Open Back vs Closed Back Headphones (Beyerdynamic DT880 vs Sony MDR-7506)

Written by: Robert Back

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January 21, 2020

This video will show you the differences between open back vs closed back headphones, so you can decide which is best for you and your home studio. The two headphones used for this comparison are: ►Beyerdynamic DT880 ►Sony MDR-7506 Professional ►(Part 2) Low vs High Impedance Headphones Compared These are both over the ear headphones, with very different applications. The Sony Closed backs are a staple in pro studios, you’ll see them everywhere because they are very sensitive in the midrange and provide a good amount of detail to the high end which allows you to notice fine details about a performance when recording. Things like hiss, noise, or other unwanted sounds that may be present in a faulty cable or in the room like a furnace, will be easily detected using these headphones. This is in part due to their closed back design, The plastic coving surrounds the ear which provides more isolation than the open backs, which makes them ideal for recording because they won’t add extra bleed into the microphone you’re using to record. They’re much quieter on the outside. Compare this to the Open Back Beyerdynamic’s, which are high end listening and mixing headphones. These feature less isolation, in fact on first use of these headphones, it’s amazing how well you can hear the space around you, which doesn’t make you feel as sealed off from the rest of the world. Which although very comfortable for the listener makes them less ideal for recording as the sound of these headphones will bleed into the room, and add extra noise into the microphone. In fact, getting too close to a microphone with open backs can cause feedback. So generally these headphones are reserved for mixing, or casual home listening in an isolated environment. which is also due to The open back design tending to be more bulky. Sound Experience: Though the overall sound print will depend on the specific model, there are some general characteristics in both of these designs to keep in mind when looking more your next set of headphones. Open: The open back design is often hailed as having a Wider stereo image, a more outside and around the head experience. This also allows the Frequencies to have more breathing room to resonate outside the headphone. which can improve the detail of low end response. This model in particular happens to be a bit bright, with a pronounce peak at around 9k, sometimes referred to as the ‘beyer peak’ This model (DT880), happens to be more comfortable for long term use, although the beyer peak can make them sound a bit harsh and sibilant Closed: This design feature a more inside your head sound, like the music is coming from your own thoughts, which can allow you to focus on more technical Aspects of the music which is quite useful when recording Because of this their main application is Studio tracking, to allow a greater amount of precision to the monitoring to pick up fine details of the recording.while also being suitable for Public listening at the library, if you are ok with dealing with the 10 foot cable. Open backs have the uncanny effect of transporting the band into your listening space as they surround you with the performance.This is a pleasing benefit for mixers who value the wider, more spacious imaging this design provides, but is awful for listening in shared company or around microphones as the sound will bleed into the room and bother other people or ruin the isolation of a recording.

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