Which are the headphones that suit you the best? For working out, you need headphones that can be secured on your ears so you don’t have to stop every minute to put them back on; for travelling, you want them to be light and compact; and for professional use, sound quality is everything. It really depends on how you want to use them, and what you find the most comfortable when wearing them.
What Headphone Styles?
Earbuds
Earbuds are the most common type of headphones (or earphones if you prefer, because they fit inside your ears rather than on them). You are probably very familiar with them as the cheaper ones are often supplied with MP3 players and cell phones as a standard. These headphones are usually lightweight and don’t take up too much space, even the models with volume control on their cables can be packed into a wallet size pouch. They can have very good sound quality, but they also let in much outside noise. Although some people may find them more comfortable than the ear-canal design, they do produce less bass and their sound quality is highly influenced by the noise of your surroundings. Some earbuds have a hook or neckband to keep them firmly in place, these are ideal sports headphones.
Monster Miles Davis Tribute Jazz In-Ear Headphones
Ear-Canal
These headphones are also light and compact. Unlike earbuds that generally sit in the bowls of your ears, ear-canal (also called “in-ear”) models actually have the drivers (the bits that produce the sound) with soft rubber tips like earplugs that you insert into your ears. They produce strong bass and are good at reducing outside noise and have little sound leakage. Some ear-canal models have a small fin or hook for added security when used as sports headphones.
On-Ear
On-ear design is also referred to as “earpads” or “supra-aural” style. They were once quite popular before the advent of Apple iPod. These headphones have cushioned earpads that sit on your ears rather than covering them completely. Available in over-head and neckband style, they offer high comfort and still being extremely portable. However, they are mostly open-back models that may have good natural sound reproduction, but the sound leaks out and the outside noise is more noticeable. Also because of the sound leakage, you probably won’t get as much bass response as with closed models.
Over-Ear
Over-ear or “circumaural” style is the biggest headphone variety with padded headbands and large cushioned ear cups that cover your ears completely. They come in both open- and closed-back designs. Because of their large size, these headphones are not suitable for portable usage, and are generally used for home or professional use, such as recording studio or as DJ headphones, where sound quality and comfort are of paramount importance.
Ultrasone EDITION 10 Headphones
Noise Cancellation or Isolation?
Noise cancellation involves using one or more microphones placed near the ears to sample ambient noise and generate exactly opposite audio waves to cancel out the ambient noise as heard within the enclosed earcups of the headphone. The noise cancellation works well in environments where the noises are continuous, such as the sounds in an airplane cabin. However the extract circuitry required for this function means that they consume power and may introduce additional noise.
Noise isolating headphones are mostly in-ear headphones, they simply block out your ambient noise like earplugs. They aren’t necessarily as effective as noise cancelling ones, but they don’t require batteries and much cheaper.
For safety reasons, both designs are not recommended to be used as running headphones, or for any other outdoor sports, especially for road runners who require constant awareness of the surroundings while running on busy roads.
What are the Difference Betweem Open-Back and Closed-Back?
Open-back designs use earpiece vents to reduce the internal sound reflection, which helps produce a natural sound. Some people them more comfortable over long sessions, but the sound leakage is a problem of this design. Closed-back models are sealed, which helps a more bassy sound delivery and block out the unwanted ambient noise, so they are better for loud environments.
Wireless Headphones?
One of the biggest advantages of wireless headphones is pretty obvious – you are not restricted and able to roam free without the annoying wire. Wireless headphone systems use Bluetooth or radio technology to provide wireless listening.
Bluetooth headphones carry good quality stereo sound and are mostly used for listening to music from phones, laptops and MP3 players. Bluetooth earbuds and ear-canal models are ideal for sports. Headphone systems using radio technology is able to transfer true CD-quality stereo sound and ideal for home use. The only problem with wireless headphones is that you need to recharge them or swapping out the batteries quite often.
Many people are now embracing exercising as a means to a healthy lifestyle. Music has a very good impact on the quality of jogging, running or work out exercises. Therefore, you will find most people generally listen to songs while running or doing exercise. The greatest challenge faced with listening to music from standard headphones during the exercise is their shifting from over the ears now and then. Therefore, standard headphones are ideal over the ears and face the risk of damage by sweat, harsh conditions or rattling. To meet this challenge there has been developed best headphones for running and jogging as well as exercising.
