First, here’s one thing that you should consider before making a decision - the headphone buying guide cheat sheet. 

The cheat sheet 

The cheat sheet is important to look at as it can save you from investing in a not so good pair of headphones that you might end up disliking soon. Ask these questions to yourself: 

• How will you want to use them? 

The primary point here is to determine the purpose of using the headphones. For instance, are you looking for sports headphones that won’t fall off while jogging? Do you want your headphones to block outside noise? 

• What type of headphones do you prefer? 

There are two types of headphones - on-ear and over-ear headphones. On-ear headphones rest on your ears whereas, over-ear headphones cover your ear. 

• Wired or wireless?

Wired headphones are perfect as they provide full-strength signals. Wireless headphones, on the other hand, allow you to freely move around or dance. However, the signal isn’t 100% all the time. 

• Which ones do you like more - closed or open? 

What are open back headphones? Well, these headphones have holes and/or perforations that let in noise from the outside world. Closed-back headphones have no holes, thus, sealing the outside noise. 

• Which brand do you trust the most?

Several brands are holding the best reputation in the market. Well, the choice of brand depends on your likings. 

• Buy headphones from authorized dealers 

When buying new headphones, look at the manufacturer's warranty, service, and support to determine if the dealer is authorized or not. 

What are Open Back Headphones?

As mentioned earlier, the open back headphones are great for airways or ventilation as it has grills for free passage. In simpler words, open back headphones are open, natural and have a sense of wider presentation. These headphones are generally preferred by mixing and mastering engineers. The sound of an open back headphone sounds similar to a studio monitor. With these headphones on, mixing engineers can easily listen to their mixes and do the corrections. 

Open-back headphones are best for: 

• Mixing and mastering
• Solo listening
• Solo gaming
• Listening to music in situations where you must be aware of your surroundings

Open-Back Headphones Recommendations 

The Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO 250 Ohm

This pair of headphones are great for mixing and mastering, recreational listening. Since they have a wide sound stage, you can see that the sound comes from a wider range of locations. 

The Sennheiser HD280PRO

These are over-ear headphones that completely cover the ears, leaving less room for the sound to get in. 

The Sony MDRZX11

These are on-ear headphones. They are smaller than other over-ear headphones. Its classic design reduces outside noise. 

If you still need some extra to add to your knowledge, read through - What are Open Back Headphones? And How They Compare to All Other Headphones. Follow this blog from Audio Egghead for more interesting basics of What are Open Back Headphones? How to clean the headphones and much more.