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People who love fancy headphones love things like headphones with planar magnetic drivers. Planars (to use the parlance of the audiophile) sound different in a way that brings out many of the subtleties in acoustic recordings and more gentle music. They're great for jazz lovers, or those who can appreciate an SACD of Steely Dan Aja. Audeze is one of the top names in planar headphones—it makes a slew of excellent over-ear models that are highly rated. The Sine is the company's first on-ear model. Over-ear planars are notoriously bulky, but the Sine is perfectly compact. Premium leather and a smart design brings the price to $500. They're shipping in a month or so.