How To Choose The Best Earbuds?
It is almost customary to receive a pair of good quality earbuds every time we purchase a new smartphone. But, in case, you do not receive those freebies or you just want to explore a new range of high-quality merchandise, then you are at the right place. Before hopping onto a purchase decision, look out for the essentials you must know before actually buying a pair of earbuds.
Of course, affordability, design, and brand name help you better judge a device, but that outer look isn’t enough. It might look stylish and even match your taste plus also fit in your budget, but is it really worth that price? Inner specs too matter so you do not regret your decision.
How To Choose The Best Earbuds? Buying Tips
1.Fitting
Not all earbuds are made for just everyone. Your ear shape and design of the earbud vary and create a difference in the fitting. Hence, it is very important to first check on your comfort level as you may not want to hurt your ears in the long run.
Choose the one that’s snugly and easily gets into the shape of your ear. Ensure that your earbuds have sufficient padding so as to fit in the contours of your ear. Neither it should be too big nor must it be smaller.
2.Choose The Type
- In-Ear:
This is what we essentially call as an earbud. They are stuffed into your ear cavity for a world-class experience.
- On-Ear:
These are what we call as headbands or headphones as they remain on your ears and are pressed against them.
- Wireless:
These can just be any of the above, however, what different they offer is next level connectivity – being wireless. Mobility isn’t compromised!
3.Frequency
Higher the frequency range, better the response. Frequency can be measured in hertz (Hz). It basically refers to the range of audio frequency an earbud can over. So, if you see a figure like 4 – 24,000 Hz and 15 – 24,000, then the former will be considered better.
4.Sensitivity
To be on the safe side, choose the earbuds that are of mid-range sensitivity. Anything above a mild range can easily damage your ears. Any earbud under $100 can provide you with an appropriate sound level. The measure of sensitivity is dB/mW. So, higher the level more will be the sound. But, the range must usually remain between 80 to 110 dB.
5.Diaphragm
A thin membrane that is inside an earbud is the one that vibrates and produces sound. The materials and shape may vary but it is an important aspect to pay attention to.
6.Advance Specs
There are various functions that an earbud can perform. So, depending upon the activity you might want to use your earbuds for, the features may vary. Some of those advanced features can be –
- Noise Cancellation:
Such earbuds work towards blocking all the unwanted ambient sounds that may hamper your experience. Noise cancellation earbuds are pretty powerful and cancel out the other external sound waves through an electrical mechanism. But, do not use these if your purpose is to have an earbud while you commute daily. The situation can be dangerous.
- Sound Isolation:
These earbuds too focus on isolating the sound from the background noises, but they do so by blocking out noise with the help of a seal placed against the ear on the earbud.
- Bluetooth Connectivity:
This provides more convenience and mobility as you can use such earbuds actively. You just need to connect them to your device and you will get an absolute freedom.
- Heat/ Sweat Resistance:
This is yet another added feature to help you block out moisture or heat. Such earbuds, for instance, are designed specifically to suit your exercising requirements keeping the earbuds free from sweat and any heat-related damage.
- Infrared:
Yes, this feature too is used in earbuds, however, you need to get in the line of sight for this to effectively work. But unless you want to use the earbuds for home theatres, these are of no use.
In Conclusion …
Here we conclude with a great rule of thumb. Get wired earbuds if you want to use them while commuting. Get wired headphones if you work more on your computer. Prefer a wireless headphone if you are more of a laptop user. Other than that, we have listed above the important parameters for you to consider while making the purchase. There are both lower range and high range earbuds available in the market. But whatever suits your purpose, budget, and preference, go for that!