Top 7 Best Open Back Headphones Of 2022: The Best Of The Best

Features

HIFIMAN is a consistently well-performing brand in the open back headphone space, and the HE-4001 model lives up to their standard. Their high-quality planar drivers produce top-notch sound at 93 Db, and they're both comfortable and light enough to be worn for long periods of time. Their magnetic drivers eliminate distortion, making them a good choice for live music. They're among the best open back headphones available at a consumer-friendly price.

Features

The Sennheiser HD 800 S headphones are hand-assembled premium headphones with a price that reflects that. The high price tag will get you high-quality construction with light yet durable materials for a comfortable and sturdy build. The soundstage these headphones produce is the best around: clear, detailed, and perfectly-balanced. They even come packaged with an XLR jack cable that would cost a couple hundred dollars on its own. If you can afford them, these are among the best open back headphones available.

Features

HIFIMAN's HE1000 headphones are another premium product, with magnetic circuitry that provides sound with zero distortion. With the HE1000's, it often feels like you're standing in the room while the music is being recorded. They also have a design that protects the drivers despite the open back, making them more durable than most other open back headphones. On top of that, they're comfortable and surprisingly stylish.

Features

The Philips SHP9500S HiFi Precision Stereo Over-ear Headphones are a great pick for those who want the best open back headphones they can get on a mid-range budget. They provide excellent sound quality with clear highs and deep lows, and their comfort level is among the highest in the entire Philips line. As a bonus, they come with a three foot long cord so you can even move around while wearing them.

Features

The Samson SR850 Semi-Open-Back Studio Reference Headphones offer most of the great sound afforded by full open back headphones, with the added benefit of extra protection for the drivers. Their frequency response range of 10 Hz-30 kHz and 50 mm driver provides great sound quality for the price, making them suitable for studio use. Like the other headphones above, these too are surprisingly comfortable to wear.

Features

The Koss UR40 Collapsible Over-Ear Headphones is another semi-open back pair of headphones that sell at a rock-bottom price. Their magnetic drivers provide solid sound with deep bass, and the adjustable headband ensures that anyone can find a comfortable fit. Of course, as the name implies, they can collapse down into a compact package for easy transport.

Features

The Grado Prestige Series SR325e headphones are a mid-range set of open-back headphones with a nostalgic design that hasn't changed externally in decades. Grado's products aren't constructed to provide deep bass or warm tones; rather, they strive for detailed, lifelike sound above all else. That means they excel when it comes to instrumental music but suffer a bit with hip hop and other genres that are heavy on remixing. They also have plain, round foam ear pads that provide a signature sound but somewhat sacrifice comfort in doing so.

Features

Superlux's HD668B Dynamic Semi-Open Headphones offer an accurate and balanced sound along with the extra protection afforded by their semi-open design. They're comfortable to wear and suitable for all types of music but sound their best on instrumental tracks with strings. They're also available at a budget price, with the tradeoff being that their sound and construction won't blow you away like the higher-end headphones on this list.

Features

The Spadger Over-Ear Headphones and Professional Studio DJ Headphones are built for professionals, including sound engineers and, yes, DJs, who need the most authentic possible sound quality. With deep, rich bass and crisp highs, they're suitable for use in most professional situations. Their 9 foot long cable makes them doubly ideal for DJs, and they're priced to sell.

Features

The AKG K 240 MK II Stereo Studio Headphones are another pair of semi-open back headphones that come in at the high end of budget-priced headphones on this list. The materials used in construction are of average quality, but the headphones still feel sturdy enough given the price point. They're large but light and come with two interchangeable sets of ear pads so users can find the most comfortable fit for them.

The cups have a perfectly round shape though, which doesn't fit everyone comfortably regardless of which pads they use. These headphones produce clear, balanced sound and excel at mid-range, but suffer a bit on the high end. Bass is also less punchy on these headphones than on some of their competitors'.