Which headphones are right for you?

There are many headphone sets on offer but they basically
fall into four different categories - in-ear, earbuds,
supra-aural or circumaural.

All have their different uses and are usually used in
specific instances.

Recording studios and the like usually use the circumaural
headphones. These have those large round earpads that fit
over the ears completely and cut out peripheral sounds.
Real sound enthusiasts sometimes use these too.

Supra-aural headphones are the foam rubber covered headsets
that sit on the outside of the ear and used to given free
with personal stereos or on airlines. They were the cheap
and cheerful alternative in those days.

Earbuds are the headphones that are the bane of commuter’s
life! They sit on the outer part of the ear but does not
cut out peripheral noise.

Users usually pump up the volume to compensate for this and
leave fellow travelers with the incredibly irritating
overflow of tinny sound.

These headphones can cause damage to hearing and also cause
distraction when crossing roads or similar. The volume is
set so high that normal everyday sounds are drowned out.

Very dangerous!

Last - but not least - are the in-ear headphones sometimes
known as canalphones. As the name implies they are placed
directly into the ear canal giving good quality sound and
banning peripheral noise.

It may be that you will want a different set of headphones
for different circumstances. Be aware though that some are
dangerous in both hearing loss and where accidents can
occur. Choose wisely.