Headphones are loads of fun, but it’s important to know that even though they are used for listening to music, the variety in their types is also incredible. The main difference in headphone types is between earbuds and regular headphones.

Before we begin describing What Are Headphones, it’s important to note that there are different types of headphones available on the market. Headphones can cover or insert into your ear canal for better sound quality and comfortability. Often times people assume that all headphones are of the “covering” variety but this is not necessarily true.

  • Earbuds: Earbuds are common among the consumer, medical, and professional in-ear monitor markets. You can buy them online.
  • Headphones: Headphones are popular in the consumer market but they are also commonly used in professional audio, film and broadcasting industries.
Table Of Contents

What Are Headphones?

Headphones refer to a piece of technology that allows users to listen to music, videos, podcasts or watch movies while off from the crowd. There are two types – earphones and headphones. They both function well enough but have different purposes. Best Earphones Under 500 are used for storing in your ears whereas headphones rest on top of the ear.

Headphones are like the shoes that your ears wear – they attach directly to your ears, making listening to content (this would be music or podcasts!) with them an experience like no other!

Visuals are really helpful when explaining new information.  The photo below is an outline of the various parts of a pair of headphones.

As an aside, the headphones in the above picture are highly rated and recommended pair of Sennheiser HD 280 Pro  headphones

What are the parts of a headphone?

Today’s basic headphones come with such following parts:

Headphone speakers

In order to create a quality listening experience, the most important part is the speaker. High-quality headphones generally have better speakers, so you can get even more crisp and clear sound while listening to your audio. Headphones with noise-cancelling capabilities also use their speakers to playback an inverted version of background noise to provide a better listening experience.

Headphone cushions

The headphone cushions are soft pads that sit on the speakers and cover the area around the speaker box for each ear. These cushions help provide comfort for extended wear, reduce outside noises, and help grip the head with a tight fit so as to prevent the headphones from sliding around.

Headband

The headband is a hard piece made with plastic and sometimes padded with soft cushions that are worn across the top of the head and keep speaker headphones snugly in place.

Cable

For wired headphones, the wires are drawn out from each side of the headphones and hooked up to a device such as a computer, smartphone, etc. The wire transfers the audio from the device onto the headphones. Connectors for these cables can be either mini-plugs or USBs.

Drivers

The drivers are the transducer elements in headphones. They are important to turn audio into sound. Moving-coil dynamic, planar magnetic and electrostatic are the types of drivers that are most commonly used in today’s headphones.

What Do People Use Headphones For?

Headphones are used as a listening device to either enjoy music, podcasts or other audio-based media. Typically, they’re used in any of the following scenarios:

Work

A BBC report states that music can contribute to making us feel smarter and in a better mood which helps with maintaining concentration. You can also get a lot of work done when you listen to an engaging audiobook or podcast.

Exercise

Runner’s World magazine found that listening to music while running makes the activity go by faster and helps individuals to keep a consistent pace. Ultimately it’s more enjoyable to be active if you have interesting things to listen to while doing exercise.

Studying

Putting in headphones while studying can help improve concentration, especially if you decide to play classical music. It’s said that listening to Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven while studying can really boost your performance. As college students, you can save money if you go with the audio version of textbooks.

Commuting

Commuting can be brutal, especially if you’re stuck in traffic or have serious road rage. Studies, however, show that listening to audiobooks can ease the stress of going from one place to another. We recommend only using headphones when someone else is behind the wheel!

Cleaning

Washing dishes, vacuuming, yard work, and doing laundry may seem mundane, but the process can be more enjoyable if you listen to music or some other audio content. It will help you get into the zone while cleaning at home or elsewhere and encourage you to clean more often.

Gaming

Gamers always prefer to use a pair of Gaming headphones or a headset while playing online games with others. Headphones can be worn with the intent to fully immerse oneself in the game and interact verbally with teammates.

Talking on the Phone

Some best headphones under 1000 come equipped with microphones already built-in. If you need to talk for an extended period of time, it’s easier not to hold your device up to your ear like many people tend to do on the phone. 

With a headphone/microphone combo, you don’t need to hold the phone to your ear and you might even save yourself some neck and shoulder pain and stiffness from holding your phone too long.

Waiting for an Appointment

Waiting for the bus or sitting at the doctor’s office can be difficult. That is why sporting a pair of headphones can make it seem more tolerable. One will think less about how bored they are or how much time feels like it drags on even if they have nothing to do but wait.

My Suggestion

A good pair of headphones is an investment worth making. You’ll make use of them many times over your lifetime, so you’ll want to take the time to find ones that match your expectations and needs within the right price range too.

What Are The Different Types of Headphones?

Wireless

Best Wireless headphones under 2000 work via Bluetooth, a type of technology that connects two devices together wirelessly. Bluetooth is popular since you won’t have to worry about the cord getting tangled or messy.

Earbuds

Also known as “in-ear headphones,” earbuds are a popular choice for runners, commuters and teenagers who want to listen discreetly to music or other sounds while they’re in class. In-ear headphones typically offer good sound quality and because of their lightweight size, they’re one of the smallest headphone styles to carry.

Circumaural

Circumaural is a fancy way to say over-ear headphones. The term circumaural refers to the earcups, which are big, squishy and fit over your ears. They include padded ear cups with an adjustable headband, so they sit comfortably on top of your head.  Circumaural Headphones are also known as Over-Ear Headphones.

Supra-aural

Supra-aural is another way to describe on-ear headphones. Supra-aural headphones typically sit on top of the ears, and earcups tend to be smaller in comparison to circum-aural pairs, this makes them more stable during exercise and sports activities. They’re also outfitted with a fashionable vintage look that makes them a favorite among the hipster crowd.

Noise-Cancelling

If you’re on a noisy train or airplane, noise-cancelling headphones are an absolutely necessary thing to have in your backpack. The ear cups of these headphones are extremely cushy and comfortable. 

These headphones will basically isolate you and your audio content from any unnecessary outside noises whether you’re traveling across the country or just two blocks down the street.

Bone Conduction

Most headphones close off the ear canal, making it hard to hear anything else. Bone conduction headphones send vibrations to the bones in your inner ear. They are worn above the ears and because of this, they work great if you have hearing problems!

Closed-Back

A closed-back design keeps the music only to yourself. It’s the most popular kind of fit since the speaker is contained inside the cup, keeping it close to your ears no matter where you are.

Open-Back

It might seem odd, but open-back or open-air headphones have the speakers situated on the outside of the earcups. This style of headphones is typically used in music studios when a live performance is being recorded.

Semi-Open

A pair of semi-open headphones are a medium option between closed and open headphones. They allow some air and ambient noise through, but they don’t let everything in. They’re great for casual listening if you’re just relaxing at home after a long day of work.

Waterproof

Do you enjoy going for a swim or taking a bubble bath with a pair of headphones? Give these waterproof headphones a try! This style is specially designed to work in water without being damaged or harming your ears.

DJ

While DJs may use any type of headphones, the pros look for a set that allows them to clearly hear two distinct sounds at the same time. These headphones can even play different songs in each earcup for those instances where you really need to zone out!

Verdict

We hope you find your answer about What Are Headphones.

Life would be less colorful without headphones. They make it possible for us to enjoy the music of our choice, whether it is upbeat or classical, audiobooks or podcasts. There are so many different styles of headphones you can choose from – why not pick something that fits your style?. In the market, you can even find cheap but best headphones under 2000.

Thank You. Happy Listening!