OK, so you’ve got some headphones in mind, you’ve read a few reviews (or not), and you’ve even found a store nearby that sells them. Now what?
With in-ear headphones, fit is paramount. Without a good fit, you’re not going to get the sound the headphones are capable of. Almost all in-ear headphones come with multiple tips. I’ve seen a few displays that have bins of these for you to try. If not… well it’s going to be tough without buying them first. There are also some companies that make “aftermarket” tips for in-ear headphones. Ideally the stock tips will work, but if not sometimes one of these aftermarket pairs might be perfect (Comply is one type).
With on-ear and over-ear headphones, there’s two things to keep in mind. The pressure of the pads on your head should decrease slightly as they get broken in, and the earpads should soften a little. Don’t expect too much of either. They might break in perfectly, and they might not. If you can, wear them for at least several songs worth of time. You should begin to get an idea how they’ll feel long term. If they’re a well-used store demo model, they’re probably as broken in as they’ll ever be.
The best demo materials are songs that you know well. Ideally it’s something acoustic with vocals, but if you know it, that’s most important. Really bad headphones are easy to judge quickly. Is the bass just indistinct thump and boom? Does the treble make you want to turn down the volume? These are bad signs. Are the vocals clear and intelligible? Do bass notes have a distinct tone and sound (like, does a bass guitar sound like notes on a bass guitar, not just balllumph ballumph ballumph…). These are good things.
Ideally, you’ll be able to compare headphones back to back. Be conscious of differences in volume. Different headphones can be louder (or softer) even at the same volume level on your mobile/Apple AAPL -0.91% iPod. A louder headphone can sound “better” even though it’s just “louder.” Without a controlled environment, there’s no real way to fix this. The easiest way to compare two headphones is using one song, or even better, just part on song on a loop. Go back and forth a few times, you should start to be able to pick out differences. Focus on one aspect, be it the bass, the treble, or the mid-range, and compare that. Then focus on another aspect of the sound, and so on.
Comparing headphones back to back is really the easiest and best way to get an idea what a headphone sounds like, and what you like. If there are other headphones to try where you are, listen to them too, even if they’re more or less expensive.
Conclusion
I wish shopping for headphones was as easy as comparing the specs and clicking “buy.” It’s sadly a lot more difficult. I recommend starting with the reviews from some of the awesome people I linked on page 1. Then, if possible, find a store where you can compare the headphones you like with some comparable models. Hopefully, the store will have a 30-day return policy so you can bring them home, play them for an hour or so (not on your head, just playing some music to break them in), and then sit back for some intense “research,” i.e. listening to your favorite music.
With any luck, you’ll be driven to try old favorite after old favorite, just to hear how the songs sound on your new headphones. That’s the mark of a great pair.
Any questions? Feel free to ask in the comments!
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