How to Choose Headphones/Earbuds-8: Eight Popular Types Comparison

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.

To make it simple, in this article we just talk about Bluetooth wireless headphones. If you are looking for wired headphones, you can also take below points for your reference.

1. Over-Ear Headphones

If you are audiophile caring sound quality very much, will mainly use the headphones at home or in the office, over-ear headphones can be your best choice.

Pros: 

1. Great noise isolation. 
2. Excellent sound quality.

Cons:

1. Can be bulky and heavy, poor in portability.
2. Long time wearing brings pressure to head and hot to ears. 
3. Expensive compared to other types of headphones

2. On-Ear Headphones

On-ear headphones are similar to over-ear headphones, but they have smaller ear cups that rest on your ears instead of surrounding them. They're more portable and lightweight than over-ear headphones, provide decent noise isolation and sound quality but may not be as comfortable as over-ear headphones during extended use because ears are always being pressed.

Pros:

1. More portable, lightweight and affordable comparing to over-ear headphones
2. Decent noise isolation and sound quality

Cons:

1. May not be as comfortable during extended use
2. Not ideal for use in noisy environments
3. Not as great sound quality as over-ear headphones

3. Half In-Ear Pods

It is the first kind of earbuds with stem. It’s well-known that Apple Airpods 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd 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:

1. Comfortable fit
2. Portable and lightweight
3. Safer listening with awareness of environment sound

Cons:

1. Not as great sound quality as in ear pods/buds.
2. Some people may not achieve secure fit.

4. 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:

1. Portable and lightweight
2. Excellent noise isolation
3. Immersive listening

Cons:

1. Some people feel uncomfortable fit because ear canals are blocked entirely and closely.
2. If without optional ANC to Transparent mode, it’s not good to use them while outdoor walking or running with safety concern.
3. You can feel annoying thumping noise in walking or jogging.

5. In Ear Buds: Normal

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.

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Pros:

1. Portable and lightweight
2. Excellent noise isolation
3. Immersive listening
4. Without stem, they’re better for listening while sleeping. At the same time, these have no confliction with long hairs.

Cons:

1. Some people feel uncomfortable fit because ear canals are blocked entirely and closely.
2. If without optional ANC to Transparent mode, it’s not good to use them while outdoor walking or running with safety concern.
3. You can feel annoying thumping noise in walking or jogging.
4. According to calling, they may not perform as well as earbuds with stem.

6. 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:

1. Most secure fit comparing to half in ear pods and other earbuds, good for sports and running.
2. Comfortable fit comparing to in ear pods and normal in ear buds.

Cons:

1. They are bigger than other earbuds and obvious to be seen.
2. Long time wearing may let skin of back-ear uncomfortable.

7. 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:

1. Lightweight and comfortable fit, good for long time listening
2. Secure fit, good for sports and running
3. Open-ear for awareness of ambient sound, good for outdoor walking, hiking or driving.

Cons:

1. They are bigger than other earbuds and obvious to be seen.
2. Less noise isolation.

8. Bone Conduction Open Ear Headphones

To learn more about Bone Conduction headphones, please refer our article-7.

Pros：

1. Good for people with hearing loss
2. Secure fit for sports and running
3. Open-ear for awareness of ambient sound, safer for outdoor activities.
4. Able to provide the best waterproof for swimming

Cons：

1. They are bigger than other earbuds and obvious to be seen.
2. Long time wearing may let face and cheek uncomfortable.
3. Open-ear brings many advantages but an obvious disadvantage that is less noise isolation.
4. Sound quality may not as good as air conduction.

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