Alongside expert advice on subjects including headphones and earphones, come myths that we rarely ever question. We’ve been talking about sound, music, apps, earphones, and everything in between for a while. So, if you ever wondered if headphones are safer to use than earphones, or if spending more gets you better sounding headphones, we’re here to help and we’ll break down those myths for you.
” _____ brand makes the best quality earphones and headphones”
Headphone and earphone brands have massive fan following just like your favourite cricket team and there is a certain bias behind it. The idea is that a specific brand makes the best audio hardware. This is entirely false. A brand, no matter how popular may make good earphones and headphones around, but there isn’t any universal leader. Audio quality is subjective and so, there is no perfect headphone or earphone either. Some of the lesser known of brands can also make some surprisingly good hardware. The key bit of advice is, look out and try out models, not stick to brands.
“Headphones always have better bass”
The idea behind this myth is that larger audio drivers can generate better bass, and there is some truth to it although it depends from one model to another. The larger drivers supposedly drive more air and more compression needed for good bass. Earphones on the other hand have the advantage of being tightly fit into the ear cavity allowing for better compression of air. However, there is no clear winner for bass and besides, having excess bass goes against the idea of a natural and neutral sound.
“Headphones are safer than earphones”
Both, headphones and earphones are equally safe to use if you keep the volume levels under control. The myth is born from the idea that earphones sit deep inside the ear canal, closer to your ear drums while headphones don’t. The reality is that both can generate high volumes of sound, and extended listening to either one can be equally harmful.
“Headphones and earphones need burn-in to sound good”
The myth is that a new pair of earphones or headphones needs their drivers to be exercised before they can really sound good. Popular advice tells us that playing a track, called white or pink noise at a high volume for hours, sometimes days can help improve quality. There is no truth, or any way to determine this. Most of us will listen to earphones or headphones for hours and as days go by. This will ‘break-in’ the products even if this myth is proven true.
“Expensive earphones and headphones always sound better”
This has some truth to it in some cases, but not always. Most pricier earphones tend to be better, but you need to try them out to know for yourself. Although, spending a lot of more, sometimes 100 times more does not guarantee perfect audio performance. The headphone and earphone markets are largely unorganized, and you can find some great products at shockingly low prices. So you can, at times, end up with earphones priced at Rs. 1,500 that perform better than a Rs. 5,000 pair.
“Noise cancellation cuts out all noise”
It never does. Noise cancellation works well especially in static noise situations such as in a car, train or a plane where there is a continuous, loud noise In these cases, noise cancellation earphones and headphones block out the engine rumble and noise. If someone were to talk loudly, or ring, you’re likely to hear it, although lower than you would without noise cancellation.
“More drivers in earphones and headphones result in better sound”
Several new earphones and headphones boast of several drivers in place of one. The idea is that each of the drivers in these models handles a specific range of the sound spectrum, thereby sounding better than products using a single driver. There are no clear studies that prove that more drivers always render better sound. In some cases they work better, sometimes worse.
“Higher frequency range in the specifications means better sound”
The wonders of marketing allow brands to state the specifications of their products to get an edge over their competition. In the case of headphones and earphones, one of the parameters of the performances are listed in hertz (Hz). Most brands will show off their product performance by claiming ranges between 20Hz and 20,000Hz. This example covers the frequency range humans can hear, and beyond. Unfortunately, if these products are tested, they rarely render that entire range, and if they do, they miss out on certain bands entirely, or output certain frequencies at lower volumes. Never take the specifications of earphones and headphones for granted; they are rarely indicative of real-world performance.
“Higher impedance improves the quality of sound”
Like the topic of frequency range, lies another myth surrounding higher impedance and resistance in audio products. This has some people believe that higher impedance numbers force earphones to work harder, thus creating higher quality of audio. This is nonsense and should also be ignored. Although, if you do have a pair of headphones or earphones that require a higher power audio source, you should invest in an headphone amplifier to drive those earphones better.
“Larger headphones sound better”
Some of the earphones these days use larger enclosures to house the multiple drivers. There is no proven science that larger earphone enclosures improve the quality of earphones. There might be great sounding earphones with larger enclosures, but a larger enclosure may not be the factor contributing to that quality.
“Wire quality affects sound quality”
Wire quality is only important if it offers reliability. Quality is only affected when a cable is bent to a point where it tears or breaks. All cables in a good state carry the same quality from the source to the earphones. Replacing them with superior cables for example, rarely adds any value.
“Gold plated connectors make your earphones sound better”
This is a myth and gold connectors don’t improve the quality. The amount of gold used in connectors is tiny and practically negligible. Gold might prevent rusting of connectors to some extent, but nothing more. In many cases, this coating might get worn out with constant plugging and unplugging.
Those were the biggest myths and misconceptions you are bound to come by in conversation or while looking up for advice on the web. Fortunately, things are often simpler than they seem and you should be able to spot them out now – keep them in mind, so you stay away from gimmicks and false promises.
