Types

There are many different types of earphones. Each type of earphone is designed for a specific type of person who wants to get a particular quality of sound from the device. There are earphones that completely cover the ear when being used and earphones that are simply put inside the ear. The design of the earphone affects its sound and comfort.

Circumaural Earphones

These ear pad over the ear headphones, or circumaural earphones, are typically made to be used by professional musicians or sound engineers because the way the earphone is shaped improves the quality of the sound. Each of these earphones have pads that encircle the ears in order to contain the sound waves within the space between the ear and the ear pad making the earphone almost like a soundproof room. Filtering out the ambient sound, and trapping sound in, the molded plastic, rubber, or metal circumaural earphones are great for users who don’t want to be distracted by outside noises.
Though circumaural earphones have great uses, it is important for a buyer to look at the pros and cons of any earphone before making a decision. The following chart shows the pros and cons of the circumaural earphones.

Supra-Aural Earphones

These ear pads on the ear models are designed to perch on the ears rather than to go completely around them. Supra-aural earphones are made with an adjustable band that can be worn over the head to secure the device. There is a pad between the speaker and the wearer’s ears that consists of foam. An example of these types of earphones would be the 1980s Walkman earphones. Many people still use this type of earphone. These earphones may have a closed design but they still sit atop the ear rather than encircling it completely which does have drawbacks.

 

 

Earbuds

One very popular type of earphone is the earbud. Earbuds are relatively easy to use and for the most part inexpensive. The earbud is made in a way that they sit directly outside the ear canal. Because the earbuds do not go all the way around the ear like other types of earphones, the sound may not be as clear. In addition, they may fall out of the ear if the person wearing them is being active. They do, however, perform well enough to block out outside noise allowing the wearer to truly hear what he or she wants.

 

 

Canal Phones

The name for the canal phones is quite self-explanatory. Canal phones are placed directly into the wearer’s ears canal. However, the canal phones are made out of silicone rubber or an elastomer material which helps in blocking out ambient noise as well as helps keep the earphone in the canal more comfortably. Because of the silicone rubber, the earphone is prevented from falling out thus providing a more snug fit. With a more snug fit and the canal phones ability to block out ambient noise comes better sound quality than can be had with earbuds. Canal phones are great for athletes to use while running or to use when exercising.

 

 

Bluetooth Headsets

A Bluetooth headset is a type of earphone that is in between an earbud and canal phones. The Bluetooth can be used for a variety of different things including cell phones, voice over internet protocol, landline phones, and even with specific voice recording tools on the computer. It can be used from one device to the next without even needing an adaptor to plug it in.