Back in 2021, Audeze invited members of the eCoustics team to a private demonstration of something groundbreaking that they had been working on. Long before the COVID-19 pandemic turned life on its head and took millions of people, the engineers at Audeze were already working on the CRBN electrostatic technology that would be developed into a breakthrough medical device.
The pandemic may have forced them to deal with a huge increase in demand for their headphones with everyone stuck at home, but it did nothing to deter them from their mission of creating two pairs of headphones that would change everything for them.
But that wasn’t the only thing that changed for the Southern California-based company. The success of the Maxwell over-ear wireless headphone which has become the “standard” in the gaming category caught the attention of a much larger rival that is one of the driving forces in that particular segment. Sony’s acquisition of Audeze caught everyone by surprise — but looking back — it may have been one of the smartest plays in consumer A/V in many years.
Why struggle to engineer the best headphones in the world when you can acquire the technology and people behind them? And then give them the financial resources and freedom to push the envelope even further.
Enter the dragon. Enter the Audeze CRBN2 Electrostatic Headphones.
Technology
The CRBN family of headphones derives its name from the carbon nanotube impregnated film diaphragm and the history behind this sets the stage for everything that we’re going to discuss.
Audeze likes to tell people that they are a technology company that makes headphones and this is particularly true in regard to the CRBN2 headphones. The initial goal of the project was to engineer a headphone that could be utilized while patients were undergoing an MRI; with the primary hurdle of developing something that did not have anything magnetic in the design — which ruled out almost every headphone technology that relies on some type of magnet in the driver.
The vast majority of companies in the headphone space would pass on such a project due to the complexity and the R&D investment required that would take time and money away from other products that are more mainstream and likely to generate revenue in the short-term.
Audeze pushed forward and now holds multiple patents in regard to the MRI headphone and it’s clear that it was not time wasted.
The first generation CRBN headphone utilized the carbon nanotube impregnated film developed for the MRI system. This allowed the film to be thinner and lighter than what is offered by the competition and also eliminated the possibility of an uneven coating or delamination.
Both of those issues have arisen in other electrostatic headphones because an absolutely even coating even with physical vapor deposition is extremely difficult to achieve. And anytime a coating is applied, it both increases weight and introduces the possibility that at some point that coating with separate from the substrate.
By introducing the carbon nano-tubes into the diaphragm, Audeze was able to increase uniformity and eliminate some of the common problems of electrostatic drivers.
The CRBN was Audeze’s most detailed sounding headphone so far, but didn’t quite have the bass quantity to compete with Audeze’s big planar magnetic designs so it was a bit polarizing in that regard.
The Head-Fi community is rather evenly split between the original CRBN and LCD-5 as their best headphone, and it is hard to knock either as they offer state-of-the-art performance. The reality is that they both offer something very different in terms of their presentation and it comes down to personal preference for most people.
The Audeze CRBN2 is the result of that pursuit with an improved diaphragm and their patent pending symmetric linear acoustic modulator system; which is one of the first things users will notice when they unbox the headphones.
Build and Overall Fit
For those who are familiar with the previous iteration, the Audeze CRBN2 look rather similar and come with the aluminum travel case and a pair of white gloves, which is what one should expect for $5,995 USD.
The box contains the headphones with attached cable and a dessicant pack. Removing the headphones from the foam reveals a bit more gold adornment to the cups and gimbals, but the headband, suspension, gimbals, and cup shape are all very similar to the first model.
The CRBN2 uses a metal headband with a leather suspension beneath and the common box and rod style adjustments for cup height relative to the suspension. The ear cups are elongated ovals with an overlapped hexagon grill in black over a copper/gold screen.
Rods are a matching copper/gold color as is the stitching in the headband, the buttons on the cup pivot point and a band immediately behind the pads.
The gimbals, ear cups, headband, boxes, and leather are all black with the outer band on the cups delivered with a high gloss piano finish, while the other parts are matte.
So what’s actually different?
The first tip-off that the CRBN2 has been redesigned is that the cup size is larger and deeper. That change is also reflected in the surprising uptick in weight. The CRBN2 are 480 grams, which is a slight increase from 470 grams of the original model.
The attached cable is also heavier while retaining the same 5-pin DIN connector.
All of that means that the internal changes are considerable for the weight to increase that much.
One issue that I had with the first generation of the CRBN was that my ears would often touch the driver covers and it would distort. With the new and deeper ear cups, I noticed immediately that the issue was resolved.
Wearing the two models, one can certainly feel the difference in weight, but the suspension on the CRBN2 does a very good job of weight distribution; the level of clamping force is on the moderate side keeping the headphones firmly in place without getting too tight or hot.
Listening sessions of over 2 hours were never a problem and I applaud Audeze for figuring out how to keep the comfort level high with all of the additional weight.
Internal Technology
The CRBN2 utilizes Audeze’s patented nano-tube impregnated driver; unlike other models that use a coating on the diaphragm that can delaminate over time, by having the current carrying elements directly embedded in the membrane, this is not possible. Audeze’s research also shows the thickness to be more uniform which helps produce more uniform movement.
But the biggest innovation present in the Audeze CRBN2 is a passive mechanism called the Symmetric Linear Acoustic Modulator or SLAM. This patent pending design allows the CRBN2 to produce more bass with a focus on the area between 10Hz and 50Hz that often is problematic for electrostatic models. It effectively produces a 6dB boost in the 20 – 30Hz range compared to the same range on the original CRBN.
Reproducing the bass range has been a problem for designers of electrostatic headphones, and that has been the case since their inception.
Bass impact and resolution has generally trailed the best planar and dynamic headphones.
This all comes down to the reality that bass is produced by large air movements and each design moves air a bit differently. Dynamic drivers that offer a piston like motion combine a large surface area with large excursion (distance moved) which results in large bass quantities.
Planar magnetic designs use a larger surface area with a smaller amount of movement to deliver bass. This smaller amount of movement allows planars more precise control, at the cost of some quantity.
Electrostatic headphones are quite similar to planar magnetic designs in some regards in that they use a large diaphragm with very little movement to generate sound; which also means that they also have limited ability to produce extremely low frequencies that require a large volume of air to be moved.
The diaphragm in an electrostatic headphone is suspended between two stators (screens) that carry electrical charges called the bias voltage or polarizing voltage. One stator carries a positive charge while the other carries a negative charge.The signal is placed directly on the diaphragm which then reacts by moving toward or away from the stators in proportion to the signal charge and amplitude.
This design requires that the stators and diaphragm be held in perfect alignment to produce the correct sound. Because there are charges placed on both the stators and the diaphragm, an electric arc will be produced if the diaphragm gets too close or touches a stator so tolerances are extremely tight.
This explains why electrostatic headphones require special amplifiers often called energizers as they have to provide both the bias voltage to charge the stators as well as the amplified signal that all headphones require.
Listening
With the special requirements of electrostatic headphones, the selection of amplifiers to test with is considerably smaller than with other types of headphones.
For the purposes of the review, we drove the CRBN2 with a Headamp Blue Hawaii SE, STAX SRM-400s, and STAX SRM-D10 MKII to judge how the headphones would respond to a high-end boutique electrostatic amplifier, middle of the road desktop model, and portable amplifier.
And to say that it responded well to each scenario would be the understatement of the year. For those who are familiar with the sonic performance of the original Audeze CRBN – prepare to be rather shocked by how differently this headphone performs.
The sub-bass range doesn’t sound the same at all. The level of improvement now rivals some of the more popular dynamic and planar magnetic headphones on the market and only the $5,995 price tag makes it easier for those models to exist.
One can feel sub-bass impact down into the 20Hz range with the CRBN2 and that’s not usually a characteristic of any electrostatic headphone.
The mid-bass range has also experienced a significant change in both quantity of bass information but also the resolution and overall impact. Again, to say that it is exceptional for this type of headphone would be an understatement.
Kick drums are delivered with solidity and there is no hollowing out of the sound; the level of impact will get your attention with better recordings.
The midrange performance of the CRBN 2 is elevated in a manner that I felt compelled to broaden my playlist to make sure that I wasn’t getting ahead of myself with the praise – it’s always worthwhile to listen for things that you might not hear if you use the same music with every review.
The lower midrange will appeal to those who desire an electrostatic headphone that delivers the ethereal clarity of the best panels with a surprising degree of texture and accurate tonality. Listening to Sinatra’s “Something Stupid,” and Michael Bublé’s “Feeling Good” highlighted just how capable the CRBN2 are when it comes to reproducing the variations of tone and pitch and the nuances that make vocalists so unique.
Switching to Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line,” and Louis Armstrong’s “Wonderful World,” the CRBN2 proved to be just as capable with vocalists that deliver each note with more rasp and a harder edge. Notes were never harsh even if the recording wasn’t perfect.
Guitar notes can be an accurate test of the tonal accuracy and speed of a driver and the CRBN2 proved to be rather adept with both acoustic and electric guitar. Boston’s “Hitch a Ride” features a pick sliding over the strings and I was quite impressed by the accuracy and abrasive nature of the sound which was incredibly faithful to the recording.
Metallica’s “Creeping Death” from Ride the Lightning and Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force are rather difficult tests for any pair of headphones and the CRBN2 demonstrated that they could handle the speed, dynamic shifts, and overall energy of both tracks rather easily. The clarity was some of the best I’ve ever experienced from a pair of headphones with either recording.
Classical fans will find much to admire with the CRBN. It was hard to decide if I preferred listening to Shostakovich or Dvorak, which were both reproduced with a lot of energy but also tonal accuracy in regard to string instruments. Chamber music was intimate with each musician properly placed within the soundstage and the overall sense of space was truly impressive.
Headphones and loudspeakers both stumble somewhat with the piano. Reproducing the proper note weight and scale is harder than most listeners realize. Serkin’s performance of Beethoven’s 5th Piano Concerto proved to be a wonderful experience through the CRBN2. Tonal accuracy was very good with the lowest notes exhibiting slightly more body and thickness while the highest notes had greater sparkle and slightly less weight.
Larger and more complex orchestral pieces were organized with every musician properly seated without any sense of overlap. One could pick out individual instruments rather easily and the overall sense of impact was surprisingly dramatic for electrostatic headphones.
Female vocals straddle the line between the upper midrange and lower treble and the CRBN2 delivered all of them with just enough energy without sounding harsh and there was no presence of sibilance. Vocalists were never pushed in front of the instrumentation and duets were tonally accurate with excellent stereo separation.
Electrostatic headphones have always had a reputation for excellent treble extension, speed, and detail retrieval. The Audeze CRBN2 did not disappoint with their lower treble range exhibiting a high level of detail and presence. Percussion snap is sharp and snare rattle has good control and attack.
Cymbals have enough energy to sound realistic without getting metallic or tizzy and even the hi-hat sounds very natural. The overall experience is very airy and spacious without ever becoming fatiguing. Long listening sessions (more than 2 hours) were quite easy with these headphones.
The soundstage performance of the CRBN2 compared to the original was surprisingly very different. Both headphones recreate space well, but the CRBN2 places the listener in front of the orchestra several rows back from the stage, while the CRBN offers a more intimate placement that sounds like one is in the front row or even sitting on the stage with the musicians.
Binaural recordings can be a lot of fun and the CRBN2 excelled with these. Spatial cues are clear and easy to define, and it becomes very easy to imagine the original venue as you listen.
Imaging is state-of-the-art and movements are easily tracked.
The Bottom Line
It would be very easy to point to the $5,995 USD asking price and say that nobody should spend that much money on a pair of headphones. But until you actually listen to the Audeze CRBN2 with the right amplifier and sources – you really can’t make that statement.
Do I think anyone should spend more than $20,000 on a pair of loudspeakers? I would push back harder on that concept than spending $5,995 on these headphones which represent the top of the entire headphone category.
The Audeze CRBN2 easily qualifies as one of the best headphones I’ve ever heard. They have all the typical strengths of electrostatic headphones while dramatically improving on bass impact which has been the biggest weakness of the entire category.
Until now, I could always count on being able to nitpick the bass regardless of how good the rest of the sonic signature was as electrostatic headphones just couldn’t move enough air to create dynamic and impactful bass.
I can no longer use that argument because the CRBN2 deliver a bass range that can compete with some of the best planar and dynamic headphones currently available and while they will not make bass heads happy with their overall skull-crushing prowess – nobody who is actually honest about sound quality will listen to these and find them to be deficient in the bass range.
One of the most reasonable arguments against electrostatic headphones is that once you push through their cerebral and technically accurate reproduction of the music – there isn’t much there to connect one to the music.
You can see through it – but you don’t really feel the emotion or experience the texture and drama that makes music so unique as an artform.
The Audeze CRBN2 shred that theory into a million pieces and deliver one of the best musical experiences currently available. $5,995 for the best might not be so expensive after all.
Pros:
- Detail, transient response, and speed are unmatched
- Fantastic build quality
- State-of-the-art sonic performance
- Surprisingly comfortable at 480 grams
- May convince you to sell your loudspeakers
Cons:
- Expensive
- Require an electrostatic amplifier
- Slightly heavier than the previous CRBN
Where to buy:
Related Reading:
Anton
February 26, 2025 at 6:49 pm
Easily the most honest and comprehensive review of an electrostatic headphone that I’ve read in a very long time.
Curious how the portable STAX handled these headphones. Most of the desktop options are almost as expensive as the headphones.
I almost choked at the price but these might be a bargain compared to many of the overpriced loudspeakers on the market.
Audeze builds beautiful headphones.
Ian White
February 26, 2025 at 7:27 pm
Anton,
Yes. Will did a fabulous job with this one. I’m also curious how the portable STAX handled these because there are not that many portable electrostatic amplifiers on the market.
When I look at the increase in headphones prices over the past decade, it makes me wince somewhat but then I look at our coverage of $50,000 loudspeakers and think people are insane to consider those.
I would sooner buy the Audeze headphones at $6K (not that I can afford them) than any $10,000 loudpspeaker. Don’t have to worry about room placement. Just place them on your head and lose oneself in the music.
IW