First, the type of headphones
1. headphones
2. headset: headphones with a microphone, generally used in mobile phones or online games.
3. earplugs
In general, the sound quality of the same price: headphones "ear plugs" headset.
Second, the main way to wear headphones
1. Head-mounted type: Closed-type soundproofing is better, but it is easy to have barrel sound (the mouth speaks to the barrel, and the feeling of depression and echo is the barrel sound); the open sound field is more natural and atmospheric, but the sound insulation is not good; Closed (semi-open) is the more moderate choice of the first two.
2. ear plug type: flat head earplugs, generally comfortable to wear, soundproof in general.
3. in-ear type: in-ear earplugs, sound insulation is better, very easy to wear, discomfort, poor hygiene treatment can easily lead to ear infections.
4. ear-hook type: earphones hanging on the ear, there are earphones and earphones, wearing a firmer, but the sound insulation is relatively poor.
5.rear-mounted: General sports-type headphones are mainly rear-mounted, wearing a relatively strong, sound quality is generally more general.
6. Customized: According to the shape of each person's ear canal, make earphones with earphone casing. Custom headphones have been developed from hearing aids. They were used for singers and musicians to get accurate music rhythms and beats when they performed live performances. They have been popularized in the last ten years. Most people can make their own customizations if they are willing to spend money. Headphones. The advantages of custom headphones: excellent sound insulation, comfortable to wear, almost reached the limit of sound insulation. (The soundproofing is good, even if you can't hear the noise next to the aircraft engine.) Disadvantages: The price is very high, the wearing comfort is a matter of opinion, and the oil ear can't be used.
In-ear and non-in-ear headphones
In-ear earphones are currently very popular products. They enter the ear canal of the human body through the catheter of the earplug itself and the filling on the catheter, so that the ear canal is sealed. In-ear earphones artificially create a relatively sealed space that reduces external interference. It is designed primarily to give the user a clearer and more complete view of the sound played from the earbuds. However, when you first touch the in-ear earphones, you may feel uncomfortable in the wearing method and feeling, and it takes a certain amount of time to adapt. On the basis of the in-ear products, a higher-end product has also been derived, custom earplugs. It is an in-ear earbud that is tailored to the customator's ear canal structure. It does not need to be closed by the filler on the catheter to close the ear canal, but directly fits the shape of the earplug to the shape of the ear canal. Therefore, it can achieve better sound insulation and comfort, while also providing better sound performance, but its price is also top.
In addition to in-ear earplugs, earplugs that are attached to the outside of the ear and that can be worn directly by the outer edge of the housing can be referred to as non-ear earphones. Such earplugs do not need to be secured within the ear canal by catheters and fillers and do not form a seal against the ear canal. Non-in-ear earphones are basically moving coil earplugs, which are determined by the characteristics of the moving coil unit. Non-in-ear earphones can also be subdivided into traditional earplugs and ear-hook earphones. The difference is mainly in the way of wearing. The traditional earplugs are directly attached to the ear of the human ear, while the ear-hook earplugs are passed through an additional The hook member is firmly attached to the auricle so that it does not slip easily when moved.
There are three main differences between in-ear earphones and non-ear earphones: sound quality, comfort and sound insulation. From our actual experience, the difference in sound quality between in-ear earphones and non-ear earphones of similar price is not large. However, due to the different sound transmission structure, the sound characteristics of the two have obvious differences. The sound of most in-ear earphones will appear more "quiet". On the one hand, because the sound-emitting structure is relatively closed, on the other hand, because the cavity area of the ear-in-ear earplug is limited, the sound-emitting unit is either moving iron or moving coil. It can't be bigger, and there are some differences when it comes to big dynamics compared to non-in-ear earphones. In terms of wearing comfort, non-in-ear earphones are generally better in comfort than in-ear earphones due to their open structure and small contact area with the human ear. However, because each person's outer auricle shape is different, the use of non-in-ear earplugs may be more likely to cause a small number of users to wear discomfort. Sound insulation is a significant difference between in-ear earphones and non-ear earphones. Due to the different sound transmission structure, the in-ear earphone artificially creates a relatively sealed space, which makes the sound insulation performance of the in-ear earplug generally better. Non-in-ear earphones are inferior to sound insulation due to their open structure.
Of course, there is a saying about in-ear and non-earing, that is, in-ear earplugs hurt the ears more. Is this true? In our opinion, whether it is earplugs, headphones, speakers or other sounding equipment, if the volume is too loud or the listening time is too long, it will affect the hearing, which is unquestionable. But between the ear and the non-ear, we believe that the in-ear earplugs are more conducive to hearing. For example, in a noisy area, a user who does not have an in-ear earphone wants to hear the same feeling as the room, and has to increase the volume that can cover the outside noise. The result of this behavior is that the normal volume is exceeded. In many cases, listening to the sound, but also the outside noise is included in the ear, listening for a long time will inevitably affect the hearing. The in-ear earphones isolate the outside sound as much as possible through its own in-ear structure, which allows the listener to enjoy the music at a smaller volume, which in turn helps protect the hearing. At the same time, the in-ear earplugs extend only into the ear canal by a longer catheter, and the vocal unit remains outside the ear canal, so there is no need to worry that the vocalization point is closer to the eardrum and causes hearing damage. Of course, there are cases where in-ear earplugs cause damage to the ear canal and even inflammation, but this case is very rare, and it is completely avoidable by cultivating the correct wearing method and correct listening habits. Therefore, if the user can adapt to the way in which the earphones are worn, we recommend that you prioritize in-ear earphones.