Technical characteristics of good headphones. Choosing high-quality sound: which headphones do you need?

A huge number of people use headphones today, but not everyone knows what to look for when choosing them. Users are most often simply interested in the quality of sound transmission and personal comfort when listening to music, but these indicators directly depend on the technical features of a particular headphone model. Let's consider the main characteristics that you need to pay attention to when choosing such products.

Frequency response- this is one of the main indicators that determines sound quality, its richness, depth and reliability of transmission. This parameter is expressed in units such as hertz (Hz) and kilohertz (kHz). To accurately determine it, as a rule, a certain frequency range is indicated, for example 5 Hz - 20 kHz. The larger the interval between the first and second values, the better the quality of the headphones and the more accurately they transmit sound.

Frequency response deviation between left and right channel- this is a parameter on which the detail of the sound depends. The more the frequency response value differs between channels, the worse the sound will be, the sounds from all instruments will be “blurred”. It should be noted that the deviation in the low and high frequencies is felt much less than the deviation in the mid range. As a rule, headphone models with a small spread have a fairly large monetary value, since their production requires significant expenses.

Sensitivity- this is a characteristic on which the maximum sound level for which headphones are designed depends. To ensure a sufficiently high volume, this figure must exceed 100 dB. At a lower value, the sound may seem quiet and inexpressive, especially when listening to music on city streets or in public transport. Sensitivity largely depends on the material from which the magnetic core is made. Headphones with a small membrane diameter usually have a magnet with low power.

Impedance is the nominal resistance, which is expressed in Ohms (Ohms). When choosing headphones, you need to take into account that their electrical resistance must match the resistance of the sound source used. When using portable equipment, it is necessary to choose headphone models that have an impedance in the range of 16-40 Ohms. In most cases, products of this type are characterized by a resistance of 32 Ohms. High-end accessories with impedances greater than 300 ohms distort very little, but require a high-voltage amplifier to use them effectively.

Maximum power is a value that reflects the volume at which headphones are capable of transmitting sound. It is worth noting that the volume also depends on the supplied power, the nominal resistance of the product and its sensitivity. It is imperative to ensure that the input power is not higher than permissible, as this can lead to some disturbances and damage to the headphones.

Harmonic distortion factor is an indicator that allows you to evaluate distortion when converting an electrical signal into an audio signal. The user perceives this as wheezing, slight inaccuracies in timbre, or as a loss of crystalline sound. This coefficient is measured by the ratio of the magnitude of additional distorted signals and the magnitude of the main signal. This parameter is expressed as a percentage, and the lower it is, the clearer the sound the headphones can reproduce. The permissible distortion also depends on the signal frequency, and the lower it is, the greater the coefficient can be.

In the last century, the question “how to choose headphones” worried few people, since the latter were a household item only for those people who worked professionally with sound or received signals from the air.

This product was not distributed to the general public. There was no reason for that. People listened to music through record players, cassette recorders, or the radio. Turn on the reel-to-reel tape recorder and put on headphones, it’s unlikely that such an absurdity could occur to anyone.

Previously, it was considered prestigious to turn up the volume so that everyone in the area could hear who was “singing in the house” and what kind of music you liked. But today this is not the case and the point here is not in changing tastes and manners, but in technological progress. As soon as a multi-thousand-strong music library began to fit into a small digital drive, people wanted to listen to their favorite music from their player at any time. Now it’s exactly the opposite - so as not to disturb others, at any place, plunging into the world of sounds and images. And this cannot be done today without a personal listening device. So, how to choose good headphones is the topic of our article.

What are modern headphones like?

I would like to say right away that since the market is filled with various types of “head-mounted monitors”, choosing the right option can be quite difficult. Therefore, to make the process easier, let's first classify the existing devices according to their type, purpose and characteristics. After this, it will be easier for us to understand how to choose the right ones.

All of them can be divided into 4 types:

inserts (droplets);
plug-in, vacuum (plugs);
overhead (with special fastening);
monitor (full ear circumference).

This classification depends on how close the speaker is to the ear itself. In this regard, each type has both its pros and cons.

Regardless of the type of headphones, there are a number of recommendations for their use without harm to health:

In-Ear Headphones

In-ear headphones get their name because they fit into the ear. They are held in place by elastic force, but since the droplets are standard in diameter, and the shape of everyone’s ear is different, the earbuds “have a habit” of falling out periodically.

In addition, due to the small size of the membrane, they do not reproduce low frequencies well. They are also characterized by poor sound insulation. These are their main disadvantages.

What is the dignity? In their inexpensive cost, as well as compactness: they do not take up much space. Droplets are best suited for people who are unpretentious about sound quality, and they were the ones most often sold in the past as a load for phones.

Another non-obvious plus for some users: there is a type of people with a certain “architecture” of the ear that simply does not hold vacuum headphones and they freely jump out of the auricle a second after insertion. And so on an infinite number of times. This creates problems for owners of such miniature (or conversely large?!) ears, so for them drops remain the only acceptable option to save money. Unfortunately, now the standard type for all equipment is often plugs, so you have to buy additional drops, and they are becoming less and less common on sale.

Vacuum

Vacuum headphones or “plugs” are better than those mentioned above. Soft silicone tips and fixation of the speaker inside the ear canal are their main differences from other types.

The sound quality of such models is much higher. The plugs have a deep level of sound insulation; a person wearing them is literally immersed in the sound. That is why they are relevant in noisy places, in the subway, on the train, in the metropolis. The accessory is good for listening from both the player and the phone.

In-ear headphones have powerful bass, so they can be used by music lovers. Just look for a model from recognized brands, such as Apple, Sony, Ceneva, AKG. They will provide the necessary quality, but the price will be steep.

However, they also have their drawback: they create a significant load on the human hearing organs, as they are inserted deep into the ear. It is obvious that plugs, when used frequently, can damage your hearing.

The specificity of using vacuum headphones is the need for regular cleaning:

Invoices

These are the ones that, in the literal sense of the word, are placed on the ear. They have a special mount: on the ear, on the back of the head or on the headband.

This accessory has a better sound than droplets due to the larger membrane. Also, a special fastening, especially the headband, literally attracts them to the ears.

It is suitable for a tablet owner or gamer, as well as for enjoying music from the player. Another plus: fairly good sound insulation.

Their cost starts from 25 dollars, for example, such as Sony MDR-370LP White cost 1100 rubles.

Monitor headphones

Over-ear or monitor headphones are those that completely surround the ears. This type is also divided into open and closed. Closed ones provide complete isolation from the outside world. Open ear pads have holes in them.

Closed-back headphones are usually used by sound directors who need to see the entire sound picture and have no use for extraneous noise. And open ones are the lot of computer game lovers and music lovers who listen to music on the computer.

The disadvantage of full-size headphones is their size. Quality ones, such as AKG and Sennheiser, Koss or Audio-Technica, have a high price.

Purpose of different types

So, considering the various types, we have already touched on such a topic as purpose. Nevertheless, let's expand the range of applications of head-mounted monitors and once again decide where and in what area it is best to use one or another.

Headphones are used:

for sound recording and music mixing;
for work in a music and radio studio;
for listening on the player;
for listening to audiobooks;
while gamers are playing;
while surfing the Internet;
to watch videos on a computer, tablet;
to listen to Internet radio on your phone or smartphone;
to talk on Skype;
just like a headset for a phone.

Obviously, a DJ in a radio studio will not work in droplets, and an ordinary person will not need studio accessories to talk to a friend on Skype. To each his own. Therefore, to choose headphones, you should always first decide how and when you will use them.

Therefore, general advice for now, without going into specifications, will be as follows.

If you are unpretentious to sound quality, you need at least some “ears”, if you always have a phone or smartphone at hand - your choice is a droplet or a plug.
If you are always on the move, jog in the mornings, like to listen to audiobooks or music from a player, or listen a lot, on-ears are your choice. You need a good fit and so that your hearing does not become tired.
If you are a gamer or like to “go away into yourself” for a while while working at the computer, full-size open ones are your choice.
And of course, if you work with sound professionally, then you need high-quality closed “ears.”

So, we figured out how to choose headphones regarding their type and purpose.

About choice: expert opinion (video)

Wireless head monitors

I would also like to mention that according to the methods of sound transmission and connection, headphones are divided into wired and wireless. The latter operate using a channel, for example, a radio signal. They provide some mobility and agility, but have a limited range. And another drawback is their low sound quality. Whether it makes sense to buy these is up to you to decide.

If you want to watch TV while lying on the couch without the sound disturbing those around you, then they will come in handy. The purchase is also useful if you are tired of extra wires or they bother you. But then you need to stock up on batteries, since such accessories require additional power.

The cost of pleasure is from 50 dollars. For example, such as PHILIPS SHC5100/10 cost 2499 rubles.

Specifications

Now let's turn our attention directly to the characteristics of the headphones in order to choose among the existing types those that are better.

These include:

frequency range (frequency spectrum);
sensitivity (volume);
resistance (impedance);
maximum power;
distortion level;

It is not necessary to thoroughly research all these features, but you need to have a general idea so that your choice is informed.

Frequency range

This characteristic displays in which frequency range the sound will be reproduced. The wider it is, the better the sound quality. As a rule, the physical relationship here is like this. The larger the earphone membrane, the wider the frequency range. Music lovers want to hear the entire existing spectrum that their ear can perceive. But usually it hears frequencies from 15-16 to 18,000-20,000 Hz. Therefore, everything that is lower and higher is the privilege of only a few.

Sensitivity

This characteristic determines how loud you will hear the sound. The standard for most headphones will be at least 100 dB. The sensitivity depends on the magnetic core used. The earbuds and plugs have a small membrane diameter and a low-power magnet, so they are not very sensitive. However, the volume of sound is sufficient for a person due to the close location of the membrane to the ear.

Resistance

This parameter needs to be taken into account regarding what technique you will use. For gadgets and portable equipment, the headphone resistance is 16-50 Ohms. The point is that the higher the resistance of the headphones, the more powerful the incoming signal will be needed to swing the membrane. In other words, high-impedance accessories will require a powerful audio source.

Therefore, if you connect studio headphones with an impedance of 250 Ohms to a regular player, they will sound quiet, you will not get powerful sound. And for studio ones with an impedance of 500 Ohms, you will need an additional amplifier.

Another rule: the higher the resistance, the clearer the sound. Therefore, low-impedance headphones may sound distorted, while high-impedance headphones may not sound very loud.

We draw the following conclusion. For a portable player or computer, headphones with a resistance of 32-80 Ohms will be sufficient. For serious studio work, the impedance can be 200, 300 Ohms or higher.

Power

There should be a similar correspondence for such characteristics as power. If the power from the sound source exceeds what is allowed for the headphones, they will fail. Typically the power range is from 1 mW to 5000 mW.

Distortion level

There may be some distortion in audio playback. Their level is measured as a percentage. Accordingly, the quality will be better, the lower this percentage.

When choosing headphones, you must also take into account their weight and size. To make it easier for you to navigate, know that in-ear and vacuum ones weigh approximately 5-30 g, on-ear ones - 40-100 g, and monitor ones - 150-300 g.

The weight of the headphones will be especially important if you are going to use them together with a cell phone:

Finally, ask yourself how much time do you plan to spend in them? Do you only need them as a headset for Skype conversations or will you be using them for work? Do you listen to music, audiobooks often or occasionally? Or maybe you really need wireless ones?

Which type of equipment is better: a professional’s opinion on video

Sound quality depends equally on both the source (player, smartphone, tablet) and the headphones. You cannot achieve a good result by focusing on one link in the chain and forgetting about the other. The absence of external noise significantly improves perception, so choose headphones with the maximum degree of passive noise isolation. The best choice in this case is in-ear plugs. Much depends on the quality of the recordings. MP3 is not the best option in this situation. Truly natural sound is only possible when using uncompressed (WAV) or lossless compressed (APE, FLAC) audio files. It is important that the gadget you choose supports such formats.

Which player do you prefer?

Specialized audio player or smartphone?

Which headphones should you choose?

Selecting headphones by parameters

The main criteria for selecting headphones are their sound quality and wearing comfort. Passive noise insulation is also important. If, with all this, you want to have an acceptable reserve of undistorted volume, then for your signal source you should choose a device that is suitable in terms of electrical parameters.

2 x 50 mW or more

This article will be devoted to a debriefing of a wide range of headphones and one of the main indicators - their impedance. 16, 32 or 320 Ohm – what resistance to choose and what does it affect??

You can meet a person with headphones on the street everywhere. Some people are used to compact inserts or headphones plug-in type. For some, the standard of good sound has become stylish invoices headphones. There are also those for whom quality is the determining factor: on the heads of such music lovers you can see monitors. Despite such a variety of models, there are hardly any listeners familiar with such characteristics as: impedance, resistance, output power. And even if the words seem familiar, not many people will be able to connect all these terms together.

The mystery of numbers

Let's imagine that you have decided to purchase a new model of headphones. Let’s put the budget question aside, since the thickness of each buyer’s wallet is different. Let's immediately pay attention to the characteristics.

An attentive buyer probably paid attention to a number of incomprehensible physical characteristics marked on the beautiful box. Below is a photo with cutouts of three different models of headphones from famous brands:

What to look for when purchasing? So, we have three models with different characteristics:

Characteristics of model A:

Frequency Response– Frequency range: 10 Hz – 20 kHz;
Impedance– Resistance: 22 OHM;
SPL– Volume level: 111 dB (+/- 3 dB);

Model B Specifications:

Frequency Response– Frequency range: 5 Hz – 40 kHz;
Impedance– Resistance: 32 OHM;
SPL– Volume level: 102 dB (+/- 3 dB);

Model C specifications:

Frequency Response– Frequency range: 5 Hz – 35 kHz;
Impedance– Resistance: 250 OHM;
SPL– Volume level: 96 dB (+/- 3 dB);

Frequency range. All three models have completely different numerical characteristics. Our task is to determine which headphones will feel more comfortable with a portable player or smartphone. Widest range reproduced frequencies Model B: 5 Hz to 40 kHz(despite the fact that the human ear perceives a range of only 16 to 20,000 Hz). Thus, the frequency range of all three models will suit anyone, even the most demanding listener. When choosing mid-price headphones, this parameter is not decisive, but is rather of a marketing nature.

Resistance. This is where we get to the most interesting part: all three models are radically different from each other. Let's figure out what the indicator affects impedance and what optimal resistance value for use in conjunction with a smartphone?

All headphones are divided into two categories: low resistance And high resistance, and the gradation of this division directly depends on their type. So, over-ear headphones, with impedance up to 100 Ohm are considered low resistance; above 100 Ohm – high resistance. Headphones intracanal type (“plugs” or earbuds) with a resistance indicator up to 32 Ohm – low resistance; above 32 ohm – high resistance.

In the acoustic world of full-size speakers and loudspeakers, everything is simple: there is a 30-watt speaker with an impedance of 8 ohms. We connect the corresponding 8-ohm amplifier to the left and right channels and enjoy the loud sound. The situation with headphones is much more complicated and confusing. In the example above alone, we encountered three resistances:

model A – 22 Ohm;
model B – 32 Ohm;
model C – 250 Ohm.

When asked: which headphones are best suited to a smartphone, the average buyer will confidently answer that the best model is the one with minimal resistance. “Low-impedance headphones, when paired with a smartphone, will sound louder, but high-impedance headphones require a separate powerful amplifier,” is a generally accepted statement from a sales assistant at an average electronics store. “Sit down, it’s still a bad grade,” my high school physics teacher would say, and here’s why.

The moment you increase volume playing music, the output signal changes not the power level, but voltage. And only voltage directly affects power. To do this, from a school physics course, it is enough to remember two simple formulas of Ohm’s law:

Thus, to determine which headphones will play LOUDER, and which volumes will not be enough when using only a smartphone, you should pay attention not only to the resistance indicator of the headphones themselves, but also to maximum voltage level, which is issued by the minijack port of your smartphone or player. Almost all electronics manufacturers are in no hurry to introduce us to this indicator. As a rule, you can find out the exact voltage at the minijack output only from the device diagrams, which are not easy to find.

You should compare two different models in terms of volume not by power level, but by level consumed voltage. The sensitivity of headphones with lower impedance is greater than that of a high-impedance model. But how does this affect the battery life of the smartphone?

Headphones and iPhone

Model A, with resistance in 22 Ohm will indeed sound louder, but at the same time consume more current. As a consequence, 32 ohm model B allows you to play music on your smartphone longer by at least a quarter. Smartphones on the market have a maximum output voltage of no more than 150 – 200 mV, which is not enough to drive headphones with a resistance of more than 100 Ohms.

If the volume obtained on high-impedance headphones is quite satisfactory, a pleasant bonus awaits you - a significant reducing battery power consumption.

Now let’s reveal the faces of the models discussed in this article. Here are the names of all three models:

The most “correct” headphone option for use in conjunction with an iPhone is a low-impedance model. This is truly the loudest of the models reviewed with a standard audio frequency range.

Next model Audio-Technica ATH-CKR10 has a good playback range and considerable impedance of 32 Ohms. Considering that the headphones are in the in-ear category, they provide a good level of sound insulation, and the output voltage of the smartphone will be enough to achieve optimal volume.

Finally, the headphone-monitor model Beyerdynamic DR 990 Pro– the German standard in the field of professional mastering. The sound quality of these headphones will be the envy of any expensive competitor, but the high impedance level of 250 Ohms makes their use with the iPhone impossible. The DR 990 Pro and headphones in this category require a separate amplifier or audio player with a powerful sound card.

The headphones included with the iPhone boast the following characteristics:

Resistance

Sensitivity

Frequency range

The manufacturer himself gives a clear answer: using high-impedance headphones with an iPhone without additional accessories is impractical.

Options for getting good portable sound

If the idea of getting high-quality sound from a smartphone still haunts you, get ready to spend your hard-earned money on purchasing an external one.

High impedance headphones actually sound better their low-resistance brothers and for this reason. Due to the high level of resistance of the headphones, the amplifier delivers less current (at a higher voltage), and this prevents wave distortion in its stage. Moreover, headphones with high resistance have more uniform amplitude-frequency characteristics (a consequence of the increased number of turns on the magnetic levitation of the speaker), and provided there is low resistance on the amplifier side, the frequency response can remain practically unchanged.

Another alternative to obtaining high-quality sound is to use so-called single-driver armature headphones.

Externally, they are no different from traditional earbuds, but have a raised range average And high frequencies, which provides “clean and transparent” sound.

Finally, purchasing a player with a high output voltage level can solve the problem of torment before choosing headphones once and for all.

Unlike smartphones and inexpensive players, Hidisz a powerful preamplifier is installed. Advantage on the face: 2.2 V against 100-150 mV on the smartphone. The use of such players opens up a wide range of high-impedance headphones with real high-quality sound to the music lover.

But it wasn't without its drawbacks. Vacuum headphones create unnecessary stress on the hearing aid, since they need to be inserted quite deep into the ear canal. It is believed that if you do it often, you can damage your hearing.

How to choose good on-ear headphones

It’s not even worth explaining in detail why they were named. It's simple - the headphones are literally placed on your ears. Their design is also more than standard - a headband with fastening and adjustment, earcups, a wire (optional).

Let us immediately note their main advantage over the two previous types. Due to the larger size of the membrane, the sound will be better. This type also has improved sound insulation. So, overhead “ears” are also suitable for non-demanding music lovers.

Just as a note, let's add that there are excellent ones. In terms of price, they will be even cheaper than in-ear ones.

How to choose good monitor headphones (aka full-size ones)

In the title, we have already clarified that this type is also called full-size - the design is such that it completely covers the ears. However, we should immediately note that monitor headphones are divided into open and closed models. Closed ones are suitable for those who want complete isolation from the outside world. Open type monitor headphones have holes in the ear pads.

The closed type of these headphones is mainly chosen by musicians or directors so that they can observe the entire range, avoiding any extraneous noise. The open type is mainly chosen by music lovers, gamers and simply those who value high-quality sound.

The biggest disadvantage of these headphones is their size. You can't run with them on a walk, so take this fact into account. You can listen to music only at home, without unnecessary sudden movements. The second drawback, although this is not a drawback, but a feature, is that high-quality headphones from well-known manufacturers (Koss, Sennheiser, AKG, Audio-Technica) will be expensive.

How to choose good headphones with a microphone

We decided to talk separately about models that have . And let’s immediately note their varieties: condenser, dynamic and a subtype of condenser – electret. Capacitors do a better job of transmitting sound than others, but they have a requirement - a separate power supply. However, you should not expect the same results as from professional microphones.

Also remember that you cannot speak unambiguously about the quality of sound recording with a microphone without a specific sample in hand. The type of microphone, of course, affects certain nuances of the recording, but much more influences the quality of the microphone that the manufacturer has built into the headphones. Therefore, you need to read reviews for each specific headphone model to find out how the microphone works in them.

USB headphones are gaining popularity now. Their main difference from conventional models is that the DAC and ADC are built into the headphones themselves and the sound quality, as well as the quality of sound recording, depends on the headphones themselves, and not on the sound card of your computer. USB headphones often come with special drivers and programs that need to be installed on the computer in order for the headphones to make the most of their capabilities. All this affects the quality of sound and recording.

Find out the difference between condenser and dynamic microphones in the video.

It is important to note that microphones can be omnidirectional or unidirectional (main types). A unidirectional one will pick up sound better without much noise, but it is important to install it in the correct position. If you have already decided to buy headphones with a microphone, then ask if there is a built-in noise reduction system.

Unidirectional microphones are most often used in gaming headphone models. Omnidirectional for musical models. Their main difference is reflected in the name. An omnidirectional microphone picks up sounds from all directions equally. A unidirectional microphone is better at picking up sound from your mouth, but less likely to pick up sound from your surroundings.

Wireless headphones

Without fail, we decided to talk separately about headphones with a wireless interface, but there is quite a choice here too:

models with Bluetooth support;
working via radio channel;
working via IR channel.

Bluetooth headphones

This is the most common option. Typically, their range is limited to 10-12 meters, but we can talk about a low level of distortion. More expensive models even have support for special technologies for noise reduction and improved sound quality.

Resistance (impedance)

This parameter is measured in Ohms. It is imperative to take this into account when choosing headphone models, as this affects the sound quality depending on the source. If you have a pocket player or smartphone, then you should choose headphones with an impedance of 16-50 Ohms. But keep in mind that the higher the impedance, the more powerful the incoming signal must be, otherwise the membrane will be difficult to swing.

For example, head-mounted monitors often require a powerful sound source. Studio headphones generally have an impedance of about 250-500 Ohms and require a special amplifier. But note that the higher the impedance, the cleaner the sound will be. Inexpensive low-impedance headphones often have noticeable distortion.

Impedance is the nominal resistance at the headphone input. The term impedance is borrowed from the word impedance, which translates as total resistance. Often used as a synonym for headphone impedance. Impedance is a combination of resistive and reactive components, resulting in the level of resistance depending on frequency. In most cases, low-frequency resonance for dynamic headphones can be observed in the graph.

You need to choose headphones based on resistance in accordance with the technology with which you are going to use these headphones. For use with portable equipment, you should select headphones with a lower impedance, and for stationary equipment, with a higher one. Portable amplifiers have a strictly limited output voltage level, but as a rule, the current level does not have a strict limitation. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the maximum possible power for portable equipment only with low-impedance headphones. In stationary equipment, as a rule, the voltage limit is not so low and high-impedance headphones can be used to obtain sufficient power. High-impedance headphones are a more favorable load for the amplifier and with them the amplifier operates with less distortion. Low-impedance headphones are considered to be headphones up to 100 ohms. For portable equipment, headphones with an impedance of 16 to 32 ohms, maximum 50 ohms, are recommended. However, if the headphones have high sensitivity, then you can use a higher impedance.

Power

Usually the permissible power range is indicated on the box - from 1 mW to 5000 mW. If the power goes beyond the upper limit of the range, your headphones will instantly fail.

When it comes to power, don’t chase watts. Especially when the main source of music is a smartphone or portable player. With high sensitivity, a few milliwatts are enough for the music to play loudly, and the gadget’s amplifier is not overloaded and uses up battery power sparingly. Yes, if you choose headphones with high power, the sound will probably (just maybe) be solid and punchy. But this will not last as long as you would like - the gadget’s battery will begin to discharge rapidly under such a load. Moreover, there are often cases when the built-in amplifier simply cannot cope with powerful headphones. As a result, you won’t hear a good sound (loose, shallow bass) and will get distortion at volumes above average.

For headphones used at home, high power is no longer a problem, because it is assumed that they will be used with a stationary amplifier. Then high power will contribute to high sound quality.

Distortion level (non-linear distortion)

Of course, headphones may create slight distortion when playing sound. This parameter is measured as a percentage. The smaller it is, the higher the sound quality. The norm is now considered to be between 0.5% and 2%.

Selecting headphones depending on the sound source

Headphones for player

Today, almost any conscious purchase of a music player involves a lengthy search for the necessary information on the Internet. Let's say you read hundreds of reviews, consulted with professionals and bought a player from a well-known brand.

Typically, such players come with headphones, so that the package includes “everything at once.” After you have charged the battery and read the instructions (which is necessary), you connect the headphones and press Play. We think that you will be immediately disappointed, because the player may be of high quality, but it often comes with an inexpensive accessory.

For such players it is usually choose good in-ear or vacuum headphones– all because of the characteristics of the player itself and its compactness. We talked about the characteristics separately above.

If we combine everything that we indicated above, we get the following picture:

Form factor: in-channel or overhead;
Resistance: from 16 to 32 Ohms. Headphones with a higher impedance will work, but you won't get good sound from them;
Power: for in-ear headphones, a power of 30-40 mW is sufficient, for over-ear headphones from 300 mW and above.

Headphones for smartphone

Headphones for phones are chosen in almost the same way as for pocket MP3 players. There is only one caveat - we often choose not just headphones, but a headset so that we can comfortably talk with the interlocutor. Therefore, pay attention not only to the characteristics and sound quality of compact types of headphones.

Test the microphone in advance - it's even better to call someone and ask about the sound quality. The best option is earbuds or vacuum with a microphone with a standard 3.5 mm jack.

Headphones with microphone

We’ll highlight this option separately, since not only headsets for phones can have a microphone. These headphones are often purchased for communicating on Skype or for playing online games. There are models in which the microphone is rigidly connected to the headphone structure, but there are options with a detachable microphone. This type is suitable for those who do not often talk on Skype.

As we wrote above, it is very difficult to give advice on choosing a microphone built into headphones. According to the technical data that manufacturers write on the packaging, it is difficult to talk about the quality of the microphone. You will have to either rely on luck or read a review of the headphones with a microphone that you want to buy. There is no other way.

Headphones for TV

More often than not, we need headphones for our TV to enjoy watching a movie. Therefore, the choice is limited to on-ear or monitor headphones with good sound insulation and a long cable (but wireless ones are also possible).

Form factor: overhead or monitor;
Frequency range: the wider the better, but not less than 20-20000 Hz;
Sensitivity: preferably at least 100 dB;
Resistance: from 16 to 64 Ohms. Headphones with a higher impedance will work, but you won't get good sound from them (when connected via wire). If you buy wireless headphones, you don't need this option, because... the headphones are perfectly matched to the base from which they will receive the signal;
Power: from 300 mW and above. However, remember that listening to loud sounds or music for just 5 minutes can have a very detrimental effect on your hearing, even to the point of irreversible damage. Please do not listen to headphones at full volume.

For computer

Choosing headphones for a computer is not difficult, and in general, headphones for a computer are the same as for any other equipment. But there are some nuances. If you are choosing headphones for gaming, then the best result can be achieved if you buy comfortable music headphones with good sound. Believe me, they will sound better in games, and in some cases much better than those headphones that manufacturers proudly call “gaming headphones.” In gaming headphones, the main emphasis is on low frequencies, quite often they are so strongly emphasized that the mids and highs fade into the background. This may seem impressive, but only for the first 5 minutes. If you play with these headphones for hours, your head and ears will very quickly get tired of such sound.

Also, gaming headphones are often equipped with a microphone and it also does not shine with quality. Yes, it will work, but you will get better quality speech recording from a lavalier microphone, which can be bought at any computer store for 200-400 rubles. It will not look so pretentious, but they will hear you better. Of course, there will always be an exception, and perhaps there are gaming headphones out there with an excellent microphone, but I haven’t held them in my hands yet.

Form factor: in-ear, overhead or monitor;
Frequency range: the wider the better, but not less than 20-20000 Hz. Please note that on many gaming headphones this range is narrower. This is because the main emphasis in them is on low frequencies, and not only do even those high and mid frequencies that the driver can reproduce fade into the background, but the manufacturer also configures the headphones in such a way that they have no headroom for high frequencies. frequencies for their correct reproduction;
Sensitivity: preferably at least 100 dB;
Resistance: from 16 to 32 Ohms. Depending on the sound card used in your computer, you can buy headphones with an impedance of up to 600 ohms. But this is possible if the instructions directly state support for such headphones. If you did not buy a separate sound card or do not know which card is installed in your computer, feel free to buy headphones with an impedance of up to 32 (50) Ohms maximum;
Power: for in-ear headphones, a power of 30-40 mW is sufficient, for over-ear headphones from 300 mW and above. However, remember that listening to loud sounds or music for just 5 minutes can have a very detrimental effect on your hearing, even to the point of irreversible damage. Please do not listen to headphones at full volume.

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