On-Ear

On-ear headphones are the headphones you remember from years past – they sit on your ears, rather than protruding into them or fully encompassing them. The earpads are typically covered in foam or some other cushion, and have a plastic or metal band connecting the two. Some on-ear headphones clip directly onto your ear, like the Bluetooth ones that are sometimes packaged with cell phones.

Pros and Cons
First, the pros: on-ear headphones often offer better sound quality than in-ear headphones, and can be listened to at a lower volume with better dynamic range. They’re much less portable than earbuds, however, and can let in a great deal of ambient noise because the ear isn’t entirely sealed. In addition, many don’t appreciate the “earmuff look” on-ear headphones give. Still, they are very traditional headphones that deliver good sound quality and comfort for those who don’t like sticking earbuds directly into their ears.

Who Should Use Them?
On-ear headphones are good for those who need to pay attention to the depth and sound of what their listening to – on-ear headphones often provide higher quality dynamic range and sound than their in-ear counterparts. You’ll often see those in music or movie production using on-ear headphones. They can also be used for travel, especially those that offer active noise cancellation, to soften ambient noise.

Bose QuietComfort 3 Headphones Review

The Bose QuietComfort 3 headphones are the on-ear sequel to the wildly popular QuietComfort 2s. And like many movie sequels, it's much of the same thing; good active noise cancellation, but only middling sound quality. But the QC3 headphones (as its friends like to call it) aren't meant for audiophiles; they are for those who want less noise rather than perfect sound quality. And for those people, they are a good, if expensive, choice. The Bose QuietComfort3 headphones are priced at $349.

Added on
2008-04-04 07:28:00

Grado SR60 Headphones Review

The Grado SR60s follow the trend of all other Grado headphones: an open-backed design with a large air chamber. This automatically means the SR60s are best suited for a home environment, where they will provide an open, airy listening experience. Elsewhere, the design will allow a fair amount of exchange between what you're listening to and the outside world: you'll hear everything around you, and everyone around you will hear your music. The SR60s have about 6.5 feet of cable, which also allows these headphones to flourish in the home environment, assuming your system isn't more than six feet away. Their foam pads and leather-on-metal band won't provide the most comfortable listening session, but they aren't really uncomfortable either.

The Grado SR60 headphones are currently available for about $69.

Added on
2008-04-28 17:25:00

Grado Labs iGrado Headphones Review

The iGrado headphones from Grado Labs have a serious case of the i's. Presumably named in honor of Apple's ubiquitous iPod, these headphones are meant for use with portable media devices. The cord is a bit less than four feet in length, which will reach your pants pocket, but not leave a ton of slack. The iGrados are also smaller than most on-ear sets, thanks mainly to their around the back of the head design. Unfortunately, the plastic band might be a bit uncomfortable. Since it can't be adjusted, it will feel tight against all but the tiniest of heads.

Added on
2008-05-07 15:36:00

Bose QuietComfort 3 Headphones Review

Added on
2008-04-04 07:28:00