Wrote this up for another forum.
Summary: For much less than an average pair of speakers you can have an audiophile experience.
Brands and build quality will change over the years. This is a general primer to get you thinking about some GOOD headpones and get you off those cheep ear buds or worthless mass market junk headphones that are mass marketed and cheep to manufacture but $$$$ to buy.
Types:
OPEN Headsets are great if you don't care what everyone around you thinks. They have a open stage effect but let in outside noise and let others hear what you are listening to. Grados are the best for the money I've found in this catagory. Note the Grado foam will degrade after 4 or 5 years.
CLOSED Headsets isolate you and the sound and the sound to the neighbors. Most folks go this direction for work environments. Note at high volume folks around you still hear the sounds. Lots of options here. Don't do skull candy though.
Full Sized Headsets cover around your ears completely and are generally more comfortable.
Small Headsets sit on top of your ear.
"In-Ear" provide personal listening and passive noise reduction from the outside world. They extend into the ear canal. These are nice and compact although some find them uncomfortable for long time listening. These and earbuds are hard to share :-) Comfort seems to be as important here as quality. Find some with different fitting plugs. The best I've found are foam ones like hearing protection and not rubber.
Earbuds sit just inside the ear and don't go down to the ear canal. I don't know any good manufacture of these.
Noise reduction headphones provide active noise reduction by sending tones to counter exterior noises on a mic attached to the headphones. The cost is you loose some of the audio. These have been mostly replaced by in ear earbuds but some folks have found them more comfortable than sticking something plastic inside their ears.
Wireless should be considered but most of them loose some of the sound.
Accessories:
Head phone amp. - Ok some sources can be greatly improved with an amp that pushes the headphone directly. Used properly these are for clarity and range and not to increase volume.
Crossover - Pure stereo music made for speakers will tire your brain as the left and right channels are WAY too isolated. We are used to the left and right ears hearing a bit of what the other side hears and our brain can center the sound. Some headpone amps will include a bit of crossover. If you've ever gotten tired of headphones being on I'd bet you it's because your brain was fighting the left right isolation.
That said I have some Grado 60s and NuForce NE-6s. I've had GREAT service for many years from Headphone Reviews, Comparisons & Recommendations. Look at their sight, they'll teach you about headphones.
Use:
The type of music should decide what you buy as well. Hard rock? Classical? Do you want more bass or more mids? Do you really want to hear when the artist turns the page of the music? Do you want a mic for the times you want to listen from your phone?
Summary: For much less than an average pair of speakers you can have an audiophile experience.
Brands and build quality will change over the years. This is a general primer to get you thinking about some GOOD headpones and get you off those cheep ear buds or worthless mass market junk headphones that are mass marketed and cheep to manufacture but $$$$ to buy.
Types:
OPEN Headsets are great if you don't care what everyone around you thinks. They have a open stage effect but let in outside noise and let others hear what you are listening to. Grados are the best for the money I've found in this catagory. Note the Grado foam will degrade after 4 or 5 years.
CLOSED Headsets isolate you and the sound and the sound to the neighbors. Most folks go this direction for work environments. Note at high volume folks around you still hear the sounds. Lots of options here. Don't do skull candy though.
Full Sized Headsets cover around your ears completely and are generally more comfortable.
Small Headsets sit on top of your ear.
"In-Ear" provide personal listening and passive noise reduction from the outside world. They extend into the ear canal. These are nice and compact although some find them uncomfortable for long time listening. These and earbuds are hard to share :-) Comfort seems to be as important here as quality. Find some with different fitting plugs. The best I've found are foam ones like hearing protection and not rubber.
Earbuds sit just inside the ear and don't go down to the ear canal. I don't know any good manufacture of these.
Noise reduction headphones provide active noise reduction by sending tones to counter exterior noises on a mic attached to the headphones. The cost is you loose some of the audio. These have been mostly replaced by in ear earbuds but some folks have found them more comfortable than sticking something plastic inside their ears.
Wireless should be considered but most of them loose some of the sound.
Accessories:
Head phone amp. - Ok some sources can be greatly improved with an amp that pushes the headphone directly. Used properly these are for clarity and range and not to increase volume.
Crossover - Pure stereo music made for speakers will tire your brain as the left and right channels are WAY too isolated. We are used to the left and right ears hearing a bit of what the other side hears and our brain can center the sound. Some headpone amps will include a bit of crossover. If you've ever gotten tired of headphones being on I'd bet you it's because your brain was fighting the left right isolation.
That said I have some Grado 60s and NuForce NE-6s. I've had GREAT service for many years from Headphone Reviews, Comparisons & Recommendations. Look at their sight, they'll teach you about headphones.
Use:
The type of music should decide what you buy as well. Hard rock? Classical? Do you want more bass or more mids? Do you really want to hear when the artist turns the page of the music? Do you want a mic for the times you want to listen from your phone?
