Avantone Planar: open-back reference headphones with planar drivers

18 Jul 2020 by Lasse Eilers | Approximate reading time: 2 Minutes

Avantone Planar headphones · Source: Avantone

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Avantone Pro has announced the Planar reference headphones. With an open-back design and planar driver technology, the Planar headphones are designed for reference-grade sound and high wearing comfort during long studio sessions. And they’re not just for mix engineers: Avantone says that the Planars are also great for podcasters, live streamers and hi-fi enthusiasts.

Avantone Planar headphones

Avantone is primarily known for its replicas of the classic Auratone and Yamaha NS-10M speakers, as well as microphones. But the company also makes headphones, having introduced the MP1 a few years ago. With the new Planar series, Avantone is introducing new open-back studio headphones with planar drivers and an unconventional, square design.

The Avantone Planar headphones are available in black and red. Apart from the colour, the two models are identical. The company says that the drivers are constructed as an array of magnets evenly spaced across both sides of an electrically-active diaphragm. Avantone claims that this design has several advantages over traditional moving coil drivers, resulting in high accuracy, clarity, natural bass and a fast response time. They also say that the front and rear magnets apply equal forces in both directions, which results in low distortion and less fatigue.

Furthermore, the company states that the open-back design with a tuned sound chamber yields a flat frequency response without pressure build-ups and resonances. This is of course critical for mixing and mastering applications, and also favoured by most audiophiles. They say that you can even use the Planars for portable listening. While there’s no doubt that those square cans would make quite a fashion statement, I’m not so sure if open-back headphones are really the best choice for listening on the subway – neither for you nor for your fellow riders. But here’s a useful detail: the cable can plug into either side, which is convenient if your headphone output happens to be on the “wrong side”.