Selecting the right headphones for your needs is always a challenge. One might think about open-back headphones but the question is are open-back headphones worth buying?
Well to answer this question we’ve written a detailed guide on open-back headphones.
Before we start discussing open-back headphones, let’s have a look at closed-back headphones.
Difference Between Open-Back And Closed-Back Headphones
While the differences between open and closed back can be subtle, they are important to understand if you want to get the most out of your headphone experience.
Closed-back headphones are sealed cups that allow for noise isolation through passive blocking of sound. When sound waves hit the closed ear cup, they bounce off and don’t enter the ear (and vice versa).
The downside to this is that you can hear what’s going on around you when using noise-canceling headphones. Whether that’s good or bad depends on your perspective!
Open-back headphones are characterized by a grille at the back of each ear cup. The grille allows for air to enter and exit freely, preventing increased pressure from building up inside the headphone – which would normally cause your eardrums to rupture!
Since sound waves can easily pass through open headphones, you’ll be able to hear what’s going on around you, which could be either a pro or a con, depending on your perspective. In addition, using open-back headphones can allow for more natural and uncolored sound.
Are Open Back Headphones Worth it?
Whether open-back headphones are worth it depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re an EDM producer who values accurate sound and is looking to avoid ear fatigue, they could be beneficial to your work.
On the other hand, if you want noise isolation or prefer a more bass-driven sound profile (with deeper bass), closed-back headphones are probably a better option.
Why Buy Open-Back Headphones?
There are multiple reasons why one should consider buying open-back headphones instead of closed-back ones, these are some of the most popular reasons out there:
- Open Back Headphones Are More Comfortable
- The Best Sound Quality
- Open Back Headphones Are Less Expensive
- Open Back Headphones Are More Comfortable
Open Back Headphones Are Comfortable
Since open headphones allow the sound to flow freely in and out of them, they aren’t sealed against your ear like closed-back headphones. They also tend to be lighter on your head and don’t create as much pressure which can cause discomfort over long listening sessions.
Open Back Headphones Have Better Sound Quality
One of the biggest advantages of open-back headphones is that they don’t sound as flat and lifeless as closed-back ones. Open-back headphones produce a more natural sound that’s closer to what you’ll hear when listening to music live, which makes them ideal for critical listening applications such as recording and mixing.
Open Back Headphones Have Less Expensive Option
Closed-back headphones are very popular for EDM producers since most of them tend to go with high bass and more noise isolation which closed-back offers. That’s why one might prefer closed over open, but there’s good news!
Open back models with flat sound profiles can offer better quality than most expensive closed models.
Excellent Choice For Gaming
While traditional closed-back headphones are able to block the outside noises it doesn’t mean that open-back devices are not good at all. In fact, you can find some great open-back headphones for gaming at a cheaper price on the market.
In our opinion, these devices are good for long-term gaming because they let you not only focus on gaming but also on the surroundings. Thus you can fully enjoy your gaming session without getting bored or staying unaware of what’s happening in the room.
Open Back Headphones Disadvantages
In addition to the above advantages, there are a few disadvantages of open-back headphones that you need to be aware of. Basically, these headphones fail to provide the desired output when during the following conditions.
Open Back Headphones Are Not Good at Blocking Outside Noise
When it comes to blocking the outside noise, open-back headphones are not good at all. They can’t block out any kind of noise so if you’re looking for something that reduces background noise while listening, closed-back headphones are a better choice.
Not a Good Choice For GYM
Since open-back headphones can not block outside noise, therefore, these systems are not suitable for the gym and other such scenarios. It is because you will mostly hear noise from the outside of the other gym members. Under such conditions, you will not be able to fully enjoy your favorite music.
Final Words
Are open-back headphones worth buying? Well, it depends on what you want. If you need good sound quality and don’t mind the high price tag, open-back headphones are definitely worth considering.
However, if noise isolation is your priority and comfort isn’t that important, then go with closed models.
We hope that this article has helped you understand the advantages and disadvantages of choosing between open-back and closed-back headphones.