Everyone have some experience with music. We usually listen to the music in our houses using cd/mp3 player or computer as source and big speakers in output. Usually, but not always. If we want to go outside, we must buy a pair of portable ear/headphones. I wrote quick review of some types of them.
Tiny, cheap, easy-use – that words describe open earphones so-called “buds”. They're very popular just because they're very portable and low-cost. Sound and isolation are not very good, but price, comfort and portability is like no other.
Next earphones is a big step forward. They're earphones, that fit into ear canal (in package you get several pairs of ear tips in different sizes) and block noise quite well. In “canal” earphones you don't need to play music loudly, because you are listening only your music, not noise around you. They're sound very well and price is not too big.
In Ear Monitors (IEM) – these are the best earphones for professional musicians, or people, who need to listen in most perfect quality. They have armature drivers, that assure great sound stage, instruments separation and audiophile sound.
Custom molded earphones are also IEM, but only one person can use them. You must make a custom molds of your ears to make that, but sound isolation is awesome. Professional on-stage musicians are wearing “customs” (or people, who have hefty wallet ;)).
Okay, that's all about buds, iems etc.. Now it's time for small review of greater brothers of earbuds - portable headphones.
Headphones have bigger dynamic drivers. There are earbuds for 200$ and headphones for 5$, but mostly, over-the-ear or ear-padded headphones are just better than smaller earphones. It's a lot to discuss about sound of them, but I like to write something about two primary types of portable headphones.
First - it's closed headphones. They're mainly constructed for blocking noise around us. These headphones are not always comfortable just because of their build (they're bigger and heavier than open headphones), but the way of playing low frequency ("bass") is quite awesome. They are perfect for walk on the streets or to train or bus.
Second - it's open headphones. In audiophiles opinion, they're much better than closed headphones. They have less effective noise isolation than in-ear or full-size models and less powerful bass, but they are more comfortable, sound is more balanced, dulcet.
So, if you want to go outside and listen to the music, leave your big headphones at home and get some more comfortable and portable alternative.
What is your opinion about that? What are Your experiences with ear/headphones?
Nice article :)
ReplyDeleteI personally leave my music at home, that is, I don't listen to music "on the go".
That of course doesn't mean that I don't use headphones at all. I own a pair of closed ones: Sennheiser HD-280 Pro, which I recommend to anyone who's interested in buying such a type of "big" headphones. I'm planning to buy someday one of the open Sennheiser models too, the HD-555 if I recall correctly.
If you want to have very good (and not too expensive) headphones, which can be both used outside or indoors, I can recommend the Koss Porta Pro.
I've read somewhere that those ear canal headphones aren't very healthy for your ears. Then again, which headphones can't damage their user's hearing senses? :)
Nice review, but be careful using headphones especially on your bike commute !!! Situational awareness is a little more important than audiophile bliss , you could very easy get hit by a car if you're not careful !!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Wojtek, I also heared that earphones aren't very healthy for your ears.
I've been using, the so called "buds", but they were really fragile and it was easy to damage them. Currently I am not listening music outdoors, because I belive (like Wojtek and Marta) that it is very unhealthy for your ears.
ReplyDeleteAll typical earbuds for 5 zlotys will be "fragile" :)
ReplyDeleteAs Marta said, one has to watch out while having your headphones on outdoors.
I think that it doesn't matter if you use headphones indoors or outdoors. The important thing is how loud do you set them :) So indoor listening can be just as unhealthy for our ears.
The problem with outdoor listening is that usually people want to "block-out" all the background noise with their earbuds or light open headphones (typical for portable use). How do they achieve that? Simple, they just set the volume pretty high and start annoying people standing next to them ;)
I just hate "canal" earphones, they tend to "pop out" and my ears hurt after a short time.
ReplyDeleteI have similar experience as Adam, but only with the cheaper "canal" earphones. I have piercings that makes it even more difficult to fit them well, but higher models fit better.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I think it's useless to buy audiophile earphones or headphones if you're going to use them outdoor and/or with mp3 player. You'll spend a lot of money but you won't notice the difference between the very good and just good ones.
Now I use simple Sony Ericsson earphones which works with my SE mobile. Their quality is poor, but it suits the quality of the player.
When I had a MiniDisc player I was using Sennheiser PX200 - good quality, good sounds attenuation, good price and portability :)
I don't like these little "buds". They flatten the sound.
ReplyDeleteI like listen my favorite music from CDs (not MP3) on my big, closed headphones. I don't listen music outdoor.
I think that headphones made our lives more comfortable. Listening music while running in public places do not affect on other people. Headphone sets are helping drivers talking on the phone while driving. It makes driving a car more safer. Listening music at home by headphones prevent us from disturbing our family members roommates etc...
ReplyDeleteHeadphones are very useful. When I’m sitting in front of my pc in the evening (just like now) and want to listen to the loud music I can do it without annoying my neighbors. It’s the best I can do at the moment. In the future I plan to create a special room with perfectly located high quality speakers and a leather couch placed in the best listening point. Of course if it will be in the flat I would think about sound absorbing walls. Rock on! ;)
ReplyDeleteI have 2 pairs of headphones:
ReplyDelete1) winter pair: Bose® on-ear
2) summer pair: Bose® in-ear
Quality of sound is very important for me that's why I decided to buy such good headphones.
I also use headphones because I don't want annoy my neighbours but also because in my opinion it's sounds better than speakers.
ReplyDeleteFor me the best choice is in-ear headphones. It is very comfortable and you listen only music not your colleges conversation at office.
ReplyDeleteYou should said that to my neighbors, or maybe you cannot listen to RM with headphones? maybe you must spread it? so yeas, i don't use headphones in flat, I don't care about my neighbors neither do they:P
ReplyDeleteOnce I had an opportunity to listen to tube amplifier with open sennheiser hd600 headphones, that was amazing. When you’re used to listen to headphones you can experience much better sound quality than from traditional hi-fi systems for much less money.
ReplyDeleteSennheiser headphones presents extraordinary quality of a sound, but it goes hand in hand with price. Unfortunately you need to pay a lot of many for that kind of pleasure.
ReplyDelete