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Terms You Should Know to Identify the Best Headphones

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Ginna Peters
Terms You Should Know to Identify the Best Headphones

What type of headphones should you buy?

There are four main types of headphones: earbuds, in-ear, on-ear and over-ear. The type you opt for will depend on a number of factors, including how portable you want them to be and what type of sound you are looking for. There is also an element of personal preference.

Earbuds: small and cheap, earbuds are often bundled with MP3 players and smartphones. They nestle inside the ear but don't fully seal it, so they’re susceptible to sound leakage and some people find them too loose fitting to be comfortable. They generally offer the worst audio experience out of the four types of headphones.

In-ear headphones: these are probably the most common type and are sometimes supplied with portable music players. They're lightweight, portable and generally much cheaper than on- and over-ear sets. They fit snugly inside the ear canal to provide a tight seal so minimise sound leakage. However, sound quality is generally poorer than over-ear and on-ear designs, particularly at the bass end.

On-ear headphones: smaller and lighter than over-ear models, these headphones sit on the ears and usually have foam or leatherette pads for extra comfort. Some are foldable, making them more portable than over-ear models. They're a bit of a compromise between the bulky but good-sounding over-ear models and the very portable but weak-sounding in-ear ones. Obviously there are exceptions to these rules - there are in-ear headphones that sound better than all but the best over-ear models.

Over-ear headphones: these large headphones have cushioned pads that cover the entire ear. This makes them more comfortable to wear for long periods and they generally deliver good sound quality. The bulkiest models aren't portable at all and are more suited to home use. However, some models fold down into fairly compact carry cases, and could be used on your daily commute.

 In addition to the four main types, there are specialised headphones for specific purposes, such as sports models that have additional features to help keep them in place during exercise.

What are noise-cancelling headphones?

It’s tempting to drown out external noise such as traffic by cranking up the volume on your headphones, but this often annoys others and can even damage your hearing. The best solution is to invest in a pair of noise-cancelling headphones so you can enjoy your audio at much lower volumes.

Tiny microphones and battery-powered electronics built into the headphones produce anti-noise signals to cancel out external audio, such as the low drone of an engine. Some headphones use standard AAA batteries but these days most have a built-in battery that can be recharged using a USB connection.

These headphones don’t come cheap though – expect to pay around £50 for an entry-level model, to more than £300 for a top-end pair. Some do a great job at keeping unwanted sounds out, while others don't make much of a difference.

What's an in-line remote control?

Most mobile phones have a headphone port so you can listen to audio saved on your phone while on the go. You can also use streaming services, such as Spotify and TuneIn Radio, to access music over the internet using your phone.

In these instances it's best to buy a pair of headphones that will allow you to control your music without getting your phone out of your pocket constantly. Many models feature an in-line remote control, often found towards the top of the cable, that can be used to alter the volume, skip tracks and stop your music altogether. They usually also house a microphone, for hands-free voice calling.

Android and Apple mobile phone headphones are configured slightly differently to one another - most in-line remote models will come in both an Android and Apple version. Be sure your phone is compatible before making any purchase.

Which headphones are best for your ears?

Damage to your hearing is a real possibility when using headphones, and most music-playing devices now feature built-in warnings when you raise the volume over a certain level. These warnings may make some people think twice about listening too loud, but they are easily ignored. 

You might be particularly worried about your children damaging their hearing. There are some headphones available that include built-in volume limiters so kids can't raise the volume to dangerous levels. 

The best headphones for your hearing, whether you're an adult or a child, will be ones that block out as much external noise as possible so you don't have to turn your music up too loud to hear it. Look for noise-cancelling models if you can, but even some standard headphones with a good, tight fit will block out a lot of the noise around you. 

Check more details: 

http://www.which.co.uk/reviews/headphones/article/how-to-buy-the-best-headphones

http://www.headphonesencyclopedia.com/best-over-ear-headphones-under-100/

https://www.wikihow.com/Choose-Headphones

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Ginna Peters
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