I have been around friends and relatives who claim to have acquired the coolest headsets, be it in-ear or on-head pieces. Unfortunately, once I get a taste of what they keep bragging about, I get genuinely disappointed and it is not just because of the sound.
This is mainly because deep down, I know they just bought some mediocre stuff all in the name of a branding they saw on the design thinking they are prestigious when in reality it is just a sham. Now, this may be a guide for those who are looking for some earbuds/headsets that will not bug you with the long cables that you take forever to detangle after you’ve had them in the bag or in the pocket. This is to say that sound is one of the main factors but not the only one.
I have bought such that brag of a seamless listening experience but it all gets to be short-lived. After all, we are in the future already that is promising to be a totally wireless affair when it comes to gadgets we use almost if not every day. What brand are you looking and what should you look out for before you get to your thousands of shillings to buy them?
Comfort
How the earbuds or headphones are designed plays a vital role in how comfortable they get to be in your ear or on your head. Lacking to consider this might make you regret your purchase almost immediately. If you are someone with small ear openings, the traditional design of earphones might be a bother to you, say Airpods which might end up bringing irritation or pain to your ear lobes that are supposed to keep the buds in place. I get this all the time and I do mostly prefer the “in-ear” type. This is still in consideration of the big disadvantage of the delicate cushions that tend to get lost if not handled carefully. If that gets to be a turn-off for you, then get the more traditional look.
On the other hand, the most ideal headphones are ones properly padded with quality cushions that last. Any other will end up wearing out in time to leave you with to deal with the hard plastic. Trying it out in the shop is an important step to make sure of this. Do not sacrifice your comfort for anything.
Sound Quality
Now, we may not all be knowledgeable when it comes to testing the best sound range but it actually is much easier than you may think. Getting headsets with HD sound for your music, video editing or gaming is simply a matter of looking at the details on the packaging. Headphones/earbuds with HD sound operating at 16KHz rather than 8KHz offer a better and more immersive experience. Just read that box that you tend to ignore every time.
This is not to say that a better sound quality means more bass. In fact, excessive lows on your sound is a problem. Yes, good treble and bass is a must but check whether they offer instrument separation for that clear audio on every instrument playing on a certain track. Sound can be solid enough without too much bass. Sound quality also depends on whether your headphones offer mono or stereo sound. Mono sound features a single earpiece and provides sound to one ear with the acceptable sound quality for say calls or other basic functions. If you are one that uses them mostly for music or gaming, a stereo sound feature headset that offers quality sound at affordable prices is for you.
Practicality
If you are going to use your headset in loud workplaces, to talk to other people on the phone, you will probably need ones with active noise cancellation. Many people tend to confuse this feature with noise isolation which I can tell you today is a totally different feature. Noise isolation is passive blockage of sound around you that can be acquired through padding. Noise cancellation, however, is a blockage of environmental sound from getting into the headset.
Quite expensive units are ones that tend to offer the best noise isolation from things like a plane engine running but you can find it in other affordable pieces at minute ranges. The latter feature is however in some good quality but affordable headphones.
Other than these, you might want a headset with a mic if you mostly use yours for calls. If you walk around most of the time with them on, you will need in-ear headphones with an ear hook for better grip or something more stable with silicone rubber tips that stay put. If you don’t like taking out your phone every time, you will probably need one with volume and playback controls whether gestured or buttons.
Either way, you have to choose the ones that you really feel will conveniently suit your listening experience.
Battery Life
Bluetooth headsets require charging just like every other gadget that you find yourself using currently. But just as you check up how long your phone’s battery lasts, ask how long the pieces last on charge before buying them. It is common that bigger headphones offer a bigger battery thus last longer. If small headphones look better and more convenient, go with that. Besides, genuine headphones averagely last for 4-5 hours on a single charge with the high-end ones lasting way longer. This, I think is a good offer on the wireless headsets but only by genuine ones.
Range
Not many people walk around without their phones but if you do maybe at a studio or office, a good connection range is something important to you. Most headphones operate with Class 2 Bluetooth, which offer up to 10 metres (33 feet) and all this is before sound quality starts dropping. There are Class 1 Bluetooth units, however, that offer connection ranges of almost 100 metres. It is you to check up quite well on the details or just ask on the retailers about it.
One may mostly ask about the budget but that mostly falls upon what features you want, high-end headsets that offer the best experiences hands down tend to be insanely expensive. Some may prefer those, others not so much. Just note down your ideal features and decide which ones are worth the money or not. Either way, consider this list before you get them.
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