A very common question when buying headphones is whether it is better to opt for earphones or better to opt for over-ear headphones. In this article we will talk about the most important characteristics of each of them , in this way you will have it much easier when choosing.
In-ear headphones and headband headphones are radically different , it is something that is obvious, and that greatly affects their operation and the sound they are capable of offering. Choosing headphones is a fairly complex process, especially if we are going to buy a high-end model with a high price.
If we choose the wrong model for the use that we are going to give it, we will have to settle for a very poor user experience , lower than what we would achieve by choosing a headset of the correct type for our use, but much cheaper. Next we will talk about the most important characteristics of each of the types of headphones.
Headband Headphones
Over-ear headphones have been around for a long time , in fact they appeared before WWII, so it's a technology that has had plenty of time to mature.
We all have in mind the design of this type of headphones, with a large headband that is placed on the head, and that joins the two cups that make up the headphones. The glasses is the place where the speakers are installed, which will be responsible for reproducing the sound.
These headphones have very important advantages, the first being the possibility of mounting large speakers, many manufacturers put speakers that reach a diameter of up to 60 mm. The larger a loudspeaker, the more capacity it will have to reproduce a wide range of sound frequencies , especially the lower tones.
The other advantage is the great wearing comfort that these headphones provide. The headband makes them fit over the head, so they will never fall off unless we jump and jump with headphones on.
Another aspect that helps to achieve great comfort is the padding that is mounted in the headband area and on the domes, making them very soft on our head and our ears. Therefore, they are ideal headphones to use for many hours .
These headphones can be of different types:
- Supraural : In these models the headset rests directly on the ear. Their advantage is that they offer a more natural sound, although they are less comfortable to use.
- Circumaural : In this case, the ear is surrounded by the external padding of the headphones. This creates a kind of resonance box that boosts the lower frequencies. The downside is that they are hotter, so in summer you can get to sweat a lot with them.
Some examples of the best headband headphones are the Motorola Escape 500 ANC.
In-ear earphone
In-ear headphones are much newer than over- ear headphones . The main difference with the previous ones is that their size is much smaller, in fact, they are designed to be placed inside the ear, so they must be really small.
The very small size of these headphones already imposes a first limitation, since it will not be possible to mount large speakers . We won't find in-ear headphones with speakers larger than 10mm, and we're being quite generous.
This means that they are headphones with a much lower power, although it must be borne in mind that they are much closer to the ear , so the power required to listen to them is radically less than in the headband. An in-ear headphones with the power of a headband would make our ears and heads explode, literally.
However, such a small speaker size does have a very important limitation, the range of frequencies they can reproduce. In-ear headphones have many limitations when it comes to reproducing the lowest tones.
Another major limitation they have is comfort. Having headphones tucked into the ear canal can be quite annoying , especially if their design doesn't fit well in your ears. This makes it quite tedious to wear them for hours, not forgetting that they can fall off frequently.
The last of its disadvantages is that the solders on the cables can be of poor quality , causing them to stop working in no time. This does not usually happen in high-end models, but it is frequent in economic ones.
Your advantage? That they are very small and discreet . They are ideal headphones to use on the street or carry them inside the backpack without taking up hardly any space.
In-ear headphones have evolved a lot, it is possible to find models with very different characteristics . We can buy models wireless without cable, wireless with cable, with Bluetooth or NFC technology, with ear hooks… the variety is immense.
As an example of good in-ear headphones we have the Xiaomi Mi True Wireless.
So which one do I buy?
To answer this question you must first clarify what use you are going to give them. If you want headphones to use at home the answer is very clear, opt for a headband model that will be better in everything. Better sound quality, more comfort, more durable ... Headband headphones win by a landslide in this case.
On the contrary, if you want headphones to use on the street and always carry them with you, earphones may be the best option . You will sacrifice sound quality and comfort, but in return they will be more discreet and portable.
To further complicate the choice, there are headphones with a fairly compact and discreet size , making them also very valid for use on the street and carry them in your backpack. Have you seen the Creative Flex? We just made the choice difficult for you, we know. You have to choose if you want the best comfort and sound quality, or if portability is your top priority.
In both cases you will find a multitude of options on the market and of all prices. What you think? Do you think it is better to buy a headset or earbuds?