With headphones, sound quality is not the only factor in the music experience. Sometimes you may come across headphones that sound great, but wearing 30 minutes is an unbearable headache. So what is a comfortable headphone?
When looking for a headset consultant, the first questions you may ask will be, “How much is it?” “Like listening to what music,” “Do you like lots of basses?”, “How do you like the sound quality?”. Of course, these are all logical questions: in the end, headphones are for music enjoyment, and it takes money to buy them.
But can you tolerate the sensation of heat from natural bass headphones (which often use leatherette pad) bring? How long do you wear bulky metal case headphones? Can you tolerate the airy music scene with the noise of the office?
What is a Comfortable Headset?
Easy, it’s a headset that doesn’t make you uncomfortable. For headphones, this discomfort often comes from sound quality (too bright, too much bass), pressure on the ear/parts of the ear, how hot the ear is, how much noise is, and even wires.
We need to know how comfortable the headset is almost unrelated to the brand. On the contrary, this is a factor dependent on the style of the headset. In this article, we’ll take a look at common headphone styles, the pros/cons of how comfortable each model is, and finally, some of the most pleasant/annoying headphones.
Over-Ear headphones (hooded)
For many people, this is probably the most attractive headset design. Hooded headphones are usually large, covering the entire ear of the user to avoid causing ear pain.
With this design, the level of comfort will depend most on the material of the pad (ear cushions). The types of hooded headphones using a velvet pad will bring the feeling of smoothness, the most comfortable but very easy to stick to dust, and produce odors after a long time. In terms of softness, the pleather pad is also not inferior, but it is easy to cause hot/squash feeling during prolonged use, regardless of whether your room is air-conditioned or not.
Other factors that affect over-ear headphones are the weight of the headset and the force of the headband (the strap between the two earpieces). Too new headphones have a tighter grip and are therefore more uncomfortable, but this is generally a problem that can be solved by clamping the book in the middle or merely waiting over time.
On-Ear Headphones (Located on the Ear)
In general, these headphones are less comfortable than over-ear types. On-ear headphones are located on the ear canal and, therefore, can create a sensation of pain within a short time.
In return, the on-ear headphones will not cause hot feeling like over-ear headphones when used for a long time. The weight of on-ear models is also often quite low, so some on-ear models like [amazon link=”B00001P4ZH” title=”Porta Pro” /] or [amazon link=”B07THB9HWG” title=”TREBLAB BT5″] can be used for hours without feeling uncomfortable.
Clip-On (on the ear)
Because of the weight placed on the entire ear of the listener, the clip-on is probably the headset with the lowest level of comfort. Luckily, most clip-on models are quite lightweight, but if used for a long time, the clip-on will certainly not leave a pleasant feeling.
Neckband (worn around the neck)
Neckband can be a variation of over-ear, on-ear, or earbud. A unique feature of this type of headset is that the top of the head will not support the weight. But only due to the force of the headband of the supporting headband. It is for this reason that most neckband models are often not comfortable enough to use for a long time (with the exclusive exception of some neckband earbud models of Sony).
In-ear (plugging in)
Most users will not find the in-ear styling problem. With an in-ear design, the in-ear is relatively good at sound insulation (though it has not yet reached the level of active noise-canceling headphones – ANC). However, the “putting” an in-ear into the ear for a long time will also make many people uncomfortable, not to mention hygiene issues also need special attention.
Earbud (placed in the ear)
The Earbud is the most popular design of headphones, including two famous Apple headphones: the “anonymous” white-gray earbud that has been included with countless previous iPod models and the EarPods — included with iPhone 5 onwards.
In general, if the design is not too large or has an intelligent design like EarPods, the earbud will not create discomfort. Unfortunately, the noise level of the earbud is quite low.
Besides the design, the following three factors also greatly influence the experience of enjoying your headphones.
1. Headphones Close and Headphones Open
With the characteristic of the environment being used in offices or rooms with many people, closed headphones will be the only option to avoid music affecting people around.
However, it should be noted that many closed-ear headphones also have quite reduced sound insulation levels, and nearly all closed-ear headphones are also not soundproof enough to completely block noise on airplanes or trains. If you want a quiet space, your safest option is the headphones equipped with active noise cancellation (ANC) technology from Bose, Sennheiser or Sony.
2. Wireless and Wired
Of course, the benefits of wireless headsets are still undisputed: you can wear them and walk around the room freely to do whatever you want. Unfortunately, this benefit also requires a trade-off: wireless headsets will have an extra weight of the battery and thus weigh more than the equivalent wireless version.
In general, most people still accept wired headsets because the price of wireless headsets is still relatively high, and the sound quality may not match the price.
3. Sound Quality
No matter what type of sound you like, you need to pay attention to your limits. Some can’t stand the booming bass bands, and those who are so sensitive to dizziness that they enjoy bright, natural headphones like the MDR-V6 or DT880. If you face this situation, headphone reviews will be a good source of reference before making a buying decision.
Best Comfortable Headphones Are Worth Buying
– Bose QuietComfort: The sound quality of Bose is often criticized, but when it comes to comfort and noise, the American audio brand has no rival. At airports and airplanes, Bose will be the brand you’re most likely to encounter.
[amazon fields=”B0756CYWWD” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_alt=”Bose QuietComfort”]
– Sennheiser PXC-550 is also noise-proof and quite comfortable but has not yet reached the level of Bose. In return, the sound quality is superior.
[amazon fields=”B01E3XLNA0″ value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_alt=”Sennheiser PXC-550″]
– Sennheiser HD599: Not too heavy and has a soft velvet pad, HD599 is in the top of the most comfortable headphones if you do not need soundproofing.
[amazon fields=”B01L1IICR2″ value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_alt=”Sennheiser HD599″]
– Audio Technica AIR family: With many favorite products such as ATH-AD2000 or ATH-R70X, the “AIR” family from Japan often has excellent sound quality, smooth, and cool-wearing experience but are open headphones.
[amazon fields=”B07NSYBRJF” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_alt=”ATH-R70X”]
– Fostex family TH_00: Including some old Denon models such as D2000, D5000, and D700 as well as headphones models that make Fostex’s names such as TH900, TH600 and Fostex T50RP MK3, this Fostex series often creates a very smooth feeling. When worn on the ear because of the thick and soft pad.
[amazon fields=”B0167XM092″ value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_alt=”Fostex T50RP MK3″]
– Sony MDR1AM2: The headset models in this line are quite light, moderate pressure, but slightly hot when worn.
[amazon fields=”B07BCBT3KC” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_alt=”Sony MDR1AM2″]
We hope through the article. You can choose a comfortable headset and suit your budget.
