A modern head-fi great is bringing out planar magnetic headphones with huge drivers and an even bigger frequency range — and yet the headband might be the coolest part

• Open-back headphones with 100mm planar drivers
• Full Drive Tech for larger effective area
• $799 (about £595 / AU$685)

Moondrop has unveiled its new Skyland planar magnetic headphones, with very large and efficient drivers – but the thing I'm most intrigued about is its headband.

The Skyland's headband consists of a flexible, hollow, carbon-fiber strap and headband that's been 3D-printed in a multi-segmented adjustable design to deliver good support, light weight and superb breathability for heads of all sizes.

The headband might not be the most technically impressive part of these very high-spec headphones, but if it's as comfortable as it looks it'll make a big difference during long listening sessions.

Of course, the headband isn't the key selling point here: that's the very large 100mm planar magnetic driver with 500nm diaphragms and fine mesh protective grilles.

The driver features Full Drive Technology to put the planar circuits across the entire vibrating section of the driver rather than in a rectangle down the middle of it, and Moondrop says that results in performance "comparable to that of electrostatics" and with treble "far superior to that of traditional planar magnetic headphones".

Moondrop Skyland headphones: key features and pricing

The Skyland headphones are open-back with a low-diffraction matte surface and a metal protective grille placed quite far from the diaphragm so it can provide protection without interfering with the audio. The earcups are fitted with soft lambskin earpads that have been modelled to ensure they don't impede the sound.

The headphones themselves are made from a high-strength all-aluminum alloy CNC hollow structure, and feature a thin suspension system for the drivers that Moondrop says is "challenging to manufacture" but delivers abundant detail.

The headphones' cables are replaceable and use a universal 3.5mm interchangeable design with an inclined angle. The supplied cable is a 4.4mm balanced one with a 4.4mm to 6.35mm adapter and a 4.4mm to XLR balanced Cannon four-core adapter.

The Skyland headphones have an impedance of 60 ohms, and a claimed frequency response of 8Hz to 34kHz, which is pretty impressive. Sensitivity is 96dB/Vrms.

The Moondrop Skyland planar magnetic headphones are available now with a list price of $799 (about £595 / AU$685).

The best music players for all budgets

➡️ Read our full guide to the best hi-res music players
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Activo P1
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3. Best step-up hi-res player:
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