When smart phone and tablet PC become more and more popular, everybody needs at least one set headphones or earbuds, no matter Bluetooth wireless or wired, to enjoy music/podcast everywhere or take a hand-free calling. For most people, it’s still a big challenge to choose the proper headphones/earbuds for his applications? After reading this series of articles prepared by Audiovance, you can make smart choice better than before.
Traveling is an exciting adventure, but sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming. Whether you are on a long flight, train ride, or just exploring a new city, having the right pair of earbuds can make all the difference. With so many options available, it can be challenging to choose the right earbuds for your travel needs. In this article, we will explore the factors to consider when selecting earbuds for a happy travel experience.
Factors necessary for travel and commute
Different people has different demands for headphones using in travel or commute. Regarding the 1st priority, somebody likes premium noise isolation, somebody likes long working hours, somebody likes comfortable fit, somebody likes awareness of ambient sound, somebody likes premium sound quality. In another word, it’s not easy to recommend one or two types which can meet most people’s requirements.
However, in our mind, good portability and lightweight are important factors for travel and commute.
Types not good
If you are not 100% audiophile, need great sound quality anytime and anywhere, below two types are not recommended to you in travel and commute.
- Over Ear Headphones
- On Ear Headphones
Both of them are heavy with big size, poor in portability and lightweight.
Types for consideration
With good portability and lightweight, below 6 models have their advantages and disadvantages. If you prefer good sound quality and noise isolation, in ear pods and in ear buds can be your best choice. If you prefer long time comfortable fit, half in ear pods and air-conduction open ear headphones can be your best choice.
- Half In-Ear Pods
It is the first kind of earbuds with stem. It’s well-known that Apple Airpods 1st, 2nd, 3rd generations are representatives of this type. Without soft ear tips designed in, your ear canals will not be blocked entirely so that you can be aware of ambient sound.
Pros:
- Comfortable fit
- Portable and lightweight
- Safer listening with awareness of environment sound
Cons:
- Not as great sound quality as in ear pods/buds.
- Some people may not achieve secure fit.
- In Ear Pods
It is the second kind of earbuds with stem. All generations of Airpods Pro are representatives of this type. With soft ear tips to block your ears entirely, you can get very good noise isolation. Some of them also provide Active Noise Cancelling as over-head headphones.
Pros:
- Portable and lightweight
- Excellent noise isolation
- Immersive listening
Cons:
- Some people feel uncomfortable fit because ear canals are blocked entirely and closely.
- If without optional ANC to Transparent mode, it’s not good to use them while outdoor walking or running with safety concern.
- You can feel annoying thumping noise in walking or jogging.
- In Ear Bud
Some people call this as stemless earbuds, on which there’re soft ear tips but no stems as airpods. Most earbuds made by Samsung and Bose are belonging to this type.
Pros:
- Portable and lightweight
- Excellent noise isolation
- Immersive listening
- Without stem, they’re better for listening while sleeping. At the same time, these have no confliction with long hairs.
Cons:
- Some people feel uncomfortable fit because ear canals are blocked entirely and closely.
- If without optional ANC to Transparent mode, it’s not good to use them while outdoor walking or running with safety concern.
- You can feel annoying thumping noise in walking or jogging.
- According to calling, they may not perform as well as earbuds with stem.
- In Ear Buds: With Earhooks
To get better secure fit for sports and running, ear hooks are added. Powerbeats Pro from Beats is the typical type of earbuds with earhooks.
Pros:
- Most secure fit comparing to half in ear pods and other earbuds, good for sports and running.
- Comfortable fit comparing to in ear pods and normal in ear buds.
Cons:
- They are bigger than other earbuds and obvious to be seen.
- Long time wearing may let skin of back-ear uncomfortable.
- Air Conduction Open Ear Headphones
OpenComfy 201 from Audiovance belongs to this type. It provides very comfortable fit as half-in-ear pods like Airpods. It also provides very secure fit for sports/running as earbuds with hooks like Powerbeats Pro, as well as Shokz bone conduction headphones.
Pros:
- Lightweight and comfortable fit, very good for long time listening.
- Secure fit, very good for sports and running.
- Open-ear for awareness of ambient sound, safer for outdoor activities.
Cons:
- They are bigger than other earbuds and obvious to be seen.
- Open-ear brings many advantages but an obvious disadvantage that is less noise isolation.
- Bone Conduction Open Ear Headphones
To learn more about Bone Conduction headphones, please refer our article-7.
Pros：
- Good for people with hearing loss
- Secure fit for sports and running
- Open-ear for awareness of ambient sound, safer for outdoor activities.
- Able to provide the best waterproof for swimming
Cons：
- They are bigger than other earbuds and obvious to be seen.
- Long time wearing may let face and cheek uncomfortable.
- Open-ear brings many advantages but an obvious disadvantage that is less noise isolation.
- Sound quality may not as good as air conduction.
By the way, if you want to enjoy music without concerning of battery life, or take advantage of airplane video and audio, wired in ear earbuds with 3.5mm jack can be your best choice.
After deciding the proper type, you can go to the next step for brand and model. In this step, you can take brand reputation, budget, battery life, controls and more factors into consideration.
If you're interested in exploring Audiovance's diverse range of headphones, you can check out the following places for an exciting shopping experience:
Visit Audiovance homepage: http://www. Audiovance.com
Visit Audiovance Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/audiovance
To learn more about headphones and earbuds, please read other articles as below.
- How to Choose Headphones/Earbuds-1: Normal Terms
- How to Choose Headphones/Earbuds-2: Wireless vs Wired
- How to Choose Headphones/Earbuds-3: Over Ear, on Ear, in Ear and open Ear
- How to Choose Headphones/Earbuds-4: Noise Cancelling
- How to Choose Headphones/Earbuds-5: Sound Quality
- How to Choose Headphones/Earbuds-6: Ear Pods vs Ear Buds
- How to Choose Headphones/Earbuds-7: Bone Conduction vs Air Conduction @ Open Ear
- How to Choose Headphones/Earbuds-8: Eight Popular Types Comparison
- How to Choose Headphones/Earbuds-9: How to Make Your Right Choice
- How to Choose Headphones/Earbuds-10: Choose for Sports Running Workout
- How to Choose Headphones/Earbuds-11: Choose for Outdoor Walking/Hiking/Driving
- How to Choose Headphones/Earbuds-12: Choose for Office Use
- How to Choose Headphones/Earbuds-13: Choose for Audiophile’s Music Appreciation
- How to Choose Headphones/Earbuds-14: Choose for Gaming or Watching TV
- How to Choose Headphones/Earbuds-15: Choose for Travel or Commute
- How to Choose Headphones/Earbuds-16: Choose an All-round Headphones
- How to Choose Headphones/Earbuds-17: Helpful Tips
- How to Choose Headphones/Earbuds-18: Market and Technology Trend
