Best open-back headphones
Open-back headphones let air and sound pass through the ear cups, which gives a wide, natural sound, as if the music were in the room rather than inside your head. The trade-off is that they leak sound both ways, so they suit a quiet room at home, not a commute or an open office. Many need more power than a phone puts out.
Quick answer The AKG K240 Studio is our top pick, followed by the Sennheiser HD 505 and Sennheiser HD 660S2.
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Top pick
AKG K240 Studio
Semi-open studio headphones
- Over-ear cups for long sessions
- Fit
- Over-ear
- Connection
- Wired
- Noise cancelling
- No
- Best for
- Studio, Music
- Microphone
- No mic
- Ear cups
- Open-back
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Sennheiser HD 505
Open-back wired hi-fi headphones
- Over-ear cups for long sessions
- Fit
- Over-ear
- Connection
- Wired
- Noise cancelling
- No
- Best for
- Music
- Microphone
- No mic
- Ear cups
- Open-back
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Sennheiser HD 660S2
Open-back reference headphones
- Over-ear cups for long sessions
- Fit
- Over-ear
- Connection
- Wired
- Noise cancelling
- No
- Best for
- Studio, Music
- Microphone
- No mic
- Ear cups
- Open-back
PriceToday's price on AmazonView on Amazon
Sennheiser HD 490 Pro
Open-back reference studio headphones
- Over-ear cups for long sessions
- Fit
- Over-ear
- Connection
- Wired
- Noise cancelling
- No
- Best for
- Studio, Music
- Microphone
- No mic
- Ear cups
- Open-back
PriceToday's price on AmazonView on Amazon
Sennheiser HD 800 S
Open-back reference headphones
- Over-ear cups for long sessions
- Fit
- Over-ear
- Connection
- Wired
- Noise cancelling
- No
- Best for
- Studio, Music
- Microphone
- No mic
- Ear cups
- Open-back
PriceToday's price on AmazonView on Amazon
Sony INZONE H6 Air
Open-back wired gaming headset
- Over-ear cups for long sessions
- Fit
- Over-ear
- Connection
- Wired
- Noise cancelling
- No
- Best for
- Gaming
- Microphone
- Boom mic
- Ear cups
- Open-back
PriceToday's price on AmazonView on Amazon
Sennheiser HD 600
Open-back reference headphones
- Over-ear cups for long sessions
- Fit
- Over-ear
- Connection
- Wired
- Noise cancelling
- No
- Best for
- Studio, Music
- Microphone
- No mic
- Ear cups
- Open-back
PriceToday's price on AmazonView on Amazon
Sennheiser HD 560S
Open-back reference headphones
- Over-ear cups for long sessions
- Fit
- Over-ear
- Connection
- Wired
- Noise cancelling
- No
- Best for
- Studio, Music
- Microphone
- No mic
- Ear cups
- Open-back
PriceToday's price on AmazonView on Amazon
Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro X
Open-back studio headphones, no amp needed
- Over-ear cups for long sessions
- Fit
- Over-ear
- Connection
- Wired
- Noise cancelling
- No
- Best for
- Studio, Music
- Microphone
- No mic
- Ear cups
- Open-back
PriceToday's price on AmazonView on Amazon
ASUS ROG Kithara
Open-back planar headphones with boom mic
- Over-ear cups for long sessions
- Fit
- Over-ear
- Connection
- Wired
- Noise cancelling
- No
- Best for
- Gaming, Music
- Microphone
- Boom mic
- Ear cups
- Open-back
PriceToday's price on AmazonView on Amazon
Compare the top picks
| Model | Fit | Connection | Noise cancelling | Best for | Microphone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AKG K240 Studio | Over-ear | Wired | No | Studio, Music | No mic |
| Sennheiser HD 505 | Over-ear | Wired | No | Music | No mic |
| Sennheiser HD 660S2 | Over-ear | Wired | No | Studio, Music | No mic |
| Sennheiser HD 490 Pro | Over-ear | Wired | No | Studio, Music | No mic |
| Sennheiser HD 800 S | Over-ear | Wired | No | Studio, Music | No mic |
| Sony INZONE H6 Air | Over-ear | Wired | No | Gaming | Boom mic |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | Over-ear | Wired | No | Studio, Music | No mic |
| Sennheiser HD 560S | Over-ear | Wired | No | Studio, Music | No mic |
| Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro X | Over-ear | Wired | No | Studio, Music | No mic |
| ASUS ROG Kithara | Over-ear | Wired | No | Gaming, Music | Boom mic |
What to look for
Open back or closed back?
Open-back cups sound wider and more natural, without the boomy, in-your-head feel of sealed cups, and they stay cooler over long sessions. Closed backs block outside noise and keep your music private. At home in a quiet room, open back; on a train, in an office or next to a recording mic, closed back.
Check how hard they are to drive
Many open-back headphones have high impedance or low sensitivity, so a phone or laptop jack may not drive them loud or clean enough. As a rough guide, 32 to 80 ohms is usually fine from a laptop, while 250 ohms and up often benefits from a small headphone amp or DAC.
Good for gaming, with a catch
The wide soundstage helps place footsteps and gunfire, which is why some gaming headsets now have open backs. The catch is that sound leaks out, so a nearby mic or anyone in the room hears your game. Pair them with a mic that sits away from the cups.
How we picked
We compared 292 headphones with real Amazon listings and kept the 26 that meet all of this:
- Over-ear cups for long sessions
Every pick fits, so the order is about what to look at first. Models that independent reviewers recommend come first, the most often recommended at the top. The rest follow, best known and best liked first, with the newest model of a line ahead of older ones. No brand pays to be listed or placed higher. Prices change daily, so we never print one; Amazon shows today's price.
Reviews we drew on
We don't test products ourselves. These published roundups recommend picks on this list:
- soundguys.com Best open back headphones to buy in 2024
- soundguys.com The best headphones in 2026: Lab-tested by experts
- au.pcmag.com The Best Audiophile Headphones for 2026
- soundguys.com The best studio headphones in 2026: Enjoy your wired listening
- pcgamer.com Sony Inzone H6 Air review
- whathifi.com Best wireless headphones 2026
- whathifi.com Best wired headphones 2026: the 5 top pairs tested by our review experts
- techradar.com Best Xbox Series X headsets in 2026
Questions
Do open-back headphones leak sound?
Yes, by design. People near you hear what you're playing at moderate volume, and outside noise comes in too. That's why they suit a quiet room at home rather than public places or shared offices.
Are open-back headphones better for mixing?
Many engineers prefer them for mixing because the open sound is closer to listening on speakers and less tiring over long sessions. Closed backs are better for recording, since open backs leak the track into the mic.
Do open-back headphones have less bass?
They usually have less deep, rumbling bass than sealed headphones, because there is no closed chamber to build pressure. Good open backs still have clean, accurate bass; it just doesn't hit as hard.
Are open-back headphones good for gaming?
They're popular for both story and competitive games because the wide soundstage makes it easier to tell where sounds come from. The downsides are sound leaking into your mic and hearing the room around you, so they suit a quiet space.
Can you wear open-back headphones in public?
You can, but people near you will hear your audio and you will hear traffic and chatter clearly. For commuting and flights, closed-back or noise cancelling headphones work far better.
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