There is a plethora of Android devices on which you can listen to music through headphones but most of us listen to music through our smartphones while on the go. While listening to music at home generally just requires headphones that sound good (open-back is normally the way to go unless you need to block out ambient sounds at home), are comfortable and are within your budget, headphones for listening to music or podcasts on the go, things get much more complicated. Here is a guide of some things to look out for when buying a good pair of phones to go with your favorite Android device.
While some smartphones have started to get rid of the trusty headphone port, forcing customers to shell out for usually very expensive Bluetooth headphones, the vast, vast majority of Android phones still have it. Because people usually listen to music on the go through their phones, it’s crucial to get this right and there are a few things to consider.
In, Out or Over
First, there is that big choice between Bluetooth or wired headphones but listening to your music while traveling has so many variables that there are plenty of different choices for what headphone to get. As for example, there is a huge difference between in-ear, on-ear and over-ear headphones and which one you choose can greatly affect your listening experience. In-ear is the most easily lost but they’re also the most portable; they’re the least likely to overheat your head but the most likely to damage your hearing. Over-ear headphones, on the other hand, tend to have excellent sound and are more comfortable for people who don’t like having things in their ears but they can get warm and are harder to carry around. There’s always a trade-off and personal preference always comes into play.
Wireless For the Win?
In terms of whether to go wireless with Bluetooth or wired, the convenience factor for wireless would seem to override anything good about wired headphones but don’t be too quick to write off those old-fashioned wired headphones just yet. For a start, wired headphones are cheaper than their wireless counterparts and it’s almost a rule that wireless headphones sound significantly worse than wired headphones at the same price. Wireless phones also work on batteries and, though the battery life on the better Bluetooth headphones out there is rather impressive, forgetting to charge your phone is never, ever a problem with wired headphones. Ultimately, whether you choose wired or wireless depends greatly on your budget and how important good sound is to you.
No More Noise
One of the biggest questions any consumer’s faces when buying new headphones is whether to but active noise-canceling headphones or if so-called passive noise-isolating headphones are good enough. It’s unquestionably true that if you mostly listen to your music on the go and you prefer over-ear headphones, as so many do today, closed-back headphones are the way to go. Nothing beats the sonic bliss of a good pair of open-back headphones for listening at home but while you’re out and about you need the back of your headphone nice and tightly sealed to keep outside noise out.
Active noise canceling, which cancels out ambient sounds with white noise, is great if you want to enjoy your favorite tunes in peace but, once again, there is a sharp price/ quality trade-off here. Noise canceling technology is not cheap so in cheaper models, the sound quality is often the first to go to keep the price down. If you’re not spending your time in excessively noisy environments, regular closed-back headphones should do you fine and you should get a better bang for your buck in terms of sound.
It really comes down to what you want from your phones and how much you’re willing to pay.