What to know before buying a pair of headphones: Useful tips

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There are many things to remember when buying a pair of headphones. You will have to answer many questions before going into the choice. First of all: what will you need them for? To listen to music on the way to work or school? For gaming? To connect them to the TV? At the PC? To play sports?

And then: what shape do you want to buy? Better an in-era headset or a traditional headset? Wired or wireless? How much do you want to spend? We will see in this guide the different features of the headphones to consider for purchase without regrets.

Infrared headphones

If you have chosen wireless headphones, you will also need to choose the type of connection (infrared, radio frequency, Bluetooth). Infrared (IR) wireless headphones are now rare on the market, being the least sought after among the three wireless connections (infrared, radio frequency, and Bluetooth). Their main drawback is that they don’t leave much range of motion.

To make you understand better, we can tell you that the technology is the same used by the TV remote controls: also, it is necessary that the transmitter and the headphones are facing each other and that the distance does not go beyond about 10 meters.

These are some standard rules for a good functioning of the IR headphones, usually taken into consideration for the low commercial cost. They can be good for anyone who wants to position themselves in front of the TV and watch a movie.

Radio frequency headphones

Radio frequency (RF) technology is the most widely used. Its main advantage is that it allows a wide range of action, and the signal is not interrupted by obstacles between the transmitter and receiver. Some models can work up to 100 meters away; the signal still arrives even if there are walls in between.

Headphones of this type can be both an excellent solution for both watching TV and listening to music, even from a distance. The high-end products, in addition to the comfort and resistance of the materials, allow you to have high-quality audio for listening to music or watching movies.

Bluetooth headphones

Bluetooth (BT) technology is the most versatile because it does not require a fixed transmitter base, unlike other technologies. Bluetooth headphones are the ones to be paired with smartphones, tablets, and similar devices to take even outside the home. They are therefore ideal for those who use headphones to go to the gym, jogging, or for moving around the city. However, they can also be used at home to watch a movie on TV.

Be aware, that the range of the signal almost never goes beyond 10 meters. Your smartphone, TV, or PC must have a Bluetooth connection to use them. This is a very useful and most used technology.

The frequency response

To choose your headphones, you must evaluate the frequency response (sometimes called bandwidth). It is measured in Hertz (Hz) and indicates the frequency range covered by the headphones. This concept must be accompanied by a gap, which indicates the distance from the fidelity of the sound. Hence, the good quality headphones have a wide frequency and a low gap. To get more concrete, you need to know that the human ear can hear frequencies ranging from 18 Hz up to 22,000 Hz.

So you need to pay attention to the frequency: above 23,000 Hz we speak of ultrasound, while below 20,000 Hz we have infrasound, and both of these two limits are not audible to the human ear.

The sensibility

Headphone sensitivity is another feature you will need to check. Identifies the volume measure the headphones are capable of reproducing. Technically it is indicated taking into consideration the applied voltage, and the sensitivity value is expressed in decibels (dB).

Without prejudice to the fact that listening at excessive volume can be harmful, there are indicative data that manages to establish a threshold value between a good level headphone and one of a lower level. It is usual to indicate the limit with the value of 85 dB.

A pressure level of 98-100 dB is already a good figure that could serve as a reference: if it is above, it is better, if it is below, you will probably need a headphone amplifier. Not much changes between 98 and 100 decibels, while if you have a sensitivity of 90 dB, the reasoning is different, and the difference is more evident. The maximum value for a pair of headphones is 120 dB, but these are rare cases and extreme values, considering that the pain threshold is set at 130 dB.

Impedance

Finally, the impedance is among the technical data (beyond the frequency response and sensitivity). It is evaluated in volts/amperes (ohms) and expresses the degree of resistance the sound encounters before coming out of the headphones.

A high impedance means quality and can range from 6 ohms up to 600 ohms, and its value depends a lot on the amplifier it is connected to since a high impedance reduces the volume of the sound. Pay attention to this detail that can be useful for choosing the best headphones for the device with which you intend to use them.

Basically: an optimal impedance level of the headphones is the one that is as similar as possible to that of the device from which the sound starts.

In-ear headphones

Another choice you will have to make before proceeding with the purchase is regarding the shape. The in-ear headphones, as you can also understand from the name, are characterized by the fact that the two earphones must be inserted inside the ear.

They are very light and small and can offer excellent sound quality, as they can cancel out external noise. They are wrapped in two rubber pads, which can be of different sizes (small, medium, large) and are made of silicone or memory foam.

On-ear headphones

Unlike in-ear headphones, on-ear headphones include all those headphones that rest on the ears. They are characterized by two large pavilions held together by an arch. There are several models, and they don’t weigh much.

They can be used at home or on the go and have an affordable cost, depending on the model. Compared to in-ear headphones, they are not the ideal choice for those looking to isolate themselves from external sounds.

Over-ear headphones

These headphones are very similar to the on-ear ones, with the difference that the two pavilions completely envelop the ears instead of resting. For this reason, they are especially suitable for excellent audio quality. They also have the advantage of ensuring a good reduction of external noise.

Compared to the other models, they are heavier and therefore are not suitable for outdoor use, also due to their appearance, which is decidedly bulky. Furthermore, they are expensive, and connecting them to an amplifier is preferable to exploit their full potential.

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