While a lot of people buy devices and peripherals without giving them much thought, this usually ends up being an expensive and unnecessary mistake. The best example of this can be seen in the example of purchasing headphones. Apart from risking buying low-quality headphones, you are also at risk of buying something that is clunky, unsafe or simply doesn’t fit. In order to avoid this unnecessary ordeal, here are five most important features you need to look out for when buying headphones. Seeing as how purchasing headphones are something you are bound to perform more than once in your life, it is definitely a knowledge worth acquiring.
1. Check the type
The first thing you need to keep in mind is that there are several different types of headphones, depending on their appearance and the way in which they stay on your ears. Here, you have in-ears, on ears and over ears. The main thing to consider here is what are you going to use them for. If you need a set of headphones to use at home while listening to music, you might want to get over ears, seeing as how they isolate you from outside noises and provide the highest volume and quality of sound. On the other hand, these are not the headphones you want to take to the gym, seeing as how they are not portable and might even feel a bit clunky. For this, it would be safer to go with in-ears.
2. The type of jack
The size of a standard headphone jack is 3.5 mm, which is why most of the headphones go along with this option. Still, this is not the only jack size out there, which is why you need to check what you’re getting before being sorely disappointed. Apart from the 3.5 mm, there are also 2.5 mm and ¼-inch connectors. Then again, some headphones don’t use this type of jack at all but prefer to go with Bluetooth or USB connectivity. For those who make a mistake while purchasing and get headphones that don’t match the device, they intended to plug it in, the only course of action left is to try and get the appropriate adapter. Nonetheless, this can make a simple issue significantly more complex.
3. The brand
When buying a brand, skeptics often argue that you are paying a smaller fraction of the price for the actual device and all the rest for the logo. This stance, however, isn’t necessarily true. You see, there is a reason why some brands are synonymous with high-quality sound and nearly indestructible headphones, while low-end devices break in a month or two. Brands like Shure, Pioneer, and Sony are always at the top of their game, while those who are determined to get their headphones from Australia simply can’t go wrong with AKG.
4. Noise-canceling headphones
As for the specialized headphones you could go with, noise-canceling is always a popular feature. This especially goes for creatives working in huge, noisy offices. Having a great noise-canceling headset might help them focus and, in this way, greatly benefit their productivity. Apart from this, having headphones that are capable of nullifying the interference of outside noises could increase your immersion and allow you to focus exclusively on the beauty of the sound. The downsides, however, are that they need more power and aren’t safe for using outside, seeing as how the lack of a sense might put you in unnecessary danger.
5. Wireless
Finally, having wireless headphones is a huge advantage when going outside since you can just stuff them in your pocket without having to fear that they will get entangled. Apart from this, you can also enjoy listening to music from a device that is at a bit longer distance, which is a huge plus on its own. As for the downsides, due to the lack of a cord, they are significantly easier to lose or misplace. Moreover, the quality of sound is still not as great as with the wired headphones.
As you can see, when it comes to the features of ‘the perfect headphones’, there is simply no such thing. The quality, reliability, and practicality of certain headset are determined by your own specific set of needs and requirements. As we demonstrated on one of the above-listed examples, ideal headphones to take to the gym could significantly underperform when it comes to gaming or listening to music in your own home. In other words, headphones simply cannot be perfect, they can only be perfect for you. Luckily, this is more than enough.
Raul is a B.Sc. in Innovative entrepreneurship and has a lot to say about innovations in all aspects of digital technology and online marketing. While he’s not enjoying travel, football and great food, you can find him on technivorz.com and bizzmarkblog.com
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