A lot of people probably have never heard what good quality headphones, earbuds or speakers sound like. Therefore, they don’t understand just how much better they are from the standard set you get with your smartphone.
The sound quality, comfort, soundstage, precision, and everything in between! There are things you don’t even realize are bad about your set of audio listening devices until you have actually tried a set of nice, good-quality ones.
It’s like how if someone just plays on some random online casino they don’t know what they are missing out on! They’ve never tried online casino South Africa, so they just have nothing to compare it to.
But I digress. My point at the end of the day is that there is a lot left to be desired from low quality earbuds and headphones. A lot of things that could significantly improve your listening experience if you just tried something that was a bit better.
Comfort
The first, and most important thing when it comes to why it is one hundred percent worth it to send a little more on your audio listening equipment is comfort! Once I switched from a cheap set of Bluetooth earbuds to more expensive IEMs, I immediately could feel the difference.
Now, although I mentioned earbuds, I would say this difference is the biggest when it comes to over ear or on ear headphones. I used to have a pair of cheap Bluetooth headphones I bought online.
I thought those headphones were very comfortable at the time. Well, at least more comfortable than other headphones I had worn. I did notice that the earcups would press against my ears and hurt if I wore them too long though.
However, many years later, I bought a set of Takstar Pro 82s (Not sponsored or anything, just really like them). And, oh my goodness! The difference in sound quality and comfort was unbelievable. Sometimes I leave my headphones on just because they feel nice on my ears.
There has been more than one occasion where I put my headphones on while I was working with the intention to listen to music, and then realized I never turned my music on. I just enjoyed having the headphones on my ears as they were soft and warm. It was cold out!
But either way, my point is, getting a new pair of headphones that are comfortable are a life changer if you use headphones a lot. Or, even if you don’t! The 80 bucks I paid for mine was worth it to me simply for the comfort they offer when I do use them.
Now, other than physical comfort, which is a humongous plus, there is also another kind of comfort that a nicer pair of headphones can offer. Something that I didn’t even realize I could fix until researched and got a nice pair of headphones.
That is the harshness of the audio the headphones made. My old earbuds, and my old Bluetooth headphones, had the same problem of having very sharp and loud high end noises. This means all the high pitched stuff like when people make the “S” sound.
Now, when I got a nicer set of headphones, the first thing I noticed was how clear and rounded the sounds were. The high end was no longer quite so sharp and loud as it once was.
For my ears, this was a life saver. I much prefer a bit more base to a bit more treble, as high pitched or sharp sounds tend to really hurt my ears and bother me. I know some people really like the high end, but it’s just not for me.
So, while you look for a better set of headphones or earbuds, keep an eye out for what kind of sounds you want to be more forward. Do you like more bass or more treble? With the right headphones, you can choose for yourself what stands out more.
Sound Quality
I touched on this in the comfort section of this article, but the sound quality is the second most important thing in a set of headphones. Even if you are willing to wear your headphones all day, if they sound yucky you won’t enjoy listening to them.
When speaking about sound quality, it’s not some snobby thing like, “Oh I can hear the drummer breathing from 1 minute and 17 seconds until 1 minute and 34 seconds on the second track of the fourth album of…” yadda yadda yadda.
Sound quality isn’t about you being able to hear the noises that you aren’t supposed to, or about being able to brag about your 3000 dollar headphones to your friends. It’s about having a truly eye opening aural experience that you probably never thought you could have.
Sounds that are so crisp and clean that it feels like you are in the same room that they are happening. The warm and clean thump to the base, and the sharp but not painful crispness of the treble.
The first time I put on the pair of over ear headphones I got and started listening to music it made me want to cry. It was such a beautiful experience that I never realized I could have. I simply didn’t know what I was missing, and I never want to go back.
Sound Stage
Finally, there is something many people are probably unaware of called sound stage. This is how close or far away something sounds, along with which direction it sounds like it is coming from.
For instance, if you have ever tried one of those 3d or “9d” sound experiences you will know what soundstage is. It is when things sound like they are actually happening around you rather than in your headphones.
Another term you could think of is surround sound. If you have ever been to a place with a good speaker system set up, you will know how it feels to seemingly be in the middle of everything that is happening.
You might be thinking, okay that sounds cool. Being able to hear things around me, but is it really worth the extra money? Why not just stick with the headphones I got for free, and continue doing what I am doing?
And, yes, that is a valid question. But, I will answer it with another question. Do you play video games? Something tells me if you are looking at an article for headphones then you are probably familiar with the digital world.
If you answered yes, then that is another huge reason to care about soundstage. It allows for so much more immersion in your games. You actually feel like the in game world is around you.
The birds chirping behind you, or perhaps the zombies growling next to you depending on the game. It truly boosts and elevates the atmosphere of the game to whole new levels that you can’t really explain until you just experience it.
The same also applies to movies. Hands down the cheapest way to get cinema quality sound is with a decent pair of headphones. Movies just sound so much better, the dialogue is clearer, and the soundtrack is more impactful.