An endless debate and one that can overwhelm us no matter our level of expertise!
Let me start by saying this: there’s no right or wrong answer here. This can serve as two things: one being the thought that “Great! Whatever I buy will be the right choice!”, and the other meaning to some of us, myself included, that “Maybe I’ll just get both.” Open and closed back headphones definitely service different purposes, and have different pros and cons, depending on your needs. All jokes aside, they’re also both handy to have around for different jobs. Open back allow your ears to feel less fatigued over long sessions, with air flow in and out of the headphone cup, while closed back headphones offer supreme isolation, also keeping all that precious low-end inside.
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Closed-Back
One of the main advantages of closed-back headphones is that they have exceptional isolation, meaning that even in noisy environments you’ll be able to hear the finest details of the audio coming through. This might be handy for someone who catches public transport during busy commuting times or who lives in an especially loud house or area like next to a train line.
Another advantage is that they have low leakage, which is ideal for a recording environment where its important that the microphones don’t pick up any sound other than the instrument or voice that they’re meant to e.g. a metronome or backing track playing through the headphones. A third reason to use closed-back headphones is that they have superior bass reproduction to open-back. Many engineers and producers like to have a singer in the room with them for better communication, the glass and a talkback mic serving as a literal and emotional barrier between the engineer and singer. This sometimes leading to uncomfortable miscommunications at a time where singers need our support the most!
Closed back headphones also serve self-recording musicians well, with playback, the metronome and your own voice all being better isolated from each other for minimal bleed!
Open Back
All this isolation does come at a cost though – the isolated headphone cups are not unlike a tiny room around your ears, albeit well-treated! The minimisation of standing waves and reflections means that there is a more natural sound due to less coloration than a closed-back headphone can provide. Similarly, there is a better transient response due to less air pressure against the driver meaning the driver can respond better to changes in the audio signal. This is especially beneficial when listening to sound sources with a lot of voices like a choir or an orchestra.
Gamers like to use open-back headphones because it is lighter on the head and therefore more comfortable for long gaming sessions. Overall though an open-back headphone can provide “a more natural sound with increased soundstage width and depth.”
