Types of Headphones

Comparing headphones

This report deals with wired headphones. We have a separate report on wireless headphones (such as you'd use in a home theater) and earphones, which are more suitable for the gym.

Full-size headphones come in three major types:

• Circumaural, over-the-ear, closed (sometimes called closed-air or closed-back). These headphones cup the ears and create a seal, minimizing the amount of sound that escapes from the headphones or enters from other sources around you.

• Circumaural, over-the-ear, open (also called open-air or open-back). Open headphones don't press as firmly to your head, allowing more sound in and out. It's easier to hear outside sounds with open-back headphones. Some feel these offer a more natural sound than closed headphones, but you may annoy people near you because there will be some sound leakage.

• Supra-aural, on-the-ear. This type of headphone is smaller and lies flat on the ears. Unlike closed sets, they let ambient sound in and out but not as much as open sets. This type of headphone is lighter than other types.

Reviews say there's nothing wrong with the slight sound leakage of open-air headphones unless you're in an environment where those around you may be disturbed. If that isn't a factor, open-air or on-the-ear headphones are better because they won't hurt your ears or produce listening fatigue as readily as headphones that shoot audio signals directly into your ear canal. Also, important outside sounds won't go unnoticed, such as horns honking if you use them outside, or co-workers when you're sitting at your desk.

Closed-air headphones trap sound better and circulate it around your ears to produce clean, isolated sound, but experts are cautious about the use of anything in public situations that blocks outside noises. These types of headphones are mostly suitable when you want to watch a DVD or blast music late at night while others in your household are asleep.

Experts say noise-canceling headphones also work to prevent ear damage, because you don't constantly need to increase music volume to drown out ambient noise. Some manufacturers add noise-canceling technology to open-air or on-the-ear headphones. Be aware that active noise-canceling headphones need batteries for noise canceling to work, and many models, like the Bose QuietComfort, won't work at all if your battery dies.