Music as infrastructure: the choice of headphones

How to choose headphones? First you need to estimate the budget, choose what size and type of headphones you need, and then evaluate the sound quality of suitable models. Headphones now produced a huge amount, and find the right for you personally is very difficult. I hope this guide on models and types of headphones will help you make the right choice.

And no, it will not help! Choosing headphones for myself, I once realized that despite the huge amount of resources - articles, reviews, tests, discussions on forums - seemingly trying to help me, I'm actually very lonely. If an article or post is written from the most neutral position, then they are useful only for self-education, but not for choice. Everything else — forums, sellers' advice, even sincerely trying to help, friends and acquaintances — often “help” to choose headphones that make you terribly sore and have no buzz. And what to do?

My approach is this: sound quality and price need to be thought of last, or not at all. The main criteria should be convenience, comfort and compliance with the task. That is, a) I don’t buy headphones because the authoritative magazine called them the “Product of the Century” b) I don’t consider devices beyond the budget available to me. In previous posts, I tried to justify why this approach really simplifies the life of a music lover. Why not consider the purchase of headphones, players and other things, as investments in infrastructure?

Disclaimer or How to Read This Post. First: do not believe me! Do not forget that everything said here relates to my personal choice. I just tried to explain as honestly as possible why my choice was exactly that. I am extremely subjective, but unlike most other "authors about sound" I consider it necessary to announce it right away. Second: do not believe me! And in general, to anyone who tries to describe the sound of headphones or speakers with words. It's like retelling film content, just as senseless. Since I didn’t manage to completely get rid of word forms like “velvet, but the collected bottoms, articulated mids”, they are highlighted in reds . Third: do not believe me! Despite the fact that I tried to abstract as much as possible from prices, sound quality, design, and the like, they still influenced me. Just because I did not have the opportunity to evaluate, try on and compare dozens of different models. Most of you will not have this opportunity either, and this is the only benefit of such posts: choosing another person helps you make your own choice. Yes, none of the manufacturers mentioned paid me for posting this post. I paid them :)
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Set the task
I have three main scenarios for listening to music: at home, at work, and on trips. The requirements for these three options are slightly different. Homes need the most comfortable headphones for long listening. At work, you need to isolate yourself from external office noise, and I also need the ability to quickly take off and put on headphones - if you need to talk with someone or answer a phone call. When traveling (public transport, metro, airplanes), maximum isolation from external noise and compact dimensions are required: the headphones should fit in your pocket and always be at hand.

Is it possible to do with one pair of headphones for all these cases? Of course, it is possible, and in any case there will be gags - according to the most demanding scenario “in transport”. But since I am an advanced music lover, I have a separate pair for each case. I will try to evaluate them by my favorite criterion: convenient / not convenient.

House



Beyerdynamic DT880 ( Review at Kenrockwell.com)

These are open-type headphones, that is, they almost do not isolate external noise. What you are listening to is just as well heard by everyone else. That is, for the office, these headphones do not fit, unless you have a separate office: you will be noisy, the neighbors in the office will listen to your “tyts-tyts” and get angry. If you choose universal headphones for home and office, then it will be closed headphones. Why didn't I do it? The fact is that open headphones are different from closed on the sound.

No, I'm not talking about the fact that "open sounds better." Open headphones are as close as possible to normal speakers. I am sure that Beyerdynamic has a completely identical model in a closed case, which sounds exactly the same. With one exception: if the "open" almost correspond to the sound of a conventional speaker system in a spacious room, then the closed ones look more like a small box, on the sides of which the speakers are screwed, and for listening you need to stick your head in there. This all directly affects the comfort: you can listen to the open headphones, without getting tired, for longer.

Conveniently
Three-meter twisted cord that is not confused and allows you to move around the desktop without removing the headphones. And even reaches the couch.

The most simple, but convenient design. Soft fabric ear cushions, minimal pressure on the ears. Reliable metal headband: in other models, it is often plastic, and breaks in the first place. Enough light weight.

Inconvenient
This is quite a subjective moment, but in some cases, after a couple of hours of listening, the headband begins to noticeably squeeze me on a teme. Perhaps this is due to the fact that a sufficiently thin leather lining covers the metal band.

Alternatives
There are a lot of “big” headphones, so choosing the right ones - so that they do not put pressure on the head (and on the wallet) - is quite simple. It is important to try on headphones before buying, and if you feel at least minimal inconvenience in five minutes, then do not take it. In three hours, this minimal inconvenience will necessarily turn into one continuous frustration.

As you can see, my only claim to the headphones is: in some cases, the headphones put pressure on the head (and it is enough to slightly displace them so that they stop). Is there any radical solution to this problem? There are, for example, Audio-Technica:


Headphone review at kenrockwell.com .

Such a construction, in principle, cannot press much, and when I tried on this model in the store, it seemed to me very comfortable. There is also a minus: any sharp movement of the head, and the headphones are shifted, or even fall down.

Job



B & W P7 ( Review on InnerFidelity)

B & W P7 is such a correct compromise. Large, but fold. They are formed, but they firmly sit on the head and do not play. They sit firmly on the head, but they do not squeeze much, thanks to high-quality materials and thick ear pads. The result was such a multifunctional model: I listen to them at work, sometimes I use them in transport (mostly in summer, when the cap does not interfere), and occasionally I take with me on trips along with plugs.

Conveniently
Short cord, even with a remote control for i-devices. Many large closed headphones for some reason fall into the category of "professional", and therefore be equipped with a three-meter cord. It is good for a house, but at work such a cable will be constantly confused.

Proper folding design. Before that, I had closed Beyerdynamic DT660 headphones, and the headphone cups were turning there. This means that on the head such headphones constantly play: not very good. P7 are folded “inwards” and securely fixed in a “combat” position.



Inconvenient
Taki pressure on the head. But, first, it is tolerated, and second, it is justified here. The better the headphones are pressed to the ears, the better the noise is isolated. P7 can even be used in the subway.

About sound. These are headphones for those who are called bassheads in the English-language forums. I also belong to those, I love, you know, to "swing." The sound of the P7 is very different from the Beyerdynamic DT880 - the first ones are close to what is commonly called “neutral sound”. P7 is not at all neutral, but so attractive. Like any other attempt to "move" the sound away from the theoretical ideal, it is such an individual taste: if I like these headphones, it doesn’t mean that you will like them. You have to listen.

Alternatives
Headphones are portable, and at the same time _not_caps are presented in a large assortment. This and on-ear models (B & W P5 for example), which are not fully covered with the ear, and just lightweight headphones with large emitters (Sennheiser Momentum). I specifically narrowed down my choice, wanting it to be that big headphones, but folding, moreover, suitable for office and travel. If you do not bother with such complex matters, to find large headphones that are suitable for almost any situation is quite simple.

Travels



Earsonics SM3v2

Plugs, or in-ear-monitors - this is the most common type of headphones. But to find a suitable model according to the criteria of convenience and reliability was not easy for me. Why? Very simple. Large headphones are harder to break, even if they are made from the wrong plastic. My Beyerdynamic DT880, I hope, will last more than a dozen years, especially since I can't stand them out of the house. "Gags" - by definition, more compact and delicate - and live in the toughest conditions, and deliver more problems. For example:

• Sooner or later the cable fails.
• If they sit tight in their ears, they rub their ears.
• If loose - fall out at the most inopportune moment.
• Nozzles are regularly clogged with earwax (bue)

As a result, plugs fail quickly. And if so, then you need to buy expensive plugs carefully. Since I chose all the headphones at the top of a reasonable budget for me, I wanted them to serve for a long time, they were comfortable and sounded good .

These are fairly stringent selection criteria that cut off most models. I will try to detail them:

• Replaceable cable
• BTE mount. That is, the headphones should be fixed not only by the nozzles.
• Replaceable nozzles and filters available for ordering (not all headphones can be ordered in _ parts).

As a result, I made a choice in favor of EarSonics headphones - a small French company whose main specialization is compact monitor headphones for performers at concerts.

Conveniently
Replaceable cable. No matter how reliable the standard headphone-plug cable is, it will fail sooner or later. Therefore, to be honest, I do not understand the meaning of super-expensive headphones, in which it is impossible to change the cable.

Convenient silicone nozzles. Traditional disclaimer: convenient to me. They are quite soft, but at the same time provide good insulation. But comply with foam tips, the choice of many owners of headphones, plugs, I did not like. Nozzles in such models on 90% determine whether the headphones fit you or not. Trying on different headphones with different nozzles is not possible in all stores, and the more valuable are the sellers who keep special demo models in stock.

Earhook mount. Technically, it is implemented very simply: where the cable is connected to the headphones, there is a cambric in which the wire is inserted. Due to this, the headphones are held not only by the nozzle. Extra bonus: it is technically impossible to confuse the left and right headphones.

Inconvenient
They are big and quite heavy. There are earplugs that are not felt in the ear at all, and this is very cool. If dimensions are important to you, then it is better not to buy “big plugs”. In this case, the size is due to the presence of three reinforcing radiators inside, including a rather big bass one.

Lack of cable with remote for smartphone. For me, a small loss, since I usually listen to music not on a smartphone. And if I listen, then you can answer the call without removing the headphones, just by speaking into the phone. But for someone this option can be critical. Fortunately, headphones of similar design, but with a remote control, have other manufacturers in the range.

In my current infrastructure, these are the oldest headphones, they are already more than 2 years old. Recently had to carry out a full maintenance. What happened during this time? First, the connector that connects the cable to the headset began to fall apart. This is obvious, since it has an additional load due to the ear hook. Sooner or later the microscopic attachment would finally fall apart.

Two pairs of silicone tips failed. Filters plugged into the sound guide are clogged. If the nozzle just broke and began to jump (take out the earpiece - the nozzle remains in the ear, very unpleasant), then because of the filters, at one point, the left channel began to play noticeably quieter. EarSonics is not as cool a manufacturer as Sennheiser, and the accessories for their headphones are almost never sold, just a direct order from France. I decided to save (in vain), and started experimenting with third-party nozzles, filters and cable.

The only success is Etymotic filters, which turned out to be identical to the original ones. Then everything was bad. Etymotic earplugs kept bad and constantly flew because they were designed for headphones of a different design. Nozzles from another manufacturer did not fit at all. The Fiio interchangeable cable pleased me with a creepy microphone effect - this is when you hear the wire rub against the jacket and other objects, as it is too hard.
In general, it was decided to order a “repair kit” from the manufacturer: a branded cable and, with a margin, more branded attachments.



I hope that at least a couple of years the headphones will serve without problems. At the same time on the cable I was pleased with the new, more compact connector, compatible with cases for iPhone and other smartphones:

EarSonics makes rebar headphones, which are very noticeably different from headphones, with conventional, dynamic emitters (let's face it: small speakers!) In character.



In my opinion, the sound of reinforcement headphones is good in its detail: all the instruments are perfectly audible in the recordings of a symphony orchestra, their nuances can be eaten endlessly and studied. This detail can play a bad service to other genres: heavy music, emotional, noisy, with this very analyticity is bad friends. Well, when you want to, so to speak, shake haer , and you are offered to study the length of the nails on the guitarist's right hand. In part, this problem is solved by multidriver fittings, when several emitters are used in headphones (in my case there are three, and sometimes six, and even eight), although there is an opposite opinion on this matter. In any case, reinforcement headphones are not cheap, but if you fit into the budget, I recommend to compare them with dynamic ones that are similar in price.

Alternatives
Thousands of them. Let's look at the tasks:

I talked a lot about the reliability and maintainability of headphones. So it turns out that simple seemingly type requirements for a replacement cable immediately send a price tag to the stratosphere, since manufacturers believe that these are such professional features, and you definitely have to pay a lot for them. There is another option: before EarSonics, I had quite decent Sennheiser CX400 plugs, which steadily broke down once a year. But they cost so much that I calmly bought exactly the same, in any nearby store, and did not bother.



If you want to buy reinforcing headphones, but at the same time are inexpensive, then your choice is single-driver models. I still have a very good Ultimate Ears UE600 model (with a dilapidated connector on an interchangeable cable, by the way), but the cheap SoundMagic PL50 bought earlier for testing sounded somehow dim, their only plus is miniature and light. In general, reinforcement headphones are worth it to include them in the list of considered models and, on occasion, try them before buying, but no more.

The problem of nozzles is solved by custom headphones, the case of which is made from the impression of your ear. This is probably the next stage in the development of my headphone infrastructure, although I also have a lot of theoretical complaints about this approach.

Bright future
As I said, my approach to buying devices for listening to music suggests that these devices will serve me for a long time. In the case of "gags" you can lay five years, in the case of home large headphones - at least twenty-five. When will I want to replace some headphones with new ones? Obviously, when the old break. And before that, what could be the reason? The current headphones will cease to suit me in terms of sound quality ? This is unlikely.

That is the correct answer to this question. I change my headphones when I have a budget for something new. Either I can experiment with custom in-ear-monitors (which is such an expensive pleasure), or there will be money for a completely new type of ready-made headphones. And, ummm, while I see only one type of headphones, which is very different from what I have now, both in design and price:



Japanese electrostatic Stax headphones are not the top model itself, and complete with the special amplifier required for them cost more than 70,000 rubles, and the price of the coolest ones in general exceeds 400 thousand rubles, and the amplifier is not included. Realistically assessing my career prospects, I assume that such a moment will never happen :)

Well, that means you have to rejoice at what is, and listen to more music, not devices.