Deciding on a pair of headphones best suited for you can seem like a daunting task. With the vast amount of headphones available in different styles, sizes, builds, etc, it can be difficult to make the right decision. But what is the right decision? How do you know which headphones are best for you? Unfortunately, we don’t have an answer for you. Similar to movies, paintings, or clothing, when it comes to music and audio, there are no right or wrong answers. Everything comes down to your personal opinion and preference. However, when it comes to deciding on headphones, it’s hard to make a decision based on personal preference if you don’t know what you’re getting. If you’re torn between purchasing open-back or closed-black headphones, in this post, we’re going to help you understand the major differences and usages between the two types of headphones. If you’d like to watch a video on this topic, you can check out our Dekoni U video where we discuss the difference between open and closed-back headphones and the best times to use them.

What Are Open-Back Headphones?

Pair of open-back headphones The main difference between open and closed-back headphones is the way the housing of the headphones is built. The housing is the material that houses the driver. With open-back headphones, the housing is built with tiny gaps that allow audio to escape and leak in. The perforated ear cups in open-back headphones typically allow for a larger soundstage compared to closed-back headphones and eliminates pressure build-up inside the headphones. In the audiophile community, soundstage refers to an imaginary stage where the distance between instruments varies by the type of music and/or headphones you are using. With open-back headphones, the instruments will generally sound farther apart and you’ll be able to hear the small minute instrument placements that were considered by the audio engineers when producing the music. However, the larger sound stage and improved sound reproduction come at a cost. Because of the perforated housing of open-back headphones, you won’t have any isolation when listening to your music. This means if you’re in a public space, all external noises will leak into your headphones and the people around you will be able to hear what you're listening to.

What Are Closed-Back Headphones?

Pair of closed-back headphones If you’re looking for headphones with more isolation and a smaller, more compact sound stage, grab yourself some closed-back headphones. As the name suggests, closed-back headphones are built with sealed housing. This means external noise won’t leak into the ear cups and your audio will remain inside your headphones. This isolation feature offered by closed-back headphones allows you to feel as if you’re in the soundproof studio with the artist as they record. Typically, bass response is also stronger in closed-back headphones. These headphones have become one of the most popular headphones in the market as manufacturers have continued to design headphones with more realistic sound and exceptional isolation with active noise cancellation.

Which Headphones Are Better?

listening to headphones at the cafe Like we stated before, the answer to this question is determined by your personal preferences and planned usages. Are you looking for headphones that offer great isolation and a smaller sound stage? Or, are you looking for headphones that offer a live concert-like listening experience with a larger sound stage? These are questions you should be asking yourself before purchasing open or closed-back headphones. If you’re aiming to buy headphones for work at the office, you may want to get closed-back headphones to avoid your coworkers hearing your audio. However, if you plan on simply buying headphones for listening to music at home, open and closed-back headphones are both great options. Although, if you live in a noisy household and are trying to get extra sleep, closed-backs could be your best friend in this scenario.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the best type of headphones comes down to your personal preference and opinion. You may prefer closed-back headphones for all types of applications, whereas someone else may prefer open-backs. The choice is yours and it’s up to you to decide what is best for you. However, certain environments are better suited for certain types of headphones and we’re here to inform you about the different features offered for those particular scenarios. We recommend closed-back headphones if you're listening to music or audio in public spaces, at work, or in the studio. But if you prefer the sound to leak into your headphones while listening to music, by all means, get yourself some open-back headphones. If you’re someone looking to further the comfort and sound of your headphones, check us out at Dekoniaudio.com where we have a variety of headphone accessories including attenuation kits and upgraded ear pads which allow you to modify the sound of your headphones as you pursue the perfect listening experience.

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