Detailed 2025 review of popular Superlux HD681 semi-open headphones, Evaluating build quality, bass response, detail retrieval, and overall value in today’s competitive market.

Superlux HD681 Headphones Review: Are These Semi-Open Headphones Still Worth It in 2025?

The Superlux HD681 has maintained remarkable popularity in the budget headphone segment, offering semi-open back design at an extremely accessible price point. With pricing fluctuating around (approximately €25 in Europe), these headphones promise to deliver features typically associated with more expensive designs. The question is whether they still represent good value in 2025’s competitive market.

Market Position and Value Proposition

The HD681 occupies a unique position in the affordable headphone market by offering semi-open back design at a price point where most alternatives are closed-back consumer models. This positioning immediately sets expectations for potentially superior soundstage and imaging performance compared to typical budget offerings.

Pricing volatility affects the value equation significantly – These headphones compete against different alternatives than at lower price points. Understanding current market pricing is crucial for evaluating the HD681’s competitiveness.

Build Quality Assessment

Construction and Materials

The HD681 demonstrates surprisingly solid build quality for its price category, though clearly showing the compromises necessary for aggressive pricing. The construction uses materials appropriate for the cost while attempting to maintain reasonable durability.

Attention to manufacturing appears adequate, with consistent assembly quality and functional hardware throughout. However, expectations should remain realistic given the significant cost constraints affecting production.

Long-Term Durability Concerns

Extended use reveals areas where cost optimization may affect long-term reliability. Critical stress points like headband adjustment mechanisms and cable connections require careful handling to ensure extended lifespan.

Replacement parts availability varies by region and may be limited compared to mainstream brands, though the low replacement cost partially mitigates this concern.

Acoustic Performance Analysis

Bass Response – Addressing Market Demands

One of the most common complaints about budget open-back headphones is inadequate bass response compared to closed-back alternatives. The HD681’s semi-open design attempts to address this limitation while maintaining some open-back benefits.

Low-frequency extension proves better than typical open-back designs at this price point, though still not matching full closed-back performance. The bass response provides adequate foundation for most music genres without the complete absence that characterizes many budget open designs.

Control and accuracy in the bass region remain reasonable, avoiding the bloated character that can affect some budget headphones attempting to boost low-frequency output.

Detail Retrieval and Resolution

The HD681 delivers respectable detail retrieval for its price category, revealing musical nuances that justify the semi-open design approach. While not matching high-end alternatives, the resolution proves adequate for critical evaluation of most program material.

Midrange clarity benefits from the semi-open design, providing better transparency than typical closed-back budget alternatives while maintaining some of the warmth that makes extended listening enjoyable.

High-frequency performance shows reasonable extension without excessive harshness, though some listeners may find the treble response somewhat restrained compared to more aggressive consumer tunings.

Soundstage and Imaging Performance

The semi-open design delivers meaningful improvements in soundstage presentation compared to closed-back alternatives in this price range. While not achieving the expansive presentation of true open-back designs, the HD681 provides better spatial characteristics than most budget competitors.

Imaging accuracy proves adequate for most applications, allowing reasonable localization of instruments and voices within the stereo field. This performance benefits both music listening and gaming applications where spatial awareness matters.

Genre-Specific Performance

Electronic and Hip-Hop Music

The HD681’s enhanced bass response compared to typical open designs makes it more suitable for bass-heavy genres that often suffer through budget open-back headphones. While not matching dedicated bass-emphasized designs, the performance proves acceptable for casual listening to modern genres.

Dynamic range handling during complex electronic passages remains controlled, avoiding the compression that can affect some budget designs during demanding material.

Classical and Acoustic Music

Classical music reproduction benefits from the improved soundstage characteristics while the enhanced bass provides better foundation than typical budget open designs. Chamber music and smaller ensembles particularly benefit from the balanced presentation.

Acoustic instrument timbre proves reasonably natural, though ultimate accuracy may be limited by the frequency response characteristics inherent to the price point.

Rock and Alternative Music

Rock music performance proves engaging, with the semi-open design providing sufficient energy and dynamics for most rock genres. The bass enhancement helps maintain the genre’s power while the improved soundstage benefits complex arrangements.

Comfort and Wearability

Extended Listening Sessions

The HD681 provides adequate comfort for its price category, though extended sessions may reveal limitations in pad quality and headband design. Most users find comfort acceptable for typical listening periods.

Weight distribution proves reasonable, though the construction quality affects long-term comfort compared to more expensive alternatives with superior materials and engineering.

Fit and Adjustment

Headband adjustment operates smoothly with reasonable range for different head sizes. The mechanism feels adequate for regular adjustment, though long-term durability may be questionable under heavy use.

Applications and Use Cases

Critical Listening Applications

While not designed for professional critical listening, the HD681 provides sufficient accuracy for evaluating basic recording characteristics and enjoying music without significant coloration. Expectations should remain realistic given the price constraints.

Home studio applications may find the HD681 adequate for basic monitoring tasks, though serious production work would benefit from more accurate alternatives.

Gaming Performance

The semi-open design benefits gaming applications where soundstage width and positional audio cues matter. The improved spatial presentation compared to closed-back budget alternatives makes the HD681 suitable for gaming where directional awareness is important.

Communication integration proves adequate for gaming setups, though microphone integration may require separate solutions.

Casual Listening

Recreational music listening represents the HD681’s strongest application, where the balanced approach to bass response, decent detail retrieval, and improved soundstage create an engaging listening experience that exceeds expectations for the price.

Competitive Analysis in 2025

Sub- Market Competition

The budget headphone market has become increasingly competitive, with several manufacturers offering compelling alternatives at similar price points. The HD681’s semi-open design remains relatively unique in this segment, providing differentiation from predominantly closed-back competition.

Value comparison depends heavily on individual priorities – users seeking soundstage and imaging may prefer the HD681, while those prioritizing bass response or isolation might choose closed alternatives.

Higher-Priced Alternatives

Stepping up to the -100 range reveals significant performance improvements in build quality, comfort, and acoustic performance. The HD681’s value proposition weakens when compared to slightly more expensive alternatives that offer meaningful upgrades.

2025 Market Relevance

Continued Viability

The HD681 remains relevant in 2025 primarily due to its unique positioning in the semi-open budget segment. While not exceptional in any particular area, the combination of features continues to attract users seeking this specific balance of characteristics.

Manufacturing consistency has generally improved over the years, making current production units more reliable than earlier versions.

Limitations in Modern Context

Expectations management becomes crucial in 2025’s competitive market. While the HD681 offers reasonable performance, users accustomed to modern headphone standards may find the limitations more apparent than previous generations of budget headphone users.

Final Assessment for 2025

The Superlux HD681 continues to offer reasonable value in 2025 for users specifically seeking semi-open design at budget pricing. The headphones deliver adequate performance across most applications while maintaining the unique characteristics that have sustained their popularity.

Recommendation depends heavily on current pricing and individual priorities. At the lower end of the price range, the HD681 represents decent value, while at higher prices, alternatives may offer better overall packages.

Best suited for casual listeners seeking improved soundstage compared to closed-back budget alternatives, gamers wanting better positional audio, and users curious about semi-open design without significant financial commitment.

The HD681 earns a cautious recommendation for appropriate applications, with the important caveat that expectations should remain realistic for the price point. While not exceptional, these headphones continue to serve their intended market adequately in 2025’s competitive landscape.