Headphones have been around for over 75 years probably invented by the guy who was tired of his neighbours calling him up to shut down the music! They are a pair of small speakers linked by a cable connected to each other by a contraption, which enables you to hold them close to your ears. Through the cable, they are connected to the source of sound. It could be an amplifier, radio, CD/DVD player or other sound producing devices.
The design of the headphone depends on the need of the listener.
There has always been a niche market for headphones. The recent influx of PCs, laptops and multi- functional digital hand-held and portable devices providing excellent audio have boosted the headphone market ten-fold.
Here are some tips on buying headphones:
l Check out the many brands available and identify the kind of listening you need it for.
l For normal small-bud earphones and low-priced ones for general use, you could buy from any audio store. However for expensive and specific-use headphones, you need to buy from a store where you are confident that you are going to get what you really want, lest you get stuck with a cheaper version full of static and distorted sound. Read a couple of reviews on the headphone you need, and if you have setup your mind on a particular brand, it would be wise to search the web for the relevant user forum and read their views on the product. In the expensive headphone range, noise canceling technology has become a popular choice.
l Various styles of headphones offer different advantages. For anyone wanting a small, not very high-sound quality device, then any style of in-the-ear headphones/ ear buds can be a good choice. Or you could go in for canal phones. For voice chats, you have overhead phones that come with an attached mike.
l Those who wish to eliminate external sound to a large extent or wish to use them while travelling in planes and trains can go in for noise canceling headphones. They are expensive. But for those averse to even a slight distortion in sound, these headphones are worth the investment.
l Those interested in buying headphones for home-theater listening, HDTV and computer gaming, then a cordless headphone is a good choice.
More specific information on head phones in our forth-coming articles.
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