![\"Close-up](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Grell-OAE2-2-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Grell")
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TL;DR<\/p>\n
New open-back over-ear headphones from Axel Grell, former chief headphone engineer at Sennheiser
\nFront-mounted drivers are designed to interact with the outer ear like speakers do, rather than firing straight into the canal
\nPriced at $599 USD \/ \u00a3499 GBP \/ \u20ac499 EUR, releasing March 31, 2026<\/p>\n
Axel Grell\u2019s last product, the TWS 1 earbuds<\/a>, launched back in 2021 and delivered some of the best sound we\u2019d heard from a true wireless at the time. Over four years later, he\u2019s turning his attention to over-ear headphones and taking a very different approach to how they should work.<\/p>\n A headphone designed to get out of your head Unlike most headphones, the OAE2 positions its driver at the front of the earcup, aiming sound more naturally toward the ear.<\/p>\n Most headphones fire their driver straight into the ear canal. The OAE2 does the opposite. The 40mm bio-cellulose dynamic driver faces forward, toward the pinna (outer ear), so sound interacts with your ear\u2019s natural geometry before it reaches the canal. That\u2019s the same thing that happens when you listen to speakers in a room, and it\u2019s what Grell calls Front-Sided Sound Field Modulation (FSFM). The large open baffle reinforces this, allowing unrestricted airflow and avoiding the pressurized feel of most headphones.<\/p>\n First impressions with the headphones, the difference is immediately apparent. There\u2019s no diffuse field effect, that familiar sensation of sound living inside your head that you get with virtually every other headphone. Instead, the music sits out in front of you. Instruments feel placed forward, as if you\u2019re facing a stage rather than wearing headphones. Whether the tuning will be pleasing to most listeners is something our lab measurements will confirm. For what it\u2019s worth, Grell himself acknowledges an adaptation period is likely: your brain is trained on conventional headphone sound, and the OAE2 asks it to relearn.<\/p>\n On the specs side, Grell claims a frequency response of 12Hz\u201334kHz (-3dB) and a resonance frequency tuned down to 40Hz \u2014 compared to ~70Hz typical of most headphones \u2014 for deeper, more controlled bass without added distortion. THD sits at 0.05% at 100dB, a very low figure for a dynamic driver. At 38\u03a9 and 100dB sensitivity, it should drive easily from most sources.<\/p>\n Build quality backs up the price. The aluminum ear cups and precision stainless-steel damping mesh feel solid and premium in hand, and the velour pads are notably soft. At 378g, it\u2019s on the heavier side, but it didn\u2019t feel burdensome in a short session. Every component is also replaceable, which Grell positions as both a repairability win and a long-term value argument. The OAE2 ships with a 1.8m balanced cable (4.4mm), a 1.8m single-ended cable (3.5mm), and a carry case. That said, this one is aimed squarely at the home listening and audiophile market \u2014 not commuters or gym-goers.<\/p>\n The OAE2 is priced at $599 USD \/ \u00a3499 GBP \/ \u20ac499 EUR and launches internationally today directly from Grell Audio<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n![\"Macro](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Grell-OAE2-3-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Grell")
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