Aune AR9000
The open-back with sub-bass to spare — everyone agrees on the low end, then argues about everything above it.
24 sources6 divided topics
Read the overreview A wider view of audio gear
The reviews,
reviewed.
What reviewers agree on.
Where they disagree. What matters to you.
Latest reviews
Browse all reviews
Audeze LCD-X
Bass nobody argues with, a 4 kHz dip everybody does — the studio planar that splits the room on EQ, weight and price.
129 sources6 divided topics
Philips SHP9500
The comfort king of budget open-backs, measured eight ways and argued over for a decade: airy and honest, or thin, bright and grainy.
92 sources4 divided topics
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x
Everyone agrees on the imaging and the feather weight; ten measurement rigs agree on the 4 kHz dip — and from there the arguments start.
99 sources8 divided topics
Letshuoer S12 Pro
The planar-war bargain that still divides a room: class-above detail and bass for $135, and a treble half the room calls crisp and half calls sibilant.
84 sources3 divided topics
The dictionary
Know what you’re hearing.
Warm
A boost in the bass and lower mids that gives music a rich, cozy, easy-on-the-ears character.
Soundstage
The perceived three-dimensional space of a recording — how wide, deep, and tall the sound appears.
Bright
An emphasis on the upper midrange and treble — vivid, clear, and sometimes sharp.
Neutral
An even-handed sound with no part of the spectrum pushed forward or held back — balanced and reference-like.