Sounds Like Fun
For you whippersnapper readers amongst us, we in-fact remember a time when there was no such thing as in-ear headphones. At least, not the kind designed to produce sound, though we had plenty of the bright orange variety that kept it out. You see, headphones were once a lot more like miniaturized editions of speakers, speakers you could hang off your ears while sitting in your study spinning an LP. However, as time has moved on, and technology has improved, an even smaller edition of headphones has emerged—fueled in large part by the immense buying power of the iPod-enabled market. Our gripes aside, earphones (or earbuds, as they’re commonly called) are truly brilliant pieces of technology, and deserve the in-depth look we’re prepared to give them here. If you’ve never looked twice at the meek little in-ear headphones that came with your latest iPhone, go ahead and skip on down below the break. We’ll be hammering out a few of the distinctions between various styles of earphone, as well as what each variety means for you, as a consumer. Starting with:
Why the Heck to Earbuds Matter?
First and foremost, you may be asking why in the heck you should even care about earbuds. As we’ve already pointed out, people got along fine without them for quite a long time. So what changed? To answer simply, technology itself changed. Gone are the days when lounging in a private room with an LP collection is considered chic. In fact, they’ve been dead quite a while—Or at least that’s what we’ve been told. Instead, they’ve been replaced by an age where every piece of electronics has been miniaturized, and brought down to pocket size. Most people take their music with them, using either an iPod or smartphone to port their favorite tracks around. As such, earbuds have increased in importance over the years, matching the strides mobile electronics has made. As iPhone’s and iPods have become ubiquitous, so have a more portable variety of headphone. Earbuds are easier on the commute, easier to store once out of it, and typically cheaper on the front-end. All in all, they’re the perfect compliment to the modern lifestyle. But, so far we’ve only discussed the theory of the earbud. What in the heck actually is an earbud style headphone? We hear your please, so let’s dive into the meat and potatoes of the matter before you have an hernia.
The Dread Clip-On: There’s no secret around here that we (sorta kinda) hate clip-on headphones. We haven’t got a particular reason, aside from the shoddy design and often cheap nature of the beast, but no guide to earphone headphones would be complete without them. This strand of design are nearly indistinguishable, thanks to a few defining factors. Firstly, they’re often round as the moon, and feature a large, plastic clip that slips over the top of the ear: Hence the “clip-on” part of the name. This creates a more secure fit for the headphones, but it also tends to make them bloody uncomfortable for long periods of time. However, they’ve still got a significant leg-up over standard earbuds at the gym, though the speakers are hardly ever guaranteed to add-up to quality sound performance.
Strike A Pose
Standard Earbuds: These we have a feeling you’re more familiar with. Any of the stock headphones that ship with common electronics, like iPods, Creatives, Zunes, etc. typically come with a pair of earbuds. These are the sort of headphones in an ultra-minimalist package, often shaped like an upside down music note. The large, circular end of the earcap is designed to fit just inside the outer ear. The distended look of the headphones is aimed at keeping the earbuds inside your ear, though this can often make them quite uncomfortable over extended periods of time. Typically, headphone manufacturers offset this by including a fair amount of rubber or foam padding. If you haven’t guessed by now, most earbuds are fairly cheap, clocking in at usually no more than $50. That being said, we have seen a few freak models emerge over the years, allowing financially-endowed consumers to spend as much as they’d like on these bad boys.
Canalphones: No, we aren’t talking about mobile phones on boats in Venice—Come on, that was clever and you know it! Instead, we’re talking about the earbud taken to the next level. If you’re looking for seriously good construction and sound quality, there’s really no other way to obtain it with an earphone model. Canalphones take the same basic shape of an earbud, but refuse to leave the speakers resting in your outer ear. Instead, they come loaded with a soft tip that is pushed directly into the ear canal. This puts the sound waves much closer to your ear drum, and typically (pretty much always, actually) produces a much better sound than you’re likely to find with any pair of earbuds. Additionally, the seal is infinitely superior, providing what we call noise-isolation. This means the headphones naturally seal off your ear from ambient noise, producing a quieter atmosphere in which you can listen to your tunes. However, some users do have problems obtaining a proper seal with canalphones. If you have oddly shaped ears, or needs that go beyond the ordinary, these headphones may not be the best for you.
Over-the-Ear Headphones: Lastly, we have the over-the-ear. This is a sort of compromise between the lightweight nature of the earbud and the security of the clip-on. These earphones feature an earcap that’s nearly indistinguishable from an earbud, in addition to a large plastic piece that wraps around the back of the ear. The idea here is to keep the headphones in place during heavy use, providing a more pleasant listening experience, as well as an higher degree of musical reproduction. Sadly, we don’t see as many of these headphones as we might like on the high-end range, and speaker sets are usually lacking.
