With the Audeze MM-100, the studio flagship MM-500 is joined in the range by a pair of headphones for mixing and mastering. The MM-100 share the technical cornerstones of the MM-500, such as planar-magnetic drivers, waveguides and magnet arrays, but cost less than a third of the price of the larger model.

The MM-100 retains the same design and build quality as the MM-500, and a lighter chassis means you can wear it throughout the day without any fatigue. The sound quality is outstanding, with the MM-100 offering a detailed bass, energetic mids, and clear highs; it is aimed at studio use, but it holds up just as well for casual listening sessions. The best part is that at $399, it is the best value in Audeze's portfolio at the moment. If you like Audeze's sound signature and want an affordable pair of headphones, the MM-100 is the obvious choice.

In short, then, the MM?100s deliver at least 90 percent of the sound of the MM?500s, for less than 25 percent of the cost, which makes them a pretty compelling proposition. It also brings them into direct competiition with some popular moving?coil models. If you’re considering the likes of the beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro, Sony MDR?MV1, Neumann NDH 30 or Sennheiser HD660S2 headphones, you’ll regret not auditioning the MM?100 too.

One of the reasons I love Audeze is that they never make a boring headphone, even when its designed for reference use. And such is the case with the MM-100. The entertainingly holographic soundstage, along with the MM-100’s dynamic mids inject just the right amount of flavor into a sensibly balanced headphone. At the end of the day, the MM-100 is not only trustworthy, but also pretty damn fun.

The Audeze MM-100 are very good for neutral sound. Their open-back, planar magnetic design means they have a sound profile that lacks rumble and thump in the bass range but reproduces vocals and other mid-range instruments with plenty of detail and clarity. The recessed low and mid-treble dulls sibilants somewhat but can be advantageous in avoiding ear fatigue over long mixing sessions. Their soundstage performance is impressive and provides ample separation of instruments in the stereo field. While the comfortable, gel-filled earpads go a long way in offsetting the heft of their planar drivers, they can still feel heavy on the head after extended use.