Best Closed Back Headphones – Reviews Buying Guides

What are closed Back headphones?

There are basically two types of headphones, with the back closed and the back open. You can easily identify closed headphones by looking at the earbuds.

If the headsets are closed on the outside, it means that you hit the jackpot. Closed–back headphones are designed to maximize the total sound isolation possible. This is done by a closed outer shell design and on the ear cushion.

Likewise, the closed external design of the headset also prevents music from leaking into the surroundings. Although open headphones have become fashionable, closed headphones remain favorites, especially for musicians.

What is the difference between a closed–back headphone and an open–back headphone?

Closed earphones have closed ear pads and ear cups so that no sound can escape or enter your ears. This type of headphone is known to isolate the sound. The physical design eliminates the interference factor so that the user can hear every detail. In some high–end closed headsets, the isolation is achieved via active noise suppression, an integrated circuit is integrated into the ear cups, which eliminates much of the noise.

The open–back headphones have open ear cushions and ear cups so the listener can stay connected to what’s happening around him while listening to his favorite album. This type of headphone aims to offer the user a good listening experience while remaining aware of its environment.

The design of the open earbuds lets air in and out so that the user is aware of his surroundings while listening to his music. This type of headset is less useful if you go to the studio.

How to choose the best–closed back headphones?

A lot of people want to know the answer to this question. We all have different needs for our headphones. Some people like to mix and edit, while others use their headphones only to listen to music casually. Choose a closed headphone according to your needs, keeping in mind a realistic price to spend.

Best Closed-Back Headphones Review – Compare specs & feature

1. Sennheiser HD 820 – Best Closed-Back Headphones

The Sennheiser HD 800 is highly acceptable in sound quality. The HD800 and HD800 S are open-back headphones that have some leaking music out to the outside and let some noise in. Not good in terms of noise isolation, but the Sennheiser HD820’s closed-back design

can reduce reflections and resonances that means reduces distort the sound.

Although the Sennheiser’s HD820 is high-end closed-back headphones that have a bit of leaking sound and also not too much resonance because the design breathable earcups and it can cover whole ears.

Premium Design but quite a bulky

The Sennheiser HD820 is a full-size and closed-back design, which means it can block outside noise very well. The design is completely back color and gorgeous, but highlights are a glassing ear cup to review the driver inside. The glass design is not just for beauty, but the design to help throughout spread resonant. It’s a cool, elegant, and unique design. The earpads inside are microfiber fabric material that enhances comfort while wearing and good ventilation.

The overall design is similar to Sennheiser HD800 S. I think the HD820 looks a lot like a refined model of the HD800 S. While the Sennheiser HD800S is an open-back design, but the Sennheiser HD820 is a closed-back headphone. The Sennheiser proudly proclaimed that they will create the headphone that improved on the sound of the most-open sounding headphones like HD800 S in closed-back design. That is the Sennheiser HD820, which is one of the best closed-back headphones in the high-end class.

However; it’s closed-back headphones and not as breathable as HD800 S so, it is a little warmer than HD800 S. In my private opinion should take some breaks especially long sessions wearing them.

With the bulky and not foldable, so the Sennheiser HD 820 is not ideal for traveling. Except you have a lot of available space in your luggage which should be big luggage. You may use the box that comes with their package as the case for containing the headphone.

Sennheiser HD820 Review – Built quality

The Sennheiser HD 820 has a great built quality that gives a premium feel. But it’s might not be the most sturdy and rugged headphones, however; it is not too fragile. I like the design of the earcups that mix plastic and glass. With the clear gorilla glass of the back earcups, you can see the inside of the driver. It’s a nice design and stylish and different. They look great and have a high-end look and feel.

The earpads are more luxurious than the old models. The headphones are not feeling too heavy and no trouble while wearing them for hours.

However; with the over-ear and closed-back design, also it’s so bulky, and not great for any sports or not perfect for wearing while movement body activity. Another thing is that with the high-end specification, so you need a suitable powerful amp for drive great sound output.

Sennheiser HD820 – Best Closed-Back Headphones Performance

The HD820 does the noise isolation quite well but not as good as other premium closed-back like Focal Elegia. Although, it is closed-back headphones but also has a little of your music out at the high volume level. If you listen to music with loud volume, people around you may hear some sound leak.

HD820 Review – Sound Quality

When it comes to the sound quality, the glass is not just aesthetics – the curved design will help the resonance sound that emanating is spread throughout. These reduced the resonances and thinned. This design also provides this closed-back headphone from Sennheiser that can achieve a wider soundstage and more spacious soundstage than most closed-back headphones.

The Sennheiser HD 820 provides very deep bass including upper and lower bass is a complete detail. The vocal is natural and harmonious with the instrument. The vocal is not floating in the front but seamlessly with the instrument’s sound naturally.

So all in all if your target is the most open-sounding closed headphone without use any software to help, the HD820 is a product successful in the target. The sounds are huge for closed-back headphones cans and the soundstage did not lose most of the open-back headphones.

Unfortunately, have something that doesn’t have in the Sennheiser HD820. For example, it doesn’t have active noise canceling, no built-in microphone, no Bluetooth, no wireless (just wired).

Sennheiser HD820 Review – Pros & Cons

Where to buy Sennheiser HD820

2. Oppo PM-3 Headphones – Closed-Back Planar Magnetic

The OPPO PM-3 combines real audiophile performance, stylish styling, noise isolation, and portability in elegant, lightweight, and stylish headphones. With the PM-3, users can easily repeat a pair of flagship headphone experiences, or a high-quality 2-channel speaker system in an audible room.

However, in a portable format that can be taken anywhere. Turning the scale to just over 10 oz, the PM-3 is the world’s lightest closed magnetic headphones. This makes the PM-3 the ideal headphone for a person always on the move.

Its elegant style and refined finish make this headphone a pleasure to wear in public. Its lightness and exceptional comfort facilitate listening for hours. The closed nature of the PM-3 provides insulation from the outside world, blocking surrounding noise while preventing headphone sound leakage.

Bonus: 1.2-meter portable cable for iPhone with microphone and controls included. Contact us before production if you want Android or No Mic / Control instead.

Oppo PM3 Review – Pros & Cons

The Oppo PM-3 headphones are very unusual, although they may look like a more adult version of the Beats Studio. Why? They have a completely different type of driver – the planar tape recorder – a type that is usually only seen in much more expensive headsets.

These are the most affordable magnetic headphones we have ever worn. The Oppo PM-3s are closed headset headsets; it’s pretty much the only style to choose from if you want to offer both portability and extreme comfort.

3. Ultrasone Edition 8 S-Logic – Professional Closed-back headphones

Many headphones have a high price, but not all are worth the money you spend. Then there is Ultrasone. As for the premium headphones, they are at the top. The Ultrasone 8 edition is the answer to the prayers of music developers around the world. These headphones are a perfect example of a unique design.

The first thing you’ll notice when you see the Ultrasone Edition 8 helmet is its look. The amazingly stylish quality they have about them is striking and you can see that the attention to detail has been brought to their design by Ultrasone Edition 8. The elegant design of S-Logic Edition 8 adds to the advanced technology used indoors to give them exceptional sound quality.

They are also very easy to wear, the alleged process in the design stage was to offer a set of headphones that could be enjoyed and worn for hours at a time without the user being distracted by any discomfort.

The outer ear cups are made from a metal called “Ruthenium”, a precious metal known for its incredible durability while offering an elegant look. The inside of the atria is lined with Ethiopian sheepskin leather. Not only is this soft leather very comfortable, but it also offers the best insulation among all the leathers available.

If you want to use these headphones from your portable devices, you will really love the sound quality they can produce. You do not need an additional amplifier with the 8 editions, as they can actually produce a high-quality sound level.

Ultrasone Edition 8 S-Logic Review – Pros & Cons

These headphones have pretty much everything. They are incredibly elegant, very comfortable to wear and sound great. They have a fairly high price, so they will not be in everyone’s budget range. But if you’re looking for a great headset and the price does not bother you too much, the Ultrasone Edition 8 is a great choice.

4. Ultrasone Signature Pro S-Logic

The Ultrasone product is known for exceptional handcraft, which paired with astonishing audio. The Ultrasone Signature Pro comes with S-Logic plus and ULE audio technologies like other Ultrasone products. Besides, they also come with the titanium plated sound transducer which can offer acoustics audio at the highest level as excellent.

The Ultrasone Signature Pro S-Logic guarantee of durability with 5 years. In package include ultra-soft-cable (USC) with a 3.5mm stereo jack, 2 p pairs earpads, coiled-cable with a stereo jack. Also, they come with a transportation case for keeping them more durable.

Ultrasone Signature Pro S-Log is a high precise pair of closed-back headphones. Thanks to 400 mm titanium-plated drivers that offer the high very sharp, mid-range are clear and low-range are very great. All of The 3 sound ranges are very clear.

Ultrasone Pro S-Logic Review – Pros & Cons

These closed-back headphones come with high-price, however; they give excellent sound quality and extremely comfortable. If you don’t mind your budget, the Ultrasone Signature Pro S-Logic is excellent for your experience listening to favorite songs.

5. KRK KNS 8400 – Professional closed-back Dynamic Headphones

KRK headphones deliver a precise listening experience that takes you from the personal studio to the commercial studio, to the evaluation of songs on the fly. They allow you to enjoy your music with precision, with the philosophy of consistent expression.

With honest reproduction of the best producers, studio musicians, performer, and engineers ended up trusting it. KRK KNS 8400 headphones provide an incredibly natural frequency response that gives you a reference standard unaffected by your location. Day or night. Studio or house. Without disturbing others. Without compromising your tracks.

KRK KNS 8400 Review – Pros & Cons

Looking for a pair of headphones specially designed to reproduce music as it should be heard with the ability to satisfy experienced ears? KRK KNS 8400 on-ear closed-back headphones have always been focused on accurate monitoring.

The KNS 8400, with its ability to reveal exactly what you have on the slopes, is an ideal choice for critical listening. Being able to discern the most subtle differences in pitch, timbre, and tone helps you to understand each mix, each shot, each performance. Isolating the shape memory foam in the pads provides a better response at low frequencies. As they gently adapt to the shape of your head, you can wear them all day long.

6. Status Audio CB-1 Monitor Headphones – Cheap Closed-Back Headphones

The Status Audio CB-1 is one of the best cheap closed-back headphones that are mainly designed for the experts who earn a living via their craft. The Status Audio CB-1 is for remarkable voiceovers, music production, mixing audios instrumentalists live tracking, and recording vocals.

Status Audio CB-1 headset has an ergonomic shape that gives fine comfort to the wearer in the long term of using them. CB-1 Closed back-headphones provide you with an over-ear shape that’ll provide you a remarkable passive noise cancelation from surrounding environments. Status Audio CB-1 is remarkable for instrumentalists.

Great Sound, Great Price

Status Audio CB-1 closed-back headsets will provide you with stunning audiophile enjoyment. Audiophile function makes sure you get to hear details from your music that you’d not have heard with any other sort of headphones.

500 drivers deliver wonderful detail and an enormous soundstage. The headphone has ergonomic ear pads that give you extended terms of high comfort while wearing them. Unique folding ear cups collapse and offer a convenient method of storing Status Audio CB-1. Status CB-1 has adjustable headsets which fit rightly into different head sizes.

Office professionals can utilize Status Audio CB-1 in their offices as they give long-lasting comfort and noise-canceling from the ambient surrounding. These headphones are also remarkable for mobile consumers that look for quality sound while on the go.

All in all, the Status Audio CB-1 is mixed bad throughout but subtracts the bad from the fine and you are still left with an extremely good value pair of headsets. Their scale of sound is the best feature, provided by huge 50mm drivers.

In addition to all the closed-back headphones mentioned above, throughout online now there are many more other interesting closed-back headphones I search and compare their information about features and specification on below.

Compare Specs & Features – Other Closed-Back Headphones

Best Closed–Back Headphones Buying Guide

We have listed over 6 nominees for the best closed-back headphones currently available above. From affordable to ultra–luxury options, every headset we’ve featured has earned a place on our list. The market is populated by many closed headphones, but before taking out your credit card, let’s talk about the basics first.

What is the main purpose of closed–back headphones? They are simply responsible for removing unwanted sounds from the environment and preventing sound leaks. Closed-back earphones have a closed outer ear design that blocks out surrounding noise when you listen to music or mix your album. The model on the ear pad prevents sound from escaping the headphone.

Noise can be stopped by two methods, passive noise isolation or active noise cancellation. Passive sound insulation depends on the body of the headphone. It rests on the contour of the ear and on the design of the closed outer shell to block the sound. Beyond the closed-back earphone options, the in–ear headphones also offer excellent passive isolation.

On the other hand, open–back headphones only provide passive isolation when the outer ear cups are open. The typically closed headphones block from 8 to 12 dB, while the in–ear headphones block from 10 to 15 dB. Some high–end closed headphones are specially designed for heavy hitters to reduce noise by around 25 dB so they can focus when it matters most.

Headphones with active noise suppression use a microphone, amplifier, and speaker to pick up, amplify, and reproduce background noise in an inverted pattern, so that noise is canceled without affecting the sound source. This feature requires a battery to disconnect their circuit.

Active noise cancellation can cut about 20 dB, but it should be noted that it mainly applies to constant and low–frequency sounds.

What are the benefits of closed-back headphones?

The closed headphones ensure the removal of ambient noise and prevent sound leakage. Compared to open–back headphones or even counting the autonomous benefits of closed–back headphones, we have a lot to cover.

First, closed-back headphones are ideal for situations where you monitor closely or perform detailed editing. They are also perfect if you want to enjoy this bass without disturbing the stranger next to you on the bus. The advantage of closed headphones is the suppression of noise, which has many practical applications.