← All technologyOpen-back headphones
An enclosure design, distinct from the driver technology.
How it works
Open-back headphones have an acoustically open rear enclosure. Sennheiser’s HD 414 is a documented 1968 milestone in this design history.
What to check when choosing
Editorial guidance: consider a quiet listening room and check sound leakage before using headphones near a recording microphone.
Limits of the claim
Open-back does not mean planar, and it does not establish a particular frequency response or a universal sound-quality advantage.
Sources & provenance
Primary-source confidence means the source directly documents the statement, not that every historical priority or performance claim has been independently established.
Models with documented support
Links use recorded specifications. Missing evidence is not treated as a negative finding.
Audio-TechnicaWired
over-ear · open-back
470 Ω
Audio-TechnicaWired
over-ear · open-back
38 Ω
Audio-TechnicaWired
over-ear · open-back
38 Ω
SennheiserWired
over-ear · open-back
300 Ω
SennheiserWired
over-ear · open-back
300 Ω
SennheiserWired
over-ear · open-back
300 Ω
SennheiserWired
over-ear · open-back
Manufacturer specifications
SennheiserWired
over-ear · open-back
50 Ω
SennheiserWired
over-ear · open-back
300 Ω
beyerdynamicWired
over-ear · open-back
48 Ω
beyerdynamicWired
over-ear · open-back
48 Ω
beyerdynamicWired
over-ear · open-back
80 / 250 (separate variants) Ω
AKGWired
over-ear · open-back
62 Ω
ShureWired
over-ear · open-back
40 mm
Audio-TechnicaWired
over-ear · open-back
50 Ω
Audio-TechnicaWired
over-ear · open-back
470 Ω
Audio-TechnicaWired
over-ear · open-back
48 Ω
AKGWired
over-ear · open-back
62 Ω
beyerdynamicWired
over-ear · open-back
48 Ω
AudezeWired
over-ear · open-back
70 Ω
AudezeWired
over-ear · open-back
70 Ω
AudezeWired
over-ear · open-back
20 Ω
AudezeWired
over-ear · open-back
18 Ω