The Only Headphones You’ll Ever Need for Music and Gaming

Open and closed back models that won’t break your wallet

Photo taken by the author.

Most headphones and speakers out in the world use dynamic driver technology. Essentially, they’ve got a magnet and wire attached to a cone, and electrical signals stimulate the cone into vibrating and producing sound. This sound method is time-tested, and like any technology, it comes with its own advantages and drawbacks.

Somewhat more recently, the planar magnetic driver came into existence. This uses a thin sheet diaphragm filled with tiny wires instead of a cone. The sheet vibrates back and forth away from magnets when the sound signal comes in, hence “planar magnetic.” This newer design is generally able to produce more accurate sound, with less distortion — but comes with its own drawbacks in terms of size and weight, since it requires more physical room to work.

I’ve spent many years on the internet reviewing headphones and gaming headsets. For most of that time, decently-implemented planar magnetic tech was limited to higher end pairs that cost at least three hundred bucks. Not the worst price as far as audiophile headphones go, but not exactly mainstream friendly.

Well now, even in today’s volatile tech market, this is no longer the case. You can get great planar…