7 Best Affordable Open-Back Headphones under $50 | Budget-Friendly
Open-back headphones are known for their remarkable sound quality, immersing you in your audio adventures. They allow some sound leakage, creating a natural and spacious soundstage. However, finding affordable open-back headphones that deliver high performance can be challenging.
In this guide, we’ll explore the top 7 open-back headphones under $50 that offer budget-friendly soundscapes for gaming, music, and podcasts.
Benefits of Open-Back Headphones
Open-back headphones are an excellent choice for those who value sound quality and comfort. With their open design, they offer a natural and immersive soundstage, simulating the experience of listening in a room.
The open-back configuration also improves airflow, enhancing comfort during long listening sessions. They also provide awareness of your surroundings, which is beneficial for safety while walking or commuting.
However, it’s important to note that open-back headphones under $50 do leak sound, which may not be suitable for private listening or in noise-sensitive environments.
Choosing the Right Open-Back Headphones for You
When choosing open-back headphones, consider a few key factors. First, prioritize sound quality with clear, balanced audio and a spacious soundstage. Second, prioritize comfort with soft, cushioned earpads and a lightweight design.
Third, look for durable materials for long-lasting use. Also, consider cable length and adapter compatibility. Ultimately, the best headphones depend on personal preferences and usage. Evaluate options and read reviews before deciding.
Features to Consider When Buying Open-Back Headphones
When shopping for open-back headphones, it’s essential to focus on the following features:
Sound Quality
The purpose of using open-back headphones is to achieve a natural, open sound quality. Look for headphones that deliver clear and balanced audio with sufficient bass and treble levels.
Comfort
Comfort is a crucial factor, especially if you plan on using your headphones for extended periods. Look for headphones with soft, cushioned earpads and adjustable headbands. A lightweight design can also enhance comfort.
Build Quality
Open-back headphones should be robust and durable to withstand regular use. Headphones made from quality materials like metal or high-grade plastic tend to last longer.
Cable Length and Connectivity
Depending on your usage, you may prefer a longer or shorter cable. Some headphones come with detachable cables for easy storage and replacement. Also, consider the type of plug – a 3.5mm plug is standard, but some headphones come with a 6.3mm adapter for professional audio equipment.
Price
While this guide focuses on open-back headphones under $50, price is a consideration. Ensure the headphones offer good value for the price, with the sound quality and features that match their cost.
Brand Reputation
The brand’s reputation can give you a fair idea of the quality of the headphones. Brands with a good reputation often offer better customer service and warranty policies.
Remember, the right pair of open-back headphones should meet your specific sound and comfort preferences, as well as your budget.
7 Best Open-Back Headphones under $50
Our guide features the top 7 open-back headphones under $50. With rich bass and detailed highs, these headphones deliver high-fidelity audio for budget-conscious audiophiles. Upgrade your audio game without emptying your wallet – music to your ears!
Samson’s Over-Ear HeadphonesOpen-Back Headphones Under $50
Samson’s Over-Ear Wired Headphones are a perfect blend of style, functionality, and comfort. Created by audio industry leader Samson, these semi-open headphones deliver impeccable sound quality for professionals in tracking, mixing, mastering, and playback.
The standout feature: significant 50mm drivers with rare earth magnets for extended frequency response and impressive dynamic range. With their over-ear, circumaural design and velour cushioning, these headphones ensure comfort during long listening sessions.
The self-adjusting headband guarantees an optimal fit for every user. Plus, the package includes a 1/4″ stereo adapter, adding to the product’s versatility. Samson’s headphones are engineered to deliver an exceptional audio experience.
Key Features
Professional Quality Sound
Designed for professional use in tracking, mixing, mastering, and playback, these headphones deliver high-fidelity sound.
Significant 50mm drivers with Rare Earth Magnets
This unique feature extends the frequency response and dynamic range, ensuring a rich and immersive audio experience.
Comfortable Design
The over-ear, circumaural design, along with velour cushioning, ensures comfort during long listening sessions.
Self-Adjusting Headband
This feature ensures an optimal fit for every user, enhancing comfort and ease of use.
1/4″ Stereo Adapter Included
Including a 1/4″ stereo adapter increases the product’s versatility, making it compatible with a broader range of audio devices.
Use Cases
- Studio Use: Samson’s Over-Ear Wired Headphones are designed for professional use in tracking, mixing, mastering, and playback. They are ideal for musicians, producers, and sound engineers who require superior quality and accuracy.
- Podcasting or Broadcasting: The high-fidelity sound of these headphones makes them perfect for podcasters and broadcasters. They deliver clear audio, allowing for precise editing and post-production work.
- Audiophiles: The headphones cater to audio enthusiasts who appreciate high-quality sound. The comprehensive frequency response and dynamic range ensure a rich and immersive listening experience, whether for music, movies, or games.
- Remote Work: In the era of remote work and video conferencing, these headphones provide clear audio for communication, ensuring that no detail is lost during important meetings or presentations.
- Learning and Education: For students and educators participating in online learning, these headphones offer precise and reliable audio, enhancing the e-learning experience.
Pros and Cons
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Superlux HD668B HeadphonesQuality Open-Back Headphones Under $50
The Superlux HD668B Dynamic Semi-Open Headphones – your go-to for an immersive sound experience. These sleek black headphones offer more than looks.
They produce natural, spatial, and accurate sound, bringing every beat to life. From clear cymbals to genuine strings and wind instruments, these headphones handle all music with finesse.
The balanced bass enhances your listening experience while the vocals are authentically reproduced. For audiophiles seeking style and performance, the Superlux HD668B headphones are an excellent choice.
Key Features
Dynamic Semi-Open Design
The Superlux HD668B headphones are semi-open, delivering a wide sound stage and excellent sound quality.
Natural, Spatial, and Accurate Sound
These headphones are designed to provide an honest and spatial sound that is also accurate, ensuring an immersive listening experience.
Versatile Sound Reproduction
From silvery, clear cymbals to unobtrusive strings and wind instruments, these headphones offer exceptional versatility in sound reproduction.
Balanced, Contoured, and Deep Bass
The deep, contoured, and balanced bass response brings out the best in any genre of music.
Authentic Voice Reproduction
The Superlux HD668B headphones deliver exceedingly original voice reproduction, making them ideal for audiobooks or podcasts.
Comfortable Over-Ear Design
The over-ear form factor ensures comfort during long listening sessions.
Wired Connectivity
With its wired connectivity technology, the headphones provide a stable and uninterrupted sound experience.
Use Cases
The Superlux HD668B headphones are a versatile audio device that caters to many use cases.
- Music Enthusiasts: With superior sound reproduction, these headphones are an excellent choice for music buffs. Every genre, from classical to rock, is enhanced by natural, spatial, and accurate sound.
- Podcast Listeners: The authentic voice reproduction makes these headphones perfect for podcast listeners, offering an immersive experience that brings you closer to the hosts.
- Audiobook Listeners: They’re also great for audiobook enthusiasts, enhancing narration with clear and distinct vocals that bring stories to life.
- Video Gamers: Gamers benefit from the wide sound stage and deep, impactful bass, creating a more immersive gaming experience.
- Musicians and Audio Engineers: For music producers and audio engineers, accurate sound reproduction helps fine-tune tracks to perfection.
- Online Education: For students or professionals attending online classes or meetings, these headphones offer clear audio for effective communication.
These use cases demonstrate the versatility and broad appeal of the Superlux HD668B headphones. They’re not just an accessory but an essential tool for any audio-related activity.
Pros and Cons
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The Black Shark Gaming HeadsetLeading Open-Back Headphones Under $50
Black Shark Gaming Headset BS-X5: where gaming audio technology reaches a new level! This feather-light headset, weighing only 295g, offers exceptional sound quality for gaming adventures.
With advanced 50mm drivers and an open acoustic design, it’s like having a personal symphony in your ears. And let’s remember the noise-canceling cardioid microphone that isolates your voice for crystal-clear communication.
Compatible with multiple platforms, this headset is a must-have for gamers and audio enthusiasts. Level up your gaming experience with the Black Shark Goblin X5!
Key Features
Lightweight Design
At just 295g, the Black Shark Goblin X5 is designed for comfort during extended gaming sessions. You barely feel its presence, enhancing your focus on the game.
Advanced 50mm Drivers
These drivers provide precise, clear audio imaging for a fully immersive gaming experience. Every sound cue is crystal clear, keeping you in the heart of the action.
Open Acoustic Design:
This state-of-the-art design allows for individual tuning of highs, mids, and lows, enhancing the sonic clarity and revealing the nuanced details of the game’s audio.
Noise-Canceling Cardioid Mic
- This detachable mic reduces background noise for crystal-clear communication, ensuring your commands are heard loud and clean.
Noise-Canceling Cardioid Mic: Multi-platform Compatibility.
With its 3.5mm jack, the Black Shark Goblin X5 can be used with various devices, including PCs, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox, and Android.
Use Cases
The Black Shark Goblin X5 gaming headset is an indispensable accessory for various user scenarios:
- Competitive Gaming: With advanced 50mm drivers and an open acoustic design, the Goblin X5 puts you at the heart of the game. Every sound cue is crucial in competitive gaming, and this headset delivers.
- Streaming and Content Creation: The noise-canceling cardioid mic ensures crystal-clear voice quality, making the Goblin X5 an excellent choice for streamers and content creators.
- Distance Learning and Remote Work: Beyond gaming, the Black Shark Goblin X5 offers superior sound quality and a noise-canceling mic, making it a reliable tool for online courses or remote meetings. Clear communication is critical in virtual collaborations, and this headset ensures that.
- Multimedia Consumption: Whether listening to music, watching movies, or binge-watching your favorite series, the Goblin X5’s superior sound quality and comfortable, lightweight design enhance your audio-visual experience.
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Open Back Stereo HeadphoneTop Open-Back Picks Under $50
Discover Philips Performance Audio with the SHP9600 Open Back Stereo Headphones. These headphones offer exceptional sound quality and comfort.
Immerse yourself in crystal-clear sound, powerful bass, and pristine high frequencies. Whether you’re a music enthusiast, DJ or appreciate premium audio, these headphones meet your needs.
With features like a cushioned headband for maximum comfort and a gold-plated 6.3-3.5mm jack adapter for optimal connection, the Philips Performance Audio | SHP9600 is the ultimate accessory for your audio journey.
Key Features
High-Quality Sound
Large 50mm speaker units paired with neodymium magnets offer powerful bass and high-frequency clarity. The headphones also provide exceptional clarity across an extended frequency range, ensuring every music session is an enjoyable experience.
Comfortable Design
The headphones feature a double-layered headband cushion and soft padded ear cushions for maximum comfort, even during long listening sessions. The over-ear fit is perfect for sound isolation in loud environments.
Open Back Design
The open back design of the headphones creates a spacious, crisp sound quality, making these headphones a top choice for audiophiles.
Excellent Connectivity
The headphones come with a gold-plated 6.3-3.5mm jack adapter, allowing you to connect them to any source, from phones to headphone amps, ensuring the best connection.
Durability
The headphones are made with premium materials for longevity, and a 90-day Amazon Renewed Guarantee backs them. The product is refurbished and in excellent condition, professionally inspected, tested, and cleaned by Amazon-qualified vendors.
Use Cases
The Philips Performance Audio | SHP9600 headphones are versatile and suitable for various use cases:
- Music Enthusiasts: Perfect for those who appreciate high-quality sound and listen to music often. Experience music the way artists intended, with clear sound and deep bass.
- Professional DJs: Ideal for DJs in clubs or events. The SHP9600 headphones deliver excellent sound reproduction, ensuring good clarity and quality.
- Audiophiles: The open-back design provides spacious, room-filling sound for high-fidelity sound lovers.
- Home Studios: The SHP9600 offers an outstanding balance of quality sound and comfort for long mixing or editing sessions in home studios.
- Gaming: Immerse yourself in an authentic gaming experience with these headphones, creating a live sound environment.
- Remote Work: Ideal for video calls and long work hours, the SHP9600’s over-ear fit and comfortable design provide noise isolation in the era of remote working.
Each use case maximizes the potential of the Philips Performance Audio | SHP9600, making them a valuable investment for any audio-related activity.
Pros and Cons
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Behringer HPX2000 HeadphonesPocket-Friendly Open-Back Headphones
Meet the Behringer HPX2000, a high-definition DJ headphone that will revolutionize your music experience. With a sleek black design and on-ear form factor, these headphones offer style, comfort, and wired connectivity for seamless sound transmission.
Experience impressive bass, clear highs, and a wide dynamic range for immersive sound. The high-efficiency cobalt capsule enhances durability and performance. The HPX2000 includes a 1/8″ connector and a 1/4″ adapter for compatibility with multiple devices.
The single-sided cord with oxygen-free copper wires guarantees clear audio. Embrace elegance, durability, and superior audio quality with the Behringer HPX2000 headphones.
Key Features
High-Definition Sound
With high-definition bass and super-transparent highs, the Behringer HPX2000 headphones deliver an immersive audio experience.
Wide Dynamic Range
The ultra-high dynamic range ensures balanced and detailed sound across all frequencies.
High-Efficiency Cobalt Capsule
The headphones are built with a high-efficiency cobalt capsule, offering enhanced durability and performance.
Multiple Device Compatibility
The package includes a 1/8″ connector and a 1/4″ adapter for compatibility across various devices.
Clear Audio Transmission
The single-sided cord with oxygen-free copper wires assures clear audio transmission, minimizing any potential sound interference.
Use Cases
The Behringer HPX2000 headphones are highly versatile, finding utility in a variety of scenarios:
- DJ Performances and Music Production: Designed with high-definition sound and wide dynamic range, these headphones are ideal for DJs and music producers seeking clear and immersive audio for mixing and producing tracks.
- Studio Recording: The clarity of audio transmission makes the HPX2000 suitable for studio recording, providing artists with a detailed audio landscape.
- Casual Listening: For those who value high-quality sound for everyday use, these headphones transform the simple music listening experience with superior sound quality.
- Gaming: The headphones provide immersive audio, enhancing the gaming experience by delivering high-definition sound effects.
- Podcasting and Broadcasting: Podcasters and broadcasters can benefit from the clear audio transmission and high-efficiency cobalt capsule, ensuring their voice is delivered with clarity and detail.
Pros and Cons
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Koss UR40 Over-Ear HeadphonesThe Best Open-Back Headphones
Koss UR40 Over-Ear Headphones provide exceptional audio with a comfortable, stylish design. These headphones deliver accurate, high-quality sound across music genres thanks to features like comprehensive frequency response and titanium-coated diaphragms.
With closed leatherette ear cushions, they offer deep bass and sound isolation for immersive listening. Experience the perfect blend of technology and comfort with Koss UR40 Over-Ear Headphones.
Key Features
Comprehensive Frequency Response
With a response range of 15-22,000 Hz, the Koss UR40 headphones deliver clear and detailed highs, mids, and lows for a comprehensive auditory experience.
Titanium-Coated Diaphragms
The high-polymer diaphragms, coated with titanium, reproduce accurate and authentic audio, enhancing your listening experience.
Neodymium Iron Boron Rare-Earth-Magnet Structures
These unique structures facilitate precise sound reproduction, ensuring your music sounds as the artist intended.
Oxygen-Free-Copper Voice Coils
Oxygen-free copper in voice coils provides high signal clarity, eliminating any possible distortions or interference.
Closed Leatherette Ear Cushions
These ear cushions offer optimal comfort during extended listening sessions while providing maximum isolation for deep, immersive bass.
Use Cases
The Koss UR40 Over-Ear Headphones are a versatile audio accessory with many potential use cases.
- Music Enthusiasts: These headphones, with their comprehensive frequency response and titanium-coated diaphragms, are perfect for music lovers who appreciate high-quality sound in all genres.
- Podcast Listeners: The detailed and precise sound reproduction of these headphones makes them an excellent choice for listeners who want to catch every word of their favorite podcasts.
- Home Office Workers: The closed leatherette ear cushions provide sound isolation for maximum concentration, making these headphones a great asset for those working from home.
- Audiobook Readers: These headphones offer a comfortable and immersive listening experience for audiobook enthusiasts.
- Gamers: With accurate sound reproduction and deep bass, these headphones enhance the gaming experience with rich and immersive audio.
Pros and Cons
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Superlux HD 681 Dynamic HeadphonesBest Open-Back Headphones
The Superlux HD 681 Semi-Open Headphones offer superior sound quality, comfort, and style. With a unique semi-open design and 50mm Neodymium drivers, they deliver dynamic and immersive audio.
The self-adjusting headband and comfortable fit make them perfect for extended use. Whether you’re an audiophile, musician, or sound lover, the Superlux HD 681 is an excellent addition to your audio equipment.
Key Features
Dynamic Sound
The Superlux HD 681 headphones use 50mm Neodymium drivers for a vibrant and dynamic audio experience. These drivers deliver clear, detailed sound across a wide frequency range, enhancing your music, movies, or games.
Semi-Open Design
The back design balances sound isolation and natural sound bleed. It provides a rich, open soundstage that combines the benefits of closed and open-back designs.
Comfortable Fit
The self-adjusting headband and over-ear form ensure a secure and comfortable fit. Lightweight construction adds to the comfort, allowing extended listening sessions without fatigue.
Wired Connectivity
These headphones have a wired connection for consistent, high-quality sound without lag or battery life issues that can occur with wireless headphones.
Stylish and Durable
With a sleek black color scheme and robust build quality, the Superlux HD 681 headphones offer style and durability. The design is modern and practical, making these headphones visually pleasing and functional.
Use Cases
The Superlux HD 681 headphones are versatile and cater to a broad array of users:
- Music Enthusiasts: With dynamic 50mm Neodymium drivers, enjoy your favorite tracks with exceptional clarity and vibrancy. The semi-open design adds richness to the sound, making these headphones perfect for music lovers.
- Gamers: The immersive sound quality and comprehensive frequency response enhance gaming experiences. The detailed audio allows gamers to immerse themselves in virtual environments, improving performance fully.
- Home Studios: Suitable for home studio setups, these headphones provide clear, balanced sound crucial for music production. The semi-open design allows for a mix of sound isolation and natural bleed, ideal for monitoring recordings.
- Professional Use: For professionals in sound editing, broadcasting, or podcasting, the Superlux HD 681 headphones deliver reliable and high-quality audio. The comfortable fit allows for prolonged use without discomfort.
- General Use: Offering excellent sound quality for movies, online meetings, or music, these headphones ensure consistent audio without lag. Wired connectivity is ideal for long-duration use.
Pros and Cons
Like any product, the Superlux HD 681 headphones have strengths and weaknesses that potential buyers should consider.
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Final Thoughts
As explored in this article, open-back headphones are an excellent option for those looking to step up their audio game without breaking the bank. Not only do they offer remarkable sound quality and comfort, but the openness of the design allows you to enjoy a natural and immersive soundstage.
With 7 of the best open-back headphones under $50 outlined here, you can now indulge in budget-friendly soundscapes to accompany your gaming session, latest podcast episode, or favorite track.
Whether you plan to use them while walking or commuting or from the comfort of your home studio-open yourself up to a truly captivating listening experience! Ready to explore more affordable options? Check out our selection of open-back headphones under $50 today!
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