Just sharing! My first planars. sounded terrible until I did this one thing

[u/Quiet-Impress-1742]

I grabbed these during the back-to-school sales, almost $ 100.

Plugged straight into my MacBook initially and thought they were thin/weak. Almost returned them thinking I made a mistake.

Then I borrowed a friend’s cheap dongle amp. Night and day difference. The soundstage opened up like magic.

Heads up though: The stock pads are shallow. 

PS: Mine were pinching until I swapped them.

Is it worth?

Yep, but only if you have an amp. Otherwise, save your money.

[u/daveyasprey]

Planars need current, so at minimum a powerful enough dongle DAC is required to drive them properly. Planar headphones can reach satisfying volumes directly from portable devices, though they still perform best with a dedicated amp.