5 Different Types Of Headphones Compared & Explored

Are you thinking about buying new headphones?

Are you wondering which type will be the best to fulfill your needs?

Throughout the years, I’ve noticed so many people trying to figure out which headphones would be ideal to choose based on so many different options.

I get it.

I realize this choice is a lot more difficult than it seems on the surface.

I’d like to help you as best I can by sharing information about the various types of headphones that you’ll want to consider.

Please take a moment to read about the different types of headphones that I go into greater detail about below.

Headphone Types Explored

Bone Conduction Headphones

Bone conduction earphones are a fairly new development in the world of headphones, and even though it isn’t very popular right now, its popularity is beginning to increase.

What’s the difference between regular headphones and bone conduction headphones?

Well, the bone conduction headphones use your bones, specifically the bones in your skull, to conduct sounds via the headphones.

According to some people, the sound quality provided by bone conduction headphones isn’t as good as the sound you get from regular over the ear headphones or in ear earbuds. But you can try them out for yourself and see if you like the sound, because many people feel that the audio they deliver is quite satisfactory.

You might want bone conduction headphones because they have an open design, which means you’ll be aware of everything going on around you. On the other hand, you may dislike them because they don’t provide adequate noise isolation since they’re an open headphone.

But overall, I believe that bone conduction headphones are highly practical because they can be used in various scenarios such as fitness, sports, and office settings. The style that I personally have been using is Wissonly Hi Runner

Bluetooth Headphones

I thought about explaining how Bluetooth technology works, but then I realized a simple truth.

You don’t actually care!

Learning about Bluetooth’s functioning isn’t the real reason you’re here.

So what is the reason?

Ultimately, you’re tired of long headphone wires getting in your way and you’re looking for a wireless solution. That’s where Bluetooth headphones come into the picture. They are capable of connecting to your Bluetooth enabled audio devices to enhance your listening pleasure without the accompaniment of a wire slowing you down or annoying you to no end.

Not all Bluetooth devices are created equally. And at this point, just about every style of headphone has a Bluetooth version. You can get Bluetooth headphones that’re on ear, over ear, earbuds, noise cancellation, bone conduction, behind the neck, and nearly every single combination.

Keep this in mind though. Bluetooth headphones need to be charged fairly regularly, and this is especially true if you use them a lot throughout the day.

So if you’re the type of person who forgets to charge their phone all the time, you’ll likely be the kind of person who forgets to charge their Bluetooth headphones as well. In this case, you may want to avoid Bluetooth headphones altogether and stick with the wired ones.

If you want to learn how to make headphones louder you can check out our article with 6 great tips in it.

Over Ear Headphones

I never really tried to figure out why, but I personally love over ear headphones. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I dig these headphones because they not only go over the top of your head, but they completely cover your ears as well.

Why do I think that’s great?

Personally, I hate it when background noise bleeds into my awareness as I’m listening to my favorite tunes. I’m the kind of person that likes to really focus on the music. I like to sit there with my eyes closed and daydream about the songs that I’m listening to. When lots of background noise enters into my awareness, it pulls me out of the experience altogether.

Guess what?

When you have large earphones completely covering your ears you don’t have to worry about unwanted noise leaking into your perception. On the contrary, you get to kick back, relax, and enjoy your favorite classical pieces, hip-hop artists, rock ‘n roll bands, pop groups, or any other musician or musical genre that this planet has to offer.

Keep in mind that over ear headphones come in wired and wireless options. And these headphones are typically bulky and since your ears are going to be covered, they’ll undoubtedly make you sweat if it’s hot outside. So keep these things in mind.

In Ear Headphones

As much as I personally dig over ear headphones, I also own a pair of Skullcandy in ear headphones too.

Why bother you might be wondering?

Well, just like over ear headphones, in ear headphones definitely have their place. Or better yet, from here on out let’s call them by their typical name which is earbuds.

To me, in ear earbuds are great because they block out background noise and they’re incredibly versatile, very convenient to carry around with you, and the fact that they’re lightweight and small means that their portability rating is through the roof in my book.

Whether wired or wireless, you can fold up the wire into a tightly wound circle and stuff the earbuds in your pockets. And if they’re wireless, you can literally pop them out of your ears and put them in their charging case or stuff them in your pocketbook, backpack, pocket, fanny pack, or anything else for that matter.

There are a few things to consider about in ear headphones a.k.a. earbuds. For starters, wireless earbuds usually stay charged for about 4 to 6 hours, so they frequently need to be recharged every day. And wired earbuds could be an inconvenience if the wire is too long or too short.

Other than that, in ear headphones sometimes have ear hooks or a neckband, which makes them look slightly different than typical earbuds.

Noise Cancelling Headphones

This style of headphone is ideal for anyone looking to control the amount of background noise they hear in their environment. This is different from noise isolation because in this case you can actually adjust the frequencies of the background noise in your surroundings and determine exactly how much you hear or choose to block out of your awareness.

As an example, let’s say you’re dying to listen to your favorite audiobook because you stopped at a major cliffhanger and you can’t wait to find out what happens next. The only problem is you have three young children with you running around the house all day. You’re afraid to sink deeply into your audiobook because you might not hear their cries for help.

Well, with noise cancelling headphones you have the ability to block out all of the background noise, some of the background noise, or very little to no background noise depending on your personal preferences.

So, if you really want to listen to your audiobook and still be able to hear your kids when they need you, you can adjust the noise cancelling levels so you’ll hear your audiobook with crystal clarity but you can also hear a cry for help.