Headphones: The What’s and Why’s of it
Headphones are a small audio device that can be plugged into a computer, laptop, smartphone, or any other audio device to play audio effortlessly without disturbing anyone in the vicinity. The earliest headphones were usually the plug-and-play kinds that could just be plugged into an audio device and used seamlessly. These did not require any sort of installation. With the coming in of Bluetooth technology, headphones are now wireless too and can be connected to any smart device which has Bluetooth technology. Basically, headphones are really small speakers that are connected together with a band that goes over the head and these contain transducers which help convert an audio signal into sound waves.
The basic functioning of a speaker and headphone are the same. However, what is different is their output levels. Speakers are used for huge areas so these should be able to send sound to distances far away too, but headphones only need to send the sound to a small distance since these are placed a few millimeters away from your ear. So, the components of a pair of headphones are often fine-tuned as compared to a speaker. Even though the headphone output is lesser than that of a speaker but since these are very close to your ear, it can sound extremely loud. The bass for these though comes less into focus because headphones don’t move as much air.
Kinds of Headphones
There are two major types of headphones as listed below:
Over-Ear Headphones – These kinds of headphones wrap snugly over your ear and come in two variants, i.e., open and closed variants. The basic difference is the way they help to muffle outside sounds. While the open variant allows all outside noise, the closed variants stop external sounds to a great extent.
Noise Cancelling Headphones – These kinds of headphones completely cancel all outside noises and create a muted environment allowing you to work or listen to music seamlessly. These kinds of headphones usually contain a microphone that detects outside noise and then sends an opposite signal to the wearer’s ear, thus effectively cancelling outside noise.
Factors to Consider before Buying Headphones
Like any other audio product, you need to keep in mind a few factors before you invest in some good quality headphones:
Battery Life – The foremost thing you need to check before buying headphones is their battery life. If you’re going in for wired headphones, always go in for standard micro-USB chargeable headphones and with a port that uses the same wire as your phone. For wireless headphones, make sure it has a bigger rechargeable battery as these last longer and give you a longer playback time.
Use Time – There are three different aspects to a headphone and their battery life, which are charging time, talk time, and standby time. Charging time is the total time it takes to charge your headphones; talk time is how much time will the headphones work on one full charge; and standby time refers to the duration for which your headphones will stay on when not in use. Depending on how you use your headphones, an ideal pair should give you 4-5 hours of talk time and at least 1-2 weeks of standby time.
Cable Length - When you buy a wired audio device, it is important to see the material of the cable. The better the quality of the metal of the wire, the better will be their strength to conduct power. Most headphones have the copper cord, which works fine, but not for long. For ideal results, one should always buy headphones that have an aluminum cord as that enhances the overall sound quality. What also matters is the length of the headphones cable. The standard length is 1.2 meters; however, your requirement also defines what the length of the wires should be.
Driver Size - A driver is the most important component for a pair of headphones. The basic and most important function of a driver is to create the sound that you hear when you put on your audio device. You can picture the driver to be a small loudspeaker in your ears. It has three major parts, which are the magnet, voice coils, and a diaphragm. The magnet helps create a magnetic field, the voice coils move the diaphragm in order to create the sound, and when the diaphragm vibrates, it creates sound waves. A driver is basically disc-shaped and the size of the driver is what affects the sound output of headphones. A large driver size in headphones means you will get better bass. The ideal range for headphone drivers is between 20-50mm. If your basic requirement is that for a thick bass, then one should go in for dynamic drivers. These consume less power and have a good sound pressure to produce better bass quality.
Comfort and Fit - Your headphones should be comfortable on your ears. They shouldn’t create any pressure and should be comfortable for long usage as well. Over-ear headphones are the most comfortable and their fit is said to be better. But, always make sure to check their band that is on top of your head doesn’t dig in your head and is made of comfortable material. Headphones with a layer of foam are the best because these are ergonomically designed to cover your ear and you can use these for longer hours. Both mesh and leather covering over the memory foam on the ear cups on the headphones work better for you in the long run.
Headphones at Intex
Intex has a wide range of headphones and each comes with its own set of amazing features:
Roar 103 - These multimedia headphones with 40mm driver size and super loud and thumping bass will be your ideal partner while gaming. The multi-function control panel and the USB connectivity will make sure your experience is like no other. It is dust and sweat proof and it is foldable for easy carrying.
Roar 201+ - The Roar 201+ wireless headphones have a 40mm dynamic driver size for sonic bass. These are equipped with BT v5.0 and offer up to 16 hours of smooth playback. It has an inbuilt mic for seamless hands free calling and the foldable ear cups are dust and sweat proof.
Roar 301 - The Roar 301 wireless headphones have a 40mm dynamic driver size for sonic bass. These are equipped with BT v5.0 and offer up to 10 hours of smooth playback. It has an inbuilt mic for seamless hands free calling and the foldable ear cups are dust and sweat proof. It even has multiple options for playback with FM and an inbuilt SD card slot.
Roar 401 - The Roar 401 wireless headphones have a 40mm dynamic driver size for sonic bass. These are equipped with BT v5.0 and offer up to 12 hours of smooth playback. It has an inbuilt mic for seamless hands free calling and the foldable ear cups are dust and sweat proof. It even has multiple options for playback with FM and an inbuilt SD card slot.
You can check out the entire range here: https://www.intex.in/collections/headphones
