All about wireless headphones

At one time, music could only be live, and it was possible to hear it only on the occasion of some holiday. However, progress did not stand still, gradually mankind went to listen to your favorite tracks at any time and in any place - today there are already all conditions for this. Another thing is that each person has their own musical preferences, and you cannot turn on your playlist at full volume in public transport or just in the middle of the street, at least for reasons of upbringing.

To solve this problem, there has been such a device as headphones for more than a hundred years. Wireless headphones are the next step in the evolution of technology, allowing us to listen to music even more comfortably. In this article, we'll cover everything about wireless headphones.

For many decades, headphones were wired and connected to the actual playing equipment via a cable. It was not always convenient - the listener was limited by the length of the cable and could not get far from the tape recorder. Even if the accessory was connected to a portable device such as a player or smartphone, the cable could always catch on to something, it was regularly torn or frayed. The solution to the problem came to engineers with the development of mobile technologies - if the cord creates inconvenience, then it is necessary to get rid of it.

For obvious reasons, such a device needs not only a receiver, but also its own battery. Many models also have controls on their own body. The shape and size of these headphones can vary significantly.

Modern equipment manufacturers are increasingly refusing to embed mini-jacks into gadgets under ordinary headphones, but instead equip their products with nodes for wireless communication. Thanks to this, a device of this type can be used for the widest possible range of tasks - listening to music, radio broadcasts and podcasts, outputting the sound of TV or video broadcasts to headphones, and communicating with their help on the phone. In short, these days, wireless headphones can already replace any other device for sound reproduction.

It is quite reasonable to consider wireless headphones as a separate class of technology, but there are so many types of them that individual representatives of the segment may not be similar to each other either in appearance or in the set of available functions. Let's try to briefly go through the main varieties, but we do not even pretend to mention all the options - there are too many of them. First of all, almost all modern devices are exactly stereo headphones, in which each speaker reproduces a separate sound channel. This is logical - since there are still two speakers, why not use stereo technology. Theoretically, there are models without support for two-channel audio, but these are perhaps the cheapest Chinese models.

The second point is the shape and size of the device. There are so many options that you can't even remember everything - from the tiniest headphones on a magnet, which measure about 2 by 1 mm and hide directly into the ear canal, through the plugs (the same principle, but slightly larger, visible from the outside) and earbuds ( "Pills" in the auricle),to small overhead or full-size, like a pilot. All headphones are actually relatively compact, but at the same time, the same full-size ones are many times larger than a player or a smartphone, and it's also good if they are foldable to take up less space. The shape depends on the type - the invoices are best seen from the side, which are usually round in shape, but can also be square. Portable headphones in small formats are usually completely independent of each other, while on-ear headphones are most often connected by a bow that holds them on the wearer's head.

A wireless device is required to be able to communicate without cables, but there are several standards that can be used to put this into practice. Today, the most popular are models with a Bluetooth-based transmitter - this is reasonable, since the part itself takes up very little space, is inevitably present in all modern phones and other equipment, and most importantly - it gives a stable and reliable signal. Alternative options for signal transmission are radio waves and infrared radiation, but they are less stable and require a base - a special outdoor unitthat connects to the audio-transmitting device. This option is also quite applicable, but only at home - with a TV, music center, game console.

Most current wireless earbuds, at least on-ear and full-size, are not completely devoid of cable connectivity. This is convenient if the device's battery is discharged - you will still be able to listen to music if the player itself is working. For some models, this is an additional chance to connect to the equipment with which wireless connection is impossible. For example, through an adapter, you can connect to an optical input on a TV equipment. At the same time, most of the headphones are still connected via the good old "mini-jack", but there are also digital alternatives, for example, the recently become fashionable USB Type-C. The same cable can also be used to connect to the charger block, which is convenient: one connector - two functions.

Many "ears" are now produced with the logic that why bother to connect to something, if you yourself can be a reproducing device. Large overhead models can easily mount both a memory card slot and a small radio antenna. Thanks to this, headphones with a flash drive can be used completely independently of any other gadgets.

The presence or absence of a microphone indicates the purpose for which a particular instance was created. Devices for working with a telephone without a microphone are simply impractical - it is inconvenient to answer an incoming call. Some models are not only equipped with a microphone, but are also able to perceive the owner's voice commands. Solutions without a microphone are quite rare today and are classified as inexpensive. Control of functions is most often carried out using buttons on the body of the device, and the smallest models, which simply do not have enough space, are sharpened for voice control.

All wireless headphones are arranged in approximately the same way - the receiver receives a processed type of signal with sound in stereo format, each of the channels of which is reproduced by the right and left fragments separately. The battery is responsible for the power supply, which can be divided between the cups or hidden in one of them, transferring energy to the other through the bow.

When choosing a specific model, the consumer should pay attention to the following characteristics:

• frequency range - a person hears sounds from about 20 to 20 thousand Hertz, the wider the indicators of the acquired equipment, the higher the enjoyment of music tracks;
• maximum output volume - measured in decibels, but actually depends on the quality of the recording and on the design of the product; the higher the indicator, the more satisfied the lover of noisy discos will be;
• sound quality - a rather subjective concept that has no units of measurement and strongly depends on personal perception and the specific direction of the music being listened to;
• battery life - measured in hours, shows how long the headphones can be used in the form of wireless, after which they will have to be charged or connected to the playback device via a cable.

Determining the advantages and disadvantages of wireless headphones, it should be understood that they are different for various classes of such technology, depending on the channel through which the sound is transmitted. Paradoxically, the most "stupid" technology turns out to be Bluetooth - the one that is used most widely. At least, the lowest sound quality is observed here, especially if at least one part of the bundle (the "ears" themselves, a smartphone, a player program) turns out to be old - then it's just a nightmare in comparison with a wired connection. Recently, the quality has practically not been squeezed, and the limitation to 3 Mbit / s is already completely normal sound, but you need to understand that if one of the above nodes lags behind, the whole system will lag behind. Sometimes "loud" headphones just do not want to be so with a specific phone, and that's it.

Headphones powered by radio waves provide excellent signal transmission distances of up to 150 meters, but they must be specially tuned to the desired wave, and theoretically anyone can wedge in, creating interference. A big plus is also the duration of their autonomous work - from 10 hours to a day, but the unit is tied to the base, and most importantly, you will not use it much in the city. Headphones based on an infrared transmitter are considered the most sensible in terms of the quality of the transmitted sound - there the transmission rate is such that no audio files are compressed at all.

If the "ears" of small formats are not so striking, then overhead and full-size ones simply have to be beautiful, since this is a large accessory that is clearly visible even from a considerable distance. Most consumers do not want to bother with the selection of an accessory to match the clothes, so they just buy something universal. - usually white, black or gray, since these tones are equally suitable for any style and color scheme.

Manufacturers, realizing that it is for such gadgets that there will be maximum demand, also mainly produce such headphones. But for amateurs, colored models are also made, and in any variations. Most often, buyers are interested in calm tones, such as green, light blue and blue, but there is also demand for even more flashy colors, such as purple, orange or yellow.

Wireless headphones are in high demand. Every consumer predictably wants the best gadget for himself. However, it is not possible to compile some kind of objective general top. This is understandable, because There are a lot of varieties, and each music lover has his own requirements, and firms are constantly releasing some new items. That is why we have compiled our own review, without allocating seats and without pretending to be objective.

The cheap is always in demand. Many consumers agree to lose a little in quality, just to save money. Choosing the right models, we were guided not by how the headphones look, but by the real quality, which is why the given models, in someone's understanding, may not correspond to the description of the budget ones.

• CGPods 5 Is an amazing example for this category. The product costs from 5 thousand rubles, but at the same time it uses the Bluetooth 5.0 standard, and the face of its promotional campaign is Luis Suarez himself, hinting that this is an excellent solution for sports. Here you have high-quality sound, noise cancellation, moisture protection, and even recharging in a case - the operating time is up to 17 hours.

• The alternative is Xiaomi AirDots. High-quality in-ear headphones are even cheaper than a competitor, but they have an amazing (for "ears") NFC function for remote contactless payment, which allows you not to use a "smart" bracelet and pay, even when the phone's battery runs out.

Saving on yourself is clearly not the best solution, especially when it comes to spending time with your favorite audio files. If so, I don’t mind any money so that the sound quality is like with an infrared receiver, the distance is like that of radio headphones, and you could connect to anything, like in the case of Bluetooth.

• Master & Dynamic MW60 - these are expensive folding full-size "ears" that cost an impressive 45 thousand rubles, but they also give out a bombastic sound. The manufacturer in this case decided not to limit itself to the average range of human hearing, but noticeably got out of it, making from 5 to 25 thousand Hertz.

• Beats Solo3 - one more full-size "ears" that will put any of the competitors in place with their autonomy - it reaches 40 hours. At the same time, the manufacturer even equipped the gadget with a charging indicator to see what happened to the battery. The price of pleasure is 20 thousand rubles.

• Samsung Gear IconX - these are "plugs" included in our rating due to the price of 18 thousand rubles. The unit is notable for its ingenuity - it has a fitness tracker, a voice assistant, and its own player, and automatic on and off functions when inserted into the ears - in a word, real 5 in 1, in addition to MP3.

Sometimes headphones are needed literally for everything - to listen to music comfortably, and to answer a phone call. This technique is also needed, and it is also produced in high quality performance.

• Harman / Kardon Soho - this is the creation of a brand that is quite famous in the world of musical equipment, while such a headset is inexpensive - only 6-7 thousand rubles. You can fall in love with the design at first sight thanks to the stylish square design of the cups. The touch control panel will surely appeal to all lovers of technological innovations.

• Marshall Major III Bluetooth - the creation of a guitar amp maker with which you will perfectly hear both drums and bass. It's amazing, but it costs a penny - 4-5 thousand rubles, and you can listen without turning to an outlet for 30 hours. Curiously, the playlist is controlled with a joystick.

As we already understood, modern headphones are diverse, it is not yet so easy to choose them. To begin with, you need to clearly understand why the gadget is being purchased. Infrared headphones are practically not used today, so the choice remains between those that transmit a signal at radio frequencies and Bluetooth. It is reasonable to leave the radio version for the home, where it will successfully overcome any obstacles in the form of walls, and for the hearing impaired it is generally a must-have. As for the connection via Bluetooth, this option is more universal - it is suitable for the street, and for a tablet in the subway, and for training.

They are compatible with most devices, and if not, you can buy a special station and plug it into the audio jack. For audiophiles, it is important to choose the most recent version of Bluetooth - 5.0 already exists. If the "ears" are the newest, and the smartphone is designed for the old technology, be prepared for the quality of the smartphone itself. The new protocol has another advantage - it consumes less energy, so the equipment works longer on a single charge.

In this article, we already mentioned that wireless headphones come in different shapes and sizes, but globally there are two classes of them - internal and external. The first ones are inserted directly into the ear - they are good for their amazing compactness, but usually they do not produce so high-quality sound, and they are discharged much faster. They are always separate, so one earphone can be lost at any time, but this is a convenient solution for two. External "ears" are not just paired - they are connected by a bow, so it is simply impossible to separate them or listen together. But they work longer and produce better sound, and are also suitable for sleeping, effectively isolating extraneous noise.

When buying, be sure to ask how much the unit can withstand without additional charging, otherwise it may turn out that the new headphones are not so "wireless". The microphone will definitely come in handy. If you want to communicate through a gadget. Enjoy music without extraneous noise - for this, choose either the internal vacuum or full-fledged overhead. Recently, the active noise cancellation function has also been successful, which, through a microphone, picks up the noise around you and suppresses it technologically, but such a device will cost more and sit down faster.

Frequency range that allows you to hear absolutely everything - from 20 to 20 thousand Hertz, it is worth reducing this field only insignificantly, while the loss of 2 thousand "at the top" (up to 18 thousand) is normal, and the "bottom" is unacceptable - there losses can be counted only in tens of Hertz. It is better to choose the volume at the level of 95 dB. But if you do not like too loud music, this level will not be useful to you either.

Given the variety of earbuds available, it shouldn't be surprising that they are all worn differently. At the same time, improper donning can ruin the device or harm health, so we will consider how this is done correctly, at least in general terms. In the case of internal headphones, it is important not to overdo it by pushing them further into your ear. Vacuum soundproofing technology really requires a tight plug, which is why the gadget is called "plugs", but if you press too much, you risk damaging your ear. With the smallest models without a cord, you should also be careful in the sense that if deeply penetrated, it will be difficult to remove them.

For external type headphones, the main rule is - first fix them with a clip or rim on the ear, neck or head, only then look for a comfortable position of the cups.

In the next video, you will find the TOP 15 best wireless earbuds from $ 15 to $ 200.