Friday, November 26, 2010

Buying Guide - Headphones Types

By Max Gelman


Many people have problems when t comes to shopping for a good pair of headphones. Do they buy wireless, closed, circumaural, earbud style? And what about sound quality? These are all questions which are asked all the time but not easily answered.

Well first I'll outline the big, normal style headphones. If you're a serious music listener or movie buff then I would recommend an open style headphones like the Sennheiser HD595 headphones. These have amazing sound quality but at the expense of isolation unfortunately. If you have a loved one or child that must not be disturbed then closed would be a better option though. However, the bass level is usually a lot higher with these and not as accurate either. It's what people refer to as hyped bass.

Another exceptionally popular style is the earbud headphones. These are great for work, the train, your iPod, iPhone etc. Any pair by Shure is generally quite good but if you're looking for quality, then Klipsch is the best. They do take a while to get used to since they sit quite deep in your ear but other than that they are just great.

Surround headphones are really popular with gamers and movie-philes. While they don't provide an experience on par with a good cinema, they are still excellent none the less. This is also a great alternative to a traditional surround system if you have neighbor issues or live with someone that needs to study. The surround sound on headphones can be very convincing however not all are created equal so be sure to test a few.

Wireless headphones: These are great for active people who like to listen to music while they work out, run, do sports, climb mountains or whatever they like. The lack of wires makes it a very liberating experience.

DJ headphones are a special breed. These are designed for only a few things. To not let sound in or out, to last a long time and to have good bass. However, sound quality on these is never high on the list of priorities so if that's your thing, look elsewhere.

For people who need silence: Noise cancelling headphones are the answer. These use sophisticated noise reduction technology developed in jets to erase al the external noise and only let the music be heard. While this technology is amazing and very effective, be warned that some models can affect sound quality quite a bit so some demo sessions will definitely be in order. If you are a commuter, train driver, factory worker or machine operator then these are what you need.

This is pretty much everything you need to shop for your new headphones with confidence. Get out there, get listening and good luck.




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