an extremely thin sheet of film rather than the thicker plastic diaphragms used on conventional headphone drivers, they tend to do a better job of reproducing the little details that often go missing with conventional headphones, but are readily apparent in live performances.
Blue also claims that the Ella is the first planar magnetic headphone to offer a built - in 250mW audiophile - grade amp that is perfectly matched to Blue's
custom planar magnetic drivers to deliver crystal - clear audio on all listening devices.
But these cans sell for a mere $ 449, despite being the first to
pack planar magnetic drivers in a closed - back design, delivering big, spacious audio with little distortion.
Combining these operational principles
allows planar magnetic drivers to be constructed in smaller, cheaper speakers and headphones (at least compared to extremely expensive electrostatic hardware) that can still generate much better sound than ordinary dynamic speakers and headphones.
On the technical front, the HE - 400S challenges the status quo with newly - designed single -
ended planar magnetic drivers in open - back design that deliver the clarity, lifelike soundstage and spatial imaging that HiFiMAN is known for.
It utilizes the
same planar magnetic driver, the same acoustic design principles and tuning techniques, the same tight tolerances for quality control, and its lower price is achieved without sacrificing acoustic performance.
Chiefly,
planar magnetic drivers come with a wealth of inherent benefits; offering more precise transience, lower distortion and a more natural interaction of sound with the outer ear.
Like most of HiFiMan's over-ear models, the HE400i headphones
use planar magnetic drivers, which use a thin sheet of plastic film embedded with wire in place of the dynamic drivers used in most headphones (Inner Fidelity's Tyll Hertsens has an excellent article on the technology).
As the name implies, these use tiny 30
mm planar magnetic drivers to produce sound which is pretty impressive for a pair of in - ears.
Dynamic drivers are typically attached to voice coils and pushed from those connection points,
while planar magnetic drivers are pushed to vibrate evenly across its wide surface.
But just as intriguing as the exterior design is what's inside these funky «buds, including some very powerful magnets and the serpentine circuitry of
miniaturized planar magnetic drivers.
For audiophiles, Audeze is outfitting the Mobius
with planar magnetic drivers — a technology that trades the standard copper wire voice coil typically found in dynamic drivers for a very thin diaphragm with voice coils sandwiched between two magnets.
That great audio, in large part is possible thanks to
the planar magnetic drivers that deliver low distortion, strong bass response and overall spaciousness.
The planar magnetic drivers make each bass note easy to differentiate, without resulting in receded midrange frequencies, unless the volume is cranked up all the way.
That's because Audeze has done something incredible with the Sine, leveraging technology from its pricier (and bulkier) EL - 8 headphones to create a pair of
planar magnetic drivers that fold down to offer a size and efficiency unimaginable just a few short years ago.
We also compared the Sine to the closest contemporaries we could find, including Audeze's open - back EL - 8 over-ears ($ 700), and Oppo's closed - back PM - 3 over-ears ($ 400) both of which use
planar magnetic drivers.
While the Sine's
planar magnetic drivers and proprietary technologies contribute to the bulk of the sound quality, the headphones» closed - back design is also a big deal.
The latter is a first from Audeze, stretching the physical limitations of
its planar magnetic drivers.
Removing the ear cups reveals the headphones
planar magnetic drivers.
Blue Microphone's dynamic headphone offerings, Mo - Fi and Lola, left us impressed, so we've been eager to experience its Ella model, which features
a planar magnetic driver design.
Like a dynamic driver, the sound in
a planar magnetic driver is generated by regulating the electrical flow through wires suspended in between magnets.
Even so, a technology called «
planar magnetic drivers» is making its way into cheaper and more accessible headphones as of late, promising audio fidelity much greater than conventional cans.
Different companies market
their planar magnetic drivers as «magneplanar,» «isodynamic,» or «orthodynamic,» all referring to the same operating principle.
Building on the foundation of
its planar magnetic drivers, the company has created a headset that can deliver 3D audio and sound localization that enhance video games as well as music, videos and phone calls.
The sound embodies the very best qualities available from the thin membranes of
planar magnetic drivers, carving out every secret, each lonesome detail, and every rushing burst of form and color from your most complex music, stretched across a sprawling soundstage.
Regardless of
the planar magnetic drivers referenced above, the PM - 3 have a relatively dark flavor to their sound, especially in the lower midrange.
The engineering isn't just cool, it's also highly functional:
planar magnetic drivers are loved for their low distortion and extremely high accuracy.
For those unfamiliar,
planar magnetic drivers use a polymer membrane stretched between two electromagnets to produce sound when electrical current is applied.
Once again, we can really get a sense of space and detail thanks to the open - back design, and perhaps that fast transient response
the planar magnetic drivers are known for.
For $ 600, the Acoustic Research AR - H1 delivers on the promise of
planar magnetic drivers, and it looks and feels good doing it.