A nicely done video! I appreciate your description of the aural difference between open and closed back headphones because that's what I have been trying to understand. Also, the 😀"split screen" interview with your doppelganger was cute and effective. Nice job!
i've just bought and try an open back headphone for the first time and i'm listening the music like i have never heard it before, its amazing how everything is extremely detailed, every single sound and for gaming too the quality of the sounds its unreal... the only drawback is that you have to be in a quiet room because you will hear everything from the outside
Totally up to your sound-if you can do with the monitors, you’re good! I only use headphones if I’m in an acoustically bad space, needing to be quiet, or recording. I love my 2.1 with JBL LSR08s!
I love your room. When I get my first home, I want a room dedicated to my nerdy stuff - videogames, sound/audiophile, maybe having our own UA-cam channel. Nicely done, Oliver. Keep up the great work.
what i wanted to know was that do open ones exhaust your ears less compared to closed ones?helping me listen for longer periods of time without feeling the need to take my headphones off
Ahh, I've watched so many videos where it's obvious that someone is just really trying to streeeeeetch out their recording and didn't give any real, solid information about the different products. Your video was great, to the point and really taught me something about the variety of headphones out there and made it easy to understand. I primarily use my headphones for gaming in quiet environments. You've given me valuable info and helped guide me to a decision of wanting to invest in a nice pair of open-back headphones. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing this. I TOTALLY agree and hate it when there's 4 minutes of BS before the actual review. Let me know if you have any questions in your for a good set of headphones!
I’ve owned the Sony wh-1000xm2for 3 years, they are great for out and about in Bluetooth mode, you can also have them wired and connected to a portable dac, but I’m seriously thinking of investing in some focal celestee, for home use.
Hi Oliver, thx for the vid... exactly what i'm looking for to help me navigate which better pair of headphones I should edge towards. I'd like also suggest, humbly, that you sit your mic down vs holding it and having it wobble. It's horribly distracting... on :43 in and i'm getting dizzy. cheers mate
Hi Oliver. So are you saying open back headphones are the best for using with a DAW like FL Studio for mixing, levelling and mastering? I have no good quality speakers so unfortunately I can only use headphones. I keep hearing contradictions. Some say it’s best to mix in closed back headphones as consumers would mostly hear songs on closed back systems such as in-ear earphones and iphone earpods. While others say open back. So confusing. :(
It is so confusing!! Take everything everyone says with a big splash of soy sauce. It's ultimately up to you. I prefer open backs because they allow a much more natural space for your soundstage to exist. Anyone who says mix on what people consume with is tragically misguided because when serious listeners consumer your content there will be so many mixing issues. (This is to people who mix on laptop speakers and such haha) At the end of the day - use what you have. Test in your car, on a bluetooth speaker, test against professional music that moves you. Learn grow make mistakes repeat.
if you want to mix and master in headphones and need to hear every little sound like a FX or a reverb then buy CLOSED BACK......they tune you in for recording studios..but everybody different to each its own..CLOSED BACKS work better for me
Hi great video .👍🏼 What are your thoughts on semi open headphones and what are some moderately priced recommendations thank you! (More for recording in Garage Band and some mixing)
Hey, Thanks for the video. I own a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770's (80 Ohms ). Whenever i am usually outside my house i end up listening to music on cheaper in ear earphones ( Apple earphones and a pair of Jbl bluetooth earphones ). Do you think i should stick to Beyerdynamic for most of the consumption part too? I am asking this from a mixing perspective. Do you think it can lead to my ears making wrong decisions in some cases?
I wouldn’t have any expertise on that but it’s an interesting question! Does listening to average headphones hurt your ability to mix? Hmmm. Would love to explore that but my gut says not a bit.
The Sony 1000X and 1000XM2 can also be used with a cable and the noise cancelling can be turned off if needed. So used in this way they become normal wired closed back headphones. What's your opinion of using them 'in the girls' for audio work? That would mean one pair of headphones could cover bother audio work and consumer wireless roles.
Yep! I’ve used them passively a few times-even with the Neve headphone amp. Here’s the deal: they aren’t the best. They sound like probably 50$-75$ monitor headphones used passively. Really boomy mids, not a lot of definition or separation in music. Pretty cluttered. They do have great high frequency response, and of course a lot of bass. So all that to say-really pleasurable to listen to music on via the Bluetooth and noise canceling, hard for me to mix on because I know I’m missing frequencies and clarity. However-I will still mix on them occasionally when I’m in public or wanting that wonderful Bluetooth and noise cancellation. It’s all about knowing the relationship between your different signals so you can replicate your signal chain no matter what you’re monitoring with!
I have the v3 and it’s a little frustrating how muddled the sound quality is for $350, but you buy those for convenience not for hifidelity audio experiences
Hard to say as I've never tried the newer HD 660s - what I will say is that the 660s has a lower impedance which allows less "drive" to power the headphones so you could theoretically listen with them plugged straight into your computer, or a portable player like an iPhone. They come with the variety of connections for all of that. I would venture to say that they would both be extremely comparable.
This is my soundcard! -7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC1150 Audio Codec) - Premium Blu-ray Audio support - Supports Surge Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection) - Supports Purity Sound™ 3 - Nichicon Fine Gold Series Audio Caps - 115dB SNR DAC with differential amplifier - TI® NE5532 Premium Headset Amplifier (Supports up to 600 ohm headsets) - Pure Power-In - Direct Drive Technology - PCB isolate shielding - Supports DTS Connect
Great video. Question: When you say at 3:50 you wouldn't use open-back for monitoring but then at 4:03 you say they're good for mixing. What's the difference? I thought that monitoring headphones and mixing headphones were the same thing? I mean, when I use headphones for mixing those headphones are my monitors right? So I don't understand the difference here. Thanks so much for a great video!
Great video man and I've been curious about the difference between open back vs closed back headphones lol .... My thing is guitar and i have JUST gotten back into electric guitar after a 7-8 year stretch of acoustic guitar ONLY ...... Due to the modern technology that will allow me to actually take a 7 watt amp , effects processor pedal , and wireless transmitter and receiver to remote ( mainly wooded) areas to have uninterrupted jam sessions at higher levels for better resonance .....HOWEVER sometimes it's raining , cold , middle of the night , etc and I'd love a good cheap 40-60$ dollar pair of earphones to just plug into my 50 watt combo amp anytime without causing issues lol ...... I'm leaning towards the open back because I could probably ALSO use them outside and still have some ability to hear impending danger or a thunderstorm coming lol .... I'm thinking that the closed back would be quieter for late night practice sessions BUT won't allow for anything else that i might NEED to hear like phone , door , thunderstorms etc lol .... ( funny it JUST started thundering as i was typing lol) .... Anyway maybe you can get back on what you'd think .... But I'll probably end up with some open back either way .... AND probably just get a pair of closed (akg or something) later lol
Really nice video man, I was lookin for some good cans I can use for gaming mostly RPG's and competitive shooters like PUBG/mobas, then casual entertainment like listening music and watching movies, I ordered the M50X's and maybe I rushed a bit too much, will open back will be much better for me though? Like the sennheiser HD 559/598
Totally depends - the M50Xs will probably be wonderful for gaming especially if you've not had a good set of headphones for it in the past. Open back for gaming simply depends on your needs. Do you want to isolate from the background? Go closed. Do you want an immersive, realistic soundscape? Go open.
I'm a conference interpreter and today I heard that open back headphones will be much better for that purpose. Do you have any feedback or comments on that regards? Thank you in advance.
hi i bought a new headset dt 1770 250 ohm big upgrade from senheiser 380 i used for 5-6 years but i felt the 1770 is to closed would you think i should go whit the dt 1990 pro 250 ohm its the same drivers but just whit openback. i felt the hd 380 was alot more open compared to the 1770.
I only mix with open back headphones because I know them. I could care less if it sounds crappy on laptop speakers or any low quality speakers because thats not my fault they suck lol.
You mean 'I couldn't care less'. 'I could care less' as a phrase for conveying that you don't care at all is useless as the only thing it rules out is that you care at least a little.
You want something that isolates like a closed back and sounds more open than a hd650? Try shure srh1540! Their tone is more suited to lower volume of listening but that's what that makes them special. They have really good enclosure and driver, and because of lower volume, the chamber resonances are minimum. They sound more detailed and more open than hd600/650 easily.
@@OliverJHughes try to get some thick aftermarket earpads along with them. I love the stock sound with stock earpads but it had a limitation that it sounds good only till 75-80db listening levels beyond which the chassis starts to resonate and the tone starts to feel breaky. I personally listen very quiet and it doesnt bother me but it might do so for others. With a thicker aftermarket pad these might be solved. Ignore any of their cheaper sets - srh440, srh840, srh940. I can attest that the srh940 sounds fantastic (nearly as good as srh1540) but all three of them are known to have shoddy build quality. Srh1540 is much better in that regard.
Very helpful content and very well presented! I recently got sennheisers Game ones for gaming and totally felt in love with them. Now I want something to just enjoy music and maybe movies... would you recommend sennheisers hd6xx, hd58xx jubilee or dt770pro for such purposes? Have you tried audiotechnicas m50x?
Yes I own the M50X and I love them for field recording, not music listening. IF you've got the budget for the HD650s GO FOR IT! (6xx on Massdrop) They're my favorite from this list. I'm really enjoying the DT770 pros as well, but they're closed back and have a bit of a sibilance issue (at least the 250 ohm model)
I have M50s, love em, good closed back headphones. Also I have HD599.. Check THEM out. they are open back and great... hd 600 series too expensive and maybe hard to run, but yeah depends on budget
I am not looking for headphones for recording, mixing or any of that i simply just want to enjoy music on a next level. I am considering getting the Focal Clear headphones, whats your opinion on those for simply wanting to up my listening experience to the next level and experience music in its true nature.
I can't personally speak to the quality of Focal Clear as I've never tried them. They sure look good, and the price point would at least indicate some level of quality, right!? If you simply want a great listening experience, I would just say any open back headphone with a decent signal chain would be fantastic. (If not analog, then hi-res WAV music, good D/A output interface, headphone amplifier, etc.)
Dt 770 32/80 ohms would be fine. You would need an amp/dac/audio interface to properly drive the 250 ohms version. 880s are semi open back. Sound would bleed
I also went to a store, some years ago, to test the Beats, from the studio to all of them... thought to myself (and I am not even a mixing engineer): “Maaaan, how can Dre sell this stuff and lie in his commercials? That junk is
or you can just put something to make the closed heaphones be 30 mm away. like a piese of closh or anything. and then u will have the soundstage. just put ur hands on the closed backs and get them a little away from the ears. and u will see
Great video! Very helpful but I need your opinion haha. I want to buy a good pair of all around headphones. I do video and audio editing but right now I'm using the standard apple ear pods. I know I know they're not very good but they work (my clients aren't super high end lol) anyway I've been looking at the sony wh1000xm2's. I'm currently testing my friends Bose qc 35's and I'm not super impressed. I just want a good pair of headphones that will last me a while, sound good for consuming music, and will working for editing. If you wouldn't mind give me your opinion. What do you recommend? Also for the Sony's is there any kind of white noise when there isn't any music playing (like when editing for example)? I heard that that was an issue with the noise cancelling. Thanks in advance!
I have the Sony's and I really love them for what they do - which is wireless and noise cancelling. They are not the best for accurate representation of your mix, but if you're upgrading form apple pods, you will LOVE the Sonys! Now, if you didn't like the Bose QC35s, you may not like the Sonys - I thought the Quiet Comforts had slightly better noise cancelling, but very comparable sound quality. Also, there's no white noise issues with the Sonys at all, they are top of the line in their connectivity, battery life, and noise cancelling.
Alright cool! Would you recommend any other headphones (don't necessarily have to be bluetooth) for a good all around? Like if you were buying your first pair of headphones and you were like me (stated above) and just really enjoyed listening to music. Also I appreciate you taking the time for this.
Sennheiser HD280 Pros can’t be beat on price and sound - they’re passive and wired but the best for the cost. They were my first pair of “good” headphones!
Okay great! ha, just responded to your other comment! I'm not sure where to direct you, I had experimented with a few tube phonostage amps, but when my turntable is working and I want to really enjoy it, I use my Neve RNHP and the 650s!
It's like apples and oranges. Open back are essentially created to make it feel like there are speakers "around you" rather than just straight into your ears. Typically, you can pinpoint where the sound is coming from with open back headphones much better than closed back but you'll want to ensure you are in an isolated space with minimal background noise because you will hear things happening around you in "the real world" and it could damper immersion.
It depends on the headphones. Soundstage has nothing to do with open back vs closed back, despite all these false claims. Soundstage with headphones has to do with how far the drivers are from your ears. Some closed back headphones have drivers that are further from the ears, such as the Sennheiser HD300 Pros and it has a closed but spacious soundstage. The Sennheiser 650 or 6XX have the open sound, but for an open back the drivers are rather close to the ears compared to many other open backs. This gives the 650 a famous "intimate" sound, which is the OPPOSITE of spacious. So you can have an open sound with an intimate soundstage, or a closed sound with a spacious soundstage. People conflate an open sound with spaciousness of the soundstage, and this is WRONG. The so called "spaciousness" of open backs has nothing to do with the size of the soundstage, but rather the space it allows for sound to travel into the ambient space and from the sound of the ambient space into the headphones. The "mixing" between the two gives a sense of "space", but NOT in the sense of a larger soundstage. How can the soundstage actually be any larger if the distance of the drivers from the ears hasn't increased? It is impossible.
Over ear headphones compared to on ear headphones are the two types of headphones to compare to really understand how the distance of the drivers from the ears affect how spacious and wide the soundstage of a headphone is. Open back headphones are almost always over ears and over ears almost always have the drivers set at least slightly further from the ears compared to most on ear headphones. Closed back headphones can also have an over ear design, and depending on how far the driver is from the ear, they can provide even more soundstage than an open back.
@@tb1235 There is also the issue of bass heavy headphones where the bass dominates the soundstage, making the soundstage sound more cramped. The actual soundstage hasn't actually changed, but because of the bass heavy frequency response, it nevertheless sounds "cramped". You can try to eq away some of the bass for a flatter frequency response and to make the headphones sound less cramped, but then you run into the issue of time smearing and phase. Eqs work in a way that alters a part of the frequency range via a feedback system. This means traditional minimum phase eqs always alter the phase relationship of the frequencies. This results in a lack of clarity in the range that is altered, which results in an overall decrease of clarity. In audio engineering, we use something called a linear phase eq to deal with signals that need to be phase coherent, which requires a delay to offset feedback phase issue. Although it fixes the phase issue with traditional eqs, it adds latency to the system and has a digital artifact called "pre-ringing", whereby a slight bit of the reversed sound of transients precedes the transients. This results in an added "harshness" to the transients.
I would never suggest to people to use open back headsets FOR GAMING in party chat. I have friends that just got the new Mashdrop Sennheisers that are opened and its very disturbing when we play video games together. I can hear everything that they hear because the mic captures the sound that comes out of the headsets. My voice, his game sounds etc. And that beats the purpose. He can not use high volume because everyone in party hears what he hears.
How is your mic stand going? Are you holding it in your hand or your feet? That thing moving around is really annoying. Other than that good video, thanks. But honestly fix up that mic stand.
Anything Sennheiser is very respectable! The seemingly best ones under $100 are here: amzn.to/2xeXc8Y Now, keep in mind that I've never personally tested out the HD598s, so make sure and do your own due diligence on the set.
Agreed that open backs are the best for mixing, however, I would mention that buying them calibrated is important. Sonarworks is a good place for calibrated headphones: storeus.sonarworks.com/collections/warehouse-clearance OR you could get the OOLO S4 headphones that are nearly flat out of the box: www.olloaudio.com/studio-headphones a guaranteed flat response or you can return them.
Great and nice video, why you dont have yet more subs ? Your review is acurate and well explained, and the video quality is top. I am deciding between Beyerdynamics 770 and Audiotechnica M50x
I can honestly say, i absolutely hate the sound of open backed headphones, to me they sound very harsh in the midrange, to the point i cant use them without a 20 band EQ, its like listening to a speaker that has no cabinet, you need a headphone that translates well to ported speakers, and im afraid open backed types dont to my ears
I just watched this... went to the store to buy the Sennheiser HD 280 Pros and was not impressed. Returning them tomorrow. I prefer my Beats By Dre Pro's and Shure SE215 in ear monitor's!
Patrick Ukemi holy fuck are you actually stupid? FUCKING BEATS OVER HD 280, I don’t even know what to fucking say,it’s like picking a new FIAT over and old Ferrari,🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Herd mentality and aggressive marketing. To be completely fair, I haven't listened to any modern Beats iterations, especially since Apple acquired them. I remember the originals and they were legitimately horrible sounding. I had a pair of Tascam headphones that cost $20 that sounded better than $200 Beats.
@@OliverJHughes much more accurate! Do you have a suggestion of an open back headphone with bass for a hip hop listener around the $500 CAD price range?
Ya know, I actually don't know many open back headphones yet - my first pair is the Sennheiser HD650s mentioned herein - and they're great for hip hop in that they have incredible detail - but I have nothing to compare them to yet!
WHO WANTS A NEW SET OF CANS: gleam.io/IW6PO/summer-headphone-giveaway-sennheiser-hd-280-pro
Oliver J Hughes I DO. DONT TEASE ME
Closed back for recording and watching porn. Open back for mixing and music enjoyment. Simple.
Great calls - always being safe!
you saved my time so i think wired for mixing and wireless for sitting in a corner and watching porn
wait… you use headphones when watching porn?
@@corgikun2579 Why watch the action, when you can be the CENTER of action.
video quality is MIND BLOWING DUDE
Thank you!!
A nicely done video! I appreciate your description of the aural difference between open and closed back headphones because that's what I have been trying to understand. Also, the 😀"split screen" interview with your doppelganger was cute and effective. Nice job!
Wow, finally someone that can't use inears as well. I always thought I was really Strange with my ears
Yep! Glad I'm not alone
BrudiDog same I thought I was alone lol!
You're not alone buddy.
I can’t stand inears
i've just bought and try an open back headphone for the first time and i'm listening the music like i have never heard it before, its amazing how everything is extremely detailed, every single sound and for gaming too the quality of the sounds its unreal... the only drawback is that you have to be in a quiet room because you will hear everything from the outside
what headphone did you buy?
@@bigboipeepee audio-technica ath-pdg1
That was goooood...I started cracking up when your "buddy" came out! Fantastic job. Thanks for sharing Oliver.
Should I be using Headphones for editing? right now I am just running the audio through some cheap 2.1 speakers.
Totally up to your sound-if you can do with the monitors, you’re good!
I only use headphones if I’m in an acoustically bad space, needing to be quiet, or recording. I love my 2.1 with JBL LSR08s!
I love your room. When I get my first home, I want a room dedicated to my nerdy stuff - videogames, sound/audiophile, maybe having our own UA-cam channel. Nicely done, Oliver. Keep up the great work.
Yes, I loved it as well - miss it now since it's no longer!
what i wanted to know was that do open ones exhaust your ears less compared to closed ones?helping me listen for longer periods of time without feeling the need to take my headphones off
Ahh, I've watched so many videos where it's obvious that someone is just really trying to streeeeeetch out their recording and didn't give any real, solid information about the different products. Your video was great, to the point and really taught me something about the variety of headphones out there and made it easy to understand. I primarily use my headphones for gaming in quiet environments. You've given me valuable info and helped guide me to a decision of wanting to invest in a nice pair of open-back headphones. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing this. I TOTALLY agree and hate it when there's 4 minutes of BS before the actual review. Let me know if you have any questions in your for a good set of headphones!
This was surprisingly enjoyable and informative. Thanks, man.
I’ve owned the Sony wh-1000xm2for 3 years, they are great for out and about in Bluetooth mode, you can also have them wired and connected to a portable dac, but I’m seriously thinking of investing in some focal celestee, for home use.
Hi Oliver, thx for the vid... exactly what i'm looking for to help me navigate which better pair of headphones I should edge towards. I'd like also suggest, humbly, that you sit your mic down vs holding it and having it wobble. It's horribly distracting... on :43 in and i'm getting dizzy. cheers mate
Dude, I don't wanna sound weird, but your voice is the *PINNACLE* of soothing, and Beautiful man
You are too kind 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
This is a very well made video. Thank you :)
Hi Oliver. So are you saying open back headphones are the best for using with a DAW like FL Studio for mixing, levelling and mastering? I have no good quality speakers so unfortunately I can only use headphones.
I keep hearing contradictions. Some say it’s best to mix in closed back headphones as consumers would mostly hear songs on closed back systems such as in-ear earphones and iphone earpods.
While others say open back.
So confusing. :(
It is so confusing!! Take everything everyone says with a big splash of soy sauce. It's ultimately up to you. I prefer open backs because they allow a much more natural space for your soundstage to exist. Anyone who says mix on what people consume with is tragically misguided because when serious listeners consumer your content there will be so many mixing issues. (This is to people who mix on laptop speakers and such haha)
At the end of the day - use what you have. Test in your car, on a bluetooth speaker, test against professional music that moves you. Learn grow make mistakes repeat.
Oliver J Hughes “with a big splash of soy sauce.” 😂
Thanks for your help and advice Oliver. :)
Amazing video awesome content pls tell for music production and vocals recording which are more recommended between open back and closed back ?
I just picked up the Sennheiser GSP 600 and those are Sennheisers gaming headphones and those are level above a lot of consumer headphones.
Great video and very helpful!
if you want to mix and master in headphones and need to hear every little sound like a FX or a reverb then buy CLOSED BACK......they tune you in for recording studios..but everybody different to each its own..CLOSED BACKS work better for me
Sennheiser HD300 Pros!
@@thatchinaboi1 what about them??
@@soundsfromYYBY Fucking amazing! Studio grade closed back with a spacious soundstage that is neutral, detailed, transparent, and accurate.
@@thatchinaboi1 i don't like them or the design but to each their own
Hi great video .👍🏼
What are your thoughts on semi open headphones and what are some moderately priced recommendations thank you! (More for recording in Garage Band and some mixing)
Simple answer, *buy both!*
Buy closed back first, save up to same amount and buy open back.
Different usage case.
Hey,
Thanks for the video. I own a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770's (80 Ohms ). Whenever i am usually outside my house i end up listening to music on cheaper in ear earphones ( Apple earphones and a pair of Jbl bluetooth earphones ). Do you think i should stick to Beyerdynamic for most of the consumption part too? I am asking this from a mixing perspective. Do you think it can lead to my ears making wrong decisions in some cases?
I wouldn’t have any expertise on that but it’s an interesting question! Does listening to average headphones hurt your ability to mix? Hmmm. Would love to explore that but my gut says not a bit.
@@OliverJHughes Thanks for your response. I was just curious about it. If i find an answer before you do, i'll post it here. Thanks :).
Thought you had like 500k or something with the quality of this nice job
The Sony 1000X and 1000XM2 can also be used with a cable and the noise cancelling can be turned off if needed. So used in this way they become normal wired closed back headphones. What's your opinion of using them 'in the girls' for audio work? That would mean one pair of headphones could cover bother audio work and consumer wireless roles.
Yep! I’ve used them passively a few times-even with the Neve headphone amp.
Here’s the deal: they aren’t the best. They sound like probably 50$-75$ monitor headphones used passively. Really boomy mids, not a lot of definition or separation in music. Pretty cluttered. They do have great high frequency response, and of course a lot of bass. So all that to say-really pleasurable to listen to music on via the Bluetooth and noise canceling, hard for me to mix on because I know I’m missing frequencies and clarity. However-I will still mix on them occasionally when I’m in public or wanting that wonderful Bluetooth and noise cancellation. It’s all about knowing the relationship between your different signals so you can replicate your signal chain no matter what you’re monitoring with!
Oliver J Hughes Thanks.
I have the v3 and it’s a little frustrating how muddled the sound quality is for $350, but you buy those for convenience not for hifidelity audio experiences
Great video. Thank u.. do u recommend the hd 660 s or hd 650 ? For music listening.
Hard to say as I've never tried the newer HD 660s - what I will say is that the 660s has a lower impedance which allows less "drive" to power the headphones so you could theoretically listen with them plugged straight into your computer, or a portable player like an iPhone. They come with the variety of connections for all of that. I would venture to say that they would both be extremely comparable.
Oliver J Hughes thank u
I am an owner of a HD 650 too.And what do you think about the Bose QC 35 2.Thank you ,nice video.
and what about music producing, is the closed or the open back better?
What about Sennheiser HD599? They are 50 ohm ones, do they need an amp? Am I ok just with a dolby equipped soundcard and spotify music? Thanks man!
This is my soundcard!
-7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC1150 Audio Codec)
- Premium Blu-ray Audio support
- Supports Surge Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection)
- Supports Purity Sound™ 3
- Nichicon Fine Gold Series Audio Caps
- 115dB SNR DAC with differential amplifier
- TI® NE5532 Premium Headset Amplifier (Supports up to 600 ohm headsets)
- Pure Power-In
- Direct Drive Technology
- PCB isolate shielding
- Supports DTS Connect
I’ve never tried the HD599, but with that lower impedance I guarantee you’ll be fine
Yes, indeed, they blast ~105 dB! Thank you plenty!
Great video. Question: When you say at 3:50 you wouldn't use open-back for monitoring but then at 4:03 you say they're good for mixing. What's the difference? I thought that monitoring headphones and mixing headphones were the same thing? I mean, when I use headphones for mixing those headphones are my monitors right? So I don't understand the difference here. Thanks so much for a great video!
Great video man and I've been curious about the difference between open back vs closed back headphones lol .... My thing is guitar and i have JUST gotten back into electric guitar after a 7-8 year stretch of acoustic guitar ONLY ...... Due to the modern technology that will allow me to actually take a 7 watt amp , effects processor pedal , and wireless transmitter and receiver to remote ( mainly wooded) areas to have uninterrupted jam sessions at higher levels for better resonance .....HOWEVER sometimes it's raining , cold , middle of the night , etc and I'd love a good cheap 40-60$ dollar pair of earphones to just plug into my 50 watt combo amp anytime without causing issues lol ...... I'm leaning towards the open back because I could probably ALSO use them outside and still have some ability to hear impending danger or a thunderstorm coming lol .... I'm thinking that the closed back would be quieter for late night practice sessions BUT won't allow for anything else that i might NEED to hear like phone , door , thunderstorms etc lol .... ( funny it JUST started thundering as i was typing lol) .... Anyway maybe you can get back on what you'd think .... But I'll probably end up with some open back either way .... AND probably just get a pair of closed (akg or something) later lol
Really nice video man, I was lookin for some good cans I can use for gaming mostly RPG's and competitive shooters like PUBG/mobas, then casual entertainment like listening music and watching movies, I ordered the M50X's and maybe I rushed a bit too much, will open back will be much better for me though? Like the sennheiser HD 559/598
Totally depends - the M50Xs will probably be wonderful for gaming especially if you've not had a good set of headphones for it in the past. Open back for gaming simply depends on your needs. Do you want to isolate from the background? Go closed. Do you want an immersive, realistic soundscape? Go open.
Thanks for your response man, I decided to return the M50X and I've got some Sennheiser HD58X, I think the open back is the way to go for me
Great video, thanks!
I love open back the most personally. The vacuum effect on my ears or whatever annoys me, and honestly after a while makes my head hurt.
I'm a conference interpreter and today I heard that open back headphones will be much better for that purpose. Do you have any feedback or comments on that regards? Thank you in advance.
hi i bought a new headset dt 1770 250 ohm big upgrade from senheiser 380 i used for 5-6 years but i felt the 1770 is to closed would you think i should go whit the dt 1990 pro 250 ohm its the same drivers but just whit openback. i felt the hd 380 was alot more open compared to the 1770.
I only mix with open back headphones because I know them. I could care less if it sounds crappy on laptop speakers or any low quality speakers because thats not my fault they suck lol.
You mean 'I couldn't care less'. 'I could care less' as a phrase for conveying that you don't care at all is useless as the only thing it rules out is that you care at least a little.
@@reubenw4576 I couldn't care less
Can I use an open back headphones to play an electric drums and still hear some ambience sound?
Oliver!!
Is beyerdynamic dt990 pro good for mixing and mastering??
Reply would be appreciated 😘😘
The only time I’ve listened to the 990s was at a guitar center ha! So I can’t speak to their quality.
Thank you for the reply
You want something that isolates like a closed back and sounds more open than a hd650? Try shure srh1540! Their tone is more suited to lower volume of listening but that's what that makes them special. They have really good enclosure and driver, and because of lower volume, the chamber resonances are minimum. They sound more detailed and more open than hd600/650 easily.
DANG thanks for the recommendation! I'll definitely have to check them out.
@@OliverJHughes try to get some thick aftermarket earpads along with them. I love the stock sound with stock earpads but it had a limitation that it sounds good only till 75-80db listening levels beyond which the chassis starts to resonate and the tone starts to feel breaky. I personally listen very quiet and it doesnt bother me but it might do so for others. With a thicker aftermarket pad these might be solved.
Ignore any of their cheaper sets - srh440, srh840, srh940. I can attest that the srh940 sounds fantastic (nearly as good as srh1540) but all three of them are known to have shoddy build quality. Srh1540 is much better in that regard.
Very helpful content and very well presented! I recently got sennheisers Game ones for gaming and totally felt in love with them. Now I want something to just enjoy music and maybe movies... would you recommend sennheisers hd6xx, hd58xx jubilee or dt770pro for such purposes? Have you tried audiotechnicas m50x?
Yes I own the M50X and I love them for field recording, not music listening. IF you've got the budget for the HD650s GO FOR IT! (6xx on Massdrop) They're my favorite from this list. I'm really enjoying the DT770 pros as well, but they're closed back and have a bit of a sibilance issue (at least the 250 ohm model)
Thanks for the reply I will get 6XXs!
I have M50s, love em, good closed back headphones. Also I have HD599.. Check THEM out. they are open back and great... hd 600 series too expensive and maybe hard to run, but yeah depends on budget
samson sr850 vs sr950??which one is good for mixing n mastering??i live in place where sound is much ambient..pls reply
I don’t know either of those personally! But I’d probably go with the 850s to start since they’re semi-open.
@@OliverJHughes thanks :)
Would you suggest open or closed back when recording a podcast with multiple speakers (2-4) in a small/medium sized room?
Closed back for sure. Open back would bleed too much sound for recording.
Awesome. Thank you. I’ll get the closed back then. You seem to like the one you use so I will go for that! Thanks again.
I am not looking for headphones for recording, mixing or any of that i simply just want to enjoy music on a next level. I am considering getting the Focal Clear headphones, whats your opinion on those for simply wanting to up my listening experience to the next level and experience music in its true nature.
I can't personally speak to the quality of Focal Clear as I've never tried them. They sure look good, and the price point would at least indicate some level of quality, right!?
If you simply want a great listening experience, I would just say any open back headphone with a decent signal chain would be fantastic. (If not analog, then hi-res WAV music, good D/A output interface, headphone amplifier, etc.)
Which headphones would you suggest for recording vocals? Beyerdynamic dt 880 pro 250 ohm or Beyerdynamic dt 770 pro 250 ohm?
Dt 770 32/80 ohms would be fine. You would need an amp/dac/audio interface to properly drive the 250 ohms version.
880s are semi open back. Sound would bleed
@@JoshuaViray 250 ohms are fine, any decent phone can make that loud
I also went to a store, some years ago, to test the Beats, from the studio to all of them... thought to myself (and I am not even a mixing engineer): “Maaaan, how can Dre sell this stuff and lie in his commercials? That junk is
I'll be sticking with closed back until my situation changes.
closed back: for porn
open back: PORN WITH THE BOOOYS
Hey man I'm planning to buy AKG K52. Is it any good ? I will use it for watching movies.
I don't know anything about that particular model - sorry!
@@OliverJHughes it's cool man but still I would really appreciate if you check that out if you can and let me know if it's worth it
Definitely - I've never owned any of the AKG headphones and would love to hear them!
or you can just put something to make the closed heaphones be 30 mm away. like a piese of closh or anything. and then u will have the soundstage. just put ur hands on the closed backs and get them a little away from the ears. and u will see
Interesting idea... will have to try it.
Great video! Very helpful but I need your opinion haha. I want to buy a good pair of all around headphones. I do video and audio editing but right now I'm using the standard apple ear pods. I know I know they're not very good but they work (my clients aren't super high end lol) anyway I've been looking at the sony wh1000xm2's. I'm currently testing my friends Bose qc 35's and I'm not super impressed. I just want a good pair of headphones that will last me a while, sound good for consuming music, and will working for editing. If you wouldn't mind give me your opinion. What do you recommend? Also for the Sony's is there any kind of white noise when there isn't any music playing (like when editing for example)? I heard that that was an issue with the noise cancelling. Thanks in advance!
I have the Sony's and I really love them for what they do - which is wireless and noise cancelling. They are not the best for accurate representation of your mix, but if you're upgrading form apple pods, you will LOVE the Sonys! Now, if you didn't like the Bose QC35s, you may not like the Sonys - I thought the Quiet Comforts had slightly better noise cancelling, but very comparable sound quality.
Also, there's no white noise issues with the Sonys at all, they are top of the line in their connectivity, battery life, and noise cancelling.
Alright cool! Would you recommend any other headphones (don't necessarily have to be bluetooth) for a good all around? Like if you were buying your first pair of headphones and you were like me (stated above) and just really enjoyed listening to music. Also I appreciate you taking the time for this.
Sennheiser HD280 Pros can’t be beat on price and sound - they’re passive and wired but the best for the cost. They were my first pair of “good” headphones!
Wait... where is your Rode PSA1 boom? That was part of the SM7b bling!
Oh it's right behind me, no worries there. I had to improvise to allow my "guest" on this episode 😂
Bro you speak truth .
Try bang and olfsen h6 2nd gen or other updated versions you will be amazed how they sound even if it's compared to open back headphones
Thanks!
@@OliverJHughes hope you do video about it soon 😁
Great video. Clear info provided. Keep more videos.
Great video👍👍
when I saw you're beginning clips of the city I was like I live there. lol
KCMO!
Thank you so much
Ok. HD 650’s are in my cart. Now let’s talk headphone tube amps for Vinyl 😎
Okay great! ha, just responded to your other comment! I'm not sure where to direct you, I had experimented with a few tube phonostage amps, but when my turntable is working and I want to really enjoy it, I use my Neve RNHP and the 650s!
I’ve had the Senheiser 280 pros for 7 years and they suck for mixing. Go with beyerdynamics DT 770 PRO . Much bigger frequency range.
Full agree - I use those Beyers daily 💪🏻
How to know if a heaphone is good for high freaquencies, middle and low ones?
Well, for me I just crafted my ability to hear those differences over years of listening, mixing, listening, and learning.
@@OliverJHughes So, basically, it's just buying and testing it (and watching reviews haha). Got it, thanks for the awser man!
Basically!
Is the soundstage difference big enough to switch from closed to open? I want the music to feel like its happening in the room lol
It's like apples and oranges. Open back are essentially created to make it feel like there are speakers "around you" rather than just straight into your ears. Typically, you can pinpoint where the sound is coming from with open back headphones much better than closed back but you'll want to ensure you are in an isolated space with minimal background noise because you will hear things happening around you in "the real world" and it could damper immersion.
It depends on the headphones. Soundstage has nothing to do with open back vs closed back, despite all these false claims. Soundstage with headphones has to do with how far the drivers are from your ears. Some closed back headphones have drivers that are further from the ears, such as the Sennheiser HD300 Pros and it has a closed but spacious soundstage. The Sennheiser 650 or 6XX have the open sound, but for an open back the drivers are rather close to the ears compared to many other open backs. This gives the 650 a famous "intimate" sound, which is the OPPOSITE of spacious. So you can have an open sound with an intimate soundstage, or a closed sound with a spacious soundstage. People conflate an open sound with spaciousness of the soundstage, and this is WRONG. The so called "spaciousness" of open backs has nothing to do with the size of the soundstage, but rather the space it allows for sound to travel into the ambient space and from the sound of the ambient space into the headphones. The "mixing" between the two gives a sense of "space", but NOT in the sense of a larger soundstage. How can the soundstage actually be any larger if the distance of the drivers from the ears hasn't increased? It is impossible.
Over ear headphones compared to on ear headphones are the two types of headphones to compare to really understand how the distance of the drivers from the ears affect how spacious and wide the soundstage of a headphone is. Open back headphones are almost always over ears and over ears almost always have the drivers set at least slightly further from the ears compared to most on ear headphones. Closed back headphones can also have an over ear design, and depending on how far the driver is from the ear, they can provide even more soundstage than an open back.
@@tb1235 I wonder if you understand the difference I just explained. BTW I am an audio engineer.
@@tb1235 There is also the issue of bass heavy headphones where the bass dominates the soundstage, making the soundstage sound more cramped. The actual soundstage hasn't actually changed, but because of the bass heavy frequency response, it nevertheless sounds "cramped". You can try to eq away some of the bass for a flatter frequency response and to make the headphones sound less cramped, but then you run into the issue of time smearing and phase. Eqs work in a way that alters a part of the frequency range via a feedback system. This means traditional minimum phase eqs always alter the phase relationship of the frequencies. This results in a lack of clarity in the range that is altered, which results in an overall decrease of clarity. In audio engineering, we use something called a linear phase eq to deal with signals that need to be phase coherent, which requires a delay to offset feedback phase issue. Although it fixes the phase issue with traditional eqs, it adds latency to the system and has a digital artifact called "pre-ringing", whereby a slight bit of the reversed sound of transients precedes the transients. This results in an added "harshness" to the transients.
Thank you for such a great info........btw ....soon I'l get the 280 pros.....I'm so excited to see if , what you said in this video is true😂
LMK!!
I would never suggest to people to use open back headsets FOR GAMING in party chat.
I have friends that just got the new Mashdrop Sennheisers that are opened and its very disturbing when we play video games together. I can hear everything that they hear because the mic captures the sound that comes out of the headsets. My voice, his game sounds etc.
And that beats the purpose.
He can not use high volume because everyone in party hears what he hears.
Right - open back for gaming could def be problematic if you’re all together. I would definitely recommend them for mixing/mastering however
How is your mic stand going? Are you holding it in your hand or your feet? That thing moving around is really annoying. Other than that good video, thanks. But honestly fix up that mic stand.
Holding it in my lap 😂 and thanks for the feedback - I don’t think I’ve ever done this since
If i wear i open back will ppl be able to hear my gamesound trough my microphone
Potentially - the sound is faint but is wide open to travel where it pleases with open backs!
Can you make a best 50 dollars headphone video ? It would be really helpful
Oneodio
Hey there! Sorry I’m late but I’m looking for an open set of cans. I play video games and listen to music as well. My price range is 100$. Thanks!
Anything Sennheiser is very respectable! The seemingly best ones under $100 are here: amzn.to/2xeXc8Y
Now, keep in mind that I've never personally tested out the HD598s, so make sure and do your own due diligence on the set.
Agreed that open backs are the best for mixing, however, I would mention that buying them calibrated is important. Sonarworks is a good place for calibrated headphones: storeus.sonarworks.com/collections/warehouse-clearance OR you could get the OOLO S4 headphones that are nearly flat out of the box: www.olloaudio.com/studio-headphones a guaranteed flat response or you can return them.
i ordered a pair of the hd6xx which is the hd650 but for 199
Massdrop 💪🏻💪🏻
Oliver J Hughes after waiting 2 months they are finally shipping next week
I’m very excited for you. It’s such a glorious listening experience!
Oliver J Hughes I will be using the Aune X1S Dac/Amp with it. Also been using the hd598 se headphones for almost the last 3 years.
Great and nice video, why you dont have yet more subs ? Your review is acurate and well explained, and the video quality is top. I am deciding between Beyerdynamics 770 and Audiotechnica M50x
Thanks for saying all that! The subs will come in time! Great rivals there, I personally prefer the Beyerdynamics!
@@OliverJHughes I am going for the Beyerdynamics 250 Ohms with Jds Atom and Jds Ol Dac, I am new in this and that setup looks nice to start.
*Shit!! Another underrated youtuber*
THANK YOU
I can honestly say, i absolutely hate the sound of open backed headphones, to me they sound very harsh in the midrange, to the point i cant use them without a 20 band EQ, its like listening to a speaker that has no cabinet, you need a headphone that translates well to ported speakers, and im afraid open backed types dont to my ears
Did your guest ever invent a jet pack? Is his favorite food prizza?
He is probably the coolest guy i know. I think he has at least 500 jets skis and a jet pack. And EGGROLLS.
great video
Really sad, the HD 280 are 80$ but 130€ here in Europe, feels bad haha
Thomann.de 85€
Gucci bring on the sweet audio through dem headphones!
On massdrop.com the HD 650 are on sale for 200 USD. They are called the HD6XX but are the same exact headphones.
That’s a STEAL!
That sony headphones is crazy expensive for me
It's true.
Good sound has always been very expensive and unfortunately i doubt that will change.
hey paul where's your les paul? oh wait wrong channel
It seemed like you knew what you were talking about but I had to stop due to the high volume of the music...could not concentrate...
Respectable
I just watched this... went to the store to buy the Sennheiser HD 280 Pros and was not impressed. Returning them tomorrow. I prefer my Beats By Dre Pro's and Shure SE215 in ear monitor's!
LOL!
In fairness, I haven’t listened to Beats in a long time. I should probably give them a fair shot again since Apple bought the company.
Patrick Ukemi holy fuck are you actually stupid?
FUCKING BEATS OVER HD 280, I don’t even know what to fucking say,it’s like picking a new FIAT over and old Ferrari,🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Bru, stan killed me/
Buy beyerdynamics cheaper and better
Beats headphones are the worst
too much blah blah
lol "Dre. Dre headphones, I hate em', nobody likes them."
They are best selling, people like them for some reason.
Herd mentality and aggressive marketing.
To be completely fair, I haven't listened to any modern Beats iterations, especially since Apple acquired them. I remember the originals and they were legitimately horrible sounding. I had a pair of Tascam headphones that cost $20 that sounded better than $200 Beats.
@@OliverJHughes much more accurate! Do you have a suggestion of an open back headphone with bass for a hip hop listener around the $500 CAD price range?
Ya know, I actually don't know many open back headphones yet - my first pair is the Sennheiser HD650s mentioned herein - and they're great for hip hop in that they have incredible detail - but I have nothing to compare them to yet!