As Avantone Pro explains about the technology behind these headphones: "An appreciation of some science goes some way towards an appreciation of Planar the II's namesake planar drivers; with that, of course, comes an appreciation of the advantages of Avantone Pro’s advanced open-back reference-grade headphones themselves. Traditional moving-coil (dynamic) drivers deploy an asymmetric single-magnet design that begets an asymmetric waveform, driving audio from a single point to create an unnatural spheroid wavefront which relies on the surround’s elasticity to return the driver to the neutral position — pushing but not pulling, in other words. What this really boils down to, though, is a distorted misrepresentation of audio reproduction. Reality dictates that planar drivers, conversely, operate via a matrix of neodymium magnets that both push and pull from both sides of its incredibly thin, ultralight diaphragm across its entire surface area, thereby creating a more naturalistic wavefront with very little harmonic distortion and incredibly fast response time. It is, in fact, these symmetrical vibrations that are responsible for Planar the II’s trademark tight bass and breathtaking soundstage. An attendant 30kHz ceiling is, impressively, also well worth noting."
The new Planar the II represents the accumulated experience in designing, testing and manufacturing these planar drivers and headphones over multiple years. Together with Avantone Pro's market experience in meeting the demands of music professionals, the new improved design should result in a very attractive product for its intended market.
The new Planar the II headphones employ a tuned open-back architecture, designed to eliminate the pressure build-up, acoustic resonance, and frequency curve typical of closed-back headphones, further ensuring that any monitored music is represented as accurately as possible. As Avantone Pro describes, "When working with Planar the II, the air and breath in every vocal, the long decays of shimmering reverb tails, and tight, punchy bass that hits hard can clearly be heard — and all without being overhyped."
For this refined design, Avantone Pro focused on the need for greater comfort, suited to any situation where the advanced open-back reference-grade headphones stay on the users's heads for longer periods of time. More lightweight than the previous Planar design, the comfort when using the Planar the II headphones is further bolstered by new cosy ear pads. And the Planar the II package also comes complete with a high-grade, removable, two-meter-long, noise-free 3.5mm cable that can be plugged into either side to suit workflow or handedness.
The Avantone Pro Planar the II headphones are available now in a color choice of Black, Creme, or Red, packaged with an eco-friendly shoulder bag with room for accessories — and a pouch for the long cable also included. Orders can be places at Avantone Pro’s US Dealers with a Minimum Advertised Price (MAP)) of $399.00 USD. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) in the European Union is €532.00 EUR, including VAT, with international dealers listed by country here.
www.avantonepro.com
