The Two Basic Headphone Designs

You may not know this, but there are primarily two types of headphones: 'open back' and 'closed back'. This open or closed back refers to the outside of the earpiece being either sealed or open with some type of grille.

In the early days of headphone design, headphones were all closed back until one manufacturer found that it was possible to get a better sound by allowing both sides of the diaphragm (driver or speaker) to move freely in open air.

This is logical since enclosing the back of the headphone makes the diaphragm push and pull against a fixed mass of air that operates like a spring, opposing the movement of the diaphragm. So open headphones today generally sound better than closed, and it is in fact easier to get an open back headphone to sound good, than it is a closed back headphone.The situation in which the headphone will be used is what will determine the type of headphone you should buy.

So what are the benefits of each?

The draw back of an open back design, is that the sound leaks out of the headphone. This can annoy those around you in a work environment, or when listening to the TV while your partner sleeps etc.

In the recording studio however, closed back headphones are the ONLY option as they prevent the headphone mix from leaking back into the microphone you are singing in to, in the case of vocal tracking. So, for best sound, buy an open back headphone, but ONLY if your situation permits. Simple!

Sound Isolating Earphones

Sound isolating earphones provide sound quality far beyond the technical ability of the most expensive earbuds and isolation that's superior to the best headphones. By creating a secure fit between the sound source and your ear canal, unwanted background noise is blocked out while the music comes straight in.

Sound isolating earphones were originally developed as Personal Monitor Systems by Shure to allow musicians to hear their own performances in loud onstage environments. Sound isolating earphones work by using soft, pliable sleeves to block background noise, allowing small, high-performance drivers to deliver incredibly precise sound directly to the ear. These professional-quality earphones are now available for use with all of your portable digital devices.

Is isolation different from noise cancellation?

The seal created by a sound isolating earphone physically blocks most frequencies of background noise. Active noise cancelling headphones are generally larger, heavier and battery-driven. The active cancellation process 'listens' to the surrounding ambient noise and electronically inverts the signal and plays that back through the headphones, thus negating the noise. It is true that this can have some detrimental effect on the sound quality, but higher end models such as the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7b and the Sennheiser PXC 450's it is minimal to say the least as they sound simply superb.

How are sound isolating earphones different from other headphones?

The primary difference is their listening position - where they are worn in relation to your ear. Headphones generally enclose your ear or rest on top of it. Regular earphones (like the earbuds often packaged with MP3 players) sit on the outside of the ear. Sound isolating earphones are different. They are designed to fit inside your ear canal, where they create an isolated listening area that is responsible for their superior acoustic properties.

How do in ear sound isolating earphones work?

By selecting from an assortment of included soft, flexible sleeves, you're able to personalise the fit of the earphones to your ears. The sleeves conform to the unique shape of your ear, creating a seal that isolates you from ambient noise.

Why is isolation important?

Sound isolation makes it possible to hear greater detail at a lower volume than is possible with earbuds or most headphones intended for portable use.

Lower-volume listening means less fatigue over extended periods and is safer than trying to overcome background noise by turning up the volume. This makes sound isolating earphones the ideal choice for commuting, travel, exercise, study, or work - any activity where you desire portable, hi-fidelity sound.

Noise Cancelling Headphones

A fast growing trend in headphones are the Noise Cancelling Headphones designed for use in noisy environments such as planes, trains and...well even noisy work places. Although there are now many cheaper products from companies that normally make TV's, Light bulbs and computer peripherals, in this area more than any you simply can not go past the quality product from the likes of Audio-Technica and Sennheiser.

Up until now, if you wanted a quality noise cancelling headphone, you had a choice of three Sennheiser models and a few other models from the likes of AKG and Bose. In 2007 we had a newcomer, the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7. Although a well established producer of high quality headphones, this is their first ever noise cancelling model and it is a real winner.

But the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 is not the only new model, as we now have some exciting new Sennheiser models: the Sennheiser PXC 350 and Sennheiser PXC 450 which are both full size headphones, unlike their previous models. For a complete run down on the models and which to choose, check out the Best Headphones web site.