So you’ve gone out and bought yourself a brand new gadget to use to listen to your music. Your IPod, Phone, Walkman, mobile phone, home theatre system, whatever looks so shinny and new and you’re happy loading on all that music, looking forward to blocking out the world on the way to work. After the first listen you realise the headphones that came with the devise are truly biblically horrible.
Now if you want to make all that money you shelled out worthwhile you’re going to have to wade through the myriad of choices of headphones out there. The following should help you make sense of your choices and lead you to audio bliss.
Knowing how you plan to use your headphones (home theatre, music or gaming) and the listening environment (around the house or out and about) will help to greatly narrow down the options to investigate.
Below is a quick outline of the four dominant headphone types available today.
Ear bud headphones or in-ear headphones, are usually given away with purchase of most music devices, these ‘free’ pieces are usually poor quality. Quality ear bud headphones can have sonic reproduction rivalling the chunkiest of headphones.
Ear bud headphones fit the outer ear and are generally not held in place by clips and do not have a headband of any kind. Some models are now available that fit inside the ear canal.
PROS – Super compact and ultra light, the most portable of any design, can provide moderate to superb isolation from external noise.
CONS – Sound quality in particular bass response is usually not to the standard of larger headsets, possible discomfort after extended use, putting something into the ear canal can be uncomfortable for some people; two cables increase chance of wire tangling.
Sports Headphones can moon light under many names, some of these include; Fashion; vertical; behind-the-neck; clip-on; neckband; Walkman-style or portable headphones.
These designs most commonly consist of an ear bud type design with a method of keeping the speaker in place during activity. They may have a headband the stretches over the head, or behind the neck. Some models have clips that secure to the ear itself with small speakers sitting over the entire ear.
These headphones are almost always of an open backed design so as not to block out all the ambient noise, which will hopefully lead to less danger of being hit by a car while jogging.
PROS – Designs with behind the neck straps don’t get tangles in hair, earrings etc. they usually stay put while running for a bus or jogging for fitness.
CONS – Some of the more stylish models are not very durable and if sat on will break, some clip on designs will exert above average force on the ears.
Ear pad headphones also known as: Supra aural; open-backed; semi-open closed-back or on-ear headphones. These headphones rest on the outer ears, they can have closed designs that cover the ear they will never fully cover the ear as do full sized headphones.
PROS – Comfortable, less overheating of the ears than full-sized ‘phones; some fold for easy transport.
CONS – less noise isolation that full or in-ear designs, less powerful bass than full sized models.
Full-sized headphones also listed as circumaural; closed-back; ear-cup or over-the-ear headphones. Any headphone that fully encloses the ear. Considered best for home use.
PROS – Block outside noise, offer the most bass and loudness.
CONS – Size is cumbersome for portable use; some full-size models can make your ears sweat; ear cups and headbands often interfere with earrings, glasses, and hairstyles.
Hope this information helps with your choice.
Happy listening.
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