What is planar?

[Simon_E]

What are planar headphones. I am looking at a pair of Sennheiser HD800S phones but a friend tells me I must go "planar". I'm not sure what the tech is. I don't have a separate headphone amp (and no plans to get one) so I'll connect to the headphone amp in my NAD C389. The Senn's are an older model but seem highly rated in reviews but I worry that new tech has superseded them (planar??)

 

[Shrek]

What are planar headphones. I am looking at a pair of Sennheiser HD800S phones but a friend tells me I must go "planar". I'm not sure what the tech is. I don't have a separate headphone amp (and no plans to get one) so I'll connect to the headphone amp in my NAD C389. The Senn's are an older model but seem highly rated in reviews but I worry that new tech has superseded them (planar??)

Planar Magnetic Headphones vs Dynamic Driver Headphones

You may have come across a number of headphones that are advertised as having "planar magnetic" drivers. But the question is, what does this mean?

headphones.com

 

[Simon_E]

Planar Magnetic Headphones vs Dynamic Driver Headphones

You may have come across a number of headphones that are advertised as having "planar magnetic" drivers. But the question is, what does this mean?

headphones.com

thx for the link

 

[Gray]

I am looking at a pair of Sennheiser HD800S

If you're thinking about spending that sort of money, you need to be sure that your NAD justifies it.
Because the best headphone amps will make the most of whatever headphones you go for....I know you said:
'I don't have a separate headphone amp (and no plans to get one)'

 

[Al ears]

If you're thinking about spending that sort of money, you need to be sure that your NAD justifies it.
Because the best headphone amps will make the most of whatever headphones you go for....I know you said:
'I don't have a separate headphone amp (and no plans to get one)'

Indeed, you would need to know what that integrated headphone amp is capable of driving. Some certainly would not have enough power to drive certain planar magnetics to their full potential.
I know that mine, good though it is, probably would not so I have no intention of going down that route.

 

[Jasonovich]

What are planar headphones. I am looking at a pair of Sennheiser HD800S phones but a friend tells me I must go "planar". I'm not sure what the tech is. I don't have a separate headphone amp (and no plans to get one) so I'll connect to the headphone amp in my NAD C389. The Senn's are an older model but seem highly rated in reviews but I worry that new tech has superseded them (planar??)

A planar magnetic driver produces sound by having magnets act on a flat plane. The diaphragm in this type of driver sits between two arrays of magnets, which create a magnetic field. The magnets, not the voice coil, move the diaphragm.
Conventional dynamic drivers use magnetic voice coil to drive the speaker.

When you listen to planar magnet headphones you're not in a cage, you're in an open field, the sound is vast but if you're use to listening to dynamic headphones, you'll have all the drama and when you replace your cans first time with planar magnet headphones, you'll think hmmm, boring......but wait, here it comes, the bass has mass, you can touch it, the treble is so detailed. Sound stage is wide, airy.
There are short comings with both but generally I tend to like planars better.

Planar magnets are not immune to bad designs just like the dynamic cousins, some may sound awful and some are simply sublime.

View: https://youtu.be/sYaLBPUZnkY?si=ufFWyEwzi9mbEuvn

 

[jjbomber]

Ultimately, it's your choice, not your friends. However, I use Quad ERA-1 planar headphones and the detail they convey is incredible. However, I also use Focal headphones for the heavier music. It's horses for courses. If you can, try and listen to both types with music you are familiar with. After all, that's what you'll be playing through them, not the shop test track!

 

[Schiithead]

Honestly I think it would be a complete waste of money to buy HD800s or any equivalent quality headphones to use with the internal headphone amp in any speaker amp (they simply aren’t designed to prioritise headphone use). I would (personally) look into buying a powerful all in one headphone DAC/amp like a FiiO K5 or better (there are tons of great options that still wouldn’t break the bank).

The Senn's are an older model but seem highly rated in reviews but I worry that new tech has superseded them (planar??)

Planars aren’t new technology, they’ve existed in speakers for decades and yamaha put them in the hp-1 headphones in 1976 (they called it “orthodynamic”, this was just a name for their driver technology, which used a corrugated/rippled diaphragm instead of the typical flat type). They also aren’t objectively “better” than dynamic headphones, but they do have unique characteristics. I’d say if you want to buy hd800s, go for them, and don’t be concerned that you are missing out.

 

[good_enough]

Headphones are the easiest possible bits of kit to audition so you should go and listen. If you are interested in trying PMs then in the Sennheiser price range the obvious thing to listen to would be something from Audeze. But just take some of your favourite CDs to a dealer and ask to listen. You'd be surprised how much the character of cans does differ, so it would be well worth your while.

And if you're planning to drop a grand on a pair of headphones, you'd probably get tea and biscuits brought while you tap your feet.

 

[Al ears]

Headphones are the easiest possible bits of kit to audition so you should go and listen. If you are interested in trying PMs then in the Sennheiser price range the obvious thing to listen to would be something from Audeze. But just take some of your favourite CDs to a dealer and ask to listen. You'd be surprised how much the character of cans does differ, so it would be well worth your while.

And if you're planning to drop a grand on a pair of headphones, you'd probably get tea and biscuits brought while you tap your feet.

If I was dropping a grand on headphones I would certainly be auditioning first.
Same applies to a grand on anything really.