[Reticularas]

Didn't expect to see this here.

I heard this rumor a long while ago (15+ years) while still in school. I did it to my headphones but learned that it pretty dramatically increased sound leakage. I'm not sure if was the exact same models of senns, but the trick has been around awhile.

[nailer]

Same here. Did it and got complaints about sound leakage from my colleagues.

[devnullbrain]

Don't buy open-backed headphones to use in a place with colleagues.

[erik_seaberg]

This. I’m on (maybe?) my third pair of HD 280 in the office so I can work without hearing everyone nearby, which apparently means they also can’t hear my music.

[smallstepforman]

Do buy open-backed headphones if you want your ears to breathe. I cannot wear closed headphones for more than 30 mins, while open-backed can be used all day.

[nailer]

(thinking emoji) We need openable vents.

[eertami]

You can't just take open back headphones and close them up, it will sound terrible. And conversely you can't open up a pair of closed headphones without the same problem.

If you could make a headphone that can do both and sound acceptable, it would probably much more expensive than just buying a two pairs, one open and one closed.

[ilyt]

I did like using open-backed ones for cycling, can hear what's happening on the road. I was using Grado SR-80 and was kinda surprise how much abuse they handled (in rain/get sprayed by passing car etc.)

[cuvinny]

Yep, I read about this and did the mod on a pair of 555s back in the late aughts. I didn't notice a difference.