So recently, I was watching a video by a professional gamer named Ninja. You might have heard of him. Now, being the headphone geek and the audiophile I am, I couldn’t help but notice the headphones he was wearing. The amazing open backs????!
After that, I decided why not create a list of affordable open back headphones for you – the readers. However, while researching, soon I realized there’s an almost perfect Best open back headphones in 2021 list by the guys at soundinout.
And therefore, I dropped that idea. But the urge of sharing something regarding open back headphones wasn’t getting any colder. So, after much consideration, I decided to write this fantastic article describing the WHY for our readers who don’t know anything about open back headphones.
Before starting the central part, i.e., WHY, let’s have a look at the WHAT.
What are Open back headphones?
Open back headphones, as the name suggests, are a kind of headphones with an open back or no closing on the outer side. In short, they let the air pass through from the outside to the inside, or in other words from the ear cups to the speaker element.
That’s it. That’s the only difference from a physical point of view. However, from a functionality point of view, they are a lot different from the closed ones. Let’s discuss that!
Why Open Back Headphones?
There are many reasons why one might want to consider an open back headphone. Some of the primary reasons being:
Cooling:
As we discussed in the “what” section, Open back headphones allows the air flow, which means, the ears will remain cooler.
If you wear your regular close back headphones all day (possibly playing PUBG or Fortnite), chances are your ears might warm up. Therefore, having an open back headphone should be a priority, because at last, as the saying goes, “Health is wealth.”
Realistic output:
This, possibly, is the most important reason for considering a pair of open backs. With the reduced distortion and sound coloration, the sound production via the open back headphones is as realistic as it can be. Of course, the quality depends on the budget and the provider, but the output is the most natural technologically possible as of now.
The sound resonates in all the direction in the case of open back headphones.
The ability to produce high-quality true-to-ear sound makes them the obvious choice for gamers and professional musicians.
Dual listening environment:
This might be a pro or a con depending on the situation. But let’s be optimistic for a moment and appreciate the fact that open back headphones provide a ‘Dual listening environment.’
But, what does it mean? Well, let me explain it with a scenario. For instance, you are playing a game with the closed back headphones. Your mom or your wife shouts “Food’s ready!” and you didn’t listen because of those noise canceling/isolating closed backs. Now, you don’t want to miss that delicious food, do you?
That’s where the open back is useful. If you want to listen to the outside environment as well as the audio of the game or a song, open back’s the best. However, on the flip side, if you want to isolate the noise in an airplane or the office, better go with the closed ones.
All in all, Dual listening environment is something one must appreciate about the open back headphones.
The Experience:
Experience is what I am in for. Open back, unquestionably, provides the best audio experience if there is no external noise. This is why the gamers opt for the open back headphones.
If you are a gamer, you can distinctly identify every audio in the game which is very crucial for many games like the PUBG. You can hear the footsteps of the enemy or the direction from which the gunshots are fired; which BTW can decide the result of the game.
Not only is it beneficial for gamers but also audiophiles like you and me can have the best experience. The feel of listening via open backs can be compared to the experience of the singer himself/herself. You will be able to listen to each and every instrument distinctly and in a manner in which it is meant to be.
Final words:
If you want a perfect headphone for the best experience or any of the abovementioned advantages, go for open back headphones. But if you live in a noisy environment or your day to day activity doesn’t include gaming or hours of constant audio, closed back are equally good.
If you wish to read a list of pros and cons of the open back and closed back, do let me know in the comments. Until then, Goodbye.