Today, almost everyone has headphones – someone listens to music in them, watches movies or plays games, someone needs them for work or sports. Each type of headphone is suitable for its purpose: in order to choose the right model, you need to determine what they are for.

What are headphones: wired and wireless earbuds

Wired headphones are a classic. They are quite comfortable and give good sound quality. Since they are on wires, they are more difficult to lose than wireless ones.

The disadvantage of such models is that the wire is constantly confused, broken, the plug suffers. However, there are also more wear-resistant headphones – with a flat wire and an L-shaped connector.

For active people, models without wires are suitable – headphones can be inserted into the ear, they will not interfere and get confused. It is convenient that such accessories are often equipped with a player and a memory card. Thanks to this, you can not clog the phone’s memory with music. In many wireless headphones or wireless earbuds, you can answer calls using the sensor – you do not need to take out the phone. Of the minuses – headphones are more expensive than wired ones.

What is the effect of acoustic design and noise reduction

Headphones are of open and closed types. You can determine the type by the cup: there are sound-conducting holes on the open ones, and they are not on the closed ones.

The advantages of the open type are that the headphones sound more natural, do not strain the ear and allow you to hear everything that is happening around. In closed headphones, more powerful bass, you can not hear extraneous noise.

If you want to avoid external sounds, you should look at headphones with active or passive noise cancellation. The active method happens in open-type headphones. With this method, a hidden microphone picks up background noise, converts it into electrical signals, processes it, superimposes it on unwanted acoustic vibrations, and a clear sound is obtained.

The disadvantage of such a system is that with active noise reduction, the sound deteriorates and becomes not so high quality. The passive method can be in open and closed type headphones. With this method, background noise is reduced due to the design of the accessory cups.

Which type of attachment is more convenient

The accessory can be placed above the parietal region of the head – in this case, the headphones should have a headband. To securely fix the headphones, they must fit snugly against the head. To do this, from the three options for the temples – cast, sliding and self-adjusting – you need to choose the right ones.

Another way is to attach the headphones to the back of your head. Since the main load will fall on the ears, you should choose lighter models.

You can also place the headphones on your ears with a clip or earhook. In this case, the size and weight of the accessory is also important, since it will have to be worn on the ears.

Smaller devices can be fixed in the ears with silicone earplugs or foam ear pads. These headphones are more comfortable: they do not fall out of the ear and do not interfere, you can listen to music in any position.

Which headphone shape is more comfortable

The shape of the headphones determines how they will lie in the ear and how clear and deep the sound will be.

In-ear headphones completely fill the auricle, while they can be placed not very deep, so the impact on hearing will not be strong. However, due to the shape, such a model is not suitable for every person and can periodically fall out of the ear. In addition, these headphones can hear what is happening around. For music lovers, this is a significant minus, for those who care about hearing what is happening on the street, on the contrary, a plus.

More comfortable – vacuum headphones. They are also called plugs. They are equipped with soft silicone tips, they can be inserted deep into the ear, so the sound isolation will be good. The sound quality in these headphones is much higher – they do not hear external noise, the music sounds quite clear. However, it is often undesirable to listen to loud music in such headphones – they can plant your hearing.

On-ear headphones can be worn on the ear, on the back of the head or on the headband. This accessory is more suitable for gamers: they will be able to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of what is happening on the screen. On-ear headphones are also suitable for active people – the device fits snugly to the ears, so it will not fall off the head, and gives a good soft sound that will not damage your hearing.

Over-ear headphones also completely cover the ears. The advantages are the same as in overhead headphones: the sound is clear, voluminous, the accessory lies comfortably and does not overload the ear. Of the minuses – dimensions. Such devices are not very comfortable to carry around, so it is better to use them at home.

Custom headphones are made according to the shape of the ears – they are filled with a quick-hardening material, and after a couple of minutes an impression is obtained. It is processed, coated with a special agent and the body is made of photopolymer. The earpiece is filled with emitters, filters that separate frequencies, the case is sealed. These headphones will definitely not fall out of your ear at the wrong time, they do not let in external noise even in the most crowded places, and you do not have to set the maximum volume. Headphone design can be done to your taste. Since the shape of the headphones follows the shape of a particular ear, listening to music with a friend will not work.

What you need to know about the frequency range and sensitivity of headphones

When choosing headphones, you should pay attention to the frequency range – the wider this parameter, the greater the spectrum of sounds. Standard – 20 to 20,000 Hz. At the same time, everything above this value cannot be perceived by the human ear, so it is important that the headphones cover exactly the standard range.

Accessories with a large diaphragm sound better.

Headphone volume depends on sensitivity. The standard value is 100 dB. In-ear and vacuum headphones are equipped with great sensitivity, as they have a small membrane diameter and a low-power magnet.

What else should be in the headphones

Many headphones come with a volume control. Thanks to this, you can adjust the volume without taking out your phone. The controls can be on one of the ear cups or on the wire. On some models, you can switch music and answer calls using this control.

An important detail in the headphones is a microphone, as you often want not only to listen to music, but also to chat. The most popular microphone model is in the form of a capsule: a small oval with a button for switching songs and taking calls. It is usually built into one of the wires and hardly stands out. Less commonly, you can find models with a retractable and long microphone that can be lowered to the mouth, like pilots or call center operators. 

What additional features to look out for

Some headphones have an option – multi-channel sound. Thanks to her, the slightest sounds are heard. This feature gives a good immersive effect when playing games and watching movies.

More expensive models are waterproof. They withstand rain and sweat.

The headphones, which connect to the phone via Bluetooth, have an NFC function. It allows you to exchange information with other devices: transfer contacts, videos, photos and music. This option is quite convenient if several people want to listen to music or watch videos from one phone.

Headphones can also be equipped with a vibrating alert. This mode is convenient if you want to keep silence and at the same time it is important to know when someone is calling the phone.

A convenient option in the headphones is the LED. It shows the charge level, signal loss and phone operation mode, can change the color and period of radiation.

There are headphones with a small screen. It can display calls and battery charge.

What is the effect of resistance, power and distortion level

The volume is also affected by the impedance of the headphones. The same headphones on different devices will sound different. If you connect 250 ohm studio headphones to the player, they will play quietly. For telephone and portable equipment, it is worth using devices with lower resistance – up to 16-32 ohms, for stationary equipment – from 32 ohms.

Depending on the power, you can adjust the maximum volume of the headphones. The power range is from 1 to 5000 mW. You should look at the power of the headphones if you want to listen to music from a high-quality device. Then the sound will be richer. If you plan to turn on music on your phone, the sound will not be as bright.

The sound quality depends on the distortion level of the headphones. Models with a distortion factor of less than 0.5% will sound much better than accessories with a distortion factor of more than 1%.

Which headphones are best for a computer

It is difficult to imagine a modern person without a computer, laptop or at least a tablet. For the most part, users watch movies on gadgets, listen to music, play games and work with documents. Choosing the right headphones for your computer is easy: you need to know what characteristics are responsible for what. 

Features of choosing headphones

Technical characteristics include types of fastening, types of structures and power parameters. To decide which headphones are better to choose for a computer, let’s dwell on important indicators in more detail.

Headset type

Depending on the design of the device, there are three types of headsets: monitor, on-ear and one-way headphones for PC:

1. Monitor headset (labeled “Circumaural”). The headphone rating for a computer always includes representatives of this type. They have the maximum size of the membrane, providing reliable sound isolation, giving out excellent sound with a full bass range. Ear pads (headset cups) completely cover the ears, reliably protecting against external noise. It is not safe to use them on the street, but for a computer they will be the best option. Among the disadvantages: the cost is above average, due to the complexity of the design. 
2. Overhead headset (marked “supraaural”). They have a large diameter membrane, providing high-quality sound. This type is often used by gamers who need good sound insulation, but do not want to overpay for such an accessory. On-ear headphone feature: a wide variety of attachment methods. 
3. One-sided headset. Office version of the headphones, suitable for Skype calls. On the one hand, the device has a pressure plate, and on the other, an ear cushion. They make it easy to hear what’s going on in the room and receive calls at the same time. A mandatory attribute of a one-way headset is a microphone. Sometimes a one-sided headset is used as gaming headphones. 

Types of headset attachment

To choose high-quality headphones for your computer, you need to decide on the appropriate mounting option. At home, two types of PC headset mounts are used:

• Clips – The accessory is equipped with special clips that pass behind the user’s ears. Such models weigh little and are traditionally recommended for girls and children. 
• Headband – The classic type of fastening of a computer headset equipped with a microphone. A vertical bow made of plastic or metal connects the two cups together. Benefit: A feeling of lightness, even after many hours of use of the headset. A disadvantage is an unaesthetic appearance on the head if the user has a lush or complex hairstyle. 

Which headphones to choose for games?

There is a common misconception among gamers that gaming devices do not affect performance in any way. However, it is not. For example, if users with the same gaming skills collide in battle, then the advantage will be on the side of the one who has high-quality peripherals. This is true for participants in professional or amateur tournaments with a prize fund. Nevertheless, gaming devices bring a lot of joy to ordinary users. After all, it is much more pleasant to use convenient and ergonomic computer peripherals.

Gaming headphones

Headphones are something without which it is impossible to play. In some games, sounds help the gamer. The clearest example is the popular Counter-Strike Global Offensive. In this game, thanks to the sounds, you can determine the location of the enemy, which increases the chances of winning. Sometimes good headphones decide the outcome of a match. 

In other games, sounds and musical accompaniment create an atmosphere. Therefore, those who use low-quality headphones cannot fully enjoy the toy. Thus, the conclusion suggests itself that headphones are important for gamers and should not be saved on them. But what criteria to rely on when choosing a device? What are the best headphones for gaming? You can find the answer to this question by reading this article. We will conduct a detailed review of the criteria that you should focus on when choosing a gaming headset. 

How to choose headphones for games?

Finding quality headphones is not an easy task. A huge number of companies have appeared on the computer peripherals market that are constantly releasing new products and updating their products. You need to spend a lot of time to understand all this diversity. The main thing to consider is the characteristics. If you want to choose headphones for gaming according to their characteristics, then you should pay attention to the following criteria.

Design

First of all, gaming headphones should provide a high level of comfort. After all, gamers are those people who sit at the computer for hours. And headphones should not interfere with this. First, you should pay attention to the design. Headphones should sit firmly, but do not squeeze the head. Secondly, a good device should be light. When using gaming headphones, even after many hours of gaming sessions, no pain and discomfort should occur. To find out how comfortable this or that model of headphones is, you can read the comments of real users.

As for the appearance of the device, this is an insignificant parameter. After all, it does not affect the usability in any way. However, if you often travel to professional tournaments or conduct gaming streams, then in this case you can look for prettier headphones. Fortunately, most manufacturers pay attention to the appearance of their product and try to make it attractive. 

Headphone types

There are two types of ears: open and closed. Each of these types has both advantages and disadvantages. 

Strengths of open headphones:

• sound quality 
• the sound is deeper and more voluminous. 

Headphones provide clear positioning. This is important for shooters. Thanks to them, in the same CS:GO, you can not only find out about the approach of the enemy, but also determine which side the enemy is coming from. 

The main disadvantage of open headphones is poor isolation. Noisy neighbors, street cars – all this will be perfectly audible.

Closed headphones , on the contrary, boast excellent sound isolation. However, they distort the sound a bit and have strong bass.

Connection type

If you classify headphones according to the type of connection, then they are divided into wired and wireless devices. Bluetooth wireless headphones or earbuds are gaining popularity. Their main advantage is that they do not hinder movement. There are no wires that annoy some gamers. As for wired devices, their strength is speed. The signal is transmitted instantly, so that the gamer can quickly respond to the situation in the game. 

If we talk about gaming headphones, then it’s better to stay on the wired version . First, gamers don’t need the mobility that wireless devices provide. During gaming sessions, players do not move, but constantly sit in front of the computer. For these purposes, a cable 1.5 – 2 meters long will be enough. Secondly, wireless headphones are extremely unreliable. The battery can run out at any time, thus interrupting the gaming session. Yes, and constantly charging the headphones is extremely inconvenient.

Microphone

Modern games use voice chat, thanks to which you can communicate with other players. Therefore, the presence of a good microphone is the main requirement for gaming headphones. The headset should have a noise-canceling effect so that the ally can clearly hear you, and not the tapping of the keyboard. In addition, the microphone must be sensitive.

Numerical indicators

Like any other device, headphones are characterized by technical parameters. Frequency is the most important of them. The larger the frequency range, the better the sound will be. Headphones with a frequency of 16 to 20,000 Hz are common on the market. They provide good sound and handle both low and high frequencies well. 

It is also worth paying attention to the volume when choosing gaming headphones. Everything is simple here – the larger the range of permissible volume, the better. The reference option is considered to be an indicator of 90-120 dB.

Ideal headphones for gaming

From all of the above, you can imagine the ideal model of headphones. Reference headphones for PC should have the following characteristics:

• Comfortable
• Wired
• With microphone
• Frequency at least between 20 and 20000 Hz
• Volume between 90 and 120 dB

Focusing on these criteria, without any problems, you can choose high-quality headphones that will last more than one year.

Companies Overview

Headphones for games of which company to choose? This question worries thousands of gamers. The gaming device market is overcrowded. There are hundreds of firms. On the one hand, this is bad, because it is difficult to make a choice (especially for an inexperienced buyer). But if you look at the situation from a different angle, you can find positive aspects. Companies are constantly improving their products to stand out from the competition and attract consumers.