Audeze MM-520 Professional Open-Back Planar Magnetic Headphones

The Audeze MM-520 is built for one thing above all else: making confident decisions about sound.

Developed as part of Audeze's professional MM Series with Grammy-winning engineer Manny Marroquin, the MM-520 takes the concept further with Audeze's latest planar magnetic and acoustic technologies.

The result is an open-back reference headphone designed around accurate midrange, deep and controlled bass, precise imaging and reliable mix translation—whether you're working in a professional studio, producing on the road or simply want to hear your music with studio-level accuracy.

Developed for Mixing

A great mixing headphone shouldn't make everything sound good.

It should make everything sound clear.

The MM-520 is designed to reveal changes in EQ, compression, balance, panning, ambience and low-frequency information so you can make decisions that translate beyond the headphones.

That's what separates a professional reference headphone from one designed simply to make music sound impressive.

90mm Planar Magnetic Drivers

The MM-520 uses 90mm planar magnetic transducers refined in Audeze's Southern California workshop.

An ultra-light diaphragm moves within a precisely controlled magnetic field, allowing the driver to react quickly to changes in the signal.

That speed contributes to the MM-520's transient accuracy, low distortion and ability to separate individual elements within dense mixes.

SLAM Technology

One of the biggest advancements in the MM-520 is Audeze's SLAM — Symmetric Linear Acoustic Modulator — technology.

SLAM manages pressure within the earcup to improve low-frequency behavior and overall driver performance.

For the MM-520, the goal isn't simply more bass.

It's better-defined bass.

Low frequencies extend deep while remaining tight enough to make critical decisions about kick drums, bass instruments, sub-bass and the relationship between them.

For professional work, that's considerably more useful than exaggerated low end.

Ultra-Thin Uniforce Diaphragm

The MM-520 uses Audeze's Ultra-Thin Uniforce diaphragm.

Uniforce technology is designed to distribute driving force more evenly across the diaphragm, reducing distortion and allowing subtle changes in the signal to remain easier to hear.

That becomes particularly important through the midrange, where vocals, guitars and many of the most important elements of a mix live.

Fluxor Magnet Array

Audeze's Fluxor magnet array uses powerful N50 neodymium magnets to create the controlled magnetic field required by the planar diaphragm.

The combination of Fluxor magnets and the Ultra-Thin Uniforce diaphragm gives the MM-520 the speed and control required for serious monitoring without sacrificing dynamic impact.

Fazor Phase Management

The MM-520 also incorporates Audeze's Fazor technology.

Fazor elements guide acoustic energy as it travels through the magnetic structure, helping reduce interference and improve phase behavior.

The benefit is better imaging, separation and spatial accuracy—all critical when you're making decisions about where sounds belong within a mix.

Reference Bass You Can Trust

Bass is one of the most difficult parts of a mix to get right.

Room acoustics can dramatically change what you hear from loudspeakers, especially at lower frequencies.

The MM-520 gives engineers another reference point.

Its combination of planar magnetic control and SLAM technology is designed to provide deep, articulate and accurately defined low frequencies without relying on the acoustics of the room around you.

That makes it particularly valuable for mobile production, home studios and checking mixes outside a properly treated control room.

Studio Accuracy Anywhere

One of the main ideas behind the MM-520 is consistency.

A well-designed studio with properly positioned and calibrated monitors is still incredibly valuable.

But you can't take that room with you.

The MM-520 gives engineers, producers and musicians a reference they can use whether they're at the console, working from a laptop or traveling between studios.

For audiophiles, the same accuracy provides an unusually clear view into how the recording was actually made.

Open-Back Design

The MM-520 uses a fully open-back architecture.

That allows the planar drivers to interact freely with the surrounding air and helps create a natural sense of width, depth and spatial separation.

The presentation is less confined than a conventional closed-back headphone, making it easier to evaluate imaging and the placement of individual elements within a recording.

The tradeoff is isolation.

The MM-520 will leak sound and allow outside noise in, so it's best suited to quiet listening and mixing environments.

Easy to Drive

The MM-520 has a nominal impedance of:

18 ohms

Sensitivity is:

102dB / 1mW

Minimum amplifier power is specified at:

Greater than 100mW

That makes the MM-520 relatively easy to use with professional audio interfaces and a wide range of headphone amplifiers.

You don't need an enormous amplifier just to make it work.

But better electronics still matter.

A high-quality DAC and headphone amplifier can improve dynamics, low-frequency control, spatial definition and overall resolution.

5Hz–50kHz Frequency Response

The MM-520 has a specified frequency response of:

5Hz–50kHz

Maximum output exceeds:

130dB SPL

Total harmonic distortion is rated at:

Less than 0.1% at 100dB SPL

Maximum power handling is:

5 watts RMS

That's substantial dynamic capability for a headphone designed primarily around accuracy.

Magnetic Memory-Foam Ear Pads

Audeze upgraded the MM-520 with new memory-foam ear pads designed for extended mixing and listening sessions.

The pads now attach magnetically.

That makes removal, cleaning and eventual replacement considerably easier while maintaining the precise geometry required by the acoustic design.

It's a small feature that makes a lot of sense on a headphone intended to see daily professional use.

Key Specifications

• Type: Professional Open-Back Headphones
• Style: Over-Ear / Circumaural
• Transducer Type: Planar Magnetic
• Transducer Size: 90mm
• Diaphragm: Ultra-Thin Uniforce
• Magnetic Structure: Fluxor Magnet Array
• Magnet Type: Neodymium N50
• Phase Management: Fazor
• Acoustic Management: SLAM
• Frequency Response: 5Hz–50kHz
• Impedance: 18 Ohms
• Sensitivity: 102dB / 1mW
• Maximum SPL: >130dB
• Total Harmonic Distortion: <0.1% at 100dB SPL
• Minimum Power Requirement: >100mW
• Maximum Power Handling: 5W RMS
• Weight: 555g
• Ear Pads: Memory Foam with Magnetic Attachment
• Cable Length: 2.5m / 8.2 ft.
• 3.5mm / 6.3mm Adapter: Included
• Standard Travel Case: Included
• MM-Series Soft Carry Bag: Included

MM-520 or LCD-X?

These two headphones share a professional purpose, but they take somewhat different approaches.

The LCD-X is Audeze's established studio workhorse, built around a large 106mm planar magnetic driver and used extensively for recording, mixing and mastering.

The MM-520 represents Audeze's newer approach to professional monitoring, incorporating a 90mm driver and newer SLAM acoustic technology with particular emphasis on bass definition and midrange precision.

The LCD-X remains an outstanding professional reference.

The MM-520 is the newer design aimed squarely at engineers who want an accurate, portable reference that can move with them from one working environment to another.

This is exactly the kind of comparison that should be made by listening rather than simply looking at specifications.

Experience the Audeze MM-520 at The Grid HiFi

The Grid HiFi is your Audeze and high-performance personal audio expert in Houston, Texas.

Whether you're mixing professionally or simply want to hear recordings with the accuracy of a studio reference, the headphone is only part of the system.

The quality of your DAC, audio interface and headphone amplifier can still have a major effect on what you hear.

The Grid can help you compare the MM-520 with the LCD-X, LCD-MX4 and other Audeze headphones, then match the right headphone with the electronics that make sense for the way you're actually going to use it.

For professional work, accuracy matters.

For listening at home, so does enjoying the music.

The right system should do both.

Come listen.

Contact The Grid HiFi to experience the Audeze MM-520.