Do you remember how frustrating it is to untangle the headphone cords each and every morning? Or that really painful time when your earbuds got stuck on a doorknob and pulled out of your ears half-way through the song? The times are changing very rapidly. The personal audio market has been overrun by wireless earbuds in a huge proportion – after going wireless, it seems nearly impossible to switch to a corded pair.
The past few years have seen an explosion in the wireless earbud market. Whether you need AirPods, the noise-cancellation heroes of Sony or just a solid pair of less than thirty dollars, there is a pair that fits every lifestyle, taste, and budget. However, the choices may be daunting. What do you know really matters? And are the costly ones significantly better than the cheapies? The following is what you should know.
Two Bigs: Sound Quality and Noise Cancellation.
The quality of sound is clearly the basis of earbud purchase. Sony, Bose, and Apple high-end earbuds provide high-quality, detailed audio that can truly change how your music sounds – more alive, more multidimensional, with depth you never knew to be present in your favorite tunes. Cheap earbuds are typically as basic as they need to be, and can be lacking bass or clarity in the higher frequencies. The difference may not be of any concern to you when listening to it in a casual, everyday situation. The difference is evident to any person who is interested in what music sounds like.
Active Noise Cancellation – also known as ANC – is one of the most stunning features of the contemporary earbuds. The earbuds contain tiny microphones that hear the noise in the surrounding and produce sounds that oppose the noise and effectively cancel it out. Flight in a loud plane is virtually silent. Traveling by a busy subway gets quiet. Seating in a crowded coffee shop makes it virtually silent to the level that you can focus on full concentration. A good ANC is like a true superpower, and when you experience it the first time it is difficult to do without it.
A majority of mid-range/premium earbuds also have a transparency mode – a reverse of noise cancellation. It has the same microphones to make the sounds around you sound louder, enabling you to hear conversations and traffic without taking off your earbuds. This is particularly helpful at crossings where there are a lot of people or when someone is talking to you.
Fit, Battery Life, and All the Other Things that Matter.
Fit and comfort are subjective and cannot be fully determined by a review itself. Others prefer the tight-fitting, closed-ended sensation of earbuds with silicone rubber tips that provide a tight fit in the ear canal – this generally enhances the sound quality and sound isolation. Some report that the pressures or discomfort of the earbuds with a seal occur after an hour and want the more open and open air of earbuds without tips such as the standard AirPods. The best way to know which is preferred is to have tried both styles.
Find earbuds with different sizes of tips in the package to be able to find a fit that would not hurt but would keep your earbuds secure during movement. An effective seal is also important in passive noise isolation, even when ANC is off.
One of the most practical considerations to use on a daily basis is battery life. The listening time of most earbuds ranges between five and eight hours on a charge, and the carrying case is likely to give the earbuds another two or three full charges. Overall, you will have between twenty and thirty hours before you have to plug in the case. This is just enough for most folks, however, when you have to make long trips or commutes, it is worth your time to check certain battery specs.
Call quality is an aspect that should be considered if you take work-related calls or phone calls on a regular basis. The most suitable earbuds have a combination of two or more microphones with wind-noise cancellation algorithms to ensure that your voice is clear even in outdoor settings where there is a lot of noise. Budget models usually sound great with music, but make the voices on calls sound hollow or muffled.
Lastly, waterproofing ratings check prior to purchase in case you want to use them during exercises. Find an IPX4 rating or above, so that they can take light rain and a lot of sweat without breaking. Your dream match exists; identify with what is important to you and locate it.
