Woke up this morning, rushed off to college, with your earphones plugged in only to realize there is only…silence? Yet another case of a pair of broken earphones. You are likely to reach out for a new, more affordable pair as a replacement yet again, but we think you shouldn’t. You aren’t the only one. We the average consumer spend a lot of money on smartphones, anywhere between Rs. 5,000 to a lac with little hesitation but settle for Rs. 500 earphones in the blink on an eye. If you rush again, there is a lot you might be missing out on.
On average, we spend anywhere between an hour to five hours, sometimes more, listening to music, playing games or watching a movie. There are studies that say that people are listening to an average of four and a half hours of music every day, in the US. The numbers for India may not be far from that. The money spent, for the sheer amount of time spent using them over its life is disproportionate. In comparison, we spend a lot more on travel, on fashion. Some of us actively use earphones every day, more than we do smartphones. We listen to music, podcasts, to watch YouTube videos, movies and TV shows. All these activities are thoroughly for our entertainment and there is a lot you’re missing out on, if you choose to skimp on quality. Unfortunately, there is no way to know this until you experience it.
A lot of this is to do with the perception that all earphones sound the same, pretty much. Mainstream media doesn’t help; we rarely see advertisements on the web or on TV. It’s only when you listen to a slightly expensive pair of earphones out of chance, that you might notice the difference in sound. It’s difficult to explain in words, and only a first-hand experience can convince you otherwise. The next time you’re at an electronics store, and you can try out some new earphones, connect your phone and listen to your favourite track on them. Chances are, you are going to be impressed. Earphones and headphones are a hobby for some and these people spend a lot of time and money trying to get the best possible sound out of their phones and audio systems. If you know a friend like that, you might be able to try out a bunch of earphones and headphones. Prepare to have your view of sound quality changed.
The earphones market is quite unorganized, so you will come across great sounding earphones at low prices, but from somewhat unknown brands. Ideally, you need to try them out before buying. Headphones cost more to make, so the prices at which headphones offer high quality might be higher than that of earphones. That is something to keep in mind. 
A good pair of earphones is likely to last much longer than the cheap knock-offs you find in the market, while offering many times the performance. There are other reasons to listen to earphones when you’re travelling to work. In a regular scenario, it’s a good idea to focus on work and studies with no music playing in the background. But if you’re sitting in a crowded office with a lot of noise, light music can have a more soothing effect on you. The alternative to commotion around you, especially if you’re travelling to work or college by bus or train is music. There are side-effects to too much listening, but we’re not advocating for keeping your earphones always plugged in. Having a good pair of earphones on you at the right time, listening to your favourite album is such a satisfying feeling. A pair of earphones extends its worth whether you’re at work or relaxing late at night watching a movie in bed. While a Bluetooth speaker or audio system might be great in a living room, after 10 in the night, a pair of earphones is worth having around.
Listening to music is naturally a fun activity. It’s an expression of something personal, and that’s why it’s so close to us and it connects in some form or the other, to everyone. The amount of precision and work that goes into recording an album is one of the most painstaking things you can experience. The idea behind that is that no matter what earphones or speakers you use, you ought to hear most of the quality and experience that went into the recording. Unfortunately, most of us use earphones that only render a small smart of the fidelity that exists in the track.
These are just some of the reasons why earphones are key to our day and you shouldn’t ignore them. They keep us company, they help isolate us from all the chaos around us, and this can make us more productive and happier. It’s something we’ll use for hours every day, no matter where we are. But don’t agree just because we said it.
We have several stories about audio entertainment you might find worth your time. The next time you’re going to buy a new pair of earphones, take our advice on choosing a pair of earphones, or let us help you choose between headphones or earphones, or how to get the most out of them.
Why you should spend more on earphones
