66mm Nano-Membrane Planar Magnetic Diaphragm Driver
The GL600 was designed as a reference tuning headphone, utilizing Gold Planar’s proprietary Nano-Membrane 66mm planar magnetic diaphragm driver. The internal driver design was modified from the standard drivers other manufacturers use, with the internal plate having been restructured to increase the surface area and airflow. This enhancement, along with the upgrade in magnet strength, makes the ultra-thin nano-membrane even more responsive, providing a more life-like soundstage, improved resolution, and a fullness in sound across the entire frequency spectrum. You can expect a thick and powerful bassline, rich mids, and airy and transparent trebles. As a reference headphone, we focused on providing a natural and realistic sound that is also comfortable and enjoyable. An open-back design was selected to create a translucent atmosphere and accurate stereo imaging. The internal cavity design was also machined to maximize airflow and focus the sound
Pros: Impressive build quality
Fully articulating earcups
Detachable cable
Engaging bass performance
Value for money
Cons: Clamping force can cause discomfort
Earcups may be small for larger ears
Things move rapidly in the audio equipment scene and the rapid adoption of planar magnetic drivers in both in-ear monitors and headphones is an indication of this. With that said, in today's review, I'm testing the Gold Planar GL600 planar magnetic headphones. Coming in at under $200, the GL600 has a premium all-metal construction and proprietary Nano-Membrane 66mm, planar magnetic diaphragm driver.
Disclaimer:This sample was provided for the purpose of an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own based on my experience with the product.
Package and Accessories
The GL600 comes in a standard black box with a matte finish. Inside are the headphones seated in a satin-covered foam insert. Apart from the headphones you get a cable and a 3.5mm-6.35mm adapter.
Build Quality and Design
This was a real surprise. The build quality of the Gold Planar GL600 is quite frankly, superb for a headphone at this price point. They have an all-metal construction that feels substantially robust and durable. In terms of appearance, I'd say they have a utilitarian aesthetic that should appeal to the audiophile crowd.
The spring steel frame forms the basis of the construction along with a padded, pleather suspension headband. The open-backed earcups swivel 360° freely so they can sit flat around your neck or on a table. There is no visible branding or markings on the headphone anywhere and overall, I really like the way these are put together.
Comfort and Noise Isolation
Because the earcups swivel forward and back and pivot up and down, the headphones naturally conform to the shape of your head. However, I found the clamping force to be excessive which was causing me severe discomfort after a relatively short time. I ended up bending the corners of the frame slightly to alleviate some pressure which made a big difference.
Having said that, I do still get hotspots after a while due to the relatively shallow earcups but I can wear them for a couple of hours before it gets intolerable.
Noise isolation is almost non-existent which is always the case with open-back headphones. If you normally use your headphones in a noisy environment then these might not be the best choice for you.
Cable
The included cable is a 1.5 meter long fabric braided 6N OFC 4-core cable. It's lightweight, flexible and has minimal microphonics. It has a straight 3.5mm plug and comes with a threaded 6.35mm adapter. The Y-split is a light plastic material and is accompanied by a rubber cable cinch. At the top end it has dual 2.5mm connectors.
While the connectors do have an L and R marking for left and right respectively, the markings are quite difficult to see. Normally this wouldn't be an issue but because there are no indicators on the actual headphones, you need to rely on the cable to determine the left and right sides.
Sound
The general sound signature of the Gold Planar GL600 is warm and fairly dark. There is an emphasis on the lower frequencies, a thick midrange and a reasonably soft treble response. Overall clarity is mediocre, as is the resolution and detail retrieval.
Bass
The bass is one of the better aspects of the GL600's sound. Mid-bass is quite punchy and delivers with impact but it feels a bit slow for a planar driver due to a blunted attack. It's fairly light in terms of quantity and sits roughly in line with the midrange.
There is reasonably good bass extension but sub-bass notes don't have much authority. The GL600 delivers a light sub-bass tone rather than any visceral type of rumble. For the most part, it's pretty decent though, especially in the context of the GL600's price.
Mids
There's a palpable veil over the midrange, caused by a lack of clarity which results in a dark presentation. In addition, an upper midrange lift adds some presence but can make vocals sound a bit shouty and uneven. The mids are rich with rounded notes and thickness that permeates the overall performance.
Treble
The treble is rather soft, making it non-fatiguing and great for people who are treble-sensitive. But as a result, it's not the most detailed or precise. A dull upper treble caused by high-frequency roll-off means there's no sparkle up top and limited extension.
On a more positive note, the GL600 is never sibilant, sharp or overly bright. In fact, I quite like this type of treble tuning but in this case, it's positioned behind the midrange and struggles to gain a foothold.
Soundstage
For an open-back headphone, the soundstage feels rather intimate and small in dimensions. It's not an open or airy stage and this is mostly caused by the forwardness of the midrange and lack of treble openness.
Conclusion
There is a lot to like about the Gold Planar GL600. It has a beautiful, immaculate build quality that's rare for a headphone in this price range. Although the sound quality is a bit average I think this affordable planar magnetic offering will still be appealing to many enthusiasts on a budget. I look forward to seeing what Gold Planar does next.
@chaotic_angel It has been so long since I listened to the HD650 I can't say. It's probably about time I got myself another set of HDXXX. The GL600 isn't all that dark though. What bothers me most is the lack of macro details and the veiled mids. You could do worse for the money but you can also get something better for less, like a DT770 or Fidelio X2HR.
GENERAL WARNING: Buyer beware Drop/LINSOL offers no returns on GOLD PLANAR which is unacceptable- Ordered second copy from Drop and tried to cancel before it even arrived or was shipped and Drop said after you click buy now order is not refundable - totally unacceptable in today’s market place - I am trying to work this out - life is too short for bad service like this buy from stores with reputable return polices like Audio46 or Apos
I've got the Takstar HF 580 and love it. These planars are a bit more expensive now but not much. Tried a couple of other ear cups and got the sheepskin ones for the Monoprice planars. The Aiva pads are also a good alternative. The Takstar comes with two sets of standard earcups, one pleather, the other textile fabric.
I got a second set of HF 580 for watching movies. Great sound and very comfortable for hours with the iNeedKit ear cups from Ali.
I bought the gl600 & I actually found them to be somewhat bright with an emphasis in the 1-2KHz region. This made vocals shouty at times. The soft treble is a direct result of not enough damping to tame the upper midrange. When you add damping you lose some volume in the midst but when you compensate by turning up the volume you will find that treble is extremely well balanced & you even get a fringe benefit in the deepest bass with improved output.
The sound is still lively & live recordings sound incredible as if you are there yet the sound is very smooth when called upon. Unlike what some people have reported sound is not dull, muffled at all.
Treble may seem soft to many still but truth is we got too used to boosted treble in search of that air on top that reviewers like to advertise as being a characteristic to be sought after when often it it results in unnatural sounding instruments, not a characteristic to be sought after if ultimately it sounds unnatural. The treble on these when damped properly is very natural sounding as if listening the actual instruments. The air on top sound I like to think is what they refer to negatively as part of the "hi-fi sound" along with excessive bass. When you have natural level of all frequencies the end sound is ultimately more satisfying & far better at giving you that you are there sound.
That said these headphones do have very strong sub bass but is there only if its in the recording but for the most part is at natural levels unless called on by recording. Certain types of music are automatically recorded unnatural bass levels such as rap & hip hop. Unfortunately that trend has creeped into other forms. Even new age music has been guilty of this.
Forgot to put in my 2 bits about sound stage. I found the sound stage very deep & wide once the upper midrange peakiness is dealt with. I'm not talking strong left right & center sound with nothing in between but a wide panorama of sound with excellent imaging across the whole width & depth.
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