Grell Audio Introduces the OAE2, an Open-Back Headphone Designed to Sound More Like Studio Monitors
Grell Audio has announced wider international availability of its OAE2 open-back headphones, following an initial release in Germany. Designed by Axel Grell, the OAE2 is built around a research-driven acoustic concept that aims to bring headphone listening closer to the way we perceive sound from loudspeakers, with greater emphasis on scale, depth, and spatial placement rather than a strictly “in-head” presentation.
Rather than treating the OAE2 as a conventional open-back design, Grell has taken a different starting point. The headphone’s front-oriented acoustic layout is intended to work more deliberately with the outer ear and the natural localisation cues the brain uses to judge space. In simple terms, instead of firing sound straight into the ear canal, the OAE2 is designed to let sound interact with the pinna in a way that more closely resembles nearfield speaker listening. The goal is not exaggerated width or artificial spaciousness, but a stable, believable soundstage that feels more externalised over longer sessions.
Axel Grell’s name will be familiar to many headphone enthusiasts. During more than three decades at Sennheiser, he was closely associated with models such as the HD 580, HD 600, HD 650, HD 800, and the HE 1. With Grell Audio, the focus shifts to smaller-scale projects and a more experimental approach to headphone acoustics. The OAE2 represents the clearest expression yet of that philosophy, and Grell positions it as the foundation for future models aimed at different use cases, including professional monitoring and gaming.
The OAE2 is shaped not only by engineering experience, but also by ongoing research into spatial hearing and headphone perception, carried out in collaboration with Leibniz University Hannover. Those findings influence both the physical structure of the headphone and its tuning, with an emphasis on coherent imaging, natural treble behaviour, and controlled low-frequency response so that the spatial concept works without calling attention to itself. Grell notes that the presentation may feel unfamiliar at first to listeners used to traditional headphones, but becomes more intuitive as the brain adapts to the soundstage.
On the engineering side, the OAE2 uses a 40 mm wideband dynamic driver with a bio-cellulose diaphragm, combined with a carefully implemented damping system that includes a precision stainless-steel mesh manufactured in Germany. The fully metal frame and modular construction allow key parts to be replaced over time, reflecting Grell’s emphasis on long-term ownership rather than disposable design. Packaging follows the same thinking, with plastic-free materials and reduced waste.
International availability of the Grell OAE2 begins from 31 March, with launches planned across the US, UK, and additional markets via grellaudio.com and selected retailers. Pricing is set at $599 USD, £499 GBP, and €499 EUR. The headphone will make its first public US appearance at CanJam NYC on 7–8 March, where attendees will be able to audition it and place pre-orders.
We’re also expecting to get our hands on the OAE2 for testing in the near future, so a full review will follow once we’ve had time to live with it and see how this speaker-inspired approach translates into real-world listening.
