What is an open-back headphone?
Open-back headphones, also called open headphones, are a popular design in high-end audio. They often have inherent qualities to their sound that offer listeners a spacious and airy sound. They also have a lot of detail and separation that can set them apart from their closed-back headphone competition.
An open-back headphone is different from a closed one in that the driver is, you guessed it, open to the environment.
The driver is not sealed inside the earcup and instead is free to breathe and move without the restrictions from pressure inside a closed cup. Many people talk about how they are great at creating a natural and open space when listening to music, much like you would get with full-sized audiophile speakers but in a more portable form factor.
They are regarded as one of the best headphones for listening to Rock, Jazz, and Classical genres, and I can’t say I disagree. I have owned numerous Open Back headphones over the past ten years and still do to this day.
Over the past year alone, I have tested around 50 headphones for this website and finally feel I can put out a quality list recommending the best open-back headphones for 2025.
1. Focal Utopia – Test Winners and Staff Pick
Pros:
- The best-sounding headphones on the market – Unrivalled sound quality
- Futuristic design and styling with high-end materials like carbon
- Build quality worthy of its high price
Cons:
- One of the most expensive headphones I have ever tested
- It needs a good source device to maximize performance
What We Like
The Focal Utopia 2022 is the best open-back headphone I have ever owned and, in our opinion, the best headphone you can buy in 2025 if money is no object.
Maybe I am biased and consider them my end-game, god-tier headphones. The one that I listen to for pure enjoyment. The one that I believe is the best headphone ever. Yeh, these things are just incredible.
Focal is famous for its high-end audiophile speakers. Still, they got serious about high-resolution headphones a few years ago.
Their bold designs and attention to tuning captured a large chunk of the market, especially those who thought traditional audiophile headphone brands like Hifiman and Audeze had become stagnant and dated.
Material choices are pure luxury, with copious amounts of lamb, leather, and carbon fiber used in the design. To tune the headphones, a beryllium cone driver whats chosen that produces sound with impact detail and fullness. I haven’t heard of any other headphones.
Open-sounding, rich and detailed, it’s as close to getting a set of speakers on your head. as you will ever get.
2. Audeze LCD-5 – Best Open-Back Headphones For Audiophiles
Pros:
- Unrivaled detail in the midrange
- Speed and dynamic performance have epic weight and refined technical performance
- Materials and finishing alone makes them a luxury product
Cons:
- The bulky and heavy design limits their use to home or studio only
- The price is extremely high although not uncommon for this level of sound quality
Why We Recommend Them!
The LCD-5 from Audeze is the best-sounding open-back planar headphones on the market.
If you know audiophile headphones, then you know who Audeze is. This company is synonymous with good sound quality and based its business model on making outstanding, sounding, open-back planar magnetic headphones. The LCD-5 is their latest flagship headphone, and it’s incredible.
Build quality is unrivaled and seamlessly blends modern materials like carbon fiber with wood and metal. Despite being bleeding-edge tech headphones, they retain the classic styling, which is a nod to the company’s heritage and previous versions of the LCD line.
The sound quality of these headphones is fascinating, with smooth and full tuning and enormous amounts of detail. The sound space is vast, and imaging is one of the best. This is about as good as headphones get, and on this list, it’s only really rivaled by the Utopia. An end-game god-tier headphones if there ever were one.
3. Grado SR80x – The Legend Continues
Pros:
- Iconic headphones with a long pedigree of quality and sound
- The X version is more compatible with modern music genres than ever before
- American legacy company with assembly still in New York
Cons:
- Some find them uncomfortable. However, this can be fixed by changing the pads
Why We Like Them
Grado had to make the list of the best open headphones. They are legendary in this space, and for many, the SR80 has been the gateway headphones to people getting into the audiophile hobby. The SR80x does a lot of great things and one thing brilliantly. Value for money. With an RRP of well under $200, the SR80e is simply unmatched.
The SR80x is newly released and is a refinement of one of the world’s longest running headphone lines. No significant changes, just gentle tweaks that help maintain its iconic reputation in the industry.
Why are the SR80x such good headphones? They offer the familiar Grado house sound of an engaging, detailed midrange and crisp and clear treble. If you are coming from a fairly standard pair of headphones, you will notice an instant jump-up in audio fidelity.
As for what genres work best for the SR80x, we recommend using Rock, Folk, and acoustic to get the most out of them. The original Grado SR80 headphones got me into high-end audio, and I still own the same pair today; even though I have progressed to owning their more luxurious RS1e, the ’80s will always have a place in my heart.
4. Samson SR850 – Best Cheap Open Back Headphone
Pros:
- Clean and Spacious sounding
- Above average soundstage for the price
- It can be modified cheaply to improve acoustics further
Cons:
- Synthetic earpads can build up a lot of heat
- Limited availability
Why We Like Them
Ok, so maybe your budget is even too tight to go out and grab yourself a set of the excellent Grado’s listed above but fear not, you can still treat your ears to the best open headphone sound for under $50.
Under $50? Really? No, I’m not kidding, and yes, you will be making sacrifices when you put them against the far more expensive headphones on this list, but for the money, the Samson SR850 is a crazy bargain. The 850 are no-frills headphones with clear, detailed sound making them great for enjoying music or gaming. They have a wide soundstage and represent jaw-dropping value for money in the budget audiophile space.
For under $50, nothing comes close, and there are even some simple mods you can easily do to make them sound even better.
5. Hifiman HE400SE – Best Value For Money Open Back Headphone
Pros:
- Has the traditional Hifiman house sound at a cheaper than ever before price
- Build quality is excellent for a budget open headphone
- Rich sounding with good bass
Cons:
- None – For the money they are the best you can get
What We Like
The Hifiman HE400SE Are the cheapest planar headphones on the market, and I can’t quite figure out how Hifiman offers such good headphones at such a low price. Not many corners have been cut because everything works and works well.
Nothing feels cheap, and the sound is worth at least double the price and quickly blows away dynamic driver headphones at the same price point.
Tuned to be highly transparent and neutral, we were impressed with the natural and detailed presentation. Lows were punchy but controlled and never bled into the midrange; treble extension was also great, improving the headphones’ overall energy and soundstage.
They are very well made for the money and highly comfortable. The air circulates through the open back grills, and the hybrid earpads that have velour touching your head instead of leather kept us nice and cool. Finally, I love how versatile the HE400SE regarded source compatibility—easily driven from most source components and very efficient in power draw.
6. Sennheiser HD800s
Pros:
- Highly transparent and accurate audiophile-grade sound and tuning
- Crystal clear midrange and highs
- One of the best-looking headphones ever made
Cons:
- Treble is considered sharp by some people unfamiliar with its forward presentation. Modifications are simple and cheap if you wish to adjust the sound yourself.
- They are expensive, however they sound better than many more expensive headphones
What We Like
The new Sennheiser HD800s are legendary. A headphone loved and revered for years by audiophiles around the globe is what many consider the gold standard for headphones, myself included. There are few headphones in existence right now that sound as perfectly accurate as the HD800s, a headphone that does pretty much everything ideally and whose soundstage is unmatched by any other.
The S is the newest version and refinement of the original HD800 headphones known to have a slightly hot treble. That has been taken care of, and the new HD800s sport a beautiful new color scheme with a few other additions that make this one of the ultimate end-game headphones on the market today.
The price isn’t low, but there are deals to be found, and even at full price, they are one of the best open-back headphones money can buy. As mentioned above, I own these headphones, and despite having access to many others, these are the ones that I use as a reference. I love them so much I bought a second set for home and the office.
7. Sivga Pii – A Mid Price Hi-Res Headphone
Pros:
- The best price to performance in any open-back headphone
- Comfortable fabric pads keep ears cool
- Attractive wood and metal earcups
Cons:
- The suspension headband will divide the opinion
- Slightly heavier than other open-back headphones from Hifiman and Monoprice
What We Like
Sivga has been hard at work building its headphone lineup in the past year. They started by rebranding generic headphones and now seem to be producing goods tuned and branded in their style and are doing a great job at it.
The Sivga Pii is the company’s midrange planar headphones with open-back earcups that offer significant value for money. They threaten more established brands because the sound quality they produce in such an affordable package is tough to match.
The build quality is excellent, with retro styling and a good combination of metal and wood to round off what looks and feels like a premium piece of audio equipment. They are also comfortable wearing over long periods because they use a unique blend on their earpads that prevents heat from building up.
The sound is very planar magnetic. It’s detailed and smooth and has an outstanding bass response in quantity and quality. The vocals shine, and the guitars are very impressive.
8. Hifiman Sundara – A better HE400SE
Pros:
- Outstanding performance for the price
- Incredibly lightweight and comfortable
- Very detail focussed
Cons:
- Suspended headbands are a divisive
What We Like
The Sundara makes a list because it offers a lot of performance for its price, and to keep that price low, very little is sacrificed.
The construction of the headphones is still metal which we like, and the earpads are generous in space and padding. Hifiman has also thrown in a transducer that is 80% thinner than the one on the HE400SE, and you can tell the difference in the sound quality immediately.
This is a very detail-orientated headphone with excellent imaging and separation. It works well for many musical genres yet does not necessarily require expensive amplification to get the most from the performance.
This is a headphone where Hifiman has thrown down the gauntlet to the competition and said, “We are Kings” in this area of the market… challenge us if you dare.
9. Focal Clear MG
Pros:
- The new magnesium driver is a clear step up
- Jaw-dropping good looks
- True audiophile sound
Cons:
- Expensive for many
- Demos in dedicated Hifi Stores only
What We Like
The original Focal clear was somewhat overlooked but the company went back to the drawing board and came up with a complete redesign.
The body itself is drop-dead gorgeous and becomes a talking point in any room. The attention to detail in every area of the body is impressive and the construction is competitive with even the most expensive audiophile headphones on the market today.
What was most impressive was the sound quality. I had read a lot of the marketing about the incorporation of magnesium in the driver construction but I couldn’t possibly have been prepared for such a pronounced improvement.
I will go as far as to say the original clear shouldn’t even be used as a reference as, other than tuning, they couldn’t sound further apart once you get them on the head.
It’s fast and detailed, with some outstanding highs that float notes over the top and create a soundstage that creates massive width and depth. The speed also carries over to the base performance, with the mid-bass shining with increased imaging and adding layers of depth and texture to the sound presentation.
Probably the best upgrade headphone on this list and punches against other headphones upwards of $2000.
10. Sennheiser HD660 S2
PROS:
- Improved sound quality
- Spacious with large soundstaging
- Reference quality sound. Great for critical listening.
CONS:
- Price increased over the Mark I version, although deals can be found.
WHAT WE LIKE
Sennheiser just makes wonderful headphones, and if you don’t have money to spend on the flagship HD800s, they have options for open-back headphones at every price point. For a long time, the 660 was the staple mid-price model, which now sees a side-grade release (they are keeping both models for now). With the HD660S2, users get a little more in different areas, plus a cool new design with a black and gold color scheme. Bass and soundstage are elevated, but even with the price increase over the original, the S2 still feels like stunning value.
