Planar-magnetic headphones were not so expressive on the market until a few years ago, basically summed up in the launch of models by Audeze, an American developer, which manufactures its own speakers (drivers) and product designs. However, thanks to a Chinese company called Hifiman, the popularity of this type of technology started to grow. However, this larger movement of using planar magnetic drivers has really intensified with the launch of in-ear headphones that use this technology in a miniaturized form, since before we only found this in over-ears. [1].
If you follow the Chinese headphone market, you’ve probably already come across a Hifiman over-ear such as, for example, the HE400SE, featured in our guide to the best headphones under R$700. Chinese in-ears with a planar-magnetic driver that don’t cost a small fortune like Audeze’s iSines like, for example, the 7h Timeless, the Letshuoer S12, the 7Hz Salnotes Dioko and Kinera Celest Guminho, which I reviewed here. To better understand the “advantages” of these headphones compared to other technologies, we have to understand how the planar-magnetic driver works and what are its characteristics that stand out the most when listening to an example with this technology.
[1] Article “What types of headphones exist”
How headphone magnetic planar drivers work
Planar magnetic drivers use two plates with several magnets in a row with a film in the middle (diaphragm), which is transparent, flexible and has thin electrical wires running through it. When an (analog) signal is sent from the cable connected to the headphone, electricity causes a magnetic field to be formed and the diaphragm vibrates rapidly, generating sound.
Due to the way the diaphragm is driven, we generally have a very quick response from the diaphragm to electrical impulses, thus providing a level of detail and range that is generally superior to many headphones that use dynamic drivers. In case you didn’t know, dynamic drivers (DDs or dynamic drivers) are the most common and oldest type of speaker used in headphones.
Most dynamic drivers are made up of a circular magnet, a diaphragm and a coil glued to it. To generate sound, the coil (voice coil) is fitted into a groove made in the magnet, which has different poles (at the top and bottom), where through the magnetic flux generated by the electrical signal (analog), the diaphragm vibrates and generates sound waves.
What is the main difference between planar magnetic and dynamic headphones?
Due to the fame of Audeze over-ear headphones (example: LCD-2), magnetic planar headphones became known for having the ability to generate bass with impact (Punch) and extension (depth), in addition to passing on the feeling of a lot of mass (volume) [2]. However, magnetic planar drivers do not deliver exactly that depending on how they are developed by the manufacturer. The best example of this are Hifiman’s headphones, which don’t have as much bass, although they have a good extension and texture (sound detailing in the lower frequencies).
For the most part, planar magnetic headphones are able to deliver superior impact range and velocity compared to models using dynamic drivers. However, when we go to in-ears, we find hybrid headphone designs, where there is more than one technology being used, for example, balanced armature drivers (BAs or balanced armatures) and electrostatic drivers (EST). [3]. In this case, it is possible to find different results in the behavior of the sound, because here there are influences in different ways. If you want to learn more about tuning hybrid in-ears, visit our article here.
[2] Article “Know which sound subscription is best for you”
[3] Article “What types of technologies exist in headphones”
There are also in-ears that have a single magnetic planar driver per side and these were not very common to come up with a good tuning. However, thanks to the Chinese headphone industry, the market gained models that stood out, such as the 7Hz Timeless and the Letshuoer S12.
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