I’m considering getting a new pair since I lost my primary pair and am currently using my backup ones. Trying to figure out which type I should get.
I wear mine for extended periods of time, so over-ear headphones are an absolute must. Everything else will make your ears hurt after a while. Disadvantage is of course the price. A good one will be between $300-$500.
My ear buds did hurt my ears when wearing them for a while, but only for a week or so. After that I must have learned how to insert them better because they don’t hurt any more. My cartilage certainly didn’t change. Pixel Buds Pro.
I like how pocketable they are. Can pop them in at the grocery store or Walmart and listen to some music instead of all the random sounds. The noise cancellling is amazing. The fidelity is pretty OK.
I can’t imagine wearing over ear headphones when trying to do chores of any kind. Maybe some small clip-ons, but none of those are noise canceling.
I’m mostly writing all this for OP’s benefit, despite replying to you.
I guess it really depends on how and what you use them for. I usually don’t use mine outside, like for shopping.
But for most chores at home, I can totally wear my over ear headphones. Unless you’re like cleaning something where your head must be low or is moving a lot (which may cause them to slide off), it’s really not a problem.
As a person with glasses, every headphone I’ve ever tried ended up hurting after an hour, so now I’m keeping to buds which usually don’t hurt
Longevity. Good headphones will have replaceable batteries, cheaper ones can still be opened up to replace them fairly easily. Batteries to fit most earbuds are much harder to source, even if you can open them up without completely destroying them.
If you do your research, a couple of earbuds use button cells that can be replaced with minimal soldering (particularly the Galaxy Buds).
Headphones often also come with a 3.5" removable plug, useful if you want to use them as a computer headset.
Earbuds are generally more acceptable in stores and other places where you need to interact with other people.
I have both but end up only really using headphones.
In-ear ones work best at noise cancellation and don’t get sweaty when warm. So, air travel and gym.
Headphones keep my ears warm and signals that I’m not hearing which makes street sales people mostly stay away if I pretend I don’t see them. Easier to take on and off quick. So, work , home, and commute.
I have sound sensory issues, I get headaches, unexpected sounds make me rage, and lose focus. I use both earbuds and headphones to manage those issues.
Overall, both have their uses and if you are able to, I recommend you invest in both. If you have to choose I have broken down below some things to think about before making a choice.
In any case, getting the right pair for you may require some trial and error, don’t be afraid to try products and return them if they don’t work for you.
Sound Sensory Issues
A good pair of ANC (active noise cancellation) earbuds is more expensive. Also, for some people it’s hard to find the right fit. After that, they quality is about the same for earbuds and headphones. For example, if you set them on high and play some music on low volume, you won’t be able to hear a loud highway.
The advantage of the headphones are the cushions, the have a tighter seal making the ANC less important.
Also, some people have issues with ANC, it’s not that common, but I recommend you try it out before making a purchase.
Comfort
Wearing earbuds for long periods of time can be tiring, there is some pressure on your ear (shouldn’t be too much or you may need to try a smaller size of foam tips). Over the ear headphones, with good cushions, are much more comfortable, but you may need to get used to it. On ear headphones are a huge NO.
Do not underestimate how important this is. Even the best pair won’t do anything for you if you can’t wear it. Also, don’t trust other people’s recommendations for this, it’s highly personal and you cannot know if a pair will be comfortable for you before you try them out.
Activities
If you move around a lot, headphones are not stable enough and can be a distraction. Earbuds with the right fit are okay, you can run, you can jump, you can hang upside down, they will stay in their place.
Also, sometimes you need to be aware of your surrounding, while ANC settings can be great, they will never beat removing one for the earbuds.
Sound Quality
Headphones take this one, they are a better value for money and they are the best sound delivery system known to humanity.
If you are willing to go the extra mile, there are communities on the internet dedicated to spending insane amounts of money for headphones. Unless you are a professional, avoid them.
What to buy
As someone said, right now the best options go as following:
- Buy Sennheiser for the best sound quality.
- Buy Bose for the best noise cancellation.
- Buy Sony for the best middle ground.
This is true for both earbuds and headphones.
For earbuds, 250$ is price you want to aim at, cheaper earbuds won’t have a good enough ANC and more expensive pairs don’t offer much to compensate for their price. It’s not that if you got spare money they are a bad purchase, but you got to really appreciate the niche.
For headphones, I haven’t done any market research recently so I am going to provide some general guidelines.
- Bluetooth is more expensive, the comfort makes it worth it but there is a peak on sound quality. The Sony XM5-1000 are a good first buy. An equivalent option are the Bose QC35. I am not sure about Sennheiser, they have more options but they are more expensive.
- If you are okay with a coord I believe you can go much cheaper, even pairs in the 100$ range will be good.
Keep in mind that these products will last for years. I got the Bose QC35 5 years ago and I only had to change the cushions which costed 5$. I know 250$ is a lot of money, when I bought them I was making ~720$ a month (Greek salaries are a joke), but it was worth it.
Also, I am going to contradict myself by saying that you should boycott Sony. The Sony WF4 and WF5 have battery drain issues that have not been addressed. Not all pairs have this issue, but it can get really bad and there has been at least one recorded explosion while charging. There is a thread on the “alien site” with a tonne of information about this. Personally, I had the WF4 and managed to get a refund because the battery would last less than 10minutes.
Miscellaneous
- Headphones will mess with your hair.
- Headphones and glasses don’t go well for some people, personally I don’t have an issue.
- It’s easy to lose an earbud, I haven’t but sometimes the concept causes me anxiety. This is especially important if only one earbuds connects via Bluetooth, since the other will be rendered useless.
PS This got “a bit” long, been writing it since yesterday when the post was created. I am starting to think headphones have become a special interest of mine 😂