[Heldaeus]

Except that it is true. The design of planars lends them to be able to have much better bass extension than their dynamic counterparts. That doesn’t mean that all planars do, as there are always exceptions to everything. But it is absolutely generally true.

Planars tend to have less driver excursion capability than dynamics as well. Which is why they can sometimes sound very dynamically compressed. It’s hard to find a planar headphone that can sound as dynamic as the higher end Focal line, for example. These are well-known general truths about the two technologies.

My understanding is that the implementation of the driver technology is the biggest determining factor in the over all sonic characteristics. Without properly designing the headphone around the driver the unique characteristics won’t emerge.

 

[HardstyleLoco96]

Just to clear things up. The Avantone Planar is very neutral. More neutral than any Senn HD line. More neutral than any Focal and more neutral than any Hifiman. Previously owning the Focal Elegia and Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro. I can whole heartedly say the Avantone Planar blows those two out of the water. The Planar is very close to "true" for what you are listening to. If you played badly mastered music, it will give you badly mastered music. If you play amazingly mastered music. It will give you amazing. If it's slow, it will give you slow, if it's fast. It will give you fast. My Ultrasone Edition 11 while very very fun sounding while also being nicely balanced lacks the excitement the Planar can bring. The Planar can be intense while then suddenly being smooth. No it's not the biggest soundstage. It's not the biggest bass. It's not the most mid forward. And not the most treble happy. But damn damn damnnnn is it so addictive. At first it might take some time to get used to the tonality as it is neutral yet never boring. But the more you listen to them. I am beyond 100% sure they'll become one of your most favourite headphones. The thing about the planar is that they do so much right. Maybe you want a little bass slam, some eq will do the trick. But I have never ever bothered using EQ with the Planar. For the first time I have never felt the need to use eq. I've had to use eq for the Focal Elegia, Focal Clear, Ultrasone Edition 11, Audeze Sine DX, Audeze LCD-X, Fostex TH909 and heaps more other headphones. So be it slight or alot of eq. But the Planar, I do not feel the need at all. They just sound so damn right. So to anyone that does get them. Expect very neutral yet not boring. Expect good mid bass with good sub bass but slight sub roll off. Expect great mids throughout and great treble. Expect a very smooth yet analog feel with amazing clarity and speed. Do expect some details to really pop while others might be slightly more in the background. Expect amazing texture. Expect great imaging and a nice soundstage. But also give yourself time to adjust to the sound.

 

[Heldaeus]

Just to clear things up. The Avantone Planar is very neutral. More neutral than any Senn HD line. More neutral than any Focal and more neutral than any Hifiman. Previously owning the Focal Elegia and Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro. I can whole heartedly say the Avantone Planar blows those two out of the water. The Planar is very close to "true" for what you are listening to. If you played badly mastered music, it will give you badly mastered music. If you play amazingly mastered music. It will give you amazing. If it's slow, it will give you slow, if it's fast. It will give you fast. My Ultrasone Edition 11 while very very fun sounding while also being nicely balanced lacks the excitement the Planar can bring. The Planar can be intense while then suddenly being smooth. No it's not the biggest soundstage. It's not the biggest bass. It's not the most mid forward. And not the most treble happy. But damn damn damnnnn is it so addictive. At first it might take some time to get used to the tonality as it is neutral yet never boring. But the more you listen to them. I am beyond 100% sure they'll become one of your most favourite headphones. The thing about the planar is that they do so much right. Maybe you want a little bass slam, some eq will do the trick. But I have never ever bothered using EQ with the Planar. For the first time I have never felt the need to use eq. I've had to use eq for the Focal Elegia, Focal Clear, Ultrasone Edition 11, Audeze Sine DX, Audeze LCD-X, Fostex TH909 and heaps more other headphones. So be it slight or alot of eq. But the Planar, I do not feel the need at all. They just sound so damn right. So to anyone that does get them. Expect very neutral yet not boring. Expect good mid bass with good sub bass but slight sub roll off. Expect great mids throughout and great treble. Expect a very smooth yet analog feel with amazing clarity and speed. Do expect some details to really pop while others might be slightly more in the background. Expect amazing texture. Expect great imaging and a nice soundstage. But also give yourself time to adjust to the sound.

I think I’ll be buying the Planar just to see if it lives up to hype that it’s receiving from y’all.

When you say analogue what exactly do you mean? Some people define analogue differently from one another.

 

[HardstyleLoco96]

I think I’ll be buying the Planar just to see if it lives up to hype that it’s receiving from y’all.

When you say analogue what exactly do you mean? Some people define analogue differently from one another.

It has a very natural feel to the sound. It's analytical but never harsh, peaky or shouty. It just flows and comes through. You can actually relax in it while still getting amazing clarity.

 

[Dawnrazor]

Cost 18$ to send it back. No idea why I get stuck with that but I just wanted to get it done with.

 

[KCXT]

So I jumped on the hype train and bought a pair. I don't really know why as the HE-500, DT-1990, and EQ'd Elegias (in this order of preference) are basically exactly what I want to hear from my headphones and speakers... I guess I'm just a sucker for clear, detailed, and balanced. Looking forward to comparing when the Planars arrive.

 

[WyldRage]

Well, reading this thread, I'm very intrigued. Not buying a new headphone anytime soon, but I'm certainly eager to hear more about this one.

 

[HardstyleLoco96]

So I jumped on the hype train and bought a pair. I don't really know why as the HE-500, DT-1990, and EQ'd Elegias (in this order of preference) are basically exactly what I want to hear from my headphones and speakers... I guess I'm just a sucker for clear, detailed, and balanced. Looking forward to comparing when the Planars arrive.

I'm a previous owner of the Elegia and DT-1990. You are in for a surprise

 

[KPzypher]

Well, these arrived at my doorstep just now.

Upon quick initial inspection, they feel more like a KitchenAid product than a pair of headphones.
And these are HEFTY!! In my hand, they feel heavier than the advertised 480g. But luckily when worn, they are not too uncomfortable. But I can definitely feel the weight on my head. Even though it's an all metal design, they don't particularly feel sturdy. And where the yoke meets the headband is metal on metal and can be prone to scratches (and noise). In addition, these HPs creak and moan with a slight rotation. On the other hand, when worn, they're fairly quiet. The pads aren't too shallow, but due to their lack of firmness (too soft), my ears touch the driver housing when worn. And the material used is a bit abrasive, although not as bad as the ones on the X3 (but pretty close).
Overall, not all that impressed with the design and build quality, considering the $400 MSRP.

Now I'm gonna go have a listen. I'll be back with some initial sound impressions.

 

[Heldaeus]

Well, these arrived at my doorstep just now.

Upon quick initial inspection, they feel more like a KitchenAid product than a pair of headphones.
And these are HEFTY!! In my hand, they feel heavier than the advertised 480g. But luckily when worn, they are not too uncomfortable. But I can definitely feel the weight on my head. Even though it's an all metal design, they don't particularly feel sturdy. And where the yoke meets the headband is metal on metal and can be prone to scratches (and noise). In addition, these HPs creak and moan with a slight rotation. On the other hand, when worn, they're fairly quiet. The pads aren't too shallow, but due to their lack of firmness (too soft), my ears touch the driver housing when worn. And the material used is a bit abrasive, although not as bad as the ones on the X3 (but pretty close).
Overall, not all that impressed with the design and build quality, considering the $400 MSRP.

Now I'm gonna go have a listen. I'll be back with some initial sound impressions.

Could we have some initial impressions? Just as a tease for the full review

EDIT: Sound-wise, of course.

 

[KPzypher]

As always, YMMV and take sound impressions with a giant grain of salt, as your ears will be different.

FYI, I’m not a huge burn-in believer, but I do believe ears need time to readjust to the new sound, particularly after getting used to HPs with more extreme sound signatures. I don’t think I’ve had enough time to readjust/recover from the intense X3 experience (my other recent purchase) since I’ve only had this for a few hours now, so please take that into account.

As expected with a planar, it is tight, well-controlled, with fast transient response compared to the dynamic drivers I’m used to. The bass extension is decent with maybe a slight mid bass hump on M gain on my A90, but on L gain, everything sounded surprisingly flat and balanced throughout the Freq range. Overall, good separation into the mids.

I would say sense of space is average but more on the intimate side. In certain respect, they were somewhat akin to a closed back.

These HPs may be flat or neutral, but to my ears they certainly didn’t sound natural. Vocals and certain instruments sounded off timbre, but maybe that’s just my lack of experience with planars in general. I’ve noticed this slight shimmer in the upper range that I’m not used to hearing on a typical high-end dynamic drivers (slightly different from the metallic treble on the Focal Stellia).

They sound fantastic on higher volume, but they seem to suffer more on dynamics than usual on lower volume, which is how I typically like to listen to music.

Imaging and resolution aren’t the best I’ve heard, and these HPs are less than forgiving on bad recordings.

I feel treble extension is slightly lacking, but on a good note, it’s never fatiguing to my ears without sounding rolled off.

So far, I haven’t noticed any channel imbalance.

Overall, I wouldn’t call the sound laid back or muted, but definitely leans toward a comfortable presentation as oppose to overly energetic or super exciting. If they were about 100g lighter, It would be a great set for long sessions or easy listening.

On a closing note, the quick transient response is very addicting, although certain bass notes can sound a bit off due to rapid bass decay despite sounding clean and precise. On other tracks, they’re super fun. Guess I need to try some more planar headphones.

 

[Leckel1996]

Haven’t been on this forum in a long time. My headphone obsession that started 8 years ago lead me to becoming an audio engineer starting over 6 years ago. Anyway, came across this thread when looking into these headphones. Just got them in the mail today and they are spectacular.

 

[KPzypher]

After spending some more time with these HPs, I realized once again how important the overall experience is to me. There is so much more than just the ‘sound’ when it comes to headphone ownership, from packaging, to aesthetics, design, and to build quality. This headphone made me re-realize the significance of weight and what impact it has on the overall enjoyment. I do not find these necessarily uncomfortable, but they are too heavy to just leave them on my head and forget about them. Upon closer inspection, the bigger issue here is the build quality, which is worse than I had initially thought. After just one day, I had to retighten the screw connecting the yoke to the headband on one side. And this is after using them with care. When I picked them up, the screw was loose enough where the cup rotated freely. I can see myself doing this frequently. Also, on the opposite side, there is too much gap between the yoke and the headband even with the washer in between, which is causing significant creak and rattle. And the screw will not tighten any further. And the fact that they are metal on metal does not help much. I know you can't ask for the world at this budget, but this is just a poorly designed headphone considering the price, IMO. I know some people like to say 'sound is everything,' but yeah I'm definitely not one of those people.

I wish more reviewers spent the extra time on build quality and fit, instead of skimming thru them and focusing solely on “sound,” which is something very subjective to begin with.

Luckily, I have enough headphones to hang them up and pull them back down for occasional enjoyment. They sound great, and that part has not changed. But they would never be my daily driver nor my only headphone if I were bound by such restrictions.

I guess on to the next headphone.

*these are just my experience, and one out of many, so I hope no one gets discouraged by my ‘subjective opinion’ if they are interested in trying them out. As an audiophile, the uncertainty, expectation, and the endless search will only enhance your overall enjoyment.

 

[Mink]

I wish more reviewers spent the extra time on build quality and fit, instead of skimming thru them and focusing solely on “sound,” which is something very subjective to begin with

According to No Theme Reviews the build quality was excellent, he saw no issues. I think fit and finish are covered in most headphones reviews I read and have watched on Youtube.
But apart from No Theme Review's and, Fullbright1's reviews and a couple of impressions (one post about the headband that snapped) in this thread there are no reviews yet. So unfortunately you had to find out for yourself
How do they sound compared to the Fidelio X3s? Do they offer something unique?

 

[Leckel1996]

After spending some more time with these HPs, I realized once again how important the overall experience is to me. There is so much more than just the ‘sound’ when it comes to headphone ownership, from packaging, to aesthetics, design, and to build quality. This headphone made me re-realize the significance of weight and what impact it has on the overall enjoyment. I do not find these necessarily uncomfortable, but they are too heavy to just leave them on my head and forget about them. Upon closer inspection, the bigger issue here is the build quality, which is worse than I had initially thought. After just one day, I had to retighten the screw connecting the yoke to the headband on one side. And this is after using them with care. When I picked them up, the screw was loose enough where the cup rotated freely. I can see myself doing this frequently. Also, on the opposite side, there is too much gap between the yoke and the headband even with the washer in between, which is causing significant creak and rattle. And the screw will not tighten any further. And the fact that they are metal on metal does not help much. I know you can't ask for the world at this budget, but this is just a poorly designed headphone considering the price, IMO. I know some people like to say 'sound is everything,' but yeah I'm definitely not one of those people.

I wish more reviewers spent the extra time on build quality and fit, instead of skimming thru them and focusing solely on “sound,” which is something very subjective to begin with.

Luckily, I have enough headphones to hang them up and pull them back down for occasional enjoyment. They sound great, and that part has not changed. But they would never be my daily driver nor my only headphone if I were bound by such restrictions.

I guess on to the next headphone.

*these are just my experience, and one out of many, so I hope no one gets discouraged by my ‘subjective opinion’ if they are interested in trying them out. As an audiophile, the uncertainty, expectation, and the endless search will only enhance your overall enjoyment.

It’s interesting that you find them uncomfortable. I’m not that sensitive to headphone weight, but still don’t find these that heavy. Overall they are very comfortable for me.

As far as the build quality, I can partly agree with what you’re talking about. All the materials feel high quality, but the mechanism that connects the ear cups to the headband is strange. I can’t see it breaking anytime soon, but it doesn’t instill confidence in me.

Diving more into the sound quality. It’s like a faster and more detailed Ollo S4X with slightly less sub bass. The entirety of the frequency response is neutral and agreeable in natural way. I did a 3dB low shelf at 80Hz and they’re now perfect. Bass is, really tight and quick.