Tool Reviews

If you love music, then you know exactly how important good quality headphones are. With them, each track can sound in a new way, the sound will become richer, and low and high frequencies will become clearer. But quality is not an easy question, and with a wide variety of headphones today, it is very easy to get confused and choose completely the wrong headphones that suit you. Therefore, we have selected the five most common mistakes that beginners make when choosing expensive headphones.

Brand race

Today, when we talk about headphones, most often the most popular brands and the most innovative models immediately come to mind. We remember the Beats, which even before joining Apple appeared in almost all fashion clips, we remember the wireless AirPods, which caused the disappearance of the 3.5mm jack that served faithfully. However, chasing the biggest brands is a common mistake. Beats and AirPods are undoubtedly quality headphones that are able to meet the demands of the listener. But professionals will always advise you to pay attention to brands that are less popular in wide circles. For example, Sennheiser, Astell&Kern and Marshall have been developing professional audio equipment for many years. Guitar amplifiers, recorders, studio equipment – where quality is most valued, these are the names that sound. Therefore, before choosing a fashion brand, be sure to check what exactly meets your requirements, and then look at the characteristics, listen and choose.

The Marshall Major II headphones are the brainchild of Marshall and are the second generation of the extremely popular Marshall model. The advantages of these headphones are unmeasured, for example, a cable that can be connected from either side. It is firmly attached to the cup and provides easy access to the microphone and remote located on the cord. In addition, thanks to the twisted section on the wire, you can always move an extra half a meter away from the laptop without being afraid to pull it along with you.

The deep and high-quality sound of these headphones clearly transmits both high and low frequencies. Regardless of the genre and style of your favorite music, you will get the feeling of complete immersion. Comfortable cups provide almost complete blocking of ambient sounds: only you – the music and nothing else. Lovers of stylish devices will certainly be attracted by the appearance of the headphones – they are made in a retro design and are available in black, white and brown! If you prefer to use your headphones on the move, the Bluetooth version is the way to go.

The higher the price…

Price means quality. We are used to this wording, and for good reason – the coolest headphones tend to be expensive or very expensive. But here, too, one can be mistaken. For example, some highly specialized models in most cases are simply useless to us. If we do not have to deal with sound cleaning for video, professional sound recording and other activities, mid-range headphones will suffice. There is no point in chasing after serious technical indicators. Even a person with excellent hearing will not always find flaws in the sound of such headphones. Therefore, if you are a music lover, we recommend purchasing high-quality, but not necessarily professional, headphones.

Sennheiser HD 380 Pro is a great headphone model that offers high quality for its price. Let’s take a closer look: the headphones are still relatively professional, but they cost around 10,000. So if prestige is important to you, they make the right impression. But the sound will definitely surprise you. For example, if you compare the sound of the same track in an uncompressed format, Sennheiser will do the job better than many other models.

Why do you need headphones?

An important question to ask yourself before buying is what is the purpose? What, how and where are you going to listen, what are you going to use headphones for most often, and what unexpected tasks can lie in wait for you?

For example, if you are a gamer, you need not just headphones, but a headset – headphones with a microphone and good sound isolation. In this case, you should probably try monitor headphones, as they are used for sound processing and have good isolation. Such headphones are enough among the models of Audio-Technica – for example, ATH-ANC70, or Koss – ProDJ200 KTC.

If you are an athlete, you should pay attention to the fit and how the earpiece fits in your ears. Bluetooth headphones can be convenient, because they are not limited by a wire. But instead of earbuds, it is better to use on-ear headphones, they will allow you to hear extraneous sounds (this is useful if you like jogging in the fresh air) or earbuds, but then it is better not to turn on the music at full volume. Headphones from Xiaomi – 1More iBFree are perfect for jogging. Their plus is not only a comfortable ear mount and bright colors. Xiaomi generally pays serious attention to detail, and audio technology is no exception. A whole team of specialists has worked to calibrate the sound of these headphones, so you can safely expect quality from them.

However, back to the requirements that we place on headphones. For musicians, the question is even broader – firstly, they are much more demanding on sound than others, because it is always interesting not only to hear the “product”, but also to understand how it was created. And this requires a technical approach. Great sound in uncompressed format will give ear monitors, and of course, they will come in handy in professional activities. This is where Astell&Kern comes in with their line of exceptional monitor headphones.

Well, if you just want to play instruments without disturbing your neighbors, then any monitor headphones will do well here, one of the best examples is the Ultrasone Performance 820. Their essence lies in the name, but otherwise, they sit comfortably on your head and transmit perfectly sound. Like Marshall, they will allow you to switch the wire on the bowls. Just remember to make sure that the instrument connector matches the headphones.

Cheap headphones are terrible

And here it is not. Of course, we started the conversation with more expensive models, but it is worth paying attention to simpler headphones. Do you remember those horrible, noisy headphones you get on airplanes? The ones that miss any rustle? So, not all budget headphones suffer from the same shortcomings. For example, Xiaomi, which we are referring to for the second time, has developed several successful models of budget headphones at once, which do an excellent job of blocking out ambient noise. If you are not picky, and do not strive to hear all the subtle vibrations in the voice of your favorite artist and are not going to catch the rustles that the sound engineer forgot to clean up, or if you simply need spare headphones, Xiaomi is a great candidate. Piston Air Capsule are quite inexpensive, but provide decent sound and quality fit. Koss the Plug headphones have gained popularity for a reason, and not only because of their bright design, but also because of their good sound.

It’s all in the specifications

The last mistake is one of the most common, but avoiding it is actually very important.

Many, seeking to look prestigious, begin to pay attention to the characteristics of headphones. But you should not look at them at all, because everyone has their own perception, everyone prefers special music, so you only need to try on your future headphones. So, it’s best to take a smartphone or player with you and try those headphones that interest you. Take your time, turn up the volume, select a few tracks that best describe your musical tastes and go!

This is correct for one main reason – each rumor is unique. Some do not notice the lack of bass frequencies in the headphones at all, and they listen to lighter music, while others want to distinguish guitar overloads from bass slides.

So trust your own ears.

And we can only wish you more pleasant melodies that you can enjoy with good headphones.