If you do happen to lose your included pair, there are better budget earphones out there you should consider investing in. They’re overly smooth, lacking the detail, definition and dynamics to really do good quality recordings justice.ĭespite these grumbles, many will still find them fit for purpose – that is, freebie headphones for short bursts of streamed music to while away the commute. It’s safe to say that Apple’s Lightning EarPods still won’t appeal to audiophiles. MORE: Best budget headphones 2016 Verdict If it’s a poor fit, you’ll struggle to keep the outside world out, though the leakiness they were originally known for is much improved here – at decent volumes you shouldn’t bother your fellow commuter too much. Being hard plastic with no way of adjusting their shape via interchangeable tips means they either will or won’t suit your ears. If what you're looking for is a pair to make regular calls with throughout the day you want a pair that has a good set of external mics and - if wireless - beam-forming to pick up your voice clearly during calls.We also still struggle with their fit. Some earphones are wonderful for listening to music, and are tuned to make your favourite playlists sound immense, but might not be as good for voice calls. What about call quality and using them for Zoom calls? The best buds let you hear subtle elements in the track that cheaper buds don't, while the bass keeps its texture and shape, even if it's loud and low. One with good bass control, but also with clarity and detail in the higher frequencies. You need to spend some money to get a pair that sounds really good. More often than not, this is enabled by a pair of high-quality drivers and normally means you can't skimp. If you want to enjoy your music more than anything else, you want a pair of earphones with really good audio quality. How important is the general audio quality? In a workout, you might want more impact and presence from bass to drive you on, whereas listening to music at home in the quiet you find it overpowering. Some people love bass more than others, and you might find it's because of how you want to use the earphones. Some will come with built-in over-ear hooks that fit over the top of your ears to keep them held in place, or with softer silicon 'fins' that hug the inside of your ear. However, there are times when you need something extra to keep them in your ears, particularly if you use them to work out. ![]() What about in-ear fins and over-ear hooks?įor the most part, earphones these days are designed to stay in your ears without any additional support. You want something with noise cancelling of some form. ![]() For instance, if you're listening to music every day on a noisy commute, you won't want a pair like the Audeze models which are open-back and do absolutely nothing to cancel out external noises. Where will you wear them?Īs well as a fit, the environment you're going to do most of your listening in will dictate which headphones you should buy. Look for one that offers multiple tip sizes (if you're buying in-ears) or a well-designed and extending headband (if you're buying over-ears). At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how great a pair of headphones sound if you hate wearing them. If they are, ensure you've activated the highest available streaming/download quality in the app's settings.Ī big part of buying any pair of in, over or on-ears is the fit of the product. Check what streaming service you're on and if your favourite tracks and albums are available in Lossless/Hi-Res audio formats. So if you are buying a pair of Hi-Res capable headphones, make sure you're going to make the most of it. Will you make the most of Hi-Res?Īs streaming services try to outdo each other's offerings, more of them are upping the ante when it comes to streaming higher quality audio. A good example is the type of in-ears or over-ears that use that Lightning power to enable Hi-Res audio with a built-in DAC. ![]() For us a good pair of Lightning headphones has to include something extra. Mainly because Apple sells a very cheap and easy 3.5mm to Lightning adapter that you could just plug any old pair of wired earphones or headphones into. This is undoubtedly THE question when looking for this specific type of headphone. So what should you look for? Why buy Lightning headphones? You can't get tangled up if there are no wires. After all, we've found for so many different product categories, convenience really is king. Lightning headphones are pretty thin on the ground when you compare them to all the other available types of headphones, particularly since everything is pushing towards wireless or true wireless these days.
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