RHA intros first Bluetooth planar magnetic in-ear headphones
The CL2 Planar from Scottish headphone maker RHA is a high-end wireless headphone that will retail for $900.
David Carnoy
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Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable e-reader and e-publishing expert. He's also the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks and Nook e-books, as well as audiobooks.
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The CL2 Planar doesn't look so different from the company's other wireless headphones.
Back in 2017, Audeze released its iSine series headphones, the first in-ear headphones to feature planar magnetic drivers, which sound very coherent and spacious, with low distortion. And indeed, the iSine models sounded great but looked pretty funky.
Now RHA, a Scottish headphone company, has introduced the CL2 Planar, which it's calling "the first planar magnetic Bluetooth headphone." It's built around what RHA says is "the most compact planar magnetic driver ever released." (If you want the technical details for planar magnetic technology, check out Inner Fidelity).
While Audeze iSine earphones feature a large 30mm driver, the CL2 Planar has a 10mm driver that "consists of a planar coil and 16-micrometre diaphragm perfectly suspended above two matched magnetic fields." RHA took four years to develop it.
The result is an in-ear wireless headphone that looks similar to the company's existing neckband-style wireless models. However, it costs a lot more -- $900 (£800, $AU1000), to be exact. That price tag is in the same range as what you might expect to pay for high-end, audiophile-grade in-ear wired headphones from the likes of AKG, Sennheiser and others.
We look forward to have a listen to these guys as soon we get our hands on them. They'll make their debut next week at the IFA trade show in Berlin.
What you get in the box.
Here are the CL2 Planar's key specs, according to RHA:
- Zirconium dioxide is used to create nearly indestructible housings for the CL2 Planar.
- 12-hour battery life.
- The neckband can connect simultaneously with multiple devices and vibrates to alert you of incoming calls.
- Comes with detachable 3.5mm and balanced 2.5mm cables (for wired listening).
- Flight case and carrying pouch included.
- Available for presale online from Aug. 23 for $900, £800, $AU1000.
- Available for sale online and in select retailers from Sept. 12 for $900, £800, $AU1000.
Close up of the housings.