I’ve been testing these audiophile headphones and they’ve let me hear my favorite music in detail like never before

The Grell OAE2 open-back headphones are an audiophile’s dream, but you have to be willing to drop $600. And I think that's worth it for some of the best headphones in the studio game.

They offer extremely detailed sound with a wide soundstage that gives the individual instruments room to be heard with complete clarity. And this clarity is prevalent across all frequency ranges. I was especially impressed by the performance at the lower end, with bassy tracks sounding very clean.

The headphones are also extremely comfortable to wear, so they are perfect for long listening sessions, and all components are replaceable. This means that if anything does go wrong with the headphones, you can just switch the parts rather than buying a new pair.

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To find out more, you can keep reading this full Grell OAE2 review.

Grell OAE2 review: Specs

Grell OAE2 review: Price & availability

The Grell OAE2 headphones are available for $599 in the U.S. and £499 in the U.K. directly from the Grell Audio online store, making them a little cheaper than the (also fantastic) HEDDphone D1 ($799). This is expensive, but that’s the price that comes with premium open-back headphones, where prices can run into four figures for cans like the Final D800 DC ($4,299), Meze Audio Elite ($3,999) and Audeze LCD5-S ($4,500). In that light, the OAE2 sit in the mid-range open-back category.

But there are very few who can sling that amount of money on some detailed listening headphones, and so, something like the Meze Audio 105 AER ($369) could be a better fit. These headphones still offer fantastic clarity with awesome instrument separation.

For something on the budget side, if this is the first pair of audiophile headphones you’re looking into, the FiiO JT3 open-back headphones could be the right fit for just $69. These have an expansive yet complex soundscape, but suffer from a little pinching in the high treble.

Grell OAE2 review: Design

I think I looked a little funny while wearing the Grell OAE2 headphones because the headband is so wide to accommodate the large earcups. The headphones have a ‘circum-aural ear coupling’, which simply means that they are over-ear headphones. These are open-back headphones, and the open grate design on the back makes them look très chic.

The open-back design delivers more expansive sound, the trade-offs being noise leakage in and out of the cans; no noise cancellation; and relative fragility versus closed-back headphones (open-backs won’t survive a stint in the rain).

Thankfully, all components of the headphones are replaceable and recyclable. Included with the headphones is a booklet with all of the numbers for the parts of the headphones you may need to order, so keep this handy for future reference. You can also purchase replacement headband and ear cup cushions from the Grell online store.

Comfort

The headband is adjustable and padded, so it’s very comfortable to wear for extended periods of listening. It took a bit of pushing and pulling to adjust the headband to the level I wanted it, but when I decided on the positioning, it was very secure.

Both the headband and the earcups are covered with velour, and are very soft, but they can become warm quite quickly compared to traditional faux leather-covered cups. Since you’ll have studio cans on for a lot longer, you want something that comes relatively lightweight, and the Grells tick that box at 13.3 ounces, especially when compared to the FiiO JT3, which weigh 27.2 ounces.

Controls

There are no onboard controls for the Grell OEA2 headphones. Any adjustments to volume, skipping tracks, and playing or pausing need to be done on your listening device. This wasn’t an issue, though, as since they are wired cans, my device was always 1.8m away from me.

Connectivity

The Grell OEA2 are wired headphones, and have connection ports for a 2.5mm jack on the bottom of the left and right earcups. Only one of these ports needs to be used at a time. It’s great to have the choice, as you can choose the side that doesn’t get in the way of your movements.

The headphones come with a 2.5mm jack to 3.5mm wire with a thread for a 3.5mm to 6.3mm adaptor, and a 2.5mm jack to 4.4mm jack wire. It’s great to have the options come with the headphones. These wires and leads can be stored out of the way in the included hard shell carry case.

Grell OAE2 review: Sound quality

To test the sound quality of the Grell OAE2, I listened on my phone and streamed my music using Qobuz. I streamed all songs I listened to in 24-bit. They have a maximum power draw of 500mW, so they're very easy to drive and can be used without a DAC or amp — playing perfectly well from your phone or computer, for example.

I was blown away by the detail in the sound quality of the Grell OAE2 headphones. Since they’re open back, you get that signature spacious sound, and the drivers deliver crisp response across the frequency range.

The Grell OAE2 use Grell's front-mounted drivers, which fire sound at your ears from a frontal direction to simulate listening to a live performance and maximizes detail in in the mids and highs, according to Grell. As open-back headphones, any internal sound reflection is also minimized, and as I listened, I could hear how much wider and more spacious it made the soundstage, especially in the complex tracks like Hypersonic Missiles. This gave a much better sound quality than the closed-back FiiO FT13 ($329), which suffer from harsh sounds in the treble.

To test out the bass performance of the headphones, I listened to Go by The Chemical Brothers. This song has a monotonous bass line that drives the song throughout. I could feel the low rumbles of the sub-bass movement, and each layer of bass was tight, incredibly clear and free from muddiness.

Next, I tested the mid-range. For this, I used the song Hypersonic Missiles by Sam Fender. The song is carried by electric guitar riffs and rich vocals, and the studio headphones did an excellent job of bringing out details I had never experienced before. The vocals stood out throughout the entire song and weren’t engulfed by the powerful and punchy electric guitars. The clarity of the drums was also impressive — real studio-level results.

Finally, I listened to It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You) by the 1975 — a high-energy track with a lot going on — to hear how the headphones handled treble. The cymbals came through and weren’t pitchy at all. Shimmery sound effects performed well too, and despite the amount of high-frequency elements in the song, everything remained bright and clear.

Grell OAE2 review: Verdict

The Grell OAE2 headphones are a masterclass in studio sound. The headphones are comfortable to wear for long periods of time, and that’s a great thing because I could quite literally listen with them all day long. The sound is extremely detailed, and there’s complete clarity across all frequency ranges, even in the sub-bass.

All components of the headphones are replaceable, so you don’t have to buy new headphones if any parts become worn out, so you’ll have these cans for a very, very long time. But the headphones are on the expensive side, so you have to be sure about the studio cans as an investment.

That said, I think this is a worthwhile investment, especially for anyone who loves to appreciate the detail in their favorite tracks.