Tag Archives: planar magnetic

Audeze MM-500 Review

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Audeze have teamed up with legendary mixing engineer Manny Marroquin to create the special MM-500 planar magnetic headphones. Designed to be used in the studio as well as for audiophile listening the Audeze MM-500 are meant to be an all-rounder headphone. Tuned for a natural and balanced sound with slight leaning to the mid-low range and light sparkle in the high frequencies.

Audeze MM-500

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Audeze MM-500: The Sound

First impressions when paired with FiiO E07K headphone amp shows the MM-500‘s neutral and balanced character. With a closer listen slight lifts in frequencies can be heard while still keeping the tone natural and harmonious. There is slight warmth and vividness while keeping the sound realistic and natural sounding. Listening to EDM and heavy metal revealed new, unheard layering to music. Switching to funk and jazz made the music shine and pop in pleasant ways keeping me entertained for hours.

These headphones really make me feel like I am in the club or studio, so much to love.

Although designed to be used in professional mixing environments, listening to different music genres really highlights the multi-talent of the Audeze MM-500 being a jack-of-all-trades. Low impedance and sensitivity make the MM-500 easy to drive from most sources, even when plugged straight to my Oppo A57s smartphone – although they do benefit greatly when paired with some form of amplification.

The MM-500 does not shy away from electronic music with deep rumbling bass that shows no distortion when listening to Drum & Bass – while funk and jazz sparkles and shines with an ‘alive’ sound. These headphones really make me feel like I am in the club or studio, so much to love.

Audeze MM-500 Earcup Grill

Comfort

As soon as the MM-500 are placed on my head I could feel that this is a quality headphone. It seems quite heavy at first, but the headband distributes the weight evenly. The slightly sloped ear pads encase the ears and gently hug the sides – again with just the right clamping force. Even after using for 2+ hours, there is nothing to complain about in the comfort zone – I just want to listen more!

Audeze MM-500 Earpads

Build Quality

As soon as these Audeze headphones are taken out of the box it becomes clear this is a serious headphone. The materials used throughout feel luxurious, the sturdy headband and folding ear cups blend perfectly together in a medley of sensations when holding. An understated, minimalistic look on the ear cups completes the indulgent feel of the MM-500. They feel and look extraordinary.

A surprising talented headphone in the studio and on a home Hi-Fi system

It is initially quite heavy in the hands – but the ease of which the earcups swing and fold flat – the cranking of the headband pins before placing on the head – and the way the leather headband sits snugly on the head – makes the MM-500 virtually vanish when the music kicks in.

Audeze MM-500 Cable

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Interested in all things Audeze? Check out more News and Reviews here!

Visit the official Audeze UK website here!

Read our Audeze Brand Story here!

PRE-ORDERS Open: Audeze MM-500

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The great news here is that after much fanfair, the MM-500 are now avaliable for pre-order & purchase with Hifiheadphones, Audeze or your local dealer!

AUDEZE MM-500

Pre-Order the AUDEZE MM-500 Now!

The MM-500 has been specifically designed to deliver studio-quality sound and have also been reimagined for mixes that translate well and capture the emotion the artist always intended. They have also been built and designed to offer all-day comfort. The planar magnetic drivers feature patented Audeze technologies to deliver lightning-fast transients and accurate frequency response that professionals really rely on. The MM-500’s low impedance and efficiency also ensure compatibility with virtually all audio interfaces and consoles.

‘Thanks for getting the MM-500 to me so quickly. I worked on them most of yesterday and I think they could be my favourite headphones. They have the imaging accuracy and punch of the LCD-5 and also the warmth and width of the Neumann ndh-30. Really liking them and will carry on working with them. I think they could be the perfect studio headphones.’

M Duplock purchased 15th August 2022

Key Features:

  • Specifically designed to deliver mixes that consistently translate well.
  • Like near-field monitors, they also remove your room from the equation and give you studio-quality sound anywhere
  • Durable, lightweight chassis featuring machined aluminum and spring steel
  • Compatible with virtually all audio interfaces or consoles
  • Designed in collaboration with award-winning producer/mixer Manny Marroquin

You can Pre-Order the New Audeze MM-500 Today!

More about the Audeze MM-500
Pre-Order the MM500 now!

Interested in all things Audeze? Check out more news and reviews on our Blog here

Campfire Audio Release Supermoon Planar CIEM

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Campfire Release a Solid-body Custom-Fit In-Ear Monitor featuring a new custom Planar Magnetic Driver

Campfire have released the Supermoon, a Planar Magnetic custom IEM; they are a brand that often takes risks, be it in design or sound signature. It is notoriously hard to make a small planar sound good, and offering it in a custom fit earphone makes it even more interesting, Campfire Audio have done this so they can optimise the performance of the driver for each individuals ear shape.

Campfire Audio have tuned the Supermoon to sound coherent and balanced, but I would not say they are a studio neutral sounding earphone, with a mild sub-bass lift and effortless treble they are mildly u-shaped without making vocals sound recessed. We have a demo set in universal fit, so book an appointment if you want to hear these (they will also be at CanJam London).

Campfire Audio offer two different fit options, artist-fit and audiophile-fit, with artist fit offering up a more traditional deeper fit and audiophile offering up a more comfortable fit due to a shorter nozzle, perfect for long listening sessions.

Campfire Audio use a unique Solid-Body design – When crafting the solid body of the earphone, the design is 3D printed as a single component before being meticulously hand-finished. Putting the work into the earphone design before the print means the only moving part in Supermoon is the diaphragm. This also means that the earphones you will receive will be a robust and reliable partner.

Full Details HERE

Buy them now: https://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/products/campfire-audio-supermoon

Audeze Euclid Planar Magnetic In-Ear Review

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Audeze’s first sealed planar earphone are exciting and bold, with excellent resolution and impactful bass response.

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Fit and Comfort

The new Audeze Euclid are a little on the larger side, this is down to the fact they house an 18mm planar magnetic drive inside. However Audeze have managed to make them as ergonomic as possible with soft contoured inner faces, and a good size nozzle. I found them to fit fairly well in my small ears, and they worked best with the supplied Comply tips for me. The cable fits over your ears well and helps with the overall fit of the Euclid.

The comfort is ok for me personally, I found after longer listening sessions I had some mild discomfort where they sit in your ear, but I do have relatively small ears and narrow canals. The supplied Comply tips worked well for me, and definitely help when using them for longer periods of time.

Compatibility

With relatively high sensitivity (105 dB/1mW) and low impedance (12 Ohms) they should be relatively easy to drive in theory. And whilst you do get listening volumes from portable sources, they do sound better when fed a bit more power, as is the case with most planar magnetic models (desktop amps, or higher end portable players are almost a necessity in my opinion).

Just a note on eartips and burn-in with the Euclid – I found that with silicone tips and listening to them right out of the box they sounded quite harsh with a shouty midrange and quite unnatural tonality. After 2 days of burn-in and fitting the Comply tips, the sound is completely different and they are far more enjoyable to listen to. These are quite picky so make sure to try all the different tips and try them out of a few different sources if possible.

Sound

Bass: The bass on the Euclid is impactful and hard hitting when needed, and being a planar they have quite a linear response all the way down to the sub-bass region. This means you won’t miss a beat with these, yet they are also nimble and have snappy transients to keep up with complex mixes. They have a relatively full low end, yet it doesn’t add any real warmth to the midrange, in fact the midrange could use a little more body in my opinion. The low end manages to stay faithful to the recording for the most part, only coming out when called for, but never lost in the mix.

Midrange: The midrange is a bit tricky on the Euclid, there are a few peaks and dips but for the most part they are well presented. There is a little bit of a lack of body at times, and there is a lift in the upper midrange which means they don’t always sound the most natural in terms of tonality. There is tons of detail to take in from the Euclid, and they show impressive transparency. This level of transparency, mixed with the impressive transient response means the mix is clearly separated and it’s easy to distinguish the different layers.

Treble: The treble is well presented, there is a bit of a lower treble lift which brings out some energy and sparkle but it’s the overall extension where they fall short a little. When compared to something that’s airy and extended like the Andromeda, the Euclid roll off a little too early and don’t sound quite as refined up top. But there’s still lots to enjoy here, they have a sense of energy that is quite addictive whilst perhaps not the most “studio accurate”.

Genres and Soundstaging

The Euclid lend their hand to most genres, but they are a bit hot sometimes when it comes to poorly mastered tracks. The soundstaging isn’t huge, but there is a nice sense of space and air to the Euclid that make them more open sounding than most sealed IEM’s.

Conclusion

What Audeze have done here is create a fun yet relatively well balanced planar earphone, which I appreciate is no easy feat. They do fall behind slightly when it comes to tonality, sometimes sounding a little thin in the midrange. But overall they have some great qualities including excellent bass response, brilliant detail retrieval and transparency. These won’t be for everyone, but I am sure there are a lot out there who will enjoy the Euclid, just remember they are very picky when it comes to the tips and source used.

Audeze LCD-2 Classic Review

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If you want a taste of the famous Audeze house sound without breaking the bank, the LCD-2 Classic is where you start.

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Fit and Comfort

Well all Audeze headphones have a certain styling, and the LCD-2 Classic are very much an Audeze headphone. However instead of wood you get nylon rings with metal grills, the look is smoother and sleeker than older models. The headband is steel with a suspension strap that is more comfortable than the original. Overall they don’t stand as much as the original LCD-2, but they won’t have any wood issues either, so that’s a bonus.

Build quality is excellent, they are still using sturdy 4-pin mini XLR connectors on the headphones and the cable is thick and has good strain relief. The earpads are huge and made of protein leather rather than the genuine leather of their higher end models. The headband is steel and feels strong, the suspension strap is protein leather like the pads, which makes these vegan friendly. Overall I can see the LCD-2 Classic lasting a long time, the pads are glued on however they are fairly easy to replace. The LCD-2 Classic no longer come with the big carry case the higher end models have, but this has helped keep the cost down.

Again here we have the typical heaviness of the Audeze models, due to their excellent build quality sadly they are quite heavy. The newer headband helps alleviate the pressure better than the old one, but if you are not used to the weight it can become tiring. the earpads are extremely comfortable and deep though, and once you get used to it they are good for fairly long listening sessions.

Compatibility

The LCD-2 Classic are quite efficient for a planar headphone (Efficiency: 101dB / 1mW) but it doesn’t mean they can’t handle extra power. Out of a low powered source they can sound a little constrained and flat, but hook them up to a powerful solid state amplifier and you will be greeted with the smooth yet powerful sound that these are capable of.

Sound

Audeze wanted to bring back the sound of the original LCD-2 in a more modern package, so they got rid of the fazors, redesigned the headphones a bit and here we are. Back to a time where people wanted to sit back and relax, and not worry about the resolving capabilities or micro-details. A time where few audiophile headphones had enough bass response for most people.

Bass: Audeze built their name on this part of the frequency response, a high-end headphone with warmth and body. The LCD-2 Classic are effortlessly smooth down low, with plenty of warmth and punch all backing up the rest of the sound. However the LCD-2 Classic don’t have the headshaking, skull thumping impact of the original. Make no doubt about it, the LCD-2 Classic have more than enough body and warmth to their sound, but they are more restrained and controlled and never become overbearing. If you are fed up of the more clinical and sometimes cold sound of some high-end headphones, the LCD-2 Classic are a sobering listen and a great addition to a more neutral tuned collection.

Midrange: The transition into the midrange is smooth, giving them enough body and warmth to sound pleasant without colouring the midrange too much. There is good tonality in the midrange, vocals cut through without every becoming shouty or peaky, husky male vocals are such a pleasure to listen to on these. Female vocals don’t quite have the required bite in the upper midrange, remaining smooth and sweet throughout and they are not the most aggressive sounding headphones when it comes to playing faster rock music. These are more suited to smoother genres, or electronic based music.

Treble: Much like the midrange the top end is tuned for smooth listening, and they do roll off a little early. These do not have the best extension or shimmer, however they are very easy to listen to and peak free. There isn’t too much to say about the treble on these, apart from if you are sensitive to sharp treble these are perfect.

Genres and Soundstaging

Being a bit of a laid back and smooth headphone these are easy to just kick back and listen to without any fatigue. They are not the most exciting headphones, but they handle most genres with ease. They don’t really stand out with any particular style of music, but that extra helping of bass does help certain EDM and hip-hop tracks.

The soundstage is great on these, with great width and height. Instruments are easy to pinpoint and you can easily pick apart the layers of the recording.

Conclusion

The LCD-2 Classic are a well controlled, but ultimately warm sounding headphone. They offer up a fatigue free sound with good width and height. If you listen to electronic centred music, old school rap/hip-hop and smoother more acoustic music they are a joy to listen to. However they lack a little aggression for faster paced music.

Audeze LCD-1 Review

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The LCD-1 lean towards a more balanced sound signature, with a dash of added colour for an enjoyable and easy listening experience.

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Fit and Comfort

The LCD-1 are a small, portable sized headphone with a mainly plastic build to help keep the weight down. The earpads do go around your ears and are quite snug, the clamping force is moderate to retain a secure fit. There is plenty of adjustment in the headband sliders to fit most head shapes and sizes. They fit well and have an understated look compared to higher end Audeze models.

Comfort wise the moderate clamping force is noticeable during longer listening sessions, and the small-ish earpads are plush and soft but not the most spacious. Being open back they don’t heat up as quickly as a closed back model though. The headband has fairly good padding, but it is a little narrow and does create a small pressure point on the top of my head.

See our Headphone Buying Guide

Compatibility

The LCD-1 might look like a portable headphone, but it’s open back nature mean it is better used in environments where you won’t disturb others with sound leakage. Also they are a planar magnetic headphone, and in my opinion fare much better when a powerful source is used. Something like the JDS Labs Element II or Burson Audio Conductor range would be perfect with them. They don’t sound all too good out of a mobile phone, they definitely benefit from a bit more power to get the best out of them.

Sound Quality:

Bass: Whilst Audeze cut their teeth with the LCD-2 and its famous bass, the LCD-1 does not follow in its footsteps. Instead Audeze have created a tool for the sound engineer on the go, or for the travelling audiophile who wants a more reference sound when away from home. The bass hits fast and clean with minimal boost in terms of quantity, there is a tightness to the sound yet with body that is subtle yet pleasant. It is in the bass region where a good amplifier will make or break the LCD-1, don’t give them enough power and they do sound thin and a little anaemic, but when you have a good source behind them the articulation and slam is excellent whilst retaining clarity and control at all times. Full bodied, but not overblown, musicality and technicality mixing in perfect harmony down low.

Midrange: Here is where the LCD-1 really got me, such a clean cut and alluring midrange that has all the detail you could want at this price range. It is natural, with realistic tone and yet it is always crisp and kept clear of any bloom from the bass. In my opinion the midrange is pretty flawless on the LCD-1, it has excellent timing, tonality and overall just sounds accurate and right. No matter the genre, give them a good source and recording and you will hear all the nuances you could want but never in a harsh or annoying way. Much like the bass they manage to mix technical ability with a slight smooth musicality to great effect.

Treble: Here is possible where the smoothness slightly outweighs the technical abilities and they have a bit of that typical Audeze lushness. Not as extended or present as some of the competition, the treble region is where I personally would have preferred a little more energy. Those who are a little more treble sensitive though will welcome the natural and smooth treble, with enough presence to keep the LCD-1 sounding well balanced, but without any fatigue inducing peaks. Luckily the resolution up top is excellent with plenty of detail to be heard in the treble region.

Genres and Soundstaging

Due to their fairly balanced sound signature, the LCD-1 seem to handle most music you throw at them with relative ease. Their presentation is a little more on the engaging side of things so they fare well with more upbeat music than classical for example.

The LCD-1 soundstaging is good, there is plenty of width and good height too, but the layering also stands out. They are an agile headphone and expertly pick apart even the most complex of mixes.

Check out our Best Over-Ear Headphones 2020

Conclusion

The LCD-1 is an instant classic in my opinion, from the moment you put them on you hear that a lot of work has gone in to making them balanced, technically proficient, yet always slightly musical and enjoyable. The midrange stood out to me, being excellent in terms of clarity and tonality, backed up with by full bodied yet controlled bass and sweet yet detailed treble. All packaged in a small, comfortable and well built package, and for an affordable price. The LCD-1 are a truly excellent headphone.

Audeze LCD-4 Review

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The LCD-4 are a very impressive high-end headphone, with pinpoint accuracy and overall excellent sound quality

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Aesthetics and Build Quality

It probably won’t take many people long to figure out where the LCD-4’s come from, with their big bold look and chrome grills, you guessed it the USA. They are not subtle, they are not low key, they have lovely dark wooden housings, shiny chrome grills and a carbon fibre headband. Big leather pads and a silver/black braided cable, the LCD-4 look stunning if not a little OTT.

Build quality is superb, as would be expected at this price range. They are solid and well put together, with good materials and not a blemish in sight. The included cable is also excellent with great strain relief and thickness. They also come with an excellent case to store them in when not in use, the LCD-4 sure feel like they are built to last.

Comfort

The LCD-4 are heavy, there is no doubting that. But the headband is well made to distribute the pressure well, and the pads are soft and well cushioned. Depending on your resilience to the weight of headphones, the LCD-4 are surprisingly comfortable for relatively long listening sessions. This all comes down to personal thresholds though.

Sound

Bass: Audeze are usually known for making headphones that have a warmer, more bass oriented sound signature, and that is true for a few of their models. The LCD-4 and LCD-X however follow a more reference style tuning, these handle the low end with effortless extension and punch without any bleeding or bloat. The low end is tight and controlled, and very accurate to the source. Every bit of the recording can be heard, the layering down low is expertly handled and they never step out of line. There is always a slight underlying warmth to the LCD-4, but they are not a dark sounding headphone.

Midrange: The LCD-4 don’t tend to accentuate any part of the midrange, allowing them to portray it in an open and natural way. Again the layering really stands out, allowing every instrument and vocal track sit in it’s own space whilst always sounding coherent. Guitars sound exceptionally good, you can hear each finger pick of an acoustic guitar, yet throw on something heavier and they have good crunch and energy. The same goes for vocals, every little detail is present and can be heard without much effort, this does mean they pair best with well recorded material as they do show up compression artefacts.

Treble: Snares snap, cymbals crash, violins sing, the top end is open and extended yet they have an incredibly smooth and fatigue free delivery. They are not exaggerated to sound more detailed or energetic, instead they offer up a refined and open sounding top end that is not distracting yet offers up plenty of insight into the recording. Tonality up top is spot on, they have great control and an excellent sense of space, helping open up the soundstage.

The soundstage is very holographic with good width, depth and height, it also has pinpoint precision.

Conclusion

The LCD-4 are a very impressive high-end headphone, with pinpoint accuracy and overall excellent sound quality. They have a slight warmth overall which is enjoyable, yet they also offer plenty of insight into the recording with excellent detail retrieval. If only they were a bit lighter.

Dan Clark Audio Aeon II Open Review

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Aesthetics and Build Quality:

The Aeon II come in a new colour in my opinion they look great, the finish on the cups is perfect with a similar leather headband strap and headband as the original. The grills are also very similar to the original, but the arms now allow the Aeon II to fold up into a more compact size, although being open back I’m not sure how handy it’ll be for this model. It’s certainly a good feature for their closed back sibling.

Build quality is excellent as always, the supplied cable is soft and the connectors are solid. The headband is flexible and it all feels very well put together. Nothing here feels cheap, Dan Clark Audio have thought carefully about the materials used, and it shows.

Comfort:

The Aeon II are lightweight with a suspension strap and deep earpads, this all leads to a super comfortable headphone that is a pleasure to wear for extended periods. The earpads are however made of leather, so you may find your ears getting a little hot during extended listening sessions.

Sound:

Bass: For an open back headphone the Aeon II really do deliver down low, with plenty of body and adequate punch. They have a slightly full bodied sound to them but with better extension over their predecessor, they are also very well controlled as is the case with most planar headphones. The body comes out when called for and lends a lovely tone to acoustic recording, yet throw on something heavier and they can easily keep up. There is good layering down low and nuances are easily picked out, these are not bass heavy but they are a slightly warm and full bodied headphone.

Midrange: The midrange now has better detail retrieval and spaciousness, there is more air around vocals, yet everything is delivered with a pleasant smoothness. The midrange is effortless and natural, instruments sound real and sibilance is very well controlled. For those who want a little more bite, the Aeon II might be a little too safe sounding, but for those who enjoy a relaxed listen these are great to kick back and listen with.

Treble: The treble has good extension and air, but it is quite safe with regards to quantity, they have enough bite to bring out good detail however they do not jump out at you. They do however hit the mark with their tonality, reproducing the top end with a fairly realistic tone that is sure to please a lot of people. Placement within the soundstage is very accurate in the treble region, and the transition from midrange to treble is smooth, if not a little subdued.

The soundstaging on the Aeon II is good, with plenty of width and good height, the positioning of instruments is what stands out the best though with excellent layering.

Conclusion:

The new Aeon II are a technically excellent headphone with a warm, refined and smooth sound and plenty of detail to boot. Great build quality and comfort add to the overall package, but those who want a more punchy and exciting sound may want to look elsewhere.

 

Sound: 4/5

Comfort: 5/5

Build Quality: 4/5

Value: 4/5

MrSpeakers Aeon Headphone Review – A new Epoch?

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MrSpeakers Aeon Closed Back Headphone Review

MrSpeakers is one of those small companies which gets some big attention; not content with their excellent Ether models, they’re back with another design! The MrSpeakers Aeon is a slight departure from the norm, as MrSpeakers has elected to go with some teardrop-shaped earcups for this one. Perhaps they’re designed to match the tears currently falling down our cheeks.. but are they tears of pure frisson, or rage?

Pros:

  • Light and comfortable
  • Excellent sound for a closed back
  • Tuning/modding foam included
  • Isolation impressive

Cons:

  • Nothing worth mentioning!

Design and Appearance

Much like its MrSpeakers forebears, the Aeon is a light and thoughtfully constructed headphone with ‘memory metal’ headband and a decent real leather strap. The earcups are mostly plastic with metal housings for the drivers; it’s all rock solid though, despite the low weight of the Aeon.

Durability and Build Quality

There’s not a lot to go wrong with the design; there are no hinges which can sometimes give trouble eventually, and the sturdy case supplied with the headphones will protect them well between uses. The ‘Dummer’ cable is about 1.8m long and is much like those we’ve seen on the previous Ether models; fabric coated and substantial enough without becoming too cumbersome.

Comfort

Comfort is not an issue with the MrSpeakers Aeon; these are very light for what they do and can be worn for many hours. Clamping force may be more noticeable but the soft pads ensure that no pressure points announce themselves.

Suitability for intended application

The Aeon is primarily intended for the home or office, but wouldn’t look out of place outdoors. The Aeon is a little hard to drive with portable equipment so a separate amp may be required for this, or a capable player. The isolation on the Aeon is quite impressive so it could be a worthwhile thing to try.

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READ MORE: Shanling M2s Digital Audio Player Review

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Sound Characteristics

At first listen the Aeon is quite a neutral-sounding headphone; nothing sticks out too much and there are no obvious dips in the frequency response. After a while though, the Aeon’s character starts to come through. MrSpeakers has also included some small foam pads to modify the sound somewhat; this fills in the upper bass and smooths upper midrange frequencies a bit if needed.

  • Bass

Bass starts with a bump, and the sub bass is really rather nice; a lot of what certain tracks require is just waiting in the wings and pops out to make a great bottom end. Further up towards the upper reaches of the bass, there is a feeling that more presence would be good as it meets the midrange but it’s slight. Overall the bass is tight and well behaved, giving a solid feeling to proceedings.

  • Mids

Midrange is extremely clear and revealing; it has a natural and loose feel to it which is impressive for a closed-back model. It has a well balanced quality which is not too hard, nor too lush. There’s no issue with sibilance here either, despite the impression that midrange is fully present within the tuning of the MrSpeakers Aeon.

  • Treble

Up at the top, there’s good extension and a decent amount of sparkle although there is no obvious emphasis here; treble continues on from midrange without any problem. Cymbals are rendered very well with decent detail, and attacks are good and sharp.

  • Soundstage and Separation

We keep needing to remind ourselves that this is a closed-back headphone; the soundstage is very impressive indeed with great depth too. Imaging and separation are excellent, making a very entertaining and enjoyable headphone.

Music genres good for and why

Many genres were tried and none failed to hit the mark. Classical is treated with delicacy, hip hop is thrown down, and jazz gets playful. The MrSpeakers Aeon handles it all equally well!

Summary

MrSpeakers’ Aeon is a very capable headphone which is worthy of the high price, and equally suitable for use outdoors as well as relaxing at home.

What are Orthodynamic headphones?

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Orthodynamic, AKA Planar Magnetic or Isodynamic Transducers

If you think Orthodynamic headphones are for people recovering from ear operations, you might not be alone as the various names for this driver technology are not that well known. Perhaps due to the relative cost of this type of driver, it has not had the exposure of the ubiquitous dynamic version, for instance.

Orthodynamic: Technical term advanced / popularized by Yamaha Headphones in 1976 to describe their line of headphones at the time using a driver type known generically as isodynamic,  planar-magnetic, or magnetostatic incorporating characteristics of both dynamic and electrostatic driver design.

Of all transducer methods, perhaps the most sumptuous-sounding is the electrostatic method, where a large thin membrane is suspended within a magnetic field which is affected by an electric impulse passing through it. The advantages of this is a very fast attack since the membrane can be thin and light with little to no inertia. On the down side, the technology is horrendously expensive and difficult to drive; a portable rig will likely require a backpack to power it!

A decent halfway house however is the planar-magnetic (AKA orthodynamic or Isodynamic) transducer type. Rather than the membrane being suspended between two electromagnets as in the electroststic method, it is suspended between two sets of permanent magnets; the audio information is fed through a thin wire on the membrane (the voice coil) which makes it react with the magnetic field it is suspended in. While this extra weight makes the membrane less reactive, this is a much cheaper and more efficient way to get near the electrostatic sound.

Some advantages of orthodynamic headphones over their dynamic counterparts include the flat driver with the voice coil controlling its entire surface. Since the membrane reacts across the whole surface at once, it does not need to be rigid which cuts down on weight and inertia. The result is a very fast driver which is particularly good at replicating a wide soundstage with great separation.

Balanced armatures are fantastic for detail, but find it hard work to replicate the very low, and very high frequencies. Also their relative lack of power keeps them mainly in the in-ear realm, where a good seal is required for decent bass perception.

My favourite? Just now I’m loving my full size orthodynamic HiFiMAN HE-400s but recent experiences with both dynamic and balanced armature-driven in-ears (such as the Sennheiser IE800 and Westone UM3X for example) tell me that it’s anybody’s game. There is no ‘best’, only what suits the listener at that particular point in time.

Lauri Cular talks Orthodynamic – Interview with Mark Dolbear

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Mark from HighEnd Workshop, distributor and maintenance man for some very serious audio brands was kind enough to have a chat with me about headphones. Among others, he looks after HiFiMAN‘s distribution in the UK and is in the know about their exciting new range of planar magnetic headphones. This technology is also known as orthodynamic, or magnetostatic driver technology.

Lauri – Hello Mark, it’s nice to see you. Did you have any trouble getting here?

Mark – We are communicating by email.

Lauri – Of course. Perhaps then, I should ask what led you to be in your current position and what do you like best about it?

Mark – The company I previously worked for closed down, so I started a repair company (HighEnd Workshop). After 7 years I noticed that the repairs were slowing down so I decided to go into small scale distribution (something that is very niche) and offer an over the top service which comes from my background repairing £8000 cd transports and £14,000 amplifiers. Hence I started Electromod. The best thing about my position is it was my hobby (not so much now but i still get some time to listen). Also I run my company as I want and do not need to answer to anyone other than the customers.

Lauri – How does orthodynamic (or planar magnetic) technology work and does it have any advantages over dynamic driver technology in your opinion?

Mark – Orthodynamic headphones have drivers with flexible plastic film diaphragms (like cling film) into which a flat voice coil is imprinted in the shape of an S. It is embedded this way for an even distribution of the drive force. This allows the diaphragm to be driven equally over its surface, so you therefore do not need to make a stiff driver or cone; it is very lightweight and with this you have a faster reacting driver. These drivers or diaphragms are tensioned to supply returning force. The magnets are on one or both sides of the diaphragm and supply the magnetic field against which the flat voice coil reacts. This makes the diaphragm vibrate causing sound, the design of an orthodynamic headphone is somewhat similar to an electrostatic design and produces a similar sound characteristic.

Lauri – There are lengthy threads on headfi.org for instance, which describe how to go about modifying headphones such as the HE-400 in order to change the sound signature/fit etc. Do you feel that this is going against the ‘vision’ of the designers, or do you welcome such tinkering? Would HiFiMAN consider incorporating the ideas of modders into future designs?

Mark – My views are that everyone is entitled to their own expression and music is a very emotion thing. I offer one flavour of sound shall we say, and it is down to you to modify or not. I do not mind which but it is important to get the sound you like, if this means playing with a product to get this then so be it. But I don’t agree with playing about with any product and then trying to claim warranties when it goes wrong; that just goes against us and our policies of honesty. I do not think manufacturers will generally take any modding ideas on.

Lauri – What future do you see for orthodynamic headphones? Are they making an impact on the ubiquitous dynamic versions?

Mark – HiFiMan’s orthodynamic headphones are a very good choice and I hope they will make an impact on the overall market; but we still have a long way to go in educating customers that there are options other than dynamic headphones. People who follow Hifi understand the technology, but outside this bubble we still have work to do. It does help when dealers have them in their shop on show to demo, as normally once a customer hears the HiFiMan headphones it is hard to miss how good they are.

Lauri – How robust is this technology when compared to dynamic drivers? Is it easy for the careless to ‘blow’ a driver like with dynamic drivers sometimes?

Mark – Like all speakers, if you feed a driver with a distorted waveform or sound then you are reducing the life of that driver. I have been distributing HiFiMan since 2010 and up to now we have not had a driver fail! As I would say, it is down to the care that HiFiMan put into these ear speakers, and also you will find the customers who are purchasing these products are not normally the ‘head banging’ type and therefore are more careful of their products too!

Lauri – Why did HiFiMAN decide to include a dynamic-driver technology headphone (the HE-300) in the series?

Mark – This was all to do with efficiency; some customers wanted the Hifi-Man sound on their portable devices and since the orthodynamic headphones are a little hard to drive on these devices, it was thought that we would do a dynamic driver version to solve this issue and also be an entry point into the Hifi-Man brand.

Lauri – I see there are aftermarket cables available, consisting of pure copper and pure silver cores for instance. What do you think of this market?

Mark – Again this is down to personal taste. Getting a cable made to do a job, say XLR to BNC, well then that’s a great thing to offer as we all need cables made for different things.

Lauri – Is the low impedance of the HE- range a deliberate part of the design, or does it come with the orthodynamic technology?

Mark – As we understand how to build better and cheaper diaphragms as in the HE400, then the orthodynamic headphones will come more in line with the normal impedance headphones but the inherent design of orthodynamic headphones makes this a very big learning curve.

Lauri – Would you recommend headphone amplifiers with this range of headphones (for home and portable use)?

Mark – This is also down to personal taste but I would say the HiFiMAN amps go well obviously, then Schiit Audio, Trilogy Audio and I have heard good reports from customers who are also using the following: Icon Audio, Bryston and Epiphany Acoustics. But have a play and listen, as this is what it’s all about and I think some people forget this is supposed to be fun as well!

Lauri – Truer words have never been said. Thanks for the interview, Mark!

Mark can be contacted via:

HighEnd Workshop
ElectroMod