Wireless headphones have been around since the 1960s. However, in 2004, Bluetooth wireless headphones came onto the market and revolutionized personal audio listening, gaining great popularity among audio consumers and professionals alike. If you’ve ever wondered how your wireless headphones or earbuds play back the audio from your device, then this article is for you….
Headphones, earbuds and headsets have become extremely popular with the rise of portable audio players, smartphones and gaming consoles. If you’ve ever wondered how your headphones work, this detailed article is for you. How do headphones work? All headphones act as transducers that convert audio signals (electrical energy) into sound waves(mechanical wave energy). The headphone…
In an audiophile’s quest to get the best audio from his pair of headphones, he often encounters a time when a headphone amplifier is necessary. For the regular headphone user, a headphone amp is still a consideration when choosing the best headphones for the most desirable listening experience. What is a headphone amplifier, and are…
When listening to music, we humans like it loud. Whether it’s turning up a volume knob or dial, applying more gain, or choosing a more sensitive audio device, perceived loudness is something to consider when choosing the optimal listening experience. What is headphone sensitivity? Headphone sensitivity is a specification that refers to the efficiency of…
Headphones work with AC electrical voltages (audio signals) and, therefore, have impedance. The impedance of a headphone model is critical to its performance yet is often overlooked by users. What is headphone impedance? Headphone impedance refers to the inherent opposition the headphone circuitry has to the flow of electrical current. As the headphones create a…
Sound and audio are made of are created by waves within a range of frequencies. Humans naturally respond to the audible range of frequencies, and headphones are designed with their own range of frequencies that they are capable of producing. What is headphone frequency response, and what is a good range? Headphone frequency response refers…
There are many different headphone manufacturers in the world today. Think of all the demand for headphones and how many people use headphones on a daily basis. Amateur and professional musicians, audio engineers, broadcasters; content (music, podcasts, audiobooks, etc.), and countless professions use headphones each and every day. There are plenty of choices out there…
Whether you’re trying to rid of external noise while studying or listening to your favourite music in a crowded place, noise-cancelling headphones are a superb product to help you hear what you want to hear and eliminate what you don’t. If you’ve ever used a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, you may have wondered exactly how…
It’s easy to plug your headphones (and other devices) into their proper jacks or ports and have them work… until it’s not. Learning how headphone jacks and plugs work electrically will help tremendously in our comprehension of signal flow and device compatibility while also improving our troubleshooting skills. How do headphone jacks and plugs work?…
As we may know, headphones convert audio signals into sound waves that we can listen to. Without a proper driver, headphones would not be able to function. What is a headphone driver? A driver is the headphone’s transducer element responsible for converting audio (electrical energy) into sound (mechanical wave energy). Each pair of headphones has…
We often take wired headphones for granted: plug them in, and voila, we have sound. As an audio engineer, I find it fascinating to understand exactly how audio is carried through headphone cables. I’ve created this article for those who share my curiosity and would like to understand audio signal flow and headphones better. How…
Over-the-ear headphones come in two distinct types: open-back and close-back. Depending on the naturalness of sound and the level of isolation, we may choose one over the other. What are open-back and closed-back headphones? Open-back and closed-back are the two predominant types of over-the-ear headphones. Open-back headphones have a perforated or open shell that allows…
