Headphone Buying Guide – How to Identify the Best Headphones

If you’re serious about your music and gaming, then investing in a great pair of headphones can completely change your experience by immersing you in an amazing soundscape. With so many different options out there, it can be difficult to know what to look for when buying headphones. The best thing you can do before you hit the store and make an impulse purchase is to do some research first. How to choose the right headphones? Which type of headphones should you buy? What are the different kinds of headphone technologies? These are all questions you should have answers to before you go headphone shopping. If you’re in the market for a new pair of earbuds or headphones, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about choosing the right pair for your listening needs.

The Ultimate headphone buying guide

1)Types Of Headphone

There are many different types of headphones and it can be hard to find one that’s right for you. While there are certainly differences between them, they all essentially do the same thing: they produce sound through small speakers that sit on your ears or in your ear canal. That said, there are significant differences between them: Earbuds: These types of headphones fit entirely inside your ear. This means they don’t have any over-ear support; however, since they create an air seal in your ear canal, noise cancellation is excellent and audio quality can be superb. In-ear headphones tend to be very portable and typically come with a built-in microphone so you can use them with smartphones and tablets. You also get some impressive isolation from outside noises.

2)Comfort

Before you ever reach into your pocket, you should know what features are most important. Among those features is comfort. With more headphones on the market than ever before, comfort is paramount when making your selection. All headphones should be designed with ample cushioning around each earbud and headband, but make sure it doesn’t feel too tight or loose—it shouldn’t be hard to adjust or put on. A balanced fit provides optimal audio and minimizes sound leakage from outside interference. If you wear glasses, check that there isn’t any pinching behind your ears; earcups should extend out far enough to accommodate eyewear.

3)Noise cancellation

Noise-canceling headphones are designed to actively filter out background noise. We’re not talking about just plugging in some earbuds and cranking up your favorite song (although that’s a solid strategy, too!). With noise-canceling headphones, sound waves from outside are actively being canceled out by pulses of sound created by passive/active circuitry. The main advantage is that you get less sound from the outside and more from what you want. They’re great for office chatter or noisy coffee shops, where having two active speakers in each ear will make it much easier to hear calls and music.

4)Design and style

First and foremost, you want to think about how your headphones will be used. For example, if you’re going to be using them mostly while out and about on your commute or at work (and not in a studio or specific listening environment), you’ll want closed-back headphones that block out surrounding noise. That way, others around you won’t hear what you’re listening to—which is why most in-ear monitors use passive noise isolation rather than active noise cancellation. These days, even top-end over-ear headphones like Sennheiser’s HD 800 S have ample passive insulation from outside sound.

5)Isolation from outside noise

When you’re trying to listen to music or chat with friends on Skype, outside noise is something you want your headphone to keep out. To achieve that kind of isolation, either select in-ear headphones or closed-back over-ear ones. Each has its advantages and disadvantages; in general, in-ears are more comfortable and portable, but they also don’t block as much outside noise. Over-ears provide better sound quality and can be used while wearing eyeglasses (in-ears tend not to fit comfortably), but they do leak more sound than their in-ear counterparts. When choosing gaming headphones with good passive sound isolation, ensure that they’re comfortable and make you feel as if you have a tight seal around your ears. Closed-back models are better at keeping outside noise from getting into your ear, too.

6)Durability

A good gaming headset has to be built from sturdy materials that will take hits and won’t break. You might think that manufacturers would go overboard on durability, but in reality, it doesn’t really make sense as it adds to their weight. And with gaming headsets being so bulky in most cases, additional weight will inevitably affect your comfort when wearing them. On top of that, you don’t want to replace your headphones because they broke on you after just a few months. Look out for reinforced headbands and hinges, especially if they are non-replaceable parts (which is common).

7)Sound quality

As is usually true with sound equipment, headphones can be judged by their sound quality. At times, you’ll see headphones being measured using one of two metrics: THD+N and SINAD. THD+N stands for Total Harmonic Distortion plus Noise, while SINAD refers to Signal-to-Noise Ratio. Neither is particularly intuitive, but you can think of THD+N as representing how accurately and cleanly your headphones reproduce sound (the lower it is, the better). Meanwhile, SINAD represents how loud your headphones can get without distorted sound (the higher it is, generally speaking, better). Whatever method they use to measure their performance should also be included in any product description.

8)Active features (like wireless connectivity, volume control on the headphones themselves etc.)

If you want to use your headphones on more than one device, or if you don’t want to deal with a mess of wires while listening, active features are worth paying attention to. This is particularly true if you’re an Apple user, as most high-end headphones without these features don’t work well with Mac products. If you listen on multiple devices, having wireless headphones that support Bluetooth and 3.5mm audio (or USB) is super helpful so you aren’t relying on one type of connector/cable/jack type. Comfort: Headphones are not always comfortable right out of the box – some can be quite stiff and may require time for them to break in before they start feeling good.

9)Value for money

When buying headphone, it’s easy to get swept up in tech jargon like frequency response and dynamic drivers. And sure, specs are useful if you’re an audiophile and have $500+ of free time on your hands. But if you just want decent sound, at around $50-$100 it’s hard to go wrong with any high-quality pair of cans. Sennheiser and Audio Technica both make very good pairs in that price range. Or If you’re looking for more bang-for-your-buck (and let’s face it – who isn’t?), search out deals from big-box retailers like Amazon or Best Buy. These can be great places to find solid deals on popular brands—or pick up some lesser-known names for cheap.

Final Thoughts

The headphone is one of the most important accessories in our lives, whether we use them for watching movies, doing work, taking phone calls, or simply listening to music. It’s safe to say that every person has had any experience with headphones at least once. Whether it was your first pair of earbuds or a new pair of high-end headphones, you always wished you knew more about them. In order to make your next headphone purchase easy and effective, keep reading! We’ll tell you everything you need to know on how to buy headphones and which ones are right for you.

Decent sound performance and comfortable headphones with good sound quality and comfortable earpads can be considered essential for your enjoyment.