Closed-Back Headphones

What can our closed-back headphones do for you?

Closed-back headphones are over-ear headphones that enclose the driver in a sealed chamber. The driver is cushioned by the air behind it. Isn’t that how they’re all made? No, there are also open-back headphones, in which the back of the driver can pump air through a rear grille. These different design concepts result in different sound of course. Generally, closed-back headphones have slightly stronger bass. But their main advantage is in isolating you from environmental noise. You can enjoy your music with less interference from what’s happing in the world around you. They also reduce the amount of your music leaking into the room, to the possible annoyance of those around you.

The best brands

At Addicted To Audio we carry an exciting range of first class closed-back headphones from some of the finest specialist brands in the world, such as Audeze, Sennheiser, Fostex, HIFIMAN, Campfire Audio, Focal 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.

The best place to buy closed-back headphones

There are two great ways to buy closed-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.

What's the difference between open-back and closed-back?

Most listeners are familiar with traditional closed-back headphones, which house the driver within a sealed enclosure which blocks outside noise thanks to what is known as “passive” isolation.

Because sound waves travel not only travel towards the ear but also outwards as well, closed back headphones need to dampen or absorb the backward-moving sound waves to avoid reflecting back towards the ear.

Open-back headphoness, on the other hand, have un-sealed exteriors on their earcups which allow sound waves to enter both in and out. As a result, open-back headphones provide little isolation from the outside world, and also leak some sound outwards as well.

Why do people use open-back headphones?

Headphones such as the Sennheiser HD650 Open-Back Headphones create a more “speaker-like” effect due to their open-air design. Because there is no reflecting/absorbing of rearward-moving sound waves, open-back headphones can often create a much wider, immersive sense of “sound-stage”.

Do closed-back headphones have more bass?

Because low frequencies are able to be trapped and reflected within the insides of the earcups, closed-back headphones like the Audio-Technica ATH-WP900 Portable Closed-Back Headphonescan create a more pronounced sense of bass-impact thanks to their sealed design.