Earbuds And Headsets

First there were the big boom boxes, and you had to lug it around, and everybody could hear what you were listening to. Then came the cool walkman, and it was private listening to your own kind of music.  Then it became a compact disc player, then eventually, an IPod. Two great things about these developments:  the equipment became smaller and easier to bring around, and nobody had to complain about your noisy music because Earbuds And Headsets made listening a personal exercise to your right to listen to your brand of noise.

Earbuds are also known as earphones. Earbuds are smaller than headphones. They easily fit inside one’s pocket or small purse. When you buy IPods or MP3’s, Earbuds are part of the package. But you can also buy them separately if you have your own brand preference. 

Headsets are not usually part of the audio package, and have to be bought separately. They are widely available and come in various price ranges, as low as $ 20 to as high as $ 300. They are bigger in size and can’t be comfortably fitted inside one’s pockets. However, trends these days have young people wearing their headsets over their heads or around their necks when they are not listening to it.

Which one do you buy – Earbuds or headsets? Studies show that headsets are actually safer to use.  Medical researches indicate that Earbuds, which go inside the ears, cause further ear drum damage than headsets. Headsets are also safer because the earphone part where the sound comes out is usually covered with foam padding, which functions as protector over your eardrums. Some who use Earbuds for long period complain that their ears get sore. However, because of foam padding, headphones can make your ears sweat. As to sound quality, many prefer headphones. They say Earbuds do not give best sound quality. 

Headsets have many variations in style. They come in wireless designs, varied colors, others have stripes, some polka dots, and some go over the ears, some over the head, while others have noise cancelling functions, which simply means you hear nothing except the music you are listening to.  Decades ago, only DJ’s wore headsets, but these days, everyone is into music, and there’s nothing like jogging to your favorite kind of pop or rock music. 

Muzeekworld.com, an online store that specializes in audio and visual equipment, carries varied brands of Earbuds and headsets. AKG, Galaxy Audio, iKey Audio, Monster Cables, Rolls, Sennheiser, Audio Technical, Point Source, and Westone. The online store also offers free shipment. 

So, Earbuds or headphones? Why not both? You can use whatever suits the situation. If you want to jog, then the convenient size of Earbuds will do you good. However, if you plan to ride on the bus and tune out from the world, you may want headsets instead. With everything coming in audio form now, even books, you would need to have both Earbuds And Headsets.