Good explanation, buddy. Once you go open-back, you'll never go back.

Imma go with closed back cus I don't want my homies to know I like white girl music.

after seeing the price it made me CLOSE BACK my wallet.

So much crispy

If you're playing video game, I suggest using open back especially for FPS where you will listen to surrounding even better. Don't fall for 5.1 or 7.1 "gaming" headsets.

the only thing I wish you'd have done, is give a demonstration of how bad the sound leaking is if the other people in your room can hear it as clear as you do, then it's quite a leak but if it's just a tiny bit, then I don't see too much of a problem

I love this "explained" series you have going. I always learn something new. Keep it up!

Awesome video Marques, you always do a great job of breaking it down and explaining stuff really well!

Anyone else heard the banging in this video? Might be a headboard

Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser, Grado, Shure, Audio Technica, Klipsch, AKG, Audeze, Hifiman, Stax, V-Moda etc. For headphones/audio in general, if it isnt German, hard to pronounce or triggers spell check then its most likely not worth buying. There will always be exceptions though. Noble Audio and Sony are just a few of those.

No one is gonna talk about his awesome shirt?

Nicely explained, thanks Marques!

If you reply i will DIE

Great video, thanks for the explanation!

DUDE i love your t-shirt! Anyways, top notch explanation as always.

Awesome, this dude has been doing straight to the point, high quality videos for soo long.

some extra details for those looking to buy some: Closed back headphones are better for a Tailored listening experience, usually you get a stronger bass because you can trap the bass much easier in a closed chamber (people tend to enjoy that little bit of bass boost) however at the cost of high end sounding a bit shrill and weak at times Open back headphones are mostly gonna be for professional use in a studio or at home and its a lot harder to trap the bass in an open chamber however they have a much wider sound and are able to produce higher quality top end noise, as well as noise further down sub bass Semi-Open back headphones get the best and worst of both worlds, since they have that open back, the soundstage is relatively wide, however not as wide as full open backs. They also don't bleed like open backs, but they don't trap all the noise like closed backs. they have a much more detailed high end than closed backs but not quite as detailed as full open backs, the one thing they have that doesn't have a cavoite would be the bass, they have a very detailed bass and trap bass really well, the sound still bleeds like crazy but the bass can stay contained in semi open-backs pretty well Entry Level recommendations for each category Closed back: Sennheiser HD280 Semi-open back: Samson SR850 Open back: Philips SHP 9500 KEEP IN MIND: having loud bass, and having a lot of bass are NOT the same thing. loud bass simply implies a bass boost, meaning the frequencies in the bass section are just louder. having a large bass means you get more of those frequencies in the bass section, its a wider sound, it giving you more noise in that bass section rather than just giving you a little bass and boosting the crap out of it. Ex. Meze Empyreans their graph is a straight line all the way down to sub bass, however it might not be as boomy and punchy as a set of closed back Sonys

Came here expecting a mention of Grado SR80i, was not disappointed! Such a great headphones for the money and cheap spare parts to fix them very easily.

Since you graduated you're unstoppable! Thanks for this simple but very useful video Marques! Keep up the good work!

I love your Explained videos. I've learned a whole lot from them.

thanks brother always awesome to learn something

Great video Marques!

when you explain stuff, it always blows me away!

Glad to see your channel grow! The videos are awesome and you do a great job critiquing the tech. Keep up the good work and I'll keep watching!

2:26 "And they can't hear your music" 2:44 "If someone's sitting next to you it'll sound like there's mini speakers on your head" Just pointing it out. :) Love the breakdown either way!

Thanks, as always, ***** ! Your points of view are always very helpful.

Great job Marques. I'm not the most technology advanced person but I learn so much watching your videos. Thank you so much.

I love your videos. Your explanation of things is great and understandable. Keep it up.

And with open back you lose the sensation of like, imprisonment. The sound has so much space to breathe that you can listen hours and hours and hours without any pain. The fact that most open backs are also neutral made me rediscover my music, because almost all consumer grade headphones are so bassy it eats up the rest of the spectrum. Open backs really made me rediscover music and now I love it even more than ever. I'm never going back from open backs

Open back headphones are _perfect_ for gaming

I love these "Explained" videos !!! Please do more of them !!!

your 'explained' videos are great and informing in a lot of ways

"I'm not that much of a gamer" wears a Master Chief T-Shirt

The most important aspect of open-backed headphone designs is that they will have a much more neutral and "true" sound, particularly for bass frequencies. Closed-backed headphones necessarily have to compensate for bass and thus have a distorted version of the audio, which is usually fine for people just enjoying music. However, for music producers and those who have to listen to mixes for reference, open-backed designs are a must as it's much closer to the actual frequencies in the audio file. For most people, they may well find open-backed headphones less "exciting" than closed-backed designs, which can be a lot more bassy and with crisper high-end which makes the audio really "pop". They also don't have the intrusive leakage into your environment. Anyone making music or working with audio who needs to do intricate mix references to compliment their studio monitors should always invest in a good pair of open-backed cans however, as close-backed products will be compromising the sound stage and frequency response. Of course, people in studios will also need close-backed 'phones for tracking so that leakage into the mic is reduced to acceptable levels.

I enjoyed this brief and informative video, thanks mete.

Your videos are incredible. So helpful and well explained. Thank you very much

Soundstage: how wide the song sounds (spatial) Imaging: direction the sound seem to be coming from (directional) thus, soundstage≠imaging.

who cares about headphones whered you get that cool chief shirt

your videos are so well made! great job!

This video earned my subscription. I'm definitely an audiophile and whenever I hear non-audio techies talk about headphones I start to get a little twitchy... This was really well explained, really well informed. Subscribed and can't wait for more!

3:44 Grado also make a lot of high end headphones that cost a lot, granted in the audio world the price you pay for them and the quietly of the sound they output are seem in many peoples eyes as a bargain.

Something's different in this video... You look sharper than usual? More handsome? Smarter maybe? Can't quite put my finger on it.... ;)

Marques never disappoints another high quality vid from the tech king himself.

Good video. I started noticing that the quality and quality increasing. Good job. Keep it up

I have a pair of Sennheiser 598s. Before them I had Sennheiser 555s for like 7 years. I prefer the spatial sense of sound and when I'm in public I just use earbuds.

Watching it in 2021 and still the quality is just unbelievable

thank you for the video - great as always. Keep it up, looking forward to the next one.

Great video as usual - I got the black m50x's because of your recommendations and I thank you greatly!

If you want a good, inexpensive pair of open backs, go w/ the Sennheiser HD 518's. I use them constantly and they are easily the best headphones I've ever used due to the soundstage Marques talks about and you can get them for anywhere from $50-$70. Side note, most open-backs are exponentially better w/ an amp, so I recommend getting, at the very least, a cheap 20$ one on Amazon in conjunction w/ your headphones.

Would the Sennheiser HD 598 be a good choice? Heard they're one of th best.

Thank you, that was well explained and very helpful while I am trying to learn about audio equipment.

Clear, Concise. Perfect. Thanks mate!

crispier than a fresh bag of lays

I wonder what kind of comment I have to post to make MKBHD reply to it! ;)

Also I like this kind of videos. They have that instructive part for people who don't know a thing about it that I like and they're still having the great quality which your videos are distinguished for. Definitely thumbs up

yeaa that shot was definitely great! good stuff MKBHD

Many open-backed headphones are also incredibly comfy and able to be worn for many many hours. Something like my ATH-M50s would get sweaty and uncomfortable past like 20-30 minutes, whereas the AD-700s I used to use I could literally forget I was even wearing them. The open back makes them nice and breathable.

A review of the R70x and/or HD800 would be really nice...

Awesome tutorial. I got all of the info that I was looking for from your video. Thank you.

I'm not even into headphone like this but I just love learning something new every time I watch another one of your videos

HD800 review!!:)

It's a lot easier to design a very high-end open-back headphone than a sealed one. That's why really, really good sealed headphones are _massively_ expensive.

Been long since a headphone video came out. Thanks

That was an interesting video, I did learn something. Thanks for sharing!

If im using open back headphones, would the sound leak get picked up by a vocal mic?

ATH-M50x Type Closed-back dynamic Driver Diameter 45 mm Magnet Neodymium Voice Coil CCAW (Copper-clad aluminum wire) Frequency Response 15 - 28,000 Hz Maximum Input Power 1,600 mW at 1 kHz Sensitivity 99 dB Impedance 38 ohms Weight 285 g (10 oz), without cable and connector Cable Interchangeable cables: detachable 1.2 m - 3.0 m (3.9' - 9.8') coiled cable, detachable 3.0 m (9.8') straight cable and detachable 1.2 m (3.9') straight cable Accessories Included Protective carrying pouch, 6.3 mm (1/4") screw-on adapter ATH-R70X (Open) specification: Type Open-back reference Driver Diameter 45 mm Frequency Response 5 - 40,000 Hz Maximum Input Power 1,000 mW at 1 kHz Sensitivity 99 dB Impedance 470 ohms Weight 210 g (7.4 oz), without cable and connector Accessories Included Protective carrying pouch

To he honest, a lot of youtubers put ads in their video, but yours are the only one without ads, so exclusive to see your video.

enjoyed it! great explanation. thanks MKBHD.

listening to this video with my audeze lcd-2s!

open back. A pair of fidelio x2's will take you away. oh and the lower priced shp9500 are great as well.

My Favorite MKBHD videos are the "Explained" Videos. GREAT JOB!

That was a very clear and concise break down. Also, kudos for being able to work through all of that backround noise. Was that music or construction? As always, thanks for the great video. :)

I am surprised that you didn't mention that open backed headphones tend to not have as strong bass as closed back. By the way, open back headphones are better for gaming (especially on FPS'es), as they, like you said earlier, give you immersion/a wide soundstage and tell you where the instruments are played and the same goes for knowing where people in your environment are shooting or walking.

***** Dat Master Chief shirt though...

I swear by my open-back HD 598, most authentic and clear audio recreation I've ever heard.

Nice video! Love the t-shirt!

***** why aren't you posting like 2 videos in a week?

Massdrop always sells openback headphones. I want to buy some but I'm always in public

I bought a pair of grado headphones 3 years ago and they are still great! Incredible product

this is the first explained video that i actually needed

So you say you can hear music and people talking but they can not hear your music, to just after that, say that they CAN hear your music. wich one? 2:20

Not ideal for watching porn ._.

I'm really crushing on Marques rn not even gonna lie. Bouta follow him on all the social medias

Very informative. Straight to the point. Good stuff.

Get the Philips shp9500

What about the superlux 668b? 50 dollars semi open and logan from tek syndicate recommends his face outta them

Great video Marques, keep it up.

Great explanation and solid videos, you have a new subscriber!

Dude what is your hair lmao

lisitning to this on my hd598 :)

Great vid as always but that shirt is soooooo dope!

Good info, thank you. Going to buy the m50x headphones based on your videos. You create amazing content. Thank you!

2019 ,and the joke (in comments) about the porn listening , is still alive..

Wait...There's headphones that don't isolate noise?!? The more you know lol

Thank you. Exactly what I was looking to learn.

Thank bro can't wait for your next video.

Hd600 = best (relatively) low priced open back headphones IMO

Isn't the point of headphones that other people can't hear your music?

Nicely done! Always informative!

Awesome video and awesome shirt!