Headphones

Everything you need to know.

When talking about headphones, you'll probably compare them to a pair of portable speakers placed directly on your ears, and you'd be right. Each headphone is essentially a scaled-down speaker, designed to fit on your ear. Depending on your needs and requirements, as well as the intended use, there are various types of headphones available on the market.

Types of Headphones

Earbuds

This type of headphone is intended for use with portable devices. They typically have relatively low sound quality but are lightweight and fit in the outer part of the ear canal, often covered with foam to ensure a secure fit when you're on the go.

In-ear headphones

Fit inside the ear, offering excellent noise isolation and portability. They are ideal for everyday use, sports activities, and travel, thanks to their small size and the comfort they provide. Despite their small size, many in-ear headphones deliver excellent sound quality.

Bluetooth headphones

Offer wireless connectivity, ideal for comfortable use without cables. They are popular for everyday music listening, calls, and sports activities. Although they don't have the accuracy of professional studio headphones, Bluetooth technology has significantly improved sound quality.

Noise-canceling headphones

Noise-canceling headphones reduce or eliminate external noise through active noise cancellation, providing clear listening in noisy environments such as airplanes or offices. They are also comfortable for extended use, making them ideal for a high-quality and immersive audio experience.

Open-back headphones

These headphones have an open back, allowing you to hear ambient sounds comfortably. When listening to music at a relatively high volume with these headphones, the sound is slightly audible to those around you, though at a lower, non-intrusive volume.

Closed-back headphones

These headphones have a closed back made of some polymer, wood, or other material, so the sound they produce is almost completely sealed off and not audible to others. Both open-back and closed-back headphones have special cushions that sit comfortably on the outer ear or surround the entire ear, resting against the skull.

Gaming headphones

Gaming headphones offer immersive sound with a focus on clarity and precision, featuring a microphone for communication and technologies like surround sound for better spatial awareness. They are also ergonomically designed for comfortable use during long sessions.

Proper use, safety, and comfort

Unlike any speakers, headphones create sound pressure towards your ears from a very -VERY- short distance, and as such, they can damage your hearing if not used properly.

Weight is another very important factor. Many open-back and closed-back headphones may feel heavy on your head, as they often contain large magnets. It's helpful not to dismiss them because of their weight, as you can get used to such a pair of headphones after a relatively short period of use.

Nevertheless, if you are looking for headphones with truly high sound quality, these will obviously be either open-back or closed-back. However, you should pay special attention to the ear pads. They should be made from soft and durable materials so that they fit your ears with great comfort, without causing any discomfort.

Connection

All portable headphones come with a cable terminated in a 1/8” three-contact jack plug, so they can be connected to the corresponding socket of various portable devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and laptops. Commonly, conventional closed-back or open-back headphones come with a ¼” three-pole jack plug, so they can be connected to the appropriate device, such as an amplifier, a DAC, an analog or digital recorder, or a mixing console.

Apart from wired options, you will also find wireless headphones on the market, designed to meet specific needs, such as silent TV use and freedom of movement.

If you intend to use your headphones for listening to music from your home hi-fi system, one of its devices should obviously have the appropriate socket. Although the headphone output is generally neglected by many manufacturers nowadays, there are still many amplifiers with a headphone output on the front panel, especially integrated amplifiers.

An integrated amplifier drives the headphones from the speaker output, naturally using a circuit that lowers the output voltage and in such a way that when you connect the headphones to their socket, the speakers are cut off. If your hi-fi system does not have a headphone output, you will need to purchase a headphone amplifier, which can be connected to the recording output of your amplifier.

Headphone amplifiers

A headphone amplifier is a specialized device designed to drive one or more pairs of headphones. In its simplest form, a headphone amplifier includes a line-level input in the form of RCA jacks, a headphone output in a ¼” TRS jack, and its own volume control. Most headphone amplifiers connect to the power supply via a detachable cable, but there are a few battery-powered amplifiers that only require connection to the mains during charging.

Since a headphone amplifier is essentially a complete amplifier, some models feature more than one input, along with a corresponding selector on the front panel, and they may also have more than one output, which can drive multiple headphones simultaneously. For example, you can connect your mobile phone to one input, select it, and listen to music through your headphones while keeping the rest of the system turned off.

In addition to or instead of the widely used RCA jacks, a professional headphone amplifier may feature XLR inputs or other specialized connectors, offering much greater capabilities and flexibility. Additionally, a headphone mixer allows for individual volume control for each pair of headphones it drives.

Choosing headphones

First of all, consider the intended use for your headphones. If you plan to use them outside, on the go, they should be in-ear or "earbud" type. On the other hand, if you're looking for headphones for home use, semi-professional, or professional use, you should opt for a conventional model, either open-back or closed-back. Keep in mind that closed-back headphones allow you to listen to music at high volumes without disturbing others, even if someone is sleeping right next to you. Additionally, in certain situations, closed-back headphones are essential for vocal recording, as they prevent sound leakage.

Frequency response expresses the range of the audio spectrum in which the headphones can perform accurately. However, a frequency response specification of 25 - 20000Hz doesn't have much meaning, as it doesn't indicate how the sound level fluctuates within this range. A serious manufacturer will specify frequency response like 40 - 16000Hz ± 3dB, which means that the sound level in this range does not vary more than 3dB above or below the "average," ensuring that no frequencies are overly emphasized or diminished, resulting in a consistent and reliable listening experience.

Distortion, particularly harmonic distortion, is a very important criterion that indicates how clean and natural the headphone's sound is. While models that come with distortion specifications are a minority in the market, it is definitely worth choosing one, especially if you're looking for headphones with truly high sound quality for home or studio use. In any case, a maximum harmonic distortion specification of around 2-3% indicates a well-designed product.

The nominal impedance, often simply referred to as "resistance," is a fundamental characteristic of any headphone, as it determines its usability. Portable headphones are designed to have low resistance, around 25 - 28Ω, so they can be easily driven by portable devices, which operate on low voltage power. Most portable devices drive headphones with an operational amplifier, providing very low output voltage, around 1 – 2V.

Conventional headphones, whether open-back or closed-back, are rated with higher resistance and thus require a stronger amplifier with higher power voltage. However, impedance is not a sound quality criterion, as there are many models with excellent sound quality and impedance that ranges from 32 to 600Ω depending on the case.

In conclusion

When purchasing headphones, first determine the intended use. If you're looking for portable headphones, consider some in-ear models and choose based on sound quality, build quality, and your budget.

If you're buying headphones for home or studio use, opt for an open-back or closed-back model, which should have soft, comfortable, and high-quality ear cushions, as wide a frequency response as possible with minimal variation, and low distortion, all relative to the price.

If you need help choosing the right pair of headphones and pairing them with preamps, amplifiers, etc., one of our expert advisors can discuss with you and provide guidance. They are knowledgeable, friendly, and love music as much as you do.