Nectar HiveX, Introducing Electrostatic Headphones

Move Over Planar Magnetics?

Nectar Sound is the work of a single electrical engineer, who wanted to design a pair of electrostatic headphones that offer audiophile level performance for a reasonable price.  This type of headset is very rare, TechPowerUp haven’t even seen a dozen of this type of headset as of yet.  It is possible that part of the reason for their rarity is the relatively complex care and feeding this type of headphone requires.

They contain 580 V STAX Pro Bias and so uses a 5-pin standardized STAX-style connector, so you are going to need a headphone amp or energizer.  The cables are handcrafted, the man behind them actually cuts the wires to length, assembles the harness, and uses a 3D printer to create the various parts.  He also does the paint, connector housing, and the pins assembly in the connector by hand, so these are not going to look like a mass produced headset.

You do need to ensure to discharge the cables before use, and because the diaphragm moves inside the headset you should also place them on your head before plugging in.  When not in use, you are going to want to protect them from dust, as the particles can penetrate into the drivers and negatively impact performance.

Check out the full review for more information on this one person business, electrostatic headphones in general and, of course, how the Nectar HiveX headset sounds.