They absolutely can be, but like most things with personal audio, it’s going to be a matter of preference. Planar magnetic headphones can offer incredible detail and powerful presence without tipping into distortion, but the very best tend to be expensive and require more power to drive. Additionally, they often use open-back designs which bleed sound and let in surrounding noise. But there’s a reason many of the most popular audiophile headphones use planar magnetic drivers: they can sound incredible.  Whether it’s worth it will depend on just how much you like the “planar sound” and whether it fits your budget. If it’s your first time, pay careful attention to the sensitivity and impedance and consider using a headphone power calculator to see if you’ll need a separate DAC/amp to drive your listening experience (our associate managing editor is particularly fond of the iFi xDSD Gryphon or Questyle M15 for a portable and the HIFIMAN EF400 for a desktop—all overperformers). As always, we recommend purchasing from retailers with generous return and exchange programs so you can audition your new headphones before committing to what could be a very expensive purchase.