Headphones with a good soundstage are as immersive as any room-wide sound system. Finding the right pair of cans is essential in taking your music-listening experience to the next level.
Comfort is one thing, but a great pair of headphones needs to extract everything from the music you’re listening to. You should be able to feel and hear the entire range of sound in the music you’re listening to. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about finding the best headphones for music.
What Makes a Great Headphone?
The combination of sound quality, comfort, and price determines whether headphones are excellent. The ease of putting on a pair and getting maximum value is essential. Let’s start by breaking down each of these qualities.
Sound Quality
When we talk about sound quality, we’re talking about frequency response and soundstage. Frequency response refers to the range of sounds headphones can create. Can it reach the highest highs and lowest lows?
Soundstage, on the other hand, refers to how accurately headphones reproduce the location of each instrument. Ideally, both of these aspects will cover the full range of sound.
Drivers
Thankfully, most modern headphones come with their own drivers for out-of-the-box compatibility. The rest of the time, in-built drivers can take care of things. You’ll rarely need to hunt down specific drivers to get everything working correctly. Ease of use is easy to forget, but it’s still essential to consider when judging quality.
Compatibility
Most headphones work on any device. However, some newer devices may lack features such as an audio jack. Likewise, some headphones may only come with a USB connector. In these cases, it’s crucial to consider the type of USB and the range of devices that support it.
Battery Life
Wireless headphones are convenient when you want to avoid dealing with wires. However, the battery size limits your session length, and you must also consider how fast the battery charges.
Comfort and Fit
Comfort is as important as the quality of the sound. A pair of headphones should be comfortable even during long music-listening sessions. Over-ear headphones should have cups that fit comfortably over the ear. Likewise, in-ear headphones shouldn’t hurt when you wear them.
Durability
Great headphones cost money, and the materials should reflect that cost. Inner parts should last many years of listening, and easily replaceable parts like ear cushions should be usable for a few years.
Price
Headphones need to be worth their cost. Paying extra for branding or style is OK, but most of the worth should come from the quality. You need to take into account headphones in their entirety. Depending on the features you need, paying extra is worth it.
Types of Music Headphones
Finding the perfect pair of headphones starts with knowing your needs as a music listener. Part of that means understanding what features and design you are looking for. The type of music you listen to and the level of comfort you want determines these features.
On-Ear / Over-Ear / In-Ear
Over-ear headphones are the most common type of headphones you’ll find. Featuring large ear cups that fully enclose the ears, these kinds of headphones are perfect if you’re looking for comfort.
In-ear headphones (also known as earbuds)are almost as common as over-ear headphones. As the name implies, these types of headphones fit inside your ear. As you’d expect, this style is perfect for anyone looking for a portable and lightweight way to listen to their music.
On-ear headphones aren’t quite as common as the other two. This design provides a happy medium between over-ear and in-ear headphones by resting over your outer ear. Due to their design, they are an excellent choice for listening in public without compromising on your ambient awareness.
Open-Back / Closed-Back
Open-back headphones have ear cups with openings on the back that allow air to move freely. This opening leads to a more natural sound and expansive sound stage at the cost of sound leakage.
Closed-back headphones are the opposite. Their closed design prevents sound from leaking, making them perfect for listening to music around other people.
Active / Passive Noise Canceling
Active noise cancellation is an in-built feature that actively removes ambient noise. Usually, this requires extra energy, and most headphones with this feature will require charging the battery more often.
Passive noise canceling refers to headphones that block outside noise naturally. Ear cups, for example, are great at blocking out outside noise. Earbuds that perfectly fit your ear also block out a lot of ambient noise.
Wired / Wireless
Wired headphones are exactly that. Some may have replaceable cords, and certain headphones, like those with active noise-canceling features, require charging between uses.
Wireless headphones usually come with a dongle that you attach directly to your device. Unlike wired headphones, wireless headphones will require frequent charging as a trade-off for better convenience.
Choosing the Right Headphones for Music
Identify Your Priorities
The first step in finding good headphones for music is knowing what features you need. Think about where you’ll use your headphones. Are you going to be using them for studio work? Will they mainly be used for leisure listening after work in the comfort of your home? You may plan to listen to music in the subway or other public places instead.
Likewise, it’s also essential to think about the genre of music you plan to listen to. Bass-heavy genres, for example, work best with headphones with a deeper bass profile. Some music may work best with a balanced sound profile. Other kinds require an extra degree of clarity and detail.
Set a Budget
The price of a pair of headphones can vary drastically. You need to set a budget before you start looking for specific headphones. Setting a budget also has the bonus of limiting your options, making searching for the perfect pair easier. Price isn’t everything, either. Depending on your needs, cheaper headphones may be as worthwhile as pricier options.
Read Reviews and Comparisons
Do your research. Find reviews of potential headphones you would want. If you spot another pair that seems promising, look for a comparison of the two. There are a lot of amazing headphones out there, and the number of them can make it challenging to narrow down the perfect one. Reviews and comparisons are a fantastic way of discovering potential headphones.
Try Before You Buy
Try to get some hands-on experience with the pair of headphones beforehand. Ask a friend to lend you their pair. Many dedicated headphone stores will even let you try a pair before buying. Online stores are more complicated. Some stores have generous return policies. The TOZO store, for example, offers a 30-day money-back policy. Try to shop around before you settle on a store.
TOZO Recommended Headphones for Music
TOZO HT2
- Active and Passive Noise Canceling
- Long-Lasting Battery
- Hi-Res Audio Quality
- High-Quality Sound Driver
- Convenient Foldable Design
The TOZO HT2 is a wireless pair of over-ear headphones that prioritizes convenience and quality. It uses OrigX Acoustic 2.0 technology to achieve the perfect frequency response curve without sacrificing sound quality. Thanks to active and passive noise cancellation, these headphones are the ideal choice for somebody who wants to relax with their music no matter where they are.
Thanks to their foldable design, the HT2 is easy to carry and store. Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity provides a reliable connection that makes it perfect for important phone calls or meetings. A long-lasting battery makes these headphones ideal for anyone who wants to listen to music on the go.
TOZO Golden X1
- High-Quality Sound
- Bluetooth with a long-range connector
- Active Noise Canceling
- Perfect for High-Frequency Sounds
- Ergonomic Design
The TOZO Golden X1 earbuds are feature-rich and wireless. They have an ergonomic design that fits comfortably inside your ear. The balanced armature driver excels in reproducing high-frequency sound, making it ideal for a wide range of music genres. When paired with a dynamic driver, this dual-driver configuration delivers Hi-Res Audio, offering both rich bass and detailed highs.
Bluetooth support and a long-lasting battery make these earbuds perfect for anyone looking to take their music listening to the next level. Other features include a waterproof coating and active noise cancellation. All in all, the TOZO Golden X1 is an excellent option for anyone looking for convenience without sacrificing quality.
The Perfect Headphone
For some people, the best wireless headphones for music may be the TOZO HT2. For someone looking for more convenience, the Golden X1 may be better. Trying to decide which pair is better depends entirely on your needs as a music listener. The perfect pair of headphones may be completely different depending on your needs. That’s why you must research ahead of time and try to narrow down the features you need. From comfort to the music you listen to, knowing what you want and need is essential. With a bit of research, the right pair of headphones will give your ears the music quality that they deserve.
