Are you overwhelmed by the flood of regular and wireless headphones? You never heard of the terms open and closed headphones or dynamic and static transducers? This overview will help you select the perfect model.

Headphones are available in many different styles. In terms of design, the smallest type headphones are in-ear headphones which are plugged into the ear, some of these have a bracket that wraps around the ear. These in-ear headphones are often bundled with iPods and other MP3 players and can easily be placed in a pocket. The next size up are lightweight headphones that sit on the ear and are connected by an elastic frame. This headpiece either sits on top of the head or wraps around the neck. If you are on a tight budget then you should consider one of these headphones, some models are designed to absorb external noise.

If you are looking for better sound quality then you should take a look at medium-end headphones which have soft ear cushions that depending on the model will be located either on your ear or around your ear. The second design eliminates the pressure on the ears and is preferred by many people. The next decision you'll have to make is between an open and closed headphone design. An open design essentially means that the sound from the transducer can penetrate to the outside of the headphones. It can also cross-couple into the other earpiece. While some people feel that an open design sounds light, a closed design will tend to absorb exterior noise more and provide better insulation between the two earpieces.

The majority of today's headphones are dynamic which refers to the type of transducer that is used. Static headphones are the second type. This type is fairly expensive but offers high sound quality. Static headphones need a special headphone amplifier.

Wireless headphones are another option which eliminate the headphone cord. Bluetooth headphones are one type of wireless headphones and work with Bluetooth-enabled devices and cell phones. The operating range is typically only 30 ft or less. Bluetooth headphones do normally not offer audiophile sound quality.

Other wireless headphones include FM type models which normally work at 900 MHz and digital wireless headphones which work at 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz. FM type models are the least expensive option of wireless headphones. In addition to noticeable hissing and distortion, FM type wireless headphones are also very susceptible to wireless interference.

Another type of wireless headphones are digital wireless headphones. This type of headphones, such as Amphony headphones, will encode the audio prior to transmission which prevents any audio distortion during the transmission and ensures high reliability against interference. Some digital wireless headphones work at the less crowded 5.8 GHz frequency band. This band offers less competition from other wireless devices compared to the 2.4 GHz band.


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