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TechRadar
TechRadar
Carrie Marshall

Open-back vs closed-back headphones: the differences explained

A pair of Sennheiser open-back headphones with the speaker visible through the grille, next to a pair of Bose closed-back headphones.

If you're looking for the very best headphones focused on sound quality, you may find yourself reading about both open-back headphones and closed-back headphones. While they look extremely similar, they have different strengths and weaknesses both in terms of the sound they produce and the sound they let in from the world around you.

This isn't a case of 'this kind of headphone is better than that kind of headphone'. It's much more nuanced and personal than that, and is about what kind best suits your listening environment. But if you're looking for hi-fi heaven, it's important to know the differences to help you refine your search.

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