The AudioJunkies Guide to Buying Cans for Beginners

One of the most affordable and portable ways to enter the hi-fi world is the purchase of a good set of headphones. Sadly, a good set of cans is one of the last considerations for most people, who prefer to use the junk that came with their iPod or that they picked up for $20 at Wal-Mart. Does that sound familiar? Maybe you should check out our recommendations after the break.

When it comes to good portable sound around your ears, there are tons of brands, styles, and models. This can seem pretty daunting if you’re just getting into it. But let’s start at the most basic level: the style.

Styles

1. Circum-Aural – These headphones are rather large and fit over your entire ear. They’re sometimes called "Full Size" headphones. They’re usually pretty big, very comfy, and tend to offer pretty good noise isolation (in other words, they keep the outside sound out and the inside sound in), although there are full size headphones out there that are very open. Take a look at the Sennheiser HD595.



2. Supra-Aural – These headphones are a little smaller than the circum-aural style and rest on the ears. This creates a little more pressure on your ears, so the pads used are pretty important. It’s not uncommon to here these referred to as "Earpad" headphones. See the AKG K81DJ's below.



3. Earbuds – Surely everyone has seen a pair of these before. They’re pretty much standard with all mp3 players as they are cheap to manufacture and highly portable. They generally offer pretty poor noise isolation and aren’t particularly comfortable as they are shoved into the concha ridge of your outer ear. They also have a tendency to fall out as not all ears are identically shaped. Here are the Yuin PK1’s.



4. In Ear Monitors (IEM’s) – These are sometimes called "Ear Canal" headphones. Can you guess why? They are very small headphones that literally squeeze into the entrance to your ear canal. They are simply awesome for noise isolation, are very portable, and offer great sonic capabilities at low volumes because of how they seal in your ear. The downside is that they are usually more expensive and require either a custom fitting or a try-out with multiple tips. The d-Jays from Jays are a good example below.



Variations

These are the basic styles of headphones that are out there. Naturally, there are a few variations on them as well.

1. Wireless – Skip the wires and go mega portable! The great convenience of going cordless is attractive, but sadly, there aren’t many wireless cans out there that are real great sonically. Still, for the casual listener looking to roam around the house unfettered, cans like the Sennheiser RS130’s are a good choice.



2. Clip-On – These are essentially ear pad headphones that clip onto your ear with an armature that is similar in effect to how glasses wrap over your ear. The bonus is that you skip the headband. The detractor is that there aren’t many available, particularly if you’re looking for some upscale sound. Have a look at the Koss KSC75’s.




3. Street Style – Again, essentially an ear pad headphone, but instead of a headband, you get a neckband. These are really portable and look kind of cool, as you can see with the Grado iGrado's.



So now that you know the styles available, you can pick one that matches what you want. Personally, I like to wear large, sealed circum-aural cans in the house, smaller supra-aural cans outside when I need portability and good isolation, and IEM’s when I’m trying to listen discretely in a library or at school. Those are just my preferences though.


Picking a Set

Now that you’ve found a style you’re looking for, you can really take a look at a company’s offering that will suit you. Naturally, your budget is going to be a major consideration.

The best way to find a set of cans that you like is to get out and listen to a bunch, but that's pretty unrealistic. But hey, you’re on the internet… there’s more on here than just porn.

Using Google can take you a long way, but if you want opinions from those with a lot of experience with headphones, there are two stops you simply must make:

1. www.Head-Fi.org – This is a discussion forum for all things headphones. If they’ve been built, someone has discussed them on head-fi. What’s even better is that head-fi has probably the best for sale area you could imagine. Not only can you find rare collectible cans, you can also find a metric tonne of moderately used equipment at dirt cheap prices.

2. www.Headphone.com – This is the web address from the guys at Headroom. They are primarily a vendor for most of the highly respected headphones companies out there, but their method of rating cans is great for the end user as well. Every can they sell is given a "Value Rating" whereby they rate how well the price correlates to the experience you’ll have. For example, the Sennheiser HD650’s are constantly considered amongst the best cans commercially available, but they have a lower Value Rating than the HD595’s as their sonic signatures are very similar. The HD595’s can be had at a significantly lower price as well. And when it's crap, they’re not afraid to say it's crap.

3. www.AudioCubes.com - If you are looking for Audio Technica headphones, these are the guys to see. AudioCubes carries a wide variety of headphones, MP3 players and headphone accessories. In addition to the online store, they should have a New York store soon where people will be able to demo all of the headphones they sell.


Armed with these resources, you should have no problem picking out some headphones that work for you.

Accessories

Ahh, accessories. The cherry to your sundae…the icing to your cake…the nipple to your…well, you get it. There are tons of accessories out there to choose from; some are great ways to improve performance while others are a way to add a little bit of style to your already stylish appearance. Listing every possible accessory is beyond the scope of this article, but there are a few basics you can start with.

1. Amplifiers – Yup, even your headphones can use an amplifier. Though I've never personally believed in the type of golden ear audiophilia that requires dropping $10,000 on cables, there are certainly subtle differences you can attribute to the amplifier you use and the ability to really drive your headphones in a way that is impossible with most portable devices is a good reason to look into an amplifier. Like headphones, there are tons of manufacturers and varieties of amplifiers you can look at, including amplifiers from the same company you might have bought your headphones from. Again, Head-Fi is going to be a great resource for you.

2. Stands – It’s always important to keep your purchases in good shape and retain the value of your headphones, but taking them in and out of the packaging is a real pain. The solution? Get a stand to rest your headphones on. Typically they are of the single set nature similar to what we talked about earlier this week but there are also some stands out there that can hold 3 or even 4 cans at a time. If you’ve got a large collection, you’re probably best off buying a bunch of wall-mount hangers so you can hang them all out of the way.

3. Straight Custom – Yup. With the help of companies like www.Headphile.com you can make sure your headphones, too, have "officially been pimped." This mostly involves slight modifications to the cups or ear pads to improve comfort or change the sound, but in some cases, you can get beautiful wooden inserts for just about every part.

- Image: Headphile.com


Wrap Up

So hopefully you find yourself armed with knowledge and ready to venture into the world that is wonderful hi-fi headphones. Be sure to pick a style that will work for you, pick a budget, and check out as many user reviews as you can. And when it’s all said and done, you can perfect your new passion with some accessories.

If you’re already lucky enough to have a good set of cans, register if you haven’t already and leave us a comment with what you’re rocking!

All images courtesy of www.Headphone.com unless otherwise noted.