- Steven Slate Audio unveils VSX Immersion One wired headphones
- Mixing and mastering-focused headphones with software that simulates real-world pro music studios
- Available for pre-order now, priced $899 (so around £689 or AU$1,389)
If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent plenty of time wondering what your favorite tunes would sound like through the sound systems at the world’s best music studios. Having visited a handful of wonderful spatial audio listening rooms (and to the UK’s largest spatial audio festival), it can be hard to go back to using even a pair of the best headphones for daily playback.
Luckily, there could be a solution on the horizon. The new VSX Immersion One planar magnetic headphones from Steven Slate Audio aim to bridge the gap between home listening and professional playback, with an impressive spec sheet and some inventive software.
For reference, planar magnetic headphones use a flat diaphragm that oscillates in response to magnetic pulses. This can offer a more detailed and responsive sound than traditional cone-shaped headphone drivers, especially when it comes to bass. The VSX Immersion One comes equipped with a 97 x 76 mm planar diagram that measures just one micron thick, with a full frequency response range of 20Hz – 40kHz.
Studio sound at home
As Notebookcheck reports, the VSX Immersion One headphones come with a visualisation software that allows you to choose from a variety of virtual listening environments. This is more than just EQ and reverb – the software apparently uses binaural psychoacoustic techniques to create a deeper and more immersive experience.
VSX Immersion One’s list of environments actually includes models of real-world professional studios, like Hollywood’s NRG studios, as well as everyday systems like a car stereo or smartphone speaker. As far as I’m aware, there’s nothing quite like this on the market.
Those last two options reflect the VSX Immersion One’s tilt towards mixing and mastering for various listening platforms – and across various user scenarios. As a music producer in my spare time I’m no stranger to putting my demos through the infamous “car test” and would love the option to conduct it from home (especially as I don’t have my own car stereo to test with!)
As my colleague Carrie Marshall (a recording musician) wrote in a recent headphones roundup, “If you’re making music for others to hear, it helps if you listen on the same headphones and earbuds that they’ll be listening to”, and the same is true of listening scenarios – the “venue” in which your fans will listen to your music is often a car.
However, a promo video from Steven Slate Audio definitively names the new cans as listening headphones, too, so I’d expect a great sound even if you’re not interested in making the tunes yourself: just keep in mind that studio headphones can have a flatter frequency response than conventional headphones.
Pricey planar performance
To be clear, the VSX Immersion One isn’t on the market yet. Steven Slate Audio has listed the new headphones for pre-order at a price of $899, with other regions covered by international dealers (£888 at Thomann, AU$1,599 at Manny’s). Shipping is expected in December 2025.
That’s a bit steep for the everyday listener who just wants to try out some new sound profiles, but for the audiophile or hobbyist producer I think there’s potential for some real value. The VSX Immersion One releases just after Black Friday, so I’m not sure we can expect many great deals on that high price tag, but keep an eye on our headphones deals coverage just in case.
Construction-wise the frame is made of aluminum with maple-wood earcups, with a 2.5m Y-cable connecting to 3.5mm and 1/4-inch sources (those looking for the best wireless headphones should look elsewhere). The headphones have an open back design, which means better detail but obvious sound leakage, and are rated at 32 Ohms of impedance, so they shouldn’t be too hard to power with a laptop or lower-powered amp.
I’m reminded of the AIAIAI TMA-2 DJ Wireless headphones, which I spent some time with earlier this year, a pair of low-latency wireless DJ headphones that elevate a simple concept with intuitive but expensive tech. It’s a trend that I think pays off for the real enthusiast, so I’m keen to see (or rather hear) whether Steven Slate Audio can deliver with the VSX Immersion One.
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jamie.richards@futurenet.com (Jamie Richards)
