Design
In this paragraph, first of all, the method of mount on the ears is specified; according to this parameter, modern
headphones are divided into overhead, earbuds, in-
ear,
glasses and headbands. For on-ear models, the acoustic design (closed, semi-open, open) can also be specified here, as well as the presence of such features as a
full-dimensions (over-ear) design (in the absence of this feature, such headphones are called
“on-ear”, or simply
on-ears), swivel earcups,
auto-adjust headband, or even the mid-2021 trend, Cat Ears. And details such as a
rigid headband, behind-the-
ear mount,
mount on the neck and
the ability to fold can be combined with almost any method of placement on the ears (with a few exceptions - for example, on-ear models are not attached to the neck).
Here is a more detailed description of the different ear placement options:
- Overhead. Overhead headphones are called headphones that are located outside the auricles, covering the ear from the side (“regular” overhead models) or completely (full-sized Over-Ear - see below about them). In any case, such models are quit
...e large in dimensions. This, on the one hand, simplifies the creation of headphones with advanced sound characteristics, and also allows you to apply some specific tricks without much difficulty - for example, several emitters or support for multi-channel surround sound. On the other hand, the dimensions of the "ears" complicate the transportation and use on the go. In addition, it is worth considering that most overhead models have a headband, which is why they are poorly compatible with complex hairstyles and some headdresses. Models with rigid temples and behind-the-ear fasteners do not have this disadvantage, but they also have their own specifics (see below).
On-ear headphones can have different acoustic design:
- Closed. Models with a high degree of sound insulation, protecting the user from extraneous sounds as much as possible. This design contributes to a rich sound (especially in the bass range) as well as a very powerful immersion effect, making it well suited for home use (including computer games) and noisy environments. But it is not recommended to use such “ears” on the street: complete isolation from surrounding sounds in such conditions can be unsafe. In addition, it is believed that a completely closed design slightly degrades the sound fidelity.
- Open. Headphones with a minimum level of sound isolation, allowing most of the external sounds to pass through. They are inferior to closed ones in terms of power and saturation of sound, as well as efficiency in noisy environments; in addition, the sound from such headphones is well audible to others. On the other hand, open models generally provide more authentic sound and are better suited for situations where you need to control your surroundings, such as outdoor applications.
- Semi-open. A kind of compromise between the options described above: headphones with better sound insulation than in open models, but still not up to closed “ears” in this indicator. For some users, this middle option may turn out to be more comfortable. In addition, semi-open headphones are also appreciated in professional work with sound: they retain the richness of the bass and at the same time do not create the distortion typical of a completely closed design.
- With rigid shackle. Rigid headband allows you to securely fix the ear pads on the ears. A close analogue of the rigid headband is the headband of full-dimensions headphones, but in contrast to it, the headband is worn on the back of the head, and not on the top of the head. For this reason, hard temples are made mostly without padding, from bare plastic/metal. Headphones with a rigid headband most often have a sports focus, because the headphones, located on the back of the head, will not fidget on the head even with intense running. On-ear headphones are pressed tightly against the auricles, but the speakers themselves are placed on the outside of the auditory canals.
- Cat Ear ("ears"). On-ear headphones in an interesting design - with an imitation of cat ears on the headband. Such an addition does not affect performance, however, the "ears" look unusual and can be a great addition to the bright, original style of the owner. Cat Ear headphones are especially popular among teenagers.
- Intrachannel. Tiny earphones that, when used, are inserted directly into the ear canals. For ease of wearing, rubber or silicone pads are provided, often several of these pads are included in the kit to adjust to a specific ear dimensions. This design combines compactness and advanced performance: earbuds “ears” are often comparable to overhead ones in terms of sound volume and bass saturation, and the degree of sound insulation is very high (many models can even be used as impromptu earplugs). On the other hand, complete isolation from external sounds can sometimes be a disadvantage - for example, when cycling or walking along a busy street.
- Intracanal with a rigid shackle. In-ear headphones are laid inside the auditory canals, which allows them to be fixed as securely as possible in the ear and not fall off. The presence of a rigid bow further increases the reliability of fixing the headphones. This type of headphone is well suited for sports. The rigid headband and earbuds design of the sound emitters keep the earbuds securely in place even during intense running.
- Inserts. Also known colloquially as "pills". Similar to earbuds headphones, these headphones are small in dimensions and are placed in the auricle - however, not in the depth of the auditory canal, but at its very beginning, almost outside. This makes the earbuds somewhat simpler in design and cheaper, but it is more difficult to achieve rich sound and advanced acoustic characteristics in them. Such models give a rather low sound insulation, but this can be both a disadvantage and an advantage, depending on the situation. And some headphones of this type have an elongated shape, due to which they sit deeper in the ears and, in terms of their capabilities, can approach earbuds models.
Separately, it is worth noting that earbuds models and earbuds do not use headbands - the headphones are either completely separate or connected with a device such as a rigid headband or neck mount. So these headphones can be worn with almost any hairstyle or headdress without any problems.
— Inserts with a rigid headband. The earbuds are simply inserted into the passage of the auditory canal without penetrating deeply into it. This is not the most reliable way to fix the headphones, but due to the presence of a rigid headband, the earbuds gain a firm fit and a secure fit. The headphones themselves have an open sound path design, and therefore reproduce audio with a noticeable distortion of the original sound signal. But at the same time, the open acoustics scheme allows you to clearly hear what is happening in the surrounding space.
As for additional design features, they can be as follows:
- Full-dimensions Over-Ear. On-ear headphones (see above) in which each cup completely covers the ear and fits snugly to the head. The cups themselves in such models are made quite large and are equipped with characteristic soft "borders" around the perimeter of the inner side - these borders are adjacent to the head, so that the auricle is actually inside the cup. The main advantage of this design is that the headphones (with the right dimensions) practically do not touch the user's ears and do not put pressure on them - this is especially comfortable during prolonged use. In addition, it is easier to achieve high-quality sound insulation in Over-Ear models (although among them it is quite possible to find models with semi-open and even completely open acoustic design). The main disadvantage of such devices is bulkiness and inconvenience in transportation and use on the go. In addition, when wearing glasses, the Over-Ear cups usually press on the temples from the sides, which can cause discomfort.
- Auto headband adjustment. A headband that can automatically adjust to the dimensions of the user's head. Such a headband usually consists of two parts - a rigid, usually metal, base, and a soft inner part, which is adjacent directly to the head. It is the inner part that is able to stretch, and the user only needs to place the cups on the ears so that it is comfortable - and the headband itself will increase to the desired dimensions.
- Rigid bow. A shackle made of rigid material that connects both headphones and is located on the back of the head when worn; in some models it can also serve as a neck mount (see below). The advantage of such a device over the classic headband is that the bow can be used with almost any hairstyle and headgear. On the other hand, in earbuds models and earbuds (see above), this feature makes the headphones more bulky, and in over-ear models it makes sense to use it only with conventional models that are not related to full-dimensions Over Ear. Therefore, as well as for a number of other reasons, in our time the bow is not particularly popular.
- Ear mount. Attachment that allows you to fix each earpiece directly on the ear; as a rule, it has the appearance of a characteristic bow. This feature is found in all types of modern "ears", except for Over Ear (see above), and its specific meaning depends primarily on the main way the earpiece is placed on the ear. So, for earbuds models and earbuds, the behind-the-ear mount provides additional reliability of retention: the likelihood that the earpiece will fall out of the ear is reduced to almost zero due to such a retainer. In overhead "ears" this feature is much less common, and its main idea is to do without a headband or a rigid headband - in some cases, these design elements are redundant.
- Attachment to the neck. A feature that is found exclusively in wireless and combined models (see "Connection type") - and only earbuds and earbuds (see above). Both headphones in such models are connected to each other either with a regular wire with a thickened part, or with a special horseshoe-shaped hoop (a separate “ear” is connected to each end of such a hoop with a wire). In any case, when worn, such a wire or hoop is located at the back of the user's neck, which provides additional convenience: headphones removed from the ears (or dropped out) do not fall to the ground, but remain hanging on the mount. And in some models, special magnets are also provided, with which you can “stick” the headphones taken out of your ears to each other, turning the entire structure into a ring - this further reduces the risk of dropping the device.
- Possibility of folding. The earphones can be folded compactly for storage and transport. Note that this feature is indicated only for overhead models (see above) - earbuds headphones and earbuds are quite portable in themselves, there is no need to provide a special folding design for them.
- Swivel bowls. A design feature found in over-ear headphones (see above). Rotary in this case means bowls that, in the working position, can be rotated at a certain angle around the vertical axis. This allows the headphones to further adapt to the dimensions and shape of the user's head - which, in turn, increases comfort, especially when worn for a long time. On the other hand, the swivel mount somewhat complicates the design of the headphones, increases its cost and somewhat reduces reliability.
- Glasses. Headphones in the form factor of glasses. The sound of such models is transmitted either by directional speakers built into the temples, or directly to the inner ear by conduction through the bones of the skull. In addition to music, bone conduction glasses provide audibility of what is happening around.
- Headband. Headbands with built-in earphones. In a similar format, children's's models of headbands with bright prints of cartoon characters and fairy-tale characters are produced, as well as headbands for fans of a sports lifestyle. Headphones in such models are usually made removable, which allows you to wash the headband.Cable length
The length of the cable supplied with the headphones with the appropriate connectivity.
The optimal cable length depends on the planned format of the "ears". So, for pocket gadgets,
1 metre or less is often enough, for a computer it is already desirable to have a wire for
1 – 2 m, and preferably
2 – 3 m. And models with a longer cable length —
3 – 5 m or even
more — are mainly designed for specific tasks, such as connecting to a TV or using in recording studios.
Recall that in some models the cable is removable (see below) and can be replaced if necessary with a longer or shorter one. Also note that there are extension cables that allow you to increase the length of the main wire; such a cable may even be included in the delivery, this point (and the length of the additional cable) is usually specified in the notes.
Detachable cable
Headphones in which the cable is mounted on a detachable mount and can be detached. A standard 3.5 mm mini-Jack usually acts as a mount, sometimes a USB connector, and the wire itself may not even be included in the package.
This feature is popular primarily among combined models, see "Type of connection": when working in wireless mode, the cable can be disconnected so that it does not hang out in vain. But for purely wired headphones, the main convenience is that, if desired, the “native” wire can be replaced with another one that differs in length, type (see above), connection connector, etc. If desired, you can even keep several
detachable cables with different characteristics and change them as needed. In addition, if the detachable wire is damaged, you do not need to buy new headphones or go to the workshop — just buy a new cable.
Among the disadvantages of this option, one can note the risk of losing the wire, as well as a slightly increased likelihood of distortion due to the presence of additional connectors.
Power
Headphone power is expressed in milliwatts (mW) - this figure can vary from a modest figure of 1 mW to an impressive level of 5000 mW. For the vast majority of headphones, power is not a decisive factor. In essence, this is an indicator of how loud the sound can be without the risk of damaging the drivers. At the same time, the parameter is important for some professional studio and audiophile models - in this case, power means the maximum audio signal level that is allowed to be supplied to the headphones from the sound source. If the headphones are used with a device that supplies too strong a signal, they may distort the sound or fail.
Frequency range
The range of sound frequencies that headphones can reproduce.
The
wider this range, the more fully the headphones reproduce the spectrum of sound frequencies, the lower the likelihood that too low or too high frequencies will be inaccessible. However, there are some nuances to consider here. First of all, let us remind you that the perceptual range of the human ear is on average from 16 Hz to 22 kHz, and for the complete picture it is enough for headphones to cover this range. However, modern models can significantly exceed these boundaries: in many devices the lower threshold
does not exceed 15 Hz, or even
10 Hz, and the upper limit can reach
25 kHz,
30 kHz and even
more. Such wide ranges in themselves do not provide practical advantages, but they usually indicate a high class of headphones, and are sometimes given only for advertising purposes.
The second important point is that a wide frequency range in itself is not a guarantee of good sound: sound quality also depends on a number of parameters, primarily the amplitude-frequency response of the headphones.
Frequency range
The range of audio frequencies that the headphone's own microphone can normally "hear".
Theoretically, the wider this range, the more advanced and high-quality the microphone is, the closer the sound transmitted by it is to the real one. In fact, extensive frequency coverage is not always required. So, the working range of the human ear is about 16 – 22,000 Hz, and even then not everyone hears its upper part. And human speech usually covers frequencies from 500 Hz to 2 kHz, at least this range is considered quite sufficient for its transmission. So if you need a microphone for simple tasks like voice communication on the Internet or game chat, you can not pay much attention to the frequency range: even in the most modest models, it is more than sufficient for normal speech transmission.
Microphone mute
The ability to turn off your own headphone microphone using a special button or switch.
This feature is relevant mainly for phone calls, Skype, etc. It is useful in situations where you need to distract from the main conversation and say something that the interlocutor does not need to hear. Disconnecting the microphone is easier and more reliable than covering it with your hand or disconnecting the headphones entirely.
Note that the
ability to turn off the microphone may be provided in the communication programme itself (the same Skype, for example). However, again, using the switch on the headphones is more convenient.
Volume control
The headphones have their own
volume control. Such a regulator can be placed both on the wire and on one of the cups (the latter is typical for wireless models). Anyway, this function allows you to easily adjust the volume: for this you do not need to go into the computer settings, press the buttons on the player or smartphone, etc., just use the control at hand. On the other hand, additional equipment complicates and increases the cost of the design, and also increases the likelihood of distortion. In light of the latter, volume control is almost never found in professional headphones.
Weight
The total weight of the headphones; for true wireless models (see "Cable Type"), the weight of each individual earbud is listed.
This parameter is directly related to the design (see above) and some features of the functionality. Thus, the mentioned true wireless devices are very light, their weight
does not exceed 25 g. More traditional in-ears and in-ears can be noticeably heavier,
up to 50g for in-ears and up
to 100g for most in-ears. Overhead models, for the most part, are quite massive: among them there are many models weighing
200 – 250 g,
250 – 300 g and even
more than 300 g. It should be noted that a significant weight for false ears is often not a disadvantage, but an advantage: it allows them to stay on the head more securely, creates an impression of solidity and reliability, and most often does not create significant inconvenience.