The 7 Best Open-Back Headphones - Spring 2020
Reviews

The best open-back headphones that we’ve tested so far are the Sennheiser HD 800 S. They’re extremely well-built with a durable yet premium design that feels ready to stand the test of time. They sound amazing and are very comfortable, which makes them perfect for long listening sessions.

These headphones have exception audio fidelity. Their bright, spacious sound is balanced enough for all genres of music but lends itself particularly well to jazz and classical music. They also have an outstandingly spacious yet natural soundstage that can make you forget you're listening to headphones and not a quality speaker setup.

While they're the best open headphones we’ve tested so far, they’re also remarkably expensive. You’ll also need a powerful amplifier to drive these headphones and experience their full potential. That said, if sound quality is your top priority and you have the equipment and the budget for them, these headphones are hard to beat.

The best open-back headphones for gaming we’ve tested so far are the Astro A40 TR + MixAmp Pro 2019. They’re very comfortable headphones with large, well-padded ear cups, which makes them suitable for long gaming sessions. They have a wired design that ensures a latency-free gaming experience, and they come with an outstanding USB dock that provides lots of connectivity options.

These headphones sound very good and their open-back design helps give them a more spacious soundstage than other gaming headsets we’ve tested. Their boom microphone is superb and works very well in noisy environments too. We even found the Xbox One variants also work on the PS4 while in PC mode. Note, however, that it's unlikely that the PS4 variants will work on the Xbox One.

While these headphones have a fairly balanced frequency response overall, they show a noticeable lack of detail and presence in the treble range. On the upside, they’re compatible with the Astro Command Center, where you can EQ their sound profile and assign custom EQ presets to their MixAmp. They’re great gaming headphones all-around and are especially well-suited to those who prefer an open-back design.

The best open-back headphones under $200 we’ve tested so far are the Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee. They’re the result of a collaboration between Sennheiser and Massdrop and can only be purchased from Drop’s website directly. They’re great critical listening headphones with excellent audio reproduction and provide very good value for their price.

These headphones have an impressively well-balanced sound, especially for the price. They pack a bit more bass than many open-back headphones we’ve tested, like the similarly-designed Sennheiser HD 600, without sounding too sharp or sibilant, like the AKG K702. Their soundstage is decent too, which is quite rare at this price point.

On the downside, their replacement cables can be a bit difficult to find online since they’re not a very common standard. They also don't have the most comfortable design - they clamp down rather tightly, and their large ear cups can extend past the jaw on those with smaller heads, which can be uncomfortable over time. That said, their price-to-performance ratio is rather exceptional, so if you don’t mind a tighter fit, they’re a great choice.

Open-back headphones are often associated with hi-fi audio equipment that's prohibitively expensive, but it's possible to experience this type of headphones at a budget price, like with the Philips SHP9500, the best budget open-back headphones we've tested so far. These headphones have a decent build quality that feels fairly sturdy and designed for maximum comfort. The headband is reinforced with metal, while the ear cups are well-padded and spacious.

Even at a budget price, these headphones perform remarkably well. They have an impressively well-balanced frequency response that makes vocals and instruments sound clear while still delivering a decent amount of punch. Another great thing about these headphones is that they're easy to drive, too. You shouldn't need a fancy amp - virtually any smartphone with an analog audio output will do just fine.

One aspect of these headphones that could use some improvement is the fabric coating on the ear cups. It feels a bit rough and could be bothersome if you have sensitive skin. They also lack quite a bit of bass, so they might not be ideal if you prefer more thump and rumble in your music. That said, if you want to experience what open-back headphones can do without spending a fortune, try the Philips.