How to buy headphones

Many years before the Walkman empire was born and the device revolution took place in the 80s of the last century, the headset had a very large and bulky design.

Many years before the Walkman empire was born and the device revolution took place in the 80s of the last century, the headset had a very large and bulky design. However, everything has changed. Headphones have gradually become more compact and become an indispensable device for entertainment purposes. To choose to buy a suitable headset, consumers should consider two main factors: style and features.

Form, style

Nowadays, consumers often don’t pay much attention to the difference between highly portable headphones and headphones for home entertainment. However, determining the intended use (e.g., listening to music, playing games) and the location of use (e.g., at home or on the go) will help consumers determine the specific type of headset that is right for them to suit their needs. In general, in terms of form factors, headphones are divided into the following five categories:

Earbud

Earbuds are mainly sold with portable music devices and are loved because they offer better sound quality than Full-size headphones. Earbuds are worn directly to the outer ear or fully attached to the ear canal. Some Earbud models are also padded with a rubber ring or soft foam to fit different ear styles and prevent the headset from falling off.

Pros: Compact, lightweight design, and earbud models also have a built-in microphone and navigation buttons. Earbuds have good noise isolation from the outside and are less entangled in hair or accessories such as glasses and earrings.

Cons: Sound quality and bass are often not comparable to full-size headphones, which can be annoying if used for long. In addition, some Earbud models are difficult to attach or remove from the ear, making this type of headset not the ideal choice for those who want to use them in the office. Besides, the double cable design is often prone to tangles.

Advanced features: Volume control buttons; the variety of sizes and materials of the ring gasket (foam, rubber, silicone); volume equalization settings.

On-ear headphones

On-ear headphones have a large round design covering the ear, and users can use them with conventional handheld devices or high-end home entertainment devices. Although On-ear headphones also have an ear-covering design, some consumers prefer Full-size headphones because they have higher sound insulation and do not let sound through. However, for use in offices, On-ear headphones are still preferred because consumers can hear sounds from outside.

Pros: Comfortable, less hot on the ears than the Full-size line, some models can be folded for easy carrying.

Cons: The ability to isolate noise is less effective than In-ear or Full-size headphones; the bass is not strong, letting the sound out.

Advanced features: Built-in microphone and navigator, comes with earpads, comes with a carrying case, foldable design can fold the cord.

Full-size headphones

Other names: Circum-aural headphones, Closed-back headphones, Earcup headphones, over-the-ear headphones.

Full-size headphones have an over-ear design, looking like a cup that covers the ear. These headphones are usually quite large and have very good sound insulation. Therefore, Full-size headphones are more suitable for home use than for travel purposes. However, some recent full-size headphones have a portable design, such as the Monster Beats noise-canceling headphones by Dr. Dre.

Pros: High-quality bass and volume, larger soundstage, good noise filtering.

Cons: The rather large size is not suitable for moving purposes; some Full-size models cause heat in the ears, the wide headband design is inconvenient if the user wears glasses, earrings or is easily caught in the hair.

Advanced features: Folding design, detachable headphone cord, built-in microphone, navigation buttons, volume rocker, replaceable earpads, auxiliary 3.5mm jack for multiple connections and listen.

Wireless Headphones

Wireless headphones are most commonly used in apartments where loudspeakers are not allowed, or users don’t want to have “trouble” with headphone cords. The most common way to transfer music wirelessly is via a Bluetooth connection. Although this line of headphones is highly convenient, consumers will not get the best sound quality. Some recently released wireless headphones have aptX Bluetooth technology to help deliver sharper, more realistic sound to improve sound quality.

Advantages: Users are no longer entangled by the headset cord, the price is gradually decreasing, making Bluetooth headsets a reasonable choice when exercising or for mobile purposes.

Cons: Usage time depends on the battery capacity of the headset, the sound quality is less realistic, the navigation and volume buttons are smaller, some headphones are only compatible with certain types certain devices.

Advanced features: Noise cancellation feature (Active Noise Canceling), 3.5mm connector, cable for charging, replaceable earpads, headphone box.

Noise Canceling Headphones

This line of headphones cancels noise from the surrounding environment by emitting sound waves that can cancel noise. Some models of this line of headphones also significantly reduce noise from the aircraft’s air conditioning system. This line of headphones has a fairly diverse design, from Full-size to Earbuds. With this type of headset, users no longer have to turn up the volume to drown out outside sounds but can listen at a low volume, reducing the risk of hearing loss. In addition, users get clearer sound quality.

Pros: Automatic noise cancellation technology eliminates ambient noise, making it suitable for use in noisy environments, such as airplanes.

Cons: Changes to the original quality of the music, the sonic noise cancellation feature makes some users feel nauseous.

Advanced features: Wireless connectivity, earphone case, rechargeable battery, navigation, and volume buttons.

Features

Size, type, and technology are essential factors to consider when choosing a headset. However, the headset features also play an equally important role in choosing the right headset model. To buy a suitable headset, consumers also need to consider the following features:

Bass sound

Even in the best model, the bass quality of the headphones cannot match the bass quality of large speakers or subwoofers. However, many manufacturers (such as Dr. Dre’s Beats line of headphones) have tweaked the sound settings in their products to deliver lower frequencies. But this means that the sound quality will be less “natural.”

Earbuds have a compact design and high portability, but this line of headphones cannot match the Full-size line in terms of bass or sound range.

Closed design headphones or open design headphones

Headphones with a closed design, whether In-ear or Full-size, are capable of isolating external noise. However, each different type of headset has different noise isolation capabilities, and the line of headphones with a closed design often limits the pronunciation to the outside environment.

Headphones with a closed design are ideal if users do not want others to hear what they are listening to. Meanwhile, with open design headsets (for example, headphones with foam ear cups or a sporty design), the user can hear sounds from outside and the person next to them. You can also hear the sound coming from the headset.

In general, headphones with an open design are often better than closed ones because they allow users to hear sounds from outside. This headset is suitable for outdoor activities that require observing the surrounding environment, such as walking.

Comfort and weight

Although evaluating sound quality is always subjective, the only way users can judge the comfort of a headset is to try it out for at least 10 minutes.

Headphone models that cover the ears often make users feel uncomfortable and hot. However, users should still try on the headset to see if the earpads cause discomfort. Closed earphones with imitation leather earpads often cause discomfort to the user.

Professional headset products are often relatively large and make users feel uncomfortable and tired after a few hours of use. Headphone models with a headband made of lightweight materials will feel more comfortable and convenient when used for mobile purposes.

Durability

Consumers should not consider headphones as technological devices that are used for a while and then replaced. Because, unlike electronic products, headphones do not go out of fashion after six months or one year. Moreover, some models of headphones are also quite durable.

Therefore, when choosing to buy a headset, consumers should pay attention to the product’s durability because some types of Earbuds are often damaged quickly. As for earphones that can be folded for easy storage, users should check whether the earphone folding joint is firm or not. In addition, users should also keep in mind that ear pads often tear or stretch after a period of use.

Headphone wire material and length

Most stereo headphones have a single-cable design, and this cord is usually connected to the left earphone. As for all earbud products and some other headset models, a Y-shaped cable design connects the two sides of the headset. The pin part of the cord has an I- or L-shaped design. In these two types, the L-shaped pin will be more convenient if the player’s jack is located on the side of the body or the bottom.

The length of the headphone cord depends on the intended use of each user, especially the location of the device. Specifically, users need to choose to buy headphones with long cables if they want to keep their music player or phone in their backpack or pocket; Or choose one with a shorter cable if you wear the player around your neck or arm. However, users can also use an external cable to increase the length for headphones that are too short or roll up the too-long cable.

Some frequently asked questions

1. Do I need a headphone amplifier?

The music player you plug your headphones into has a noticeable effect on the sound quality. The quality of the built-in amplifiers in music players is often very poor. The reason is that the music player requires a lot of energy to operate, and the amplifier inside the machine uses only less energy. Even the better home entertainment devices have their differences in sound quality. If you need to use headphones for a long time and care about sound quality, you may want to buy a headphone amplifier.

2. I lost the earpads that came with the Earbuds. Do I have to buy a new pair of headphones?

Unless you’re looking for a reason to switch to another model, however, most earbud headphones usually come with a pair of ear cups of a certain size, so losing an earcup is not comfortable at all. In this case, you can buy new ear covers.

3. Does the higher the price of the headset, the better the sound quality?

That is not necessary. It is surprising that many people spend a lot of money to buy a smartphone but do not want to invest a lot to buy good quality headphones to use with the smartphone. On the other hand, not all low-priced headphones will be of poor quality.