There’s no better way to dive deep into a recording than with headphones, which remove sonic veils and connect the listener directly with the performance. These three models, paired with ideally compatible amplifiers, offer fundamentally different approaches to sound reproduction, but all deliver the highest possible level of fidelity—and enjoyment—with over-the-ear systems.
-
T+A Solitaire P
Image Credit: T+A Established in 1978, T+A (Theory + Application) designs, engineers and builds nearly every product at its factory in Herford, Germany. The drive units in its planar-magnetic headphones use a thin-film diaphragm energized by a strong magnetic field—a configuration the acoustic atelier considers inherently superior to other headphone approaches. Its flagship, the $6,900 Solitaire P, offers wide dynamic range, freedom from distortion, thunderous bass and linearity across the frequency spectrum from 5 Hz to 54 kHz.
Complementing the headphones—which, with their open-back styling, look and feel as luxurious as they sound—is the $9,650 HA 200 amp, a sophisticated, solid-state Class A design capable of powering three headphone outputs. It also offers adjustable impedance matching, for fine-tuning performance, and a digital section that incorporates T+A’s proprietary D/A converter. The exquisitely fabricated HA 200 includes a front panel with dual meters, a large display and a variety of novel sound-tailoring adjustments.
-
Stax SR-X9000 Earspeakers
Image Credit: Stax Japanese audio company Stax developed the world’s first electrostatic headphones in 1959. Since that time, its earspeakers, as Stax calls them, have defined the state of the headphone arts, and never more so than with the SR-X9000. Four mesh electrodes utilize a diaphragm that’s 20 percent larger than that of the previous flagship, the SR-009S, yet with reduced mass for even faster transient speed and more remarkable high-frequency response. New machined-aluminum driver enclosures eliminate resonance and vibration, while a stainless-steel-framed headband makes the $6,200 model supremely comfortable.
Stax headphones require special amplifiers that are compatible with their electrostatic transducers. At $6,825, the SRM-T8000 BK is a Class A hybrid setup that uses vacuum tubes and semiconductors while providing the 580 volt “Pro” bias required by select electrostatic brands. Four inputs allow a variety of digital and analog sources to be enjoyed.
-
Headphones and Amp
Image Credit: Focal French manufacturer Focal’s top headphones, the Utopia, launched in 2016 before being revised this year with new technologies and materials that deliver even more refined, accurate sound than the original. With no active or passive correction from 5 Hz to over 50 kHz, the 40 mm beryllium drivers use new copper and aluminum voice coils to produce more powerful bass, smoother treble and wider dynamics. The lightweight, open-back $4,999 Utopia features a yoke made from recycled carbon fiber, while memory-foam earcups allow for hours of fatigue-free listening.
English brand Naim Audio partnered with Focal to develop the Uniti Atom Headphone Edition amplifier to extract the very best performance from the new headphones. Playing high-res files from a digital music library, various integrated streaming services or other sources, the $3,799 component even functions as a preamp to drive an outboard external-power amplifier or speakers.
