Like most other electronics, headphones of all shapes and sizes have flooded the market as well. Some headphones come with fancy designs, enticing colours, and cushy ear cups and headbands, while others come with small earpieces, light weight and minimalist construction. In this tug of war, the design and construction of the headphones may be the unique selling point which sometimes makes or breaks your purchase. However, the performance of the headphones and comfort while listening to music is what ultimately matters in the end. Because of the large varieties of audio equipment available in the market, choosing the best fit for you can be pretty daunting. So, here are the things to consider while buying good headphones without getting oversold by the pretty designs and fancy contours on the device.

Form factor, portability, and comfort

There are basically three types of headphones according to their landing position on the ears—In-Ear headphones, On-Ear headphones, and Over-Ear headphones.

In-Ears headphones, also known as In-Ear Monitors (IEMs) possess minimalist construction and are the most portable of all headphones. Each ear-bud fits into the ear canal, which are driven by small drivers. This type of headphones can be wrapped and stored quickly and effortlessly, because of which they have been the go-to headphones when travelling and commuting. IEMs are small in size and weight, so they are easy to carry around and are comfortable to use. In addition, they are generally inexpensive.

On-Ear or Supra-aural headphones are bigger than the In-Ear headphones and feature pads that go over the ears but do not cover them entirely. Since they do not cover the ears entirely, they are unable to cancel out noises and background sounds completely. Hence, they don’t really do the trick when you are in a noisy environment. Also, because these headphones sit on the ears and squish them, they generally can be quite uncomfortable when you use them for a long time.

Over-Ear headphones are little bulkier and usually cover the entire ear. They are designed with ear cups so that your ears fit snugly in them. Because of its construction, these headphones don’t squish your ears and they are comfortable to use. Furthermore, this type of headphone blocks out the noise and sounds in the backgrounds. Also, due to its closed configuration, they also generally block output sounds from escaping. However, these headphones are generally costliest of the bunch and are inconvenient to carry around on the go.

Controls and Pairing

As the name implies, wired headphones possess wires that pair it to the audio device through a 3.5mm headphone jack or a lightning jack. Another type of headphones that can be found in the market these days is the wireless kind. These headphones are cordless and are generally paired to audio devices via Bluetooth. The audio device and the headphones connect wirelessly via headphones if the distance between them doesn’t exceed the 10 to 30 metres benchmark.

Another thing to consider while purchasing headphones is the functionality of its control buttons. Those who need to keep changing their music, or play and pause quite often, should go for headphones which have designated buttons.

Wireless headphones have better portability over the wired ones and are more suitable for using outdoors or if you don’t want to lug your device around your room each time you move. However, wireless headphones lack the sound quality of its wired counterparts. Wireless headphones also have range and battery life issues and can possibly invite interferences from other devices.

Noise cancellation

Noise cancellation is another thing to consider while buying a headphone. Devices that do not cancel out noises can vastly alter your listening experience and if seamless audio is what you are after, noise cancellation is an absolute must.

For this purpose, over-ear headphones work fine most of the time and are quite efficient when it comes to isolating its output, while cancelling background noises. These headphones are able to do so because of their construction. They are good to some extent but are completely useless if the background sound is loud enough to penetrate the device. To avoid such scenarios, a special type of headphone can be found in the market, which comes equipped with active noise cancellation technology.

Active noise cancellation headphones are specially-designed headphones which use small microphones to pick up outside noises and produce noise in opposite frequency to suppress it. The technology does not work if the sound varies frequently as the microphone cannot pick up the sound and adjust to different frequencies in quick succession. But if the frequency of the noise is consistent, the device can suppress even loud droning sounds like airplanes, factory machineries, the hum of air-conditioners etc.

Active noise cancellation headphones are great if you want a peaceful listening experience and they can even prevent the damages to the eardrums in loud environments. They do, however, come at a price.

Check before you buy

People have their own preferences while buying products. Even in the case of headphones, some care about the bass and treble balance, while others do not. So, before making a purchase, know what you are looking for in the device and always test to see if they match your personal preference. Don’t just take the salesperson’s word for it, have them open up the packaging and test the device in person.

Wireless or Bluetooth headphones compress the sound during transmission. So, it is also wise to check the technology used on the headphones. For example, headphones with aptX technology are rich in audio quality and the sound output is more similar to CDs. However, for this technology to work, the audio devices need to be compatible to the aptX technology. It, therefore, is best if you go into the nitty-gritty before making your purchase. It will only save you the hassles later.

Budget

Expensive headphones are obviously alluring, but in the end you need to match your device to what you are willing to spend. If the quality of sound is of primary importance to you and you have an ample budget, opting for a premium device with best sound output and maximum comfort would be the key. But if you have a limited budget, a compromise has to be made between the quality, comfort and design.