Best Open-Back Studio Headphones

The best open back studio headphones for mixing at home are the Sennheiser HD 600 if your interface can drive 300 ohms, and the 48 ohm Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X if it can't. The Sennheiser HD 490 PRO adds two pad sets for mixing and producing, and the 80 ohm Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO is the budget pick.

Quick picks

Six open-back models cover mixing on any interface, mixing on a budget, and mixing in spatial audio. Check your headphone output before you fall for a spec.

Why mix on open-back headphones

Open-backs give you a more natural, more spacious picture of a mix than closed cans do. Audio-Technica's open vs closed explainer credits the open design with less coloration than an enclosed cup, a wider and deeper soundstage, and better transient response.

The tradeoff is leakage in both directions: you hear the room, and the room hears you. Beyerdynamic's DT 990 PRO FAQ warns that open-back models may bleed into sensitive microphones. So track vocals on a pair from the best closed-back studio headphones, and mix on these.

The 6 best open-back studio headphones

Every pick is current on its maker's site, and the specs come from the manufacturer's own page.

Sennheiser HD 600

For mixing at home once a closed pair is handling tracking.

• Open dynamic, circumaural, per Sennheiser's HD 600 page
• 300 ohms, with 97 dB SPL at 1 V
• 9.2 oz (260 g)
• Detachable 9.8 ft (3 m) cable, quarter-inch plug with a 3.5 mm adapter

The catch: 300 ohms needs a strong headphone output. Check your interface's headphone amp before you buy, or you may run out of volume knob before you reach mixing level.

Price band: $300 to $450.

Sennheiser HD 490 PRO

For producers who want one pad set for mixing and another for writing and arranging.

• Two switchable pad sets, one for mixing and one for producing, each with its own sound signature, per Sennheiser's HD 490 PRO page
• 130 ohms, with 105 dB SPL at 1 V
• 9.2 oz (260 g)
• Detachable 5.9 ft (1.8 m) cable, with a 3.5 to 6.3 mm adapter

Price band: $350 to $500.

Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X

For open-back mixing straight from an interface or laptop, no headphone amp needed.

• Built for "critical listening, mixing and mastering," per Beyerdynamic's DT 900 PRO X page
• 48 ohms; Beyerdynamic says it runs on an interface, laptop, tablet, or phone
• 12.2 oz (345 g) without cable
• Detachable mini XLR cable, 5.9 or 9.8 ft (1.8 or 3 m), and replaceable velour pads

The catch: at 12.2 oz (345 g), it's the heaviest pick here.

Price band: $250 to $350.

Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO (80 ohm)

For a first open-back pair on a budget.

• 80 ohms "Universal Studio" or 250 ohms "Professional Devices," per Beyerdynamic's DT 990 PRO page
• 8.8 oz (250 g) without cable
• About 3.5 to 5.5 N of clamping force, with replaceable pads
• Straight cable on the 80 ohm version, coiled on the 250 ohm version

Price band: $150 to $250.

AKG K702

For long mixing sessions with a cable you can replace.

• Made for "precision listening, mixing and mastering," per AKG's K702 page
• 62 ohms, 105 dB SPL/V, and a 45 mm driver
• 8.3 oz (235 g)
• Detachable 9.8 ft (3 m) cable and replaceable 3D-foam pads

Price band: $200 to $300.

Sony MDR-MV1

For mixing in spatial audio as well as stereo.

• Sold as "studio monitor sound for mixing and mastering," and Sony says it reproduces sound positions "in 360 degrees," per Sony's MDR-MV1 spec sheet
• 24 ohms, with 100 dB/mW
• About 7.9 oz (223 g) without cable, the lightest here
• 5 Hz to 80 kHz frequency response and an 8.2 ft (2.5 m) cable

Price band: $350 to $450.

Soundstage: what headphones get wrong

On monitors, each ear hears both channels. On headphones, each ear hears only one, which Beyerdynamic says can make the stereo image sound unnaturally wide and hard to judge. An open back makes the image feel more spacious, but it doesn't add the crosstalk your ears get from a pair of nearfields.

That's the headphone-mix trap: panning that felt wide on cans sounds narrower once it plays on monitors. Three habits help.

1. Set panning and reverb width on monitors if you have them, then confirm on headphones.
2. Try a crossfeed plugin if you mix only on headphones. It blends some of each channel into the other ear.
3. Use headphones to check what the room hides. Sennheiser pitches the HD 600 as giving the same sound regardless of room acoustics or speaker placement.

How to choose open-back headphones

Match impedance to your headphone output first, then pick on weight and cable.

For closed and open picks on one page, see best studio headphones. Headphones work alongside monitors rather than replacing them, so pair them with the best studio monitors for home studios.

FAQ

Are open-back headphones better for mixing?

Usually, yes. Beyerdynamic says open headphones are often used for mixing and mastering because of their better spatial representation, and Audio-Technica credits open backs with less coloration and a wider, deeper soundstage.

Can you record vocals with open-back headphones?

Not well. Beyerdynamic warns that open-back models may bleed into sensitive microphones, and recommends closed-back headphones whenever a mic is in use.

Do open-back headphones need an amp?

Only the high-impedance ones. The 300 ohm HD 600 wants a strong headphone output, while the 48 ohm DT 900 PRO X runs from an interface, laptop, tablet, or phone, per Beyerdynamic.

Can I mix only on open-back headphones?

You can, but check the mix on monitors too. On headphones each ear hears only one channel, which Beyerdynamic says can make the stereo image sound unnaturally wide and hard to judge.