Testing headphones online. Headphone comparison test: high-quality sound at home and on the go. Pink Floyd Essentials

We are often asked to recommend headphones “for the computer” - to sit, play, listen to music and not disturb anyone. We prepared for the test for a long time and thought about testing several available models, but somehow we got carried away and immediately collected 12 of the most interesting full-size headphones in four price categories - up to 1200, up to 2000, up to 3000 and up to 5000 rubles.

Organizing such a test turned out to be difficult: in each category we wanted to present only the best models on the market, but we physically could not listen to everything that was on sale. Therefore, only the masters of the audio industry were included in the list of favorites - Audio-Technica, JBL, Sennheiser and newbie Fischer Audio. Left behind are those for whom the main occupation is the production of mice or keyboards, and music is only an appendage to it.

The tests weren't easy either. It is possible to impartially assess the sound quality (headphones must cope with music, be frightening in games and work accurately in films), but it is more difficult to decide on design and wearing comfort. Everyone’s head is different, so the convenience of each model was assessed by several people at once - for objectivity.

Sennheiser HD 202

The first category is headphones up to 1200 rubles. It’s difficult to find decent sound for this money, because manufacturers of large headphones spend money on housing and large speakers. There is not enough money for everything, and there is too much slag on the market. Only Sennheiser stands out from the general background, saving on everything except sound.

Frame Sennheiser HD 202 used by many manufacturers: a long arch, right up to the ears, with hanging cups. The design cannot be called successful, but this way you can save on fastenings. The speakers cling to the arms like rails - with a simple plastic hinge. It looks ugly (the emitters dangle like crazy), but the position can be adjusted in three planes at once, so the HD 202 sits confidently on the head and does not press anywhere. You will have to get used to the ear pads: Sennheiser missed the mark with the size; the ear does not close completely, but is only covered halfway. You need to remove the headphones carefully - the cable is attached to two cups at once and clings to the chin.

The sound of the HD 202 surprised us, to put it mildly. The headphones play much cooler than you might think by looking at the price tag. The engineers spat on market standards and did not hide the shortcomings with strong bass. The HD 202 has dips in the midrange, and in difficult moments the sound sounds like it's coming from a barrel. But the headphones try to sound as smooth and assertive as possible. Sometimes you get the feeling that they are playing for the last time in their lives and are getting the most out of themselves. True, the lack of detail and accuracy cannot be helped, but this is a cost of the low price, and not Sennheiser’s fault.

Design: 5/10

Music: 5/10

Movies: 6/10

Games: 5/10

Price/quality: 9/10

Sennheiser HD 201

In the model range, HD 201 is lower than HD 202, but costs more and looks more solid. These are already full-fledged headphones of a standard design: the speakers do not dangle, the mounts extend out of the earpiece, and the ear pads completely cover the ear. The HD 201 fits well and does not fall off during sudden movements. But the quality of execution is still a problem. Like the HD 202, they are made of cheap plastic that will fall apart at any moment. The ear pads feel like they are made of hard paper: you will have to break them in for the first few days.

The sound of the HD 201 is reminiscent of the previous model: the same pressure and honesty, only the speakers sound duller, there is no richness that we saw in the HD 202. However, because of this, the headphones are easier to handle complex scenes - the first seconds are not swallowed.

If you choose between HD 202 and HD 201, then the latter are worth buying only because of their more thoughtful and attractive body, otherwise they pass in all respects.

Design: 3/10

Music: 4/10

Movies: 5/10

Games: 5/10

Price/quality: 7/10

The magic of numbers

Headphones have dozens of characteristics, but now we will tell you about the most important ones - those listed in the comparison table.

It's hard to say why ATH-SJ3 a third more expensive than HD 202. The materials are the same: cheap plastic and suspicious leatherette on the ear pads. The build quality, as they say, is honest. Drop it and the arm will crack, pull the wires harder and hello, soldering iron. A positive point is the folding design, which facilitates the transportation process, and also flexible customization: the speakers move freely in three planes. However, the wearing pleasure is questionable - the ear pads put too much pressure on the ears.

The ATH-SJ3 sound is ambiguous. In character they resemble Sennheiser products, but they play sharper. The guitar sounds evil, the vocals stand out well, and the drummer's work can be heard. Only at peak moments do the headphones give up and begin to wheeze. There is still a lack of detail; it is difficult to clearly distinguish the sound of one instrument. But in games, the pressure is right: shots sound juicy and powerful, the sounds are not split into separate components and create the desired effect of military operations.

Design: 4/10

Music: 4/10

Movies: 4/10

Games: 7/10

Price/quality: 7/10

Audio-Technica ATH-AD300

Let's move on to category number two - up to 2000 rubles. Surprisingly: I gave 1000 rubles on top - and it was as if I had switched from a domestic “five” to a good foreign car: the quality of finish, comfort and sound of the headphones increases significantly.

The very first model Audio-Technica ATH-AD300, amazes with its appearance and level of execution. Unlike flimsy “thousanders”, this is already a well-made device that you are not ashamed to show to your friends. The speakers are connected by a pair of thin metal arcs covered with rubber tubes. From expensive models, they brought here a head-mounting system: the headphones do not hang on the ear pads or arm, but rest on the top of the head with soft paws. The speakers are attached to the main structure through rods, which allows rotation in a vertical plane. The ear pads are cool, velvet is used instead of cheap leatherette. Of course, it collects dust and small hairs, but it is soft and pleasant to the touch. But there are no changes to the case material in this category - still the same cheap plastic, although thicker. The ATH-AD300 has a weak hold on the head, but it doesn’t strain it.

Unlike the ATH-SJ3, the more expensive model does not try to take on pressure or bass, but sounds balanced. In the ATH-AD300, you begin to recognize the small details of the composition, the nuances of extraction, the ideas of the sound engineer, the timbre of the voice, and the like. The headphones swing quickly in difficult scenes, cope well with high frequencies and honestly display the bass component. There are some mid-range overlays; the guitar can get lost in the general background, but for a device costing 1,900 rubles, this is forgivable. In addition, these are open-back headphones, and therefore they have a very beautiful stereo image. At first you can’t even believe that the sound isn’t coming from the speakers, it’s so voluminous and airy. The ATH-AD300 is a joy to play, and good source positioning can save your virtual life. Only people around will not like the openness of the structure: there is no sound insulation.

Design: 6/10

Music: 7/10

Movies: 6/10

Games: 7/10

Price/quality: 10/10

Fischer Audio FA-004

Company Fischer Audio founded in 2006 and is now actively making its way into the audio market. At one time, we underestimated the potential of this company and today we will correct ourselves: headphones from Fischer Audio will enter the competition in two price categories at once.

The model was the first to be tested FA-004. In terms of performance quality, it outperforms the ATH-AD300. Like its competitor, the arm of the FA-004 is made of two thin metal arches, completely covered with soft leatherette. The speakers are housed in a casing made of soft-touch plastic that is pleasant to the touch. Accurate assembly - no play or loose parts.

It is difficult to customize the FA-004. The design allows for the cups to move only in one plane - up and down, so you have to wait until the metal arch bends to the shape of your head.

The headphones sound about the same as they look - collected. Good rich bass, pleasant highs, there is a dip in the mid frequencies, but it's not scary. The only thing that is sorely lacking is detail. Without it, a smooth sound is more detrimental than beneficial - but it would be necessary to add some zest and disguise budget speakers. True, the FA-004 has an undeniable advantage: they don’t care what kind of music you like, they are great for listening to both pop and classics.

Design: 7/10

Music: 6/10

Movies: 5/10

Games: 8/10

Price/quality: 9/10

Sennheiser HD 438

Headphones HD 438 atypical for the budget Sennheiser line. We are already accustomed to the fact that the company tries to save money and, first of all, puts the design under the knife. An exception was made for HD 438. The headphones resemble a sports car. The cups are decorated with mirrored discs, and the stands are curved as if the speakers are trying to break away and go wherever their eyes look.

After the first listen, there was a strong feeling that we had been deceived somewhere. On the player COWON S9 The headphones sounded quietly and managed to wheeze in particularly intense passages. With the built-in sound card the story was the same. Only with high quality DAC from Burr-Brown The headphones paid off a bit. The sound became cleaner, pronounced highs and pleasant lows appeared, but still our HD 438 did not reach the level of the ATH-AD300 and FA-004.

We already wanted to replace the HD 438 with something more interesting, we even contacted suppliers, but we made an effort and tried the headphones in other directions. To begin with, we turned on the film - and were ready to take our hats off to Sennheiser: these are one of the few headphones with which it is pleasant to watch a movie.

The fact is that headphones tuned to music distort people’s voices, put background music first and highlight recording flaws too much in compressed files. In the Sennheiser HD 438, one gets the impression that the sound is coming from ordinary speakers: people’s voices are clear and not overloaded with excessive “musicality”. Considering the lightness of the design and the softness of the velvet ear pads, you can spend more than one hour in them. So if you like to watch a couple of episodes of your favorite TV series at night or arrange protracted battles in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, then HD 438 will be an excellent choice.

Design: 7/10

Music: 4/10

Movies: 9/10

Games: 8/10

Price/quality: 6/10

What's inside

A speaker is a converter of electrical energy into mechanical energy. Its main task is to create air vibrations. To do this, a special membrane (diffuser) made of paper, Kevlar or any other flexible material is placed in the emitter. To set it in motion, a magnetic coil is fixed in the middle with contacts connected to it, through which a sound signal is sent. A permanent magnet is placed around the coil or slightly behind it, creating a magnetic field.

A current is supplied from the player or sound card to the coil, which creates a constantly changing own magnetic field on it. Interacting with the magnetic field, the coil begins to move and drags along the membrane, causing air vibrations.

To understand this better, imagine a bathtub filled with water and a float floating in it. The water in the bath is a permanent magnet field that holds the float (coil). If you pull the float (apply current to the coil), it will move in the water and cause its surface to vibrate, and from the surface of the water the vibrations will be transmitted to the air.

Audio-Technica ATH-M30

In the range of up to 3,000 rubles, the most difficult thing is to find headphones that differ from the “two-thousander” ones not only in appearance. Too often, manufacturers forget about sound and spend money on packaging, materials and design. And it turns out the same as for 2000 rubles, but in a beautiful wrapper.

Audio-Technica has a different approach. It’s hard to even imagine right off the bat that ATH-M30 are more expensive than ATH-AD300. The plastic is the same, the speaker mounts are loose, and the ear pads are made of weak leatherette, which will peel off in a year and require replacement. True, the ATH-M30 fits well on the head. They can’t withstand sudden movements, but they don’t put pressure either.

You forget about the design flaws after the first listen. We don’t know to whom the Audio-Technica engineers sold their souls, but their headphones sound charming. They can handle absolutely any style of music. The speakers seem to gather their will into a fist and blast music at you with such pressure that it seems as if your favorite band is performing right in front of you. The sound is so rich at all frequencies that you don’t even want to look for flaws. And we couldn’t do without them: headphones sometimes like to add bass where there is none, or bring to the surface what should have sounded like background. But if you have nothing to compare with, you won’t even notice it.

Design: 6/10

Music: 8/10

Movies: 5/10

Games: 9/10

Price/quality: 10/10

JBL ROXY Reference 430

It’s somehow impossible to take headphones with an orange headband and bright pink cups seriously. But in vain, because they are made with high quality. All design elements fit neatly together and are significantly superior to the ATH-M30. The ear pads and the inside of the headband are covered with soft velor and pleasantly fit your head. The only negative: the cable is attached to both speakers at once, and it’s difficult to remove ROXY Reference 430 uncomfortable.

We never expected decent sound from the JBL ROXY Reference 430, but the headphones perform at the level of the ATH-M30: the same powerful and assertive sound, excellent processing of high and mid frequencies. True, there is even more bass here than in Audio-Technica, and it is still just as vague.

Design: 10/10

Music: 8/10

Movies: 4/10

Games: 9/10

Price/quality: 10/10

Sennheiser HD 555

Sennheiser HD 555- the second open headphones in our test. They are made to last: high-quality plastic, nice design, soft covering of the arms, velor ear pads. They fit tightly on the head and do not fall off even with sudden movements; Due to the openness of the design, they practically do not strain the ears.

The sound of the HD 555 can be described in one word - beautiful. The headphones do not have the pressure of the ATH-M30 or ROXY Reference 430: they play softly and airily. The stage and the location of the instruments are perfectly felt. At first, many will be confused by the quiet low frequencies, but due to this, the HD 555 has honest and beautiful bass.

The lack of pressure sometimes spoils the sound and will not appeal to fans of heavy and fast music, but otherwise the HD 555 is beyond praise. If you want beautiful, calm, and most importantly honest sound, then these headphones are definitely worth at least listening to.

Design: 9/10

Music: 9/10

Movies: 5/10

Games: 7/10

Price/quality: 9/10

Fischer Audio FA-003

It’s worth getting into the price range of 3,500 rubles if you’ve already heard enough about cheap models, bought a good sound card and have a clear idea of what you want to get. It is quite possible that even headphones bought for 25,000 rubles will sound terrible to you. After all, station wagons are no longer held in high esteem here, and models are tailored to suit certain trends in music.

Fischer Audio FA-003 involuntarily evoke respect. All plastic parts are made of soft touch material, the rim is made of a metal strip and wrapped in soft leatherette. Huge cups are decorated with metal inserts. The genuine leather ear pads fit snugly to the head and leave a decent amount of space between the ear and the speaker. The only negative is that FA-003 is a bit hot in the summer.

The main feature of the headphones is the emulation of the airiness of open structures. The sound from Fischer Audio turned out to be spacious, but with all the features of closed models. The little details of the game do not spread across a wide stage, but are concentrated on you. The FA-003 play both mid and high frequencies decently, but they overstate the bass a little. Fans of electronic music will like this (the highs won't cut in as much), but fans of rock music will find it unusual.

Design: 8/10

Music: 9/10

Movies: 5/10

Games: 8/10

Price/quality: 8/10

Difficulty of choice

Choosing headphones based on characteristics is the most ignoble task, so it’s best to go and listen to them in a store. Before your trip, we recommend that you bring your favorite songs with you to accurately assess whether the headphones will suit your style of music. When you come to the store, try to listen to all the headphones in the selected price range.

While listening, pay attention to how the headphones sit on your head. Keep in mind that if the headband is tight or uncomfortable on your ears, this will not change later. Of course, the headband frame can take the shape of your head over time and become more comfortable, but this is rather an exception to the rule.

When choosing a store to buy headphones, it is best to go to specialized stores with competent consultants and equipped listening areas: there they will let you listen to any headphones on high-quality equipment.

Sony MDR-XB700

Headphones Sony- rare guests in our magazine, their prices are too high. But MDR-XB700- a pleasant exception. The headphones look simple and somehow very cozy, the huge leather ear pads just beg you to quickly press them to your ears. The head in the MDR-XB700 is very good.

But the MDR-XB700's sound isn't for everyone. The headphones are part of the Extra Bass series, and there really is a lot of bass here. Despite the fact that the speakers cope well with the entire frequency range, the overstated bass creeps in from all the cracks and hides everything else. Thus, the headphones rather try not to convey each instrument individually, but rather to demonstrate the overall emotional picture of the composition. Of course, you won’t listen to orchestral music in them, but electronic music or even rock will do. So if you are not a fan of nuances and just want to do your business while listening to music, then the MDR-XB700 will be a good choice.

Design: 10/10

Music: 7/10

Movies: 5/10

Games: 9/10

Price/quality: 9/10

Sennheiser HD 280 Pro

iser. They appeared in our magazine a year and a half ago and earned “Editor's Choice”. Compared to its competitors, the HD 280 Pro looks like an ugly duckling: unlike Sony and Fischer-Audio, Sennheiser did not spend money on expensive plastic or metal. The body and headband of the HD 280 Pro are made of rough black plastic and thick rubber, and the ear pads are made of leatherette. The headphones cannot boast of the softness of the MDR-XB700 and FA-003, and the pressure on the head of the HD 280 Pro is decent.

But the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro sounds far from worth its money. This class of sound is usually found in headphones priced from 7000-8000 rubles. The character of the HD 280 Pro was somewhat reminiscent of the ATH-M30: energetic, lively, and well-positioned sources. Only due to the higher quality speakers, Sennheiser did not have to increase the volume of low frequencies. Even without this, headphones can display all the work of the drummer and bass player. After all, their main trump card is the evenness of sound and detail of each instrument. Many people may not like this: not everyone is ready to perceive music as it is. But if you spend at least a day or two with the HD 280 Pro, you definitely won’t want to part with them.

To confirm our words, here’s a fact: the headphones are so good that Sennheiser is starting to discontinue them. It turns out that with such a price-quality ratio, they hinder the sales of more expensive models. So we recommend you hurry up.

Design: 7/10

Music: 10/10

Movies: 7/10

Games: 7/10

Price/quality: 10/10

* * *

According to the test results, we have two pairs of headphones in the lead. We give first place to the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro - they sound great, and everything is in order with reliability. Second place goes to Audio-Technica ATH-M30. They may not look very good, but in terms of sound level they work out their price 100%. Third place is shared by the ATH-AD300 and Fischer Audio FA-004. If you're not afraid to disturb others, then the model from Audio-Technica will amaze you with airy sound and save your budget. If the peace of mind of your loved ones is valuable to you, then the proven sound of the FA-004 will be a good choice. And we don’t recommend looking at headphones in the category below 1200 rubles.

Table 1

Headphone Specifications
Headphone model	Noise insulation	Ear pad type	Frequency range, Hz	Resistance, Ohm	Sensitivity, dB	Cable length, m	Weight, g	Price for August 2010, rubles
Sennheiser HD 202	closed	supraaural	18-18 000	32	115	3	130	800
Sennheiser HD 201	closed	circumaural	21-18 000	24	108	3	165	700
Audio-Technica ATH-SJ3	closed	supraaural	10-23 000	32	114	1,2	135	1200
Audio-Technica ATH-AD300	open	circumaural	20-25 000	32	96	3	250	1900
Fischer Audio FA-004	closed	circumaural	20-20 000	32	104	1,25	280	1900
Sennheiser HD 438	closed	circumaural	17-22 500	32	112	1,4 and 3 (removable)	194	1900
Audio-Technica ATH-M30	closed	circumaural	20-20 000	65	100	3,4	200	2700
JBL ROXY Reference 430	closed	circumaural	20-20 000	32	91	1,25	145	2800
Sennheiser HD 555	open	circumaural	15-28 000	50	112	3	260	2700
Fischer Audio FA-003	closed	circumaural	10-26 500	64	105	3	280	5000
Sony MDR-XB700	closed	circumaural	3-28 000	24	106	1,2	295	4500
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro	closed	circumaural	8-25 000	64	102	1-3 (twisted)	220	4000

Table 2

Headphone model	Pros	Cons
Sennheiser HD 202	. good sound low price	bad materials swing for a long time weak fastenings
Sennheiser HD 201	nice design	bad materials bad ear pads solid cable
Audio-Technica ATH-SJ3	glossy plastic foldable design	loose cable connection case too thin
Audio-Technica ATH-AD300	great sound nice design velvet ear pads	bad materials no sound insulation
Fischer Audio FA-004	thick sound excellent materials don't fly off	no flexible customization high price
Sennheiser HD 438	great for movies almost not felt on the head nice design	don't work well with music flimsy design overpriced
Audio-Technica ATH-M30	great sound	flimsy design bad materials
JBL ROXY Reference 430	good sound original design	too much bass
Sennheiser HD 555	transparent sound good positioning thoughtful design	no sound insulation sometimes there is not enough pressure
Fischer Audio FA-003	balanced sound thoughtful design good materials	overkill with low frequencies high price
Sony MDR-XB700	original design very soft ear pads	too much bass for some
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro	great sound reliable design	ugly design simple materials put a lot of pressure on the head

A microphone is an important part of any modern gadget. It becomes especially popular when it is necessary to communicate via Skype or when recording audio. It’s good if it’s already built into the device, but sometimes it’s much more convenient to purchase this auxiliary item separately, for example, bundled with headphones. This will allow you to hear your interlocutor, talk to him and at the same time create a minimum of inconvenience for others. In order to understand how the kit works and check the correctness of its operation, just connect headphones with a microphone to the connector located on the computer.

There are the following main verification methods:

using the Windows operating system;
recording sound;
via Skype;
online.

Using standard Windows tools

For Windows 7 The check is done like this.

In the control panel you should find the “sound” tab, and in it “recording”.
Find the connected equipment and make sure there is a checkmark in the green circle (the device is working). It also checks to see if there is a sound bar when talking into the microphone. If there is a reaction, then it works.
Having selected the desired device, you should click its properties and in the first tab (general) make sure that there is a controller, and also that the input into which the device is connected is activated.
Additionally, you need to open the “listen” tab and click on “listen from this device.”
After the point above, the required device is indicated and it is checked whether there is sound after recording.

The audio scale should work when checking the microphone

On Windows 10:

It is worth knowing that in this tab you can adjust the sound so that in the event of a call, the volume of a movie, music or other content will automatically decrease and will not interfere with the conversation.

Recording sound

Recording audio will also help you check the microphone on your headphones. In order to do this, you need to go to “Start”, select “Standard Programs”, “Record Sound” and in the window that opens click on “Start Recording”. After this, we make a recording and save the resulting file in any convenient place. By opening the file, you can listen to the sound and its quality both through headphones and speakers.

Via Skype

Another very convenient way to check your headset is to do it via Skype, no matter whether you use this application in real life or not. You can do an express version of the check, or you can spend a little more time. In the first case, just select any contact from your address book and click on the “Data on communication quality” item. In the window that opens, you need to select your microphone option and click the “Test” button; after a few moments of recording, the resulting audio will be played back.

In addition to the above option, you can dial through a special call recording quality check service. To do this, select “Echo/Sound Test Service” and make a call. The recording lasts 8-10 seconds and plays back after a while. Naturally, in order to use this option, you need Internet access.

You can also adjust the volume in Skype. This is done through the controls, which are switched from automatic settings by default to manual mode (uncheck the “Automatic adjustment” box), after which you can set all the necessary parameters yourself. It’s better to do this right during a conversation with one of your friends.

Online check

For those who do not like built-in verification utilities, there is an alternative - online verification.

The browser asks you to “check your microphone online.”
Next, you should find the voice recording enable button.
Sometimes the service asks for permission to process data; if this is the case, then it should be granted.
The last stage of the test is to talk into the microphone and see the service rating about the quality of the connection.

Online microphone test service

These simple methods will help you check the operation of your working set of headphones and microphone in order to understand whether it is suitable for further use or not. As you can see, the check will not take much time, and you can easily handle it yourself.

Why is the microphone not working?

If the headset's microphone stops transmitting sound, the failure may be caused by a physical breakdown or software errors.

Hardware faults:

cable is broken;
the socket in the PC is faulty;
defective accessory;
The device is not turned on on the control panel.

Software malfunctions may be of the following nature.

If the accessory is connected to the front panel of the PC, you should check the assignment of the ports. By default, the microphone is connected to the pink jack.
There are no current drivers, or none at all.
Conflict between applications. If one program uses a microphone to record voice, it may block it for other software.
Sound card malfunction. The card may be forcibly disabled in Windows, or it may be prohibited from using external devices.

Many people don't even realize that headphones can sound better than speakers. Most often we use cheap earbuds for the player, or “professional headphones” from companies specializing in the production of refrigerators. Having become accustomed to cheap Chinese headphones, it’s hard to believe that expensive headphones can provide very high-quality sound. Yes, they cost money - and sometimes a lot. But even if you don't know the difference between a diatonic scale and a dominant seventh chord, your head will still thank you for your good musical equipment.

Want to build a real hi-fi system, but don't have three thousand dollars for an amplifier and Lebanese cedar speakers with diamond tweeters? What if we tell you that a tenth of this amount is enough to join the elite club of music lovers? Don't believe me? Meet Their Majesties Headphones! The natural choice of a reasonable individualist.

A little theory

The first acoustic speakers were created in the 1930s for the needs of sound cinema, but headphones appeared much earlier - along with the telephone and radio. Small “headphones” sing only for you, which is very important when your elderly neighbor gets tired of using his hearing aid and turns on the TV at full blast. Good headphones for a thousand rubles play like speakers three times more expensive. This is explained by the “collection” of their bass (the speakers resonate, breaking up into soft and hard), as well as the relative simplicity of their design.

Which ear is it buzzing in?

The stereo sound in the headphones is completely unnatural. When some of the music starts going into only one ear, it feels like you've suddenly gone deaf in the other. Stereo effects are one of the causes of headaches when listening to music through headphones for a long time. Binaural recordings that use differences in sound pressure levels and the spectral composition of acoustic signals to create realistic spatial sensations could theoretically turn headphones into the head office of Carnegie Hall, but they have not achieved mass distribution.

Before purchasing, headphones (like speakers) need to be listened to. Their ergonomics are as individual as their sound quality. Even if you find headphones that play exactly the way you need, don't rush to remove them. Do the temples put pressure on your head? Do your ears sweat? Are the ear pads too tight? Keep in mind that even the most comfortable headphones will only provide you with a few hours of comfortable listening - you won't be able to do without breaks.

Another pitfall of headphones is their volume. For most models it can exceed 100 decibels, which is extremely dangerous for hearing. Even in the absence of unpleasant sensations, you should avoid listening to loud soundtracks on headphones, because it is very difficult to feel their harm: the sound level seems acceptable, angry neighbors do not knock on your wall, and health consequences will occur only after a series of similar listening sessions.

Useful information

Models with average (from 50 to 120 Ohms) impedance are suitable for portable devices and conventional sound cards, but without a separate amplifier they will be a mess: they will “swallow” some instruments and play too quietly. For high-impedance headphones, an amplifier (powerful transformer or fashionable tube) is simply a must.
Twisted wires are an anachronism. Straight ones are much more convenient, since they do not tend to “fold” to their original position. Claims about the phenomenal acoustic properties of oxygen-free copper are a blatant marketing ploy. Respectable companies don’t even mention it in their instructions.
Headphones, like speakers, need to be “warmed up”. After 200-300 hours of use, they will reveal all their capabilities, and you will start listening to your entire home audio collection again.
The standard bandwidth (frequency range with a fairly uniform frequency response) of modern headphones - from 20 to 20,000 Hz - approximately corresponds to the extreme thresholds of human hearing.
The higher the sensitivity of the headphones, the louder they play. The sensitivity of good headphones fluctuates around 100 dB.

Isolation from society

Open headphones do not isolate you from external noise, or those around you from your music, but they make it lighter and more “transparent” (due to bass leakage). Closed models cut off some of the sounds coming into and leaving the headphones, and also provide stronger bass (which is not always desirable). Compromise option - headphones half open type. There are models with active noise reduction. The built-in microphone catches external noise, the processor reverses its phase and sends it along with the music to the speakers; at the output, “anti-noise” encounters the noise and partially dampens it.

And now the hunchback!

Unlike speakers, the frequency response (amplitude-frequency response) graph of headphones should not be flat. Many models have a slight “hump” in the range from 40 to 500 Hz (compensation for their naturally weak bass), and to reduce the high-frequency “hump” due to the proximity of the speakers to the ears, a slight decline of 8-10 decibels is required in the range from 1 to 20 kHz.

The strong "blip" at about 10 kHz is caused primarily by the acoustic properties of the human ear, the bends and folds of which dampen sound reflections. A palisade of peaks or a flat “platform” above 3 kHz indirectly indicates that headphones tend to “color” the sound. On the contrary, a series of shallow dips at frequencies from 2 to 8 kHz indicates its naturalness. As for the harmonic distortion graph, the ideal option is a flat “base” and several peaks that fade towards the upper frequencies.

One of the most expensive headphones: Stax SR-007 Omega II. 85,000 rub.

Name Rule

Monitor (studio) headphones are used for work in studios and reproduce sound as honestly as possible, with all its shortcomings. A good sign of pro-headphones is an impedance of 120 Ohms and higher. Regular hi-fi headphones “embellish” the music, making it louder, bassier or ringier. You should not buy “monitors” for home entertainment. Their dry and boring sound will disappoint you.

Recently, studio headphones have begun to move further and further away from monitor headphones, flavoring the sound with frequency “spices”. Manufacturers are expanding their presence in the amateur headphone market by adapting professional models for household needs. The prefixes Monitor, Studio or Pro in the names of such toys look about as logical as the “knuckle bar” with a winch on a Lexus.

In the world of headphones, brand really matters. Don't waste your money on expensive headphones from multimedia companies. Even cheap products from reputable manufacturers ( AKG , Audio-Technica , Beyerdynamic , Fostex , Grado , Sennheiser ) is head and shoulders above most top-end Genius or Logitech models. And remember the magic “rule of names”: the best mid-range headphones in the world are made by German companies.

Top class

At the forefront of science today are electrostatic “ear loudspeakers” and Hale emitter headphones. Don't be confused by the fact that these products look like props from Star Wars. Electrostatic headphones feature a lightweight diaphragm that vibrates within an electric field. They play quieter, but much more detailed than conventional speakers. Hale's airflow converters are similar to a foil accordion driven by a powerful neodymium magnet (due to this design, air movement is five times faster than the movement of the membrane, which provides the headphones with excellent sensitivity).

These types of headphones have a bandwidth of 5 to 50,000 Hz (beyond the sensitivity of our hearing) and reproduce sounds that even premium speakers cannot handle. Harmonic distortion tends to zero, and prices tend to four or five zeros.

Parade-alley!

AKG Acoustics has become famous throughout the world for its excellent studio microphones. All AKG products are still manufactured in Austria (and not in China, like many other reputable manufacturers).

The K271S model is the direct successor to the legendary K240/270 series of headphones, which have become the industry standard for sound monitoring and have been used in most studios around the world for almost 20 years. However, the Studio console was issued to K271, as they say, with his fingers crossed behind his back. They are not suitable for monitoring, since they make the highs very “airy”, and the low-frequency spectrum is colored thanks to patented technology Varimotion(thickening at the edges of the double-layer membranes of the speakers gives a juicy and very delicate bass). Their “studio quality” lies only in the automatic mute system - so that when you remove the headphones from your head, it does not get into the microphone.

This is exactly the rare case when headphones can be taken without prior listening. The headphones are cool. Stylish, lightweight, and with a self-adjusting flexible arm that can be tied in a knot if desired, these headphones will fit perfectly on any head size. The only “but” is that the ears in the AKG K271 Studio (as in most other closed headphones) sweat a lot.

Verdict: The best value for money closed-back headphones on the market. Acoustic, practical, gut.

Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro- a relatively new model from a very famous German company. Audiophile headphones with clean, neat and detailed sound, champions in bass weight. At the same time, the bass does not thump separately from the rest of the music - vocals are heard well, mid and high frequencies retain detail and transparency. Everything is as it should be.

The design is classic: aluminum arms, massive “cups”, headbands made of delicate velor fabric. The downforce, according to the passport data, is exactly 3 N. This is not much. But the pressure of the ear pads on the auricle is very noticeable and causes discomfort when worn for a long time - from time to time the ears have to take a break.

Verdict: if catharsis can be bought with money, then its starting price is 7,000 rubles. Proven by Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro.

Verdict: Great headphones, but overall the Grado brand is a little overpriced. The halo of “elitism” that hovers over it does not correspond to the real state of affairs.

Freedom always comes at a price. In the case of radio headphones - sound quality. Wireless models obviously play worse than wired ones, this is an axiom. If you want to kill two birds with one stone - wires and radio interference - then you should start with at least AKG K506 AFC. Despite the impressive weight, these headphones are very comfortable. The same technologies are used here as in the AKG K271S, but the sound quality is objectively worse - primarily due to the background hum of the radio path, which interferes with listening to quiet compositions.

The stated range of 100 meters is marketing lies. The K506AFC covers an ordinary apartment without any problems, but radio interference awaits you on the landing.

Verdict: Hegel would have loved these headphones. With them, everything that is reasonable is real, and everything that is real is reasonable. Cheaper - only worse. More expensive is not always better.

In-ear headphones with quality sound? Yes. Do musicians use them on stage? No. For real pros, there are “micro-monitors” - for example, the older model UE-10 Pro at a price of about 27,000 rubles. In our case, we have smooth midrange frequencies and a crystal clear top (instead of a conventional speaker there is a so-called “reinforcement radiator” - a ferromagnetic plate that vibrates in a magnetic field and affects the diaphragm). If you are uncomfortable wearing regular arc headphones on the street and looking like Darth Vader, take a closer look at super. fi 3.

Verdict: The headphones are good. They outperform all closed models in today's test - with the exception that super.fi 3 lacks bass.

* * *

In the last issue we talked about speakers that sell for the price of a Porsche Cayenne. To continue this analogy, headphones are like racing motorcycles. One pilot, minimal comfort, but the feeling is indescribable. And most importantly, good headphones are much cheaper than a motorcycle. Ride them and you will feel like the king of music tracks.

Computer peripherals include a huge number of modern gadgets that allow you to play, listen to music and communicate without leaving your home. Such devices include gaming headphones with microphone, headsets, which are “2 in 1” products. Due to the large selection of different models of accessories, many users often encounter counterfeits or gadgets that are simply difficult to use. Most often, the problem is that the computer or laptop does not see the microphone from the headphones, although the “ears” themselves reproduce sound tracks well.

Before blaming the manufacturer for a defective product, you should make sure that the headset really does not work. The easiest way to carry out such a check is to use an online service.

Checking headphones and microphone online

Before you get into the wilds of your PC, you should check your headphones online using any free service. The best and simplest of them is the resource.

Once on the main page of the site, you can check for free any communication and playback devices connected to your computer or laptop. Here you can not only check your headphones online, but also your webcams and microphone.

To check the recording device, just click on “Test microphone” in the upper right part of the screen. After that, you need to click the green button in the center of the window and start talking. If you see sound fluctuations, it means the device is working correctly and the problem lies in your PC settings.

Reasons for a microphone not working

There can be many reasons why a microphone may not work, ranging from the most trivial. For example, if before turning on the microphone on the headphones, you did not move the corresponding slider on the device itself. The fact is that now many headset models have begun to be made not only with a volume control, but also with a button responsible for the operation of the microphone.

It is also quite possible that:

Drivers are missing

If you have configured your headphones, but after that you only hear silence, then most likely the problem lies in incorrectly installed or missing sound card drivers.

To test this “theory” you need to go to “Start” - “Control Panel” - “Device Manager”. In the window that opens, find the line “Sound, gaming and video devices” and double-click on this inscription with the left mouse button to get an expanded list. If you do not find your video card in this list or it is displayed as an unknown device, then you need to download drivers from the website of the manufacturer of the motherboard installed on your computer or laptop.

The microphone is not connected to the PC correctly

If, after checking your headphones, you notice that they have sound, but the microphone does not work, then you may have simply connected it to the wrong jack. When it comes to a single-plug headset or USB devices, it’s hard to go wrong. But, in the case of “ears” that are equipped with two plugs, you can get confused.

The microphone, like headphones, is always connected to the sound card in the appropriate sockets. The “ears” must be plugged into the green connector, and the microphone into the pink “plug”. Typically, this color combination works on all laptops.

Healthy! If you are connecting a headset to a laptop, there will be no such prompts, but next to each jack you will find a small icon representing a microphone or headphones.

Settings are wrong

Quite often you have to connect the microphone yourself in the settings of Windows itself. If you don’t know how to check the microphone on Windows 7 or XP headphones, then right-click on the image of the small speaker in the lower right corner of the screen and select “Recording devices” from the drop-down list.

In the window that opens, you should see a connected microphone and a “twitching” green equalizer that shows the sound level. If there is no device or the equalizer is not active, then first right-click anywhere in this window and select “Show disabled devices.” After this, you will see all disabled accessories. If your microphone is among them, then right-click on its name and select “Enable”.

After this, you need to go to the “Properties” of the microphone and make sure that:

In the “Listen” tab, automatic microphone mute is not enabled if the laptop is running on battery power.
In the Levels menu, the top slider is not set to the minimum value.

Microphone connected to the front panel of the PC

On many desktop computers, the front panel of the system unit has duplicate headphone jacks and volume controls. However, these elements do not always work correctly, and in some situations manufacturers even install them as “decoration”.

To understand this problem, you need to open the settings of the installed video card and find a switch in them that is responsible for different operating modes (for example: AC97 and HD Audio). Try changing these modes and check the microphone again, and then try switching it to the rear panel and repeat the experience.

This setting can also be made through the BIOS. To do this, restart your computer and at this time press the Delete button (or another depending on the laptop model) several times. Once in the BIOS, go to the “Front panel” menu and change the AC97 and HD Audio values.

In conclusion

When using headphones with a microphone, try to disconnect the device only by the plug, and not by pulling the wires. Do not allow the headset to get wet and update the drivers if you reinstall Windows. If none of the above methods for correcting errors of a non-working microphone helped you, then it is quite possible that the device has failed or is completely defective.

When connecting a headset to a computer, you may need to check the quality of our microphone. We can use Skype-level programs for this, as well as a variety of network services specifically designed to test the functionality of our device. In this material, I will tell you how to check the operation of a microphone on headphones online, and what network tools will help us with this.

Options for testing microphone performance and quality

Online microphone testing services can have two main forms of implementation:

Working with these test tools is simple, intuitive, and can be recommended to any user. When going to such a resource, do not forget to enable and also allow the service access to your microphone by clicking on the “Allow” button, otherwise the functionality of such services will simply be useless.

Best Ways to Test the Microphone on Headphones

Let's move on to the list of services that allow you to study the operation of a microphone on the Internet online.

Webcammictest.com

The first of the services I want to talk about today is webcammictest.com. This service makes it easy to perform a microphone test for free, has a Russian-language interface, and can be recommended to any user. If you need to fix this, follow the list of actions at the link.

To work with it, do the following:

Online-voice-recorder.com - test for operation and noise

The online-voice-recorder.com service is an international project with Russian localization in the form of an online voice recorder that will allow you to record sound from your microphone, and then listen to what was recorded online.

To work with a resource, do the following:

Mictest.ru will help you diagnose your microphone

Another Russian-language service for online microphone testing. Working with it is no different from other services of this plan:

Onlinemictest.com

The onlinemictest.com service works in a similar way to the resources of this plan. The only difference is the English-language nature of this site, which, however, will not cause any special problems even for people not familiar with the language of Shakespeare.

speakpipe.com

Well, the last test service for working with a microphone online, which I want to talk about, is the speakpipe.com service. This tool has an English-language interface and works on a similar principle to the online-voice-recorder.com service, allowing you to first record any audio segment from a microphone, and then listen to the sound quality (you can check it not only on desktop PCs, but also on mobile devices).

To work with the service, do the following:

Conclusion

Online checking of a purchased or used microphone on headphones can be performed using the services I described above. All of them are extremely easy to implement, and can be recommended to any users who want to test the operation and quality of the microphone.