Planar headphones and dynamic headphones.

[Briocat]

What are the advantages of listening to music using any planar headphones, compared to dynamic headphones, both over-the-ear? What are the disadvantages?

 

[Moonhead]

Dynamic vs Planar Magnetic Headphones: Understanding The Differences

Learn the key differences between dynamic and planar magnetic headphone drivers, with real-world examples and performance comparisons.

www.rtings.com

 

[Soria Moria]

I'd say nothing, personally. The advantage and disadvantage is for the person designing the headphone. It was mentioned before that with planar headphones it can be easier to give them well-extended bass in open-back designs. On the other hand you can also get this with dynamic drivers but it is (supposedly) harder. There is at least a clear difference in trends between dynamic and planar headphones in their frequency respones, with dynamics having more low-end roll-off on average. On the other hand, planar headphones tend to be heavier. I prefer dynamic since they are usually lighter and I EQ anyway.

 

[Briocat]

Dynamic vs Planar Magnetic Headphones: Understanding The Differences

Learn the key differences between dynamic and planar magnetic headphone drivers, with real-world examples and performance comparisons.

www.rtings.com

Very interesting.

 

[flagshipper]

Planars excel in more details, accuracy. Dynamic drivers excel in muffled bassheavy sound

 

[solderdude]

What are the advantages of listening to music using any planar headphones, compared to dynamic headphones, both over-the-ear? What are the disadvantages?

There are excellent and poor dynamics and excellent and poor planar magnetics.
One of the advantages planar magnetics can have is a better linearity at higher SPL (lower distortion).
Disadvantage can be a more uneven treble response due the driver diameter and driver-ear distance you can get combfilter effects.
Another disadvantage is weight.
The better planar magnetics are higher in weight.

Electrostatic (also planar) can be lightweight but can't go very loud and have issues with low frequency response.

Some people prefer planar headphones, others dynamics and yet others prefer multi armature IEMs with their incredibly small driver(s).
Size does not always matter.

I say... audition a few models and listen for yourself what you prefer.

 

[Soria Moria]

Planars excel in more details, accuracy. Dynamic drivers excel in muffled bassheavy sound

What you are describing here is the tuning trends (frequency response) of many planar and dynamic headphones. Many planar headphones such as the egg shaped Hifiman ones have well-extended but flat bass and with quite a bit of high end sparkle. Many dynamic driver headphones have quite a bit of roll-off in the subbass but with a boost in the 100 Hz region or higher which to me sounds quite muffled and bad.

 

[DVDdoug]

There's more than one way to make a good headphone (and more than one way to make a bad headphone).

It's best to choose based on sound and measurements rather than by what's inside.

There is also almost no correlation between price and sound quality, and you can see if you sort the reviews here by "recommended" or "price".

Dynamic headphones seem to be the most economical way to get good sound and they are often "easy to drive".

As far as I know the Dan Clark Stealth (planar) has the "best" review here. It's $4000 and there are more expensive planars (and cheaper ones) that got "not recommended".

Understanding Headphone Measurements (Amir video)
Headphone Measurements (Dan Clark video with ironically bad audio)