Earphones, also referred to as 'In-ear headphones', are headphones that fit directly outside or in to the ear canal. The earphones that fit outside the ear canal are known as 'ear buds' and those that fit inside the ear canal are known as 'canal phone' headphones or 'in-ear monitors' (IEM).
The earphones that you use have a huge impact on the sound quality of your portable media player. When you purchase a portable media player the headphones included will not produce very good sound quality and they may not suit your lifestyle. Upgrading the earphones supplied can improve your portable audio player's sound from good to incredible.
Our guide to earphones will help you to find a pair that suits you and that will provide you fantastic sound on the move.
Ear Buds
Ear buds are small bud shaped ear phones that rest loosely directly outside the ear canal. This means that some of the sound will be lost and outside sound can interfere with the sound from your audio player resulting in uncomfortable long term listening.
Ear buds make good, inexpensive replacements for those earphones supplied with your audio player but will, in most cases, not provide any upgrade in performance. Ear buds are generally inexpensive, small and lightweight.
Certain models are designed to securely keep the ear buds in place, a feature useful for people who listen to music while exercising or in poor weather conditions.
Secure ear bud designs can include:
- An additional neckband or headband between the two ear phones
- Clip-on ear buds that use clips to attach around the ear
- An additional lanyard that you wear around your neck. The lanyard attaches to the headphone cable
- Ear buds that feature an additional 'twist and fit' part that can move left and right to fit into top of the ear securely for the best possible fit
Ear Canal Headphones or In-ear Monitors (IEM)
These are small with rubberised ear tips that fit in to the ear canal, sealing your ears, just like an ear plug. This means little sound is lost and most sound from outside is kept out, resulting in the best quality sound and comfortable listening without interference form the outside world.
Ear canal headphones are great for commuting, travelling or anywhere where there is ambient noise. Ear canal headphones are small and lightweight and will cost a bit more than ear buds.
Headphones
Headphones are designed to suit different lifestyles. There are many different styles of earphones on the market designed for differing personal needs.
Headphones are a very personal choice and sound different to different people. That is why we have a range of headphones that you can try out before you buy. If you are looking to replace or simply upgrade, we carry a huge selection of headphones from leading brands and you are sure to find one that is suitable for you.
Headphones come in a number of types, each designed for a particular purpose. Sports headphones are designed for music while out exercising, TV headphones are perfect for listening to audio from your television without disturbing others, wireless headphones let you enjoy music almost anywhere inside you house and DJ and Studio headphones are ideal for use in a club or recording studio.
Sports Headphones
Sports headphones securely fit around your ear via a clip-on design or around the neck using a neckband. They are perfect if you are planning to use your audio player whilst at the gym or while out running. Most sports headphones are also lightweight and durable, sweat and water resistant making them the main choice for audio while outside exercising.
TV Headphones
TV Headphones are headphones specifically designed for use with televisions. They use an extra long cable so you don't have to sit close to the screen. Wireless headphones can also be designed for use specifically with television. TV Headphones contain a volume control allowing you to set the volume without needing to move. The headphones lightweight and ergonomic design makes wearing the headphones comfortable over a long a period of time.
Wireless Headphones
Wireless Headphones let you listen to your music through headphones from anywhere in the room or in some cases anywhere in the house or even in the garden. They're ideal for use with TV and Hi-Fi when you don't want to disturb others.
Wireless headphones use radio frequencies to transmit audio between a transmitter, which connects to your audio device and your headphones. The range varies between models but some claim to offer ranges of 100m+. Models usually will allow you to choose from a number of different radio frequencies in order to get the best sound quality and some will automatically adjust as well to get the best reception.
The headphones are powered by rechargeable battery and usually have long battery life. Certain models charge the headphones when the headphones are attached to the transmitter others use standard alkaline and support rechargeable NiMH batteries.
Bluetooth Headphones
Bluetooth headphones let you listen to audio from devices that support Bluetooth without the need for a headphone cable. Phones, mp3 players and an increasing number of audio devices such as iPod docks support Bluetooth, so Bluetooth headphones can work with a range of devices. Certain headphone models can come with adaptors to fit into an iPod for example or are designed to work in mobile phones.
Bluetooth headphones come with rechargeable batteries that charge via an AC adaptor allowing for hours of playback before needing to recharge. Bluetooth headphones can contain basic playback options or a microphone in some cases.
DJ & Studio Headphones
DJ/Studio Monitoring Headphones are designed to suit the needs of DJs or someone who works in a recording studio.
Audio with vast frequency response, deep bass and precise trebles and that isn't affected by outside sounds thanks to closed design. Audio can output at very loud volumes without being distorted, so you can hear every single sound without outside noise affecting it.
Rotatable ear cups for one-ear listening are perfect for DJs and the headphones lightweight, ergonomic design make them ideal for using over long periods of time.
In terms of cables most headphones come with gold-plated connectors for improved sound quality and reliability. Some are screw-type for a secure way to connect to mixers and a number of headphones offer dully detachable cables so you only need to replace the cable rather than the phones, if the cable is faulty.
Closed Headphones
Headphones will come in open or closed varieties. This refers to whether the back of speaker capsule is enclosed. Closed headphones will have solid plastic covers on the rear of the speaker capsule and padded muffs on the inside that enclose the ear. Open will have grill like covers on the rear of the speaker capsule and may not have the fabric rims.
Closed headphones are ideal for DJ and studio monitoring or in situations where you don't want to disturb others.
Open Headphones
Open headphones will have grill like covers on the rear of the speaker capsule and may not have the fabric rims. Certain people prefer open headphones as they're less enclosed and offer more natural sounding reproduction.
Key Headphone Specifications:
The specification can give an idea of how the headphones will sound but you should take in to consideration that audio is a matter of personal opinion and you can't really judge a pair until you hear them for yourself. Visit one of our stores and you can try a pair of headphones from our range before you buy.
Frequency Response
A specification used in headphones that measures how uniformly it reproduces sound from the lowest frequency (bass sounds) to the highest frequency (treble sounds). Frequency response is measured in Hz (Hertz) - one Hz is one cycle per second. Frequency response is important as it describes the frequencies that the headphones can reproduce and you want the sound to be heard as originally recorded. In general humans' hearing range is from 20 to 20,000 Hz but remember that people vary in hearing range. A wide frequency range means audio will sound fuller and will be a far more accurate reproduction of the original sound.
Impedance
A measure of resistance of the headphones and is measured in Ohms. Higher the impedance, higher the energy required to drive the headphone speaker units. Low impedance means the headphones are more efficient and you get more volume and playing time from them. Just remember that other factors, like power output, of the portable audio player will also affect how loud the headphones can get. For most portable audio players the maximum impedance for the headphones should be 64 ohms. When replacing headphones check the impedance matches the audio device you're using the headphones or earphones with.
THD (Total Harmonic Distortion)
A measure of how accurately the headphone reproduces the waveforms that make up the sound otherwise it will not sound the way it should. Headphones with lower THD will sound better than those with higher THD. Most headphones have a THD lower than 1% and this is not necessarily a meaningful specification you should compare, unless THD is higher than 1%.