FEATURE
Hearing aid. A great set of headphone to increase the quality of music that you are listening to. Features like frequency, noise-cancellation and build of the headphone jack can all give your tunes an extra boost.
Noise-cancelling considerations
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There are two types of noise-cancelling headphones can provide passive and active. Passive cancelling comes from the physical sound barriers that headphones provide, such as the plastic and foam against the ear. Active cancelling is the electronic manipulation of sound waves. "There is a single or pair of microphones that hear a certain set of frequencies and cancel it out in the headphones," Houston says. The cancellation is done by the headphones producing similar sound waves of what the microphone is hearing. The produced sound waves
are then shifted over to create a tight zipper effect for the frequencies that results in quieter noise.
Size doesn't mean jack
The standard width for audio jacks used to be 6.35 millimeters. Today's standard of 3.5-mm jacks came with the advent of the Sony Walkman and other portable devices. Though the sound quality may not be affected by the size, it can be affected by the material of the jack." Most people prefer a gold-plated material because gold is a better conductor." Houston says. Better conductivity ensures better signal strength to the headphones.
THE LOW-DOWN ON HI-FI MEASUREMENTS: A GLOSSARY
SENSITIVITY How well the headphones can respond to the volume demands of the electrical signal, such as an MP3 player. The higher the sensitivity, the louder the headphones can get.
DISTORTION — Refers to any deviations the headphones may cause from the original signal. The lower percentage, the better.
IMPEDANCE — Measures the electrical load of the headphone on the amplifier driving the headphone. Impedance measures the number of headphones that could operate off a source.
SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO (SNR) — A measurement of the amount of noise added by the electrical circuit reproducing the music signal. This can refer to the amount of white noise that can be heard at higher volume levels. A higher SNR means less white noise.
Investigate different styles
Technology has made it so that in-ear headphones can compete with most full-size headphones in terms of sound quality. "It just depends on comfort and what you are going to use them for," Eric Sapozhnikov, sales associate for Abt Electronics, says. The little things can make a big difference in your satisfaction. Do they fold in for portability? Is the cord split or does it conveniently go only into one side? Will your head be comfortable after wearing them for an hour? Pay attention and find what features fit your needs better.
Isolated or exposed?
There are some extra considerations for design when choosing over the ear headphones. Closed-back and Open-Air styles influence the amount of passive noise-cancelling. "Closed-back isolate the listener from the outside environment," says John Chen, national sales director for Grado Labs, a headphone manufacturer in New York. Open-air headphones often have some sort of mesh on the outside of the earcups to act as an auditory vent. "We feel the open-air gives a much better sense of space," Chen says. Consider if you like your music socially or
privately to choose which design would be best for you.
Listen for legitimacy
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Though many variables affect the sound of headphones, there is really only one good measurement tool. "The final arbitrary is a trained ear," Chen says. He says that during the listening tests of a product, Grado technicians listen to analog recordings of unamplified music so they can examine harmonic structure at its best. Remember natural sounds of unamplified instruments and use your judgment to determine how well the audio device reproduces those sounds, Chen says.
Embrace your entity
Headphones can speak volumes about your personality. The best thing to do is find something that fits your identity. There are plenty of online retailers and credible review sites available to help you get a beautiful great-sounding pair of cans. Reggie Smith recommends using CNET and other websites for reviews and turntablelab.com for purchasing phones. Explore with the mindset of quality, comfort and function for your personal headphones and unleash your inner-audiophile.
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