In-ear headphones are placed at the entrance to the ear canal. Small and light, they carry well in a coat pocket or a small purse. Since they generally cost less than other types of headphones, they are suitable for small budgets or users who always lose everything! On the other hand, their sound quality is generally poorer than that of headphones, especially for low frequencies.

Earphones of the “pod” type (in-ear) are more and more present on the market. They look like earbuds, but they're 100% wireless. They use Bluetooth technology and the two buttons are physically independent of each other (cordless). grado rs2e review The "pods" come with a portable case allowing both storage and recharging. They may be more expensive than simple earbuds, but they offer great flexibility in your movements, great discretion and a good variety of functions with regard to smartphones (compatibility with voice assistants, possibility of making calls, etc.)

Consult our List of Recommended “pod” Type Headphones

Over- the-ear ( over-the -ear) headsets are smaller, lighter, and more affordable than full-ear headphones. However, this type of device imposes a certain compromise on sound quality, particularly in terms of low frequencies. If comfort is important to you but you don't want to invest too much, this kind of headset could meet your needs.

Around-the-ear headphones (over-the-ear) cover the entire ear. They are bigger, but also more comfortable than all the other models. Planning on listening to your music for long hours? Headsets of this type will give you the desired comfort and, generally, the best sound quality. This quality comes at a price though: they are the most expensive of all types of headphones on the market.

Choose Headphones According to Your Use

To help you choose from all of our tested models, we offer a selection of headphones depending on how you will use them. Determine the profile that most resembles you among the two presented below in order to identify the appropriate model for you. 

Nomadic user: “I need headphones that allow me to listen to my music wherever I go and have my hands free as much as possible”. 

Always on the move, the nomad needs to be able to answer the phone, store his headphones easily and not have to increase the volume because of the noise of the metro or the din in a cafe, for example.  

Selection criteria: overall rating of 60% or more, “pod” or button type headphones, foldable, good battery life (if wireless) and the ability to make calls. An active noise reduction system is not a decisive criterion, but should be considered.

Sound Intone p6 Manual

Hate when the ambient sound obscures the song that is playing? Headphones with an “active noise canceling system” may help. The device picks up outside sound and emits a reverse sound signal, inaudible to you, to eliminate the annoying noise. This function is effective at countering low frequencies, but less effective at reducing noise in voices or screaming, for example. You might appreciate the option if your office is next to a construction site, or the roar of bus, subway, or train engines, for example, bothers you.

The need for batteries is the big drawback of this type of device. To prevent your headphones from completely shutting down when the batteries run low, choose a model that can also be used without them. Thus, when your batteries are empty, you will only lose the "noise canceling" function, but you will be able to continue listening to your music.

If you are interested in noise canceling, make sure that the wording “system active” is clearly marked on the packaging of the desired headphones. Products sometimes display the term “sound insulation from outside noise”. This claim means that the design of the device or even its materials block out sounds coming from outside, which, to varying degrees, all headphones do. The device therefore does not include an actual noise reduction system.

Tired of getting tangled up in your headphone cords? More than half of the devices tested can work wirelessly. Their sound quality suffers a bit, but some devices do very well anyway.

The 3.5mm audio jack (jack) disappeared on your most recent smartphone? You can get yourself an adapter that will cost you around $ 10, or use this opportunity to pick out some bluetooth headphones for yourself.

The vast majority of these products work with Bluetooth. They can easily connect to a wide variety of devices, such as phones, tablets or computers. With this type of technology, however, you may notice a slight loss in sound quality. In addition, the range is limited: to use them, you must be in the same room as your music source.