Nanometer Thickness Diaphragm

In the world of high-end planar magnetic headphones, HIFIMAN's Nanometer-Grade Diaphragm technology has long been a topic no discussion can pass over. At its heart, the technology compresses diaphragm thickness to the nanometer scale, giving the driver exceptional speed and remarkably low distortion.

That advantage begins with a fundamental change at the physical level. When diaphragm thickness drops to a fraction of that of a conventional diaphragm, moving mass falls sharply, allowing the diaphragm to accelerate — and to stop — far more readily. This is the direct source of the fast response and low distortion that define the technology. HIFIMAN has its founder to thank for it: Dr. Fang Bian drew on the nanotechnology research he carried out during his doctoral studies in the United States and applied it to acoustics, enabling a diaphragm that reproduces fine sonic detail with extraordinary precision while suppressing unwanted vibration and distortion.

The iteration has never stopped. At its summer launch event in 2025, HIFIMAN introduced the NEO Supernano Diaphragm Gen.2 — a next-generation diaphragm just 60% of the thickness of the first-generation Supernano (40% thinner), already remarkably close to the ideal of a true nanometer-scale film. The advance translates directly into faster transient response and richer musical detail.

Extreme thinness, however, brings a challenge of its own. Because a nanometer-thick diaphragm is so light, it is easily disturbed by sound waves reflected and refracted by the grille mesh. HIFIMAN's answer has come in two stages: first, its patented "Window Shade" grille, which raises the opening ratio and maximises grille exposure to reduce the probability of reflection and refraction; and then, going a step further, the "Unveiled" design, which removes the grille altogether and leaves the rear of the driver fully open — the only way, in HIFIMAN's words, to achieve near-perfect sound quality. From the HE1000se to the ANANDA UNVEILED, the combined effect of the nanometer diaphragm and Stealth Magnet technology is pushing the sound quality of planar magnetic headphones to new heights.