The open sound of open-back headphones may just be room acoustics leaking in.

Evidence

Many audiophiles seem to prefer open-back designs for their alleged impression of a more open and spacious sound compared to closed backs. This could possibly be related to hearing the acoustics of the room they are listening in. Whether there is any psychoacoustic evidence for these claims is a matter of debate. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1697

Categorization

• QUESTION: Is there psychoacoustic evidence the spaciousness of open-backs is really just room leakage? Worth investigating for the hearing-audio-application goal.