Headphone Buying Guide: Top Factors to Consider

A great pair of headphones can transform anyone's listening experience. The only problem is that there are many different headphones out there, and they all have something slightly different to offer. This buying guide will help you decide which headphones to buy based on your needs, budget, and lifestyle.

7 Factors to Consider When Buying Headphones

The seven areas you need to investigate before buying headphones include the following:

1. Cost
2. Form Factor
3. Design
4. Wired vs. Wireless
5. Audio Quality
6. Noise Cancellation
7. Brand

How Much Should Headphones Cost?

The cost of headphones varies widely depending on the technology that goes into them. Here's a general overview of what you can expect.

What Types of Headphones Should You Consider?

The main form factors are in-ear, on-ear, and over-ear headphones. All offer different portability levels. Your form factor choice is personal; your comfort and preferences will guide you.

In-Ear Headphones

In-ear headphones are the most portable on the market, so if you're looking for something to take on the go (you can easily bunch them up and store them in your pocket), these might be your best bet.

As the name suggests, in-ear headphones rest in your ear. They go by two names: earphones and earbuds. Earbuds rest on your outer ear, specifically on a section of the ear called the antitragus. Others, usually called earphones, are pushed slightly deeper into the ear canal, which helps them stay in place (ideal for sports or other vigorous activities).

In-ear headphones are considered the least comfortable. Some pairs can even damage your ear cartilage—though those instances are infrequent and usually only happen after severe overuse. Generally speaking, most people get used to the feel of in-ear headphones, but if you buy a new pair of earbuds, it may take a few days for that to happen.

On-Ear Headphones

On-ear headphones offer a happy medium between in-ear and over-ear headphones. While they keep the same general shape as the over-ear variation, they're usually a little smaller and often can fold up—making them an excellent choice for those who don't like in-ear headphones but still want something they can fit in a bag without adding too much weight.

Most people find on-ear headphones to be a little more comfortable than in-ear, and they often offer better sound quality, too, thanks to the fact that they have more room to incorporate larger drivers. We'll get more into drivers and sound quality a little later on.

For comfort, on-ear headphones compromise between comfortable over-ear headphones and less comfortable in-ear headphones. As the name suggests, on-ear headphones have padding on the outer ear. Comfort here is more defined by how hard the clamp is. If it's too hard, you can't wear the headphones for long without discomfort. If it is too soft, the headphones will fall off.

On-ear headphones are suitable if you want a pair of great-sounding headphones to take on the go, if you're okay with the larger size, and if you're not concerned that they won't fit in your pocket. Some on-ear headphones can be good for working out, but make sure they offer a relatively hard clamp to stay on your head.

Over-Ear Headphones

Over-ear headphones are the ultimate for comfort and sound quality, but they're by far the least portable of these other form factors. That may not be a big deal for those looking for a great pair of headphones to use at home, but if you're looking for headphones to take on the go, you're better off with on-ear or in-ear headphones.

As the name suggests, over-ear headphones often don't touch your ears. Instead, they have padding that clamps around your ears. That's how they can stay comfortable for so long. After all, your ears are much more fragile to discomfort than your skull. Part of the reason over-ear headphones can sound so much better is that they have more room for larger drivers or different types of drivers that require a little more room to work properly.

Bone-Conduction Headphones

Different from the other types of headphones described above are bone-conduction headphones. You don't see these as often as traditional headphones, but they might be preferred if you like to keep your ears open for nearby sounds while you enjoy the benefits of headphones.

Bone-conduction headphones don't go in, on, or around your ear like other headphones. Instead of sending sound to your eardrum, bone-conduction headphones vibrate the cheekbone right next to your ear which in turn stimulates the inner ear.

This type of headphone isn't ideal for high-quality sound. We recommend picking bone-conduction headphones if you need to stay alert to outside noises like traffic or kids.

What Headphone Design Should You Get?

While the look of the headphones may be vital to you, the design of a pair of headphones often refers to whether they’re closed-back or open-back. Most consumer headphones are closed-back, but some audiophile-focused headphones are open-back, and the difference in sound quality can be enormous.

Closed-Back Headphones

Most headphones you see in a store will be closed-back, so they keep your music and the outside noise out.

There are some advantages and some disadvantages to this. Closed-back headphones are better for on-the-go listening or when you're near others. The main drawback is the sound quality. Most audiophiles looking for the best sound argue that open-back headphones sound more natural. We'll get into why in the next section.

Of course, that doesn't mean that closed-back headphones don't sound good. Some of the best headphones in the world are closed-back headphones. They sound slightly less natural, but many won't even be able to tell the difference.

Open-Back Headphones

While closed-back headphones keep your music at least somewhat isolated, open-back headphones do the opposite. They create a much more natural sound. With the ability for sound to escape your headphones, there aren't the tiny echoes that resonate inside closed-back headphones. While largely imperceivable, those echoes create a tighter soundstage, so open-back headphones sound slightly broader and more open.

Open-back headphones have significant disadvantages, making them only suitable for home listening. For starters, as the sound inside the headphones can get out, outside sound can also get in. So, if you plan on listening in a moderately noisy environment, you can hear everything around you. Another disadvantage is that the lack of a physical barrier between the outside world and the electronics inside your headphones means moisture could damage them more easily.

Open-back headphones could be the way to go if you plan on listening at home in a quiet environment and want the best listening experience.

Semi-Open-Back Headphones

There is a third design type, the semi-open back design, though most people will probably want to steer clear of these. Semi-open-back headphones cover most of the outside of the headphones with a bit of space for airflow. The trade-off is that the headphones have some advantages over open-back headphones, like a slightly (but not totally) more natural sound. The flip side is that the headphones have all the disadvantages of open-back headphones. Outside noise can get in, and it's much easier for moisture to damage the electronics inside the headphones.

We only recommend semi-open-back headphones to users who plan on listening at home and are willing to compromise on some of that openness found in open-back headphones for a slightly more isolated listening experience.

Should You Get Wired or Wireless Headphones?

Wireless headphones may be more convenient than wired ones, but wired headphones almost always offer better sound quality. You'll also have to consider the battery life of wireless headphones.

Wired Headphones

Wired headphones are still available, though their dominance has shrunk to a small percentage of users, and it's likely they'll completely fade in coming years, barring a few high-fidelity listening situations.

While wireless headphones are often more convenient than wired ones, wired headphones still have a few significant advantages. They're a little cheaper than their wireless counterparts, though plenty of low-cost wireless headphones exist.

Perhaps more importantly, however, wired headphones usually sound much better. That's because they often use the headphone amplifier on your phone or computer rather than the lower-quality amplifier built into modern wireless headphones. Additionally, wired headphones allow you to use an external amplifier, which usually creates an even better listening experience.

Wireless Headphones

Sound quality is vital to consider, but sometimes convenience is more important. For example, if you use your headphones at the gym, the comfort of a wireless design is probably worth the trade-off of slightly lower audio quality.

Wireless headphones are fine if you're not an audiophile with a love of high-fidelity music and a keen ear for audio differences. It's not worth suffering through the inconvenience of wired headphones if you don't specifically need those advantages.

Within the wireless headphones category, a few different types exist. Most wireless headphones are over or on-ear or have a small wire that wraps around the back of your head.

However, "truly wireless" headphones, like Apple's AirPods, have become more popular. These earbuds connect wirelessly to your listening device and each other, meaning you have two independent earbuds, often carried in a charging case when not in use.

Good battery life for true wireless headphones is more than four hours of continuous playback, though the charging case will extend that if you don't listen for four hours straight. Non-true wireless earbuds should have at least 8-10 hours of playback on a charge. On-ear headphones should be able to offer 15 hours or more, and over-ear headphones should provide at least 16 or 17 hours, though they can range up to 25 hours or more.

What Audio Quality Do You Need?

While we've touched on a few things that will affect the audio quality of a pair of headphones, like whether they're open back or closed back, there are several other audio-related factors to consider.

Many factors (frequency range, impedance, driver type, etc.) are only worth considering if you're an audiophile looking for the best sound quality. But even if you're not, knowing more about how your headphones work can be helpful.

Frequency Range

Frequency response refers to the different frequencies that headphones can reproduce, producing a full sound.

Instruments like bass guitars, bass synths, and kick drums primarily live in the lower frequencies, while the sizzle of cymbals and sibilance on vocals live in the higher frequencies. Guitars, other drums, the body of a vocal, and so on all live between these frequencies.

The frequency range of human hearing is 20Hz to 20kHz, though most adults can't hear much past 17kHz. Most headphones have an advertised frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz, too, which only tells you a little about how they sound, considering that's what humans can hear anyway.

In other words, while you shouldn't consider headphones with a frequency response of less than 20Hz-20kHz, don't take that to mean they'll sound good.

Driver Type

Headphones are just miniaturized speakers; like speakers, they have drivers—at least one on each side. The driver is what vibrates the air, creating sound. There are a few main kinds of drivers.

• Dynamic drivers. Dynamic drivers are the cheapest to produce, but that doesn't necessarily mean they sound bad. They're generally excellent at creating a solid bass response without much power. The trade-off is that they can distort at higher volumes.
• Balanced armature drivers. Balanced armature drivers are only used in in-ear headphones and work slightly differently than dynamic drivers. Manufacturers can tune them to specific frequencies. Many in-ear headphones feature two sets of balanced armature drivers, tuned to different frequencies or coupled with dynamic drivers for more even frequency response.
• Planar magnetic drivers. Because of their larger size, planar magnetic drivers are usually only found on higher-end over-ear headphones. Still, they can produce what many consider to be a much better sound. They don't distort as easily as dynamic drivers and deliver an excellent bass response, but they require a headphone amp to run correctly, as they need a little more power than dynamic headphones.
• Electrostatic drivers. Electrostatic drivers work very differently from the other drivers on this list and can produce a largely undistorted sound and a wide, natural soundstage. They also have a very natural frequency response. There are downsides, including that they're much more expensive to make, require a headphone amplifier, and are typically only really found in over-ear headphones thanks to their large size.

Impedance

Impedance refers to the opposition your headphones give to the flow of current from your headphone amplifier. Impedance varies from 8Ω (ohms) to the hundreds of ohms on high-end models.

Most consumer headphones are low impedance and can get sufficient power from smartphones or computers. On the other hand, high-impedance headphones require a dedicated headphone amplifier to output enough sound.

If you plan on using your headphones with a phone or computer, any headphones with an impedance of under 25Ω should be fine. However, if you have a headphone amplifier, you could get higher-impedance headphones, though just how high depends on the amplifier.

Sensitivity

Sensitivity refers to how loud headphones can get relative to their power. It's measured in decibels, which, in basic terms, is a volume measurement. Generally, sensitivity is calculated per 1 mW (milliwatt). So, if headphones have a sensitivity of 115dB/mW, they can produce 115dB of volume using one milliwatt of power.

Of course, 115dB is pretty loud, and we never recommend listening to music at that level, which is around the loudness of a rock concert and can permanently damage your ears after around 15 minutes of listening.

Usually, a sensitivity between 90dB and 120dB / 1mW is acceptable.

Do You Need Noise-Cancellation in Your Headphones?

Active noise-cancellation uses a microphone to detect what noise is happening around you, then plays back an opposite version of that sound, effectively canceling it out to your ears. Unfortunately, there's no standard measurement for noise cancellation, so it's hard to say what's "good" noise cancellation. Generally, Bose and Audio-Technica offer excellent noise-cancellation, while other companies are improving.

There is a downside to noise cancellation, which usually affects the audio quality in small ways. For example, noise-canceling headphones can sometimes produce a faint hiss and slightly change the frequency response depending on the frequency filtering.

Another way to cut outside sound is with "noise isolating" headphones, also called passive noise-canceling headphones. These headphones physically eliminate outside noise by creating a good seal around your ears and using sound-proof materials. It's a bit lower-tech and usually won't cut out as much noise as noise-canceling headphones, but noise-isolating headphones can still help prevent unwanted sound from distracting you while you listen.

Is the Brand Name Important for Headphones?

The brand name can also be important. While Apple, Sennheiser, Shure, JBL, Bose, and Audio Technica are often considered household names in the audio industry, lesser-known brands such as Jaybird, Libratone, and Soul are well-regarded.

Still, while some brands have a lower price, you'll want to be extra careful when buying headphones from a company with no track record. After all, there's often a reason why big-name brands are more trusted.

What Other Considerations Are There?

Headphones are getting increasingly high-tech and offering more cool features. Some of these features might be important to you.

• Built-in controls. Many headphones have controls built right onto the ear cup or into a remote on the cable. It allows you to control your music and volume without taking your phone out of your pocket, which can be a convenient feature.
• Digital assistant support. Many headphones also support digital assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa. Some have digital assistants built right into them, while others offer a button to interact with your assistant through your phone.
• Additional features. Some headphones are considered hearables or smart earbuds. They offer unique features, such as sensors that can track your heart rate and an accompanying app that can show you that heart rate through a workout. Others have features to limit the volume, preventing you from damaging your ears (which are great for kids).
• How they look. You wear headphones, so you'll want to find a pair that looks good. Everyone has different tastes in design, but with so many models out there, you should see a pair you like.