Headphones are essential devices for people who love music. There’s always a situation where music can just make everything much better. However, in order for your auditory experience to be excellent, you need to ensure that you have the best possible pair of headphones. If you’re looking to buy headphones online, you’ll need to consider a number of factors before you can go ahead and actually buy a pair of headphones. Keep yourself in the know with the help of this detailed guide on purchasing headphones.
Also, if you are planning to buy a new smartphone, please check out my guide to buying a smartphone that fits your needs here.
"Every time I’ve lost or broken a set of headphones, I find myself standing in front of a store rack for at least an hour. It’s almost like being at a buffet with a variety of cuisines where you want to try everything; but then again, there’s only so much your plate can carry and your stomach will agree to. So how do you know which is the right one for you? This guide aims at making choices such as this one a lot easier."
Why Go For Headphones At All?
Designed to cover your ears, headphones are noted for their comfort and quality on-the-go quotient. When you want a portable audio device that provides a wholesome feel - as opposed to earphones - a set of headphones are what you need. Earphones are a different kind of device which are designed to be directly placed on the outer ear. In-ear monitors (IEMs) are similar audio systems which are made to be placed directly in the ear canal.
Headphones offer a comfortable and spacious feel over the ear, as opposed to earbuds and IEMs. The sounds produced in headphones are of a superior quality. Using a good pair of headphones, you can achieve a fine balance between the highs, mids, and the lows, resulting in a rich reproduction of sound. Well-built headphones have a passive noise cancellation ability, and cancel unnecessary ambient noise in the background. Headphones themselves come in different variants to begin with.
As headphones became increasingly popular, a new breed of devices known as headsets were chosen by users for more specific requirements. The primary difference between headphones and headsets is a microphone. While a pair of headphones offers only audio listening capabilities, a headset with a mic offers its user the ability to record sound on the go. Headsets are frequently used by gamers, video-callers, and so on to communicate with each other. These headphones with mic allow you to input sounds in order to carry out a particular task of your requirement.
The microphone on any headset is one of the major factors that affect its usage. Some headsets are designed with flexible microphones that easily adjust according to the wearer’s specifications. The microphones themselves are made according to certain usage requirements. Unidirectional microphones pick up sound waves coming in from a single direction, while bidirectional microphones pick up frequencies from two different angles. Bidirectional microphones are, for instance, useful for those using Skype to video chat. Pick a microphone that suits your requirement. If you’re a hardcore gamer, you might want to enjoy the seclusion that a surround-sound headset provides you with.
What’s Your Sound Style?
- Over-Ear (Circumaural)
You can easily tell these apart from the rest because of their sheer size. Circum-aural headphones have huge cups that cover the entire ear and the rims are almost always padded with soft foam for comfort. The drivers of these headphones are usually large and high in impedance, thus allowing higher volume levels. Due to these characteristics, most circum-aural headphones are at the top of the food chain.
Circum-aural headphones can be further classified into open-back and closed-back types, and like their title suggests, the former have a grille at the back of the headphone enclosure for sound to escape, while the latter ones have solid backs. If you visit a good professional audio-recording studio, you’ll find that they usually have closed-back headphones for recording so as to prevent leakage into ultra-sensitive microphones.
Circum-aural headphones almost always have an adjustable headband, so that one size can fit all. But do remember that this type of headphones can get a little heavy, especially with higher end, closed back models. Check out the Sony-MDR-XD200 which offer excellent value for money at Rs. 1,200.
- On-Ear (Supra-aural)
These are commonly known as 'over-the-ear' headphones, and are like shrunken versions of circum-aural headphones. They are a lot lighter, smaller, and perch themselves on top of the ear. The drivers of these headphones are usually covered with light foam and the adjustable headband is similar to the ones on circum-aural headphones, except that they are thinner and lighter. While traditional headbands went over the head, newer versions have clips that can be attached to the ear or the headbands are bent around the back of the head. All in all, the sound quality of supra-aural headphones is good, but you might get less low–end response and slightly less clarity than you do with circum-aural ones. The Sennheiser-PMX 40 headphones are a great pick, and they cost Rs. 1,390.
- In-Ears
These are my personal favourite because they fit snuggly into the ear, which makes them quite comfortable. Thanks to their unique construction: a rubber sleeve protrusion is attached on the earpiece that acts as an ear plug, thus blocking out external noise. But watch out while you’re using these on the go, as it may be hard for you to hear sounds around you, especially if you like your music loud. The best canal phones I’ve had the pleasure of owning, are the Sennheiser-CX 300 II Precision which cost Rs. 2,540. Of course, there are cheaper options, e.g. the Philips-SHE3582/98 which costs merely about Rs. 350. However, there’s a world of difference between the two.
- Earbuds
While IEMs sit in the ear canal, earbuds are made to face the ear canal. Sitting comfortably along the outer ear, earbuds are useful for those times when you also need to be aware of your surroundings to a certain extent. These lightweight, portable devices provide little or no noise isolation from the outside environment, and are designed in a variety of sizes suitable for different people. Additional features may include a volume control placed along the cable and a hook to secure the earbuds onto your clothes.
- Wireless
There are various types of wireless headphones, right from Bluetooth A2DP hands-free sets to headphones for gaming and music. The obvious advantage of having these is that you don’t have to bear with the hassle of wires. So if you want to play your favourite game or watch an action flick while you’re your roommate burns the midnight oil cramming for final exams, you can do so without feeling guilty.
The Tech-com SSD-HPW-210 Wireless Headset is an inexpensive example that costs about Rs. 500. As for A2DP hands-free, they allow you to connect to your phone or other Bluetooth-ready device so you can do everything from listening to music to answering calls on the go. The i.Tech Clip Music 801 A2DP Bluetooth Headset is a semi-wired clip-on set that costs approximately Rs. 3,500.
Strap Designs
There are various types of wireless headphones, right from Bluetooth A2DP hands-free sets to headphones for gaming and music. The obvious advantage of having these is that you don’t have to bear with the hassle of wires. So if you want to play your favourite game or watch an action flick while you’re your roommate burns the midnight oil cramming for final exams, you can do so without feeling guilty.
The Tech-com SSD-HPW-210 Wireless Headset is an inexpensive example that costs about Rs. 500. As for A2DP hands-free, they allow you to connect to your phone or other Bluetooth-ready device so you can do everything from listening to music to answering calls on the go. The i.Tech Clip Music 801 A2DP Bluetooth Headset is a semi-wired clip-on set that costs approximately Rs. 3,500.
Strap Designs
Additionally, headphones as well as earphones are designed with certain kinds of straps. The three most popular kinds of straps that you will see almost everywhere are the neckband design, the headband design, and the ear-hook design. The headband design is the most common one seen on headphones, and offers abundant comfort while taking up the quite some amount of space.
The neckband and the ear-hook designs, on the other hand, are seen on the sportier variants of earphones and headphones. The devices with an ear-clip design offer the most amount of security while being worn. You can also do your fitness exercises while listening to music on sports earphones with ear-clips or neck bands. Sports headphones and earphones are known for their sturdy and versatile designs that offer features such as water-resistance and shock resistance.
Choose one of these builds depending on what your primary requirement is. If you’re looking for superior quality and dependable noise-cancellation abilities, then the circumaural noise cancelling headphones or the IEMs are the ones you should consider. However, if you need to be aware of your surroundings to a certain degree while still being able to enjoy music comfortably, then the supra-aural headphones or the earbuds will fulfill your desires.
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Features To Consider:
Noise Cancellation
When you use headphones in places with too much ambient noise, your listening experience drastically decreases in quality. In order to prevent this, certain headphones come with active noise cancellation ability. Such headphones use active noise-control engineering to produce an anti-wave similar to the noise wave coming in from outside sources. This produces an effect known as phase cancellation, which results in the sounds cancelling out each other. Other headphones, using traditional methods of soundproofing, use passive methods of noise cancellation.
Passive noise isolation is also achieved by the way headphones are designed. Over-ear headphones offer excellent noise isolation passively, simply because of the fact that they completely enwrap your ears. On-ear headphones are known to be easy on ambient sounds because of their design, which simply covers the ear by sitting on it. As with on-ear headphones, even earbuds are poorly-equipped when it comes to passive noise isolation. In-ears, however, offer arguably the best kind of noise isolation in a passive manner. Designed to comfortably fit into your ear canals, the placement of these earphones itself ensures that a majority of the environmental noise is cut out.
Magnet Type
eadphones, when you look at them more technically, are made of certain elements such as a transducers, drivers, and magnets that each facilitate a certain function. Whenever you’re going through a pair of headphones online or earphones online, you can know what to choose in a much better manner if you have a basic idea of the technical aspects related to them. The magnetic element in a pair of headphones is affixed to the frame of the ear cups. The magnet reacts to the alternating current signals that are passed through the headphone cable and, in turn, moves an electric coil and diaphragm that are attached to it. Because of the magnet’s reaction with the electric coil present inside, the diaphragm vibrates in such a way as to reproduce the alternating current signals as sound.
Ferrite and neodymium magnets are the two most common types of magnets used inside headphones. Neodymium magnets are rare-earth magnets that have greater flux density and stronger gauss strength for their size than ferrite magnets. This, however does not mean that they are superior to ferrite magnets. Ferrite magnets simply need to be bigger in size to produce the same intensity of effect as that of Neodymium magnets. Since in headphones, size matters, a Neodymium magnet helps to facilitate a light weight.
Driver Size
The job of a transducer driver is to help in the conversion of electric signals from one form to another. The size of a driver mostly corresponds to the reproduction of frequencies. Large-sized drivers are better when it comes to reproducing low-range frequencies (bass frequencies), while small-sized drivers are better when it comes to re-creating high-range frequencies.
Impedance
The phenomenon of impedance refers to the amount of opposition presented to a current by a circuit when a certain voltage is applied to it. Headphones either comes with low impedance or high impedance. Headphones with low impedance respond better to low voltages, while headphones with high impedance respond better to higher voltages. Since the electrical output of portable media players is quite low, many headphones are made according to such specifications. Headphones with higher impedance require the use of an amplifier, and are apt for studio sessions.
Surround Sound
An advanced aural technique used for enhancing a listener’s perception of sound, surround sound is designed to recreate sound in an engaging way. Surround sound systems make use of multiple audio channels, and provide a near-accurate reproduction of sounds along a 360-degree radius, on the horizontal plane. Surround-sound headphones are the ones that you need to go for if you want to experience the richness of sound using only headphones.
Bluetooth
With the help of a pair of Bluetooth headphones, you can be carefree enough to go cycling on the road while still listening to music. Bluetooth is a popular wireless technology that has been developed to facilitate exchange of data over short distances. Go for a Bluetooth stereo headset that supports the latest Bluetooth version, and you can enjoy high-quality sound without the hassle of wires. First released in 1999, Bluetooth technology has come a long way. Bluetooth has evolved from the first version, namely Bluetooth 1.0 to Bluetooth 4.0.
Bluetooth 1.0 is almost redundant, and few devices support it in the present market. Bluetooth 2.0 as well as 2.1 remain the friendliest, with a range of old as well as new devices offering support for this particular version. The data transfer rate was improved to 3 mbps in this version. Bluetooth 3.0 introduced a feature called High Speed (HS), which facilitated a theoretical transfer rate of a whopping 24 mbps. With the introduction of Bluetooth 4.0 came a feature called Low Energy (LE), the job of which was to help facilitate low-energy data transmission between devices that produce less data such as heart-rate monitors, thermometers, and so on. A pair of headphones equipped with Bluetooth 3.0 offers users the best listening experience, and is arguably the best Bluetooth headset available. Bluetooth headsets with Bluetooth 2.1 and 2.0 can be used with almost all kinds of Bluetooth-supporting devices.
Earcups And Headphones
All headphones, whether circumaural or supra-aural, come with a pair of earcups that are designed in two specific ways; namely the open-back variety and the closed-back variety. Take a look below at which ones suit you the best.
Open-back Headphones -
As the name suggests, these headphones have earcups that are open to the outside. Typically, headphones produce two kinds of sounds; one directed towards your ears, and one directed away from your ears. The point of open-back headphones is this: when you’re able to listen to sound from two directions on your headphones, a much more spacious feel is created by the sound than otherwise. It may literally feel like you’re listening to your favourite track in a concert hall. This, however, is achieved by compromising on the noise-cancellation properties of the headphones.
Closed-back Headphones
If you want complete a surround sound effect that passively blocks out any unwanted ambient noise from the background, the closed-back headphones are the ones that you should be considering. Closed-back headphones, similar to the name, feature a pair of earcups that are completely closed to the outside environment. The upside to these kind of headphones are the privacy that you’re rewarded with; unlike open-back models which are slightly audible to your immediate surroundings, closed-back designs offer complete seclusion of sound.
Conclusion
Ergonomics, Convenience and Application
A mix of good sound and comfort is what you should be looking for, and avoid compromising on either, or you will be left with a set of headphones that you bitterly despise. You really want headphones that fit you well, and you will only be able to truly enjoy the sound of a good headset if it is comfortable enough to wear in the long run.
Size also matters a whole lot. You will almost certainly not be comfortable wearing a set of circum-aural while jogging or in the train on your way to work as they will literally weigh you down. On the other hand, if you have powerful audio equipment and like loud music or are a DJ / sound engineer, circum-aural headphones are perfect for you.
If you are on the go all the time, and cannot be separated from your mobile phone or portable media player (PMP), I’d suggest a nice pair of in-ear or supra-aural headphones. Of course, provided your phone or PMP supports Bluetooth, an A2DP set would be just right.
So now that you have a clear idea as to what options are available, there’s no room for mistakes when you’re out buying a good pair of headphones to enjoy your multimedia collection.
Pick By Purpose
The marketplace for headphones is a
gigantic one that pops out a new model everyday. It’s easy to get lost in this
ocean of gadgetry, if you’re not sure of what you want or why you want it. An
easy way of breaking it down, is to figure out the reason why you’ll be using
your headphones. For instance, a pair of wireless headphones for TV may be your
only consideration.
Listening To Music At Home
When you’re at home, you can be at ease. You don’t really feel the need for a smaller, portable pair of headphones. Instead, a pair of headphones that emphasise sound quality rather than portability are the ones which make more sense at home.
For Those Who Like Bass
A pair of closed-back headphones with active noise-cancellation ability should help you hear what you want if you’re a person who likes bass-centric music. Choose a set of headphones that emphasise the lows on rather than the mids and the highs. Circumaural headphones will provide better quality than supra-aural ones, albeit at a higher cost.
If Classical Music Is Your Thing
Classical music calls for accurate reproduction of sound, or at least, as close as it can get to being accurate. The ideal pair of headphones for classical music lovers need to produce a rich, balanced sound that captures all the highs, mids, and lows without distortion. Open-back headphones offer the ability to provide a more spacious feel to the sounds that they reproduce.
While Driving Or Walking
When you’re mobile, being entangled in wires is the last thing that you want. Fortunately, you can use a pair of wireless headphones to make your life easier. Headphones inbuilt with bluetooth or infrared technology can be simply placed over your ears, and you’re ready to listen to what you want.
Hardcore Gaming
If you’re an avid gamer, then you know the integral part sound plays in every game. Some advanced games actually feature 3D surround sound effects that let the gamer perceive in-game sounds from the view-point of the character being played. In order to fully experience gaming, you should consider a pair of good-quality, multi-channel, gaming headphones. These headphones mimic a surround sound effect and provide you with a realistic auditory experience.
The right pair of headphones go a long way in improving your overall experience of sound. Be sure to choose headphones that reproduce sound in a pleasant manner, as per your tastes.
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