Acoustic Research AR-H1 Planar Magnetic Headphones

Acoustic Research has a legacy of producing high-end audio, so when the company debuted its new planar magnetic headphone at 2017’s Munich High End Show, audiophiles were duly impressed. Since then, the AR-H1 open-back headphone has won "Editors' Choice" from PC Magazine, "Top Pick" from Sound & Vision, and a Gold Medal Award at the 2018 Japan Visual Grand Prix. The industrial-inspired design is complete with a genuine leather headband and low-resilience ear cushions for hours of fatigue-free listening. Inside each housing is a large 86-millimeter planar driver with a best-in-class neodymium magnet array. Thanks to the 33-ohm impedance, the AR-H1 makes a great pairing with Acoustic Research’s digital audio players, like the AR-M2. Finally, the dual 2.5-millimeter cables—also commonly used with HIFIMAN headphones—make for easy replacement. 

The AR-H1 received a “Reviewers’ Choice” award from SoundStage Xperience, whose reviewer had this to say: “I enjoy a lot of the headphones I review, but it’s the rare pair that sounds neutral and natural enough for me to grab them for relaxed listening. Acoustic Research’s AR-H1s rank among that elite group. What I love about them is that there’s nothing spectacular or exaggerated about their sound—just as there’s nothing spectacular or exaggerated about the sound of a great violin, tenor saxophone, or singer. If you want something spectacular, that’s fine—but if you want headphones you can enjoy day after day with all kinds of music, I strongly recommend the AR-H1s."