Most headphones were closed-back designs – the space behind the headphone driver was a sealed enclosure – until Sennheiser pioneered open-back designs back in the 1960s. Instead of a solid panel of some kind, behind the driver is a protective grille that allows air from the back of the driver to pass through freely. So? These designs lend themselves to a surprisingly airy, open sound, sometimes more dynamic than closed-back designs. But they do let in a lot more environmental noise and do tend to share with those around you what you’re listening to, perhaps to their annoyance.
At Addicted To Audio we carry an exciting range of first-class open-back headphones from some of the finest specialist brands in the world, such as Grado, Fostex, HIFIMAN, Sennheiser, Westone, Focal, HEDD and Final Audio. You may not be familiar with some of those brands, but they’ve got a quality experience in store for your ears.
There are two great ways to buy open-back headphones. The best way for most people is at a quality retail outlet in your city. That way you can have a listen, try them out, see whether they feel like a good “fit” for you. But if you’re confident that you already know what you want, consider purchasing your headphones direct from us at Addicted To Audio. We are an authorised New Zealand reseller for all our products. We provide full service and after sales support. And we ship fast.
