Arguably headphones are people´s best friends when it comes to commuting or travelling long distances. Most people take them very seriously and try several of them before making a final decision about which to purchase.
In this article we will break down the history and types of headphones in the world and give you our take on which is the best brand and model you can buy today. Read on and make an informed decision about your future travelling partners.
A little history
The name of Nathaniel Baldwin is somewhat unknown to the world given the relevance he had for us all. He made the first pair of headphones by hand in his house´s kitchen and sold them to the US Navy.
The year was 1910 and this very particular teacher and inventor wanted to take his sound experiments even a little further. He made the headset with two telephone receivers, one on each side, hence the name “head-phones”.
Mr. Baldwin had a somewhat crazy life between religious fundamentalism, bankruptcy and prison and died in 1961 after having seven children with his wife. He was a fervent supporter of polygamy and The Baldwin Radio Company had 150 employees and made 2 million dollars in 1920, nine years before going bankrupt.
Regardless of this restless inventor´s fate, the legacy continues until today. The headphones he first made were noisy and had very low volume. They didn´t feature any kind of padding, making the prolonged use of them a nightmare for most people. At this point in history, their use was strictly commercial for navy telecommunications and radio work.
By the year 1919 headphones with an increased sensitivity level were produced and widely employed in radio stations across the country. At this time those who wore the headsets were in danger because these primitive devices were connected to the positive battery terminal and all its high voltage directly.
If a radio operator decided to touch the bare metal parts of a headset to adjust it, they might get an electric shock.
The first stereo pair of headphones had to wait almost half a century. Jazz musician and declared audiophile John C. Koss is the man responsible for this great leap forward. He was only a high-school graduate with high hopes and a wonderful idea that his partner, the engineer Martin Lange, helped him turn into a reality.
The first Koss SP/3 stereophones were released in 1958. The model evolved into different incarnations including a Beatles tribute in 1966 and the world´s first Wi-Fi headphones (Koss Striva) in 2012 and can still be bought today under the name of KEB25i.
Koss as a company faced and overcame bankruptcy in 1984/5 and is still owned by the Koss family with 75% of the shares. John C. stepped down from the presidency and his son, Michael J. runs it since 1991.
Different types
The long road that brought the mono headphones to the present has broadened the spectrum on which they can be used. Because of this, different companies have come up with diverse types for each application. These are the most commonly used today.
Circumaural
These are very well-known among musicians and hi-fi lovers. They are heavy pieces that have been designed to wear around the ears and that are held together by a padded headband.
The ellipsoid design of the earpieces is also padded and is intended to block out all the noise coming from the outside. If you have ever seen a drummer playing in a studio with big and heavy headphones, this is very likely the ones he or she was using.
Supra-aural
The biggest difference between the afore-mentioned ones and these is that instead of being around the years, the supra aural variety is worn over the ears. This approach is less effective in attenuating outside noise than the circumaurals.
Most users say that this technology also generates pressure over the ears even with the padding. On the other hand, they are usually lighter and smaller. Because of this they can be seen very often in the streets or public transportation. They were a common add-on for personal stereos in the 1980s.
Open back
Both of the aforementioned varieties can be found in an open-back or closed-back design. The open back ones are perfect to give a more natural feel to the music being heard because they block less outside noise giving in return a little ambience vibe and sound to whatever is playing through them.
Closed back
If you have circumaural, closed-back headphones it means that you have the highest noise-cancelling headphones available in the market. The design isolates the listener´s ears completely from anything that happens in the outside.
The use of this type is almost always restricted to studio situations in which outside noise is undesirable but can turn out to be dangerous to use on the streets.
Earphones
What would happen if we took off the head band and made the speakers small enough to fit them into the outer ear? That was a question that Apple answered with the release of the first iPod in 2001 and those legendary small and white ear buds that revolutionized the way people listened to music forever.
Ear buds or earphones come in many different sizes and types and all of them sit on the outer ear and reproduce the sound to the inner ear without going physically inside. Because of this particular positioning, ear buds or earphones are noise-cancelling and very light weight so they can be carried easily.
Most people find them very handy but also a little uncomfortable, depending on the ear shape and size.
In-ear headphones
This variety of earphones has the particular feature of sitting inside the ear canal itself. Its design allows them to fit right into it and propel the sound directly. This is, perhaps, the most dangerous of all the models named so far for the human ear.
They are very common among musicians and other professionals who want to cancel outside noise completely and get the sound as pure as possible. They can be generic with rubber or silicone plugs that can mold to any ear or custom-made especially for the ear canal of one person in particular.
Bluetooth headphones
All the varieties of head and earphones mentioned above have their Bluetooth version. This technology that was first made available to the public for mass consumption in 1999 revolutionized the market and allowed people who used head and earphones to get rid of the cables.
As long as the playing device is Bluetooth-compatible all you need to do is to pair them and you´ll be able to listen to your favorite content without cables. The evolution of the famous white ear buds from 2001 is the modern Airpods which use Bluetooth technology to operate.
Headphones today, brands and manufacturers
There are many brands manufacturing state of the art headphones in the world. Headphones brands found on this list are a synonym of good sound quality and excellent craftsmanship that you can trust and buy.
Bose, Sony, Beats by Dre, Sennheiser.
We are going to suggest you different models that are suitable for diverse applications. These companies offer all kinds of head and earphones; we´ve narrowed down to the best of their catalog.
Sony WH1000XM3 – These are the best wireless, noise-cancelling model in the market today in our opinion. They have the perfect balance between battery life, comfort and sound. You can use them inside a noisy train and don´t be bothered by anything going on around you. They are light (0.56lbs) and have a battery life of over 20 hours. The only drawback is that because of their price, they are not suitable for all pockets.
Power beats Pro Wireless – These are Beats by Dre take on the popular Airpods. They are light, sound extremely well (they have more bass and low end than most professional studio equipment) and even look amazing.
They are a tad expensive and have an awkward large case that makes carrying them around kind of painful. The battery life is above the eight hours and weight is 0.04lbs. If you don´t care about the price tag, these are the best money can buy in their category.
Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 3 – These German-engineering wonders are some of the best-sounding headphones in the world. They are great for noise cancellation and feature a tracker to find them that is just amazing. They have a slight difference in battery life with the Sony ones but sound even better.
Buying your next headphones will require you to do some research and try several of them on to see which suits you better. If you like a tight bottom end and light weight, then the Beats Power beats Pro Wireless are the best for you.
On the other hand, if you are in the search of the highest quality sound and don´t mind the size, then the Sennheiser or the Sony can prove to be perfect for you. Whichever is your choice make sure you honor Mr. Baldwin´s legacy and don´t ever leave the house without your trusty companions.
If you want to buy a pair of safe and comfortable headphones, then below is our list of recommendations based on quality, price and users’ feedback
For more information about noise cancelling headphones and headphones in general you might want to have a look at our list of e-books below
- Your health and headphones
- The In and out of anti-noise headphones
- Evolution of headphones technology
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