HarmonicDyne Athena Semi-Closed Headphones Review

mmorpg.com:

HarmonicDyne has released some of the most exciting over-ear headphones over the last several years. The HarmonicDyne Zeus was one of the best value buys of 2021, and its successors, the Poseidon and G200 , each impressed in their own way. At their very cheapest Super Early Bird prices, these headphones would set you back almost $300. At $179, the HarmonicDyne Athena the company’s most accessible over-ear headphone in years. Complete with massive 50mm ceramic-metallic drivers and a unique semi-closed back design, these headphones offer a lot for a reasonable price. 

The HarmonicDyne Athena is the fifth major headphone release from the company, and it has applied a number of lessons here. Most of its headphones have utilized dynamic drivers, and the Athena follows suit, but it applies a unique material composition with the drivers to deliver its sonic signature. It’s also the lowest cost of the bunch, available now for $179. 

If all you’re looking for is whether they’re worth that price, the answer is yes. I really like these headphones at their current pricing. I wouldn’t necessarily take them over the HarmonicDyne Zeus at the same price, but at the sub-$200 mark, these are a good value.   

While it’s clear that HarmonicDyne endeavored to keep the costs low, there isn’t a big sense of sacrifice present with their design. The biggest area is that these headphones make greater use of plastic in the headband than any of its other over-ear headphones. They’re lighter weight and feel less premium as a result of all of that plastic, but the upside is that they’re more comfortable to wear and don’t necessarily feel any less durable. 

They also continue HarmonicDyne’s trend of embedding each of their earphones with some