Audeze MM-500 Review: A Lightweight Open-Back Planar Magnetic Headphone

Introduction

The Audeze MM-500 is a new signature series open-back planar magnetic headphone from a maker known for accurate sound and ergonomic design. Audeze builds nearly every pair by hand in the United States at its Southern California facility, and the MM-500 continues that high-performance approach. It taps into Audeze’s planar magnetic technology to deliver something distinctive for the headphone community.

The design has a notable backstory. After the LCD-X arrived in 2015, Audeze loaned a pair to engineer Manny Marroquin. While working with major artists, he has been credited with more than 40 number one hit songs and 11 Grammy awards. He had been using Audeze flagship headphones for years to mix outside his Hollywood studio. Because those headphones are designed for home listening with a good headphone amp, he wanted a reference-class tool he could bring along for remote mixing. He gave Audeze his sonic and ergonomic specifications, tested prototypes, and eventually put his name on the MM-500.

Who this product is for

The MM-500 is aimed at listeners who prioritize accuracy over convenience. It suits mastering engineers, remote mixing engineers, and audiophiles who want a true representation of their music. Its low impedance of 18 ohms makes it easy to drive, even from a laptop, but it also scales with a quality DAC and headphone amplifier. That combination makes it relevant for hotel-room mixing sessions, home studios, and serious two-channel listening setups.

This is not a headphone for noisy commutes or crowded offices. The open-back design lets sound flow out into the surrounding environment, so it works best in a quiet space. Compared with the popular LCD-X, the MM-500 is lighter and slightly more travel friendly, while keeping the reference-grade sound quality and comfort that Audeze listeners expect.

Main strengths

Design and Build Quality

The MM-500 has a pro-level look and feel. Its headband, yoke structure, and chassis were completely rethought to meet Manny Marroquin’s ergonomic requirements. The ear pads use thick, extra plush black premium leather. The frame combines lightweight machined aluminum with spring steel, and the gunmetal black gray finish gives it a no-frills, purpose-built appearance that looks like a serious professional listening tool.

Like many Audeze headphones, the MM-500 has swiveling ear cups. This lets the headphones lay flat on a desk when a headphone stand is not nearby. Audeze also includes a professional heavy-duty travel case with thick foam padding for storing and protecting the headphones on the go. Inside the hard-shell case, there is an extra-long braided quarter-inch to dual 4-pin mini XLR cable that measures about 8 feet, along with a certificate of authenticity and a warranty card that links to a digital user guide.

The back of each ear cup is ventilated to the outside world, which allows sound to escape. This open-back design is known for producing a wide open sound stage similar to sitting in front of nearfield speaker monitors. It also improves airflow, helping ears stay cooler for longer.

Comfort and Fit

The MM-500 weighs slightly over a pound, which is more than 4 ounces lighter than the LCD-X. Audeze reduced the size of the planar magnetic drivers from 106 mm to 90 mm, allowing engineers to minimize the chassis and the weight sitting on top of the head. The surface area of the diaphragm is essentially the same, so the headphone retains the bass capabilities of the LCD-X series, with a little improvement.

The new spring steel headband delivers a secure and flexible clamping force that creates an excellent seal. Spring steel is strong, ultra flexible, and lightweight, which also makes the headphone durable. The yoke allows a wide range of adjustments, and each step clicks into place and locks securely. That makes finding a snug fit quick and easy, even across different head shapes. In testing, the lightweight materials, new headband design, and slightly smaller size created a smart balance between a secure fit and comfort that lasted through long sessions. It is one of the lightest planar magnetic headphones available and one of the most comfortable for extended listening.

Sound Quality and Presentation

The MM-500 uses a 90 mm ultra-thin planar magnetic diaphragm that is less than two microns thin, thinner than a single strand of spiderweb. That diaphragm sits between a special arrangement of magnets, allowing true pistonic back-and-forth motion at extreme velocity. The result is a frequency response from 5 Hz to 50 kHz, covering the full spectrum of music.

Audeze also includes its proprietary Fluxor magnetic structure, which lowers distortion to near zero. A uniform coil pattern helps all parts of the diaphragm experience the same force for efficient pistonic motion. This trickle-down technology comes from Audeze’s most expensive high-end models. Manny Marroquin specifically requested this level of technology for his signature headphone because of the way it improves tiny micro details.

The sound is extremely linear, neutral, and natural from top to bottom. Unlike some planar magnetic designs that emphasize the top end, the MM-500 stays balanced across all frequencies. It is slightly more neutral and natural than the LCD-X, with a presentation that feels true to the source. The dynamic crack of snare drums stands out slightly more than on the LCD-X without ever becoming fatiguing, and deep bass instruments reach incredibly low, a little deeper than the LCD-X.

Genres with natural instrumentation stand out most. Jazz, classical, rock, funk, soul, and bluegrass all benefit from the headphone’s resolute separation of detail and spacious sound stage. Electronic music production with powerful low end, including trance, EDM, and hip-hop, also makes sense because the MM-500 reproduces deep, resolute 5 Hz bass. On Fleetwood Mac’s live performance of “Landslide,” Stevie Nicks’s vocal and Lindsey Buckingham’s acoustic guitar came alive with a realism that felt like being serenaded in the room. On Michael Jackson’s “Working Day and Night,” the many percussive elements were presented equally, with a balanced sound stage across a wide frequency range. Kendrick Lamar’s “Die Hard” demonstrated just how deep the bottom-end weight can go while retaining a neutral profile. Manny Marroquin himself used the MM-500 to mix Kendrick Lamar’s latest album, which speaks to its reference-class intent.

Things to consider before buying

The open-back design is the biggest consideration. Sound flows out of the ear cups, so the MM-500 is not suitable for quiet offices, libraries, or shared spaces where sound leakage is a problem. It also does not isolate you from external noise, which makes it a poor match for commuting or travel in loud environments. If you need noise cancelling or a closed-back design, this is not that kind of headphone.

Although the 18-ohm impedance makes the MM-500 easy to drive, it still benefits from a quality headphone amplifier or DAC. A laptop can drive it, but a dedicated amp or reference network DAC streamer reveals more of its potential. The headphone is also not as portable as a wireless noise-cancelling model, even though it is lighter and slightly more travel friendly than the LCD-X. Buyers should plan for a quiet listening space and a reasonable source chain to get the most from it.

Buying Advice

If you want a reference-class open-back planar magnetic headphone for critical listening, remote mixing, or home hi-fi, the MM-500 is a compelling choice. It combines a neutral, natural sound with deep bass, low distortion, and a lightweight design that stays comfortable for long sessions. It also offers a useful middle ground for Audeze fans: more travel friendly than the LCD-X, without compromising reference-grade performance.

The LCD-X remains a strong option if you prefer a slightly sweeter midrange, especially for vocals. The MM-500 steps up with a more neutral overall presentation, deeper bass, lighter weight, and a build co-designed by an 11-time Grammy-winning engineer. For mastering engineers who need to work remotely or listeners who want to hear music as the artist intended, the MM-500 is built for that purpose. Pair it with a capable DAC and amplifier, use it in a quiet room, and it will reward careful listening.

Conclusion

The Audeze MM-500 is a lightweight, open-back planar magnetic headphone with a professional build, neutral tuning, and deep, resolute bass. It is designed for critical listeners, remote engineers, and audiophiles who value accuracy and long-session comfort over portability and noise isolation. For anyone shopping in this category, it is a serious reference tool worth considering.