THE GRAMOPHONE WIRE
ON HEADPHONES
in-ear or ear buds. active or passive noise cancelling. open backed or close backed.
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? Find out in this issue all about headphones, their modern technology, and finding the perfect ones
for your ears. CHOOSE THE RIGHT HEADPHONES FOR YOU
THE HOWS AND WHYS OF NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES
HiFiMan HE-560 Planar Magnetic Headphones, $899.00
OPEN-BACK HEADPHONES FOR THE ULTIMATE SOUND QUALITY
CHOOSE THE RIGHT HEADPHONES
FOR YOU by
GEOFFREY MORRISON
THERE HAS NEVER BEFORE
been the variety, and quality, of headphones available as there are right now. For every budget and style, there are great sounding headphones. The rampant enthusiasm in the audiophile community for this new golden age is spreading to the mainstream. Here are a few terms and basics to know as you consider what to buy.
“OVER-EAR” HEADPHONES These are the big earmuff-style headphones. As their name implies, they go over your ear. They tend to be fairly heavy, but the ones that totally surround the ear tend to be quite comfortable for extended listening because most ears don’t like being touched for long. Their sound quality can be spectacular.
“ON-EAR” HEADPHONES These are smaller than over-ear, and rest on the ear (think early Walkman headphones, although today’s on-ear headphones are much better and more comfortable). They generally don’t sound as good as over-ear and some listeners may find the ear-contact to be annoying, but they’re very compact and portable-great for traveling.
“IN-EAR” HEADPHONES These small headphones fit snugly in your ear canal. Fit is paramount with in-ear headphones; in fact some brands offer custom molded earpieces specifically for your ears. Without a good seal, sound quality, noise-blocking and comfort will suffer. The very best examples on in-ear phones sound fantastic but the low cost variety are usually not very good sounding. Well-fitting in-ears make great traveling headphones, as they naturally seal out external sounds (like your gabby row-mate) and are so light and small (but they’re also easy to lose).
QUICK SINCE FIT AND COMFORT ARE VITAL,
TIP
it’s worth spending as much time as possible with any headphone you might be interested in. With in-ear headphones, try different tips if you can (almost all come with multiple tip options).
Images on left: HiFiMan HE-560 Planar Magnetic Headphones, $899.00; Bowers & Wilkins P3 Headphones, $199.00; NAD VISO HP-20 In-Ear Headphones, $169.00. On right center: PSB M4U2 Noise Cancelling Headphones, $399.00. Find all these and more at shop.gramophone.com.
In 1910, the first working headphones were created by Nathaniel Baldwin, a professor, among other things, but he didn’t patent his invention. They were designed for radio communication and he sold them to the US Navy.
EARBUDS Technically a different category than in-ears, though many people include them in that group. These designs rest on the cup of your ear, but don’t go into the ear canal. Apple’s Earpods are this variety. They are small, light and inexpensive but provide poor noise isolation.
NOISE CANCELLING Some headphones offer active noise cancelling circuitry. These battery-powered headphones can electronically reduce the low frequency sounds around you. Noise cancelling technology has little effect on midrange and high frequencies so voices and crying babies will still be audible, but the best noise cancelling headphones will drop airplane noise to not much more than a quiet conversation. Many audiophiles believe that all noise-cancelling circuits compromise sound quality and eschew them in favor of in-ear designs.
NOISE ISOLATING Passive noise isolating headphones use their size, fit, and design to reduce ambient noise. Most headphones do this to some extent, but some are made to do it better than others. The best noise cancelling headphones will reduce airplane noise better than noise isolating, but for an in-head quiet, some in-ear noise isolating headphones can work wonders.
While there are excellent headphones at every price point, spending a bit more almost always gets you better sound. It’s not perfectly linear, the best $200 headphone doesn’t sound twice as good as the best $100 headphone, but there are significant improvements. Whenever possible listen to a variety of headphones with familiar music before you buy. With any luck (and some research), with a well-chosen headphone your music will sound better than you’ve ever heard it. How cool would that be?
THE HOWS AND WHYS OF
NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES by Lauren Dragan
HEADPHONES PROVIDE LISTENERS THE RARE OPPORTUNITY
to shut out the world and immerse themselves in music. But when the world is a little noisier than usual, that can be tough to accomplish. That’s where noise-cancelling headphones come in. But what’s the difference? How do they work? Let us guide you through the basics.
Most headphones block out external sound either by covering the ear with a solid cup or by plugging the ear canal. This helps to prevent some of the noise around the listener from reaching the eardrum by mechanical means. This method is often referred to as “sound isolating technology.” Depending on the materials used and the fit of the headphones, some models do a better job of blocking out noise than others. But regardless of how well-designed a chassis is, this often adds bulk or still allows some sound to seep through and be heard.
PSB M4U2 NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES, $399.99
Active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones work differently. ANC uses a principle of physics called “destructive interference” to remove low frequency noises from around your ear. Sound, as you might remember from school, travels in a pattern much like waves in water. Each frequency has a unique pattern of up and down that flows through the air and bounces off the eardrum. And like water molecules, air molecules are pushed up and down along the sound waveform. But if two equal-frequency sound waves reach the same space at the same time, they cancel themselves out, and the molecules don’t move. Active noise-cancelling headphones exploit this phenomenon by putting a microphone on the headphones. This microphone processes the sound around the listener, and then creates an exact opposite waveform to the external noise and produces it in the earpieces. This waveform collides with the external sound’s waveform and cancels it out. The result? Silence. What this means in a practical setting is that instead of being forced to listen to content at high volumes to drown out low frequency noise, you can keep your volume down to safe levels. Not only does this save your hearing, but it also frees you from distractions and keeps your focus where it belongs: on your music. Whether plane engine hum, subway din, or the drone of fans and office HVAC systems, ANC technology helps to remove the distractions to create your own personal sonic oasis.
Gramophone offers a variety of headphones, both wired & wireless, and we strongly believe that the best way to find the right pair of headphones for you is to try them out for yourself.
VISIT US IN TIMONIUM OR COLUMBIA TODAY!
OPEN BACK HEADPHONES FOR THE ULTIMATE SOUND QUALITY By Lauren Dragan
MUSIC LOVERS LOOKING FOR THE ULTIMATE HEADPHONE listening experience have more options today than ever. Many high-end audio aficionados prefer the sound of open-backed headphones above all others. What makes open-back so special? How do you know if they’re right for you? Here are a few pointers to get you acquainted:
First, a word on what open-back means: open-backed headphones have exterior shells that are not made of solid material in the way that most headphones are commonly designed. Whether it’s mesh or fabric, open-back headphones allow air into (and some sound out of) the space between the drivers and the outside air. While this does mean that one needs to enjoy open-backed headphones in a quieter listening space, it also adds a unique sound quality. By allowing some of the air in and the sound waves out, open-back headphones often have a more “authentic,” airier, or “bigger” sound.
Open-backed headphones have exterior shells that are not made of solid material in the way that most headphones are commonly designed.
Fans of open-backed headphones describe the experience as granting the music “space to breathe.”
By enabling the sound waveforms to complete in the exterior air and not slam against the wall of the ear cup and reflect back into the headphone enclosure, open back designs avoid the frequency cancellations and other distortions that closed back designs can be prone. Fans of open-backed headphones describe the experience as granting the music “space to breathe.” This can be heard on any recording but especially well in live club recordings, concert hall, and theatrical performances, where a listener can be transported to the center of the event. For many, this is the sweet spot where one can have the large, high-end detailed and three-dimensional sound of a fine speaker system without the room-swallowing footprint or the commitment to listen in just one place. It also is a fantastic solution for those who like their music loud but share a wall with a volume sensitive neighbor. Experience your music like never before with open back headphones.
THANKS FOR READING! let us know your thoughts at info@gramophone.com. 4 w aylesbury rd timonium, md 21093 410.308.1650 8880 mcgaw rd columbia, md 21045 410.381.2100