Grell OAE2 open-back headphone

Ronald Smit

March 4, 2026

Grell Audio introduces the OAE2, an open-back headphone based on research and designed to recreate the scale and placement of studio monitors.

Designed by Axel Grell, the brand-new Grell OAE2 uses a front-oriented acoustic concept to deliver a more natural, speaker-like listening experience. According to the manufacturer, the headphone—initially introduced in Germany—is now being rolled out to the US, the UK and other international markets.

“Designed and engineered in Germany, the OAE2 is built around a clear objective: bringing headphone listening closer to the way we experience sound from loudspeakers, with realistic depth, placement and scale rather than a purely ‘in-head’ presentation.

The OAE2 represents the clearest expression yet of Grell’s design philosophy, combining decades of engineering experience with ongoing research into how we actually perceive sound when listening through headphones,” the announcement states.

Technical specifications

The key specifications of the headphone at a glance:

Frequency response: 12 Hz – 34 kHz (-3 dB) / 6 Hz – 46 kHz (-10 dB)
Driver principle: Dynamic
Ear coupling: Circum-aural (over-ear)
Nominal impedance: 38 Ω
Sensitivity: 100 dB (1 kHz, 1 VRMS)
THD: 0.05% (1 kHz, 100 dB)
Weight (without cable): 378 g

Availability and pricing

Following its initial German release, the Grell OAE2 will become internationally available from 31 March, launching across the US, the UK and other markets at $599 USD / £499 GBP / €499 EUR via the manufacturer’s website and selected retailers, ahead of wider availability. The OAE2 will make its first public appearance in the US during CanJam NYC (7–8 March), where visitors can audition the headphones and place pre-orders.

The OAE2 is supplied with both balanced and single-ended connectivity options, making it compatible with a wide range of headphone amplifiers and source equipment.

Included accessories:

1.8 m single-ended cable (3.5 mm)
1.8 m balanced cable (4.4 mm)
3.5 mm to 6.3 mm screw-on adapter
Carry case

Design philosophy

Below, Grell explains in its own words how the OAE2 was developed and what the concept is based on.

A different starting point for open-back design

The OAE2 is not intended to be another conventional open-back headphone. Rather than placing the sound source directly over the ear and firing sound straight into the ear canal, Grell’s design positions the acoustic output to work more deliberately with the outer ear and the natural localisation cues the brain uses to interpret space.

The concept is based on a simple observation: when listening to speakers, sound reaches the ear after interacting with the head, pinna and upper body. This creates subtle timing, phase and tonal cues that help the brain determine direction and distance. With the OAE2, Grell aims to preserve more of that process in headphone listening, encouraging a soundstage that feels wider, deeper and more externalised.

Instead of exaggerated width or artificial spatial effects, the goal is a presentation that feels stable, believable and closer to nearfield monitors, particularly over longer listening sessions.

Axel Grell: experience used deliberately

Axel Grell joined Sennheiser in 1991, and over the following decades became closely associated with some of the most influential headphones in the audiophile and professional markets, including the HD280, HD 580, HD 600, HD 650, HD 800, and the flagship HE 1 system.

With Grell, Axel is intentionally working on a smaller, more focused scale. The company brings together experienced engineers and designers with a shared aim of exploring new approaches to headphone acoustics, rather than following established formulas. The OAE2 represents a clear statement of intent: applying decades of experience, supported by ongoing research, to rethink how sound is presented through headphones.

This is not a retrospective exercise. Grell positions the OAE2 as a foundation for future development, with further models planned that build on the same acoustic principles across different use cases, including professional monitoring and gaming.

Research-led acoustics, applied to real listening

The OAE2 project reflects Axel Grell’s long-standing interest in how humans actually hear through headphones. Alongside product development, Grell collaborates with Leibniz University Hannover to research spatial hearing and headphone perception, using those findings to inform practical design decisions rather than abstract targets alone.

This research-led approach shapes both the physical architecture of the OAE2 and its tuning philosophy. The result is a headphone that prioritizes coherent imaging, natural treble perception and controlled low-frequency behaviour, allowing the spatial concept to work naturally rather than drawing attention to itself.

For listeners accustomed to traditional headphones, the experience can initially feel different. Grell encourages spending time with the OAE2, allowing the brain to adapt to the presentation. Once acclimatised, the sense of space and placement becomes intuitive, reinforcing the intention behind the design.

Engineering and build, designed for long-term ownership

Beyond acoustics, OAE2 reflects Grell’s belief that premium headphones should be serviceable, durable and designed for long-term use. The headphone uses a 40 mm wideband dynamic transducer with a bio-cellulose membrane, combined with a carefully implemented damping strategy that includes a precision-manufactured stainless-steel mesh produced in Germany. Key components including the fully metal frame are modular and replaceable, allowing the headphone to be maintained over time rather than treated as disposable.

Packaging follows the same philosophy, with a move towards plastic-free materials and minimal waste, reinforcing Grell’s focus on sustainability and long-term value.

About Grell Audio

Grell is a start-up focused on building headphones. The team consists of experts, who have collected decades of experience in the audio industry. Almost all employees gained many years of experience at the headphone specialist Sennheiser. The two daughters, Karoline Herrmann and Henriette Grell, also work at the company. The core business is the development of headphones for the Grell brand. Groundbreaking products like the OAE2 offer exceptional build quality and innovative acoustic concepts that can hardly be found anywhere else. Grell achieves this through extensive experience with high-quantity production and a very small, efficient company set-up.

Grell Audio consulting is a second strong pillar of our firm. We partner with major industry players and help them bring products to life when the in-house expertise is at its limit to deliver the outstanding quality or innovative energy that customers demand. While profitability and cash flow are the life blood of any company, at Grell there is a strong intrinsic motivation to push the science of sound forward. That is why Grell prides itself on a tight collaboration with the Leibniz University Hannover to research how we perceive sound with headphones. The research by the IKT (Institute for Communication Technology) is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, and directly benefits the headphones we develop, as well as the broader headphone industry.

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