By Robin Owens 21 days ago, Headphones
Affordable and high-quality open back headphones.
The best open back headphones, due to their form factor, can sound different than other audio accessories. The absence of the closed cup allows them to engage more space and create a broader sound that would be more in line with regular speakers rather than an earpiece.
However, that very peculiarity of build results in lots of sound leaking. This means that your neighbors will be listening to your music and the sounds they make will penetrate your ears.
Now, if any of that is a problem for you, at least occasionally, then you should go for the mixed-use models that we’ve described earlier. If you want an improved experience, find the best open back headphones below.
Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz | Wireless: No | Noise Cancelling: Yes | Cable Length: 3m
⊕ Durable body
⊕ Amazing sounding
⊕ Superb ANC feature
⊖ None
The Beyerdynamic DT990 PRO open back headphones are extremely versatile and offer excellent sound quality. This open-back headphone has a very natural sound and stunningly good bass. The DT990 also offers a three dimensional sound, which is, in fact, exactly what it sounds like. Your ears will experience a truly unique sound from these headphones. These headphones has a very comfortable headband and low headband pressure makes a great fit for even those with head injuries. This makes for very comfortable to use over extended periods of time.
Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz | Wireless: No | Noise Cancelling: Yes | Cable Length: 2.7m
⊕ Noise reduction
⊕ Light for their size
⊕ Huge sound
⊖ Enormous
⊖ Require highpower amplifier
With its exceptional clarity, spacious sound and excellent imaging, it's a true all-day headset with a modern flair. It's built on a proprietary three-layer metal frame with carefully sculpted body and headband, which is why the HD800 S are so popular. The striking open industrial design blends form and functionality perfectly, the carefully layered metal and plastic body and headband material attenuating outside noises to the ears while the handcrafted, handmade microfiber ear pads provide exceptional comfort for long hours of listening pleasure.
Frequency Response: 10 Hz - 30 kHz | Wireless: No | Noise Cancelling: Yes | Cable Length: 2.8m
⊕ Fantastic sound for the price
⊕ Lightweight construction
⊕ Affordable
⊖ All-plastic construction feels cheap
⊖ Below average comfort and fit
Samson's SR 850 studio reference headphones provide a high quality listening experience for music professionals, audio engineers and all round music lovers. The SR850s give complete accuracy and comfort, with clear, clean, high-end bass and superb mids, highs and treble responses. The semi-closed design of the SR 850s allows for a better ambient monitoring environment, ensuring accurate and clean stereo imaging.
Frequency Response: 10 Hz - 40 kHz | Wireless: No | Noise Cancelling: Yes | Cable Length: 2.7m
⊕ Superb sound quality
⊕ Replaceable ear pads and cables
⊕ Sturdy construction
⊖ No carrying case
⊖ A little shy on the bass
Sennheiser HD 660 S open back headphones deliver a fresh and innovative approach to high-end headphones with their revolutionary new design and patented technologies. The Sennheiser HD 660 S headphones have a sleek and modern design, perfect for those who prefer to listen to their music in one position and view their information in another. The ergonomic design means that these headphones are not only comfortable to wear, but also very aesthetically pleasing.
Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz | Wireless: No | Noise Cancelling: Yes | Cable Length: 2.5m
⊕ Superb sounding
⊕ Durable
⊕ Great ANC
⊖ Only wired connection
⊖ Bass might be better
The GRADO SR325E opens back headphones have been one of the most talked about headphones in the market. In terms of sound quality, the GRADO SR325E opens back headphones are one of the best headphones you can get. They provide crystal-clear sound that is not muffled and there is no background noise. These headphones have a very good sound that can be enjoyed by anyone.
Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz | Wireless: No | Noise Cancelling: Yes | Cable Length: 3m
⊕ Premium design
⊕ Great sound quality
⊕ Comfortable to wear
⊖ Wired
⊖ Not affordable
The AKG K 240 MK II open back headphones are one of the best you can buy for listening to music and enjoying the sounds of nature. They are extremely well built, and the engineering is top notch. These are also great to have in a car for listening to music while driving, and at the same time they make a great travel companion as well. They are very durable, with a warranty of at least a year, so if something should happen to them during their warranty period, you will still have them to use again and enjoy.
Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz | Wireless: No | Noise Cancelling: Yes | Cable Length: 2.7m
⊕ Stylish design
⊕ Sound quality is great
⊕ Comfortable
⊖ Lack of clarity in places
⊖ Non-detatchable cable
ATH-AD500X open back headphones provide the most advanced listening experience by integrating the best technology available in the market today. Made for extremely comfortable and hassle-free listening. With lightweight aluminum honeycomb structure and magnesium framework construction, these open air headphones create no audible pressure on your ears, delivering an absolutely natural listening experience. The lightweight CCAW dynamic voice coils with Dura-tone copper wire produces an impactful yet very smooth bass, with superb vocal projection and exceptional clarity.
| Image | Name | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO
Our choice |
CHECK PRICE → | |
 |
Sennheiser HD 800 S
Durable |
CHECK PRICE → | |
 |
Samson Technologies SR850
Budget |
CHECK PRICE → |
This matter actually proved to be more complicated than it might seem at first. Separate research was necessary for each price category and some were harder to investigate due to the lack of reliable information. For this technology, it also seems more difficult to find a good balance between cost and quality so I had to make the selection really meticulously. Below, you will find the most important criteria to consider when buying these headphones.
Frequency Range
This value determines what sounds the device can emit. If you take the average, a human can distinguish frequencies between 20 and 20 000 Hz. Naturally, there are differences between people and you can find wider or narrower ranges. This basically tells you that the best open back headphones are those which can match the range of your hearing.
Size and Comfort
You can treat these as regular over-the-ear headphones and here, the only difference between the models is the size. Thus, you can have the supra-aural, which cover the whole ear, or circumoral which don’t cover it fully and kind of rest on it. Neither type affects the sound, the only difference is the personal comfort of each user. Here, padding plays a role as well because if there is too much of it, the headphones could feel too heavy or restricting, especially over a long time.
Cords and Adapters
The last but still quite important thing to mind is the wire and the connector at its end. You are likely to have a ¼ or 1/8-inch jack in your setup, so once you know what it is, you can shop for an appropriate model. Moreover, check the length of the cord. To find the very best open back headphones, you should measure how much distance there will be between the jack and the furthest you’re likely to naturally reach. A popular choice is a 3-feet wire.
