Headphones come in four styles but for the avid music
listener the choice really comes down to two styles.
Circum-aural
– pads that sit around the ear, or supra-aural
– pads that sit directly on the ear.
Both have good and bad points and choice can also depend on
how much you want to pay.
With the supra-aural headphones the user can feel that the
instrument is playing next to the ear giving good and sharp
clarity However, this may sound strange to some people
since we are used to a more muffled sound.
With the circum-aural headphones the sound is just that
– a little muffled
– but it is a more natural sound.
Imagine sitting in a concert hall. You are not right next
to the instruments so you don’t get that sharp clarity that
the ‘supra’ headphones give.
Of course, the choice is up to the user and what they want
out of their headset.
Then there is the headphone that is used primarily in the
recording studio. These are usually full sized ‘circum’
style headphones that have soft material on the ear pads to
block out sound.
Some have a built-in switch to automatically cut the sound
when the headphone is taken off. A much needed feature if
recording is going on.
No matter which is your preference on headphones, perhaps
the one thing that people do not consider is comfort. If
you live in hot climes be sure to get the sets with velvet
type pads. Plastic can get very sticky.