Fastnbulbous
500+ Head-Fier
I was surprised not to be able to find a single article that gave a decent snapshot of the history of significant audiophile and flagship headphones. A weekend of research into individual company web pages resulted in this. It's by no means complete, but an okay start. Feel free to give corrections, and additional information, and I'll update this wiki style.
My piece: http://fastnbulbous.com/beyerdynamic-dt1990pro-headphone-timeline/
1924 beyerdynamic founded in Germany
1937 beyerdynamic DT48
The world's first stereo dynamic headphones, remained in production until 2012. 75 years is the longest run ever for a headphone model.
1938 Stax Ltd. founded in Japan
1945 Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG founded in Germany by Fritz Sennheiser, who died in 2010.
1947 AKG Acoustics founded in Vienna, Austria.
1953 J.C. Koss Hospital Television Rental Company founded by John C. Koss in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1953 Grado Labs founded in Brooklyn, New York.
1958 Koss SP3 Stereophones
What made this product unique was the privacy switch feature, which gave listeners the opportunity to listen to the first Koss SP3 Stereophones. Initially, the products purpose was to demonstrate to consumers the high-fidelity stereo sound of the portable phonograph. Prior to this time, headphones had only been used for communications purposes. In 1958, the design was debuted at a hi-fi trade show in Milwaukee, and audiences were approving of the design. Soon after the trade show, Koss went into business manufacturing and marketing stereophones from his basement apartment. The technology was imitated by competing manufacturers, which set the design and aesthetics of headphones for years to come
1959 AKG K50 model, the world's first supra-aural and open-back headphones.
1960 Stax SR-1, their first electrostatic earspeaker debuts.
This may be the first electrostatic headphone on the market.
1962 Audio-Technica Corporation established by Hideo Matsu****a in Tokyo, Japan.
1968 Koss ESP/6, the first self-energizing electrostatic stereophone.
![color]](http://fastnbulbous.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/sennheiser-hd-414-300x300.jpg[color=rgb(68, 68, 68)][/color])
1968 Sennheiser HD414, the world's first open headphones.
The history of audiophile sound began with the HD 414. The world's first open headphones revolutionized the headphones market in 1968. For the first time, the ears could hear in a way that they are accustomed to: open and free in space. The sound could travel to the ear drum much more naturally and clearly than in the closed models which were available at that time. With its new principle, the HD 414 triggered an absolute boom in headphones sales. More than 100,000 sets of headphones had already been sold by the end of 1969. It remains one of the best-selling headphone models in the world, with a total of over 10 million units sold.
1973 Fostex founded in Japan
1973 beyerdynamic DT 204 quadrophonic headphone
1974 Audio-Technica AT700
1974 Koss HV1A, the first dynamic stereophone to deliver all 10 audible octaves
1974 Pioneer SE-700, very unique high polymer, piezo-electric headphone
![color]](http://fastnbulbous.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/yamaha-hp-1-300x171.png[color=rgb(68, 68, 68)][/color])
1975 Yamaha HP-1, Yamaha's first orthodynamic headphones.
For the next 15 years, orthodynamic or magnar planar would be quite popular, produced by Audio-Technica, Radio Shack, Pacific Stereo, Lafayette, Bang & Olufsen, Burwen, Wharfedale, Toshiba and Stax. But Yamaha may have sold more than the rest combined due to their consistent marketing and production, including subsequent lines, the YH-1, YH-100 and YHD-1. This doesn't include their two flagships introduced in 1978 and 1981.
1976 beyerdynamic ET 1000, the first electrostatic headphones in Germany
1976 Sony ECR-500 electret
1976 Toshiba Aurex HR-910, electret headphones.
1977 Fostex T50RP
This inexpensive headphone (around $100) became hugely popular for customization hobbyists, and began the company's tradition as an OEM provider for others, such as the NAD RP18, Maior RPT-50 and Lafayette RP 50. MrSpeakers got their start by modifying this line into the Alpha Dog and Alpha Prime using ground-breaking 3D printed cups, while ZMF uses wood cups for their line.
1977 Sennheiser Unipolar 2000 first open-back electret headphones
A further milestone followed when Sennheiser engineers combined the principle of open headphones with that of electrostatic transducer technology for the first time. Sennheiser’s launch of the Unipolar 2000 model in 1977 caused a sensation in the audio world. Its principle was once again an innovation in audio technology. In the electrostatic transducer, a high voltage is applied to two mesh-like electrodes. Just like in a loudspeaker, this voltage causes a coated foil diaphragm to vibrate in time with the audio signal. This results in an extremely fine resolution and low total harmonic distortion. “Its frequency curve has a relatively deep curvature from 2 to 4 kHz. This is one of the reasons why these headphones generate an extremely spacious, detailed, transparent, airy and nevertheless powerful sound image in unprecedented quality," was how audio magazine ‘Hifi-Stereofonie’ sang the praises of the new headphones.
![color]](http://fastnbulbous.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/yamaha-yh-1000-233x300.jpg[color=rgb(68, 68, 68)][/color])
1978 Yamaha YH-1000 orthodynamic headphones
Yamaha's exclusive Orthodynamic Design, a concept radically different from conventional dynamic or electrostatic types. Instead of an ordinary voice coil and diaphragm, it uses an ultra thin, low mass, polyester film diaphragm, sandwiched by a pair of powerful disc magnets. The voice coils are photo-etched on the surface of the diaphragm. The performance that results is marked by smooth, even response over the entire audible frequency range, low distortion, and clear imaging. They now sell for $1,500 on the used market.
1979 Stax SR-Lambda, Semi-panoramic sound type Earspeakers.
1980 beyerdynamic DT 880
For the first time according to beyerdynamic, dynamic headphones can compete with the performance of electrostatic headphones. 36 years later it's still in production, $249.
1981 Sony ECR-800 electret, $550
1981 Yamaha YH-100 orthodynamic headphones.
Yamaha's previous flagship's run was very brief, perhaps because they were expensive (I can't seem to find exactly how much they sold for) and people were not ready to pay that much. So the YH-100 was cheaper.
1984 Koss Porta Pro Release, portable "high-end supra-aural stereophone model"
1985 beyerdynamic DT 990
Premium Line headphones which feature a so-called "diffuse-field equalized" frequency response are suited for audiophiles.
1985 Sony MDR-V6
The headphones were listed as having a very wide frequency response and were convenient for travel as they could be folded and carried in an included leatherette bag. In 1987, audio industry journalist Daniel Kumin wrote, "Throw away your loudspeakers. There is now what may be the most perfect transducer yet made by man. Recently I auditioned a pair of Sony MDR-V6 Studio Monitor headphones, then purchased them. There are not enough superlatives in the dictionary to describe the performance of these headphones. Listening to them with a good CD recording is like being in the center of a live performance." They remained in production for over 30 years.
1987 Stax SR-Lambda Signature T1 electrostatic earspeakers, $2,000
Included a tube amp.
![color]](http://fastnbulbous.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/sony-r10-300x266.jpg[color=rgb(68, 68, 68)][/color])
1989 Sony MDR-R10, $2,500
Sony's groundbreaking flagship was $1,000 more than the previous flagships. The build quality and care was unprecedented. The most striking feature is the unique ear cup, a compound-curve sculpture machined from 200-year-old Aizu Zelkova wood. The wood was chosen for its light weight, hardness and sound transfer-ability. The cavity of the cup was set to create three dimensional sound expansions much like a concert hall. The earpads were lambskin and headband was made from a carbon fiber composite. The cable was crafted from LC-OFC copper insulated with soft silicon with an outer wrap being pure double-woven silk. A shape memory alloy was used to remove the need for adjustments and magnesium hangers between the ear pad and baffle plate prevented any mechanical vibrations to interfere with the sound quality. Even the unboxing experience was impressive. The headphones came in a well-crafted red-velvet lined, 8×11 lockable suitcase. A numbered certificate was also included.
1989 Grado PS-1000
Grado's first signature headphone.
![color]](http://fastnbulbous.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/akg-k1000-300x293.jpg[color=rgb(68, 68, 68)][/color])
1990 AKG K1000, $895
The K1000 were a unique design that is the equivalent of wearing a pair of loudspeakers on the head. The speaker capsule uses a unique, freely vibrating multilayer diaphragm driven by a newly developed, radially magnetized VLD (Ventilated Linear Dynamic) magnet system. Sitting in front of the ear, this dynamic transducer provides the best acoustic coverage factor. The earphones using no acoustically hard parts, the sound is absolutely free to develop in all its splendor. The speakers are acoustically finetuned in a computer-optimized process including time-energy distribution (Wigner distribution) measurements and made with advanced manufacturing techniques. The result was an unobstructed plane sound field in front of the ear that provides a personalized listening experience.
1990 Koss ESP-950 electrostatic with E-90 amp, $2,000
These are still being sold 26 years later, now for $1,000.
1991 Ultrasone AG founded in Tutzing, Germany
1991 Grado HP 1, $595
1991 Sennheiser HE90 / HEV90 Orpheus, $16,000
From a veritable flood of new headphones being introduced, one in particular stood out like a beacon in 1991: the electrostatic Orpheus. With the boldly ambitious mission to build the best headphones in the world, Sennheiser developers once again set to work – and once again exceeded all expectations of the audio sector with these electrostatic headphones and their impressive tube pre-amplifier. Two platinum-coated diaphragms vibrate between gold-coated glass electrodes. A 500 volt tube amplifier provides enough power to allow the Orpheus to fully unleash its sound. Due to the extremely complex technology involved, the Orpheus was produced in a limited edition of just 300 units. Original MSRP was about $16,000, and peaked at around $41,000 until the new Orpheus was introduced in 2015.
1993 Sony MDR-V600
Designed to satisfy DJs who wanted a greater emphasis on bass. To help DJs in cuing songs with one ear, the MDR-V600's earcups can be swiveled around backwards.
1993 Sennnheiser HD 580
1993 Stax SR-Omega electrostatic, $6,000
1994 Senneiser HE60 / HEV70 (Baby Orpheus)
At $1,500, this was much more affordable than the Orpheus. However, there were a lot of criticisms of the amp, and production didn't last long.
1995 Sennheiser HD 580 Jubilee, $450
1995 Stax Lamba Nova Signature System with SRM-T1W amp, $3,200
Electrostatic Earspeaker System with Vacuum output stage Driver Unit/selector
(SRM-T1W+Lambda Nova Signature).
1996 Grado RS1, $700
1997 Sennheiser HD 600, $400
This iteration was more successful than the HE60, and it was sold at the much more reasonable price. It remained extremely popular throughout the next decade, even after the HD 650 was introduced in 2006.
1998 Stax SR-007 Omega II series electrostatic, $1,800
2003 Grado PS-1, $2,000
2003 Audio-Technica ATH-L3000, $2,000
2004 Sony Qualia 010, $3,300
2005 HiFiMAN Electronics founded by Dr. Fang Bien in Tianjin, China
2005 Audio-Technica ATH-W5000, $1,200
2006 Sennheiser HD 650, $500
2006 AKG K701, $449
This may be the last time a prominent headphone company's flagship headphone would be sold for $400, but available in the market for a relatively affordable price of under $300. It's impressive that AKG chose to keep the price significantly lower than their previous flagship from 16 years ago. This is also the first pair of flagship headphones I ever owned (and still own).
2007 Taket H2, $2,350
2008 Audeze founded in USA
Sankar Thiagasamudram and Alexander Rosson met engineer Pete Uka who developed specialized flexible circuit materials for NASA. They quickly realized the material might be perfect for headphones. That’s when Dragoslav Colich, who has 30+ years’ experience in designing planar drivers, joined the team as CTO to create a limited run of the LCD-1 headphone for $400, featuring proprietary planar magnetic designs with extremely thin-film driver materials. Planars overcome many limitations inherent in typical cone drivers; lightweight diaphragms are faster and more responsive than heavier moving-coil or dome drivers. By 2010 they had the LCD-2 for about a grand.
![color]](http://fastnbulbous.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/denon-ah-d7000-300x300.jpg[color=rgb(68, 68, 68)][/color])
2008 Denon AH-D7000, $999.
Designed by Fostex, the series would inspire fervent loyalty among a large group of headphone enthusiasts, even after production ended in 2012. Most of the properties which made the headphone great (solid bass without sacrificing much midrange, great for hard rock and metal) were also found in cheaper models, the D5000, D2000 and D1000. Lawton Audio exists solely to modify the cups in that series. Companies like Creative, E-Mu and Fostex itself continuing with the core design, and the Massdrop/Fostex collaborations on the TH-X00.
2009 Grade PS-1000
2009 Sennheiser HD800 flagship, $1,199
2010 HiFiMAN He 5, $599
2010 Ultrasone Edition 10, $2,749
2011 AKG K812, $1,299. So much for a cheap flagship!
2011 Audeze LCD-3, $1,995
2011 beyerdynamic T1 Tesla, $1,099
2011 HiFiMAN HE 500, $599
2011 Stax SR-009 electrostatic, $3,500
2012 HiFiMAN HE-6, $1,299
2012 Final Audio Design Muramasa VIII, stainless steel, 850g, $8,000
2012 Fostex TH900, $1,149
2013 JPS Labs Abyss AB-1266, $4,494 / $5,495
2014 Enigmatic Audio The Enigma, $900
2014 HiFiMAN HE 1000, $2,999
2014 Kennerton Odin, $2,250
2014 McIntosh MHP1000, $2,000
2014 OPPO PM-1 Planar Magnetic, $1,200
2014 Ultrasone Edition 5 limited edition, $4,999
2015 Audeze LCD-4, $3,995
2016 beyerdynamic T1 (2nd Gen), $1,399
2015 EnigmAcoustics Dharma D1000, $1,190
2015 Fostex TH900 Mk II, $1,505
2015 MrSpeakers Ether, $1,499
2015 Sennheiser Orpheus 2 HE1060/HEV1060, $55,000
2015 Pioneer SE-Master 1, $2,500
2016 Focal Utopia, $4,000
2016 Mrspeakers Ether Flow, $1,800
2016 Sony MDR-Z1R, $2,300[/color]
2017 LB-Acoustics Mysphere 3.1, by the team who created the AKG K1000
2017 Mrspeakers Ether Electrostatic [will be introduced at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in Denver, October 7-9]
2017 ZMF Atticus & Eikon
Not one, but two new flagships from ZMF, will also show at RMAF. Like MrSpeakers, ZMF (a one-man show, Zach Mehrbach) got his start modifying the Fostex T50RP. A Head-Fi member who heard a prototype indicated a "HE-6/Abyss/TH900-level impact." Both are 300 ohm semi-open, looking like a cross between the Sony MDR-R10 and ZMF Omni. The Atticus has a thermoplastic elastomer driver (TPE, like the Sennheiser HD 800), and the Eikon has a biocellulose driver, like the Sony R10 and Fostex TH900. No dates or price information is available yet, but more should be known after the RMAF. I just learned that Meherbach moved ZMF headquarters (e.g. his home) to my own hometown, Chicago. So after RMAF perhaps I'll reach out to audition them or convince him to come to one of the local Head-Fi get-togethers.
My piece: http://fastnbulbous.com/beyerdynamic-dt1990pro-headphone-timeline/
Historical Timeline
The history of significant advancements in headphone technology and important flagships has been grossly unrepresented, at least in any online articles I could find. Not only that, but they're often just wrong, like implying that the Orpheus was introduced in the 90s at $41,000. This is far from complete, and I posted it on Head-Fi to get help in fact-checking. With just a week of research, it may not be perfect, but feel free to offer feedback.1924 beyerdynamic founded in Germany
1937 beyerdynamic DT48
The world's first stereo dynamic headphones, remained in production until 2012. 75 years is the longest run ever for a headphone model.
1938 Stax Ltd. founded in Japan
1945 Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG founded in Germany by Fritz Sennheiser, who died in 2010.
1947 AKG Acoustics founded in Vienna, Austria.
1953 J.C. Koss Hospital Television Rental Company founded by John C. Koss in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1953 Grado Labs founded in Brooklyn, New York.
1958 Koss SP3 Stereophones
1959 AKG K50 model, the world's first supra-aural and open-back headphones.
1960 Stax SR-1, their first electrostatic earspeaker debuts.
This may be the first electrostatic headphone on the market.
1962 Audio-Technica Corporation established by Hideo Matsu****a in Tokyo, Japan.
1968 Koss ESP/6, the first self-energizing electrostatic stereophone.
The history of audiophile sound began with the HD 414. The world's first open headphones revolutionized the headphones market in 1968. For the first time, the ears could hear in a way that they are accustomed to: open and free in space. The sound could travel to the ear drum much more naturally and clearly than in the closed models which were available at that time. With its new principle, the HD 414 triggered an absolute boom in headphones sales. More than 100,000 sets of headphones had already been sold by the end of 1969. It remains one of the best-selling headphone models in the world, with a total of over 10 million units sold.
1973 Fostex founded in Japan
1973 beyerdynamic DT 204 quadrophonic headphone
1974 Audio-Technica AT700
1974 Koss HV1A, the first dynamic stereophone to deliver all 10 audible octaves
1974 Pioneer SE-700, very unique high polymer, piezo-electric headphone
For the next 15 years, orthodynamic or magnar planar would be quite popular, produced by Audio-Technica, Radio Shack, Pacific Stereo, Lafayette, Bang & Olufsen, Burwen, Wharfedale, Toshiba and Stax. But Yamaha may have sold more than the rest combined due to their consistent marketing and production, including subsequent lines, the YH-1, YH-100 and YHD-1. This doesn't include their two flagships introduced in 1978 and 1981.
1976 beyerdynamic ET 1000, the first electrostatic headphones in Germany
1976 Sony ECR-500 electret
1976 Toshiba Aurex HR-910, electret headphones.
1977 Fostex T50RP
This inexpensive headphone (around $100) became hugely popular for customization hobbyists, and began the company's tradition as an OEM provider for others, such as the NAD RP18, Maior RPT-50 and Lafayette RP 50. MrSpeakers got their start by modifying this line into the Alpha Dog and Alpha Prime using ground-breaking 3D printed cups, while ZMF uses wood cups for their line.
1977 Sennheiser Unipolar 2000 first open-back electret headphones
A further milestone followed when Sennheiser engineers combined the principle of open headphones with that of electrostatic transducer technology for the first time. Sennheiser’s launch of the Unipolar 2000 model in 1977 caused a sensation in the audio world. Its principle was once again an innovation in audio technology. In the electrostatic transducer, a high voltage is applied to two mesh-like electrodes. Just like in a loudspeaker, this voltage causes a coated foil diaphragm to vibrate in time with the audio signal. This results in an extremely fine resolution and low total harmonic distortion. “Its frequency curve has a relatively deep curvature from 2 to 4 kHz. This is one of the reasons why these headphones generate an extremely spacious, detailed, transparent, airy and nevertheless powerful sound image in unprecedented quality," was how audio magazine ‘Hifi-Stereofonie’ sang the praises of the new headphones.
Yamaha's exclusive Orthodynamic Design, a concept radically different from conventional dynamic or electrostatic types. Instead of an ordinary voice coil and diaphragm, it uses an ultra thin, low mass, polyester film diaphragm, sandwiched by a pair of powerful disc magnets. The voice coils are photo-etched on the surface of the diaphragm. The performance that results is marked by smooth, even response over the entire audible frequency range, low distortion, and clear imaging. They now sell for $1,500 on the used market.
1979 Stax SR-Lambda, Semi-panoramic sound type Earspeakers.
1980 beyerdynamic DT 880
For the first time according to beyerdynamic, dynamic headphones can compete with the performance of electrostatic headphones. 36 years later it's still in production, $249.
1981 Sony ECR-800 electret, $550
1981 Yamaha YH-100 orthodynamic headphones.
Yamaha's previous flagship's run was very brief, perhaps because they were expensive (I can't seem to find exactly how much they sold for) and people were not ready to pay that much. So the YH-100 was cheaper.
1984 Koss Porta Pro Release, portable "high-end supra-aural stereophone model"
1985 beyerdynamic DT 990
Premium Line headphones which feature a so-called "diffuse-field equalized" frequency response are suited for audiophiles.
1985 Sony MDR-V6
The headphones were listed as having a very wide frequency response and were convenient for travel as they could be folded and carried in an included leatherette bag. In 1987, audio industry journalist Daniel Kumin wrote, "Throw away your loudspeakers. There is now what may be the most perfect transducer yet made by man. Recently I auditioned a pair of Sony MDR-V6 Studio Monitor headphones, then purchased them. There are not enough superlatives in the dictionary to describe the performance of these headphones. Listening to them with a good CD recording is like being in the center of a live performance." They remained in production for over 30 years.
1987 Stax SR-Lambda Signature T1 electrostatic earspeakers, $2,000
Included a tube amp.
Sony's groundbreaking flagship was $1,000 more than the previous flagships. The build quality and care was unprecedented. The most striking feature is the unique ear cup, a compound-curve sculpture machined from 200-year-old Aizu Zelkova wood. The wood was chosen for its light weight, hardness and sound transfer-ability. The cavity of the cup was set to create three dimensional sound expansions much like a concert hall. The earpads were lambskin and headband was made from a carbon fiber composite. The cable was crafted from LC-OFC copper insulated with soft silicon with an outer wrap being pure double-woven silk. A shape memory alloy was used to remove the need for adjustments and magnesium hangers between the ear pad and baffle plate prevented any mechanical vibrations to interfere with the sound quality. Even the unboxing experience was impressive. The headphones came in a well-crafted red-velvet lined, 8×11 lockable suitcase. A numbered certificate was also included.
1989 Grado PS-1000
Grado's first signature headphone.
The K1000 were a unique design that is the equivalent of wearing a pair of loudspeakers on the head. The speaker capsule uses a unique, freely vibrating multilayer diaphragm driven by a newly developed, radially magnetized VLD (Ventilated Linear Dynamic) magnet system. Sitting in front of the ear, this dynamic transducer provides the best acoustic coverage factor. The earphones using no acoustically hard parts, the sound is absolutely free to develop in all its splendor. The speakers are acoustically finetuned in a computer-optimized process including time-energy distribution (Wigner distribution) measurements and made with advanced manufacturing techniques. The result was an unobstructed plane sound field in front of the ear that provides a personalized listening experience.
1990 Koss ESP-950 electrostatic with E-90 amp, $2,000
These are still being sold 26 years later, now for $1,000.
1991 Ultrasone AG founded in Tutzing, Germany
1991 Grado HP 1, $595
1991 Sennheiser HE90 / HEV90 Orpheus, $16,000
From a veritable flood of new headphones being introduced, one in particular stood out like a beacon in 1991: the electrostatic Orpheus. With the boldly ambitious mission to build the best headphones in the world, Sennheiser developers once again set to work – and once again exceeded all expectations of the audio sector with these electrostatic headphones and their impressive tube pre-amplifier. Two platinum-coated diaphragms vibrate between gold-coated glass electrodes. A 500 volt tube amplifier provides enough power to allow the Orpheus to fully unleash its sound. Due to the extremely complex technology involved, the Orpheus was produced in a limited edition of just 300 units. Original MSRP was about $16,000, and peaked at around $41,000 until the new Orpheus was introduced in 2015.
1993 Sony MDR-V600
Designed to satisfy DJs who wanted a greater emphasis on bass. To help DJs in cuing songs with one ear, the MDR-V600's earcups can be swiveled around backwards.
1993 Sennnheiser HD 580
1993 Stax SR-Omega electrostatic, $6,000
1994 Senneiser HE60 / HEV70 (Baby Orpheus)
At $1,500, this was much more affordable than the Orpheus. However, there were a lot of criticisms of the amp, and production didn't last long.
1995 Sennheiser HD 580 Jubilee, $450
1995 Stax Lamba Nova Signature System with SRM-T1W amp, $3,200
Electrostatic Earspeaker System with Vacuum output stage Driver Unit/selector
(SRM-T1W+Lambda Nova Signature).
1996 Grado RS1, $700
1997 Sennheiser HD 600, $400
This iteration was more successful than the HE60, and it was sold at the much more reasonable price. It remained extremely popular throughout the next decade, even after the HD 650 was introduced in 2006.
1998 Stax SR-007 Omega II series electrostatic, $1,800
2003 Grado PS-1, $2,000
2003 Audio-Technica ATH-L3000, $2,000
2004 Sony Qualia 010, $3,300
2005 HiFiMAN Electronics founded by Dr. Fang Bien in Tianjin, China
2005 Audio-Technica ATH-W5000, $1,200
2006 Sennheiser HD 650, $500
2006 AKG K701, $449
This may be the last time a prominent headphone company's flagship headphone would be sold for $400, but available in the market for a relatively affordable price of under $300. It's impressive that AKG chose to keep the price significantly lower than their previous flagship from 16 years ago. This is also the first pair of flagship headphones I ever owned (and still own).
2007 Taket H2, $2,350
2008 Audeze founded in USA
Sankar Thiagasamudram and Alexander Rosson met engineer Pete Uka who developed specialized flexible circuit materials for NASA. They quickly realized the material might be perfect for headphones. That’s when Dragoslav Colich, who has 30+ years’ experience in designing planar drivers, joined the team as CTO to create a limited run of the LCD-1 headphone for $400, featuring proprietary planar magnetic designs with extremely thin-film driver materials. Planars overcome many limitations inherent in typical cone drivers; lightweight diaphragms are faster and more responsive than heavier moving-coil or dome drivers. By 2010 they had the LCD-2 for about a grand.
Designed by Fostex, the series would inspire fervent loyalty among a large group of headphone enthusiasts, even after production ended in 2012. Most of the properties which made the headphone great (solid bass without sacrificing much midrange, great for hard rock and metal) were also found in cheaper models, the D5000, D2000 and D1000. Lawton Audio exists solely to modify the cups in that series. Companies like Creative, E-Mu and Fostex itself continuing with the core design, and the Massdrop/Fostex collaborations on the TH-X00.
2009 Grade PS-1000
2009 Sennheiser HD800 flagship, $1,199
2010 HiFiMAN He 5, $599
2010 Ultrasone Edition 10, $2,749
2011 AKG K812, $1,299. So much for a cheap flagship!
2011 Audeze LCD-3, $1,995
2011 beyerdynamic T1 Tesla, $1,099
2011 HiFiMAN HE 500, $599
2011 Stax SR-009 electrostatic, $3,500
2012 HiFiMAN HE-6, $1,299
2012 Final Audio Design Muramasa VIII, stainless steel, 850g, $8,000
2012 Fostex TH900, $1,149
2013 JPS Labs Abyss AB-1266, $4,494 / $5,495
2014 Enigmatic Audio The Enigma, $900
2014 HiFiMAN HE 1000, $2,999
2014 Kennerton Odin, $2,250
2014 McIntosh MHP1000, $2,000
2014 OPPO PM-1 Planar Magnetic, $1,200
2014 Ultrasone Edition 5 limited edition, $4,999
2015 Audeze LCD-4, $3,995
2016 beyerdynamic T1 (2nd Gen), $1,399
2015 EnigmAcoustics Dharma D1000, $1,190
2015 Fostex TH900 Mk II, $1,505
2015 MrSpeakers Ether, $1,499
2015 Sennheiser Orpheus 2 HE1060/HEV1060, $55,000
2015 Pioneer SE-Master 1, $2,500
2016 Focal Utopia, $4,000
2016 Mrspeakers Ether Flow, $1,800
2016 Sony MDR-Z1R, $2,300[/color]
Coming Soon
2017 HiFiMAN Shangri-La2017 LB-Acoustics Mysphere 3.1, by the team who created the AKG K1000
2017 Mrspeakers Ether Electrostatic [will be introduced at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in Denver, October 7-9]
2017 ZMF Atticus & Eikon
Not one, but two new flagships from ZMF, will also show at RMAF. Like MrSpeakers, ZMF (a one-man show, Zach Mehrbach) got his start modifying the Fostex T50RP. A Head-Fi member who heard a prototype indicated a "HE-6/Abyss/TH900-level impact." Both are 300 ohm semi-open, looking like a cross between the Sony MDR-R10 and ZMF Omni. The Atticus has a thermoplastic elastomer driver (TPE, like the Sennheiser HD 800), and the Eikon has a biocellulose driver, like the Sony R10 and Fostex TH900. No dates or price information is available yet, but more should be known after the RMAF. I just learned that Meherbach moved ZMF headquarters (e.g. his home) to my own hometown, Chicago. So after RMAF perhaps I'll reach out to audition them or convince him to come to one of the local Head-Fi get-togethers.
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