Headphone Basics

There are four types of headphones that can be easily distinguished by the way they are "coupled" with your head.

1) Over Ear Headphones

also called full size headphones or circum aural headphones. These headphones have ear pads that lay around the ear to create a seal between the headphone and the head.

• PROS: Best comfort and usually best sound as well
• CONS: Many models are very bulky and inconvenient for portable use.

2) On Ear Headphones

also called supra aural headphones. Models that fall into this category rest on your ears when you wear them and rely on strong clamping pressure and dense ear pad material to create a seal with your ear and isolate you from the outside world.

• PROS: Great portability and good isolation from outside noise.
• CONS: Strong clamp force can lead to sore ears during long listening sessions.

3) IN EAR HEADPHONES

sit directly in the ear canal, and an ear-tip (usually silicone) creates an airtight seal between the headphone driver and the ear canal.

• PROS: Very high isolation when a proper seal is established
• CONS: IEM's can be microphonic, amplifying mechanical noises in the cable, creating loud noises that interfere with the music. Incorrect fit and an improper seal in the ear canal will drastically change the sound of an In Ear Monitor...for the worse.

4) EARBUDS

only sit in the outer ear, or just inside the ear canal, but are not designed to create a seal between the headphone and the ear.

• PROS: Low isolation for those who need to aware of their surroundings
• CONS: Easily fall out of the ear and the little isolation and high sound leak make them a poor choice for portable use. Bass response is usually quiet weak compared to In Ear models.