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Open-back vs. closed-back headphones: what an open design changes about the sound
Behind every driver, there is an ear cup. Whether it is solid or vented changes the soundstage, the behavior of the bass, the isolation and what the people next to you hear. It is one of the most consequential choices in hi-fi and in the studio.
A question of the back wave
A driver's diaphragm pushes air toward the ear, but also, in the opposite direction, toward the rear. What should be done with that back wave? The entire difference between open-back and closed-back headphones lies in the answer.
In closed-back headphones, the ear cup is sealed. The back wave stays trapped, bounces off the walls and partly returns to the diaphragm. In open-back headphones, the cup is replaced by a grille: the back wave escapes freely into the room.
What an open design gives you
With no internal reflections, the diaphragm works under simpler conditions. Three effects are audible.
- A wider soundstage. The sound no longer seems trapped between your ears. Instruments appear to be placed around your head, with air between them. It's a subjective impression, but a consistent one from listener to listener.
- A more natural timbre. The cup resonances that color the midrange of many closed-back headphones disappear. Voices and acoustic instruments benefit.
- Better comfort. Air circulates: less heat, no boxed-in feeling around the ears, and you hear your own voice normally.
What it costs
- No isolation at all. You hear the room as if you were wearing nothing. A dishwasher is enough to spoil a listening session.
- Significant leakage. Open-back headphones behave like two small speakers: at normal volume, the person next to you can follow your music. Out of the question at the office, on public transit or near a microphone.
- Recessed sub-bass on most dynamic-driver models. With no enclosed volume to maintain the pressure, the level drops off below about 50 Hz. Open-back planar headphones largely escape this rule (see driver types).
The strengths of closed-back headphones
Closed-back headphones are the all-rounder. Their ear cups cut outside noise by 10 to 25 decibels in the mids and treble, and keep your music to yourself. The pressure of the trapped air supports the deep bass, which often feels more physical than on an open-back model.
Their challenge is controlling the internal reflections. Good models manage it with absorbent materials and angled or damped cups; bad ones sound "hollow" or "boxy." Good closed-back headphones don't sound closed-in, but they generally cost more to design than open-back headphones of the same caliber.
They are also the only possible foundation for active noise canceling: to cancel noise, you first have to control what gets into the ear cup.
Side by side
| Open-back | Closed-back | |
|---|---|---|
| Soundstage | Wide, airy | More intimate |
| Isolation from outside noise | None | Good |
| Sound leakage | High | Low |
| Deep bass | Recessed (except planars) | Present, punchy |
| Heat | Low | More noticeable |
| Uses | Hi-fi, mixing, gaming in a quiet room | Recording, office, commuting |
What about semi-open?
Some headphones are described as semi-open: their cups have calibrated vents rather than a full grille. The aim is to keep some of the bass pressure while limiting resonances. In practice, they leak and let noise in almost as much as an open-back model: treat them as open-back when deciding where you'll listen.
Which one for which use
- Focused listening at home: open-back, if the room is quiet and you're alone. That's where the design is at its best. See audiophile headphones.
- Mixing and mastering: open-back, to judge spatial placement and balance without cup coloration.
- Recording: closed-back, no exceptions. Open-back headphones leak into the mic, and the click track ends up on the vocal take. See studio headphones.
- Gaming: open-back for positional audio in a quiet room, closed-back if you play next to someone or with a sensitive mic.
- Office, commuting, travel: closed-back, with no alternative.
Good to know. Many benchmark open-back headphones have a high impedance and were designed to be plugged into an amplifier. Before you buy, read impedance, sensitivity and amplification.
Sources and references
- IEC 60268-7 — Sound system equipment: headphones and earphones
- Olive, Welti, Khonsaripour — A Statistical Model that Predicts Listeners' Preference Ratings of Around-Ear and On-Ear Headphones, Audio Engineering Society Convention 144, 2018
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use open-back headphones on public transit?
No. Open-back headphones don't block outside noise, which forces you to raise the volume to a level that is dangerous for your hearing, and they leak sound to the people around you. On a commute, you need closed-back headphones or in-ear earbuds.
Do open-back headphones have less bass?
They generally have less sub-bass, below about 50 Hz, when they use a dynamic driver. The bass is still there, and often more precise than on closed-back headphones. Open-back headphones with planar drivers, on the other hand, reach very low with no roll-off.
Are open-back headphones better for your hearing?
Not in themselves. They run cooler and are less tiring over long sessions, but the risk to your hearing depends solely on the volume and on how long you listen. In a noisy place, open-back headphones actually push you to listen louder.