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Over-ear Headphones - Open or Closed?

Seedy Ron

Seedy Ron

Nick Barmby
As the title suggests, are open backed headphones really much better for sound quality/sound stage than closed back? Or is it so much audiophile guff?

Anyone got any recommendations for a pair of either for my socially responsible late night listening?
 
One that goes over your ears are more comfortable IMO. Sennheiser if you have a few bob.
 
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Fwiw, I went to a local indie hi-fi shop and tried several pairs of headphones before deciding on the Sennheiser HD598.

I use them for movies, music plus occasional gaming and find them comfy even after wearing them for hours on end.

Dunno if it's because they are open-back but everything sounds better than my previous closed-back Sennheisers.
 
Seedy Ron said:
As the title suggests, are open backed headphones really much better for sound quality/sound stage than closed back? Or is it so much audiophile guff?

Anyone got any recommendations for a pair of either for my socially responsible late night listening?
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It can be invaluable if you want to mix/produce music on headphones. I have a pair of sennheiser hd600 open back headphones, and they're excellent for mixing, does not color the sound at all. You do hear everything around you very well though, which could be great or bad depending on your listening environment. Useless on the tube, for instance!

Sent from my D6603 using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app
 
If you want top notch quality, here's my review of a couple of options in the higher price range (over £350).
In this class you get the sound of a + £20 000 hi-fi system.

Sony MDR-Z7
Closed, over ear, Impedance / Sensitivity: 70 ohm / 102 dB
Really comfortable, and really chunky bass. A bit too much for my liking, and they lack a bit in the mid range and top. Good for over-compressed pop music.
Doesn't really work well with a phone due to high impedance and low sensitivity

Oppo PM-3
Closed, over ear, Impedance / Sensitivity: 26 ohm / 102 dB
Well balanced sound. Doesn't excel at anything, and doesn't lack anything either. Works well without a headphone amp. There are more comfortable alternatives out there.

Sennheiser HD 630VB
Closed, over ear, Impedance / Sensitivity: 23 ohm / 114 dB
Really detailed sound and adjustable bass response. Works really well with phones. Also come with remote and mic. More detailed than both the Oppo and Sony, but the ear pieces are really big and a bit bulky. One of my favorites

Beyerdynamic T90
Open, over ear, Impedance / Sensitivity: 250 ohm / 102 dB
Well, these are just brilliant! Sounds like a million dollars! Fantastic clarity and attack! BUT, and it's a big but, You really need a headphone amp. to make these work. But if you have one, I don't think I've ever heard a better pair, and I've tried a lot!

My choice would be the Sennheiser. They work with any music, has a remote and mic and play well from any source.
 
SteveAWOL said:
Fwiw, I went to a local indie hi-fi shop and tried several pairs of headphones before deciding on the Sennheiser HD598.

I use them for movies, music plus occasional gaming and find them comfy even after wearing them for hours on end.

Dunno if it's because they are open-back but everything sounds better than my previous closed-back Sennheisers.
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Good choice! Open headphones sound, well.... more open than closed ones. They give a better sense of space and you can pick out "where" the different instruments are positioned. That said, they often lack a bit of punch compared to closed. But the HD598 is a brilliant pair.
 
Thanks chaps, very useful. I want to use them when it's a bit late for using the speakers (I still sit there and listen to CDs on the HiFi), so open back should be fine from an environment perspective.

I'll have a look at the recommended pairs.
 
I almost forgot! I tried one more from Onkyo
Onkyo A800
Open, over ear, Impedance / Sensitivity: 32 ohm / 100 dB
Lot's of bass for being an open type headphones, and they have a rich and "airy" sound. Excellent sound! I did not find them particularly comfortable though, as they pressed on my skull, and I have a rather small head. Others may not have this issue though. Also the pair I tested had some quality issues. The casing around the jack plug just came off. Might just be a faulty pair I got, but something to consider at least.
 
Seedy Ron said:
Thanks chaps, very useful. I want to use them when it's a bit late for using the speakers (I still sit there and listen to CDs on the HiFi), so open back should be fine from an environment perspective.

I'll have a look at the recommended pairs.
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If there's no noise to penetrate them and sound leak disturbing anyone then it's difficult to go wrong with grado headphones. They have a good price range as well.
 
Never owned Grado's myself. I don't like the looks or how they fit. Excellent sound though. Don't know how their built, but the design is fairly simple. Not much that can go wrong.
 
Seedy Ron said:
I've looked at some Grado's, their designs do occasionally seem to be an acquired taste. Is the build quality good?
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Fwiw, I tried out the Grado SR80e when I purchased my Sennheisers and they are possibly better if all you want to do is listen to music.

However I found they weren't quite so good as the HD598 when listening to a movie and I didn't find them as comfortable to wear.

The Grado did seem well constructed though.
 
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The grados are pretty good build wise, they don't look it but they are robust.
I've had a pair another 6 years and no issues at all, and I'm a clumsy fudged.
 
thread hijack alert

thinking of getting some over/around ear noise cancelling headphones - mainly just for when on flights/long journeys and would mostly be used with ipod/mobile phones

https://www.bose.co.uk/en_gb/produc...dtrue_ae_headphones_ii_samsung_charcoal_black

i can find these for around £120 quid elsewhere online, anything better in that price range (or cheaper) that i should be looking at?

i don't think it'll be worth my while spending much more than that as im only using ipod/phone as the source for my music
 
I find the Bose's have a very good noise-cancelling technology, but sadly falls right through when it comes to sound quality. In that Price range you can try the Plantronics Backbeat Pro or Sony MDR-10RNC. They both have much better sound than the Bose, but not as good noise cancelling.There aren't really many to choose from for less than £150 that are any good, so it becomes a choice of what's more important to you; Sound quality or noise cancelling.
 
does the fact im using an ipod or a mobile phone negate the need for headphones with superior sound quality? that's what i was lead to believe when researching in ear headphones a few years back when i was more in to that kind of thing and why im not considering more expensive options atm
 
billyiddo said:
does the fact im using an ipod or a mobile phone negate the need for headphones with superior sound quality? that's what i was lead to believe when researching in ear headphones a few years back when i was more in to that kind of thing and why im not considering more expensive options atm
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Depends on the source material.

If you're just using mp3 then save your money. Apple products can play lossless, but it takes a bit of fudging about.
 
Sound output from phones varies a lot. Sony tend to have excellent outputs, and Samsung have the whole range from utter crap to very good. If possible, you should try the them with the source from which you will use them most. For use with a phone, as a general rule you should look for low impedance (less than 40ohm) and high sensitivity (at least over 100dB)
 
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