treys1
100+ Head-Fier
Personally I find the open back - closed back discussion a bit strange. You often see people saying 'oh, and I also want a closed/open back'. Like they absolutely need one of each.
To me, closed backs just serve a totally different use case. If you need sound insulation, you need a closed back. In all other cases, it is best to just go open back. You find more models. And, in general, you can get good sounding open-backs (e.g. Sundara) for less money than equally good sounding closed-backs.
Perhaps all this confusion comes from the fact that a lot of entry-level headphones are intended for portable use or not to disturb others (e.g. teens listening to music or gaming indoors). Which implies that most get into this hobby starting from closed-backs.
For me the reason to have both is exactly in what you said. Opens sound better, BUT sometimes you need isolation.