There are so many unlike brands, styles and prices of headphone that information technology can be very difficult to detect a pair that is right for you.

You might be not be sold on the trend for glory-endorsed headphones, but browsing the spec sheet doesn't make things whatsoever easier. Headphone specs are circuitous, and very technical, and sometimes don't even have any meaningful effect on audio quality.

In this guide we'll cut through the jargon and prove you what the key headphone specifications actually mean, and why—or if—they affair.

1. In-ear

airpods true wireless earbuds

In-ear (canal) headphones, likewise known in-ear monitors or earbuds, sit directly inside the ear canal. They accept two main technical benefits: they sit closer to the ear pulsate, then can deliver excellent audio quality, and they also fill up the entrance to the ear, so are effective at sealing out external noise.

In-ear headphones come with a selection of different sized tips then y'all tin can find one that fits your ear canal. Getting the right fit is essential for attaining best performance; using a incorrect-sized tip will affect audio isolation and the earphones will be prone to falling out.

In-ear headphones are extremely portable, and then are most convenient for use on the go, or at the gym. Their smaller size, however, means they cannot compare in all-circular operation to a larger set.

They come in both wired and wireless forms. The latter are also known as true wireless earbuds, and at that place are a number of features to look out for when buying them. Apple'southward AirPods are of form the near famous example.

2. On-ear

on ear headphones

On-ear headphones, as well called supra-audible headphones, rest on tiptop of the ear. Similar in-ear headphones, they direct sound straight downwardly the ear canal, but don't seal out external noises, and may besides leak dissonance to those sat nearby.

Many find them more than comfortable than earbuds, and they are less probable to trap heat on your ears than over-ear headphones are. "Clamping" can be an issue, though, where they squeeze as well tightly and get uncomfortable with extended employ. It'due south important to detect a pair that fits well.

On-ear headphones are a good compromise solution, with excellent sound quality (in higher stop sets) and a skilful level of portability.

3. Over-ear

over ear headphones

Over-ear or circumaural headphones encase the entire ear. Their increased size makes room for a larger commuter, with louder volume and better bass performance. The driver is as well positioned further away from the ear, producing a more spacious sound akin to what you hear from speakers.

By covering the ear, these headphones offer proficient noise isolation, simply they are a lot less portable than the other formats.

Although information technology is no longer true to say that over-ear headphones are automatically better than other styles, circumaural headphones remain the audiophiles' choice.

Open up and closed back

Yous'll likewise run across headphones (over-ear ones especially) described equally beingness either "open back" or "closed back". This refers to whether the back of the earcups are open or sealed.

"Closed back" headphones offer better racket isolation, and tend to accept a more forceful sound like to what yous get from in-ear headphones. "Open back" headphones have more sound leakage and permit in more ambient noise, but deliver what audiophiles oft describe equally a more natural audio.

iv. Drivers

The driver is the most of import component in a pair of headphones. It turns an electrical betoken into sound force per unit area—in other words, information technology creates the sound.

There are different types of driver, but they all consist primarily of magnets, vocalism coils, and a diaphragm. The components cause the diaphragm to vibrate, and these vibrations produce sound waves that our ears interpret as audio.

On the headphone spec sheet, the Driver indicates the diameter of the diaphragm, measured in millimeters. Equally a general rule—but by no means ever true—the larger the commuter, the better the sound, especially for bass functioning. On over-ear headphones, a commuter of 40mm or larger is a good bet.

Since in-ear headphones cannot fit a large commuter, many of them take a dual-driver approach. Rather than having a single commuter treatment the unabridged frequency range, at that place's one specifically for bass and some other for the mid and loftier frequencies.

This change is ane of the main reasons why earbuds are and so much better than they used to be.

5. Sensitivity and Sound Pressure Level

sound pressure level

Sensitivity and Sound Pressure level Level (SPL) are related terms, and either may be used on headphone spec sheets. They indicate how loud the headphones volition go.

Sensitivity shows how efficiently an electric signal is converted into an acoustic indicate. SPL is how sensitivity is measured, and is often displayed every bit decibels of SPL per milliwatt (although there is no absolute standard for this).

Most headphones are within the range of 85-120dB of SPL per milliwatt. To provide some context, regular urban center traffic is around 80dB, a shouting voice 105dB, and a jet taking off 130dB.

The hurting threshold for dissonance is thought to exist around 120dB, while the Occupational Safety and Health Administration warns of the dangers of hearing loss with prolonged exposure to an SPL of more than 85dB.

vi. Impedance

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Impedance is a measure of electrical resistance and is displayed in Ohms. In the simplest terms, college impedance ways more resistance, which means more power is needed to drive the headphones.

Headphones designed for mobile devices tend to have lower impedance, below 32 ohms, so they utilize less power. High-end and pro-quality headphones accept very loftier impedance higher up 120 ohms, and require a dedicated amplifier to power them.

The downside to lower impedance headphones is that, while they employ a lower voltage, they require a higher current. An electrical current creates vibration, which in plough creates sound. The result is that lower impedance headphones may emit an audible groundwork hiss.

Impedance mismatch can also cause this and other performance issues. Mismatch can occur when using high impedance headphones with a smartphone, or low impedance headphones with a high-cease audio system. It's important to have the right blazon of headphones for the sound equipment you lot are using.

7. Frequency Response

Frequency response indicates the range of audio frequencies the headphones can reproduce. It'southward measured in Hertz, with the lowest number representing the amount of bass, and the highest treble. Most headphones have a stated frequency response of around 20-20,000Hz, which matches that of homo hearing.

The numbers are not really a practiced indicator of audio quality, though they tin can help you choose the right headphones for a particular type of music. For example, if you want lots of bass, then you should await for headphones that support a depression bass frequency.

8. Total Harmonic Distortion

Full harmonic distortion (THD) shows the level of distortion there may exist when using headphones at a high book.

As we've seen, headphones produce sound via a vibrating diaphragm in the driver. At loftier volumes, the diaphragm may not be able to vibrate fast enough, resulting in distortion. THD is expressed equally a pct, and lower is better. About headphones have a THD of less than ane%, and high-end sets considerably less.

9. Dissonance Cancellation

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Noise-cancelling headphones have embedded microphones and electronic chips. They record ambient noise, so create an inverse sound wave and feed information technology back into the headphones to effectively cancel out the sound.

And they're i of the best role gadgets to assist your inventiveness.

It works best for constant, low frequencies, and is less effective for mid-range frequencies and higher up. So, if yous're on a flight, you may find engine noise is reduced, just not the sound of the crying infant in the seat in front.

Noise cancellation requires battery power. Its effectiveness can vary considerably from one headset model to the adjacent. For more than detail, see our guide on how noise-canceling headphones piece of work.

10. Noise Isolation

earbud tips
Prototype Credit: Nan Pelmero/Flickr

Noise isolating headphones physically block external sounds. This is either with over-ear, closed-back headphones encasing the entire ear, or, more than effectively, in-ear headphones sealing the ear canal.

In this respect, in-ear headphones work like earplugs, and information technology is important that you become the tightest possible seal past using the correct sized eartips.

Noise isolation is passive—it doesn't require an external power supply—and isn't limited to sure frequencies. It also tends to appear in more affordable headphones than racket cancellation technology.

Understanding Good Earphone Specs

Headphone specifications are a surprisingly complicated business, and you lot need a good grasp of physics, electronics, and math to be able to really drill downward into what they hateful. Even then, the elementary fact is that yous cannot discern the quality of a pair of headphones just by a serial of numbers on a spec sheet.

And don't be discouraged when yous encounter new terms and specs we haven't mentioned above—one of the biggest decisions you'll brand when buying is whether to go for Bluetooth or wired headphones. Although in reality, that volition be dictated past whether or not the device y'all'll be listening on has a headphone jack.

You can use specs to narrow downward your choice, and identify those that suit your favorite style of music, the environment y'all're using them in, and the sound gear y'all're using them with. One time you've done that, yous should check reviews and user reports to discover out exactly how well they perform.