Grell
Features
Largest open baffle on the market for a transparent, unrestricted acoustic feel
Bio-mimetic drivers tuned for deep, extended low-end response
Fully modular design — every component is replaceable for long-term serviceability
Angled transducers reproduce treble the way it's naturally perceived in real life
Novel damping concept delivers tight, controlled bass without overpowering the mix
Balanced midrange keeps vocals and instruments true to the original recording
Open, spacious soundstage eliminates in-head sensation for a live-concert feel
Video
What's in the Box?
Warranty
The Grell Audio OAE2 Open-Back Headphones deliver sound in its purest form.
Most headphones fire sound straight into your ear canal from the side. The OAE2 does something different. Instead, it angles the driver forward, letting your ear's natural shape do what it was built to do.
Designed by Axel Grell–the engineer behind the Sennheiser HD 600, HD650, and HD 800–the Grell OAE2 Open Around Ear Audiophile Headphones bring decades of reference-grade headphone expertise to a new approach built around the natural shape of your ear. Music is reproduced organically without coloration, just as the artist intended. The result is deep, controlled bass and finely resolved highs without trade-off, natural and uncolored mids with faithful timbre, and a spacious, speaker-like soundstage with precise imaging that makes music feel like it's happening in front of you rather than beside you.
Dragon Cable Recommendation
Switching to a Dragon Audio Cable takes an already great experience even further. The Bronze Dragon Portable Headphone Cable's copper strands and Graphene add subtle musicality and additional dynamics, while the Silver Dragon Portable Headphone Cable enhances detail retrieval and top-end resolution for an even clearer listening experience.
Connectors are available to fit the Grell OAE2 Headphones across the entire Dragon Headphone Cable lineup–handcrafted to your specifications at our Cary, NC headquarters, using the purest UP-OCC silver or copper conductors available, so nothing stands between you and your music.
Built Around Your Ears, Not the Factory Line
The OAE2's sound quality is shaped by the listener's individual ear anatomy rather than being radiated directly at the eardrum. This is made possible by Front-sided Sound Field Modulation (FSFM)–Axel Grell's innovation, developed through decades of experience, that makes the finest nuances in the midrange and treble audible in a natural, detailed way.
Through the interaction between the pinna's natural shape and the front-sided transducers, the OAE2 achieves a natural, fatigue-free yet highly detailed reproduction of the upper midrange and treble. The finest nuances become audible and the midrange remains clear. Carefully balanced mids and an open soundstage let every detail come through, while bass reproduction makes low frequencies not only audible but physically perceptible. This front-oriented design also lends itself naturally to a crossfeed-like sense of space, narrowing the gap between headphone listening and a true stereo speaker experience.
Together with the Institute of Communication Technology at Leibniz University Hannover (IKT) and supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Grell continues to research how the angle of sound incidence affects frequency response depending on individual ear geometry.
The Baffle: Engineering the Open Sound
The transducer and the baffle form the technological heart of the OAE2. The baffle features an open surface area twice as large as comparable headphones, covered with a precision-engineered stainless steel mesh made in Germany. This mesh accurately defines the acoustic impedance, striking the perfect balance between low and high frequencies. In most headphones, large reflective surfaces are embedded around the driver for structural purposes but end up distorting the sound; the OAE2's oversized open baffle avoids that trade-off entirely.
A newly developed damping concept lowers the OAE2's resonance frequency to 40Hz, compared to 70Hz in most conventional dynamic headphones, delivering a far more impactful bass response for the discerning listener. The 40mm dynamic driver features a bio cellulose diaphragm, angled at the baffle instead of straight at your ear, combined with a large radiating surface and high excursion.
Bespoke Design for All-Day Comfort
The OAE2 is ergonomically optimized for a wide variety of head shapes, with extendable sliders and flexible, wide contact surfaces that guarantee comfort during long listening sessions. The memory foam headband is soft and wide with two die-cast zinc sliders inside allowing for easy size adjustment, and a rotating joint connecting the yoke lets the headphones fold flat for travel. A combination of flexible polymer and a steel sheet spring precisely defines the clamping force, rated at 2.5N for a secure, pressure-free fit.
A support structure made from high-grade polyamide keeps the acoustic components firmly in place, mitigating unwanted vibrations, all encased by a perforated steel sheet (metal frame) with 60% open area that protects the baffle and transducer while avoiding resonances. The ear pads are made from premium velour stretched over acoustically-tuned foam, uniquely extending into the ear pads themselves to enable the OAE2's extreme frontal driver orientation.
The fully modular design itself is understated— no flashy logos, no exotic materials meant to impress on their own. It lets the sound do the talking. The OAE2 is built with environmentally certified production facilities and plastic-free packaging, and features replaceable wear parts–including head padding and earpads—available directly to customers. The OAE2 can be completely disassembled and reassembled. Grell partners with distributors and retailers to ensure comprehensive spare part and repair service, and head and earpads can be purchased directly in stores and swapped out by customers themselves.
Flexible Connectivity, Built to Last
The OAE2's circumaural ear cups feature a 4-pole 2.5mm socket on both ear cups, allowing for either single-sided (left or right) or dual-sided connection. The included cables are made from four ultra-fine, silver-plated OFC copper strands for optimal signal transmission, low in microphonics and easy to handle. One cable comes with a 3.5mm jack and 6.3mm adapter; a second balanced 4.4mm cable is also included. Additional configurations are available as accessories.
FAQs
Do I need an amp to drive the OAE2?
The Grell OAE2 Open-back Headphones are easy to drive thanks to their efficient sensitivity, performing well on a variety of setups, from portable DACs to desktop amplifiers. For the best performance, pair the OAE2 with a capable headphone amplifier, DAC/Amp, or Digital Audio Player.
What's the difference about the OAE2 headphones compared to the original OAE1?
The OAE2's tuning is more traditional than the OAE1, with a more prominent bass response and smooth treble that helps create a sense of space in the overall presentation. The core FSFM driver technology carries over from the OAE1, but some improvements for a more balanced, natural presentation. The OAE1 signature, largely identical in design to the OAE2, received the prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD 2025, an internationally recognized award of excellence for outstanding design and quality.
Where are the OAE2 Headphones designed and made?
The OAE2 is designed and engineered in Germany, developed by Axel Grell and his team following his three decades of experience in the high-fidelity industry.
Does the OAE2 come with a carrying case?
Yes, the OAE2 Headphones ship with a hardshell case sized to let the ear cups lay flat for protection.
Grell Audio OAE2 Review: How a $500 Headphone Outperforms $2,000 Rivals
Read Time: Approx. 12 min.
TL:DR:
- Grell's Front-Sided Sound Field Modulation angles the driver forward instead of firing straight into the ear canal, projecting sound the way your ear's natural shape is designed to receive it.
- Designed by Axel Grell, the engineer behind the Sennheiser HD 600, HD 650, and HD 800 — decades of reference-grade open-back headphones and over-ear headphones expertise built into his own brand, following the original Grell OAE1 and its OAE1 Signature variant.
- Deep, controlled bass and finely resolved highs without trade-off, natural uncolored mids, and a spacious, speaker-like soundstage that makes music feel like it's happening in front of you.
- Lightweight at 378g with a memory-foam headband, breathable earpads, and a metal frame— plus the flexibility to choose single- or dual-entry cable routing on either ear cup.
- Premium, audiophile-grade performance and engineering for under $1,000, making the OAE2 a standout in its price class.
From the Sennheiser HD 800 to the OAE2: Axel Grell's New Angle on Open-Back Sound
Most headphones fire sound straight into your ear canal from the side — cheap to manufacture, easy to build, and not at all how your ear actually hears. Your ear isn't a tube; it's a funnel, shaped to catch sound from an angle rather than take a direct hit. The Grell OAE2 is one of the few open-back headphones built around that fact instead of around manufacturing convenience.
That's not a small claim to make, but it comes from someone with the credentials to back it up. Axel Grell is the engineer behind some of the most respected headphones ever made, including the Sennheiser HD 600, HD 650, and HD 800 — models that didn't just sell well; they earned cult status among audiophiles. After decades of designing legendary headphones and consulting for major audio brands, Grell founded his own company in 2020, built around a single obsession: engineering sound around the actual anatomy of the human ear.
The OAE2 Open Around-Ear Audiophile Headphone is Grell's second release under his own name, following the OAE1. It's the clearest expression yet of his approach — every material choice, every angle, every curve of the baffle exists to get sound to your eardrum the way your ears were designed to receive it. Here's how it holds up in design, sound, and everyday use.
PROS
- Incredible price point for the TOTL sound quality it delivers
- Natural, lifelike sound
- Can use it with a single-entry cable or a dual-entry cable
CONS
- 2.5N clamping force feels extra tight during the first few uses
- Carrying case is a little large and cumbersome
Design
At 378g, the OAE2 feels incredibly lightweight the moment you pick it up. The headband is wrapped in soft, wide memory foam, and the ear pads are open and acoustically effective, which matches everything Grell is doing with their FSFM design.
The clamping force is rated at 2.5N, which on paper is considered the ideal balance of comfort and security, but on the head it can feel a bit tighter than that. These impressions come from a pair fresh out of the box, so they may loosen with wear over time — but it wasn't unbearable, and long listening sessions were no problem.
The headband system is efficient and easy to use, fitting a wide range of head shapes. It doesn't move or make micro-adjustments on its own — it stays securely in place. The ear cups sport an open stainless steel mesh that's aesthetic and contributes to the headphone's natural, transparent sound.
The overall design of these headphones is classic. It doesn't have a flashy logo pasted in the middle of the ear cup or some exotic material choice meant to impress you. It leaves that task up to the sound quality. One design choice worth calling out is the ability to choose whether you want to use a single-entry or dual-entry cable each time you listen, and which side it comes out of–including a convenient 3.5mm jack connection for simpler setups.
Despite having two headphone jacks, one on each ear cup, the OAE2 comes with a single-entry 2.5mm 4-pole connector cable that attaches to just one ear cup. It's up to you where the cable sits. That might sound minor, but it's the kind of detail that solves a real problem — for a desk setup with the amp on one side, being able to route the cable away from the keyboard and workspace is a small annoyance most other headphones never solve.
The OAE2 ships with two cables: a single-entry 2.5mm to 4.4mm cable and a 2.5mm to 3.5mm cable with a 1/4" screw-on adapter, plus a generously sized hardshell case. It's on the larger side as far as headphone cases go, but that's because it's built so the ear cups lay flat and flush inside it, protecting the design rather than just cramming it in.
Sound
The OAE2 was tested on both the iFi Audio Valkyrie and the iFi Audio GR 2 DAC Headphone Amplifier, and these headphones are easy to drive. There were no issues getting them to perform on either setup, which also means they'd pair beautifully with a DAP like the Astell&Kern SP4000T, or the smaller, more portable SP3000M.
Grell's own curated Qobuz playlist was the starting point before reaching for the usual go-to tracks, and it did not disappoint. Curating a playlist seems small compared to everything else that goes into engineering a headphone, but it's exactly the kind of small thing that separates a company that just makes a product from one that actually cares about the experience of listening to it. Grell didn't have to hand-pick tracks that show off what these headphones do best — they chose to.
Off that playlist, Chris Jones' track "No Sanctuary Here" was a standout. The opening acoustic guitar had real body and weight to it — the kind of detail you'd normally only catch up close at a live show. Jones' voice came through deep and full of emotion, and even the backup vocals added a rich, dynamic layer to the whole track.
Once you're actually listening, the bass is deep and controlled. It shows up when a track calls for it and disappears when it doesn't. The mids are natural and uncolored. Vocals and instruments come through as they were recorded, not artificially boosted to sound more exciting or robust.
The soundstage is where the open-back design and FSFM technology shine. Everything is spacious and three-dimensional while still feeling intimate. Listening to The Eagles' live recording of Hotel California conjures the feeling of being in the crowd at that concert, basking in the energy that consumed the space.
That's the essence of the OAE2's sound. It's not adding anything that wasn't there, and it's not hiding anything either. It's just letting the recording be exactly what it is. Anyone seeking the detailed, articulate sound quality of a premium headphone without that premium price tag would be remiss not to consider the OAE2. It's truly a hidden gem.
No Sanctuary Here
By Chris Jones
(Roadhouses & Automobiles)
Hotel California (Live 1977)
By Eagles
(Hotel California)
Cigarette Smoke
By Olivia Rodrigo
(You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So In Love)
Creatures In Heaven
By Glass Animals
(I Love You So F***ing Much)
Features
- Front-sided sound transducers work with your ear's natural geometry for lifelike detail
- Largest open baffle on the market for a transparent, unrestricted acoustic feel
- Bio-mimetic drivers tuned for deep, extended low-end response
- Fully modular design — every component is replaceable for long-term serviceability
- Angled transducers reproduce treble the way it's naturally perceived in real life
- Novel damping concept delivers tight, controlled bass without overpowering the mix
- Balanced midrange keeps vocals and instruments true to the original recording
- Open, spacious soundstage eliminates in-head sensation for a live-concert feel
To understand the importance of the technology in these headphones, you've got to understand the problem it solves. With almost every headphone you've ever worn, the driver sits flat against the side of your head, firing sound straight into your ear canal from the side. That might sound fine on paper, but it's not how your ears actually work.
In most settings, sound almost always reaches you from the front. Your ears, and more specifically the shape of your outer ear, the pinna, are built to process sound that arrives that way. When sound hits you from the side instead, it gets colored and distorted before it even reaches your eardrum — which is why you instinctively turn your head to face a sound straight on.
Grell's answer is called Front-Sided Sound Field Modulation, or FSFM.
FSFM Technology: Front-Sided Sound Field Modulation
Instead of mounting the driver flat against the ear, Grell angles it forward inside the ear cup, so the sound is projected as if it's coming from in front of you, not beside you. Your own ear geometry then shapes that sound the same way it would shape sound at a live show or in a real room, before it reaches your eardrum.
The transducer itself is doing a lot of work here too. It's a 40mm dynamic driver with a biocellulose diaphragm, angled directly at the baffle — the acoustically open front section of the ear cup — instead of straight at your ear. The angle, combined with a large radiating surface and high excursion, is what lets the OAE2 hit with its deep, controlled bass and finely resolved highs at the same time. It doesn't force a trade-off between the two — you get the best of both worlds.
The result is that the music stops sounding like it's being pushed into your head from two speakers and starts sounding like it's actually happening in front of you.
Dragon Cables
[Blue Dragon Universal Headphone Cable, Bronze Dragon Portable Headphone Cable]
All of my sound impressions were from just the stock cable. Switching to a Dragon Cable — in this case the Bronze Dragon Premium Headphone Cable — takes an already great experience even further. The copper strands and Graphene in the Bronze Dragon add subtle musicality and additional dynamics to the OAE2's sound. If adding musicality isn't the goal, the Silver Dragon brings added detail and top-end resolution instead, and for warmth and low-end weight, the Black Dragon is the way to go. Connectors are available to fit the OAE2 across the Dragon Headphone Cable lineup.
Generally, stock audio cables are manufactured with subpar materials, metals with impurities, poor geometries, and an overabundance of layers to make them look and feel like a fire hose. Inconsistency and lack of quality control in stock cables can lead to poor sound quality and a veiled sound vs. what the musician intended for you to hear and feel from the music. Dragon Audio Cables are handcrafted with the highest standards and made to order according to your specific needs. At Moon Audio, we create a custom cable for you using the highest quality UP-OCC silver or copper conductors that can be manufactured. UP-OCC metals are void of impurities and are optimized for signal transfer and sound quality. We have one of the largest collections of audio and headphone connection options available online and we create limitless audio cable options depending on your specific gear and needs.
Why Dragon Cables?
You’ve heard the saying that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, right? Well, the same applies to your brand new audiophile-grade headphone or other audio components. The weakest link, in this case, is your stock audio cable or the cheap interconnects the manufacturer threw in the box just to get you up and running. Why is the audio cable always an afterthought, when it’s just as important as the rest of your system? At Moon Audio, we use the purest and best raw materials in our cables to unveil your music. We believe that materials matter and your audio cables should have the same care and craftsmanship that manufacturers put into their audio components and headphones. Audio cables are ultimately the connection to your music. The fact remains that cabling is often considered the last priority to that of the main product and a means to cut down the overall production costs. It’s as simple as that. Dragon Cables elevate every note - as if you were hearing your favorite music for the very first time.
Verdict
From that angled driver to the way it makes music feel like it's happening in front of you instead of beside you, and the small touches like letting you choose your own cable side, every piece of the Grell OAE2 Open Around-Ear Audiophile Headphones points back to the same idea: build around the listener's ears, not the factory line.
That's what Grell set out to do with the OAE2, and they've done it beautifully. This isn't a company chasing a trend. It's decades of proven expertise, perfected by the headphone master himself. And when you consider the performance and sound quality you're getting, all coming in at under $1,000, the OAE2 is practically a steal.
If you're serious about upgrading your sound quality, one of our Dragon Headphone Cables is the natural next step. Whether it's the Blue Dragon for maintaining the OAE2's neutral, clean presentation, or the Bronze Dragon for subtle warmth and musicality, our cables pair naturally with the OAE2. Audiophiles seeking premium performance without the premium price tag will be delighted by the OAE2's effortless ability to perform.
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What's in the Box
- OAE2 Headphones
- 3.5 mm connector, 6.3 mm adapter
- Balanced 4.4 mm cable
Specifications
Frequency Response: 12-34,000 Hz (-3 dB), 6-46,000 Hz (-10dB)
Transducer Principle: Dynamic
Ear Coupling: Circum-aural
Sound Characteristic: Front-oriented loudness diffuse-field equalization
Adaption to Individual Hearing Curve: Front-sided Sound Field Modulation (FSFM)
Nominal Impedance: 38 ohms
Sound Pressure Level: 100 dB at 1kHz, 1 VRMS
Maximum Continuous Input Power: 500 mW (per IEC 60268-7)
Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.05% at 1kHz, 100dB
Weight Without Cable: 378 g
Headband Clamping Force: 2.5N
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Technical Specifications | |
| Frequency response | 12 - 34,000 Hz (- 3 dB), 6 - 46,000 Hz (- 10 dB) |
| Transducer principle | Dynamic |
| Ear coupling | Circum-aural |
| Sound characteristic | Front-oriented loudness diffuse-field equalization |
| Adaptation to individual hearing curve | Front-sided Sound Field Modulation (FSFM) |
| Nominal impedance | 38 Ω |
| Sound pressure level | 100 dB at 1 kHz, 1 VRMS |
| Maximum continuous input power | 500 mW (per IEC 60268-7) |
| Total harmonic distortion | 0.05% at 1 kHz, 100 dB |
| Weight without cable | 378 g |
| Headband clamping force | 2.5 N |