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Headphones What Makes Them Right For You?
When you are trying to find the right musical experience, you may like to listen directly from a set of speakers, but sometimes it is better to hear all of the little subtleties as they are routed to your eardrums. Of course, this effect can be achieved by listening through a headset; but what makes a headset the right one for you? There are a lot of factors that attribute to a great listening experience, and that can even include how the headphone cups fit on your ears. To help you out when making the ultimate decision of which headphones you think will enhance your musical experience, I want to break down some of the features and styles that make a difference.
The Best Fit for Your Ears
Most people do not equate the fit of their headphones to a positive listening experience, but it is extremely important, because the way the phones fit on your ears often determine how the music is directed to your eardrums, and it also determines how comfortable they are. There are three different styles of headsets that you can buy and each one is important for different reasons. Let’s look at them more closely.
Over-The-Ear – Over-the-ear headsets are also known as circumaural because they fit around the ears. They are popular to many people who need to listen to music professionally (producers, entertainers) because they shut out a great deal of the noise around you; however, they are also great for people who love to listen to music around the house and want to shut out their family. Of course, they’re not recommended if you have a small baby, for you will need to be available to hear everything. But if this is not one of your concerns, then circumaural headphones are great.
On-The-Ear – On-the-ear headphones are also known as supraural because they sit on the frame of the ear. Where circumaural headsets are likely to have leatherette ear cups, supraural tend to have soft, foam ear pads – though some are leatherette or real leather. They usually don’t block out as much sound as the circumaural phones because of their styling (unless they are a specially-made noise isolation version) but this is not a bad thing because they also tend to be less expensive. A good quality pair of these headsets will work better if you have the tiny baby because they will allow you to hear as many great musical subtleties as the over-the-ear style while also allowing you to hear more of what’s going on around you.
In-The-Ear – In-the-ear or intramural are also known as earbuds. They are very common as a complimentary item that comes with your iPod or MP3 player. The earbuds have a pretty bad reputation for lacking in sound quality, and often they can be annoying because they don’t always fit into the ear properly. But because people have complained, there have been many manufacturers creating better styles that can be automatically adjusted to the ear with a sound quality that can be easily matched to the best studio earphones – of course, this can come at a hefty price, but for the convenience, it just may be worth it.
How to Choose the Best Sound Quality
The best way for you to choose the sound quality suited to your taste is to go to your local electronics store and ask the representative to let you try on a pair while listening to your favorite style of music. However, if you want feel that your expertise level is not high enough to go at it alone, or you simply don’t have time to get to an electronics store, you can check out Stereophile magazine for their advice on the “Recommended Components List” that they print every year in their April and October issues. This list gives excellent suggestions for the top devices that are of the highest quality in each price range.
Stereophile contributors are experts in the business and are used to testing aspects of the headphones that you have no idea about but that will still guarantee a great listening experience. So if you do nothing else, get advice from the experts in the market – listening to them will take you far in ensuring you’ll love listening to your headset.
What Are My Connectivity Options?
One feature that has become a determining factor in purchasing headphones is their connectivity – what am I able to connect them to? This was definitely not a “problem” of the past because the only problems we had before were deciding between mono and stereo sets. But now, with so many options, we can literally buy some to connect to anything with sound coming from them. Here are just a few:
Stereo – This was the original way to be able to listen to your music aside from having to hear straight from the speakers. Now there are a variety of options that allow you to listen – even if you want to move around the house with a wireless pair.
Computer – Many headphones are able to plug either directly into the sound card in the computer, or into the computer’s additional speakers, making your listening options even more expansive.
Portable Devices – Ever since the Walkman, we have been able to plug a headset into a portable device. Now you can use a variety of different earphones to plug into your portable CD player, MP3 player or iPod.
TV – This option was most shocking to me. There are many headsets that come in a wireless version, and most allow you to connect them directly to your TV set – fabulous! This means, you can watch your favorite movie at full volume without disturbing a soul.
Do I Want a Wireless Headset?
Speaking of wireless, there are many headsets now that come Bluetooth-enabled so that you can have a wireless experience. Most of these wireless headphones are able to connect to everything I mentioned above, including your portable device, computer, stereo or TV. The benefits of going wireless are many; for one, you can move around without worrying about getting tangled in wires; and two, you can move up to 30 ft away without losing a signal. The biggest choice you’ll have to make with these headsets is which one of the many available to you should you choose?
The best way to know what headphones are the best for you is to know who you are. If you like mobility then wireless is good. If you prefer to jog outdoors, intramural might be a good choice. The more you examine your own habits, the better the chance will be that you find the right ones for you. Just make sure you don’t spend a dime until you’re sure that you’ve found the right headphones – why waste time picking the wrong ones when you can wait a little longer for the perfect pair?
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