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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-26 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• Turnstile Audio Passenger Series TAPH300 — biggest strength: semi-open back over-ear design with 50mm drivers and a wide 18Hz–28kHz response, built for critical listening and mixing.
• Turnstile Audio Passenger Series TAPH300 — biggest trade-off: open cups leak sound in and out, so it's a poor fit for noisy rooms or silent tracking.
• CVJ Mermaid 2 — biggest strength: 10mm beryllium-diaphragm dynamic driver tuned for deep, textured bass with flat mids, plus a detachable 1016-core silver-plated cable.
• CVJ Mermaid 2 — biggest trade-off: it's an in-ear monitor, so you don't get the spacious, room-like presentation a semi-open over-ear gives you.
• Who the TAPH300 is for: producers, engineers and home-studio mixers who want an open, natural soundstage.
• Who the Mermaid 2 is for: gamers, performers, mobile listeners and anyone who wants a sealed, bass-forward IEM with a replaceable cable.
The TAPH300 is an over-ear studio monitor with a semi-open back cup. That single design choice drives everything else about it. With the back partly open, air moves more freely behind the 50mm driver, which is why the spec sheet claims a natural, spacious soundstage. In practice that matters when you're placing instruments in a mix — the sound feels less boxed in than a fully sealed headphone, and you can hear reverb tails and stereo width more clearly.
The driver spec backs up the monitoring intent: 50mm speaker drivers and an 18Hz–28kHz frequency response. That's a wide window, and it's the kind of range you want when you're checking sub-bass and air frequencies in the same session. Comfort is another studio-first choice — the TAPH300 weighs 8.8 oz (250g) without the cable, which is light for a full-size over-ear, and the over-ear fit spreads pressure around the ear rather than on it. For long mixing or editing blocks, that adds up.
Connectivity is simple and practical: a 1/8" (3.5mm) plug with an included 1/4" (6.3mm) adapter, so it goes straight into an audio interface, a laptop or a headphone amp without extra dongles.
Who should buy it: home-studio producers, mixing engineers, and anyone doing critical listening who wants an open, airy presentation. Who should skip it: if you record vocals with a live mic nearby, or you work in a shared, noisy space, the semi-open design will bleed sound both ways. The Mermaid 2 is the better pick there.
The Mermaid 2 is a wired in-ear monitor, and its whole personality is different. At its core is a 10mm dual-magnetic dynamic driver with a beryllium crystal diaphragm. The spec sheet lists 108dB/mW sensitivity, a transient response under 50μs, and total harmonic distortion under 0.5% at 1kHz. Translated: it's easy to drive from a phone or laptop, and it's built to reproduce quick transients — drum hits, plucks, game audio cues — without smearing them together.
The tuning is deliberately bass-centric. CVJ uses a passive low-pass network crossover at 1k–2kHz to keep the low end rich and thick, while the mids from 4k–5kHz are kept flat. In plain terms, you get weight and punch down low without the midrange turning muddy. The N53 neodymium magnet with 1.5 Tesla flux density is the hardware behind that control.
Build and comfort are where it also shines for its class. The cavity is 5-axis CNC aluminum alloy with a double-layered hollowed-out faceplate and a vacuum-plated gold mid-layer. It uses external pressure-release venting and beryllium copper connectors. The loop-over-ear design keeps the buds locked in — genuinely useful for drummers, live performers and gamers who move around.
Cable flexibility is a real selling point. The 4.1ft (1.25m) cable is detachable via 0.78mm 2-pin gold-plated connectors, and it's a 1016-core silver-plated design that ships with both 3.5mm and 4.4mm plugs. That covers phones, PCs, audio interfaces and consoles like PS5, Switch 2 and Xbox. Three sizes of silicone tips (S/M/L) are included, and the passive noise cancellation from the sealed fit blocks outside sound.
Who should buy it: gamers, musicians, mobile listeners and anyone who wants bass-forward sound in a sealed, portable package. Who should skip it: if you specifically want the wide, open soundstage of a semi-open over-ear for mixing, an IEM won't give you that.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for bass-heavy music and gaming → CVJ Mermaid 2. The bass-centric tuning and fast transients suit punchy tracks and game audio.
• Best for noisy or shared spaces → CVJ Mermaid 2. Sealed in-ear fit with passive noise cancellation; the TAPH300 leaks and lets sound in.
• Best for tracking vocals with a live mic → CVJ Mermaid 2. Closed IEMs won't bleed into the microphone the way semi-open cups do.
• Best for long studio sessions at a desk → Turnstile Audio Passenger Series TAPH300. The 8.8 oz (250g) over-ear build is made for extended wear.
• Best for cable longevity and swapping sources → CVJ Mermaid 2. Detachable 2-pin cable with both 3.5mm and 4.4mm plugs.
• Best for plugging straight into an interface → Turnstile Audio Passenger Series TAPH300. The 3.5mm plug plus included 6.3mm adapter covers most studio gear.
• Best for portability → CVJ Mermaid 2. A small in-ear with a 4.1ft cable travels far more easily than a full-size over-ear.
In my opinion, this comes down to what you actually do with your ears on. If your work is mixing, editing or critical listening at a desk, I'd buy the Turnstile Audio Passenger Series TAPH300 — the semi-open back design, 50mm drivers and light 8.8 oz build are exactly what that job calls for. If your listening is mobile, bass-driven or competitive gaming, I'd buy the CVJ Mermaid 2 — the beryllium-diaphragm driver, detachable silver-plated cable and sealed fit make it the more versatile everyday pick. Two different tools, two different jobs.
how to open back headphones work
Open back headphones leave the rear of the ear cup partly open so air can move behind the driver. That venting is what creates the wider, more natural soundstage — which is exactly what the TAPH300's semi-open cup design is aiming for.
what is open back studio headphones
They're headphones built for monitoring where the cup isn't fully sealed, trading isolation for a more spacious, speaker-like presentation. The TAPH300 is a semi-open version of that idea, using 50mm drivers and an 18Hz–28kHz range for studio work.
what are the best open back headphones
There's no universal answer — it depends on your setup and budget. In my opinion, if you want a semi-open over-ear for mixing, the TAPH300 is a strong fit because of its open cup, wide frequency range and light 250g build.
are open back headphones better
Not universally. They're better for mixing and critical listening because of the open soundstage, but worse for noisy rooms and recording with a live mic. If you need isolation, a sealed in-ear like the CVJ Mermaid 2 is the better choice.
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