Top 10 Premium Open-Back Headphones Worth Your Money
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Open-Back Audiophile Grade Headphones for Everyday Listening
If you've been chasing the perfect, spacious sound that makes you feel like you're sitting in a concert hall rather than your living room, open-back headphones might be your audio salvation. Unlike their closed-back counterparts, open-back cans let air flow through the ear cups, creating a wider soundstage and a more natural listening experience that's hard to beat.
If you're new to the world of audiophile headphones, we've got some great content linked in the description below that covers the basics. 2025 has brought some serious contenders to the open-back arena, with manufacturers pushing the limits in sound quality, comfort, and value. From older models to brand new, we've picked some of the best open-back headphones on the market.
We've got something for everyone on this list, regardless of your price point, genre preference, or listening style. Here are the top 10 open-back headphones you should consider buying in 2025.
HiFi Headphones $500 Up to Reference Quality Sound
Meze 109 Pro Headphones
At $799 the Meze Audio 109 Pro delivers an impressive quality at this price point. The craftsmanship of the 109 Pro, like all Meze headphones, is premium with a design that's similar to the 99 Classics. Meze is renowned for making some of the best headphones on the market and the 109 Pro is another meticulously crafted high-quality headphone by them. It's got a double headband frame with a self-adjusting headband and wooden ear cups. The ear pads have a soft felt finish and are thick to accommodate the large ear cup size of the 109 Pro.
The 109 Pro inherits Meze's amazingly wide soundstage and retains a lot of energy that creates a very organic sound. It uses specially-tuned dynamic drivers that deliver a lot of high-end clarity like the Elite and the warmer tone of the Empyrean at the same time. It has an immediate bass response — Tight, punchy, and not bloated whatsoever. Dynamic drivers deliver great bass and that combined with an open-back design gives you a very impactful and dynamic sound. The midrange is balanced and the high frequencies are crisp and clear. The 109 Pro is great for rock, blues, jazz, and alternative in particular. We recommend pairing the 109 Pro with our Black Dragon Headphone Cable to smooth over any sibilance in the upper frequencies.
HiFiMan Arya Unveiled Headphones
At $1,449, the HiFiMan Arya Unveiled Headphones are the newest member of HiFiMan's unveiled series, joining the HE1000 Unveiled and SUSVARA Unveiled with a lot to offer at an incredible price. The Arya Unveiled features HiFiMan's latest innovation, the window shade design, which ditches traditional grilles and instead uses a metal mesh that increases the opening rate, maximizing grill exposure. What you get is a more open and airy sound, better dimensionality, and more importantly–no reflection or refraction issues.
Sonically the Arya Unveiled is the perfect blend of the Arya Stealth Magnets and Arya Organic. You get a natural, accurate reproduction with subtle warmth in the midrange. The vocals are rich and full of character, bringing emotion to the forefront of every song.
It pairs great with our Silver Dragon Premium Headphone Cable, delivering a more refined listening experience with enhanced detail, clarity, and top-end resolution. If you're stuck between the Arya Organic and Arya Stealth Magnets, the Arya Unveiled sits happily in the middle, delivering you everything those two headphones offer, but elevated and refined.
Focal Clear MG Headphones
Priced at $1,499 the Focal Clear MG is a great open-back headphone. As Focal's mid-tier headphone, the Clear MG features a new M-shaped magnesium dome which improves the dynamics and balance of the sound. The Clear MG has an elegant look with a chestnut and mixed-metal design that's drop-dead gorgeous. The ergonomic headband molds to the user's head with a clamping force that's pleasingly snug without being overly tight.
The Clear MG delivers a sound that's lifelike, lively, and easy to love. The soundstage is wide and has a sense of openness to it. Overall, the Clear MG has sweeter highs and better bass definition than its predecessor the original Clear, with a little more depth to the sound. The Focal Clear MG is a good choice for the listener who enjoys a natural, clear, and slightly warm sound with lots of detail. This headphone works with many genres, and we especially like it with americana, acoustic music, classical, and jazz. We like to pair the Clear MG with our Silver Dragon Premium Headphone Cable for added detail and to tighten up the low end.
Sennheiser HD 800S Headphones
Priced at $1,799.95 the Sennheiser HD 800S Headphones is a consistent open-back seller. If you're looking for detail, definition, and an incredibly wide soundstage this is it. The HD 800S is a dynamic driver headphone with a detailed and articulate sound that could be classified as analytical with nice top-end resolution. With large and wide ear pads contributing to the exceptional imaging, it's a great choice for orchestral music and jazz.
This is THE headphone for analytical listeners through and through. The midrange is linear with natural vocals and a sense of transparency that reproduces music just the way the artist intended. From the technical precision to the resolving midrange and treble, the HD 800S is a detail lover's dream. We recommend pairing the HD 800S with a headphone amplifier to get the best performance from these drivers, along with a Black Dragon Premium Headphone Cable for added warmth and musicality.
Meze Audio POET Open-Back Headphones
It comes as no surprise that Meze Audio has managed to make the list. At $2,000 the Meze POET Open-Back Headphones are the company's latest marvel that's both visually and sonically striking.
Meze does a great job at delivering a lifelike sound. Regardless of whether you're enjoying tiny details on the Meze Audio 109 Pro Headphones or the warmer sound signature of the 105 AER or EMPYREAN, Meze never fails to deliver a sound quality that's full of character. And the POET is truly no exception.
To put it simply, the POET's sound quality is as intoxicating, emotive, and powerful as poetry. Consider this the ultimate headphone for relaxation, casual listening, and just chilling. Vocals are breathy, airy, and full of emotion. The midrange is lush, full, and incredibly rich.
Fine details are plucked out like flowers in a field, and the POET is so intoxicating I'm starting to sound like a POET myself. It's a great choice for music lovers seeking a full, rich sound with wonderful timbre, a precise bass impact, and a smooth tonality. Pair it with our Silver Dragon Premium Headphone Cable for slightly more detail retrieval and clarity and you've got a match made in heaven.
Grado Signature HP100 SE Headphones
One of the most exciting headphones on this list comes from Grado Labs. At $2,495, the Signature HP100 SE Headphones usher in a new era of high-end cans from Grado.
The HP100 SE Headphones stand apart from Grado Labs' previous models with a new detachable cable, new engineered speakers, redesigned headphone assembly, and much more. Following closely behind are the Signature S950 Headphones, sporting the same innovations but with the added acoustic characteristics from wooden housings.
As the company's new flagship open-back model, the HP 100 SE delivers Grado's signature sound–spacious, smooth, and musical. They're the perfect pair of headphones for the discerning listener who loves to hear every last detail and nuance in a recording. If that sounds like you, then you'll love the HP100 SE.
With the new detachable cable, we're thrilled to finally offer a Dragon Audio Cable for the Signature HP100 SE Headphones. Because the HP100 SE stands out with its exceptional detail, resolution, and airiness, the Black Dragon Premium Headphone Cable is the best fit. It'll smooth out the higher frequencies without sacrificing detail or character and add body to the overall presentation for a fuller sound. Great with classical, strings, and more, the HP 100 SE represents the future of Grado Over-Ear Headphones, taking a nod from its past and offering a glimpse of an exciting future.
Meze Audio Elite Headphones
Next up at $3,999 is the Elite from Meze Audio. This open-back planar magnetic headphone has a more balanced than warm sound with tons of clarity, detail, and low-end representation. The bass is clean, deep, and tight, but the Elite is not a bassy headphone. The midrange is on the forward side with great vocal texture and nuance. The Elite has a gloriously big and wide soundstage with a good amount of height and depth. The Elite isn't going to add any coloration to the sound and will suit a variety of genres, particularly rock, classical, blues, and jazz.
The Elite sports a sophisticated black and silver design with Meze's signature ovoid-shaped ear cups. At about 15 ounces the Elite is comfortable with a strong but flexible headband that fits most head sizes. The Elite's build quality and sound put it at the top with other audiophile flagship headphones at this price tag. We recommend pairing the Elite with our Silver Dragon Premium Headphone Cable to add some top-end sizzle and to pull out those middle and high frequencies.
Audeze LCD-5 Headphones
The Audeze LCD-5 may be a lower weight than its predecessor siblings, but it's made serious gains in resolution and clarity. If you enjoy the clean, tight bass and distortion-free sound of a planar magnetic headphone, AND you want great soundstage and imaging plus lots of detail and nuance, the LCD-5 is a gem. Instrument separation is top-notch, making this headphone great for listening to more complex music where you really want to hear all of the individual sounds that comprise the whole, such as classical and jazz. The top end on the LCD-5 has some sizzle; upper mids are on the forward side; and bass is tight, punchy, and well extended. This headphone is a looker, too, with a sleek black carbon fiber headband, black perforated head strap, and tortoiseshell finish on the rings. Our Silver Dragon Premium headphone cable will smooth the prominent top end without sacrificing detail.
Focal Utopia 2022 Headphones
We'd be remiss if we didn't add the pinnacle of open-back headphones to the list, the Focal Utopia 2022. It's one of the most highly-regarded open-back cans in the audiophile community and for good reason.
At $4,999 the Utopia 2022 delivers an unparalleled level of clarity, resolution, and realism. They excel at delivering a pure, unadulterated form of your music, revealing layers and subtleties that other headphones might miss. The Utopia 2022 is the updated version of the reference Utopia headphones with acoustic enhancements and updated design elements. They feature a dynamic 40mm loudspeaker with an M-shaped beryllium dome, delivering an accurate and dynamic sound with a soundstage that's both wide and deep.
Compared to the OG Utopia, the Utopia 2022 has a warmer presentation with a better depth of field and more intimate sound. It's engaging with a bass response that's tight and controlled, delivering you an all-around more musical flagship experience. The Utopia 2022's versatile sound signature will complement a variety of genres from blues and folk to jazz and classic rock and we recommend pairing the Utopia 2022 with our Silver Dragon Premium Headphone Cable to support detail retrieval in the mids and highs.
HiFiMan Susvara UNVEILED Headphones
The Mac-daddy of open-back headphones, HiFiMan's SUSVARA Unveiled is about as endgame as you can get. At $8,000 these headphones are an investment, but they'll last you a lifetime.
The first-generation SUSVARA Headphones were a force to be reckoned with and the SUSVARA Unveiled is no different. They feature HiFiMan's latest innovation, the window shade design, which ditches traditional grilles and instead uses a metal mesh that increases the opening rate, maximizing grill exposure. What you get is a more open and airy sound, better dimensionality, and more importantly–no reflection or refraction issues.
Compared to the first-generation SUSVARA, the SUSVARA Unveiled is more detailed and musical with a lower impedance, making it easier to drive but you'll still need a decently powerful headphone amp.
Sonically, the SUSVARA Unveiled is the perfect headphone for discerning listeners who want to enjoy every nuance and detail in their music. You won't be disappointed either if you enjoy a little bit of grit and punch in the midrange and low-end. It's got a knack for balancing detail and clarity with musicality, placing it in the category of a neutral-sounding headphone with top-of-class imaging and transparency. It pairs great with our Black Dragon Premium Headphone Cable for slightly more warmth and low-end response. It's hard to get any more end-game than the SUSVARA Unveiled.
Dragon Cables
Our HiFi Audio Dragon Cables bring out more of what you love in your music and audio gear. If you love your headphones but wish they had a bit more top-end sparkle - a Silver Dragon Headphone Cable would be a great option. If your USB cables keep dying - as many stock cables do - then check out our quality USB Audio Cables. We say time and time again that materials matter, and our audio cables and custom geometries actually help to bring out those desired properties in your gear and music. We make tons of custom options for our customers so that you can get the right HiFi Audio cable for your exact needs. If you have any questions feel free to Contact Us and we'll be more than happy to help.
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