Everyone with a smartphone needs a good set of headphones. Our phones make noise, and usually it's when we want them to make noise — watching a video, listening to music, playing a game or even talking on the phone are sounds we want to hear, but everyone around us probably doesn't. Luckily, there are plenty of companies out there that have just what we need and are happy to sell headphones of one type or another to us.
For some of us, the headphones that came in the box or a pair we picked up from a big-box store are fine. And that's OK. Nobody here thinks we all should spend time and stress over headphones unless you're having fun while doing it. But if you want to try and find the best headphones for you, we have a few tips that can help.
This isn't an article that's going to tell you which set of headphones you should buy. Instead we're going to talk about what you should look for when you wade through the thousands and thousands of different headphones you can buy so you can make the right choice the first time. Knowledge is power and all that schoolhouse rock stuff.
What type of headphones do you want?
There are several different styles of headphone to choose from, and they all have advantages and disadvantages. The first thing you need to consider is what you want to do with them. If you only want headphones for consuming media, you can skip looking for models with a mic. A mic is pretty handy to have if you think you'll need to take a call while you're listening to music on the bus, but good headphones with a mic are usually a little more expensive than good headphones without.
- Earbuds: A lot of people love earbuds. They are small and easy to carry around, discreet, and can sound pretty good if you pick the right ones. As a bonus, most times they are a good bit cheaper than other types of headphones. Some of the drawbacks are issues staying in place if you're moving around a lot, they can be uncomfortable and oftentimes they can't deliver big loud bass.
- On-Ear headphones: These can be a good middle ground between earbuds and big over-ear DJ models. They can bring much bigger sound, there are plenty of affordable models, and they aren't too big to fit into a bag or purse. They aren't very discreet, so not the best choice if you don't want anyone to know you're on your phone.
- Over-Ear headphones: These are for people who want the most sound, and don't even care how they look. They are big and bold, so hiding them is usually out of the question and you'll need to lug them around. You can find over-ear headphones in open back models so you can have a little awareness of what's going on around you, or closed back models that are almost noise-cancelling. In either case, over-ear headphones will deliver the biggest sound possible while on the go.
- Bluetooth headsets: whether in earbuds, on-ear, or over-ear, bluetooth allows you to interact with your phone without being tied to it, at least in the physical sense. Bluetooth headsets are not only great for being active (running, lifting weights, etc) but in everyday life without the worry of ripping the headset off your head. One down side is they run off a battery so they do need to be recharged every couple of days. One thing to keep in mind that when you use bluetooth headsets, your device has to make a connection as well which means your device's battery will be taking a small hit.
What to look for
Once you've decided what type of headphones you need, you need to know what to look for to pick the best set for you.
There are a lot of factors here, and if you ask 10 people to recommend a brand of headphones, you'll should (hopefully) get 10 different answers. Don't fall into the trap of buying the headphones that are popular right now and everyone is talking about. Chances are they bought them just because someone else told them to buy them. Take the time to find the pair that works best for you.
Sound "profile": This is the single most important thing to consider if you're going to use your headphones mostly to listen to music. Headphone drivers can (and are) designed and built in different ways that can accentuate certain sound frequencies over others. "Audiophile" headphones will have what's called a "flat" profile. All the sounds, from low-frequency bass to high-frequency trebles are delivered pretty much equally.
Most headphones have been tuned so that the ends of the scale — the lows and the highs — are going to be more pronounced than the middle. You will notice a big difference between the two. Flat-profile headphones usually have words like "studio" or "monitor" in their description, and "sweetened" — that's the term for adjustments to the sound profile — headphones will use words like "Extra Bass." Premium headphones should be tuned so that the high and the low stand out, without the middle sounding bad.
Price: Price is usually the most important option of all. Some people are willing spend $3,500 on a pair of headphones, and there are headphones out there for them (and they sound incredible). For the rest of us, you need to remember that you usually get what you pay for. You can buy a set of earbuds for $3.99 in the checkout line at the supermarket, but you'll probably be immediately unhappy with them. You can also spend too much because of the name on the box. Generally, stick to names you recognize as having a good track record for electronics, pick a model in your price range and then search for user reviews.
Impedance: This is an electrical term, but you'll see it when you look for a good set of headphones. To explain how it matters for headphones is a little technical — you want to match the output impedance of the source to the input impedance of the electrical load to maximize power transfer and minimize signal loss. Don't worry if that doesn't make sense just yet, we're going to figure it out.
Your phone has a certain "level" of power output through the headphone jack. You need to make sure the headphones you buy are designed to work well with that "level" of power. This is easier than you think, thanks to modern packaging and advertisements. If your phone isn't recognized as having any type of "Hi-Fi" audio, you want to find a set of headphones designed specifically for smartphones or music players. That means look for something that says it's designed for an iPod if you don't want to wade through all the specs. That's cheating, but it will work.
If your phone does have a premium DAC and headphone amp, your safe spot is around 60 Ohms, but you'll really need to wade through those specs if you want to try and match the right cans to your phone. The Internet is your best friend in this situation.
Frequency response: This is a measurement of what sounds a pair of headphones can produce. The wider the range, the more sounds can be played. Look for headphones that range from 10 Hz to 20 kHz at a minimum if you're going the premium route.
There are more things that can be considered, like sensitivity or driver size if you really want to geek out over a set of headphones. I encourage you to geek out at will, but as long as you consider the basics above you'll be able to pick out a set of headphones that work for you. And, if you have the option, try out the headphones you're considering before buying. All of the reviews and tech specs in the world mean nothing if you don't like the way the headphones sound and feel in your ear, on your ear, or over your ears.
Once you've decided what type of headphones you need, you need to know what to look for to pick the best set for you.
There are a lot of factors here, and if you ask 10 people to recommend a brand of headphones, you'll should (hopefully) get 10 different answers. Don't fall into the trap of buying the headphones that are popular right now and everyone is talking about. Chances are they bought them just because someone else told them to buy them. Take the time to find the pair that works best for you.
Sound "profile": This is the single most important thing to consider if you're going to use your headphones mostly to listen to music. Headphone drivers can (and are) designed and built in different ways that can accentuate certain sound frequencies over others. "Audiophile" headphones will have what's called a "flat" profile. All the sounds, from low-frequency bass to high-frequency trebles are delivered pretty much equally.
Most headphones have been tuned so that the ends of the scale — the lows and the highs — are going to be more pronounced than the middle. You will notice a big difference between the two. Flat-profile headphones usually have words like "studio" or "monitor" in their description, and "sweetened" — that's the term for adjustments to the sound profile — headphones will use words like "Extra Bass." Premium headphones should be tuned so that the high and the low stand out, without the middle sounding bad.
Price: Price is usually the most important option of all. Some people are willing spend $3,500 on a pair of headphones, and there are headphones out there for them (and they sound incredible). For the rest of us, you need to remember that you usually get what you pay for. You can buy a set of earbuds for $3.99 in the checkout line at the supermarket, but you'll probably be immediately unhappy with them. You can also spend too much because of the name on the box. Generally, stick to names you recognize as having a good track record for electronics, pick a model in your price range and then search for user reviews.
Impedance: This is an electrical term, but you'll see it when you look for a good set of headphones. To explain how it matters for headphones is a little technical — you want to match the output impedance of the source to the input impedance of the electrical load to maximize power transfer and minimize signal loss. Don't worry if that doesn't make sense just yet, we're going to figure it out.
Your phone has a certain "level" of power output through the headphone jack. You need to make sure the headphones you buy are designed to work well with that "level" of power. This is easier than you think, thanks to modern packaging and advertisements. If your phone isn't recognized as having any type of "Hi-Fi" audio, you want to find a set of headphones designed specifically for smartphones or music players. That means look for something that says it's designed for an iPod if you don't want to wade through all the specs. That's cheating, but it will work.
If your phone does have a premium DAC and headphone amp, your safe spot is around 60 Ohms, but you'll really need to wade through those specs if you want to try and match the right cans to your phone. The Internet is your best friend in this situation.
Frequency response: This is a measurement of what sounds a pair of headphones can produce. The wider the range, the more sounds can be played. Look for headphones that range from 10 Hz to 20 kHz at a minimum if you're going the premium route.
There are more things that can be considered, like sensitivity or driver size if you really want to geek out over a set of headphones. I encourage you to geek out at will, but as long as you consider the basics above you'll be able to pick out a set of headphones that work for you. And, if you have the option, try out the headphones you're considering before buying. All of the reviews and tech specs in the world mean nothing if you don't like the way the headphones sound and feel in your ear, on your ear, or over your ears.
- Range: obviously this is how far you can walk away from your device without losing signal or getting choppy interference.
- Battery Life: Probably the most important. With earbuds the best you can hope for currently is 8 to 10 hours. With on-ear or over-ear headphones, 15 or more hours is a good starting point.
My headphones
These aren't recommendations — they're more of a starting point if you want to find the perfect pair of cans for you. Here's what I use (and why) as well as what I'm saving up to buy.
These aren't recommendations — they're more of a starting point if you want to find the perfect pair of cans for you. Here's what I use (and why) as well as what I'm saving up to buy.
These are my go to bread and butter headphones. They have a very neutral sound so I can control how I want to listen to my videos or music by using the devices settings. The sound is so good I don't have to turn the volume up past half on my devices and the ear cups are so isolated, they almost act like noise canceling headphones. They are very comfortable fitting over the ears and on the top of my head for hours and hours. They can fold up for travel and daily on the go and they look cool with the blue and brown.
I love bluetooth for convenience. The ATH-M50x are for pure listening enjoyment while my X2's are for daily use while working out, making calls, watch video in bed, and just walking around. With no wires I don't have to worry about me turning my head or lifting and arm the wrong way and ripping them off my head. They sound better than some $200 over-ear wired headphones I have listen to and they have a great 8 hour battery life. As far as fit, they never fall out of my ear and I can use them for 4 to 5 hours before I take a break from them.
These are my reliable backups incase I can't find the other two. In the past I used the free Samsung or Apple earbuds you got with a phone but the sound from those were meh at best. These fit better, have a better sound, and I got them a few years back for only $29.99 from an insane fire sale Amazon was having. They still hold up great so if I can't get to my other go to pair, I am not disappointed having to use these.
Saving up for:
I want to try these out because they have active noise canceling, are small for daily on the go, and they look really cool. I have only ever owned one pair of noise canceling headphones and they were Bose. Bose to this day have a great product by I think are very very overpriced. At under $100, they are less of a risk.
Naztech i9BT Bluetooth 4.1 Headphones
I would like to try these for the same reasons as the BOHM pair but these are over-ear rather than on-ear. To me the toss up will be comfort vs style. If I can handle the on-ear BOHM for at least 4 to 5 hours straight without them failing off my head, then the style of the BOHM win. If on-ear proves a little too uncomfortable, then comfort in the Naztech will be my choice.
No comments:
Post a Comment