What to look for when you buy open-air headphones?

Open-air headphones are really popular especially among audiophiles, musicians and people who are into high sound quality. These headphones are also called open-back or simply open headphones. They are called like that because the earcups are not sealed in the back as it is the case with closed-back headphones. Instead, the air circulates freely through the earcups and the drivers are exposed to the exterior.

Open-air headphones generally sound better than closed-back headphones, because they have a bigger soundstage and a more natural and clearer sound. With closed-back headphones on the other hand, pressure can build up because the air doesn’t have space to move around and this also affects the sound, making it more muffled. When you buy a pair of open-back headphones though, the sound will make you feel like you are on a live concert.

Some drawbacks to be aware of with open-air headphones

Before we give you some tips on what to look for in a pair of open-air headphones or any type of headphones really, you have to be aware that there are some disadvantages with open-air headphones. The most notable one is the fact that there will be sound leakage with them, precisely because the drivers are exposed. That means that when you are playing music, others close to you can hear it. The design of these headphones doesn’t isolate you from outside noises either.

So if you want to buy headphones to wear while you are commuting, travelling, or perhaps for wearing at the office, you might think again before investing in open-air headphones. In quiet environments such as offices, libraries, etc., you might disturb others with the sound coming from them and in noisy environments such as planes, malls, airports, subway, etc., you might be disturbed by the outside noises.

Open-air headphones are great for home use and for mixing, mastering and other professional activities.

What to look for when buying headphones?

• Circumaural vs supra-aural headphones: these are just fancier terms for over-the-ear headphones (circumaural) and on-the-ear headphones (supra-aural). The first type has earcups that enclose your ears while the second type only presses on the ears, but doesn’t fully encloses them. While they isolate noise better, they can also be less comfortable to wear for longer periods of time, because they press on your ears. The sound is also slightly better with the circumaural ones, so if you are using them for studio work, go with over-the-ear ones
• Wired or wireless: while technology has advanced tremendously over the years, professionals who work in studios will always prefer wired headphones over wireless ones; the sound-quality is superior, there are no connectivity or interference issues and the sound is not as compressed as it is with most wireless headphones; on the other hand, if you want headphones to wear when you are commuting, you might want to go with a wireless model, as they are more convenient to wear and you won’t have to drag around a long cable; and if you invest in a high-quality pair of wireless headphones, the differences is sound quality will most likely be noticeable only for the well-trained ears of a professional, rather than for the average listener
• Drivers: an important aspect to consider when buying headphones, open-back or what have you, is the size of the drivers; if you want more power, you should obviously go with bigger drivers; but aside from volume, not all big drivers deliver the same sound quality; you should also consider the material of the drivers and opt for something that doesn’t feel cheap
• Frequency response: this determines the frequencies that can be reproduced by the headphones and you have to take the human hearing as a reference; humans hear between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz, so the wider the range, the larger the spectrum of frequencies that can be reproduced by the headphones
• Sensitivity: this one is measured in decibels (dB) and the higher the sensitivity, the louder the headphones are and the better they sound
• Impedance: it is measured in Ohms and the lower the impedance, the better the sound
• Collapsible earcups: if you want to take the headphones with you everywhere, you might want to opt for a collapsible model, so it will fit easier in your backpack/purse/etc.
• Water resistance
• Built-in microphone; this feature might be useful if you want to be able to take calls while wearing your headphones for instance