Tidal Force Wave 5 Headpones

Looking Good

- Steve Guttenberg

TIDAL FORCE IS A BRAND spanking new headphone company, and at the time I started working on this review, the Wave 5 was their one and only set of headphones. They’re off to a good start; build quality is excellent, and the mostly metal design felt great in my hands.

I review so many headphones and spend time with so many more, I can’t keep track of them all. Upon opening the box, I had a deja vu feeling about the Wave 5; it seemed very familiar. And then it hit me: It reminded me of the Monoprice M560 headphones I heard at a hi-fi show. I immediately went to Monoprice’s website to confirm the hunch, and sure ’nuff, they looked like near twins. Then I checked the M560’s specifications and noted that the M560 and Wave 5 both feature 56mm planar magnetic drivers, neodymium magnetics, 42-ohm impedance, and similarly well-made earcups and pads. There was one big difference, though: The M560 can be used as a closed- or open-back headphone, while the Wave 5 is open only. Oh, and the M560 retails for $199, $100 less than the Wave 5.