AliceThe best closed back audiophile headphones elevate your listening experience to new heights, providing a sanctuary where music, soundtracks, and virtual worlds come to life with unparalleled clarity and richness. You look for the best closed back audiophile headphones when you’re a person with an intense passion for high-quality audio and a keen appreciation for sonic detail. You look for the best closed back audiophile headphones when you’re the type of person to invest in premium audio equipment, meticulously curate your music collection, and strive for the most authentic, immersive listening experience.
You seek audio perfection, prioritizing clarity, accuracy, and depth in sound. And closed back headphones are the best option for superior noise isolation, no sound leakage and enhanced privacy. The best closed back audiophile headphone designs provide a more controlled acoustic environment, leaving you in a private soundscape to focus on intricate details. So for a more immersive, intimate, and undisturbed listening experience, check out our list of the best closed back audiophile headphones now!
Product Comparison Table: Best Closed Back Audiophile Headphones
| Title | Price | Rating (Amazon) | Best in class | Buy | |
 | SENNHEISER HD 820 Over-the-Ear Audiophile Reference Headphones with Glass Reflector Technology | $$$ | 4 stars | Best Studio-Grade | Amazon |
 | Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones with Spatial Audio | $$ | 4.9 stars | Best Noise-Cancelling | Amazon |
 | Audio-Technica ATH-AG1X Closed Back High-Fidelity Gaming Headset | $ | 4.1 stars | Best for Gaming | Amazon |
 | Audeze LCD-2 Closed Back Over Ear Isolating Headphones | $$$ | 4.3 stars | Best Planar Magnetic | Amazon |
 | Focal Stellia Closed-Back Circum-Aural Over-Ear Headphones | $$$$ | 4.5 stars | Best Overall | Amazon |
SENNHEISER HD 820 Over-the-Ear Audiophile Reference Headphones with Glass Reflector Technology
There are three reasons why you’d choose studio-monitor-style headphones: one, the technically killer sound, two, the cozy comfort of headphones made for long-term listening, or three, you’re actually a professional in the studio. Our best closed back audiophile headphones in the studio-ready category are the SENNHEISER HD 820 Over-the-Ear Audiophile Reference Headphones with Glass Reflector Technology. These deliver on all three counts, but particularly on the first – killer sound!
The SENNHEISER HD 820 model utilizes a signature SENNHEISER-engineered Ring Radiator transducer system to manage air displacement for incredible detail, and a unique-to-this-model Glass Reflector plate and absorber system to mimic the open sound of loudspeakers within the closed cup itself. Each system is tested rigorously and individually to create the best sound possible, and it shows.
Pros
- A name you can trust
- Attractive design
- Unique SENNHEISER sound science
Cons
- Expensive (but worth it)
Verdict
Join what SENNHEISER calls ‘the Fellowship of the Ring’ with our best closed back audiophile headphones in the studio-grade stakes. The SENNHEISER HD 820 Audiophile Reference Headphones have proven and unique science behind them; even if you don’t understand it, you’ll hear it. Sure, they’re expensive – but they justify their price tag.
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Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones with Spatial Audio
One day we’ll write an article that doesn’t recommend the Bose QuietComfort range. That day is not today – and this is not that article. They’re quiet, they’re comfortable, and when it comes to noise cancelation, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones with Spatial Audio are the best of the best closed back audiophile headphones.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultras use an unbeatable noise-rejecting system with Bose Immersive audio to make sure that no distractions ruin your premium CustomTune experience. Because they cancel noise so well, you can choose between three modes of world-class noise cancelation to hear if your house is burning down – and if it’s an approaching hurricane instead, the QuietComfort Ultras include Wind Block technology.
Pros
- World-beating Active Noise Cancelation
- Super comfortable
- Adjustable EQ
Cons
- Needs Bose app for full functionality
- Wireless functionality necessitates charging
Verdict
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones with Spatial Audio are our best closed back audiophile headphones in the noise-canceling category because Bose created the noise-canceling headphone technology that started it all: ANC. Bose’s Quiet Comfort range pioneered Active Noise Cancelation, and have now improved it even further with Spatialized Audio.
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Audio-Technica ATH-AG1X Closed Back High-Fidelity Gaming Headset
Who said gamers can’t be audiophiles? Enter the Audio-Technica ATH-AG1X Closed Back High-Fidelity Gaming Headset, our best closed back audiophile headphones for gaming! Not only does Audio-Technica’s headset feature the trusted brand’s signature audiophile technology, but several other gamer-focused features too.
This might look like a regular gaming headset, but the Audio-Technica ATH-AG1X is so much more. The built-in volume control and microphone mute switch makes for easy one-handed operation, and the improved 3D Wing Support system and soft earpads deliver a comfortable and secure fit for hours of gaming; moreover, the double air damping system (D.A.D.S.) delivers deep, immersive bass. It’s clear why creators love these so much!
Pros
- Strong hi-res connectivity
- Relatively afforable
- Compatible with PC, Xbox, and PS4
Cons
- Better for gaming than music listening
Verdict
Anybody who’s ever played the DOOM franchise knows how vital it is for your gaming headphones to be the best they can be. That’s why we’ve included the Audio-Technica ATH-AG1X Closed Back High-Fidelity Gaming Headset to this list as our best closed back audiophile headphones made with gamers in mind!
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Audeze LCD-2 Closed Back Over Ear Isolating Headphones
Ever heard of planar magnetic headphones? You’re missing out, audiophile. Planar magnetic headphones use a thin, lightweight diaphragm with embedded conductive circuitry, driven by fancy magnetic arrays. This means sound so beautifully crystal clear that it’s not just music you’re hearing, it’s an *audio experience*; making for some of the best closed back audiophile headphones out there.
By ‘popular request’, California-based sound specialists Audeze (pronounced “odyssey”) have created the Audeze LCD-2 Closed Back Over Ear Isolating Headphones with New Suspension Headband. Each pair is hand-crafted and tested in their California facility, and features (alongside planar-magnetic excellence and special crystal-infused nylon rings) revolutionary flexible circuit material developed for NASA!
Pros
- Trademark flawless planar magnetic sound
- Space-age technology
- Lightweight and comfortable
Cons
- Not wireless
Verdict
If you’ve never experienced planar magnetic headphones before, now’s your chance: the CD-2 Closed Back Over Ear Isolating Headphones with New Suspension Headband, our best planar-magnetic closed back audiophile headphones. The audio performance of this pair is extremely, beautifully neutral – but we expected no less from this brilliant little brand. It feels good to support a great small business like Audeze!
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Focal Stellia Closed-Back Circum-Aural Over-Ear Headphones
Our overall best closed back audiophile headphones are the closest you’re going to get to an orchestra in your living room. The Focal Stellia Closed-Back Circum-Aural Over-Ear Headphones are our overall best closed back audiophile headphones because they prioritize audible beauty, fidelity and the premium touch. And all audiophiles will once you’ve tried them!
The innovative M-shaped pure beryllium dome of the Stellia’s full-range speaker drivers is exclusive to Focal, never before used in headphones. The result of using this rare material with a perfect strength-to-weight ratio is uncompromising tonal balance and dynamics: both high and low frequencies are reproduced with insane fidelity through a specially designed noise-canceling real leather and memory-foam ear cup. “Close your eyes”, Focal promises, “and feel the musicians beside you.”
Pros
- Unmatched sound dynamics and fidelity
- Finest quality components
- Innovative and unique technology
Cons
- Weighty (but justified) price tag
- Not wireless
Verdict
The Focal Stellia Closed-Back Circum-Aural Over-Ear Headphones are our overall best closed back audiophile headphones for people who love listening; for those who know that artisan sound deserves artisan craftsmanship. We found that thanks to the unique beryllium technology, no other pair of headphones functions with quite the level of fine-tuned beauty and fidelity as the Focal Stellia. You could almost call them… ‘berylliant’.
