Articles having to do with headphones
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…
If you’ve been searching the web or looking around your local shop for headphones, you’ve likely heard about active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones and perhaps about the lesser-marketed passive noise-cancelling (PNC) headphones. Whether you’re in an office, on a plane, or in a noisy apartment, noise-cancelling headphones can provide the isolation required to focus on the…
The term “headphones” applies to a great variety of audio-to-sound transducers. A major difference in headphone types is between earbuds and regular headphones. Before we begin, it’s critical to note that “headphones” is an all-encompassing term. However, people often call headphones the ear-covering type of headphones while they call earbuds the ear-inserted type of headphones….
So you’re looking into getting a pair of active noise-cancelling headphones/earplugs, and you’re wondering if you can still listen to music or if these headphones will provide a good listening experience. Do noise-cancelling headphones work with or without music? Active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones, by the meaning of their name, allow us to listen to music…
