Focal Utopia Tournaire headphones were designed and manufactured in France by Focal and launched in June 2016. Their exceptionality soon made them a reference in the global audiophile headphones market. They are the result of 35 years of innovation, development, and manufacturing of high-end speaker drivers and loudspeakers. Equipped with exclusive technology, they offer striking realism, neutrality, dynamics, and clarity, for sound with unrivaled purity.

Utopia is unique: they are the world’s first audiophile headphones featuring totally open-backed full-range speaker drivers with pure Beryllium ’M’-shaped domes, and also the headset topped the list of the most expensive headphones.

The design was customized and hand-crafted by jewelers Philippe and Mathieu Tournaire. The result is a unique product with new aesthetics bearing the mark of the Trilogy, the symbol of Tournaire jewelers, which represents the evolution of life. This universal symbol links the past, the present, and the future represented respectively by the raw square, the triangle, and the circle of abundance. The Trilogy is made of 18-karat gold mounted with a total of 6.5 carats of diamonds.

Price: 132,732 USD

The striking design of the Sennheiser HE 1 marries form with function, one of the most expensive headphones. Their amplifier sits on a housing crafted from glass and a solid block of Carrara marble. This luxurious natural stone – the type made famous by Michelangelo’s Renaissance sculptures – lends beauty and prevents structure-borne noise. To create a visually stunning design, control dials are painstakingly crafted to the highest quality. Each dial is milled from a single piece of brass before being plated with chrome.

The flagship Sennheiser boasts an audio range from 8 Hz to more than 100 kHz and the lowest distortion ever measured in a sound reproduction system. The HE 1 is the first electrostatic headphone with a Cool Class A MOS-FET high voltage amplifier integrated into the ear cups.

Eliminating the capacitive reactance of the cable, they deliver an ultra-high impulse fidelity 200% more efficient than any other solution currently available. 2.4-micrometer platinum-vaporized diaphragms are employed as their size was shown by Sennheiser’s research to deliver optimal sound reproduction.

Price: 59,000 USD

HIFIMAN’s top-of-the-line Susvara uses an advanced magnet design that aims to be acoustically transparent, dramatically reducing wave diffraction turbulence which degrades the integrity of the sound waves. The result is reduced distortion, yielding a purer, more harmonious sound that is audibly so.

The driver’s incredible thinness, less than a millionth of a meter, and extremely low mass mean it can produce tremendously low distortion levels yet offer a highly dynamic response. By combining this diaphragm and “Acoustically Invisible Stealth Magnet” technology, each working in harmony, the audio produced is of remarkable tonal quality and clarity.

The “Window Shade” on the SUSVARA has been painstakingly optimized to avoid any resonant frequencies. This leads to superior aural purity, tonally clean and unadulterated yet provides practical protection for the ultrafine diaphragm and additionally offers an appealing visual aesthetic. With outstanding sound design and harmonization of sound frequencies, HIFIMAN Susvara headphones are loved by many people and are also one of the most expensive headphones today.

Price: 5,999 USD

HIFIMAN first developed their back-facing headphones back in 2012, then decided that the only way to go was to develop open-back flat-ear headphones. In 2018, HIFIMAN returned to developing closed models, leading to a design breakthrough the following year. The HE-R10P uses their signature nano-thickness diaphragm and features CNC-engraved aviation aluminum and wood parts. The large interior space of the wooden ear cups provides just enough volume and "breathing space" for the powerful driver.

This design eliminates heat build-up on the ears, providing a natural flow of cool air. The complete absence of acoustic pressure on the eardrum due to the traditional sealed box design means that the HIFIMAN HE-R10P headphones can be worn comfortably for hours at any level of listening. With outstanding design features, the HIFIMAN HE-R10P has entered the list of the most expensive headphones. Hurry up to spend over $ 5,000 to own one of these uniquely designed headphones.

Giá: 5,499 USD

The 50 mm diameter driver unit with titanium diaphragm is integrated with the front fender, machined from pure aluminum. Combined with the machined aluminum shell is a machined stainless steel shell that helps reduce unnecessary vibrations. It is necessary to create the case from hard metal to achieve the authentic feel that the X creates.

The exclusive BAM (Balanced Air Movement) mechanism delivers deep three-dimensional bass and spatial reproduction, developed for balanced armature drivers that have been used with a dynamic driver. With BAM, the idea was to optimize the pressure balance between the front and back of the diaphragm. To fully implement this idea, the SONOROUS X is sealed so that no gas leaks from within the housing. With this unique design for Final Audio Design SONOROUS X, of course, the price is not cheap. Therefore, the Final Audio Design SONOROUS X headset is considered one of the most expensive headphones with modern features and a unique design.

Price: 4,999 USD

The Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC (Total Consciousness) Headphones features many unique elements, including formed aluminum sides that are acoustically tuned to the patented planar magnetic transducer planer speaker drivers for completely open sound. Also unique are high-tech, durable two-tone polymer ceramic coating on the all-aluminum frame along with newly designed lambskin ear pads for greater comfort and finely tuned acoustics.

The chassis consists of left/right side frames and an adjustable two-piece headband. There are no plastic parts to break with the frame, and all components are CNC machined from solid aluminum for exceptional strength. Matched driver pairs are a standout.

In addition, unique custom-made high-power neodymium magnets with optimized slot pattern are featured with a low carbon steel front baffle with integrated resonance control.The padded leather headband with head movement isolation properly distributes weight for hours of comfortable wear. Looks are deceiving – these headphones are designed to float atop and loosely touch your ears (no problem with eyeglasses) rather than clamp your head.

Price: 4,995 USD

This is the STAX flagship. The multilayer fixed electrode MLER (Multi-Layer-Elect-Rords) established with SR-009 has evolved to MLER 2. The finish and etching process that smoothes the edge of the electrode opening reduces air resistance and further improves sound permeability. Also, the electrodes themselves are gold plated with high specific gravity to minimize the resonance of the ultra-thin electrode.

The SR-009S employ a diaphragm made of ultra-thin super engineering plastic film. The light mass has realized a high transient characteristic throughout the entire audio spectrum.Aluminum is abundantly used at the frame to realize high-quality sound, rigidity, and lower weight. Almost every part of the SR-009 is manufactured through precise machine processing.

The earpads are made by hand and feature both leather and cushion material with moderate elasticity, enabling hours of comfortable listening. The headband is equipped with a position adjustment mechanism of 10-step slider and corresponds to the wide range of cranial forms with individual differences.

Price: 4,325 USD

Made in Japan, the D8000 Pro Edition leaves the delicate sound quality of the D8000 intact and has undergone retuning of driver units in accordance with actual use for professional sound recordings upon the request of recording engineers who wish to listen at louder sound volumes than ordinary consumers.

“The conventional planar magnetic problem of the diaphragm coming into contact with magnets has been solved through AFDS (Air Film Damping System), and it has become possible to reduce the frequency of the bass tones that the driver unit can reproduce. Combined with breathable earpads, bass tone reproduction with a volume and open sound only achievable with superior dynamic models is possible.” – Final Audio Design

To establish AFDS, an extremely high level of precision compared to typical driver units is necessary. Because of this, the machined aluminum magnesium alloy housing is machined with great precision. The black option has a ‘leathercoat’ finish similar to those used for expensive cameras.

Price: 4,299 USD

HIFIMAN believes that this electrostatic model literally has an unheard of performance-to-value ratio. The nanotech drivers are less than 0.001mm thick and couple fast transient response with near-zero distortion. The nano-particle coated diaphragm provides an extreme high-frequency response. In addition, the metal mesh stators working close to the ultra-fine diaphragm offer superior openness and minimizes distortion.

Both headphones are peripheral electrostatic headphones with VOCE using an 88mm diaphragm. Although HIFIMAN does not state the exact dimensions of the Shangri-La Jr drivers, physically they appear to be of similar size and rounded shape when placed side by side. The headphones both deliver technically flawless performances when using the Jr tube amplifier and Holo DAC, but their main difference is in the amount of emphasis placed on the mids and highs.

HIFIMAN also asserts that this model is ergonomic and lightweight for superior extended listening comfort. Along with the $4,000 price tag and outstanding design, the HIFIMAN Shangri-La Jr headset deserves to be one of the most expensive headphones today.

Price: 4,000 USD

The DIANA headphones were launched in 2018, touted as the world’s thinnest boutique headphones. They feature a high-tech ceramic finish and are sculpted from aircraft-grade aluminum for incredible strength. ”This latest version of the DIANA Phi headphone has world-class dynamics, resolution, and refinement to sound never before heard in such a compact package.” – Abyss

The large 63 mm patented Phi planar drivers with ultra-low mass diaphragm for extremely fast bass impact and subtle lifelike details to music. In addition, a Fibonacci side hole pattern properly tunes the sound. High-quality leather and soft Alcantara are used for the hand-carved extra-wide low-profile ear pads that offer minimal clamping force. Abyss employs an EMotion headband that magnetically adjusts and contours your head for a comfortable fit.

Although the headphones were released in 2018, until now, the Abyss DIANA® Phi Premium Audiophile Headphones are still on the list of the most expensive headphones today. This proves, Abyss DIANA® Phi Premium Audiophile Headphones have never been outdated, and are always favored by consumers.

Price: 3,995 USD