Know About Top 13 Types of Headphones to Buy
Without music, life would be a mistake”. The poetic phrase attributed to the philosopher Nietzsche is part of the life of many people. You can be the type to listen to music from waking up when lying in bed, just on the way to work, taking walks, to relax or not looking to listen to music, but better listening to your friends on a call, a game, etc. Regardless of your goal, we all agree: hearing a sound in a bad box is uncomfortable. That’s why we made this article. Do you know how to choose a headset?
Types of Headphones:
1. Earbuds:
They are usually the most common and cheapest. Small, light and portable. They are often not very ergonomic and, due to their shape, let the sound leak. This can annoy your ear and also make you turn up the volume unnoticed. They are good for people who need practicality and want to listen to music while walking or running.
2. In-ear (in-ear)
In-ear headphones are those made of silicone rubber that fit into the ear canal. They provide much better isolation than earbuds, but can be uncomfortable for some users. Its superior isolation can be very good to enjoy your music better, but it can be harmful when walking on the street, as you hardly hear cars and people. They are also light, small and portable.
3. On-ear (on-ear)
Also known as over-ear, this type of phone is above the ear. Emphasizing: above the ear, therefore, it does not cover the ear. It has varied designs to please all tastes, in addition to not having contact with the user’s ear canal. They are less portable, but if you don’t mind carrying the phone around your neck, then that’s fine.
4. Circumaural (ear cover)
Remember our caveat in the previous topic? Well, the circumaural involves the whole ear. Its isolation is exceptional and it generally values superior sound quality, making it possible to have a detail of both bass and treble. However, they are not so portable and can make your ears very hot. They are widely used in games and audiovisual production.
5. Connector (plug):
The connector itself does not directly influence the quality of the music, but the “transport” of information. The best quality plug is the gold-plated stainless steel plug. As gold conducts electricity very well, your music will “pass” from the device to the speaker with greater perfection, in addition to avoiding noise.
6. Cable:
The cable, like the plug, does not directly influence the sound quality either. What you should pay attention to is the cable’s quality so as not to damage your phone. Thick cables tend to be more resistant and flat ones do not make as many knots.
7. Wireless:
If you don’t want to worry about us, a wireless headset can be the solution. Those with infrared technology have a long range (7 meters), but do not work with physical barriers between the handset and the base unit. Those with Bluetooth have a smaller radius, but the user can move around at will. There is also the option of devices with radio frequency, which use an FM frequency to avoid interference with other devices.
8. The sound:
Analyzing the sound and the capacity of a headset is important regardless of the objective, be it to increase your spirits at the gym, enjoy detailed music or listen to your enemies before they attack you.
9. Diaphragm or driver:
Many say it is the part that most interferes with the quality of the phone. In fact, it may be, but it is not the only one. The diaphragm is the speaker phone. The most common is the dynamic diaphragm, which is cheaper and has a good range (we’ll talk about it, calm down). It moves back and forth, creating sound waves. Because of this movement, it can have a more linear sound.
There are also electrostatic diaphragms. They are made based on a lot of technology. They are made of a very thin film between two electrodes. Thus, they can reproduce very high frequencies to very low ones, apart from the clean sound and do not distort the sound.
10. Sensitivity – very important!
Sensitivity is basically the volume the phone can reach. In reality, the sensitivity number is a little complex for those who hate physics, but it never hurts to try to understand. In theory, the sensitivity number means the sensitivity of an equipment to an impulse. The scale is in dB SPL / mW (sound pressure level decibels per milliwatt). It works like this: for every milliwatt of power of an amplifier, the phone will give you a certain amount of dB SPL. This amount, dB SPL, depicts the degree of power of a sound wave. Facilitating the strength of that sound – the volume of it.
11. Impedance – very important²!
Impedance is the resistance of an impulse and its transmission. This resistance is the diaphragm of the phone, acting as a resistor. In headphones, this measurement is usually between 32 to 600 ohms. The impedance varies with frequency, so the number the manufacturer gives is an average. It is a measure used to protect the phone and also to prevent the vibration of electric energy from interfering with the music. If you want a headset to listen on your cell phone without much concern, you don’t have to worry about it. The minimum required is 25 ohms and the sensational is 64 ohms.
12. Frequency response:
This is a characteristic that many take as fundamental, but in fact it is not quite like that. The frequency response is the amplitude of the sound frequencies that the phone reaches. The human ear can hear, in theory (we hear a smaller amplitude with age, etc.), between 20Hz (more severe) and 20,000Hz (more acute). Some headphones have a wider range targeting the audience that wants to pay more attention to music or the like, but this is very debatable.
13. Wattage:
It is worth noting the maximum power, which is the maximum effort that the diaphragm can make without bursting. Therefore, if you like to enjoy a sound until your eardrums burst, it is better to opt for a high power.
TIPS:
Ok, you already know how to analyze the characteristics of a headset, but want something more practical? Here are some tips!
Test favorite music:
Test that song you know in your head. Are you missing any details you like? Next phone. for TV Headphone
Test classical or jazz music:
These two musical genres generally have a range of instruments that achieve different frequency responses. Generally brands like Audio Technica have balanced bass, treble and midrange, good for you who enjoy classical music, for example.
Testing rock or electronic music:
If you like strong bass, you can listen to rock or electronic music to test your phone. If you are looking for gaming headsets, testing this type of music can be very good as well.
Test the Amplitude:
When buying your phone, go to this link and test all the frequencies there. Serious. If a headset does not play one, you must skip to the next.