This document provides an overview of the different types of headphones available, including earbuds, on-ear headphones, over-ear closed-back and open-back headphones, semi-open over-ear headphones, wireless headphones, and noise-cancelling headphones. It describes the key characteristics of each type in brief sections, noting their pros and cons in terms of comfort, sound quality, and noise isolation. The document aims to help readers understand the different options so they can choose the best style of headphone for their needs.

1. For those who seek the
perfect sound, the world
of headphones can be
confusing. No matter
what you are looking for
– a deeper bass for your
iPhone, or a more gentle
one for a tablet, here is a
brief outline of the best
in both over the ear and
ear-bud headphones
available in 2014.
www.shoppingway.co.uk

2. It is difficult to pick the best headphones. There are so many makes and models out
there, from the no-frill, no excitement, little £10 budget ones that can be thrown out
within a couple of months, to those which can cost hundreds of pounds. The new
Beats By Dre range have made headphones into a fashion item – and no one likes
being seen as behind the curve when it comes to fashion.
But where do you put your money? That is the real question. After all, you work hard
to get your money, and you don't want to risk wasting it on headphones which don't
work for you in terms of sound, build quality and as an admired music gadget. So we
looked at a wide range of them in order to help take the sting out of the choice –
regardless of your budget. First, though, let's just have a bit of a look at the different
types of headphone available on the market.
www.shoppingway.co.uk

3. Ear
buds
On
Ear
Closed
Over
Ear
Open
Over
Ear
Semi-Open
Over
Ear
Wireless
Noise
Cancelling
In
Ear
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4. This is the type everyone knows
and recognises. They are often
bundled with portable music
players and mobile phones. They
are very basic, though, and they
don't tend to provide the depth of
blockage that the more advanced
forms of headphones do.
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5. These are by far the most common
form of headphones, save for the
plain ear-bud ones. They are also the
first upgrade that most people will
make when they decide to upgrade
their headphones. You'll find them
everywhere. IEM – in-ear monitor –
headphones end in an isolating tip of
some sort. This tip is often made of
silicone, although you can find foam
ones.
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6. An IEM headphone works in much the same way as a basic ear-
bud. They aren't tuned in anyway, and so if you don't have a good
seal, you'll lose sound. If you choose the wrong type of tip, then
you will find that the overall quality of your sound drops
considerably.
Still, we'd absolutely recommend this form of headphone for
anyone who wants an easily portable set, however. They aren't in
your face, usually work very well, and offer a reasonably priced
option for everyone who needs to listen to music on that long
commute. www.shoppingway.co.uk

7. The various types of on-ear
and over-ear headphones
deliver substantially better
performance than the earbuds
and earphones due to the
larger earcups’ ability to
holder larger drivers that
deliver more powerful sound.
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8. These are much bigger than the IEM headphones we were just talking
about. They usually use closed cups, and are a good choice for those
who really dislike the invasive nature of the IEM headphones. They sit
directly on your ears, making them more noticeable than either ear-
buds or IEM headphones.
We've found that they can also be uncomfortable, in that they press
on the lobes of the ears, which can become painful quite quickly,
particularly if you have a sensitive ear lobe.
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9. This is the first type of
headphone which we feel can
be comfortably classed as a
universal headphone – as long
as you look good when
wearing them. They are
invariably large enough to be
easily noticed, unless you
have a hairstyle which can
hide them.
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10. Thankfully, this form gets around
the comfort issues of the on-ear
headphones, because they are
held in place over the ear, rather
than directly on them. This tends
to mean they don't aggravate the
areas of the ear most easily hurt,
along with offering a decent block
to outside noises.
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11. When you go looking for headphones to use at
home, this form seems to offer the ultimate in
sound quality. The way they are designed offers
a richer depth of sound than can be managed
with most closed sets.
The downside is that they leak sound. This is
not a form of headphone to be used on the
train – you'll irritate everyone around you, and
you'll be able to hear their mutterings, because
this form of headphone also doesn't offer great
insulation from outside noise.
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12. www.shoppingway.co.uk
You thought there wasn't going to be
an attempt at a compromise? Well,
that just shows you were wrong,
doesn't it? These try to make the best
of both worlds, but they are still very
uncommon, and they don't have the
same level of isolation the closed
offer, or the depth of sound that the
open ones do.

13. www.shoppingway.co.uk
This is new – and really very clever –
technology which works to actively
get rid of exterior noise, rather than
just blocking it. This form of noise
cancellation works best when the
noise in question is both low and
fairly constant. If you're trying to
block out the hum of an air-
conditioning unit, this technology
will work well.

14. So, there's a brief
rundown of the many and
varied forms of
headphones out there. It
will help if you decide
which form of headphone
will work best for you
before you press on with
looking at the list of
recommendations.
Hopefully, it has proved to
be useful.
www.shoppingway.co.uk