Earbuds vs Headphones

Which listening device is best for you? 

Source: http://i.imgur.com/iliib5K.jpg

I’ll dispel your worries right now: there is no catch all answer as to which is better. Each style of headphone is best suited for different circumstances and different people.

Within each of the two categories, there are further classifications that help to make this process further convoluted.

Earbuds come in in-ear and in-canal varieties. I will use the former to refer to earbuds that sit inside the outer-ear, but do not go into the ear canal. The later, then, refers to the variety that have a silicone nub that sits in the ear canal. Apple’s famous earbuds would be classified as in-ear models in this case. Beats urbeats would be referred to as in-canal devices.

Headphones come in on-ear and over-ear models which can be either open back or closed back. On ear headphones sit on top of the ear lobes, but don’t completely surround them. Think Beats Solo’s. Over-ear models, on the other hand, surround the ear completely, like the Beats Studio’s. Most headphones are closed back, meaning that they have enclosed drivers, only allowing sound out directed towards your ears.

Now that we have some background, we can evaluate each design option in terms of a couple important criteria. The elements I think are most important to consider in earbud/headphone choice are comfort, sound, and listening environment.

Comfort: You’re wearing these devices on your head, and might even be doing so for hours at a time. It should go without saying that headphone and/or earbuds should be comfortable. Comfort is something that will be different for everyone. With that being said, there are some general guidelines, in my opinion. If you are going to be putting in extensive listening sessions (greater than half an hour at a time), I would avoid on-ear headphones. The clamp force that they apply to your ears to stay on generally gets uncomfortable quickly. Over-ear and in-ear are most comfortable for me, and many swear by in-canal, though I dislike them.

Sound: These devices are meant to allow you to experience music; they should sound good. Generally, the best sound that you can get will be out of over-ear, open back headphones. They will leak sound, but this gives you an incredible soundstage, letting you hear the music as if it were all around you. For a more private session, in-canal and over-ear headphones will provide the best sound, generally.

Listening Environment: This is perhaps the most important consideration that actually differentiates earbuds from headphones, and the different styles within each category. Someone who uses their ‘phones on the bus to work will want something vastly different than someone who listens in their quiet home office. For noisy environments, or environments with lots of ambient noise like a bus, a train, a car, an airplane, etc, you really want to chose a design with noise isolation. Generally, then, you will want to chose a closed back, over-ear headphone. This will give you the best seal against outside noise. In-canal headphones, if fitted properly, can do this as well, if not better, but again, it requires a near-custom proper fit. Earbuds take up far less space than over-ear headphones, so it might be a better choice for the traveler with limited room in their bag. For quiet environments, I recommend open-back over-ear headphones, as long as you can afford the sound leakage.

So, headphones versus earbuds? I guess the answer is generally headphones for me. That being said, there are definitely advantage to earbuds. Just do yourself a favor and replace the earbuds that came with your phone with some halfway decent sounding “real” earbuds/headphones.

via Medium