Headphones or earphones are basically of four types viz. over-ear, on-ear, in-ear and earbuds.
Which type of headphone is best for you depends on your
preferences, listening habits, environments, and conditions as each type of
headphones has its advantages and disadvantages. Here we will try to understand
the basic differences between on-ear, in-ear, over-ear and earbuds.
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| Types of headphones-earphone-earbud |
What are the types of earphone or headphone? Which one is better?
Comfort and sound quality vary from headphone to headphone and are dependent on inbuilt quality, compact design, portability, driver size, impedance, frequency response, noise cancellation, and sensitivity. When it comes to built-in quality, performance and customer services, read the customer’s review when you want to buy your shortlisted earbuds / headphones / earphones.
Over-ear headphones
Over-ear headphones usually have a large diameter speaker/driver with large earmuffs and
thick headbands that fully cover the ears. They usually block out a decent
amount of ambient noise although they leak some sound and the people around you
can also hear your music and make them annoy.
If you are looking
for the best sound quality with bass boost, more comfortable to wear for a long
time, and you don't care about the larger size of the headphones, then over-ear
headphones are for you. DJs or people who love electronic dance music (EDM)
always prefer this type of headphones.
On-ear headphones
On-ear headphones are generally more compact and lighter than over-ear headphones because
they have smaller earmuffs/ ear cup that fit on the ears. Since the diameter of
the driver is smaller than that of over-ear headphones, they have slightly less
bass. They are well designed with a comfortable headband to block out outside
noise, but they still leak some sound and the people around you can hear your
music if you listen loudly.
While buying on-ear headphones, make sure that the ear part of the headphones covers at
least 95% of your ears so that you can wear them comfortably for long periods
of time. If you want headphones with a compact and comfortable design, on-ear
headphones are perfect for you. Look for headphones with adjustable headbands,
as these headphones can put some pressure on your ears to stay on your head.
In-ear headphones
The in-ear
headphones are ultra-portable with silicone tips and inserted into the
ear canals. It can be uncomfortable if the headset is not suitable for you and
it may come off. Some studies have found that continuous use of in-ear
headphones for a long time can promote the growth of microbial activity within
the ear and can lead to infections.
Office peoples like
it for its ultra-portable design and easy portability. Due to their noise
reduction design, they can block out a substantial amount of ambient noise and
not leak much sound.
Earbuds
Earbuds are designed very compactly, and its ultra-portable headset sit on the
edge of the ear canal. People who like earphones with an ultra-portable design
with less pressure on the ears, the earbuds are ideal for them. Earbuds are
very compact and available in small box-style chargers that are easy to carry
in a purse or pocket. They do not leak much sound and will not disturb the
people around you.
Summary
Types of headphones or earphones i.e. over-ear, On-ear, in-ear or earbuds can be
considered based on your preferences, listening habits, environments, and
conditions, because each type of headphones has its advantages and
disadvantages. You can compare them based on your comfort, portability, driver
size, impedance, frequency response, noise cancellation, and sensitivity. When
it comes to built-in quality, performance and customer service, read the
customer’s review when you buy your shortlisted earbuds
/ headphones / earphones.
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