Headphones Shopping Guide: Which are Right for You?

Shopping for headphones can be a daunting experience. Years ago, you were lucky if there were a handful of headphones in a store. Most of these would be the same brand but different colors. Now, there are literally thousands of models to choose from. It's easy to be overwhelmed by the choices and swayed by favorable Amazon reviews. First, we need to answer a few questions:

1) What is your budget?

2) Where do you use your headphones most of the time?

3) Where else do you use your headphones?

4) Which headphones have you owned in the past and what did you like/dislike about them?

5) Which of these are most important to you?

a) Style (how they look)

b) Sound Quality (how they sound)

c) Fit (how comfortable they are)

Discussion

Money is always a major factor when making a purchase. Sure, we'd all like to own a Ferrari or Maserati but very few of us can afford it. Most people go to some place like Amazon, put in a price limit, and do a search. We suggest you add 20-30% to your search. This is most important in the lower price brackets where you will realize the greatest performance increases by stretching your budget upward just a few dollars. 

Once you set your budget, you need to limit your search based on type. There are three main types of headphones - on-ear, over-ear, and in-ear. Their names pretty much explains how they are worn. The question you need to ask yourself is where you use your headphones most, and if you use them in more than one place. If you mostly use your headphones while working out, you'll need either an in-ear headphone (the most popular solution) or very tight-fitting on- or over-ear headphones.

If you are using your headphones in more than one location, determine if your listening needs are the same. Do you listen while working out and to and from work on the subway? You might be able to use the same headphone for both. Do you listen while at work but also want an extremely accurate headphone for critical listening? These might not be the same headphone and you'll need a pair for each location.

Lastly, think about what headphones you've owned in the past and what you liked and disliked about each of them. Did they give you a headache? Were they too tight or too loose? Did you like the style? Did you find them comfortable? Did they sound good? Remember all these things when you are shopping.

Cheat Sheet

As you can see, we've got spaces for you to fill in information about your preferences. We've included three spots for past headphones but you may need more or less. But what is the right type for you? While there are no universal truths that apply to everyone, we will run through what you can expect from each type of headphone. It should be noted that no specific type holds a lock on sound quality. Each type can sound very good and we've experienced excellent performance from headphones of all types.

In-Ear Headphones

When people think of in-ear headphones, they often envision people running or exercising. There is no reason you can't use in-ear headphones for critical music listening, and many people (especially those into binaural recordings) believe they provide the best sound. For most, however, comfort is an issue since you literally have to shove the headphone into your ear canal. If this sounds gross or painful to you, we'll just respond that it can be and it might be.

Shure SE846 In-Ear Headphones

When shopping for in-ear headphones, pay attention to the size of the post that goes into your ear. Some are larger than others and their size will seriously affect comfort. Also look out for the number and types of tips that are included with the headphones. Some manufacturers will only provide three sizes while others will offer many more. You'll only need to find one pair that fits correctly, but you'll be much more likely to do that if they give you lots of options.

Lastly, you'll see a lot of in-ear headphones that have hooks or other device to supposedly keep the headphone in your ear. Our experience is that these are more marketing than anything else. An in-ear headphone that fits well will not fall out whether or not it has some sort of hook for you ear. If the earphone fits improperly, the hook can actually pull it out of your ear. 

On-Ear Headphones

On-ear headphones sit on your ears, making them, in our opinion, much less comfortable than the over-ear models. We have tested ones that were comfortable for long listening sessions but they were the exception in our experience. The advantages of on-ear headphones are that they are smaller and lighter than over-ear models, tend to fold up and be more portable, and are usually less expensive than over-ear models.

B&W P7 On-Ear Headphones

Things to pay attention to when shopping for on-ear headphones are portability, clamping pressure (how tight they are on your ears), and additional features. Many headphones these days will have in-line microphones and controls. These are particularly useful when you are on the go and don't want to pull out your phone or MP3 player every time you want to change the volume or skip a song. Most of these controls work natively with iDevices. Android users can purchase apps that will make better use of these controls but they never work as well as they do with Apple products. Few controls are designed to use natively with Android or other operating systems.

Over-Ear Headphones

Over-ear headphones are designed to clamp to your head instead of your ears like on-ear headphones. Whether or not you get a good fit and a consistent “seal” to your head with no gaps or air leaks depends on the size of your ears and the shape of the headphones. Those with small ears may find some of the larger on-ear designs fit over-ear for them. As the sides of your head are less sensitive than your ears, most people find over-ear headphones more comfortable than either of the other types.

Sennheiser HD 650 Open Back Over-Ear Headphones

The size of over-ear headphones also gives them a sonic advantage over the other two types. Drivers can be larger and the earcups have more space within them, giving many of them better bass response. Over-ear headphones will sometimes have open backs, which many people prefer for critical listening. The open backs do let in outside sound as well as let your music out. Open back headphones tend to have much more expensive drivers and higher-end designs, which probably contributes a more to people's preferences for critical listening than the open back design.

As mentioned, in-ear headphones are usually associated with exercising though we know of many people that will use tightly clamping over-ear headphones. When shopping for over-ear headphones, clamping pressure, weight, padding on the headband, and size and shape of the earcups should be your primary concern (after sound quality of course). To get the proper performance from an over-ear headphone, it should completely cover your ears and fit without any gaps. If the clamping pressure is too strong, long listening sessions may become painful. Pay attention to the weight of the headphones and the padding on the headband as this can affect comfort as well.

While on-ear and in-ear headphones are smaller, many over-ear headphones have designs that allow them to collapse into protective travel cases. If you don't want to sacrifice comfort or sound quality while on the go, one of these over-ear options may be for you.

Conclusion

What is most important to you in a set of headphones? If it is sound quality, any of the options can sound very good, though over-ear models generally hold an advantage. If fit is your primary concern, then you'll need to look at how you use the headphone (on the go, at home, while exercising, etc.) to determine what will work best for you. If style is your primary concern, all we ask is that you also consider sound quality and fit when making your purchase. With the number of headphones on the market, there is no reason you can't find a good sounding set of headphones that fit within your personal style.