Advantages of Open Back Headphones
1. Open-back headphones have better sound quality
It is almost always the case, that users wanting the best sound quality from their headphones should be looking at open-back headphones. This rule has some exceptions, but most audiophile-grade headphones are well-vented.
Headphones like the Focal Utopia, Audeze LCD series, and Sennheiser HD800 are easily some of the best-sounding headphones in the world today. They also all have one thing in common. They are all open-back headphones.
The ability of the driver to breathe without hindrance caused by pressure, combined with a usually more out-of-the-head and open listening experience, seems to get open-back headphones closer to real Hifi speaker systems than their closed-off brethren.
It’s a unique, airy, and expansive sound you can find here, whereas a closed-back headphone traditionally has a boxer sound with a deeper bass response.
As I said, there are some exceptional closed-back headphones, but it’s more likely that a given brand’s flagship headphones will be open-backed than closed.
2. Open Headphones are More Comfortable
Think about it if your ears aren’t enclosed in a tiny box. You will be much more comfortable if they can get nice fresh air circulating through them. By using open-back headphones, you can mitigate a build-up of heat and enjoy longer, more comfortable listening sessions.
The grills on the back of these headphones don’t just vent the drivers; it vents your ears. It allows for the ease of heat dispersal and passive cooling.
Closed-back headphones can get particularly hot, and many must take a break every few hours. If you can identify with this problem, it might be worth checking out open-back headphones as a possible solution.
3. Weight
Pound for a pound, you use fewer materials thanks to the omission of full outer earcup shells.
On a closed-back headphone, you get a lot of excess material on the earcups, but that’s not the complete story. In closed-back headphones, manufacturers also have to mitigate unwanted resonance in the chamber, so in the back of the headphones, you will often find extra material to dampen sound.
In this case, that weight is also distributed further from your ears on the outside of the cups, meaning they can feel heavier than they are due to the concept of leverage. Again, as we explained with the build-up of heat, the weight can also play a big part in comfort over long sessions.
4. More Advanced Driver Options
While it is true that the likes of Audeze now offer planar magnetic drivers inside closed headphones, this technology is far behind the same driver technology in open-back headphones.
Companies have been making both Planar and Electrostatic headphones in open formats for years, and the technology is established and mature. Closed-back designs are advancing, but for the most part, they are still heavily reliant on the dynamic driver format.
By purchasing an open-back headphone, you are opening yourself up to benefitting from more refined designs and technologies that are far more mature than their closed-back counterparts.
