Steven Slate Audio VSX Immersion One Planar Magnetic Open Back Headphones

Steven Slate Audio VSX Immersion One is an open-back studio headphone system with planar magnetic drivers and a bundled VSX Platinum license — the flagship evolution of the VSX platform, built for mix engineers and mastering engineers who prioritise an open soundstage, minimal coloration and maximum spatial accuracy. The custom-tuned Sendy Audio 97 mm x 76 mm driver with a 1-micron diaphragm sits inside flame maple wood earcups with an aluminum chassis, providing the hardware foundation for VSX's binaural room modeling to deliver what Steven Slate Audio describes as the closest headphone equivalent to monitoring on real studio speakers.

1-micron planar driver — the physics behind virtual speakers

Planar magnetic drivers distribute the voice coil uniformly across the entire diaphragm surface, eliminating the localised excitation point of dynamic drivers. A 1-micron diaphragm is significantly thinner than those found in standard planar headphones, which means lower moving mass, faster transient response and very low THD even at high listening levels. The open-back architecture removes the pressure buildup of a sealed enclosure, reduces internal standing waves and produces a depth and spatial width that the VSX binaural algorithms can model more convincingly as a three-dimensional speaker-in-room experience. At 32 Ω impedance the Immersion One can be driven from an audio interface headphone output, though planar drivers of this size benefit from a dedicated headphone amplifier for maximum dynamic headroom and low-end control.

Flame maple, aluminum and hand-wound 6N OCC copper

The flame maple earcups damp cabinet resonances differently from plastic or metal — wood's internal damping characteristics affect the coherence of the midrange and high-frequency response in ways that are measurably and audibly distinct. The high-grade aluminum chassis adds structural rigidity without excessive weight. The Y-cable uses 6N OCC copper (99.9999% purity), hand-wound: OCC processing eliminates the grain boundaries present in standard copper that can cause micro-distortions at high frequencies. The cable terminates in a 3.5 mm unbalanced connector with a 1/4" adapter included, is detachable, and measures 2.5 m. The package ships with a soft carry case and a full VSX Platinum license covering all current and future acoustic environments.

KEY FEATURES

• Open-back circumaural headphones with planar magnetic drivers
• Driver: Sendy Audio, custom-tuned, 97 mm x 76 mm, 1-micron diaphragm — low THD, fast transient response
• Frequency response: 20 Hz – 40 kHz
• Impedance: 32 Ω
• Flame maple wood earcups, high-grade aluminum chassis
• Hand-wound Y-cable, 6N OCC copper (99.9999% purity), 2.5 m, detachable
• Connector: 3.5 mm unbalanced with 1/4" adapter included
• VSX Platinum plugin included: AU, VST2, VST3, AAX — macOS and Windows
• 24+ environments: mixing studios, mastering rooms, car systems, clubs, consumer devices, headphone models
• Lifetime free access to all future VSX environments
• Authorization: iLok account or physical iLok key
• Included: headphones, 6N OCC cable, 1/4" adapter, soft carry case, VSX Platinum license

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Type: open-back, circumaural
• Driver type: planar magnetic
• Driver: Sendy Audio, custom-tuned, 97 mm x 76 mm
• Diaphragm thickness: 1 micron
• Frequency response: 20 Hz – 40 kHz
• Impedance: 32 Ω
• Earcup material: flame maple wood
• Chassis material: high-grade aluminum
• Cable: Y-type, hand-wound, 6N OCC copper (99.9999% purity), 2.5 m, detachable
• Connector: unbalanced 3.5 mm
• Adapter: 1/4" (included)
• Plugin: VSX Platinum Modeling Software
• Plugin formats: AU, VST2, VST3, AAX
• OS — Mac: macOS 10.14 or later (Apple Silicon supported); standalone: macOS 11.7.4+
• OS — PC: Windows 10 or later, 64-bit
• Authorization: iLok account or physical iLok key (Pace iLok Machine ID or dongle)
• VSX Platinum environments: 24+ (studios, mastering rooms, cars, clubs, consumer devices, headphone models) + lifetime free upgrades
• Included in box: Immersion One headphones, 6N OCC cable, 1/4" adapter, soft carry case, VSX Platinum license