Gone are the days that we might have endeavored to discourage you from purchasing a pair of wireless headphones – mainly because of the technical issues related to Bluetooth and wireless connectivity, the quality of the sound, not to mention the bare minimum battery life of the headphones. With the advancements in the technological world, as of now, wireless headphones are being deemed the most ideal way to stay connected to any phone in every situation – from iPhones to the cheapest smartphones – without the quality is up to par with wired earphones.
♬WEARING WAYS
Upon purchasing a good pair of headphones, given below are a few ways you can wear them:
❶IN-EAR HEADPHONES
In-ear models are a recent style of headphone types, and are primarily, extremely portable. The headphone drivers of this model are known to be small, and the enclosures cannot also be deemed very large. These headphones can be coiled up and even stored in a case small enough to fit into not only your pockets but even the tiniest of handbags. They can reject outside noise so you can listen to your tunes, but many find inserting something in their ear canal very uncomfortable. They are the most ideal pair for travelers.
❷EARBUDS
Earbuds can have cushions around them, but they usually do not. They are not to be inserted inside the ear canal but are supposed to be held in place at the center of your outer ear. They come in one size, which is not always exactly comfortable to wear as they tend to fall out frequently if they don’t have a loop or wing attached for security. They permit ambient noise so you are not isolated from your surroundings, and are perfect for outdoor activities, such as running. They can be inexpensive but also lack bass.
❸EAR HOOK HEADPHONES
These are ideal for workouts as they can be sweat-proof. They stay over your ear as the ear hook adds that stability to the earphone design. They can be stored easily in your sports armband or bag. Along with the better quality sound, they can come with a built-in mic and have easy buttons that let you navigate.
❹NECKBAND HANDPHONES
These are very unconventional when it comes to style, as the speakers are attached to a small, lightweight band through a wire that fits around the back of the neck. The battery life is comparatively better and clearer and the ergonomic comfort is remarkable. They can be sweatproof and can be maneuvered easily.
❺HEADPHONES
The traditional headphones have two ear cups, joined by a band that goes over the head. They are not exactly easily portable but offer natural noise rejection as they completely cover the ear in most models. Depending on the pair you get, they can be very comfortable or uncomfortable. The sound is almost always remarkable.
❻BONE CONDUCTION HEADPHONES
With a good name for themselves in the hearing aid industry, these rest directly on the listener’s cheekbones and the vibrations from the music go to the cochlea. As there is no eardrum involved, they are very good for those with hearing deficiencies. And as well, it is also a wise choice for drivers, for the reason that bone conduction can make them hear both earphones and outside car horn.
♬DIFFERENT FEATURES
Given below are the features of different headphone types:
❶MONITOR
Studio, or monitor headphones, are designed, first and foremost, for professional work, and have a remarkable sound that is best suited to mixing or recording. On the other hand, they are versatile enough for entertainment purposes, as well, by DJs, music producers, dubbing characters and even broadcasting.
The biggest advantages of studio headphones are the non-edit voice feature and the fact that the sound produced is closest to the actual sound. The only con is that there is no emotion voice.
❷HIFI
High fidelity, or HIFI headphones, are ideal for home stereo listeners, audiophiles and home audio lovers. They give out a smooth, subtle and refined sound, have very high reducibility and fidelity. However, the music-targeted headphones are not good enough for listening voice, while the voice-targeted headphone is not the ideal choice for listening to music.
❸GAMING
Gaming headphones provide simulations over multiple channels. Since the quality of sound matters quite a lot in the gaming world, the headphones are designed to help you differentiate between the directions of the sound, and listen to the understated aspects and auditory signals of the game. The pros include clear sound localization; however, poor music recycling can be an issue.
❹NOISE-CANCELLING
Just as the name indicates, these are designed to cut you off from the outside noise. With the correct headphones, the listener can notice a decrease in the noise, however, there is a slight stethoscope effect that usually results in a softer and dimmer sound that can be deemed a little low-quality because of the noise-canceling aspect. These can be quite expensive.
❺PORTABLE
These headphones are designed specifically for outdoor activities. They are light when it comes to weight, which adds to their portability. They have a noise-canceling element and are quite fashionable. However, the sound is not exactly of the highest quality, and they do not provide the ergonomic comfort many seek.
❻SPORTS
These headphones are designed for sportspeople and are meant to be very stable and waterproof, or sweatproof. However, they are not considered very comfortable for many people.
♬TRANSDUCERS
Given below are the transducers related to different headphone types:
❶DYNAMIC COIL
A moving-coil dynamic mic is a kind of a transducer that converts sound waves into mic signals with the help of electromagnetic induction. This device comes is made up of four essential parts that include the dynamic diaphragm, the moving coil (also known as the conductor), the magnet with its pole pieces and the step-up transformer. They are used in recording studios, live stages and broadcasts by audio engineers and musicians everywhere.
❷BALANCED ARMATURE
In balanced armature headphones, there is no displaced air in the balanced armature to create sound. This is a compact-sized headphone driver type that produces great sound.
❸HYBRID
Hybrid headphones are those earphones that are conformed by at least one balanced armature and one dynamic driver. However, they can also be formed by more than one balanced armature and driver. These headphones are good for achieving specific audio frequencies, which results in a better quality of audio overall.
❹ELECTROSTATIC
These headphones make use of extremely thin diaphragms. They work by placing a non-moving or static electric charge on a film which floats in the middle of two perforated metal plates. When combined with the proper amplifier, the listening experience is remarkable.
❺PLANAR MAGNETIC
The headphone drivers inside planar magnetic headphones are connected to a large cone-shaped diaphragm through a dynamic coil, surrounded by a circular magnet. These headphones are providing audiophiles with amazing audio fidelity. The magnets act on a flat plane.
❻BONE CONDUCTION
A bone conductor headphone transducer was first used in hearing aids. This system is designed in a way that uses the human body’s natural ability to transfer sound through bone conduction (as explained above). The processor converts the audio into vibrations, which are then sent through the skull bone and directly to the cochlea.
♬OPEN OR CLOSED BACK
Given below are the different headphone types:
❶OPEN-BACK
These headphones let air pass through the ear cups to the speaker element. As a result, there is no build-up of pressure and the sound remains unaffected as there are no echoes inside the headphones. The sound is always clearer and more natural; however, the outside noise cannot be blocked completely. Another con is that the sound leaks out. They are good for critical listening, high-quality audio files and listening at home. They are not good for traveling, especially on airplanes, and for office-use.
❷CLOSED-BACK
These headphones, as the name suggests, are completely sealed around the back. This means that the only sound allowed is the one that can reach your inner ear. They block quite a lot of outside noise but take away the natural sound quality. In the bass tunes, you might hear some almost-imperceptible echoes. Your ears might feel warm if you wear these headphones for too long. They are good for casual listening, office-use, commuting, especially in public transportation and for mixing/recording audio files.
❸SEMI-OPEN BACK
These headphones can be considered closed-back more or less, but fail to completely seal the speaker elements. This means that a little bit of air is allowed in and out of the chamber. They are good for casual listening and entertainment purposes at home but do not suit many when it comes to commuting, office-use and blocking outside noise effectively.
Above all are the ways that divided different headphone types in their development, and they are keep updating.
