HIFIMAN

HIFIMAN did more than any other company to make planar magnetic headphones affordable. The house character is speed, treble extension and a very even midrange — a different presentation from the warmer dynamic drivers most people arrive from.

Two practical notes. Planars generally want more power than their sensitivity numbers imply, so budget for an amp with real headroom if you're going open-back. And the open designs leak sound freely in both directions — glorious in a quiet room, a bad idea in a shared office. If you've been curious about planar sound, this is the shortest path in.

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