Audeze is a world-renowned company and has been a mainstay in the audiophile community for well over a decade. Their LCD headphones are beloved by both audiophiles and music professionals, built atop in-house designed and built planar drivers. The company is now applying the same ethos to electrostatic drivers with their CRBN system that were similarly built from the ground up by Audeze. Initially, the goal of enriching the medical field but after seeing what the driver was capable of, Audeze then decided to translate this technology to audio enthusiast applications.
The concept was born to support neuroscience research at UCLA School of Medicine alongside Semei Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behaviour and SMRT Image, a leader in two-way audio-video communication technology. The goal was to create an audio system with noise cancellation to improve patient comfort and enable better diagnostics within MRI applications. The challenge lies in the use of ferrous materials in traditional headphone driver types that can interfere with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Electrostatic drivers rather use a non-ferrous ultra-thin film that uniformly conducts electrostatic charge rather than using electromagnetism. It is, therefore, MRI compatible and can be used to improve patient comfort and communication between doctor and patient.
From here, Audeze realised they had created one of the best sounding transducers and decided to adapt the system for audio enthusiasts. Compared to a traditional electrostatic system, Audeze elevate the mechanical properties of the diaphragm by using carbon-nanotube suspended within the conducting film. The ultra-thin diaphragm delivers exceptional detail and immersion with its ultra-fast transient response. The CRBN system comes with specially designed leather earpads, carbon fibre suspension headband and acetate rings in addition to a premium electrostatic cable and travel case. It is compatible with STAX-type 580 volt amplifiers.
CRBN is now available for special order on the Audeze website or through select dealers and international distributors at an MSRP of $4500 USD or $6,799 AUD.
