The Headphones Dilemma: Do You Need More Than One Kind?

By

CoM-AirFiDemo

I’ve got plenty of headphones lying around the house — and I mean a lot.

I’ve got some in-ear style ones, earbud style ones (which generally came from a variety of iDevices), and a couple of pairs — “over ear” headphones — that cover my ears completely. The thing about headphones is that each type is suited for certain activities better than others, which means that having several pairs available isn’t a bad thing at all…especially if you’re into being productive like me and want to have as little friction as possible going from task to task (or, in this case, from audio-related task to audio-related task).

The in-ear and earbud style headphones are my “daily drivers”. They’re the ones I use for everyday activity, mainly because they take up very little space in any sort of carrying bag I’ve got and they just seem so…disposable. But I’ll use the earbuds more often for exercising (running, for example) than the in-ear ones because they are less likely to fall out while I’m being active. My earbuds and in-ear headphones can be found in various spots throughout the house, that way they can be grabbed quickly – no matter what I plan to use them for.

My “over-ear” headphones are used for more specific things, like editing audio. When I’m recording and editing my podcast, I make sure I’ve got them on – no earbud or in-ear headphones have been able to match the noise isolation that my over-ear headphones have. This pair of headphones stays at my desk, that way I know here they are and they stay where they get used most often.

I’m not overly concerned about sound quality with my earbuds – the Apple ones do the job well enough for my tastes. The in-ear ones I’ve got do offer a better range in terms of sound quality, but they don’t hold a candle to my over-ear headphones. Over-ear headphones are generally the most expensive variety of headphones – although you can save a bit on a pair of Air-Fi Matrix Wireless ones through Cult of Mac Deals right now (I haven’t personally tried them, but over-ear headphones with Bluetooth capabilities at that price is something worth giving a look).

I can’t see myself ever going with one set of headphones for all situations. Some types are either better suited – or better capable – for certain situations over others. That said, I think it’s worthwhile to have at least one pair of over-ear headphones in your toolbox for those situations where the in-ear variety just won’t cut it.

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