Sometimes, you wish that you had a device that can make your music experience enjoyable. Though we have so many types of headphones currently in the market, none can beat the earbuds. They are sleek in design, sturdy in build quality, come with noise cancellation, and can offer you with astounding music performance.
It is not surprising that many users today are switching over to earbuds. After all, who does not want to use a sublime pair of earphones? Dealing with a pair of headphones that come infused with cables and wires can be extremely frustrating.
Yes, wired earphones can provide you with opulent music quality. But, you would be lying if you said that you don’t mind the wiring that comes with it. When your top-end smartphone does not have the headphone jack, then you have to purchase the adapters.
In contrast, the earbuds are light, easy to use, affordable, and a great accessory for travel purposes. Today, we will be discussing about earbuds, and it will help you learn and understand more about these models.
Let us read the below post and get to know more about the earbuds.
What are earbuds?
Earbuds are like small headphones that you can wear inside your ears. Most of the models today come infused with a built-in microphone. These earbuds are mostly used for communication and music entertainment.
They can be also used for listening to podcasts, music, and also watching movies. They can enhance your experience. When compared to headphones, headphones can provide you with good noise cancellation, better coverage, and a comfortable listening experience.
But earbuds are convenient to use and are affordable. They are lightweight and easy to carry around with you. They are not conspicuous to wear. Depending on your requirement, you can select from the wireless and wired earbud models that come in different price ranges.
Why are they called earbuds?
They are called as earbuds because of their shape. They are shaped like earbuds and do not come with any wires connected similar to the headphone models. They are also called as cans, and some of them fit inside your ears, and come wired.
The best way you can understand about the earbuds is to listen to music on them. You can consider listening to the acoustic guitar or the piano if you want. Now, you can understand between the good and the bad.
However, two earbuds of different brand make do not sound the same. They do not come infused with similar specs. In earbuds, the drivers are the most important components because they create sound in them.
They turn the electrical signal into sound pressure. The audio performance of the earbuds depends on the size of the diaphragm. The larger the diameter, the better the sound quality. Some of the best earbuds currently sold in the market include the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 or Pro – Samsung wireless earbuds, Sony WF-1000XM4 – Sony’s best wireless earbuds, and Beats Fit Pro Best wireless earbuds for sports.
What is the benefit of having it?
There are many benefits of using earbuds in your regular life. They are lightweight and portable. You can place them inside your pocket, backpack, or handbag. Unlike bulky headphones and earphones, these are small models.
They are also quite affordable unless you want to make use of a top-end model that is priced under $300. It comes with the sturdy build quality and provides better sound quality than speakers. They can fit quite well inside your ears and block ambient noise.
You can set them at a volume that is comfortable for without getting very loud. The earbuds come with great battery life. The previous earphones were wired, meaning that they had to be plugged into a device.
Today, with these earbuds, you can use them without having to plug them anywhere. They can provide you with more than 20 hours of listening capacity. When the battery is low, then you can plug them in the case for just 10 minutes to get 1 hour of usage time.
That should be sufficient for traveling purposes playing your favorite music or listening to a podcast. It comes with a protective storage case. Besides, charging the earbuds, the charging case has another feature, it protects the earbuds.
So, you know that when you place your earbuds inside the case, it is quite safe from literally everything. You can tap the controls. This feature was a game changer, to be honest with you. When the first wired earbuds had single, double, and triple-tap controls for pausing play, skipping songs, and answering calls, it took things a step further.
Like the UE FITS,’ Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity can be used on most of devices. Each of them can be controlled with the help of the custom single- or double-taps on the surface of it. You can also activate Siri or Google Assistant, adjust the volume, play, pause, or answer phone calls.
Who should buy them?
The earbuds are easy to use, they are also lightweight, and quite simple to carry around. When you are looking for a powerful device that can help you do the above, then earbuds are the best option.
You can make use of the noise cancellation feature, and yet hear what is happening around you. This is useful when traveling by bus or train. You can also use them in the office as it is not going to bother anyone.
They are not dangerous technology. Unlike, what some of you think, they are safe to use regularly. However, you might want to use a low volume. Using high volume often may lead to hearing loss.
It has a lifespan of 3-5 years, depending on the use. Besides, you will want to make sure that you use it carefully. So, when you are somebody who is looking for an earphone that is safe to use, decent enough, and provides you with ambient noise as well, then you can go for it.
What are the factors to consider before buying them?
Sound quality depends on the codecs used
The sound quality depends on the codecs used on the earbuds. The codec determines the manner in which the audio is transferred to Bluetooth. The codec encodes and decodes the digital sound signals for quick wireless transmission.
The cheap wireless earphones support SBC (low-complexity sub-band) codec. It divides frequencies into several bands and encodes them separately. Sadly, it takes some time and that causes some delays in the transmission of the information.
The earphones do not support higher bitrate audio and high-resolution music. So, it sounds somewhat flat. We can note the delay when playing or the character’s voices behind the video. A good earbud can support codecs such as aptX, aptX HD, and LDAC 900.
Look for battery life and a good charging case
The battery working life is the most important. You would want to make sure that the earbuds come infused with the charging case with them. These earphones come with a powerful battery that can work for 16 hours.
That is found on the top-end models only. Others come with a battery life of 12 hours at least. Also, some basic wireless earphone batteries may not work for more than 8 hours. So, when you are somebody who listens to music for lengthy hours, then make sure the battery survives.
The charging case comes with in-built batteries that allow you to charge when you are traveling. Some of the other earbud models can support wireless charging, and in the process decrease the need to plug it into the charging case.
Choosing earphones with right ear-tips
It goes without saying that the ear tips of the earbuds are the most crucial aspect of the model. When you want to make use of the right kind of earbuds, then you have to use the proper fitting ear tips.
You may want to beware that the Apple AirPods do not come with silicone ear tips. However, they can provide you with a snug fitting. But you may hear the outside noise inside sometimes.
In this case, we suggest you may want to use the AirPods Pro. They are most ideal for providing you with the perfect sound performance. Moreover, they have a new noise cancellation feature. You might want to also consider having controls on the earbuds for better access.
Noise cancellation on wireless earphones
Please note that the noise cancellation feature was provided on the wired earphones. Today, you can find several wireless earbuds that provide noise cancellation.
You can control the volume of the music and enjoy them as well. You can hear what people around you are saying without having to remove the earbuds if you want. The noise cancellation feature immensely enhances the music experience but can drain the battery out.
Driver type
The earbuds also come with dynamic drivers. There are several kinds of dynamic drivers that you can consider using as you wish to. You can choose the one depending on the sound quality of your choice.
Water-resistance
You will also want to consider the water-resistance feature in the earbuds. There are different kinds of water-resistance features like the IPX4 and IPX5 ratings. The IPX4 rating means it protects from some splashes of water.
The IPX5 ratings mean that the unit protects against water projected at it. The IPX6 and the IPX7 ratings protect against powerful streams of water. The IPX7 rating provides protection against the earbuds under water for 1 meter in depth for 30 minutes.
Price: The first thing that you need to know about wireless earbuds is that they are expensive. That is correct. You see, you can find a lot of cheap wireless earphones in the market. The problem is that they are not real earbuds.
They come with a few features mimicking the wireless earbuds, but they are not genuine models. Besides, the audio performance can be horrible. The wireless earbuds should come with a Bluetooth chip to ensure that it is able to provide you with a strong signal.
Pros and Cons
We have discussed some of the pros & cons below briefly.
PROS
- The earbuds are comfortable to wear: The earbuds are comfortable to wear for a prolonged time. You do not feel as if you have something inside your ears. They are very lightweight and portable. Of course, you need to make sure that they fit your ears properly by choosing the right kind of ear tips.
- They don’t fall out: Continuing with the previous point, they do not fall out. That means you can use the earbuds for listening to music when you work out. Moreover, when you are somebody who travels a lot, then you would find this unit helpful.
- They come in a chargeable case: Almost all of the genuine earbuds come in a charging case. You need to take this charging case with you when you are traveling around because you have to charge the earbuds when the battery power decreases.
- You can choose from many options: The models come in many brands, and you have several options to choose from. You are spoilt for choice here and your listening capability becomes intense. Of course, you need to decide whether it is going to be the Android or the iOS devices to use them on.
- Fantastic music quality: The earbuds provide you with fantastic audio performance. They also have awesome wireless connectivity offering you with good signal capability.
CONS
- Loud noise can damage the ears: You would want to listen to the earbuds using the right volume. Please use less than 60% volume when listening for a long time of more than 60 minutes. Besides, you may not want to use high volume as it can damage your brain.
- Using incorrectly sized ear tips can have other negative effects: It is important that you make use of the rightly sized ear tips. Because, when you don’t, it can have a negative effect on the seal. If it is either too small or too large, then it can cause problems.
Conclusion
We have ended our discussion on wireless earbuds. We highly recommend wireless earbuds when you want to listen to sublime music. Besides, they look and feel comfortable tow ear for a prolonged period of time.
Now, you do not have to be concerned about the wiring. These models can provide you with plenty of flexibility when you travel. Besides, a good pair of wireless earbuds can always enhance your music experience.
They are light, portable, and easy to carry around. Moreover, they are suitable for students, and working professionals. You can also use them for exercising. There are several wireless earbuds that you can consider from popular brands like Samsung and Apple.
When you are planning to get one model in 2023, then you are extremely lucky. That is because you have several earbuds to choose from that can satisfy your music cravings. If you have any queries about the earbuds, then please do write to us in the comment section.
We will answer your doubts as quickly as possible.
James Smith has always been intrigued by electronic products since his childhood. After his post graduation in electronics from a popular university, he decided to pursue a career in the electronics sector. But his calling for writing about these marvellous pieces of work got the better of him. That is how UBG was started. With a writing career spanning more than 12 years, James has worked on several hundred product reviews. During his free time, he like to spend time with his pet dog and relax in the swimming pool.