Headphone Buyer's Guide On-Ear vs Over-Ear vs Earbuds

Summary

This comprehensive guide by NCIX Tech Tips covers the differences between earphones and headphones: earbuds, in-ear, on-ear, and over-ear types. The video highlights the pros and cons of each type, helping viewers understand which might suit their needs best. From portability to sound quality and comfort, the guide touches on essential considerations for headphone buyers, including factors like sound isolation and comfort for prolonged use. Different products from Audio Technica and Kingston are highlighted as top recommendations, each with unique features ideal for various listening experiences.

Highlights

• Earbuds are most common but have flat sound quality and minimal sound isolation. 🎵
• In-ear earphones sit inside the ear canal and provide better sound than earbuds due to better isolation. 🔇
• On-ear headphones are portable and have larger drivers for better sound, but comfort can be a concern. 🎶
• Over-ear headphones offer the best sound and comfort but are bigger, requiring more power. 🔊
• Closed design over-ear headphones offer better isolation at the cost of soundstage. 🔒

Key Takeaways

• Headphones come in various types: earbuds, in-ear, on-ear, and over-ear, each with distinct features. 🎧
• Earbuds are cheap and portable but offer flat sound and little isolation. 🌍
• In-ear earphones provide better sound quality and isolation, with options for different budgets. 🤑
• On-ear headphones offer larger drivers but might be uncomfortable for prolonged use, especially for glasses wearers. 👓
• Over-ear headphones deliver great sound and comfort but are bulky and often more costly. 💸

Overview

Are you puzzled by the plethora of headphone choices on the market? Fear not, as NCIX Tech Tips dives deep into the headphone abyss to bring clarity to your audio adventures. In this guide, you'll find all you need to know about different headphone types: the ubiquitous earbuds, the snug in-ear variants, the balanced on-ear options, and the mighty over-ear headphones. Whether you need something for on-the-go jamming or intense gaming sessions, there's a perfect match for you!

Earbuds make an entrance as the smallest contenders, perfect for those who prioritize convenience over sound quality. But if you're looking for a step up, in-ears offer the best of both portability and sound by providing snug-fitting ear tips that seal your ears from the chaos of the world. Their variety in price and quality means they can meet any budget or audiophile's expectations.

As we move into the realm of larger sound, on-ear headphones present a compromise between size and audio bliss, albeit with some comfort caveats for extended wear. Finally, we have the over-ear headphones—true masters of immersive soundscapes. Perfect for home use with the ability to deliver deep bass and wide soundstages, these bulky beauties boast both closed and open designs to suit every listener's desire, despite their demand for more power and space.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction The introduction explains the common confusion among people regarding the different types of headphones and earphones. It briefly highlights the purpose of the discussion, which is to educate the reader about the variety available and help them become knowledgeable in distinguishing between circumaural and supra-aural headphones. The speaker acknowledges the difficulty people face when buying headphones and aims to clarify these differences.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Earbuds This chapter discusses earbuds, emphasizing their portability and affordability as they often come bundled with devices like MP3 players and cell phones. However, the sound quality is described as flat, and the durability is low, making them unsuitable for prolonged use. They also offer minimal sound isolation, making them less ideal for users seeking a high-quality listening experience.
• 01:00 - 02:00: In-Ear Earphones In this chapter, the discussion revolves around in-ear earphones, which, similar to earbuds, are compact and portable. Unlike earbuds, they fit inside the ear canal, offering a range of prices from very affordable to high-end options. These earphones use a small audio driver and create a seal in the ear with a silicone tip, providing sound quality comparable to larger headphones. Generally, in-ear earphones are more expensive due to their better build quality and superior sound production, in addition to their ultra-small size.
• 02:00 - 03:00: On-Ear Headphones The chapter discusses the sound isolation capabilities of on-ear headphones, particularly focusing on the impact of different ear tips. Foam tips are highlighted as providing the best seal for maximum isolation and sound quality. The chapter also introduces the BU Dynamic DX 160 IES headphones, noting their numerous accessories, which include seven pairs of interchangeable ear tips, a clothing clip to minimize cable noise, a flat cable design to prevent tangling, and a zippered carrying case.
• 03:00 - 05:00: Over-Ear Headphones This chapter discusses on-ear headphones, also known as Supra-aural headphones. These headphones are larger than earbuds and sit on the ears offering a more exciting sound due to larger drivers. They are not as compact as earbuds, though some can fold for convenience. A potential downside is discomfort after prolonged use, especially for people who wear glasses.
• 05:00 - 05:30: Outro In the chapter titled 'Outro,' the discussion centers around high-end headphones. It highlights two models from Audio Technica: the WS 55, which is a low impedance headphone ideal for portable devices like smartphones, and the ox7 amm, which comes with a built-in amplifier. This amplifier offers high impedance sound quality without extra bulk, catering to those who seek superior sound experiences.

Headphone Buyer's Guide On-Ear vs Over-Ear vs Earbuds Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 recently has come to my attention that some people actually don't know that there are different types of headphones and earphones welcome to what's the difference buying headphones can be a daunting task especially which type to go for today we'll go over all of them and turn you into an expert on circum oral versus super oral actually what what is the [Music] difference Office 365 get work done
• 00:30 - 01:00 anytime anywhere and on any device in addition to one terabytes of one drive storage also receives 60 Skype World minutes per month to over 60 countries all right so let's start off with the smaller end of the spectrum earbuds they're usually cheap very portable they fit Loosely in your ears and come bundle with MP3 players and some cell phones while they are the most abundant the sound produced is very flat and since they are cheap they tend not to last very long they're not great for extended periods of use and offer very little sound isolation basically don't use
• 01:00 - 01:30 these unless you have to next up are inear earphones just like earbuds they are Compact and portable but instead they fit inside your ear canal and can range from super cheap to ultra highend they use a very small audio driver but by forming a seal in your ear canal with a silicone tip you can achieve sound quality on par with much larger headphones in ears tend to cost a bit more but that's because build quality is better the sound produced is a lot better than earbuds and the darn things are just Ultra small
• 01:30 - 02:00 sound isolation can differ on in years depending on the type of tip you use but these will generally offer the most isolation out of any headphone I find that foam tips are the best they create the best seal so you can get the most isolation and the best sound quality here's a pair of BU Dynamic DX 160 IES which includes many accessories like seven pairs of interchangeable ear tips a clip for your clothing to reduce cable noise a flat cable design to reduce tangling and a handy dandy zippered
• 02:00 - 02:30 carrying case moving up on size scale we have on ear headphones or Supra oral like the name suggest these sit on your ears and are much larger than earbuds while still portable they are not as compact as earbuds but some do fold up for added convenience with its larger size bigger drivers can be used for more exciting sound however depending on your ear shape and size on ears can be a bit uncomfortable after prolonged use people wear glasses will especially have problems here so definitely try it out
• 02:30 - 03:00 before buying these this is where you start to see higher-end headphones we've got two pairs here this is the Audio Technica WS 55 it's a low impedance headphone designed to produce great sound with any portable device such as the smartphone but for those who want even greater sound quality without any additional bulk Audio Technica even has this pair of ox7 amm headphones with a built-in amplifier this gives you the best of both worlds a pair of good sounding High impedance headphones without having to worry about having a
• 03:00 - 03:30 powerful Source plus they even come with batteries but for the record you can still use these headphones without batteries finally we have overthe ear headphones or circum oral the ear pads on these go over and around your ears over ears generally don't compromise on sound have great Basse response and the largest Sound Stage they're super comfortable allowing for prolonged periods of use however your ears can get sweaty after a while depending on the ear pad material and the temperature will very are downsides of the erss well
• 03:30 - 04:00 they tend to cost a lot more and they're big and bulky so I recommend you mainly use them at home mainly these headphones will require juice to power them so you want a headphone amplifier now in terms of noise isolation it will vary if the over ear has a closed ear cup design expect exceptional noise isolation but a smaller Sound Stage this is the Kingston hyperx Cloud headset although it might look a lot smaller they are still circum oral and the earpads sit completely
• 04:00 - 04:30 around your ears they are a closed design so while their Sound Stage may be a bit smaller they make up for it with much deeper hitting base these even have a removable microphone so you can wear it in public Kingson is also nice enough to include two sets of earpads the ones that come with is a ple material by default but you can swap it out for the Valour ones now with the open ear cup design there will be more sound leakage and sound isolation isn't anything extraordinary but you'll feel like you're completely immersed in the sound now this this is a pair of Audio
• 04:30 - 05:00 Technica adg1 gaming headphones which are circum oral open headphones they have a huge Sound Stage and make firstperson Shooters almost too easy as you can pinpoint exactly where your enemies are based on their footsteps it's got nice large soft ear cups a convenient one- siiz fits all headband and a microphone that's fully compatible with both computers and smartphones if you're brave enough to wear such a beast outside that's it ladies and gentlemen on this episode of what's the difference
• 05:00 - 05:30 leave a comment down below what's your favorite type of earphone or headphone this was sort of a newer style of video we're trying out so please let us know if you want to see more by clicking the like button and click the dislike button if you thought this was not as good and that the script writer deserves to be shot with a water gun and as always don't forget to subscribe and share the video we will see you later