Avantone Pro Planar
Open magnetostatic studio headphones
In studio circles, the American company Avantone Pro has been known (and loved) for years for reissuing legendary studio monitors such as Yamaha's NS-10 or Auratone's Soundcube, as well as a whole range of classic microphones of outstanding quality. But more and more often Avantone also release their own creations, which are often much more exciting than the replicas. One of these new developments is the Planar - an open studio headphone that uses the somewhat exotic magnetostatic driver principle.
Superlux HD660 Pro
Closed over-ears for professional requirements
Superlux have been around for more than 30 years and during this time the Taiwanese company has launched several devices into the"Personal Audio" and "Pro Audio" markets. Our practical test looks at whether the HD660 Pro is rightly placed in the "Professional Headphones" segment.
dSoniq Realphones
Loudspeaker simulation for headphones
Mixing with headphones is problematic as they differ in sound from loudspeakers because they emit sound directly into the ear without any reflections in the room. Loudspeakers are also placed in front of the listener and, depending on the design, transmit sound to both ears. So it is no wonder that the mix does not sound identical, which can certainly cause complications. The Russian company dSoniq addresses exactly this problem with Realphones.
Huawei FreeLace Pro
Wireless in-ears with neckband and clever features
There is a group of wireless in-ears with neckbands, which are more of a “necklace” in style. Into this group, Huawei delivers a quite convincing product, the FreeLace Pro, which includes some good ideas.
Mackie MC-100
Closed studio headphones at an entry-level price
Mackie are expanding their product range with a bold price cut: With the MC-100, they are introducing a pair of truly affordable closed headphones. They round off the lower end of the product series consisting of the MC-150 and MC-250. This is particularly exciting because the other two models have already earned a price-performance recommendation from us. So we say: Raise the curtain, or rather your ears, for the MC-100.
Ollo Audio HPS S4X
Over-ear studio headphones - rustic in look and sound
Ollo Audio HPS S4X are reference headphones in the mid-range price range. How neutral and honest do they actually sound?
Mackie MP-460
High quality in-ear-monitor headphones with balanced-armature drivers
Mackie has added three more headphones to their MP series: The MP-460 I am testing here is their new top model in this series.
Mackie MP-360
Balanced armature in-ear monitor with three ways
About two years ago Mackie released their MP series: All three pairs of headphones – the MP-120 , the MP-220 and the MP-240 – were aimed at musicians and sound engineers who are looking for monitor headphones for the stage and the FoH/monitor mixing desk. Now Mackie has added three more pairs of headphones to the MP series: the MP-360, which I'm testing here, ranks in the middle of the hierarchy of the three MP newcomers.
Austrian Audio Hi-X50
High-quality on-ear with excellent sound
With the Hi-X50, Austrian Audio have added an on-ear headphone to their product range that is designed to meet professional demands. Their Hi-X55 have already proven themselves as studio headphones in our tests with their high quality and their unique sound profile, now it’s the turn of their little brother.
Audeze LCD-GX
High-end gaming headset with planar-magnetic drivers
The Audeze Mobius has already convinced us as a gaming headset, and now Audeze is adding to this and pushing the gaming headset concept even further with the LCD-GX: just under 1,000 Euros (RRP) will be charged for this luxury model! We look into whether these open over-ear headphones live up to their high-end claims.
