Headphones.com Open-Back Headphone Buying Guide - $500-1000

Here at Headphones.com we’re committed to helping people find the right headphone for them. Giving the best headphone purchase recommendation possible means listening to the needs of the individual end-user and tailoring a recommendation as specifically as possible.

Obviously we can’t sit down and have a 1-to-1 conversation with every member of our community, but we still want to help our customers make the best purchase possible. That’s why Headphones.com has a 365-day return policy, continuously commits to helping educate the community, and it’s why we’re back with another buying guide to provide as much guidance as possible to help audiophiles make the best purchase possible.

Today we’re going to discuss our favorite options in the $500 to $1000 USD price range. So without further ado, let’s dive in!

Under $750

Focal Elex ($499)

This price range starts with a bang, as the Focal Elex is well-known for offering a slightly more “explosive” take on neutral, sporting a few colorations here and there to help heighten the engagement factor of our favorite music. It’s also one of the best values on this list, considering it’s now $499, but was still considered a great value when it was $700.

We love the Elex because of its approach to dynamic contrast, also called “punch” or “slam.” If you’ve never heard this quality in an audiophile headphone, the Elex is probably the least expensive path you can take to understanding why so many audiophiles find this quality so addictive.

Elex’s slightly modified take on neutral adds an extra sense of timbral complexity as well, making elements of our favorite music sound slightly pulled apart (despite overall existing in a fairly small stage), while not committing an ounce of imprecision or blur to the signature.

While some have issues with the treble of these headphones around 9-11 kHz, or the midrange around 1 kHz, overall the Elex is one of the best compromises between neutrality and fun that we can think of, having more bass presence than other open back headphones while not enough bass to be considered “boomy.”

The Elex is a great choice for audiophiles who want to hear their music with the intensity and contrast dialed to 11, so if that sounds like something you’d like to try, definitely think about checking it out.

Sennheiser HD 650 ($499)

Simply put, when it comes to frequency response neutrality & ease of listening, the HD 650 is one of the best headphones you can buy.

Effortlessly natural and versatile, the HD 650’s tonality is one of the hallmarks of the entire headphone market, and has still yet to be decisively outdone even though the headphone is more than 20 years old at this point.

Instead of having the huge bass and treble boosts typical of headphones targeting the broader consumer market, the HD 650 opts for a midrange-focused approach that brings out the nuance of strings, pianos, and horns, while conveying vocals with an intimate but natural presentation.

If a healthy helping of bass is required, or you really want a brighter signature, HD 650 might not be the best option for you. But if above all else you want to experience your music in a way that sounds true to your favorite recordings, the HD 650 is one of the best headphones at any price for that.

Hifiman Arya Stealth ($599)

Typical of the “ovoid” shaped Hifiman designs like the Edition XS and Ananda, the Arya Stealth prioritizes an effortless, spacious presentation that has a breathy, yet not overly intimate sense of clarity to it.

The Arya Stealth is also in competition with the Elex for best value on this list, as the Arya Stealth used to be much much more expensive, and was often compared to kilobuck offerings like the Sennheiser HD 800S without any hesitation.

If you are interested in hearing the “soundstage” phenomena that audiophiles love to rave about, the Arya Stealth is probably the best on this list for that quality, as it provides a heightened sense of spatial contrast through its use of midrange and treble colorations (as well as its incredibly open chassis).

Arya Stealth is also among the more detailed headphones out there. However, it must be noted that correlates with Arya Stealth being among the brighter headphones out there. So if you’re looking for something on the darker side, definitely skip the Arya Stealth, as it can get sibilant depending on the person and the recording.

Otherwise, if a brighter headphone that prioritizes spaciousness and detail sounds like it’s up your alley, the Arya Stealth is worth a try!

Focal Hadenys ($699)

Focal’s newest open-back Hadenys builds off of the classic Focal signature prioritizing a vivid sonic presentation, while making a few adjustments that help make it potentially more of an all-rounder compared to some of its big brothers.

Firstly, we find it much more comfortable than Focal’s heavier designs, so for those who are interested in the Focal sound but don’t love the feel of their other headphones, the Hadenys might be a better fit.

Most importantly though, we think the Hadenys has a very well-considered tuning profile that’s very likely to appeal to a wide audience, given that it has a sizable “consumer” bass boost while also having “audiophile-targeted” midrange linearity.

In terms of potential dealbreakers, for Hadenys it’s mostly going to be down to how the listener finds the 3.5 kHz elevation to sound to them. For some it won’t be an issue, while for others it may sound a bit glary or chalky. Otherwise, the only other dealbreaker we can think of is the fact that some people may not like the design or comfort, as the headband could be a bit uncomfortable on smaller heads.

Overall though, the Hadenys may be the Focal headphone tuned for widest-appeal, so if you want an open-back headphone but don’t want to compromise bass quantity or neutrality, the Hadenys should definitely be on your radar.

Under $1000

Focal Clear ($790)

The Focal Clear is one of the only headphones in recent memory that have garnered & maintained enough praise to be reasonably considered an “HD 600 upgrade path.” And it earns that praise by, similarly to Elex, offering an alternative take on “neutral” tuning, opting to pepper in some extra color in certain areas to make the music more vivacious and exciting.

While the Elex is very similar, we tend to prefer the Clear because it has all of the same upsides as the Elex does—class-leading dynamic punch, excellent bass extension, and precise imaging—while having a more palatable treble response.

There are very few headphones which stand the test of time and are likely to be talked about for years after their release, but we believe the Clear is one such headphone.

While Focal is no stranger to releasing excellent headphones, the Clear is their most enduring, and arguably their most beloved headphone for a good reason: it deftly balances tonal coherence and excitement for a headphone that gives you the best of both worlds.

Audeze LCD-2 Classic ($799)

Possibly the most underrated headphone on this list, the Audeze LCD-2 Classic was Audeze’s attempt to recreate the glory of their first mass-production run of their legendary LCD-2, from before it got the upgrades that came with time on the market (upgraded cable connector scheme, addition of “Fazors”).

Personally, we think the LCD-2 Classic stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Audeze’s more expensive offerings, and even has some benefits over their more premium offerings, especially when it comes to neutrality.

Because the LCD-2 Classic recreates a version of the LCD-2 from before the Fazors were implemented, we think the first thing listeners will notice about the LCD-2 Classic is that it’s among the most relaxed of Audeze’s headphones when it comes to upper treble. While other Audezes like the LCD-2 Fazor and LCD-X have a pretty sizable peak in the upper treble, the LCD-2 Classic’s peak typically comes across a good deal more reserved.

Additionally, the LCD-2 Classic tends to have a more linear midrange response than the other “old style” LCD-series designs. So if you want to go down the Audeze rabbit hole and try their novel approach that tends to result in a rich, textured listening experience, we think the LCD-2 Classic is probably the best entry point to that sort of presentation.

Meze 109 Pro ($799)

The 109 Pro was Meze’s first entry into the world of open-back dynamic driver headphones, and they’ve received a ton of praise for their take on a “hi-fi” sound signature, recessing midrange and bringing forward the bass and treble in an effort to make the music sound more engaging.

What we love most about the 109 Pro is that it offers an unapologetically colored profile that is meant to elicit an emotional response from a listener, instead of trying to offer something that a listener would ever call “boring”.

109 Pro has a well-extended bass response and a treble profile that extracts a ton of texture, and it wears these colorations proudly.

While some may find the treble in particular to be a bit too intense, we think that the 109 Pro is a great choice for listeners who know that they want a healthy helping of bass, but don’t want to compromise on clarity (or comfort) either.

Moondrop Cosmo ($999)

The Moondrop Cosmo is likely the biggest “sleeper hit” on this list, as it got little to no coverage on release but we think the Cosmo is something people should be paying way more attention to.

What we love about Cosmo is that it provides a tonal profile that is some sort of mix between Audeze, Focal, and Stax presentations, while still offering a totally singular, uniquely forward presentation.

Cosmo’s main colorations have to do with its midrange, where there’s a bit of a “counter-clockwise” tilt, favoring center-midrange over lower-midrange, but then an additional scoop in the upper midrange. This leads to vocals, pianos, horns, and bass instruments all having an extra sense of “vocality” and clarity to them.

While some may hear this tilt as a lack of sufficient bass or low-midrange energy, what’s surprising is that Cosmo’s lack of warmth never results in a harsh, gritty, or grainy presentation. The treble response is smooth throughout, and even our most treble sensitive team members find the Cosmo to be an exceedingly chill listen, that certainly isn’t without speed or tactility like many “relaxed” headphones tend to be.

So if you want to try a headphone that blends the best parts of a bunch of different approaches while minimizing downsides, the Cosmo is a headphone we’ve been really excited about.

Conclusion

This price range is one where listeners need to start getting serious about making sure they know what they’re getting into before buying, and hopefully pieces like this help to clarify the strengths and weaknesses of the products in this price range.

As with any price range, there are headphones on this list that prioritize neutrality, and those that eschew it in favor of a more exciting or colorful presentation. There are headphones that focus on spaciousness, while others focus more on immediacy and punchiness.

We can’t know which headphone will be the best fit for you, but thankfully Headphones.com has a 365-day return policy, which means you can find out how well the headphone you’re interested in works for you by trying it yourself, knowing that you have a year to make a final decision!

So feel free to check out the full selection of options at Headphones.com’s storefront, pick something that gets you excited to listen to music, and Headphones.com’s incredible store team will take care of the rest!