Many people will have headphones for listening to their audio or audiovisual live or recorded music or other kinds of entertainment and there are really a bewildering number of headphones to choose from. A friend of mine who is quite deaf has large over-ear type of headphones which enable him to hear his classical music to the standard and clarity he needs without blowing his partner out of her chair with the sound. He plugs his headphones into his computer and is transported into his special world.
I got small in-ear headphones with my iPod but they were so uncomfortable I needed to replace them. Many people will be the same – only look for headphones when the ones that come with their MP3 Player or digital radio are no good enough. Some types of headphones are:
• Over-ear Headphones which have large soft pads that cover the whole ear. Not for portable use but these tend to have the best sound quality for HiFi enthusiasts.
• On-ear headphones – like the over-ear type but smaller and have soft pads which make them more comfortable than some other types
• In-ear headphones –like the ones i got with my iPhone, these are made of hard plastic and sit just at the ear opening. Some people like them but mine were uncomfortable and kept falling out
• Plug earphones – these have soft ended ear plugs and fit down into the ear. I find mine comfy and have fewer problems with sound leakage than the in-ear models.
• Headphones with microphones – these are used for computer use for on-line gaming and Skype (the internet phone link)