Audeze Euclid

The Audeze Euclid's 18mm planar magnetic drivers are housed inside earbuds made of precision-milled aluminum and carbon fiber.

Top-shelf Audeze performance in a portable design

Here are Audeze's first-ever in-ear monitors (IEMs) to use a closed-back design. The high-end audio company miniaturized their cutting-edge planar magnetic drivers to fit the Euclid's compact earbud design, more suitable for on-the-go listening. I'll get into how they did it — and why it's so remarkable. But first, let me break down some sonic characteristics of this special driver design.

I have a sample on the way, so I haven't heard the Euclid earbuds yet — but I do know Audeze planar drivers. In general, you can expect a clean, even sound with rich detail and precise impulse control. They deliver an open, spacious sound with nuanced, lifelike dynamics. 

Versatile and efficient 

It usually takes a lot of power to drive planar headphones, but the Euclid IEMs are much more flexible and efficient. Audeze designed them to work with a portable music player — and even a phone or laptop. A braided, detachable cable snaps into each earbud using an MMCX connection and connects to your gear with a standard 3.5mm stereo miniplug. 

Of course, I would suggest using a separate headphone amp to hear them at their best. The compact, super-portable AudioQuest DragonFly plug-in USB DAC/amps immediately come to mind. 

The evolution of Audeze planar magnetic headphones

Simply put, planar magnetic drivers aren't supposed to fit into an earbud. I don't know how strongly I can stress this. They traditionally rely on two sets of heavy-duty magnets flanking either side of a thin, yet extra-large, diaphragm. The magnets move the diaphragm back and forth to generate sound. For years, headphone aficionados have endured super-sized, heavyweight over-ear planar magnetic 'phones — for the payoff of amazing sound. 

Inside each earbud, there's a single planar magnetic driver with an ultra-thin diaphragm and powerful magnet array.

Then Audeze came along and started experimenting. The SoCal audio experts humbly arrived on the scene in 2009, with only half of a display booth at that year's Los Angeles CanJam headphone festival. But they quickly made a name for themselves among hardcore headphone fans for their state-of-the-art take on planar magnetic design. 

Smaller diaphragms with more than double the magnet strength

Audeze's engineers developed thinner, lighter diaphragms that eventually led to the 18mm versions inside the Euclid earbuds. They also figured out how to greatly increase efficiency by laying out their magnet array in an asymmetrical pattern. In other words: fewer magnets, yet stronger magnetic attraction.

And now high-performance IEMs that can fit in a small case and travel with you everywhere. 

Secure and comfortable with an isolating seal 

In-ear headphones are only as good as their fit. It's crucial for comfort and sonic performance, including bass extension and proper imaging. Audeze includes nine pairs of ear tips in a variety of styles to ensure a snug, secure fit. 

That's three sizes of their silicone tips, three SpinFit® tips, and three of my personal favorite, Comply™ foam tips. The foam contours and expands into place to create a noise-isolating seal — all while avoiding notorious pressure points. You further secure the earbuds by wrapping the cable around your ear.