Grell OAE2 Open-Ear Headphones Launch Worldwide with Angled Transducer Technology

The Grell OAE2 open-ear headphones have officially launched worldwide, bringing Axel Grell's innovative approach to headphone design to audiophiles across the globe. After initially being unveiled in the German market, these unique headphones are now available through Grell's website, Bloom Audio, and Audio46 at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $499.

Axel Grell, the former Sennheiser engineer known for his work on the legendary HD 800 series, has taken a fundamentally different approach with the OAE2. Rather than following the traditional headphone design that places transducers directly to the left and right of the listener's ears, Grell has engineered these headphones to recreate the experience of being at a live performance.

The Science Behind Angled Transducers

Traditional headphones have worked well for decades in reproducing high-quality sound, but Grell argues they fail to capture one crucial element: the sensation of sound coming from in front of you. In a live performance, sound waves travel from the stage, interact with your outer ear (the pinna), and then enter your inner ear. This interaction is a critical part of how we perceive spatial audio and the overall listening experience.

The OAE2 addresses this through Grell's Front-sided Sound Field Modulation (FSFM) technology. The headphones feature 40mm angled transducers that are positioned to direct sound more naturally toward the listener's ears, mimicking the way sound arrives from a stage in front of you. This design aims to recreate that elusive "je ne sais quoi" that makes live music feel so immersive.

Technical Specifications

According to Grell, the OAE2 delivers impressive technical performance:

• Diaphragm Material: Bio-cellulose
• Frequency Response: 12 Hz to 34 kHz (-3dB)
• Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): 0.05% at 1 kHz
• Weight: 378 g (13.3 oz.)
• Origin: German-made

The headphones come with both 3.5mm unbalanced and 4.4mm balanced cables, providing flexibility for connection to various audio sources. The bio-cellulose diaphragms are particularly noteworthy, as this material is known for its stiffness and self-damping properties, which can contribute to cleaner, more accurate sound reproduction.

Design Philosophy and Market Position

Grell's approach represents a significant departure from conventional headphone design. While most manufacturers focus on improving traditional designs through better materials, drivers, and tuning, Grell has reimagined the fundamental geometry of how headphones deliver sound to the ear.

The $499 price point positions the OAE2 in the premium headphone market, though it's notably less expensive than some of Grell's previous flagship designs. This pricing strategy could make the innovative technology more accessible to a broader audience of audiophiles and music enthusiasts.

Who Are These Headphones For?

The OAE2 is likely to appeal to several groups:

• Audiophiles seeking a more natural, live-like listening experience
• Classical and jazz enthusiasts who particularly value spatial accuracy
• Music producers and engineers interested in alternative monitoring solutions
• Tech enthusiasts curious about innovative audio engineering approaches

However, the open-ear design means these won't be suitable for all environments. Like other open-back headphones, they'll leak sound and won't provide isolation from external noise, making them better suited for quiet listening environments.

The Future of Headphone Design

Grell's work with the OAE2 represents an interesting direction in headphone evolution. Rather than simply iterating on existing designs, it challenges fundamental assumptions about how headphones should work. If successful, this approach could influence future headphone designs across the industry.

The science and engineering behind the OAE2 are explored in depth in an interview with Axel Grell, where he discusses the development process and the acoustic principles that guided the design. This transparency about the technology is characteristic of Grell's approach and helps audiophiles understand the rationale behind the unconventional design.

As the OAE2 becomes available worldwide, it will be interesting to see how the audio community responds to this innovative approach to headphone design. For those who have always felt that even the best traditional headphones fall short of recreating the live music experience, the Grell OAE2 offers a compelling alternative worth exploring.